Andy Rueda is the underdog of Survivor 47. The 31-year-old narrowly escaped elimination in Episode 1 after a public meltdown caused his Gata tribemates to see him as a liability. He evaded his torch being snuffed by planting a target on his ally Jon Lovett’s back. At Tribal, Gata voted in his favor, sending Jon to Ponderosa.
Andy’s game didn’t improve after Episode 1. In addition to annoying his tribemates, he walked away from an Idol and left his Shot In the Dark in plain sight. He could not shake his reputation in the Gata tribe, forcing him to act as Sam Phalen and Sierra Wright’s puppet. But the merge provided Andy with the chance to transform his game. He made new allies, devised villainous schemes, and somehow went from an underdog to a frontrunner.
He hasn’t played a flawless game, but it has certainly been a blast to watch. He never fails to surprise me. Let’s take a look at Andy’s best moments so far.
When Andy had a public meltdown in Episode 1 of Survivor 47
Andy had a rough go in the premiere episode. He suffered from a bout of paranoia, convincing himself his tribe didn’t like him because they cheered when Jon cracked a coconut but not when he did. His panic increased after Gata lost the first Immunity Challenge. He openly shared his fears in front of Jeff Probst and the entire Survivor 47 cast, telling them he planned to throw Jon under the bus in an attempt to save himself.
It was an insane choice, but it strangely worked in his favor. Gata saw the benefit of keeping an unpredictable underdog in the game and chose to vote out Jon, who they viewed as a bigger threat. Sometimes a blowup can work in a player’s favor because people assume you’re too much of a loose cannon to play a smart, strategic game. Andy’s meltdown may have helped him stay in the game.
In addition to it being a smart game move, it was also just so funny. He was the most memorable castaway from the premiere episode.
When Andy flipped on his allies in Episode 8 of Survivor 47
Andy didn’t have a lot of options in the Gata tribe. He was squished between two duos, making it impossible for him to make a big game decision. He was forced to do Sierra and Sam’s bidding with little room to push back on any of their plans. But then the merge arrived, and Andy broke out of his cocoon and became a butterfly.
At first, he planned to remain loyal to Sam and Sierra, but once he discovered Sam was comfortable using him as the fallout guy if Rome Cooney played an Idol, he changed his tune. He formed new alliances with players who valued his loyalty. In Episode 8 he made the bold decision to flip on his tribe, assisting in Sierra’s blindside. It was a huge move for the underdog. Initially, Sam was pissed, but he quickly realized he needed Andy in the game. If anything, I think it made Sam respect him more.
When Andy made alliances with everyone on Episode 10 of Survivor 47
In Episode 10, titled, “Loyal to the Soil,” Andy took advantage of his position in the game, forming alliances with everyone he could. He told Kyle Ostwald, Rachel LaMont, and Teeny Chirichillo that he was ride-or-die for them. Making multiple alliances is always risky. It can become hard to keep your promises if you have too many allies, but so far, this move has worked for Andy. His relationship with Rachel and Teeny helped earn him a spot in a final five alliance. He wasn’t able to save Kyle from elimination but he tried, which I think may have won him a jury vote if he finds himself in those final three chairs.
When he came up with Operation Italy
Operation Italy is Andy’s most impressive move to date. He devised one of the most brilliant schemes I have seen in Survivor history. It’s a miracle he pulled it off. He presented the plan while at the Survivor Sanctuary with Sam and Genevieve Mushaluk, who were desperate to avoid elimination. Andy could’ve played it safe and remained loyal to his majority alliance, but he decided to again flip on his allies. He told Genevieve and Sam that their best bet was to convince the others that one of them had an Idol. From there, he could convince them to split the vote to flush the Idol. If everything went according to plan, he could flip his vote on someone from the other side.
The plan was a huge risk. So many things could’ve gone wrong and yet, it worked. Caroline became a victim of Operation Italy, receiving the majority of votes at Tribal Council. That move alone may be enough for a jury to crown him the winner of Survivor 47.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ANDY’S GAME ON SURVIVOR 47? DO YOU THINK HE HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN IT ALL?
