Survivor 43, Ep. 3: I'll Sign the Divorce Papers
The blog is a little late this week but what can I say, my dad turned 70 when episode 3 aired and I haven’t gotten around to it until now!!! Happy 70th Dad, I’d miss any episode for your big 7-0 birthday.
On to episode 3… (all images via CBS)
Post Tribal VESI
Cody Jesse, and Nneka pulled off the unthinkable snagging those beads from Noelle, Dwight, and Justine. Now, Justine is gone, Cody has an idol, and the power lies in the hands of Jesse, Cody, and Nneka. He’s ready to “sign the divorce papers” after he betrays the Dwight marriage.
Noelle loses her partner in crime in Justine and finds herself at the bottom, which isn’t the worst place to be for her. I think she needed to rethink her game and Jesse, Cody and Nneka kickstarted that big time!
BAKA Tribe
Gabler is dead weight and Elie is determined to flex her muscles around camp. Gabler has no idea that Elie, her ally, was snooping around and ready to try to turn the tides on Gabler and exert her power at BAKA. What the brain trust of Elie and Jeanine didn’t account for is the young pup Sami taking the information to the source and flipping the script on Elie.
CBS
Sami gave Gabler life in this game and a role to play, playing dumb. Gabler accepts his role and lets Elie believe that he has no idea that his idol still has power. I’m now hoping that this move by Sami is foreshadowing a picture perfect blindside leaving Elie with the final thought before her torch gets snuffed, like Red in Shawshank, wondering how the hell Gabler ever got the best of her.
COCO Day 6
The kumbaya tribe so far has now entered the “we haven’t started playing Survivor” yet window. Then there’s Karla. She is sneaky as hell and we’ve gotten the breadcrumbs of her making a move.
Then, she finds the Beware Advantage and for the first time, somebody PUTS IT BACK!!!!
Ok, finally something to dig into. Here’s why I’m not shocked by Karla putting the Beware Advantage back. First, she went on the journey and opted to “Protect Vote” and got nothing from it. So, she’s consistent. Her backstory also told us that she was the first one to go to college in her family and she was never going to put that at risk. Same thing here. Karla knows what the Beware Advantage potentially has in store for her from 41 and 42, so she puts it back. I get it.
I think this reveals more about her game. Karla is playing a safe game and so far she is. She knows there’s a Beware Advantage out there and she didn’t want it. Aka she’s not a JD from 41 who has some Survivor checklist that includes finding an advantage no matter what. The drawbacks of her strategy are obvious but the benefits maybe are not. I think the benefits of putting it back are…
She knows there is a Beware Advantage out there and she can be suspicious about people’s behavior going forward.
She knows that nobody has taken the advantage at this point.
She could set somebody else up to take the advantage to show trust and then put the burden on them, not herself.
She could lead somebody she doesn’t trust to the advantage and blow up their game for her own potential gain.
She can always check on the advantage anytime she walks by that spot, knowledge is power.
The list could go on but one last thing that’s interesting about the Beware Advantage and was smart by the producers was to make the advantage Un-destroyable. In other words, if you don’t take it “you have to put it back”. I bet Karla would’ve jumped at the option to destroy it, if that were possible.
This is better.
VESI Tribe
Nneka is thinking about a mission team back in Nigeria. She’s playing for them. Her why is much bigger than mine would ever be. She’s trying to help women and children in Nigeria. Standing ovation to you Nneka.
COCO Tribe
Karla, Karla, Karla. Just when you made us think you were so secure in your safe game. Now, you sold out for the Survivor game that you always wanted to play. Now, she has to pull off what Cody did at VESI last episode.
CBS
James - easy one, lied to him, he didn’t care
Geo - took some nudging but also an easy get
Lindsay and Cassidy - traded an earing and BS about giving a piece of her to them to remember (well done)
Ryan - last one is always toughest, but after swapping socks, she gets the last bead
Nobody batted an eye, nobody was suspicious and BOOM! the kumbaya tribe’s immaculate vibes was taken advantage of by their only strategic player at this point, Karla. The key to her success was COCO is all good. They haven’t been to Tribal and no lines have been drawn in the sand just yet. Perfect for bartering for beads to save your vote, earn an idol, and have an advantage in the game at the tribe with “good vibes only”.
This tribe has LUVU from 41 written all over it to this point but Karla is quickly emerging as the top strategist and only strategist from COCO. Winning on Survivor can make some players fall into the trap of not playing the game, but this Beware Advantage feels doubly as valuable as Cody’s at VESI strictly because the vibes at COCO have been so chill, yet it didn’t stop Karla from making things happen.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Jump off tall platform, climb stack of crates, dive down and retrieve keys to unlock puzzle pieces.
Reward
1st Place - Large Survivor Tool Kit and Large Fruit Basket
2nd Place - Small Tool Kit and Fruit basket
Losers - Tribal and losing flint
The turtle puzzle is back to decide this exhilarating challenge. Elie and Jeanine absolutely steamroll the puzzle and win 1st for BAKA. Down to VESI (Jesse and Nneka) and COCO (James and Lindsay). Jesse and Nneka blow it and VESI is back to Tribal for a second straight time.
The standout from this Immunity Challenge wasn’t the nail biter at the turtle puzzle leaving VESI back to Tribal, but to me was seeing Noelle compete. As the challenge is about to begin, she pops off her prosthetic leg leaving her atop the platform with 1.5 legs but a look in her eyes that was easy to see she was ready to meet this challenge. She killed it and it was great. I’m sure anyone watching with a pulse was rooting for her in that moment. Cool stuff.
Now, everything isn’t rainbows and unicorns for Noelle. She’s still on the bottom following Justine getting voted out at the last Tribal so she’s got some work to do to not lose her place in this game.
Prediction: Dwight will get booted out despite Nneka blowing it at the puzzle again.
PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE
Cody and Jesse have the power it comes down to loyalty vs. strength.
RISK or NO RISK
Noelle just won a gold medal on being sent on the journey with James and Owen. They literally gave her the green light and she was the only one to RISK. Now, Noelle has earned a STEAL A VOTE advantage to benefit her and Dwight, aka the other person on VESI who felt burnt at the previous Tribal.
Noelle makes it clear that she’s targeting Jesse’s vote. Now, Noelle, Dwight, and Stolen Vote (from Jesse) makes 3 votes and the swing of power over to her. James and Owen don’t realize how much they hooked Noelle up.
Prediction: Noelle plays the Steal, steals Jesse’s vote and Jesse gets voted out
TRIBAL COUNCIL
CBS
As Tribal begins Nneka describes her struggle after blowing the puzzle and having to vote someone out again. What Nneka reveals to me is that she’s not cut out for this game. She’s got a larger purpose behind why she’s playing but I don’t believe she’s long for this game. I don’t see it. Too emotional and just too good a person at heart.
The vote is about to happen and all I can wonder is what does Cody have in store. Would he play his idol to shake things up?
VOTES
Nneka 4
Noelle 1
CBS
Wow. So the debate of loyalty vs. strength was answered with what I believe to be a rare case of strength over loyalty! I feel like that NEVER HAPPENS! Typically, the “got to keep the tribe strong” is a dud and the person perpetuating that message is promptly voted out. (Think Abraham to start 41)
But like Lee Corso says…
Nneka’s backstory, temperament, failure at the challenges, and Noelle’s competitive drive combined, leave Nneka as the weak challenge link that needs to be removed. Feels like the right move for the tribe especially given that they feel the desperation to win challenges being now down to 4 people and staring the likelihood of a 3rd straight Tribal in the face.
All that being said, despite the rare strength over loyalty win, I still feel it was a questionable move. Nneka was a sitting duck. She was an absolute ZERO THREAT. She was a number and an ally for Cody and Jesse going forward. They could have easily kept Nneka and used their numbers to take out Noelle and take their shot at the next challenge with Dwight and their alliance. If they lose again, they vote out Dwight and then Cody and Jesse would probably turn on Nneka or each other. Probably the smarter move to keep the loyal number and take your chances at the next Immunity Challenge.
It’s close though.
Instead, they chose strength over numbers, playing the odds of cutting the weak to avoid Tribal Council next time. My question is do you really trust Noelle? Ultimately, you are NEVER BEATING HER, if you’re thinking about an end game already.
Feels like a MAJOR WIN for Noelle to not only still be in the game, but also armed with a STEAL A VOTE advantage, a bond with Owen and James from other tribes should there be a reshuffling of the deck, and an ally at VESI in Dwight.
Final words to Cody and Jesse on voting out Nneka…
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