Survivor 43, Ep. 9: What About the Big Girls?
Questions Heading Into Tonight’s Episode
With the easy vote in Jeanine now done, will someone take the lead and make something big happen?
Will advantages and idols FINALLY come out to play?
Ultimately, the easy votes are done and it’s time for someone to start making their case to win the whole damn thing. That doesn’t mean all the game winning and resume building moves need to be made at Tribal, but I think it’s time for people to start thinking about making moves to win. Plus, as a viewer, I think we need that, and this season needs it too, thus advantages and idols need to make an appearance.
On with the episode…
GAIA Night 16
Sami must’ve heard me typing my thoughts heading into the episode because he’s immediately unhappy with the way the game is progressing and he wants to make some real moves happen. It feels like a strong possibility that Sami will be willing to social politic his ass off in order to make a move in this game. He’s definitely willing to die trying.
Sami wasn’t the only salty one after Tribal. Owen was lied to by James and now he’s out for blood. Before Tribal, James told Owen that the vote was Ryan. Then, Gabler clued Owen in that the vote was Jeanine. The social contract in 43, like any season of Survivor, is about trust. James and Owen do not trust each other and I think this might be the opportunity that players looking to “make moves” were waiting for and I know I’m ready for the 4th of July fireworks to start already!
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Once again immunity is back up for grabs. The challenge today is a bicep challenge to keep a ball up.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE TWIST
10 players split into 2 teams of 5 to compete against each other and individually
2 players win immunity - 1 from the red and blue team.
Both teams of 5 will go to Tribal separately.
Winning tribe gets to go to 2nd Tribal seeing the results of the 1st Tribal.
REWARD - overall winner wins PB&Js for winning tribe.
Thee twist is good because it makes competing in the challenges mean something more and the stakes of the game increase significantly. The politicking will take a turn after the challenge for everyone involved and every aspect of the game will be in full TURBO mode.
However, after careful consideration, I’m out on this twist. Can it force the advantages and idols to come out and thus have more fireworks at Tribal? I guess so. I don’t feel confident that it will and I guess I that means a lot to me in my viewing experience. It’s hard to fully convey because I don’t want to be a “get off my lawn” Survivor viewer, but twists like this in a season where nobody keeps a secret (except Jesse’s which I LOVED!), the biggest move made at Tribal is the Alli-Gabler striking Elie out, and advantages and idols seem to have less value somehow, I feel like this twist is kind of desperate to get the excitement going.
Having said all that, I hope to be pleasantly surprised and proven way wrong. Let’s do this.
Teams
RED - Cassidy, Jesse, Gabler, Ryan, Cody
BLUE - Owen, Sami, Noelle, Karla, James
Half way into this high stakes challenge and the challenge sucks. For Red, Ryan vs. Cody, and for Blue, Sami vs. Karla. Sami’s ball just kind of drops and Karla, broken finger and all, wins immunity. Even though Karla’s effort is commendable and worthy of winning immunity, even the “you’re inspiring me” from James was weak.
The biggest surprise of the challenge is Ryan’s biceps not being enough to put the necklace around Ryan’s neck and Cody wins immunity. Cody is the surfer type guy who are uniquely skilled, sneaky athletic, and good at a bunch of crap effortlessly that makes others say “what the hell?”. Glad Cody won immunity because I’m rooting for my Aloha :. Glad Karla won immunity because it’s a boost to my Winner Watchlist ranking of her being #1.
PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE - Winning Tribe
Cody, Jesse, Gabler, Cassidy, and Ryan enjoy the PB&J reward and the scrambling begins. Ryan is still trying to get Cassidy out and Cassidy knows it so she is making a play at voting Ryan out. If they were smart they would have realized this and come together and make a stab at Jesse or Gabler. Then, Cassidy’s background story comes out, she cries, and we learn about her supportive family. Always good to get to know a castaway but it makes me feel like she’s on the hot seat, but maybe not.
Prediction: Ryan goes home from Winning Tribe.
PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE - Losing Tribe
James, Noelle, Sami, Owen, and immunity winning Karla have no food, no shelter, and nowhere to hide. Noelle corrals Karla and Sami about voting Owen. Combining that with James’ previous lies to Owen leads to a hissy fit pissing match between James and Owen. Now, would I love for the egg to end up on James in this situation because his comfort level is at a 1000? Yes, that would make for much greater television and a more significant blindside. Will it happen that way?
Prediction: Owen gets voted out, aka the easy vote, aka the outnumbered one.
MORE SCRAMBLING
Jesse and Cody discuss the benefits of voting out Ryan and voting out Cassidy. They weigh the impact of Cassidy’s social threat and connections to Karla and James versus the non-threat that Ryan represents. Ultimately, the key to any vote is locking down Gabler down for tonight’s vote so that we can, as Cody said, get on the “Auto Bahn to the million dollars” I like this pairing most of all.
I thought Sami was going to make moves and he certainly wants to be. Noelle has other plans. She wants to make moves and is going to use her STEAL a VOTE to take Owen’s vote as a smoke screen to actually vote out James. Owen is in and loves it. Sami is lukewarm with it because he trusts Karla and wants to be her #1. So, Sami proposes the idea of James being the vote to Karla and she is not about it. Even though her confessional makes it seem like she is in on it, she is definitely NOT! She trusts James most of all.
Prediction: James gets voted out. Cody & Jesse see it and vote Cassidy out to further weaken Karla and eliminate the strategic threat of Cassidy and strengthening their position.
TRIBAL COUNCIL 1 - Losing Tribe
The frustrations between James and Owen being rehashed to Jeff is a dud. It’s like a certain Florida man running for office again and I think we’ve all had enough at this point and are ready to move onto what’s next up at Tribal. I’m ready for the vote, I’m ready for the fireworks, and I’m ready for my prediction of James being blindsided to come true and for some sparks to turn to flame.
Noelle STEALS A VOTE
FINALLY!!! An advantage is finally played and Noelle’s plan is set into action. She steals Owen’s vote and she will now vote twice.
VOTES
James - 4
Owen - 1
HAHAHAHA JAMES IS SOOOOOOO PISSED!!! He can say he is taking it as respect but that is TOTAL BS. My guy is totally pissed and it’s great. The format twist finally pays off. This is why the twist at the Immunity Challenge to have separate Tribals is actually a good one. I didn’t foresee that result being a major reason for why the twist is a good one, but it is. In the end, James is completely butt hurt, rightfully so, and the immediate walk to the jury bench and the next Tribal reacting and starting immediately is great television.
The raw emotion is so awkward as James has to stew over his sudden new reality and it feeds right into the next Tribal.
TRIBAL COUNCIL 2 - Winning Tribe
With James getting voted out, Karla is weakened, and a chance to further take out strategic threats like Cassidy, makes all the more sense.
Cody cements his title of the best story teller/narrator of the season. I loved his answer to Jeff’s question about what the game looks like from the perspective of someone wearing the Immunity Necklace in a crucial vote, after a major twist, and with only 5 people voting. Cody gives the politically correct answer of everyone trying to be his friend, but
VOTES
Ryan - 4
Cassidy - 1
Another prediction that I was wrong on. I thought for sure that Ryan, with his minimal level of strategic threat, would be the obvious vote, but no. Cass lives on. Even in his exit interview, Ryan confirms exactly what his position in the game was all 17 days - he liked to fish and he didn’t regret the game he played. AKA Ryan was just happy to be there and play in the ocean. 🐠 He was never a threat to win the game and it’s shocking that Cody and Jesse blew the opportunity to take out a more strategic threat in Cass, especially after James was blindsided.
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.
Jesse - Takes over top spot. Has the idol Dwight gave him. On the right side of every vote. Will people catch on to him and Cody running the game?
Karla - Knocked her down from the top. Voted out who I thought was her number 1 ally. Still has idol. Still seems to have information flowing through her and very much like her chances.
Cody - Best story teller. Right now is playing consigliere Tom Hagan to Jesse’s Michael Corleone game. Everyone always loved Tom and never targeted him. Could be same here for Cody.
Sami - Still seems to be a middle/swing vote and I will categorize him as the detonator. He is going to blow something up soon.
Gabler - The Alli-Gabler had another quiet episode (2 in a row now) I hope he continues to lurk in the swamp but maybe in shallower water. Need him to strike sooner than later.
Thanks for reading this week. Appreciate the support. Be sure to outlike, outcomment, and outshare the rest all season long. I will be writing about each episode all the way through to the announcement of the winner of Survivor 43. See you next week.
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