“Survivor 51” has only completed its first Tribal Council, but Tyson Apostol and “The Pod Has Spoken” crew already have a few castaways on their winner radar.
Apostol, Riley McAtee and producer Ashleigh Smith broke down the premiere on “The Pod Has Spoken,” discussing everything from the return of Exile Island to the new tribe structure and the season’s first vote.
When it came time to make their early winner picks, the three landed on different women: Kristen, Jelly and Sharonda.
The selections came after a premiere that Apostol and the crew felt brought more uncertainty back into the game. McAtee noted that players had grown accustomed to starting on six-person tribes in recent seasons, while “Survivor 51” instead surprised them with two tribes of 10.
Tyson Apostol Picks Kristen to Win ‘Survivor 51’
Apostol selected Kristen as his winner pick following the premiere.
“I just think that people respect her,” he explained.
He specifically liked the way Kristen displayed leadership qualities without necessarily forcing herself into an official leadership position.
“I think her energy is like that of a leader without her inserting herself into the leader position,” Apostol said.
McAtee saw Kristen somewhat differently. He pointed to her approach during the opening negotiation and wondered whether her competitiveness could eventually push her too far into the leadership role.
Apostol acknowledged that possibility, saying Kristen’s chances could depend on where she positions herself within the group.
If she becomes the obvious person at the top, he agreed her path could become much more difficult.
CBSJelly Emerges as Another Early Winner Pick
Smith went in another direction, selecting Jelly.
“I really enjoyed Jelly’s vibe,” she said.
Jelly was one of only two players who voted for Jenna at the opening Tribal Council after the majority ultimately eliminated Aaliyah. That leaves her with some potential repairing to do, but Smith believes she could recover if the group places more responsibility for the minority vote on Devin.
Earlier in the recap, the hosts questioned how much the split vote could affect Jelly and Devin moving forward, particularly because Jenna now knows they voted against her.
Still, Smith liked Jelly’s social potential and said her ability to continue building relationships with the women could help her move past the opening vote.
Riley McAtee Sticks With Sharonda
McAtee decided not to abandon his preseason winner pick.
“I’m sticking with my preseason pick of Sharonda,” he said.
Unlike players who immediately found themselves at the center of the premiere’s strategy, McAtee liked that Sharonda was able to stay relatively quiet while establishing several relationships.
He pointed to her connections with Kristen and the so-called “helicopter alliance” as evidence that she already has different relationships developing across the game.
McAtee also liked Sharonda raising her hand when players were given the opportunity to eliminate fire-making.
“I got everything that I wanted out of her this episode,” he said.
The premiere also left the hosts encouraged by the broader direction of Season 51. The return of a traditional marooning, Exile Island and larger tribes created a game that felt less predictable than recent seasons. The hosts particularly enjoyed Exile Island and the difficult task Lewis faced while attempting to obtain an idol.
With “permanent uncertainty” defining the Open Era, however, even their early winner picks may not stay safe for long.
