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In an unprecedented 26-day season, fans have no idea when the merge will occur in Survivor Season 41. There are currently three separate tribes in Fiji, and it’s only a matter of time before a tribe swap happens, or the players merge into one tribe. But, thanks to what could be a small mistake by the Survivor editors, fans now believe that one player will for sure make the merge.

[Spoiler Alert: The following article may contain spoilers from Survivor Season 41.]

'Survivor' Season 41 host Jeff Probst wears a blue button-up shirt and a 'Survivor' hat.
Jeff Probst | Photo by Timothy Kuratek/CBS via Getty Images

Will Danny make it to the merge in ‘Survivor’ Season 41?

Fans in a Reddit thread believe that Danny McCray will make the merge after seeing the preview for Survivor Season 41 Episode 4. In the video, Danny talks to the camera about how it would be a sin to throw a challenge as an athlete. But fans are more focused on the Buff he is wearing around his neck. While his Buff is blue, which matches his tribe color, this could be the work of editing magic.

A Reddit user said, “Look at the design on the top left corner. It’s called buff o matic they color the buffs to throw you off. Luvu’s design is rain drops [sic] which are slanted and not a consistent shape. The merge buff is a sun which has slanted straight lines.” In the Reddit thread, there is also a link to an image that points out the similarities between the Buff that Danny is wearing and the leaked merge Buff.

Some fans are confused by this theory because the merge will most likely not happen in episode 4. One Reddit user explained, “After rewatching it we don’t see Danny or the buff until he says ‘this would be a sin.’ So he could be talking about something entirely different. Editing can be tricky that way. He could have been talking about throwing a challenge pre merge in the first part of his sentence, and have them splice in a comment from the post merge to make a good sound bite.” Only time will tell if these fans are right about Danny making the merge in Survivor Season 41.

When will the merge happen in ‘Survivor’ Season 41?

Because Jeff Probst promised that Survivor Season 41 is a new era of the game, the merge might happen at a different point than it did in previous seasons. Historically, the merge usually occurs when there are 11 castaways left in the game.

After Survivor Season 41 Episode 4, there will likely be 13 people left on the island. So, if the series continues with merging tribes when 11 people are left, the merge could happen in episode 7. Of course, this is just speculation, though, and nothing is certain in Survivor.

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Danny is currently on the Luvu tribe

So far in Survivor Season 41, Danny’s tribe, Luvu, has been very successful. They have not lost a challenge yet, so all six Luvu players are still in the game. However, in the preview for Survivor Season 41 Episode 4, it looks like a Luvu member may want to go to Tribal Council.

In the video, Danny says to the camera, “Deshawn wants to throw the challenge. As a professional athlete, this would be a sin.”

Why would Deshawn want to send one of his tribemates home willingly? Perhaps it’s because he and Erika wish to get rid of Sydney. In the preview, Erika is complaining about how Sydney’s emotions sometimes get the best of her. This definitely would not be the first time in a Survivor season where the players throw a challenge to get a specific player out of the game.

Survivor Season 41 airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS.