Survivor 43, Ep. 6: Mergatory
Coming into tonight’s episode there has been a number of sneak peeks leaked on social media showing the three tribes are about to merge. Well…sort of.
Remember this is the “new era” of Survivor where you have to earn everything and making the merge isn’t exactly what it used to be. In 41 and 42 players had to compete in a challenge to just earn making the merge.
But…
That wasn’t even the case. Erika (41) and Rocksroy (42) both drew the gray rock and didn’t compete in the merge challenge, and instead they went to exile and had a game changing/outcome reversing decision to make. They both opted to wield the power never before seen in Survivor to take those who were safe after winning the merge challenge (or so they thought) and reversing the outcome, sending that group to Tribal.
PREDICTION: New Merge Twist
Coming into this point in Survivor 43, my best guess is the reverse history twist will be replaced with a different kind of power. Impossible to say what it will be but I’m betting that the 41 and 42 edition will end here. I wasn’t a fan of the 41/42 merge twist. I ACTUALLY HATED IT! It was too much power based on pure luck of drawing rocks. Plus, the team that won immunity and made the merge just all of a sudden didn’t? In my opinion, the game and viewing experience benefits from having this thread of certainty. It was fortunate of the show that Erika and Rocksroy chose to reverse what happened too. Imagine if they just said no? How unbelievably lame would that have been? Even still, it was lame.
Here’s an update of the idols, advantages, and no votes at this point. (via @survivorfactchecker)
@survivorfactchecker on Instagram
Now, onto this week’s BLOG.
COCO/VESI?BAKA Day 12
Tree Mail clip??!!?!? I love that we got a throwback of seeing Tree Mail being read. Got to love the nostalgia factor on Survivor.
Now, the tribes are coming together on BAKA’s beach. Like 41 and 42, there are no buffs, no feast, and just a scramble of getting to know everyone. Owen becomes the narrator of all the advantages and idols out there. His relationship with Noelle was birthed out of their journey together.
More information comes out about the idols when Noelle blabs about Cody’s palm frond hat with the decorative beads around it to Elie. DING DING DING! Elie tells her ally Jeanine that Cody has the idol from VESI.
EARN the MERGE
Two teams of 6
Winning Tribe is SAFE and NOBODY WILL REVERSE IT (Prediction - Correct!)
Losing Tribe is NOT SAFE at Tribal
All 13 players vote at Tribal
Draw gray rock —> don’t compete & you choose the team you ride or die with which could keep you safe or leave you vulnerable.
Cliffhanger commercial here allows a reflection on the change from 41/42. The votes are in and the twist to reverse what happened has been voted out. HALLELUJAH! The players seemed revealed overall too. You could see it on their faces. The twist they did keep was drawing rocks, but the difference is the gray rock drawer - Noelle - chose to roll with blue and have her fate in their hands.
BLUE - Gabler, Dwight, Ryan, Jesse, Jeanine, Karla
RED - Cody, Cassidy, Sami, James, Elie, Owen
Challenge
move 20 sand bags to grab a sled, load 6 crates on sled, drag sled and crates over log/speed bump and set sled on platform. Next, build a pyramid out of the crates, untie ring of keys, (Karla hurt her hand and is bleeding). Then team must run up the biggest ramp in Survivor history using the top portion of cargo net to help. Finally, all 6 members have to unlock the puzzle pieces with the key and put the word puzzle together.
The most impressive piece of the challenge comes from Ryan. He locks his feet at the bottom of the cargo net and hangs down like Spiderman to let Karla and Gabler get up and over ther ramp.
As always the challenge comes down to the puzzle. Elie and Owen (RED) versus Dwight and Jeanine. BLUE was trailing for the entire challenge but were able to put the puzzle together before RED. The comeback is completed on the backs of Dwight and Jeanine’s puzzle skills and keeps the BLUE team and Noelle safe from being eliminated.
Great challenge! Great finish! Major takeaway - nothing was lost by making the merge twist that you have to win the challenge to earn the merge. You didn’t need the reverse AT ALL. Also, I love that the challenge MATTERED! The challenges don’t get a lot of love but I think it’s awesome that you can compete and win your way into the merge. Now, the RED team Cody, Cassidy, Sami, James, Elie, Owen are vulnerable at Tribal.
LOSING TEAM AT CAMP
Elie is still trying to run the game. She’s targeting VESI people as allies in this vote stemming from the assist at the Immunity Challenge where they worked together to send COCO to their first Tribal. Elie is telling the COCO people that she wants to work with them, not vote for BAKA, and throw Cody’s name out there. She thinks she is the greatest player, but we learn that James sees right through her.
The major wrinkle is Elie knows that Cody has the idol (stemming from the info spilled by Noelle)
WINNING TEAM FEAST
Gabler blows up the feast by throwing Elie under the bus. He tells Ryan, Noelle, Karla, Jeanine, Dwight, and Jesse that Elie went through his bag and cannot be trusted. I like the move by Gabler. No matter what, he’s safe and gives people a name to consider. Plus, Gabler’s idol expires after this Tribal, so he can give that to someone that he may think is on the hot seat and force Jeanine to possibly play her idol for Elie or risk Elie getting voted out. Gabler basically says “Don’t trust Elie” and I think this plan will work.
PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE
Jeanine brings the undesirable news back to Elie that Gabler through her name out there and that she couldn’t be trusted. We know that Elie has wanted to control and run the game for 5 episodes at BAKA and is doing the same at the almost merge. Next, Elie wants to give COCO people Cody’s name to make it seem like she’s with them, but she really isn’t. AKA more Elie deception.
James wasn’t buying Elie’s story from the beginning so he wants it to be Elie. Ryan tells James, Cassidy, and Karla that Elie was targeting James to BAKA and Cody. Now, Elie’s seat is basically on fire it’s so hot. She’s done this to herself by trying to control the vote and game at this stage.
Her panic leads to a desperate scramble by Jeanine to try and sell BAKA on staying BAKA Strong, but that isn’t going to happen. However, there is one hope, and that is Jeanine’s idol. Will she play it for Elie? Will that blow up somebody else’s game and possibly get James, Sami, Owen, Cassidy, or Cody to be going home.
Prediction: Jeanine doesn’t play her idol for Elie, Elie goes home. IMO, not worth it for Jeanine to play her idol to save Elie for one more round and better to just move on.
TRIBAL COUNCIL
Elie’s eyes are nearly popping out of her head as she acknowledges her fragile position in the game. Then Jeff brings up the idols and advantages in play and the considerations of it. The one that he mentions that raises my eyebrow is the Shot in the Dark.
Totally forgot about it.
With 13 votes coming at the Tribal and no assurance that Jeanine is going to play the idol for Elie, so she HAS TO consider playing her Shot. Her vote probably isn’t going to matter, but instead this could be her only chance to save herself.
Prediction: Even if Elie plays it, she still gets voted out. Too aggressive and too sneaky. Gabler’s throw her name out there strategy will work.
VOTES
Elie 7
James 2
Owen 1
Cassidy 1
NO VOTE - Jeanine, Jesse
Nailed three predictions this episode! (1-no reverse twist, Jeanine doesn’t play her idol for Elie, and Elie gets voted out). I know Meat Loaf sang that 2/3 ain’t bad, but 3/3 is damn good. Look, I will admit right now that Elie made it pretty easy to target her, vote her out, and not use an idol to save her.
TRIBAL TAKEAWAYS
Smart move by Jeanine to read the writing on the wall and know that her idol will serve her a hell of a lot more going forward than wasting it on Elie.
Gabler’s stunt worked. The winning tribe who earned the merge needed someone to target and Gabler delivered. Any reason is a good reason to vote somebody out and so Gabler’s sacrificing of Elie made it easy to be skeptical of her and it led to her torch snuffing.
Gabler showed he’s a loose canon by blowing up BAKA but I don’t think this will be reason to have him be targeted next. Important note, Gabler’s idol is now expired.
Aggression and deception at this stage of the game is a losing combination. At this stage, you are not going to win the game, but you certainly can lose it. Elie - case and point.
WINNER RANKINGS WATCHLIST
I know that is’ still suuuuper early to make winner predictions but let’s highlight some people on my watchlist for a potential deep run in this game.
Karla - Best strategist from the 3 tribe stage of the game, has an Immunity Idol, built strong alliances with James and Cassidy at COCO, and controlled the votes at COCO.
James - may be premature but he was basically Karla’s consigliare at COCO, I think everyone likes him and he’s able to see through Elie’s facade.
Jesse - Like the strategy game he played at VESI, helped Cody earn his idol, plus he’s very smart.
Cody - I have high hopes for Cody’s wild card potential. I feel like he is capable of anything in this game plus I love his sales background.
Dwight - learned in his backstory that he’s a politician or has met prominent politicians. I like his potential.
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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