With a combined six times competing and two million-dollar wins under their belts, Survivor power couple Rob and Amber Mariano (née Brkich) are back for season 40: Winners At War. An all-stars reunion, this season features the best of the best Survivor alumni and that may prove to be a downfall for this duo.
Amber, a two-time competitor, appeared on the second season of the show and returned for Survivor: All-Stars four seasons later where she formed an alliance (and a relationship) with Rob that led to her victory. A four-time competitor, Rob is known as a mastermind who is willing to break alliances, promises and friendships to secure his role in the game - which is how he helped Amber get to the final two on All-Stars. He proposed to her on live television, just before the votes were counted and their wedding later aired as a two-hour special.
Together, the two are Survivor royalty and their individual and combined gameplay is applauded. But after all these years, how likely is another victory for either of them? While Rob has competed on and been involved with the show consistently over the years, they have not competed as a couple for 32 seasons and a lot has changed for them. With four kids, 15 years of marriage and far more life experience, they are no longer a young couple at the start of their relationship with nothing to lose. They are away from their daughters and the life they have created together, and both have expressed how difficult that decision was to make.
And it only got more difficult after Amber was voted out of her tribe and became the second person sent to the Edge of Extinction. Rob, on the opposing tribe, received her gift of a fire token and quickly realized what had happened. Typically a stone cold player, he began to show concern that was reminiscent of when they were separated on All-Stars and Amber was suddenly next on the chopping block. Back then, he acted quickly to save her in a move that cost him his friendship with Lex van den Berghe. Now, however, her vulnerability was debilitating for him.
Before the immunity challenge, it was confirmed that Amber had been voted out and Rob was visibly upset. Rather than channeling those feelings into winning the challenge to protect himself, he made a series of frustrating moves that destroyed any chance his tribe had at immunity and consequently put himself at risk of going home. He winds up being safe from the vote, largely in part to Danni Boatwright having exposed their ‘old school’ alliance, but it is clear that he is not in the right headspace. On one hand, this could continue to eat at him and become a weak spot for other experienced players to home in on. He could be sent home for being a liability for his own tribe. Or, on the other hand, he could fight to stay in the game even harder than before and use his leadership to bring Amber back into the game.
Either way, the odds of either competitor winning this season are low. Both have played strong games in previous seasons, but their relationship to one another could hinder their chances as they are no longer competing as individual members, or even as individuals in an alliance. They are a married couple, playing the same game and, even on opposing teams, rooting for the other’s success. And even if they are both are to stay in the game, they are two of the biggest names in Survivor and that places a huge target on both of their backs.
If they stick around, they will have to deal with the fallout of the alleged 'poker alliance' with Kim Spradlin, Tyson Apostol and Jeremy Collins that was exposed by Yul Kwon. Sandra Diaz-Twine, who worked alongside Rob as a mentor on season 39, is also out for blood after realizing she had been lied to about his involvement with Survivor: Winners At War. With the drama unfolding for the couple, only time will tell if the love they found competing together in 2003 will stand in the way of their chances at winning two million dollars.
Survivor: Winners at War airs Wednesdays at 8pm EST on CBS.