If you missed last week’s double-elimination spectacular, check out a recap here.
This week’s episode of Survivor begins at the Espada tribe after their Tribal Council. Dan thanks the tribe for keeping him, but Chase confesses that it may not have been the best move. It’s going to be a “hard pill to swallow” if Dan costs them a challenge. Dan, however, is not the next target. Chase tells NaOnka and Holly that Alina has to go next. NaOnka agrees, saying that Alina has eyes that just burn through a person, so she can’t be trusted. Over at La Flor, all Marty can say is, “Wow!” Jill says they would have voted however Sash’s alliance wanted if he had just told them. Marty tells the camera that it took huge balls to pull the move he did (not playing the Hidden Immunity Idol), but something told him not to use it. He tells Jill that he is absolutely seething about Jane voting for him.
So the next day, he approaches her about her vote. He tells Jane that he has 1) never lied to her; 2) never voted for her; and 3) never offered her name for the vote. Jane says that she had no clue that Kelly B was the target, but Marty doesn’t believe her. He begins to leave, but suggests that he knows Jane voted for him. Jane has no response other than nervous laughter. After Marty tells Jill about his conversation with Jane, she says that although she and Marty in a bad place, they need to get Jane out next. Planning Jane’s ouster will have to wait, though, because it’s time for the…
…Reward Challenge. Each tribe will select one Defender to stand on a pedestal in the middle of a pool of water. One at a time, a member of the other tribe will run and jump off of a platform, and throw a ball into a goal. If the thrower gets the ball past the Defender and into the goal, the tribe scores a point. The first tribe to five points wins Reward. The Reward is a trip to a Nicaraguan farm for horseback riding and a fresh breakfast, including milk the tribe will gather from the cows themselves. La Flor has to sit one player, and they choose Jane. Fabio and Chase are chosen as Defenders, and NaOnka is the firs thrower. She runs, jumps, and scores, as does Jill for La Flor. Benry is next. He fakes with his left hand, but switches to his right and scores. Marty misses for La Flor, so Espada leads 2-1. Holly misses, but Purple Kelly scores. 2-2.
Dan throws the ball from the platform, then jumps off, which is a violation. It is no matter because he barely reaches Fabio with his throw. Sash misses as well. Still 2-2. Alina scores for Espada and Brenda hits the frame. 3-2 Espada. Fabio, before climbing the pedestal, pauses to pee in the pool. He says he can’t concentrate if he has to pee, but relieving himself does not help him block NaOnka’s next shot. Jill scores for La Flor to make it 4-3. Benry steps up again and hurtles the ball past Fabio. Espada wins Reward!! After the Challenge, Purple Kelly speaks!!!! She tells the camera that she’s upset La Flor lost because she would have liked to “milk her own milk.” Clearly, it is comments like these that have led to Purple Kelly’s exclusion from the season to date.
The next morning (Day 17 for those keeping score at home), Jane says that “quit” is not in her vocabulary. She will continue to work hard around camp to stay in the good graces of the younger people on her tribe. They can all loaf around as much as they want as long as La Flor wins challenges. Sash confesses that when the older players came over from Espada, they immediately worked very hard to try to win over the younger players. This is perfectly fine with him, as he gets the opportunity to conserve his energy. His vote is based not on how hard someone works, but how loyal that person is to him personally.
Espada’s horseback ride is joined in progress, with Chase mentioning that he grew up on a horse farm, so this Reward is perfect for him. It reminds him of his dad and how much he
misses him, but he isn’t sad. The tribe dismounts and is brought to the cow. They are taught how to milk the cow, and Dan is the first to try it out. Dan makes a comment about dating a woman who looked like the cow, but is relatively unsuccessful at delivering any milk. He’s a downright pro compared to NaOnka, who admits to not being much of a farm person. This is clear from her inability to get any milk from the cow without the farmer’s help. Meanwhile, back at La Flor, Jane catches a pretty large fish. As she’s alone, however, she decides that she is going to cook it and eat it herself. La Flor sat her out of the Challenge where food was the reward, and lost. So, this is her food Reward.
Back on the farm, fresh cheese, homemade burritos, eggs, and all of the breakfast fixings are brought out. Holly says that after seventeen days, she started shaking just at the sight of food. They normally take for granted the chance to sit down for a meal, and it makes her, and then Alina, emotional. NaOnka cries B.S. in her confessional, saying that Alina is “grimy” and “sneaky.” She admits that she has been getting close to Alina, but that is all part of her plan. Alina will really be crying when NaOnka backstabs her and Jeff snuffs out her torch. The only way for Alina to be safe is for Espada to win the…
…Immunity Challenge. Tribal Immunity is back up for grabs. For the Challenge, two members of each tribe will stand atop a tower (the same tower, incidentally, that was used in the first challenge of the season). They will roll two different-sized cannonballs down a chute that is guided into position by four other members of the tribe using ropes. The goal is to guide the cannonball so it smashes one of five targets. The first tribe to smash all of the targets wins Immunity. Jane sat out the last Challenge, so Sash volunteers to sit out this one. NaOnka (and the sound editor, who dropped in one of Survivor‘s “something shady just happened” sound effects) finds that decision to be quite curious. Benry and Alina will roll the cannonballs for Espada, while Brenda and Purple Kelly will do the same for La Flor.
Both tribes pull their chutes into place, and Benry moves to a lower platform to roll his first ball, which misses. Purple Kelly rolls one for La Flor, which hits. Alina hits one for Espada, but La Flor misses their second attempt. Espada hits on their next three attempts, while La Flor misses their next three. Espada leads 4-1, while Fabio and Brenda argue over the position of the chute. Benry takes aim at his final target, but misses by inches. La Flor knocks out their second target, but it won’t be enough because Benry’s final roll breaks the last target. Esapda wins Immunity! Alina says that winning back-to-back challenges feels amazing. Jill, on the other hand, confesses that it’s going to either be her or Marty going home, and since Marty has the HII, it will likely be her.
Back at La Flor’s camp, Marty tantalizingly hangs the HII up on a tree (Really, is hanging the HII out in the open where anyone can take it a good idea?). Fabio offers that the original four La Flor and Jane should give three votes to Marty and two votes to Jill in order to flush out the HII. Jill and Marty will both vote for the same person which will cause a tie. Then they can all just vote out Jill. Jane is fully on board with this strategy. Marty and Jill treated her like she didn’t exist back at Esapda so she has no problem getting rid of them. Sash has another idea. What if he offers Marty safety in exchange for the HII? Sash and Brenda work out this possible tack, with Brenda confiding afterwords that it would be super mean if they ask for the HII and then vote out Marty anyway…not that she has any problem with being super mean.
Sash decides to go forward with the plan. He tells Marty that they are going to flush out his HII tonight at Tribal Council, but if he gives Sash the HII now, Marty has Sash’s word that they won’t vote him out. Further, Sash promises that the next time La Flor loses an Immunity Challenge, he’ll give the HII back to Marty. Marty replies that there is no way he can vote for Jill, and Sash agrees. After, Marty tells the camera that no matter what, he’ll be handing over the HII to someone that day. It will be wither to Jeff or Sash, so it may as well be Sash in hopes that Sash will honor his word and guarantee Marty at least six more days. Marty agrees to give the HII to Sash because surviving this vote may be enough to get him to The Merge, and then everything could change. Sash confirms the audience’s suspicions when he confides that Marty just made a huge mistake. It is time to see if that mistake haunts Marty at…
…Tribal Council. Jeff asks Fabio if Esapda now has all the momentum. Fabio believes they do, but that La Flor is still pretty strong. Jane is asked what the vibe was in camp before Tribal Council. She replies that those people that have meshed together talked about the vote. Marty chimes in and says that Jane flipped on Jill and him. Jane retorts that when they all became yellow (i.e. members of La Flor), she became yellow. When asked, Brenda says that friendship with Jane was just natural; she wasn’t targeted by the younger members of La Flor. Jeff next asks Marty if the HII was a topic before Tribal Council. Yes it was, and further, Marty feels like he might have made a mistake in giving the HII to someone else. Jeff is flabbergasted that someone would give up Immunity of any sort. Jeff figures no one will answer, but he asks who has the HII now. Sash freely offers up that he now possesses the HII. Jane is shocked, saying she had no idea that transaction took place.
Jeff then asks what this news means for the tribe. Fabio says that it is great that “we have the Idol.” “We?” Jeff asks, because clearly Sash has the HII. Brenda says that they all trust each other. Jeff pushes further, asking Sash, if they all trust each other so much, would he hand over the HII to Brenda right now? Sash hesitates, the responds, “Well, if there ever comes a time that I lose trust in them…uh…they lose trust in me…” Immediately, Jeff jumps on this Freudian slip, implying that Sash already has plans to stab his alliance in the back. Brenda admits that this was definitely a mistake on Sash’s part. Jane finishes the deliberations by noting that in Survivor history, giving up the HII usually comes back to haunt that person.
It’s time to vote. They do, and Jeff collects the votes. The first vote is for Jane, as is the second. Vote number three is for Jill, and then one for Marty. The fifth vote is for Jill, and the sixth for Marty. Jane, Jill and Marty now have two votes apiece. “The eight person voted out of Survivor: Nicaragua…Jill!” Jill hugs Marty, who says goodbye to “Doctor Jillian.” Jeff snuffs her torch, and she trudges off into the Blue Light of Death. Jeff remarks that La Flor has been making decisions based on loyalty, but how long will that loyalty last? With that, La Flor heads back to camp.
Next time on…Survivor!!
It’s time for The Merge! With new reddish pink buffs, the twelve remaining players merge into one tribe. Immediately, NaOnka decides to try to get everyone at each other’s throats by stealing food from the Merge Feast chest.
The Merge is always one of the best episodes of the season as it often changes the alliance dynamics in unseen ways. Those players struggling to stay alive can now find themselves in positions of power either as a new alliance, or as a swing vote between two warring factions. What will be interesting in this case, is that there will be only four older players left against eight younger players. History would dictate that the original La Flor members will simply oust the original Espada members, but Alina is on the outs with her original tribe, in favor of Jane. Further, Holly thinks she’s in good with the younger players. Where does hobbled Dan fit into everything? What about NaOnka’s forgotten HII, and will Sash actually give Marty back his HII? Plus, how will Sash’s slip-up at Tribal Council effect his alliance with Brenda, now that Chase and NaOnka are back? These are all very intriguing questions that will hopefully breath some more life into this season.
Odds to Win
After next week’s episode, I expect the Odds to Win leaderboard is going to change a lot, but let’s see how it has changed after this week.
Brenda: 2-1. Another episode, another three days that Brenda rules the roost. Yes, I suppose she has to worry a bit about Sash having the HII, but with Chase and NaOnka coming back to the fold, I’m sure she can figure out a way to outwit Sash before he can cut her throat.
Sash: 6-1. I will give credit where credit is due. Sash convincing Marty to just hand over his HII was a master stroke. Of course, he went and screwed it up by having loose lips at Tribal Council and revealing that he’s already thinking about turning on his alliance. He is no danger of going home soon, so he should have time to get past this error. For now.
Chase: 9-1. He will be welcomed back with open arms by Brenda, Sash and Purple Kelly, but his size is going to eventually hurt him down the road. Once the dead weight is cut loose, Chase will be the target because of the possibility of him winning Individual Immunity. This will be somewhat of a shame because it is clear there will be no Challenges that rely solely on strength, so Chase really doesn’t have much of an advantage.
Fabio (Jud): 13-1. I move Fabio up because I think that if anyone can lead an alliance to counter the Brenda/Sash/Chase/NaOnka group, it could be Fabio. Marty and Alina would seem to be the prime candidates for this position, but they already have targets on them. Fabio is just the happy-go-lucky surfer dude, who I believe knows more than he lets on.
Jane: 16-1. Jane moves down a notch because I figure she’s going to come in fourth place. She is obviously loyal to the younger folks, and is cunning enough to be the swing vote between two rival factions. She is, however, too universally liked to be brought to the Final Three. If, as the second oldest person out there, and with her original tribe was decimated, she was able to make it to the end, how does she not win the game?
Marty: 30-1. I can’t believe he gave up his HII. I just can’t believe it. Really, Marty? You’re going to just trust Sash? Really?!? You got lucky that they didn’t oust you right then and there. The only reason I can think that they kept you over Jill was because of an anticipated tribal Immunity Challenge. All this being said, however, with The Merge, Marty may be able to find himself a new alliance as a swing vote. He’s a smart guy who has been very lucky two weeks in a row. Maybe he can use that luck to his advantage.
Benry: 40-1. He’s becoming cockier and cockier by the episode (“I should be a pirate!”), but he has a reason for being that way: he is this season’s best Challenge performer. The only thing going against him is that he’s on the outside of the core Brenda/Sash alliance. If he can recognize this early after The Merge, he could shoot up this board, but until then, he’s playing on borrowed time.
NaOnka: 50-1. I hate to do it again, but NaOnka has to move up one more time. She is in the Core Four alliance, and has an HII. Further, up until the highlights for next week, I had to begrudgingly admit that NaOnka really is playing a good game. She is fully aware that she is playing people, and with Kelly B gone, she has no rival. The only thing that can stop her is her own bad attitude. It seems like that attitude will rear its ugly head next week. I have to admit, I’m gleefully awaiting NaOnka’s self-destruction.
Alina: 75-1. Somehow, Alina has made it to The Merge. I’m not sure who she can align herself with (Benry, Dan, Holly and Marty?), but she at least has a chance. Then again, she is clearly enemy number one for the original La Flor, so her chance may be slim.
Purple Kelly (Kelly S.): 85-1. In an ideal world, I’d knock Purple Kelly to the bottom of the board, but there are actually people with less of a chance than her. I refuse to believe that someone so inconsequential to this game could possibly win. I know Natalie won in Samoa, but at least she had some screen-time and did at least strategize with Russell. Kelly has done nothing, zip, nada this season. She was finally shown speaking to the camera, and it was to say that she wanted to “milk the milk.” My forehead still hurts form the loud slap I gave it.
Holly: 100-1. Poor Holly, she thinks she’s loved by the younger members of her tribe, but she so isn’t. Yes, she may benefit from The Merge (a chance to rejoin Marty perhaps?), but, like Jane, there’s no way she will be brought to the Final Three. If she makes it that far, there’s too great of a chance that she would get the “against all odds” vote. Sorry, Holly.
Dan: 1100-1. Dan can’t win. He just can’t. Right? Right?!?!
OK fellow Survivor fans. That’s all I have for this week. What did you think of the episode? Was Marty’s move utterly ridiculous, or am I missing some grand strategy? How do you think The Merge will shake out the remaining players? Please leave your questions, comments and theories below. I’ll be back next week with another recap. Until then, I’m off to touch a cow’s nipple.
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