It’s the merge! Time to predict whether or not the one storyline we’ve gotten throughout the entire season will pay off, or if it’ll keep going.

Staff Predictions

Andy

So let’s start with the assumption that Domenick should be immune from the vote. Which puts Chris Noble, and my continued interest in the season, in grave jeopardy.

Luckily, I’m calling my shot now that he wins immunity. Because when you make your prediction, are you making it just to make it? Or are you making it to kick some ass? I’m making it to kick some ass.

Because that’s not all I’m predicting. I’m predicting that Chris Noble acts as though he expects Domenick to play an idol (because he suspects he has one because of the amazing fake idol ploy). So he won’t vote for Domenick. So the question becomes, which Domenick associate does Team Chris Noble go after? More importantly, who ARE Domenick’s associates? My answer? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But, it seems like at least on original Naviti, Kellyn was with Domenick and Bradley. Sure, you could say that she still wouldn’t be after Domenick voted out her partner. But this isn’t about what we think, it’s about what Chris Noble thinks. And he probably thinks that Kellyn is someone who was against him before, and hasn’t had a chance to bro down with him like Wendell did, and thus needs to be gone. So that’s who he’ll target. Or… maybe that’s who the people using Chris Noble as their figurehead will target.

Bonus thought: what if the remaining original Malolos (Laurel, Donathan, Michael, Jenna, Libby) use the Domenick vs Chris Noble feud to AGAIN split the middle and pick their target? It could work, if Dom and Chris Noble split four Navitis each. If they did, wouldn’t Kellyn be the most valued (and satisifying) target?

John

It’s the battle we’ve been setting up all season: Domenick vs. Chris Noble. Chris Noble is many things- bold, amazing, Chris Noble- but he’s no dummy. Because he’s a male model, you see. So Chris Noble, knowing that Domenick has that idol, will instead target Living Background Scenery Chelsea in an effort to get Domenick to burn the idol that Chris Noble knows he has. And while Domenick will definitely play the legacy advantage on himself, he will not bother to try and save Chelsea– nor even necessarily suspect Chelsea as the target. Mostly because I assume he’s basically unaware that she’s there, just like most of us are.

Emma

It would make sense for my precious douchebags to go out back to back, and it’s not a great sign that Chris Noble is presumably trying to vote out the guy with an idol and the legacy advantage, which can be played at this vote. Plus, Bradley went home when I stopped predicting him. So I’m saying Chris Noble will go home, ruining the season but leading to the greatest Ponderosa video of all time.

Matt

Ugh, I hate to do this because there is only one choice. But with the Dom-Chris Noble battle coming to a head, both of them will be laser-focused on the other. And the problem is that there is no way Dom is not immune. If he only had the idol, then maybe he would be confident enough that he had the numbers and would forget to play it. But he has the Legacy Advantage. There are only two times he can use this thing and you can bet he will think that Chris Noble is coming for him because it’s Chris Noble and this will not be a secret. So Dom is like 90% immunity. So the only way it isn’t Chris Noble is if Chris Noble assembles a large enough majority to split the vote (unlikely), he targets someone other than Dom (ha!) or if he wins immunity. And Chris Noble could definitely win immunity, but I hate to make a prediction that he will win immunity because then I would have to find someone else that will go home this week and look how much effort I put into typing this up. I am not going to do double work, thank you very much. So ends Chris Noble‘s winner’s edit. Hopefully, he will be a great juror.

Mark

The much-ballyhooed match of the season, Dom v Chris, should come to a head here. Alliances are hard to shake out, but I think it’s pretty evenly matched. Either someone swings in Dom’s direction or he plays either of his immunities, and the Chris side loses. Tempted to say they aim for an underling, but I think Chris himself goes. RIP Team Douchebag.

	Andy	John	Emma	Matt	Mark	Readers
First Boot	Stephanie	Stephanie	Stephanie	Laurel	James	Stephanie
Third Boot	Libby	Desiree	Jenna	Angela	Chris	Angela
Fourth Boot	Bradley	Jenna	Bradley	Bradley	Bradley	Bradley
Fifth Boot	Bradley	Jenna	Jenna	Jenna	Jenna	Jenna
Sixth Out	Bradley	Chris Noble	Bradley	Chris Noble	Libby	Bradley
Seventh Out	Libby	Libby	Libby	Libby	Bradley	Libby
Eighth Boot	Kellyn	Chelsea	Chris Noble	Chris Noble	Chris
Score

 

Your Turn

Time for you to make your picks. You don’t HAVE to pick against your heart, you know.