Survivor 41, Ep. 11: Do or Die
Previously on Survivor…
Ricard found himself on a winning streak by notching a shared pizza reward and the most important immunity Challenge win of the season. If not for the necklace, Ricard may have found himself on the way out if Deshawn had his pick.
VIAKANA DAY 19
Liana gets blindisded by Danny and Deshawn’s decision to oust out Shan, but when confronting them Ricard’s name was all over the plan. This plan leaves the previously powerful and almighty Liana, Danny, and Deshawn finding themselves taking out one of their own and at the bottom of the tribe and game.
Amazing how the game can flip after one vote. Prior to this moment the “culture alliance” never felt out of power since its inception. Now, after Ricard struck first at Shan, the alliance is in shambles. Deshawn “the snake”, is left emotional and inconsistent with what direction to take in the game and picking up the pieces as a result of his decision to vote Shan. Our episode 10 GWtG strategy test left us with the question of making a move in the game and owning it or apologizing. This is the scenario facing Deshawn after the Shan vote. Does he own his choice to take out one of his own (Shan) or apologize to Liana?
He apologizes. 🤦♂️
Come on Deshawn. I know you apologizing to Liana and placing the blame of your decision on Ricard is on brand and speaks to your character. But, this is where Deshawn shows his weakness as a game player. I think if Deshawn gets to a final and faces the jury with Liana on it, she or others will press him about owning the decision. For now, he apologized for it and that certainly won’t sit well with the jury, especially if Liana is there. She won’t want to hear his apology no matter how much she likes Deshawn the person. Liana won’t respect Deshawn the game player in that situation.
While Liana is ripping into Danny and Deshawn for “eating one of their own”, Xander finds himself out from the bottom, part of a major blindside (Shan), and sitting with some allies in Heather, Erika, and Ricard. Let us not forget that on top of all of this, Xander has AN IMMUNITY IDOL AND EXTRA VOTE IN HIS POCKET, yet has not been targeted with a vote?!?!?!? Unbelievable. Truly is. For him, this alliance is perfect. Heather isn’t a winning threat in the game aka take her to the end no problem. Ricard is the mastermind of the Shan hit, but he also is the target of any vote because of his winning resume. Then there is Erika. She too has made moves but they came from luck. Remember she reversed the game after being sent to exile for 2 days? Is that better than Xander’s case, I think not. The surf looks good in the horizon of Xander’s potential in this game. Alliance, bigger threats than him still around, idol, extra vote, and that non-threatening personality. Winner?
How does the next vote not become Ricard? How does Ricard avoid being voted out ever again? Well, Ricard is smart. Ricard knows that Deshawn flaring up, throwing a tantrum, and being emotional puts Deshawn in a position of aggressor/loose cannon/threat/easy vote and too much unpredictability. Ricard on the other hand, is trustworthy. Who would you keep around for one more vote? Ricard or Deshawn? Still an easy choice? Maybe not, even if Ricard literally had a jury member (Shan) voice that her vote for the $1M is going to Ricard.
It’s amazing to me how Ricard would be the obvious target for every vote that he doesn’t have immunity for until he is on the jury, yet Deshawn’s actions and emotions leave Liana craving revenge and the vote seemingly up in the air. Liana feels betrayed by Deshawn and Danny and since she was blindsided by the Shan vote, Liana’s vote/direction in the game is kind of up for grabs or just a total question mark. Her only true feeling is that of betrayal which would lean her toward voting Deshawn or Danny instead of the great and powerful Ricard, but she is “pot committed” at this point to Deshawn and Danny. Unbelievable.
VIAKANA DAY 20
We learn in a conversation between Danny and Deshawn that Danny’s father passed away 25 years ago when he was only 8. His father passed in a car accident. He was upset with his father and his thought process was negative and filled with anger and shame. However, Survivor provided Danny with clarity of thought and perception for how to frame his father’s passing in a positive way in which he is making his father proud.
Love the story. Love learning about Danny. Love how Survivor has caused this level of reflection within him. Powerful edit moment for him, but what are we the viewers to deduce from it? Is this because he is on his way out or because he is here to stay? We’ve seen this type of background story about Erika when she was on exile and some others like Naseer, Shan, and Ricard. I’m leaning toward it being evidence that Danny will be around a little while longer at least.
DO or DIE TWIST
TWIST - DO or DIE
First person to drop out must participate in a game of chance at Tribal Council. If they survive, they are safe and have a vote, if they die, then there is no vote and they are out of the game.
Each competitor had a choice to participate in the immunity challenge or not.
COMPETE - could face DO or DIE game of chance, and can win immunity.
Deshawn, Erika, Xander, Ricard, Danny
SIT OUT - no chance at DO or DIE, but no chance at immunity.
Heather, Liana
At the end of the breaking the 4th wall portion of the clip above, Jeff poses the question to viewers of “What would you do in the situation?” For me, it’s a no brainer. I’m competing in the challenge because I want to win immunity. Plus, I think I can beat at least one person and not be faced with the risk/reward of the DO or DIE.
Now, let’s talk about the twist. Not a super hot take here, or maybe it is.
The DO or DIE twist sucked.
I hate that someone can be out of the game without receiving a single vote.
I hate that your entire game can be left to a game of chance.
I hate that all the pieces of outwit, outplay, outlast are possibly wiped away for outluck.
I could go on but I think you get the point. Ultimately, season 41 is not about the strategy of Survivor as we grew to know from 1-40, but instead it seems like luck/chance in the form of random twists are the straw that is stirring the drink that is Survivor 41. Will I drink it, yes, I’m a superfan, but it’s not my favorite type of beverage.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Within seconds, the drama that had no chance to get off the ground is over. Deshawn drops and will face the DO or DIE at Tribal Council. So, if Deshawn lives then it’s a normal vote, or he’ll be out without a vote.
The challenge comes down to Xander, Ricard, and Danny battling it out for individual immunity and a spot in the final 6. Xander and Ricard drop simultaneously and Danny wins immunity. Should be noted that Danny’s grip was better. He gripped it in the final stage with his hands underneath or palms facing up. Much easier to maintain because he could use his biceps from that position. Advantage pro athlete.
CBS
PRE-TRIBAL DAY 21
DESHAWN’S SITUATION
On the one hand, if Deshawn “DIES”, he’s completely out of the game joining a unique club of Survivor players never to be actually voted out of the game but be out. This option also removes the vote, bloodshed, potential big moves of having the vote, and keeps everyone else safe. Ricard likes this option a lot.
On the other hand, if he “LIVES”, he wins immunity and the ability to partake in voting someone out. This complicates everything even more, thus forcing players to have their plan B and C in place for any outcome of Deshawn’s situation.
OTHER OPTIONS
Danny makes a plea to Xander about voting out Ricard, but Xander trusts Ricard and distrusts Liana because of her previous actions against him. Remember the “Knowledge is Power Advantage”? If Xander sits tight, he’s in the final four with his new found power alliance of Ricard, Erika, and Heather. Plus, as Xander points out, he trusts Ricard, and as long as Ricard is around he’s a bigger threat than Xander. Erika is the wild card. She sees the options from both sides in her 1 on 1 conversation with Xander and in confessional. There are always options for who to vote out but it seems like there are only really two options.
The Easy Vote - LIANA
Has no real alliance. Not in the numbers. Easy target for a vote. No bloodshed. Keeps people from having to make a power move just yet.
The Better Vote - RICARD
Biggest threat. Has best resume. Could win the game if in Final 3.
The Game Changer Vote - NONE
Xander, Heather, Ricard, and Erika trust each other. Shan’s vote out got them out from the bottom and on top of the game which they haven’t felt for 21 days so making some game changing move isn’t in the cards.
TRIBAL COUNCIL
The stage is set for this Tribal to come down to Deshawn playing DO or DIE. Danny has immunity, he’s safe. Xander has an idol and an extra vote. Heather and Erika have not heat on them. Ricard is top dog and likely the target if Deshawn wins DO or DIE and is safe. Also, it’s the last time to play the Shot in the Dark Die.
The Shot in the Dark is a possibility for Ricard only. Chances are if Deshawn wins safety then the vote is likely to go 3 for Ricard (Danny, Deshawn, Liana) and 3 for Liana (Ricard, Xander, Heather) leaving Erika in the middle as the swing vote. Does she vote out Ricard, the biggest threat, the leader in the eyes of the jury, and make a big move? Problem is, she trusts Ricard. Or, does she vote out Liana, the easy target, keep the numbers in her favor and keep Ricard as the big target for another vote? Risk v. Reward again and again in 41.
p.s. I think this is the last time we will see the Shot in the Dark ever. Doesn’t pass the test of staying power.
SURVIVOR AS A MICROCOSM OF THE REAL WORLD
This edition of Survivor as a microcosm of the real world kicks off from Deshawn’s internal struggle with morals vs. gameplay in voting Shan out. Deshawn clearly has a high set of moral values in his personal life and with his life on the line in the game it felt like he wanted to clear his name and he needed Shan to hear why he did what he did.
CBS
From there the conversation evolves to a place of Deshawn taking on the responsibility “to represent the black community as well as possible”. At this point Deshawn breaks down and the tears flow. He loves Survivor and the game and the place that Survivor has moved to with being a 50% diversity cast. The weight of those changes was something that Deshawn feels passionate about and carried with him for 21 days. His boiling point of morals vs. gameplay and “representing the black community as well as possible” all collided in him voting Shan out. It took a heavy toll on him and his emotion speaks to the pain of the decision. But, he had to make the decision. It was a good gameplay decision. He knows it, but Deshawn is also the guy who apologized to Liana after the decision instead of owning it and that also speaks to his character and morals outside the game taking control away from gameplay Deshawn. I appreciate his vulnerability in this moment because only he knows how difficult it was to vote out Shan and face the inner struggle head on of morals vs. gameplay.
The conversation continues.
Reflecting on this powerful scene, a few things come to mind.
I would bet on Liana 100/100 times for success. Eloquent with her words, undeniably intelligent, and headed somewhere great in this life. I have no doubt that Survivor is only the beginning of an unlimited future.
A storyline before season 41 was CBS’s pledge to have 50% diversity of cast and moments like this couldn’t happen without fulfilling that pledge. It reflected the state of the culture and world of 2020/2021 and conversations/expressions like this will have deep ripple effects. That’s a very good thing for the cast, the viewer, future Survivors, Survivor, and beyond.
The conversation at this Tribal Council is bigger than the game even though the game is woven into parts of what everyone expresses. So much so that you forget this was Survivor.
There are genuine connections amongst the final 7 plus jury 4 that will, to Danny’s point, allow this cast to be called upon to continue to serve a cause beyond the game of Survivor.
Xander and Heather’s words will serve as models for viewers who haven’t been exposed to these types of real world circumstances and realities.
It must have been a challenge for jury members to not partake in this discussion. An important part of the season yet they serve as a reminder that the game is going on and the structure of Tribal Council space remains in tact despite the magnitude of the discussion.
We didn’t hear from Erika. Why not?
I loved that Liana acknowledged the other side of this moment, the “I just want to watch Survivor” point of view. This was important. Though we didn’t hear a fully contrasting point of view to the ideas, tone, and overall message of this Tribal, Liana’s acknowledgment will go a long way.
DO or DIE TIME
We needed Vocé (remember him?) to give us a play by play on the percentage chance of finding flame vs. skull from the choice of 3 and when Jeff gives Deshawn the option to switch. Check out the first 2:30 of the video below or google “Monty Hall problem 21 movie” to watch the break down from a fictional Ivy League classroom. And one more thing, kudos to Xander for calling it out to be the Monty Hall problem. Love it.
So we watched Deshawn play the DO or DIE game and select box number 1. Then, Jeff played his best Monty Hall and revealed the skull in box 3. Next, Jeff sprung on Deshawn the opportunity to switch from box 1 to box 2, and according to the video above, increase his chances of having the flame from 1/3 to 2/3. In other words, Deshawn SHOULD HAVE SWITCHED! But did he? Nope, and ultimately, Deshawn got lucky.
Like I said earlier, I hated the DO or DIE. It was like the Pepsi Challenge. In a blind taste test of one sip, Pepsi can be better than Coke, just like the DO or DIE twist can provide that quick shot of sugar to your taste buds to make you think it’s better than an alternative. But, over the course of a whole can, Coke is better than Pepsi, just as Survivor as a social politics strategy game is far better than a game of random twists.
VOTES
Liana 5
Ricard 3
Liana is voted out by Ricard, Heather, Xander, Liana, and Xander’s extra vote. Xander played his extra vote to ensure that even if one person flipped (Erika) that at least a tie in the vote would happen between Ricard and Liana and cause a revote. But, it wasn’t necessary. Liana was voted out leaving Deshawn and Danny feeling even more on the bottom, yet leaving Ricard, the clear frontrunner still in the game at final 6. It’s DO or DIE for Ricard from here on out.
Thanks for reading. Until the next time, be sure to outlike, outcomment, and outshare the rest all season long. If you like the blog be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and subscribe to the YouTube channel.
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