Survivor 48's Eva Erickson has been one of the most buzzed-about castaways of the season, in part because of her relationship with David Kinne, but after choosing to massively blindside David in a major move, she may have just solidified herself the win this season if she makes it to the end of the game. Survivor's end game often comes down to who has the best story, and further, who's able to tell that story well enough for the jury to award them the $1 million grand prize. Eva, who's shared her struggles on Survivor, potentially just cemented her story.

Throughout Survivor 48, viewers have had the opportunity to watch Eva grow in her experiences at camp and in challenges, revealing parts of herself that were more difficult to understand with her fellow castaways. As the first openly autistic castaway on Survivor, Eva sharing her diagnosis with her fellow castaways was a big moment, even causing host Jeff Probst to tear up in a rare display of emotion. Eva's gameplay hasn't been earth-shattering, but she's been doing a great job sticking to her alliance and moving through the game. With her decision to help blindside David, things may change quickly.

Should Eva make it to the final tribal council and get the opportunity to address the jury, it seems like her story will be airtight and potentially strong enough to take the win.

Eva And David’s Alliance With Joe Has Been Strong

They Bonded Quickly After The Tribe Swap

Although Eva has been doing a great job as she's moved through the game, it hasn't been an easy road for her as she's gone through the difficulties that Survivor supplies. Starting in the Lagi tribe with Thomas Krottinger, Bianca Roses, Shauhin Davari, Star Toomey, and Joe Hunter, Eva got to know her fellow castaways and, while they lost a few challenges early on, she formed a bond with Joe that transcended others. Eva and Joe's relationship was important for the 24-year-old PhD candidate's mental health, as his presence and ability to cut through the noise helped keep her grounded.

When Joe moved from Lagi to Vula with Thomas and Shauhin during the tribe swap, Eva struggled to recalibrate herself, but she found an ally quickly in David. Although her relationship with David wasn't as strong as her bond with Joe had been, Eva was quickly able to relate to David in a lot of ways, and the pair found common ground away from the rest of their fellow new Lagi . Both making it to the merged tribe, Niu Nai, Eva, David, and Joe stuck together along with other strong players in order to form a powerful six-person alliance.

David’s Strong Personality Was Bothering Other Castaways

He Wanted The Alliance To Vote Out Kamilla For His Game

Throughout the last episodes of Survivor 48, it's been clear that David is one of the strongest players in the game as he's moved through his time building new relationships on Niu Nai. While the six-person alliance, which includes David, Joe, Eva, Shauhin, Kyle Fraser, and Mary Zheng, has been in agreement moving through the competition thus far, it appeared that there were a few voices that were louder than the others about who should be next to leave. While it was clear that David himself was a threat, he was upfront about who he wanted eliminated from the game.

David was adamant that Kamilla Karthigesu, who has been iconic, but openly disdainful about David this season, needed to be the one to go at the next tribal council to weaken the other side of the group. David's urgency about eliminating Kamilla rubbed some of his alliance-mates the wrong way, especially knowing how strong he's been in competition thus far. With David so clearly trying to target someone who was physically weaker, but willing to rise against him, it was clear that the alliance needed to consider self-preservation over keeping themselves strong with an extra number available in the game.

Eva Choosing To Vote David Out Was A Huge Move

She Chose To Go Against An Ally

As Eva considered the idea of voting David out at tribal council, it became clear that it wasn't going to be a clean, seamless decision for her. Throughout the episode, Eva struggled with the decision as she talked to the rest of her alliance and competed in the immunity challenge. When David didn't win immunity, the five of the six-person alliance discussed the idea of coming back to the drawing board and using their voice to make a big change in the game. Uninterested in hitching their wagon to his attitude, the decision was made to vote David out.

Eva, unfortunately, still felt conflicted about the idea of getting rid of someone who she genuinely felt was a great asset to her personal game. While her alliance with Joe has always been her strongest, Eva wanted to keep David as part of her alliance for the long-haul. She was open about the fact that David had been someone she cared for throughout the game, and someone who had helped her to move forward after the tribe swap. Though David's threat-level is massive, Eva was uncertain about voting strategically rather than personally. In the end, Eva made the tough decision.

Eva Could Have The Story To Win Over Survivor's Jury

She May Paint The Best Picture

As Survivor 48 has continued, it's been clear that Eva's story is one of the strongest being shown from episode to episode. Voting off David, a competitor who could certainly beat her physically in the end game, may not have felt good in the moment, but it's a decision she'll be able to point to as a pivotal game move should she make it to the final tribal council. While Eva has a lot to discuss if she makes it to final tribal, she has something else she can bring to the table as a major piece of her game.

Should Eva make it to the final tribal council and get the opportunity to address the jury, it seems like her story will be airtight and potentially strong enough to take the win. Though Eva's time on Survivor hasn't been easy, she's grown with each episode and faced moments of difficulty that some other castaways can't relate to, which makes her a bigger threat than many of her fellow cast . While some have struggled considerably on Survivor 48 thus far, Eva's been able to keep herself strong amidst personal and game struggles, making smart, strategic decisions along the way.

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

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