Season 2, Episode 1 - "Stranded"

“42 days, 16 people, 1 Survivor!” - Probst

WELCOME TO SURVIVOR, SEASON 2: THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK! I’m very excited to share in the experience with you as we go down under to see how the greatest social experiment, part 2, unfolds! Let’s jump right in and meet the tribes!!

Kucha Tribe - wearing blue

Ogakor Tribe - wearing green

FIRST TASK

The newly formed tribes are dropped off the Australian Air Force plane and are given 5 minutes to rummage through a supply box. Tribe members must then carry the supplies they can on a 5 mile hike to their new home for the next 42 days. I enjoy hiking and hiking with others can be enjoyable. It can also be a nightmare. This hike could be telling about who the leaders are, who can “carry” their weight around camp, and who will be the first ones voted out. I like that they immediately are given a task to complete as a tribe and it is an important one. It looked like a tin of rice, some XL water canteens, and some fishing equipment were inside and should come in handy.

The one detail that stood out most from this task was that the water they will have for drinking must be boiled before consuming it. Think about the reality of that. That means getting the water, getting wood for the fire, starting a fire, pouring in only enough water that your pot (if you brought it) can hold, boiling it, pouring it into the canteen and repeat. Over and over and over again for 42 days. I know you can’t look at it that way if you were the one being stranded on Survivor, but as the viewer we can. That would be really tough day after day and that is only the water!

CHALLENGE ONE - FINDING CAMP

The camps are alongside the Herbert River and they are each given a canoe. I may be an ocean guy and thus be bias, but the river is just not the same as the ocean. Already, season 2 has a more rugged and outdoorsy feel to it. Whoever can best utilize and navigate the Herbert River should have the advantage, but they’ll have to get there first.

The tribes are given a map to camp and a compass to help get them there. Within moments people’s personalities come out and already people are rubbing one another the wrong way on Kucha. Debb, the corrections officer from New Hampshire, is already getting under Kimmi, the bartender from Long Island’s skin. Those two people couldn’t be more different and “Debb’s not even a bad person. She means well. It’s just she’s not somebody on the outside world that I would talk to cause she’d make me crazy.” (Kimmi) The show is planting a seed here. Kimmi reveals herself to be combustable and Debb is outspoken. 7 minutes in Kimmi is already sick of Debb and doing that frustrated smile people do when they aren’t getting through to somebody and they can’t be anything but frustrated. Not a good start for either.

Kimmi had enough of Debb 7 minutes in. All screenshots via Hulu.

Despite the early hiccups for Kucha and the challenge of getting to camp, both tribes make it to camp and celebrate. At that point it begins to settle in that you really are on Survivor but you can’t stay in that place long.

SETTING UP CAMP

Mike takes the lead at Kucha in building the shelter with Rodger and at Ogakor we get our first glimpse into Colby.

“When I wake up in the morning, there’s two things that I’m thankful for. I’m thankful I’m alive, and I’m thankful I’m a Texan.” - Colby

Who doesn’t like a cowboy like Colby? I mean come on, his luxury item was a giant Texas flag that he brought for the shelter but also for his hometown pride. He definitely won over the audience with that line and I guess it’s true, everything is bigger in Texas, including state flags.

CONFLICT AT OGAKOR

The opening conflict at Ogakor is between Jerri, the aspiring actress from LA, and Keith, the chef from Michigan. They both initially present themselves to the viewers as opinionated but very capable. A disagreement is bound to happen and it comes quick over the shelter. Jerri confesses to the camera that Keith’s comments were “condescending” to her but she also acknowledged that he may not even be aware of it. It seems like no matter what people will disagree on the show about how anything and everything is “supposed to be done”. I like that we are already seeing tension at both tribes. It’s a good thing. Maybe not for those involved but for the viewers it immediately hooks us in. If I were on Survivor and people wanted to exert their alpha personality, let em, and use it against them. Time will tell how the clashing personalities of Jerri and Keith will do at Ogakor.

Keith and Jerri disagree on how to prop up the shelter. All screenshots via Hulu.

FIRE

At Kucha another luxury item was being put to good use, Rodger’s bible. The non-scripture pages were being used to help get a fire started. As he was tearing the pages Rodger found a letter and messages of love from his family hidden throughout his bible. Rodger is a farmer from Kentucky. At first glimpse he seems like a simple, good man, with great values, and a loving family. He likely won’t be causing any problems in camp except it’s tough to vote someone like that out of the game.

At Ogakor, Keith is determined to make fire. He fastens together a piece of wood and a string to spin it, but comes up short. However, he did tick off Jerri again, but this time he showed his game savvy by bringing Jerri into the fire making via her luxury item, a drum. As Jerri beats the drum, Keith and Amber (administrative assistant) ferociously work to create smoke and fire, but again, nothing.

It can’t be easy to make fire by using only the woods around you and the Herbert River. No matches, no magnesium fire starter, no nothing. Plus, knowing it isn’t just a one time thing but an all day, everyday thing makes it daunting as well. In Survivor you need fire, not just because it “represents your life” in the game but also to boil water, cook food, and keep warm in the outback. You need it all 42 days, but you can’t afford to struggle with it.

FIRST IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

The prize of the first immunity challenge is waterproof matches. With each tribe failing to start a fire it makes sense for the winning tribe to get that early advantage. Coupled with the matches is the prize of Immunity. The new Immunity Idol is “back up for grabs.”

The challenge itself, like the first Immunity Challenge in Borneo, is a quest for fire. This fire carrying relay race requires tribe members to maintain their torch while maneuvering over a bridge, climbing over land, crossing sections of the Herbert River and finally lighting the torch at the end of the race. If fire goes out, they go to Tribal Council.

The race challenges are great. They are quick, filled with action, and usually close. This race started out close but didn’t end that way. Ogakor proved their strength over Kucha with a convincing victory in the first Immunity Challenge. Ogakor completed each leg of the race with seemingly little trouble. They have the strength advantage with Colby and Keith being the “alpha” male competitors alongside the “alpha” female in Jerri. Going to be tough to beat in challenges like this. On the other side, Kucha couldn’t even keep their torch from being extinguished in the river. Kucha will head to Tribal Council to vote off the first person from season 2.

PRE TRIBAL COUNCIL

Going into the first Tribal Council the show is filled with uncertainty. Who will stay? Who will go? Who’s on the chopping block? Who is safe? It’s difficult to answer those questions so early in the game. Hence, the uncertainty. Here’s what we do know. At this point the castaways have only known each other for 3 days, and for us the viewers it’s even less. Some castaways haven’t even had any screen time. As a result, nobody has really established themselves in the game and as a viewer we’ve hardly gotten to know any of the castaways. But in the end, someone has to be voted out and yes, someone has to be voted out first. It’s difficult to have a guess but given the fact that Debb had the conflict with Kimmi, Kimmi was loud (and true to her Long Island roots) during night 1, Jeff has been vomitting, and Rodger is old, those 4 are likely the ones who have given any reason for their name to be written down at the first Tribal Council. Imagine all that goes into being on Survivor, the time, the commitment, the luck, and you finally get out there for this once in a lifetime experience and you aren’t feeling good, you throw up, and people vote you out for that! Tragic.

TRIBAL COUNCIL

For those keeping score of the season 1 vs season 2 battle royal, season 2’s Tribal Council location is a runaway winner over season 1. I liked season 1’s location in the jungle and everything. Very cool. But, season 2 has Tribal Council literally a top a cliff like rock structure with a bridge to cross over a waterfall that’s right next to it. Really awesome.

“Did anybody emerge as a leader?” - Probst

All screenshots via Hulu.

Probst comes out firing right where he left off in season 1. He asks Rodger about leadership in the tribe. He points out Mike. Always an interesting question. Does being the “leader” help you in the game of Survivor or not? I don’t know how cut and dry an answer to that question can be but in this case I think Mike was lucky to have Rodger, the honest and kindhearted farmer, answer the question. He points Mike’s leadership out in a complementary way while also reinforcing his own skillset (carpentry teacher) and leadership in helping Mike build the shelter. Rodger is on the chopping block and is selling his value nicely. Plus he is rocking this absurd green trucker hat, how can you not like Rodger?

The first vote should be easy. Who is the slacker? Who has been sick? Who is the weakest? But its got to be harder than you’d think to vote somebody off back in season 2 versus 40. The game is still very much being molded and figured out. Strategy is not the entire show yet, so the first vote isn’t as cutthroat or clear.

VOTING

Debb begrudgingly votes Jeff.All screenshots via Hulu.

Debb - JEFF “I love this guy dearly but I came here deciding I was going to vote on the strongest surviving. Jeff’s been the sickest of all of us, and he’s still not over it. I hate to do it.”

Hey Debb, how can you hate to vote someone out on day 3? Yikes! How can you expect to make the harder decisions if this is how you feel at the first Tribal Council? Also, if your voting strategy is to keep the strongest, you have to think about where you fall in that line of thinking because sooner or later you are going to be the weakest one. Wrong strategy Debb.

All screenshots via Hulu.

Kimmi - DEBB “she’s a great worker and everything, but she does feel isolated. When we’re together in the tent at night she chooses to be independent.”

Debb is a corrections officer from New Hampshire and Kimmi is a bartender from Long Island. There was a 100% chance that Kimmi wasn’t going to get along with Debb.

Votes - Debb (7), Jeff (1)

PROBST’S CLOSING THOUGHT

“You survived your first Tribal Council”

I don’t care who you are, if you think you’re a leader, if you’re a good worker, or anything in between. NOBODY wants to be the first one off. NOBODY. Again, think about what went into getting cast on the show, the travel, the accommodations at work and home, leaving children and family, all the people excited for you and then…BAM!…GONE. 3 days was all it took to take your ass out of the game. Surviving the first Tribal Council may be the best one to survive.

DEBB EXIT INTERVIEW

Debb is the first one voted out. All screenshots via Hulu.

“I wouldn’t have minded getting voted off if I had fell…fallen during a competition (shout out to Sonja from Borneo, also voted out first), if I was lazy, if I wasn’t a team player, but when I come here and I give all of that, and I still get voted off, I bet if Jeff read every one of those votes it would have been 7 to 1.”

You were right Debb. You were a hard worker, you didn’t fall at a competition, you weren’t lazy, and you are a team player, but unfortunately you probably got voted off for being ugly. In the end I don’t think you accounted for that.

CATEGORIES AND AWARDS

The categories and awards are back again. Lot of fun doing these after each episode. If you think of a category worth putting in, let me know in the comments below!

1 - Biggest Move

Colby bringing the XXXXL Texas flag as his luxury item. Two reasons. One, it was a smart and strategic move to help him in the game. The flag will protect the tribe as the “tarp” of the shelter and boost his team approval rating. Secondly, it is something that will help everyone even after the merge. Tough to vote somebody out who is helping to keep your ass dry for 42 days!

2 - Biggest Mistake

Could pile on Debb right now, but she is out of the game already. So, let’s go with Jeff puking/getting sick. I know it isn’t necessarily his fault, but we saw in season 1 how being sick got Ramona voted off quickly at Pagong. Your Miranda rights don’t protect you at Tribal Council because anything you say or do WILL be used against you!

3 - Challenge Corner

Always a solid challenge when it’s a race. The overhead views of the challenge are not as appealing as they were in Borneo. Point for season 1. (I’m definitely going to keep comparing the two seasons.)

4 - Trending Up

The strength of the Ogakor tribe. Colby and Keith are strong and so is Jerri. They even have the tall guy Mitch who helped used his height to keep the torch out of the water. Not much dead weight except maybe Maralyn, the retired policewoman. Can’t see her lasting long.

5 - Trending Down

First episode. I know that is kind of a hot take but the first episode is just weird. It’s especially weird when you are binge watching the show. You leave one season knowing the characters, the stories, and the game so well and then you are back with a whole new group, barely knowing anyone, and boom you’re at Tribal Council and someone is gone.

6 - Hatch Award (formerly Strategy Award)

Calling this the Hatch award for obvious reasons. Anyway, the strategy award would go to Keith. He started off on the wrong foot with Jerri by trying to correct her and she felt like he was “condescending”, but Keith recovers and includes Jerri and her luxury item drum into the attempts at making fire. Even if they failed as a tribe at making the fire, Keith succeeded in the strategy portion of the game.

7 - Best Screenshot

When Tribal Council literally is on top of a waterfall. You knew Tribal Council would be breathtaking, but not for its beauty!

How cool is that?!?! All screenshots via Hulu.

8 - Best Quote

““When I wake up in the morning, there’s two things that I’m thankful for. I’m thankful I’m alive, and I’m thankful I’m a Texan.” - Colby Donaldson”

I think he already won America’s vote for who will be the most liked player this season. #texasforever

Follow on Instagram - @tribal_council_blog

9 - Who won the episode?
Colby. Tough to pick who wins episode 1 because you hardly get to know anyone or anything but Cowboy Colby won over America with his smile and pride in Texas, and he won over his tribe by helping provide shelter and a strong showing in the Immunity Challenge win.

Thanks for reading. I hope that you will watch or rewatch season 2 along with me.

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