Survivor 44, Ep. 5: The Third Turd 💩
🔥 BURNING QUESTIONS HEADED INTO EPISODE 5 🔥
Can Carolyn keep this train-a-rollin?
She has unquestionably been the most entertaining and engaging character through 4 episodes (sorry Danny and Matthew). Her authenticity beams through the TV and combined with her successes thus far, we understand her and are rooting for her. If not, you understand her but are rooting against her. Without her, the season is not as fun or engaging. (Funny, I wrote this same sentiment about Gabler in 43, hmm….🤔)
Will TIKA find itself at Tribal Council yet again and be down to 2?
Carolyn, Yam Yam, and Josh are all they have left. Will it be enough to avoid Tribal Council again? My prediction is no. If they go to Tribal and get down to 2, everyone wins with an exciting Tribal and the twist of having to then put one remaining tribe member on SOKA and the other on RATU.
On with the episode.
TIKA Night 9
Yam Yam is officially playing a new game aka he’s finally playing Survivor. Carolyn pulled Carmella Soprano who’d finally had enough of Yam Yam’s aka Tony Soprano’s crap. Carolyn is now “playing her game” and Josh fit right into it. Yam Yam’s world is rocked by “the third turd” aka Carolyn. Yam Yam clearly got to a place mentally at TIKA where he felt comfortable and in control. Not anymore.
Immediately my first burning question is being answered. Carolyn is continuing to keep her game rolling.
Prediction: This episode will tell us a lot about Yam Yam and the kind of player he is and the position his game was really in through 4 episodes.
RATU Day 10
“Everyday that you stay out here you impress me so much…you’re an absolute gladiator, a certified legend”
- Kane to Matthew
Our first Kane moment since his attempt to earn the name Dances with Swords. Of all the people that Matthew can lean on I didn’t think Kane was one. Frankly, did anyone remember that Kane was even on this season?
The drama continues…
“It’s forcing me to be adaptable but at the same time, it dulls my spirit to not be able to move.”
- Matthew
Heartbreaking moment. First, we had to relive Matthew’s Day 2 plummet down a rock face into a dislocated shoulder. I’ve not quite broken the video down like it’s the Zapruder film, but one thing I have concluded, Matthew was lucky to have fallen into the little crater at the bottom of the rock he fell from, and IT COULD HAVE WENT SOOOOOOOO MUCH WORSE for him.
He could have hit his head, split it open, broken bones, knocked teeth out, and on and on, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. My thought is producers won’t be letting that rock be climbed again anytime soon.
The other piece of this that sticks out from Matthew’s fall is that his game and Survivor story is completely compromised yet like it or not, this is his Survivor story. He is literally forced to adapt to every aspect of the game because of the physical pain he’s in and the limitations that the injuries have dealt him.
It makes you wonder if his game is actually better off in this position than if he was not hurt. If he’s at full strength is he then “too big a challenge threat?” or reveal another threatening piece of his Survivor training which increases the target on him. On the other hand, is this influencing his game so much that he’s actually the weakling of the tribe and they need to “keep the tribe strong”.
My guess, nobody would want to have their physical health compromised on Survivor for any reason. It just takes away from the experience. Players want to live out their experience and then live with the results. Not be forced to sit out of challenges and making fire because an injury literally prevents you from doing it. Lastly, the tears on his face and the emotion he’s feeling makes the viewer empathize with Matthew’s position and reality. He’s on the show and presumably is living out a dream, yet he finds himself in a dream now filled with storm clouds and a nightmare on the horizon.
Carson is loving the “new kid in town” role he’s found himself in at RATU. Matthew, now missing the connection he had with Jaime, despite his fake idol trap he played on her, is emotionally connecting with Carson. We learn that Kane is a total nerd and has been basically waiting to show Carson his light sabre collection back at camp, plus they are both young. That’s enough to put Carson in a prime position at RATU. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m keeping my eye on Carson. He’s in a prime position.
SOKA Day 10
It’s time to check in with SOKA and Breathe in with Danny session. Danny uses his breath to center himself and transport his mind to be with his wife and four month old. The tribe is all down for meditating and breathing, but I feel like we are waiting for this tribe to “start playing”.
“Matt’s somebody I would date in real life and if it comes to that after this game is over, then, I would be as pleased as punch.” (Blush)
- Frannie
Either SOKA is so in control of this game and we don’t quite grasp it or else they are like the Titanic sailing at full blast yet an impending doom is in the horizon for them. All the breath work, meditating, and dorky magnet dating games are not adding up to me. My only explanation is that they are the tribe who’s had the most success at challenges, faced the smallest amount of adversity, and haven’t had to play the game the same way that RATU or TIKA have had to. Case and point, SOKA has a person named Heidi on it who’s entering Heather (41) territory of exposure.
I would be as pleased as punch to see SOKA get punched in the mouth a little bit this episode.
TIKA Day 10
Josh is fine and he just doesn’t trust Yam Yam. Josh is in a power position over Yam Yam after his Tribal working with Carolyn. Plus, Josh is using his journey idol paper and arts & crafts skills to make a fake idol too for insurance of his powerplay over Yam Yam.
My read is that Yam Yam is not used to being in an inferior position or a position where somebody is against him. The guy is as likeable as they get. His personality is dynamic, fun, and emits charisma. However, in real life you don’t have to vote people out of life or fight for your right to stay. I believe Yam Yam is a business owner too which tells me that he’s used to being in charge and working with people, but ultimately having the say so on the operations of his business. Survivor doesn’t work that way. Carolyn and Josh can shut down the salon that Yam Yam is building at TIKA anytime like they did at the previous Tribal.
Josh and Yam Yam connect. Not all love and connection is lost for Josh and Yam Yam. Yam Yam and Josh are both gay and have each had their struggle with coming out. Yam Yam struggled with being comfortable with his own image and accepting himself. Similarly, Josh struggled to come out and lived a lie until he came out to his mother who quickly came around to who he is.
Now, Josh has connected with Yam Yam more than with Carolyn but he’s already voted with her to oust Sarah. All of a sudden the “new kid in town” at TIKA seems to be the swing vote holding all the cards in the wake of Carolyn and Yam Yam splitting apart. But….don’t forget Carolyn is holding a pretty strong card in her own pocket, a real Immunity Idol.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
This challenge looks like the biggest and baddest so far this season (outside the water). Tied together they will go through obstacles (twig jungle, over/under hurdles), untie bucket, fill it with water, and take the bucket over the teeter totter and repeat. Once the bucket is filled it releases the cage to the tandem table maze to land 3 balls at the end and win immunity and power.
REWARD - choose the 3 people going on a journey.
SIT OUT - Matthew & Lauren (RATU), Jaime & Frannie (SOKA)
All three tribes communicate well, maneuver the obstacles, and fill the buckets to get to the tandem table maze pretty easily. Yam Yam & Josh (TIKA), Danny & Matt (SOKA), and Brandon & Carson (RATU) are on the maze. Great camera angles for the competition for 1st place but RATU edges out SOKA for 1st and they send TIKA back to Tribal Council again.
Journey - RATU - Brandon, SOKA - Danny, TIKA - Carolyn
Medical takes a look at Matthew. After sitting out two straight challenges Matthew needs to check-in with medical. Not eating enough, not having ideal conditions to promote healing, and fighting through each element of the game leaves me thinking that Matthew’s time is about to come to an end and he’ll be pulled.
But he isn’t. To be continued…
PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE
TIKA is down to 3 and soon only 2! AKA my second burning question will be answered. The dynamic of the Pre-Tribal Scramble that’s most interesting is that Carolyn is off on a journey. She is given the possibility of some reward but at the risk of losing strategizing time back at TIKA. The question is “Will she play her idol?” or not? If it’s me, of course I want to hold onto it, but with only 3 people voting at Tribal, I think you have to play it and live to fight another day figuring how EASILY you could get voted out with only 3 people voting.
JOURNEY TURNED SANCTUARY
No games. No risks. No advantages gained. Well, they win food and comfort at the sanctuary. But, the biggest advantage is Brandon and Danny getting the info of Josh having won the idol at the previous journey. DING DING DING. Now, they know Jaime and Carson have one too.
What comes next at the sanctuary cements an answer for my first burning question. After Danny and Brandon’s “bro-fest” or meeting of the muscle, or whatever you want to call it, Carolyn is essentially dismissed and underestimated. Little do these two know just how dangerous the third turd has been at TIKA and will continue to be moving forward. (PLAY THE IDOL AND SURVIVE CAROLYN!)
Carolyn returns from the journey and has an easy alibi to tell. She’s flabbergasted about the bro-fest and uses it to put the target on Josh. Then, Josh gets caught with his pants down and punishes himself when he reuses the idol note and shows the fake idol that sets off Carolyn and Yam Yam’s BS radar.
Josh has been overcoming health issues and negative situations and “turns them into positive outcomes” in his life, but I don’t like his chances here. The tribe is too small and there is absolutely no room for error. He needed to be surgical in this vote and phase and he played this wrong.
The decision comes down to a leap of faith. Yam Yam and Carolyn had a schism and now they have to make a choice to reunite and vote out Josh or burn the person they’ve known the longest in the game…
JEFF COMES TO TIKA
Whenever Jeff comes to camp, you know something isn’t right and this time is no different. Jeff comes baring good news and bad news. The bad news is that Matthew has been pulled from the game because of his shoulder situation and long term health implications. 🤮 The good news is that Matthew’s exit takes TIKA off the hook of having to go to Tribal Council.
AKA
The episode ends. Josh is safe. Yam Yam is safe. Carolyn is safe. No Tribal Council. No vote. Carolyn keeps her idol and the train keeps rollin along! The episode just kind of ends. Tribal Council is a cornerstone of the show and a fixture in the routine of watching. Take it away, and something is definitely missing.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m leaving this episode feeling frustrated just like Carolyn. I spoke too soon on my 2nd burning question being answered and instead the truth of “the unpredictable nature of Survivor” has its day. I wanted to see the 3 person vote at TIKA. I wanted to see what Carolyn was going to do. I wanted to see if Yam Yam and Carolyn would reunite heading into a new phase of the game, but like Matthew, we the viewers are robbed of that experience and drama in 44.
The abrupt ending is fitting for this episode. Like Matthew, we thought this episode and our viewing experience was going to unfold before us as we hoped it would, or as I blogged it would, but NOPE! Instead, we the viewer are plummeted down a slippery rock like Matthew, and our hopes for a dramatic ending this week are pulled out from under us before we knew it.
My heart breaks for Matthew and how incredibly terrible he must’ve felt having his Survivor story play out with this horrendous conclusion. Will he get another chance to play like Bruce or will he have to live with the regret of his own mistake on that rock? He laughs it off but you know that he’s crying inside.
So are we.
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 44. See you next week.
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