Survivor 41, Ep. 8: Betraydar
Previously on Survivor…
Erika returned from Exile Island to make a decision that would change the course of history in the game reversing the merge challenge outcome and saving herself from the vote at Tribal Council. At the Immunity Challenge core strength and feet-eye coordination helped Ricard edge out Sydney to secure himself a spot in the final 11. As Tribal approached the merged tribe, the secret was out about Liana’s “Knowledge is Power Advantage” leading to Xander outwitting her with a fake idol. In the end, Sydney took her shot in the dark but the result was negative as she was voted out. 11 remain, who will be voted out tonight?
VIAKANA NIGHT 14
We have a new merge tribe name. More on this later, but for now we have the tribe returning and Xander on a high from his “stunning performance” in which he totally outwitted Liana causing her to mistakenly play her “Knowledge is Power Advantage” at Tribal, but only to receive a fake idol from Xander and a slap in the face with embarrassment.
Though Xander made a huge splash in the outwit portion of the game, that wasn’t all that was learned. He also learned that the very person he was vying to protect most, Evvie, had disclosed all of Xander’s dirt to Deshawn while they shared a journey together earlier in the game.
So, where does this leave Xander and the Yase 3? Fractured at best. Xander was willing to stick his neck out for Evvie, yet Evvie was proven to have betrayed him by opening her mouth about Xander earlier to a non Yase. Evvie tries to cover it up with Xander, but he’s starting to rethink his game.
“Things that I wasn’t aware of beforehand, that maybe I shouldn’t put so much trust into Evvie and Tiffany.” - Xander
It seems pretty clear that Xander is reading the tea leaves correctly on this one. Perhaps the Yase 3 was trustworthy for him at this Tribal because of his idol and extra vote advantages being the best play for them, but going forward, Evvie and Tiffany may not be Xander’s best options. Being on the bottom has its perks though. First, Xander still has his Immunity Idol and extra vote advantage. Second, he didn’t make a mistake in playing either of those advantages for himself, Evvie, or Tiffany. Third, he made a big move in the game and people have to respect it. Fourth, he has power that people could try to flush out, but also try to use to their own advantage. Ultimately, Xander’s options aren’t ironclad. He’s still going to need to stay alive, wait for a crack in the majority, and make his move to widen that crack and use it to flip the game.
These weren’t the only takeaways from Tribal Council. Liana was played to be a fool by Xander and now must live with the after shock. Liana looked foolish on national television. She doesn’t have an Immunity Idol, well a real one anyway. Lastly, she has turned on the Yase 3 and chosen a different group. The damage done to the relationships with Evvie, Xander, and Tiffany may not be able to be pieced back together. Liana has chosen to align with Danny, Deshawn and her new number 1 Shan. Putting your faith and trust in new people isn’t a bad move by Liana, but the feeling I have is that she better like this new group because her former tribe members are not going to be quick to trust her again.
But, perhaps that heaping helping of humble pie is exactly what Liana needed. It will either
SERVE HER - she will be more protective of information she gathers from others and more wary of putting all her trust in some people and situations out of fear of it biting her.
SERVE OTHERS - she will latch onto Shan, Danny, and Deshawn even harder and rely on their trust and their decisions to guide her to a non winning outcome. Fear will cripple her.
YASE’S RELATIONSHIP RECOVERY TOUR DAY 15
Evvie finds herself on Day 15 doing damage control for playing the game hard, rubbing people the wrong way, and having information about her actions get out and cause Xander to distrust her along with everyone else. She now finds herself on the bottom and unable to really connect with other people and even talk to them. It kind of reminds me of a young Forrest Gump on his way to school.
All the seats seem to be taken at Vikana and there isn’t much room at all for Evvie. Will she be able to scramble around and find her “Jenny” to work with and trust going forward in the game? Maybe, but it’s going to take some serious work.
One thing that is working for her is the complete destruction of Yase. The tribe that once was the little turtles finding their way out of seemingly insurmountable holes in the sand to find their ocean is now the turtles without a shell and scrambling around to find shelter.
Among the turtles seeking a shell is Tiffany.
“At this point I’m going to use whoever, whenever, however to get me as far as I can get” - Tiffany
Xander, Evvie, and now Tiffany being on the bottom and in the position of scramblers is no surprise. Despite their joy at the previous Tribal Council, ultimately that joy wore off quickly and they all found themselves with the reality of being on the wrong side of the numbers. It happens, and one of them is likely going to be picked off next.
DESHAWN GETS SALTY
In the wake of the events of Tribal Council the saltiness that Deshawn feels finally gets some air time. He gets salty because the Yase 3 put their votes on him and put his game in jeopardy, and on top of it, the next day each of them turn around and try to ally with him in the game. He calls it pathetic. He calls it scrambling. He says NO. He wants to see them go 1 by 1 by 1.
This is a sound strategy and a mindset you might expect to see Deshawn in. He was on Luvu who never went to Tribal until the last one in which he received 3 votes. He is salty toward them. They are on the bottom to him and the majority. On top of that he is aligned with Danny, Shan, and Liana, who likely are aligned in feeling this way, yet that isn’t who we see Deshawn air his grievances out to.
Instead we see him share his frustration for the Yase 3 to Erika and Heather. So, what does this tell us about Deshawn’s place in the game. I think a lot. He is in an alliance with Shan, Liana, and Danny. He also has a good enough relationship with Erika and Heather to share information with them about the Yase 3.
Is Deshawn positioning himself to be a swing vote or a strike when the iron is hot for him to make winning moves player? He’s extremely likable and aligned with everyone in the majoirty. He even has the vote out of Sydney on his resume already. If he is going to make a push to win he may think that the Yase are the easy targets who need to be picked off 1 by 1 and that still may be a winning strategy, or maybe his relationships with different alliances can be his ticket to resume building moves that knock out major power players like Shan. He wanted his social strengths to be able to come out and I think they can, but he can’t get too comfortable in the game. i fear that the Pagonging of Yase doesn’t play into him making enough moves/eject the right people to put him in the driver seat of making a case at Final Tribal Council.
JEFF HIDES AN ADVANTAGE
Attention to detail is a winning trait in Survivor. The sit out bench has an advantage waiting for anyone savvy enough to do some digging or get lucky enough to be left out of the Reward Challenge.
REWARD CHALLENGE
Once again the tribe will draw rocks to determine the teams for the challenge, but I have to believe the nostalgia of drawing rocks on Survivor just sucks at this point. Surprises aren’t surprises the 7th time. At that point they are just annoying.
Tribe split into two teams of five, one person sits out
Dive in water, climb ramp to platform
Jump off platform and dive down under water
Release puzzle pieces under water and put piece into boat
Once all pieces are in, pull boat to platform
Assemble pyramid puzzle
REWARD - GRILLED CHEESE
The teams are set to compete and one person drew the gray rock and will not be participating, but will have a chance at the sit out bench to find the hidden advantage. Guess who pulled it? Erika! Again. The players can’t believe it. They don’t want to believe it. They are thinking “Oh no, not her, anyone but her.” and I think she was too, but what can she do? that’s the way the game goes.
Enter Xander.
“Hold on Jeff, uh, Erika’s already had her chance to draw the gray rock and I think she’s great at puzzles and she’s probably hungry after exile, so I’ll give up my spot for her.” - Xander
The true gentleman and all around stand up guy Xander comes to Erika’s rescue by switching spots with her. He gives up his chance at the grilled cheese but gains the chance at the sit out bench hidden advantage.
Despite the Reward Challenge involving awesome camera angels and slo-mo dives off the platform into the water, the suspense of whether Xander will find that advantage dominates. In the end, our young Forrest Gump who can’t find a friend Evvie, finds her "Jenny” aka a pyramid puzzle that she studied from the Edge of Extinction season and solves the puzzle giving herself, Danny, Ricard, Erika, and Deshawn some grilled cheeses.
As for Xander, no grilled cheese and a missed opportunity. He didn’t find the advantage.
LOSING REWARDS CAUSES DAMAGE
We finally see Shan show “she’s human”. For 8 episodes she has kind of been this version of Drago in Rocky IV.
Through 8 episodes Shan has proven to be ruthless, cutthroat, and bottom line seemingly indestructible. It has garnered her the most air time, memorable moments, her own theme song, and a lead in online poles of who’s getting the most likely “winner edit”.
But the loss of the merge feast and now the grilled cheese reward has led to this version of our Survivor 41 Drago.
Shan is cut. Liana is cut too. Shan’s loss of another possible meal/feast/reward cuts her. Tears flow and this show of emotion is big. It proves that she is on edge and vulnerable in a game that she has seemed in control and powerful for through 8 episodes. The game has cut her and in a season in which food is very scarce and the rewards aren’t plentiful, every opportunity to cash in on food is bigger than a full belly. It’s an emotional victory as well, or loss.
SHAN WANTS EVVIE OUT
After the loss Shan feels vulnerable and uses the loss of the reward, and Evvie’s winning of the reward, as a scapegoat for getting her out. She says “we want to see Evvie out” but what she really means is “I want Evvie out”.
With this news, opportunity comes a knocking for others. Most notably, Xander. All of a sudden the guy who made the biggest move so far for the price of losing a grilled cheese gets access to Shan and Liana at a vulnerable state.
““Part of the reason why I chose the sit out bench is because I love being with the losers. It leaves people pretty emotional. It leaves people pretty raw and I need allies, I got no one to work with now.” - Xander
Xander doesn’t look or seem to have the savvy and killer instinct that he is displaying. He’s 100% right. Being with the losers and not eating a grilled cheese reward is tough, yet is providing him the greatest reward of all, a chance to see the power players Shan and Liana vulnerable, wanting to see Evvie (not Xander) voted out, and a chance for him to stick around longer.
NO CRYING OVER PAPAYA
Naseer helps the losers out in the food department by poking three large papayas for the losers to chow down on. Or so they thought. Ricard, who just enjoyed some grilled cheese reward thought it was no big deal to have a taste of papaya.
Instead of a taste of papaya he got a taste of vulnerable/mama bear Shan. “Nobody’s smiling at you now.” In Shan’s mind that was selfish and it so bothered her. Despite it’s her number 1, something as stupid as that decision could make vulnerable Shan turn.
The food situation is dire straits. Not winning food rewards is a very big deal. There aren’t food rewards at every challenge in 41, like it has been in other seasons. Even taking a bite of the non food reward winners in another season might have been not such a big deal, but this season, it can be a spark.
Note to self, don’t take food from losers. Instead, bring them food in your pocket and win them over. Oooh maybe we are starting to come up with our own strategy tests here at TCB. I think you eat as much food on rewards as you can and keep it for yourself. Don’t bring anyone anything because that means you’re leaving someone else out. If you leave someone out then you’re an asshole. If you eat for yourself at the reward and leave everything behind, you can’t be an asshole. Unless you take their papaya.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
balance on toes
block of wood wedged btw head and frame
legs give out, block falls, you’re out
winner guarantees final 10
OPTIONS
If any player feels safe, you can opt out for a single portion of rice
If as a group you want to offer up multiple people and their shot at immunity, enough rice for everybody for 3 days.
Shan offers 2 people and Probst rolls his eyes and counters with 7 people. Shan steps up and says for 5 people we will do it. Deal is done.
Shan steps out immediately. Naseer steps out next hating to see people struggle with food. Nobody else want to step out.
Enter Xander. Again. Xander counteroffers with 4 people and he will step out. The result, Probst takes the deal and Ricard steps out to complete the deal.
Is there enough trust to make this work? - Jeff
I think there is. Xander put himself out there to benefit the entire tribe and this move can be used to put others like Evvie and Tiffany in front of him taking bullets at Tribal. That alone is his biggest play and once again Xander played the hand best.
Ricard, Shan, Naseer, and Xander hook everyone up with some rice, but most of all hook themselves up with some trust even though they give up the chance at immunity. Risk and reward is a major theme of the season, but the risk the 4 took is rewarded with trust because it was the right risk to take.
Back to the challenge…
Quickly the challenge dwindles down to Danny, Liana, Heather, and Evvie. Then, Danny drops. This challenge isn’t built for him to win. Liana drops shortly after. I wonder if her hair being braided made this challenge more difficult for her. Because her hair is braided I would think that the block on her head has a tougher time staying put.
WINNER - Evvie in barely 4 minutes.
Evvie needed this win. Badly. She saves herself from being voted out for sure. Shan wanted her out and therefore her allies would have went along with it. Plus, Xander would have likely not been so helpful to her this time around. I personally enjoy when the easy vote out person wins immunity and throws a monkey wrench into the whole game. All the plans and certainty goes right out of the window and the scrambling gets extra juicy
PRE-TRIBAL COUNCIL
Now that Evvie has immunity, the plan for the majority power players aka Shan and Liana to turn their sights on getting Xander to play his idol and vote Tiffany out. If he plays the idol then he loses his power and Tiffany goes home. Seems easy. Split the vote between Tiffany and Xander.
Then…
Danny floats out voting Naseer. Deshawn likes it. Shan HATES it! HATES IT!!! Shan shuts down Deshawn and Danny’s thoughts and wants to be the one calling the shots, but there is a cost to that. Shan takes away Deshawn’s voice and he even confronts her about it. This confirms that Deshawn is totally allied with Shan otherwise he would simply go behind her back and rally militia to maybe get Shan out and really flip things upside down. Deshawn isn’t ready to make that move so instead he settles for Shan pretending to hear him out and do damage control to stroke his ego and make him think she hears him and then vote the way that she wants anyway.
Hmm, hmm, hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm. 😈
Shan wants Naseer around because he is a tag along. He isn’t a threat in the game and he helps around camp. Plus, he is not as good a player as Xander or Tiffany is. Naseer’s threat level is teeny tiny in comparison to Xander’s and Tiffany’s.
The plot thickens and Pastor Shan has possibly one too many members of her congregation. When Xander comes to her to see who to vote for, she throws out Naseer. Then, Shan tells Naseer and it rubs Naseer the wrong way. He doesn’t want his name floated out and says to float Heather out there. Next, Shan and Liana tell Xander it’s Heather which trips Xander’s “BETRAYDAR”. The game of telephone is getting complicated and the names coming out are different than the ones come in. Finally, word gets back to Heather that Shan was the one to put her name out there.
Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you to Heather.
With Tribal only moments away, Heather gets wind of her name being floated out for misleading Xander and Heather is PISSED! The Eye of the Tiger from her shirt comes alive and Drago (Shan) is not ready for it. I think Heather landed a punch and it cut Shan, again! Finally, Heather has arrived.
TRIBAL COUNCIL
Tribal begins with a lot of Tribal “small talk”. Shan, Xander, and Naseer discuss the move they made to give up a shot at immunity in order to solidify rice. Probst is flexing his question sequencing muscle here. He’s laying the small talk down and then building it up by going from the people who think they are safe to those who competed because they didn’t feel secure enough to sit out.
Heather, Tiffany, Evvie all competed because of fear. Tiff reveals her inferior position. People clearly were leaving her out of conversations and thus feeling ready to let the theatrics/whispering to start.
Plus, with the events of the Yase 3 at the previous Tribal, the whispering theatrics, and the bad job by Shan of floating too many names out causes Heather to make another splash and release the krakken.
Heather makes a splash, again. That’s two in one episode! She wants to vote Naseer.
Heather causes the vote to swing back toward her.
Deshawn’s voice is shut down again by Shan. (Uh-oh, fool me once…fool me twice?)
Ricard’s desperation to have Xander play his idol is like sending one too many texts to your crush in hopes that they will talk to you.
VOTES
Tiffany 6
Xander 2
Heather 2
Sad to see Tiffany go but she was the easy vote. At 10, it’s easy to take the layup. For the majority they tried to build trust with Xander only to make him flush his idol down the toilet because they knew the votes for Tiffany were there. Everyone in the numbers felt safe about it. Take the layup.
Unfortunately, that meant saying goodbye to my fellow Long Island teacher Tiffany. This season showed that she was an effective player in the outwit portion especially at Yase in the 3 tribe phase of the game. Also, she was effective at using information given to her by others against them. See the Liana misstep with her advantage. However, in the challenges Tiffany was only developing. Not a major asset in the water, balancing, or with puzzles. In the end, I would rate Tiffany as an effective Survivor player, but that’s why she needed to go. Sometimes you just can’t give a competitor tenure in the game. Class dismissed.
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