The highly-anticipated premiere of “Survivor”s milestone 50th season is just over a week away!
Set to debut to CBS viewers nationwide on Wednesday, February 25 at 8:00pm ET, the golden anniversary installment will make history with its unprecedented three-hour premiere episode, during which the record-breaking cast – composed of 24 returning players from throughout the entirety of “Survivor”s 26-year history – will be separated into their starting tribes.
Per “New Era” tradition, this season’s cast will start the race towards the $1 million grand prize competing, not as individual castaways, but as three distinct tribes known as Kalo, Cila and Vatu, respectively.
Thanks to pre-season press from publications like Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter and PEOPLE, who were on-location in Fiji during the first few days of filming, we now have enough information to make some informed predictions about how this season’s tribal dynamics could affect the early days of the competition.
Without further ado, here’s a closer look at the castaways, pre-season connections, and potential conflicts that could befall the Kalo Tribe on “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.”
Meet the Castaways on ‘Survivor 50’s Kalo Tribe
CBSJonathan Young on ‘Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.’
Age: 32
Hometown: Godsden, Alabama
Current Residence: Gulf Shores, Alabama
Current Occupation: Beach service owner
Previous “Survivor” Season: “Survivor 42” (4th)
CBSDee Valladares on ‘Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.’
Age: 28
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Current Residence: Miami, Florida
Current Occupation: Entrepreneur
Previous “Survivor” Season: “Survivor 45” (Winner)
CBS
Age: 54
Hometown: Pasadena, California
Current Residence: Hanalei, Hawaii
Current Occupation: Emmy-winning writer/director
Previous “Survivor” Season: “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” (2nd)
CBSKamilla Karthigesu on ‘Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.’
Age: 31
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Current Residence: Foster City, California
Current Occupation: Software Engineer
Previous “Survivor” Season: “Survivor 48” (3rd)
CBSCharlie Davis on ‘Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.’
Age: 27
Hometown: Manchester, Massachusetts
Current Residence: Boston, Massachusetts
Current Occupation: Attorney
Previous “Survivor” Season: “Survivor 46” (2nd)
CBSTiffany Nicole Ervin on ‘Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.’
Age: 34
Hometown: Franklin Township, New Jersey
Current Residence: Los Angeles, California
Current Occupation: Artists / Creative Producer
Previous “Survivor” Season: “Survivor 46” (8th)
CBS
Age: 53
Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee
Current Residence: Susanville, California
Current Occupation: Music teacher / Soccer coach
Previous “Survivor” Seasons: “Survivor: Tocantins” (5th), “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” (12th), “Survivor: South Pacific” (2nd)
CBSChrissy Hofbeck on ‘Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.’
Age: 54
Hometown: New Jersey
Current Residence: The Villages, Florida
Current Occupation: Actuary
Previous “Survivor” Season: “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” (2nd)
Pre-Existing Connections & Alliances on the Kalo Tribe
CBSThe ‘Survivor 50’ Kalo Tribe: Jonathan Young, Dee Valladares, Mike White, Kamilla Karthigesu, Charlie Davis, Tiffany Nicole Ervin, Benjamin ‘Coach’ Wade and Chrissy Hofbeck
The only players on the Kalo Tribe who have experience playing “Survivor” together are Tiffany Nicole Ervin and Charlie Davis, who finished Season 46 in 8th and 2nd places, respectively. Despite their shared season, however, Tiffany and Charlie spent most of the game as adversaries, with Charlie joining the voting block that ultimately led to Tiffany’s Day 19 elimination.
Unlike the Cila and Vatu tribes, there are no other obvious pre-existing relationships between the members of the “Survivor 50” Kalo Tribe. Of the tribe’s eight castaways, only Benjamin “Coach” Wade has played the game more than once. Meanwhile, the remaining seven castaways all played on separate seasons – barring Tiffany and Charlie – with Chrissy Hofbeck and Mike White joining the franchise towards the end of the so-called “Middle Era.”
Consequently, the trio could potentially be out-numbered by a “New Era” alliance, composed of Tiffany, Charlie, Kamilla Karthigesu, Dee Valladares and Jonathan Young.
Potential Conflicts & Rivalries on the Kalo Tribe
CBSKamilla Karthigesu competes for the Kalo Tribe on the premiere of ‘Survivor 50.’
Thanks to a pre-season interview with Parade’s Mike Bloom, wherein the “Survivor 50” cast categorized each of their 23 competitors as either a “Friend” or a “Foe” heading into the milestone season, we know that the vast majority of the Kalo Tribe already have their sights set on taking out “Survivor 45” champion Dee Valladares if given the chance.
Chrissy, Mike and Jonathan immediately recognized Dee as a potential threat, citing her dominating gameplay on her original season, as well as her winner status as reason enough to send her packing before the Merge, where she could potentially find an ally in her Season 45 co-star, Emily Flippen.
Joining Dee on the “bottom” of the Kalo Tribe are Tiffany and Chrissy, both of whom received three-out-of-seven “Foe” votes heading into the season.
That being said, in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jonathan Young expressed his interest in targeting Charlie Davis straight out of the gate, saying that he can’t see a world in which they become allies.
Which Kalo Tribe Castaways are Most Likely to Make the Merge?
Of the entire Kalo Tribe, only Benjamin “Coach” Wade was categorized across the board as a “Friend” before filming began, followed closely by Mike White, who was only seen as a “Foe” by “Survivor 48” finalist Kamilla Karthigesu.
While a game like “Survivor” can change on a dime, the response bodes well for Coach and Mike, especially considering the potential alliances that could open up to them should they reach the Merge. Coach, for example, could potentially find allies in old-school players like Ozzy Lusth and Cirie Fields, while Mike has already expressed his interest in reuniting with his “David vs. Goliath” co-stars Angelina Keeley and Christian Hubicki.
Based on the entirety of pre-season press for “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans,” we’d speculate that Dee Valladares is the most likely Kalo Tribe member to be eliminated first, while Benjamin “Coach” Wade is best situated to make to the Merge, barring any unforeseeable twists or blindsides.
Be sure to catch the historic three-hour premiere episode of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” when it hits CBS screen nationwide on Wednesday, February 25 at 8:00pm ET.
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