Survivor Recap: A Last-Minute Advantage Turns an Emotional Tribal Council Upside Down
It’s one thing to make the merge, but on Wednesday’s episode of Survivor, someone fell just one spot short of making another big milestone in the game: the jury. And after a huge advantage find alters Tribal Council in a major way… let’s just say that Rachel should be thanking the Survivor gods for this one!
So what went down, who found what and how did Rachel become the luckiest player in Season 47? Let’s recap from the top.
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After writing down Andy’s name at last week’s Tribal, Sol knows he’s got some damage control to do with Andy, so he gives up some powerful information: He tells Andy that Sam gave up Andy’s name as a potential backup plan at the Rome vote. Knowing that he’s now disposible to his former Gata tribe, Andy decides it’s about damn time to hop in the driver’s seat and start aiming for his former alliance. (Consider that damage controlled, Sol!) As Andy starts mapping out his future in the game, Genevieve swoops in, suggesting that maybe their agendas align. And with Rome out of the game, she could really use a new No. 1. Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship between these two outliers?
IMMUNITY IS BACK UP FOR GRABS | Jeff says everyone will need balance, concentration and endurance for this challenge, which is exactly what people who haven’t eaten in two weeks are chock-full of, right? Probst splits the group into two teams of six again, which… doesn’t interest me in the slightest, but hey, I’m not the host/showrunner/executive producer of this show! You know this new era schtick by now: One team will be completely immune, one of the six losers will also be immune, yada, yada, yada.
The challenge forces the castaways to balance a ball on a platform attached to a long pole above their head. Jeff ultimately crowns Teeny, Sam, Andy, Genevieve, Sol and Sierra with immunity (oh, they get some beer and baby back ribs, too!). On the losers’ side, Kyle lasts the longest so he wins his own safety. That means Gabe, Tiyana, Rachel, Sue or Caroline is outta here!
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE | Rachel finds herself stuck with… the entire Tuku tribe, which makes her the easiest person to flick off the chess board. Unless, however, Tiyana gathers the ladies to go after Gabe, someone she’s clocked as a target from the very beginning. She makes quick work to get in Kyle’s ear and he’s receptive. Rachel, of course, is over the moon about it. She’s down to clown with any vote, as long as it’s not her. However, Caroline’s the one they have to convince. To Tiyana’s point, if they snipe Rachel, it proves to the other players that there are zero cracks in Tuku, which could make them a huge target going forward (which the baby back rib-eaters have already discussed).
Speaking of the challenge winners, a new advantage is afoot! It’s hidden right at their mini feast and even though Andy (stupidly) searches for it out in the open, Sol’s the one to sneak the little scroll away without getting caught. Sol’s advantage is actually meant for one of the vulnerable tribe members. He must gift it to one of the other six, but it can either take form as a Safety Without Power or a Block a Vote. If he wants to, he could give it to Rachel and ensure that a Tuku player goes home. But would that help his game? That’s the big question.
THE TRIBE HAS SPOKEN | Rachel still seems unsure about whether Gabe is blowing smoke up her ass (her words, not mine), because of course the former Tukus would want to prevent her from playing her Shot in the Dark. For Tiyana, the pickle is on blast! (Whatever that means.) But with the jury thiiiiis clooose in sight, they all want to survive so they can have a tangible impact on the game, which makes the weight of this vote more important than ever. So will Tuku take the easy shot at Rachel or will they really stir this thang up?
Before everyone gets up to vote, things get even crazier. Rachel, indeed, pulls out the Safety Without Power advantage (gifted to her from Sol) and peaces the F outta there! (Anyone else love Sol’s acting during this scene? AND THE EMMY GOES TO…) After Rachel bounces, Jeff leans in with a smile, “Now what?” Well, Kyle is still safe, but you know who isn’t? GABE. Tiyana’s target. But Tiyana’s tears transform this into a live Tribal, as everyone gets up to whisper sweet nothings into each other’s ear. (Or, you know. Fight for their life in the game.) After a short while it’s time to vote, yet despite Tiyana’s efforts to pivot the target squarely onto Gabe, her game unanimously comes to an end. (Read our Q&A with Tiyana here.)
Which part of this twisty episode surprised you the most and who would you have voted out? Go full tilt boogie in the comments section and sound off!
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