'Survivor 50': Who deserves to win? The cases for the final 5 players

Jason Sargent Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Adam Graham, The Detroit NewsTue, May 19, 2026 at 4:01 AM UTC

At this point, it's Rizo's game to lose.

Ah, but the same thing can be said for any of the five remaining contestants heading into Wednesday's "Survivor 50" finale, in which one sole "Survivor" will walk away with a juiced-up $2 million prize.

But who's it going to be? Will it be upstart Rizo Velovic, who came into the game the ultimate question mark, because none of the other contestants had seen his season of "Survivor," which finished taping just days before the start of "Survivor 50?"

Or will it be Tiffany Ervin, who has won three key Immunity Challenges during this season, and has thus proven her standing among the game's greats?

Here's a breakdown of the remaining five "Survivors," their cases for winning, and some ancillary awards for the remaining "Survivor 50" players through the ups and downs of the historic season.

Why Rizo should win

He came in as the Wild Card, an unknown in a cast of knowns. That's because Rizo Velovic was a cast member on "Survivor 49," which wrapped filming just three weeks before "Survivor 50" started taping, and hadn't yet aired. So none of the other players knew who this kid who kept calling himself "RizGod" was, or why he was so cocky. But he came on as a fanboy, geeking out over his favorite "Survivor" players, and while he was targeted for elimination early, he struck up a key alliance with Cirie and Ozzy, which provided protection for him through the meat of the game. And he also held an Idol which kept him safe from harm — so safe, in fact, that he never even had to play it. Rizo had one of the highest mountains to climb in "Survivor 50," and even making it as far as he did puts him near the top of the class for the season. But is it enough to win the $2 million? That, fellow viewers, is the question.

Why Aubry should win

Oddsmakers have Aubry Bracco as the overwhelming favorite to win it all this season, which would mark her first "Survivor" win after three previous attempts (she was a part of Seasons 32, 34 and 38). She has played a stealth and strategic game and took credit for the ouster of Ozzy Lusth, one of the game's biggest eliminations, after she leaked the strategy he shared with her to everyone in earshot. And let her tell you about it: "I had one mission: get Ozzy out of this game. And I just drove the nail into his coffin," she said during last week's episode. "I've learned my lesson. This time, I'm ruthlessly focused on one thing: get rid of every threat in this game. And that ember of fire inside of me is getting bigger. And now it feels like a flame, and it's go-time now. There's no turning back." She's not wrong, as the major threats do seem to have been eliminated, and she's still standing. And maybe now it's finally her time to shine.

Why Joe should win

Joseph "Joe" Hunter might have the most boring nickname ever committed to quotation marks. Maybe if it were Joseph "Mad Dog" Hunter, or Joseph "The Hunter" Hunter, we could understand the need for quotes. But Joe, just plain old Joe? We were probably going to call him that anyway. It's an unflashy moniker for an unflashy guy, this holdover from Season 48, who finished as the second runner-up in his previous season. This time around, he's played a solid physical game, winning several challenges, and mostly keeping a cool head in his social game. He just doesn't seem pivotal enough to any of the game's major moves to be crowned a winner, and it feels like he was never targeted in the game because others knew they'd be safe going against him in a jury vote. That same un-flashiness that gave him his nickname may end up coming back to bite him in the end.

Why Jonathan should win

The closest this season came to Jason Momoa was Jonathan Young, the bearded hulk who previously competed on "Survivor's" 42nd season. His physical stature made him a great asset for any team participating in a physical challenge, as it was better to be with him than against him in a test of strength or endurance. But was his strategy enough to carry him to the title of "Survivor 50" champion? Heading into the finale, Jonathan falls into that middle category with Joe, where he seems good enough to make the finale, but perhaps not exemplary enough to win the whole shebang. He and Joe might end up canceling each other out, so they're good people to be up against in the end.

Why Tiffany should win

Tiffany Ervin was on her way out on last week's episode, until she won the Immunity Challenge that brought her to the finale and ultimately resulted in the exit of Cirie Fields. So she showed up at key moments, when it counted most. The Season 46 veteran came in 8th place in her previous season, and that time she was sent home with an Idol in her pocket. She was determined not to make the same mistakes this time around. She won several challenges (and nearly won one more, but was disqualified after a judge's review), and played a sneaky good social game that has gotten her this far. She was so low-key that through the first few episodes of the season it seemed she barely received any airtime. But she has come on strong in the second half of the season and has made a good case for herself through solid gameplay. The only question is can she make that case even stronger, and will the jury agree?

And now, other "Survivor 50" awards are granted in various categories:

Most Entertaining Player

Ah, Devens. Rick Devens was the life of the party on "Survivor 50," causing chaos, stirring up trouble and creating intrigue out of thin air whenever and wherever he could. How about making a huge show out of a fake Idol? No problem, he'll do that. How about putting an entire Mr. Beast challenge on his back and volunteering to flip a coin to increase the show's jackpot from $1 million to $2 million? There was no one better suited to flipping that coin than Devens. His luck was running so hot throughout the game that it almost seemed like his Shot in the Dark, which would have canceled any votes cast against him, would come up in his favor. Alas, it didn't, ending his game prematurely — or way after he should have already been gone, depending on your perspective. But he was still the MVP of the entire season, its agent of chaos who kept its engine revving.

The 'Got Too Cocky' Award

Ozzy Lusth is a "Survivor" Hall of Famer, one of the players that even people who don't watch "Survivor" can pick out as a "Survivor" contestant. "Survivor 50" marked his fifth time playing, and he was so frightened of repeating past mistakes that he said he had a dream that he was voted out of the game while still holding an Idol in his pocket. And for his next trick, guess what he did: He was voted out of the game while still holding an Idol in his pocket, the most boneheaded move of the entire season, exposing his hubris as a person and a player and undoing most of the strides he had made during the season. At one point, "Survivor 50" was his to lose, and that was the exact moment he lost it. It's too bad, but that's "Survivor" for ya.

The 'Went Too Hard' Award

Kyle Fraser, we hardly knew ye — at least this time around. After winning "Survivor's" 48th season, the Brooklyn attorney returned for "Survivor 50," but was airlifted out of the game after suffering an Achilles rupture during a challenge on the season's first episode. His ouster likely affected the game's outcome in ways we'll never know, but once again, that's "Survivor" for ya.

The 'Most Talked About Without Doing Anything' Award

US singer-songwriter Billie Eilish attends the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour" at Village Theatre in Westwood, California on May 6, 2026. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP via Getty Images)

As the so-called "Billie Eilish Boomerang Idols" were floating around the island, it seemed like everyone was talking about — and proclaiming their admiration for — the "Birds of a Feather" singer. But all that talk never added up to anything: Eilish never showed up, or gave a private concert as an Immunity Challenge reward, or even offered an autographed copy of "Hit Me Hard and Soft" as a prize. We just had to take it at face value that she was a fan (she did mention "Survivor" in the lyrics for 2022's "TV"), and that a large portion of the game revolved around her namesake Idols. (Surely it had nothing to do with her 3D concert movie released by CBS-affiliated Paramount Pictures, right? Right?) At least Zac Brown and Mr. Beast showed up on the island, for better or for worse, and took their licks.

The 'Tidewalker' Award

"Coach is old and kind of dismantled," is how fellow contestant Dee Valladares put it, but that's part of the charm — if you can call it that — of Benjamin "Coach" Wade. He pulled a nasty sneak attack in the first episode that pretty much spelled his certain doom in the game, and he spent the rest of his time on the island spouting haikus, being put in time out and coming up with nicknames for the other players. Among them: "The Stone Bell Monk" (Joe), "The Oak Bound Warrior" (Colby Donaldson), and "The Tidewalker" for himself, since he is "the one who moves around obstacles instead of crushing right through them." Sounds cool. He made it to jury, so good on him, and there was also a point during this season when he was selling Zoom sessions to fans on his website with the promise of granting them their very own nicknames during the call. Don't ever go a-changing, Coach.

The 'How'd She Last As Long As She Did?' Award

Playing "Survivor" for the sixth time, Cirie Fields is the player who was immediately on everyone's radar, who still somehow managed to make it all the way to 6th place in the game. How? Through her master social strategy, where she's your most valuable ally until she becomes your most vicious opponent. Why wasn't she the first one gone? Because everyone respects her too much to cut her loose. But then she makes her way into the fabric of the game, and suddenly she's the biggest threat, hiding in plain sight. She was one place away from making the finale, and if she were to make it to jury, there would be no question who would win, out of sheer respect alone. Cirie didn't win "Survivor 50," but she guaranteed herself the title of Best Player Who Has Never Won "Survivor," and no one is taking that away from her.

agraham@detroitnews.com

'Survivor 50' Finale

8-11 p.m. Wednesday

CBS/ Paramount+

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: 'Survivor 50': Who will win, who deserves to win? A finale preview

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”

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