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We’ve survived the “mergatory,” Survivor fans. Now, the 11 lucky remaining castaways have officially made it to the merge, where the game will only get more challenging. So which player best set themselves up to succeed in Survivor 44 Episode 6? Read on for who we believe is the Survivor 44 castaway of the week.

Brandon Cottom, Jaime Lynn Ruiz, Matt Blankinship, Carolyn Wiger, Carson Garrett, and Frannie Marin celebrate their win after an Immunity Challenge in 'Survivor 44' Episode 6 on CBS.
Brandon Cottom, Jaime Lynn Ruiz, Matt Blankinship, Carolyn Wiger, Carson Garrett, and Frannie Marin | Photo: Robert Voets/CBS

Who was voted out in ‘Survivor 44’ Episode 6?

At the beginning of Survivor 44 Episode 6, Tika, Soka, and Ratu learned they would soon live on one beach. Tree mail told them to drop their tribe buffs, but they would have to wait to receive the merge buffs. And unfortunately, one contestant would never get to wear the black bandana.

After the 12 castaways got acquainted at their new camp (and Josh celebrated getting away from Yam Yam and Carolyn), it was time for the Immunity Challenge. Host Jeff Probst randomly separated them into two teams of six:

  • Purple: Carson, Matt, Jaime, Frannie, Brandon, and Carolyn
  • Orange: Heidi, Lauren, Josh, Yam Yam, Kane, and Danny

The groups had to maneuver through an obstacle course and make their way to a tree puzzle. But knowing what we know now, Purple would win no matter what because they had Carson on their team. Orange got to the puzzle first, but it was all over once Carson got his hands on the pieces. The 20-year-old 3D-printed the puzzle and practiced it several times before coming to Fiji. So he instantly knew which parts went where.

Purple won immunity, the merge buffs, and a massive feast. And Orange returned to camp with no immunity, buffs, or reward.

The target constantly shifted between Josh and Yam Yam, with Kane as a temporary designated goat just in case Josh’s idol was real (it obviously wasn’t — the players should have listened to Carolyn). But when it came time for Tribal Council, the target had landed on Josh. He was voted out 7-3-1 (with Yam Yam receiving three votes from Josh, Brandon, and Kane, and Carolyn being the lone vote for Kane).

So, sadly for Josh, he just missed the merge in Survivor 44 Episode 6.

Carson is our ‘Survivor’ castaway of the week

We’ll be honest — it was difficult to choose the Survivor 44 castaway of the week for episode 6. The gameplay was chaotic in this episode, and no one was perfect. But because of Carson’s puzzle triumph and the reunion of the Three Stooges, we’re giving the award to Carson.

Even though all of Purple worked hard during the Immunity Challenge, Carson undoubtedly sealed the win for the team. His quick work with the puzzle is the reason why Brandon, Jaime, Matt, Carolyn, Frannie, and himself were safe at Tribal Council. And it was clear that they were all grateful for Carson at that moment.

Outside the challenge, Carson snuck away with Yam Yam and Carolyn and confirmed they would continue working together on the down low. Their allegiance isn’t surprising to us because we saw them work together on Tika. However, we actually believe that Yam Yam, Carolyn, and Carson will be able to stay aligned without anyone finding out. Many of these players underestimate this dynamic trio.

Carson did mess up a little when he informed Kane that some castaways threw his name out during the feast in Survivor 44 Episode 6. But this mistake doesn’t seem to have any significant repercussions for Carson. So you live and you learn, we guess.

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‘Survivor’ Spoilers Reveal Season 44 Has 1 Frustrating Similarity to Season 43

Will Carson continue to succeed following ‘Survivor 44’ Episode 6?

Carson is probably in one of the best spots of the remaining 11 castaways after Survivor 44 Episode 6.

We haven’t seen him interact much with Soka, but he has good relationships with Tika and Ratu. So whereas Jaime thinks she has the most information out of everyone in Survivor 44, we believe Carson actually does. The only problem is that he is one of the few players who doesn’t have an advantage (but that could easily change).

Plus, if the producers continue to recycle puzzles and competitions from previous seasons, Carson might win every Immunity Challenge going forward.

Survivor 44 Episode 7, “Let’s Not Be Cute About It,” airs Wednesday, April 12, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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