Survivor 46 | Ep. 3
YANU - Post Tribal Night 5
Poor Bhanu. All he can say to having absolutely no clue what is going on at YANU is namaste. Some say “ignorance is bliss” and I think that’s the truth in Bhanu’s life, but it’s what makes him not cut out for Survivor. He can be the biggest fan of the show and have an incredible backstory, but as far as playing Survivor, Bhanu should have never gotten off the couch. Sorry Bhanu.
YANU - Day 6
The state of YANU is a sad one. They have nothing. They slept under a rock overhang. We said it last week and we will say it again, they are at rock bottom. Then, Bhanu cries to Kenzie about how alone he is and having literally zero gameplay nor strategy. Kenzie is literally talking to him like he’s in Survivor Kindergarten. He’s got nothing and all he’s got is mermaid dragon comparisons. We hit a new rock bottom for Bhanu.
Q even gets into the mix and literally tells Bhanu he wants him in the game to be his loyal soldier, Philip the Specialist to Q’s Boston Rob. It’s downright insulting and sad to watch. Then, Bhanu calls himself a wackadoodle. Folks, we have yet again found a new rock bottom for Bhanu. Credit Q for encouraging the wackadoodle and reassuring him that anybody can win. Sadly, Bhanu missed Jeff’s opening speech this season about how “some of you cannot win”, Jeff was talking to Bhanu.
SIGA - FOUR DAYS AGO
We are traveling back in time at SIGA to join them on a group idol hunt. We know it’s fake and phony bologna, the players know it, and it’s nice to all be acknowledging the elephant on the island. Then, Jem finds the Beware Advantage, shoves it into her pants and tells nobody.
The interesting takeaway is Jem waits until everyone is asleep and pulls a night mission.
NAMI - Day 6
Please welcome Hunter to the island. Super interesting dude. He graduated school early with a full ride to medical school to become a teacher. On top of it, he is building beds at camp out of bamboo and thread playing the role of Survivor. Then, he has a dirty little secret - back home living in a self made Survivor puzzle treasure trove. This guy is playing everybody and he’s doing it silently. He’s hiding who he is, his superfandom, his intelligence, but I don’t think you can hide the game you’re playing for too long.
I think when you’re out on the island you have to be skeptical and dubious of every single player on your tribe and the others no matter what. Except Bhanu, he is an outlier because he is such a non factor strategically. But, everyone else is a player or you have to assume is a player. The silent types like Hunter are most dangerous. The iceberg archetype - they show you 10% with the dangerous 90% hidden.
NAMI - Day 7
Uh-oh.
Randen’s right arm is limp, prickly feeling, and medical is getting brought in. His right hand is numb. This interaction raises your eyebrow because they don’t do a whole lot except say it could be a nerve something or other. I get that we can’t run a laundry list of medical tests at NAMI’s camp but it seems like a numbness and inability to raise an arm would garner more from medical.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - Day 7
REWARD - 1st Place - Large Tool Kit and Large Tarp, 2nd Place - Smaller Tool Kit and Tarp.
Challenge
First, Dive into water and swim to the platform and climb up and over the crates and the swells are moving. SIGA is up and over first and NAMI is lagging behind in dead last.
Next, work together to get over a giant rolling pin suspended in the water. Q (YANU), Hunter (NAMI) and Charlie (SIGA) are the keystone of the physicality needed to win this challenge. SIGA is out in front with YANU right behind. NAMI still far behind but Hunter grabs onto Tevin and uses the momentum to carry both of them over the rolling pin and makes up some time. Nice work Hunter.
Then, they have to dig up sand bags to toss up and land on some small platforms. Hunter lands the first two bags and zooms NAMI from last to first quickly. WOW!! Hunter is crushing the sandbag toss and single handedly leads NAMI from worst to first. A Jonathan (42) like Herculean effort.
SIGA and YANU are left to battle it out with Tribal on the line. Charlie is one bag away and Tiff is closing in fast. It all comes down to one bag. Q vs. Charlie.
Folks, we just found a new depth of rock bottom for YANU. Charlie lands the last bag and sends YANU to its third straight Tribal Council. 45’s LULUlosers has nothing on YANU. They are TERRIBLE!
PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE
Q’s athlete comes out in the devastation, but also his martyr???
Did Q just say that Bhanu deserves to stay in the game and he should go home? Dude, you sound like a damn fool, but I understand the self doubt and self deprecation. Literally nothing has gone right at YANU and somebody like Q who has probably had things come easy to him because of his physical gifts, is experiencing an unfamiliar losing streak.
JOURNEY
Liz (NAMI), Ben (SIGA), and Bhanu (YANU)
They have to draw a rock. Two blue rocks go on and compete for an advantage and white rock has no risk and no reward.
Then, YANU hits a new rock bottom. Bhanu melts down and sings like a canary to Ben and Liz. He outs Kenzie as the mastermind, Tiff and Q working together, and his fate being sealed in the game. Sadly, the rest of YANU knew that he would do this and this will hurt them later on in the game.
Bhanu is sobbing and corny as hell. I give Ben and Liz a ton of credit for having a human side to nurture Bhanu and his needs but also being smart enough to just let him talk and fill them in. This is insane. Bhanu is all emotions and he has no control of himself.
BLUE Rock - Ben and Bhanu (Move on)
WHITE Rock - Liz (No risk, No reward)
JOURNEY CHALLENGE
Ben and Bhanu have to assemble a perfect cube out of blocks in a certain amount of time. They can’t have any more than 3 minutes.
Ben fails and loses his vote and shocker of shockers, Bhanu loses his vote and loses his Shot in the Dark too. YANU has yet again found a new rock bottom. I feel like I need to go shower off this episode and we aren’t even at Tribal yet.
The journeyers return back to camp emptyhanded but with a tale to tell. Liz and Ben share everything that Bhanu told them. Then, Ben lies to SIGA saying he will find out his fate at Tribal if he won the advantage or lost his vote.
Bhanu returns and actually tells a lie about him getting the white rock and not losing his vote. WOW! We have a successful post journey lie and it CAME FROM BHANU?!?!?!
Ben’s lie was more complicated and we shall find out if he was successful or not. Gutsy for sure, but we shall see. SIGA is living large and Ben is the first to bleed in the game.
🚨HOLD ON🚨 - Bhanu just undid his lie and told Q he lied. Unbelievable. Typical.
Q’s Plan - When life gives you lemons 🍋 you make lemonade. Bhanu is the lemons and Q is ready to make some lemonade. He’s making the argument that Bhanu is SO BAD THAT HE IS WORTH KEEPING AROUND.
“Bhanu’s a liability but Kenzie’s a threat” - Q
This vote really comes down to Tiff. Take out Kenzie, a threat but also a partner that could help you, or take out Bhanu a total liability and zero in the strategy of the game.
JEFF AND MEDICAL VISIT NAMI
Uh-oh.
Medical is concerned of a bulging disc in his neck pressing on his radial nerve and it could require surgery.
Ultimately, Randen needs to be pulled from the game to seek further medical attention.
Sucks. Terrible. Horrendous.
NAMI is out there and crushing it and now they face adversity in the game for the first time. Randen’s Immunity Idol also goes home with him. Venus’ one ally goes home.
YANU - Day 7
I have to give it up to Kenzie, Q, and Tiff for putting up with Bhanu. The fact that they haven’t done this…
Skip to :45
But wait…
JEFF COMES TO YANU
Just when you thought rock bottom 5.0 was coming for YANU, Bhanu’s prayers are answered. Randen getting pulled from the game has become the first positive in YANU in 7 days in the game. Randen’s loss is YANU’s first win.
This news brings one of the stranger episodes of the new era to a close. Randen is surprisingly accepting of his Survivor fate. Credit to him on that one. Cannot say I would do the same. No chance. Finally, just when you thought this episode and this blog would end with a rant on YANU hitting rock bottom six different times, we instead say “so long rock bottom!” YANU has life after all in this game and they are not going to Tribal Council. They are not losing a player. Bhanu is staying, however, Bhanu did reveal to SIGA and NAMi every secret and dynamic at YANU. His prayers may have been answered this time, but the prayers of others seeking to take him out, may be answered next week.
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