Survivor: Sixers - Episode 1

Quarantine has allowed many of us to watch a ton of television — whether that’s good or not is still up in the air. I, for one, love to watch mindless television, but sometimes the mind needs something based upon both strategy and relationships. This is what makes Survivor such an incredible show, and the reason why both Emily Anderson and I watch the show almost religiously. As a result, we thought it would be a great idea to team up and create our own season of Survivor totally centered around the Sixers!

If you don't watch the show, all you really need to know is that players are split up randomly into tribes and compete in events for immunity. The losing tribe has to vote out a player at Tribal. The Sixers have 16 players on their roster, so each tribe will have eight players. Once the amount of players left reaches 10, the game will become every man for himself — a point in the game known as the Merge.

Once the Merge rolls around, each player voted out from that point on will form the Tribal Council. These players will watch the game and vote for the eventual winner out of the final three. There are also hidden Immunity Idols to be found around the island that can be played for safety, but it is up to the players to use these Idols correctly. There’s much more to explain about the nuances of the game, but I won’t bore you with all the rules and technicalities. So without further ado, let’s have some fun!

Red Tribe

Raul Neto, Mike Scott, Marial Shayok, Joel Embiid, Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, Zhaire Smith, Tobias Harris

Blue Tribe

Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks, Al Horford, Norvel Pelle, Josh Richardson, Kyle O’Quinn, Shake Milton, Ben Simmons

First Tribal

The Blue Tribe wins the first Immunity Challenge in a landslide, thanks to a heroic effort from Ben Simmons, sending the Red Tribe to Tribal. The veteran group of Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Mike Scott have taken the young duo of Matisse Thybulle and Marial Shayok under their wings to form a huge alliance that will control the long-term voting numbers. At camp, Raul Neto snuck away to look for an Idol, feeling threatened by the new alliance. With no luck finding an idol, Neto ended up on the wrong side of the votes. Five votes were cast on Neto, with the other three going to Joel Embiid. With that, Raul Neto was the first Sixer eliminated. Raul Neto eliminated

Tribal 2

The Red Tribe gets some revenge, winning the second Immunity Challenge and sending the Blue Tribe to their first Tribal. The first alliance of the Blue Tribe formed on day one, called The Bigs (Horford, Pelle and O’Quinn). They don’t have enough swing to control the votes by themselves, but they could have some pretty serious power in the game. Glenn Robinson III complained around camp so much about his role on the team during Challenges that almost everyone agreed to vote him out. The only person to vote with Robinson III was his close friend, Alec Burks. Robinson III was sent home on a 6-2 vote, with the other two going towards Norvel Pelle. Glenn Robinson III eliminated

Tribal 3

The Blue Tribe heads to their second Tribal in a row, this time due to a late blunder by Alec Burks in the Immunity Challenge. Because of that mistake, Burks goes Idol hunting back at camp, and he strikes gold! Knowing he has safety and everyone is aiming to get him out, he tells no one so that he can make a big move at Tribal. Right before the votes are read, Burks plays his Idol, shocking everyone. The first six votes are all for Burks, and none count. With only one vote left, it’s Al Horford going home. Burks exacts revenge for his fallen friend by eliminating the head of The Bigs alliance. Al Horford eliminated

Tribal 4

The Blue Tribe is now playing like the Sixers on a road trip as they drop their third straight Immunity Challenge. This time, the tribe falls because of a critical mistake having Ben Simmons play the role of shooter in a 3-point-shooting challenge. The veteran leadership of Embiid, Harris and Scott on the Red Tribe has proven to be the difference maker thus far. Alec Burks gained the respect of Ben Simmons and Josh Richardson at the last Tribal, so they have decided to work together. The group decides to continue to break up any other alliance in the tribe, now going after Kyle O’Quinn. Without an Immunity Idol, there isn’t much that O’Quinn can do and he’s eliminated by a 4-2 vote with Shake Milton also voting against him. Kyle O’Quinn eliminated

Tribal 5

After finally winning an Immunity Challenge, the Blue Tribe is safe for the first time in what feels like weeks. I guess now they all know what peak Process felt like. Over at the Red Tribe, both Furkan Korkmaz and Zhaire Smith are on the chopping block, but it is Korkmaz who is given a lifeline. The Turkish sharpshooter strikes a deal with Thybulle and Shayok to keep him safe for the upcoming vote in return for his loyalty should they all make the Merge. The plan works perfectly and Zhaire Smith is voted out by a 6-1 vote. Zhaire Smith eliminated

Tribal 6

In the final Immunity Challenge before the Merge, the Red Tribe gets back to their winning ways, securing the numbers advantage once the game becomes every man for himself. Norvel Pelle is the popular choice to be sent home; he notices and works harder to stay in Survivor than he does to pump up the Philly crowd during a Frosty Freeze Out. He ends up flipping the two youngest members of the tribe, Ben Simmons and Shake Milton with the promise of a final three alliance, without Josh Richardson or Alec Burks having any clue. Pelle’s plan goes off without a hitch as Josh Richardson is sent home on a 3-2 vote. Richardson, thought of as the silent assassin by Pelle, was the biggest threat on the tribe. And just like that, we have our first blindside of Sixers Survivor. Josh Richardson eliminated

So there you have it, only ten players remain at the Merge and now the game is every man for himself. Will the relationships formed early on last throughout the rest of the game? Will there be any more blindsides? Find out on the next episode, next Wednesday!