Survivor 45 | Ep. 9
DAKUWAQA - NIGHT 16
The post-Kellie vote out has ripple effects. Jake' has another life and you got to love Jake’s humility. He knows he has sucked at Survivor to this point, but perhaps that is the beauty of where another life in this game can land you. The shock continues to Bruce who somehow didn’t realize that the game he was playing was overbearing and if not for an Immunity win, he would have possibly been the target.
Kellie’s elimination has also increased REBA and more specifically Austin’s strength in the game because his amulet has now become an idol. Austin also has the Beware Advantage idol. My man is packing heat in the form of idols. The REBA 4 (Julie, Dee, Austin, Drew) fear Bruce’s idol, Jake’s idol hunting/desperation, and Kendra being out for blood.
Before we get underway, I’d also like to just point out that in the wake of the Kellie vote, the idol emphasis early in the episode, and everyone making plans for their next moves, one player still kind of looms in the distance, quietly playing arguably the best game and with the best narrative to tell, can you guess who?
That’s right, Emily.
DAKUWAQA - DAY 17
Day 17 begins and I have one question in my head - “DID BRUCE JUST WIN ME OVER?”. The Kellie vote has delivered a version of Bruce that is the most compelling version of Bruce to date. By far. Bruce could have easily taken the outcome of Kellie’s elimination and turned it into a brush off, a nothing burger, or another Uncle Bruce thinks nothing of it cause he knew it the whole time, right?
Wrong.
Instead, we got Bruce tapping into his emotions, reflecting on his game, but most of all reflecting on himself to his core in his real life in the role of father. He saw Kellie like he saw his own daughter and the news of Kellie seeing him as overbearing had him questioning who he was to this point of Survivor but also as a father.
Building on that, we got a brief background on Bruce and his childhood in foster care. Getting to know people, moving on, and repeating the process. A lot like the game of Survivor. (Deep breath). I have to say I’ve enjoyed watching Bruce and his 44/45 story but this takes the cake. His story just flipped and landed perfectly to a place where I’m rooting for him more than ever in the game and even more curious how Survivor impacted his life post production. Imagine if he doesn’t get this opportunity in 45 and this moment of reflection? I got to believe this is a turning point in Bruce’s game for the better and regardless the outcome, a turning point moving forward in real life. Last point, having said all this and enjoyed this moment, the turning point we just saw also includes another turning point of “how does he handle this in the game?”
Emily goes to Austin and Drew to talk about the possibility of voting Dee in a plea to show their alliance is strong.
TREEMAIL - DIVIDE TRIBE INTO GROUPS OF 3
The players are adjusting to the game at the speed of light. Julie finds herself in a group of three with Bruce and Kendra which makes her vulnerability radar scream off the charts.
How do you adapt?
You go to your alliance (REBA), communicate your concern that Jeff may send a group of three to Tribal, and you need protection.
So, what happens?
Austin reaches into his Mary Poppins growing bag of tricks and hands Julie a shield in the form of one of his two Immunity Idols. THAT’S HOW YA DO IT ON SURVIVOR!
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Groups of 3
Drew, Jake, Dee (RED)
Austin, Katurah, Emily (BLUE)
Julie, Bruce, Kendra (YELLOW)
REWARD - Group to make final stage goes to sanctuary for rotisserie chicken
TWIST - All 3 players out in phase 1 lose their vote and have a journey opportunity to win it back.
I’m torn on the twist here. There’s a part of me that likes the twists around every corner and even though you may expect it, it still hits you like an NFL linebacker. On the other hand, there’s a part of me and maybe my certainty seeking part of the brain that’s ok with seeing just a challenge, with just a winner, and a Tribal where everyone has their vote. Makes me wonder how this losing your vote will continue into 46, 47, and beyond.
Challenge
Phase 1 - First, all 3 walk over balance beam/teeter totter and pick up a disc halfway. Next, balance a ball on the disc and cross another balance beam. Then, dig up 3 rope rung,
Jake is slacking on the second balance beam putting RED way behind in phase 1 with BLUE out in front and YELLOW in second. However, RED storms back by digging up the ropes first and preventing themselves from losing their votes. YELLOW eeks out a narrow victory over BLUE who loses their vote. Austin, Katurah, and Emily are out of the challenge, lose their vote and will have a chance to earn it back before Tribal.
Phase 2 - First, use rope rungs to build and cross a rope bridge. To finish it, players must land three balls on rings up on a pole.
There’s a low, medium, and high ring and Kendra nails the final ball to send BLUE - Kendra, Bruce, Julie - to the sanctuary for a reward and to phase 3 to vie for immunity.
Phase 3 - No longer a team, individual challenge pressing hands against discs, and last one to drop wins immunity.
This one is brutal. Your arms are fully outstretched. The discs are delicate. The bells dangling below are nerve wrecking. Arms are shaking. Body is contorting. Nerves are maxed out. Jeff is commenting on how hot it is, how uncomfortable the challenge is, and the struggle that everyone is facing in real time.
Kendra is battling and hanging on by a thread. It makes no sense that she is still in this and then she drops.
Once again, we are down to Bruce vs. Julie. Julie’s discs are sliding and drops.
UN-CLE BRUUUUCE 👏👏👏👏👏 UN-CLE BRUUUUCE 👏👏👏👏👏
To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man and nobody seems to be able stop the undeniable force that is Uncle Bruce. Just when you think he’s down and out, he rises like the phoenix and takes back control of his destiny in the game. When Jeff drops the narration nugget that a man has never won this challenge before, Bruce says “watch this Jeffy Poo” and wins it for the men. Also, he wins final 8 for himself. Plus, he still has his idol which could mean a guarantee of final 7, at least, pending another challenge win. I ain’t mad at Bruce for locking down another challenge W. Oh yeah, and there’s the sanctuary.
Last thought, awesome challenge and design from the treemail setup of groups of 3, to the three phase challenge, and closing it out with a Survivor challenge of days gone by. Honestly, the challenge design and outcome was exciting enough that you forgot about the twist of Austin, Katurah, and Emily losing their vote.
SANCTUARY - Bruce, Kendra, Julie
NO WIN/NO LOSS - Dee, Drew, Jake
LOST VOTE/JOURNEY - Austin, Katurah, Emily
BACK AT CAMP
Drew, Dee and Jake return to camp in the middle still having their vote, yet waiting for the dominoes to fall. My thought here is if I’m Jake, I’m looking for an idol. You’re not making moves to be on the ins with Drew and Dee. Go for it. Make your move. Dee and Drew are basically spitting on you by eating all the rice and you just take it? Come on dude.
Dee is floating Kendra out there to Drew as her target for a vote because Dee is the Regina George for the 28-35 readers or Kathryn Merteuill for those between 35-45. Dee is playing a power game and anytime there’s a fire pointed toward her, she has to extinguish it. She likes having power and sitting in a position where she can dictate what she wants. She is frontrunning this game from the start and has literally faced no adversity, outside of Kaleb’s Hail Mary Shot in the Dark. I’m waiting for the moment in Dee’s story where everything doesn’t go her way.
Excuse me, I need to go put my popcorn in the microwave just in case Drew decides to expose Dee and take her down and have his Sebastian Valmont moment.
SANCTUARY
I don’t think rotisserie chicken has the same meaning in Fiji as it does here in NY, but it has to be so damn good. The only thing that goes down easier than the chicken is the unanimous thought to vote out Jake. Julie wants him out stemming back to him writing her name down, Bruce says ok, and Kendra realizes that she isn’t going to sway Julie to take out Dee who she clearly wants out.
One last note here, Julie tells us in a conventional with her whole body and voice that she wants to got to the end with Dee and that she would never vote her out. And that’s why it is exactly what she SHOULD do. Did she watch 43? Did she see what Jesse did to Cody that would have won him the game if he didn’t lose at fire to Gabler? Come on Julie. You’ve got zero votes written all over you in your desired scenario.
JOURNEY - LOGIC PUZZLE
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 = 100
3 people lost their vote. 3 people have a chance to win it back. 1 math problem. 3 minutes to solve it. 3 plus signs to chalk into the spaces. 1 minus sign to chalk in there 2. 2 many possible combinations. 2 much pressure. 100 percent focus required.
Austin - WINS VOTE BACK
Katurah - LOSES VOTE
Emily - LOSES VOTE
AUSTIN DOES IT AGAIN! This guy is batting 1.000 for the season. He’s smart, likeable, strategic, athletic, and there’s something intangibly non-threatening about him. I think it’s the whole surfer bro vibe, yet he’s this MBA candidate. He completes the puzzle and wins his vote back, and now he will complete his all around winning episode thus far by getting his idol back from Julie. He’s in great shape.
Katurah losing her vote doesn’t seem to bare any effect on the vote tonight. She isn’t the target nor is she in the majority alliance that is making the vote happen. She’s a swing vote and she doesn’t have a vote, so she’s not very useful. Losing her vote is bigger for anyone looking to use her vote to swing the game.
Finally, Emily wanted to solidify her position in her alliance with Austin and Drew and not having a vote hurts that. She can’t scheme up, as easily, a plan to make a big move against the other REBA members without having a vote for herself. She even referenced feeling like her former LULU self.
PREDICTION: Katurah and Emily losing their vote disables the make a move on REBA and leaves Jake as the easy vote. Womp waaaa.
PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE
There’s never an easy vote in Survivor as they say and Julie’s agenda is a little different than Dee’s. Austin winning his vote back means REBA’s 4 can vote out whoever they want because there are only 7 votes to be cast. So Dee wants Kendra out, but at the sanctuary Julie’s game took a turn with her trying to get Jake out.
Uh-oh.
Could a schism be a brewing between Dee and Julie? Dee is really paranoid and she wants Kendra out because Kendra put Dee’s name out there. Dee is Veruca Salt. Don’t care how, I want it now! However, Drew doesn’t like it, neither does Julie.
Uh-oh.
Could this be her Mean Girls/Cruel Intentions moment where she gets exposed?
Should I go press start on my popcorn???
TRIBAL COUNCIL - NIGHT 17
Ok, we are piling on Kellie again. She thought taking a seat on the jury would give her immunity from the chatter and emotional piece of the game, but no.
Jake is desperate. So desperate.
Jeff is communicating to the jury how Bruce won a 2nd straight immunity against Julie. Jeff is really calling out Bruce.
Should I know who Damocles is and what a Sword of Damocles is? I don’t know how I would mesh with Drew. Probably not well, so I would have to stroke his ego with how smart he is.
Kendra ate chicken for the first time in 15 years. That’s crazy. So many questions about this, but more about how the hell it could not even cross her mind that any of the 3 who lost their vote could have been lying.
Jake is so so so desperate.
VOTES
Just a thought before the votes come out. They make everyone walk up to the booth to cast a vote even if they don’t have one. They put the parchment down that says you lost your vote and return to your seat. Makes me think that I am watching each person each time walk into the booth and how long they stay in there. Looks to me like Emily and Katurah were in and out. Under 5 seconds. That is significant in telling me that they in fact don’t have a vote.
“Gotta be fast” - Austin
See Austin is all over it. Again, he’s having a perfect episode. He knows that he lied and he has a vote to cast. He needs to write a name and write it as fast as he can to give the illusion that he didn’t lie. At least until the votes are all read.
VOTES
KENDRA - 6
JAKE - 1
Good thing I didn’t pop my popcorn. What a waste that would have been. Only 5 votes were read aloud to make it enough for Kendra to become the 3rd member of the jury. Aka Dee gets her way and Kendra is voted out AND Austin gets away with lying about losing his vote (for now) because he was one of the Kendra votes.
The real takeaway here is that there are 8 players left and 4 of them, from REBA, have been dictating what happens in the game to this point. If they continue this or if someone else loses a vote, they could quite easily Pagong everyone and be in the final 4. That certainly won’t happen, but it could.
It’s put up or shut up time for Bruce, Emily, Katurah and Jake (yeah he’s still here). If the game doesn’t cause any more loss of votes, it’s time for them to take their swing at REBA. Yes, REBA has been strong and yes, Austin has 2 Immunity Idols, but the time has come for someone on REBA to stop playing other people on REBA’s game and play their own game.
I’ll save the popcorn for next week. I think it will need to be popped.
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