Brilliant and Boneheaded 'Survivor' Plays of the Week: Unlucky 13

Warning: Spoilers ahead for this week’s episode of Survivor.

“Let’s play.” — Ciera

If you’ve watched enough seasons of Survivor, you probably have a good sense of how the game works. You might even call yourself a student of the game. So people who have both watched the show and played it are… what? Ph.Ds?

But in this season of “second chances,” the producers of Survivor seem bound and determined to throw a few wrenches into gameplay. Like, the tribe swap which split two tribes into three. And then, this week, which saw the biggest merge ever in the show’s history. Thirteen players, with one unlucky soul having to go home.

Related: Get Caught Up With Our ‘Survivor’ Recaps

With so many players remaining, Scramble Time started almost the instant they merged. Savage was the most relieved of them all, as he already felt like he was on the chopping block. Now, able to Bro Out with Jeremy, he feels safe once again.

That’s odd, since, usually at the merge, everyone wants to target a major challenge threat — like Joe (physically) or Spencer (mentally). In fact, the two are the last ones standing at the immunity challenge. And yet, they end up being the swing votes! This really IS a new game of Survivor. The merge isn’t following any of the usual seasonal rules, since they get rid of the biggest strategic player (Kass) instead of the biggest challenge threat (Joe).

Who said these people would never learn?

Boneheaded Play of the Week: Ciera

What, are you surprised we didn’t pick Kass? Let’s face it, Kass had the deck stacked against her since her previous season. Nobody (except Ciera, and crazy Abi) trusted her. And though she claimed not to be playing her “chaos” game this time, please — that’s just ridiculous.

So yes, Kass was being Chaos Kass, not matter what she said. But Ciera deserves the title this week for throwing her lot in with this lunatic. In her season, Ciera faced very bad odds. She should’ve gone home many times — nearly every week. She survived by ingratiating herself with the right people, saying the right things, and choosing the right alliances at the right time.

In “Second Chance,” though, Ciera chose wrong. Very wrong. Kass talked a good game of playing differently, but neither Spencer nor Tasha would ever truly ally with her after what she did to them in “Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty.”

Then, Ciera trying to call out Savage after the merge — essentially, creating her own brand of chaos — was ill-advised and to her own detriment. The merge only reinforced Old Bayon’s bonds; going after one of those people would only unite them further. Kass may have been voted out first, but Ciera is definitely on the chopping block next.

Brilliant Play of the Week: Spencer

What a difference a week makes! Last week, Spencer was doomed… until Abi talked Kass into voting Woo out as a “threat.” No doubt both of them will regret that soon.

Not only did Spencer survive a week, but after the merge, he’s sitting pretty. He bonds with Joe to form a sort of “swing vote” alliance of the week. He gets hit up by both Jeremy and Kass during scramble time.

Spencer has been the cat of nine lives this season. And now that he’s made it to the merge, he has a very good shot at winning challenges (he was second only to Joe this week) and with forming a key alliance (hey, remember when you were besties with Tasha?). Kass is gone, so his main foe is vanquished.

It’s make-it-or-break-it time, Spencer.

Power rankings:

1. Jeremy
2. Kelley Wentworth
3. Andrew

Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.