Survivor 46 | Ep. 5
POST-TRIBAL COUNCIL - Night 9
And so there were 3…Tiff, Kenzie and Q. My Bhanu fatigue makes me push him aside and think about YANU at this point as an alliance of 3 who needs to win an Immunity Challenge or else we will head into an unprecedented situation with YANU being the only tribe to go to Tribal up until the likely mergatory scenario.
Other scenarios to consider are…
Tribe Shuffle - It happened in 45 so it could easily happen here. Reshuffling would open up the YANU members’ games big time, however, I don’t think Tiff, Kenzie and Q would want that. My guess is they’d prefer a mergatory and stick together.
YANU Wins Immunity - A tribe can dream can’t they? They are down to 3 and so would the other two tribes in the challenge. Odds aren’t terrible of a win. On top of it, YANU isn’t the only ones who need this to happen. I think the viewers need do too. As Jeff loves to say, “You gotta dig deep!” and so far we really haven’t dug deep with SIGA or NAMI. We haven’t really gotten to see where their tribal lines are nor have they.
YANU Loses AGAIN! - Yet again, another new low for YANU that seems all too likely to happen.
SIGA - Day 10
Despite Ben’s affinity for his fellow music buff Charlie and his leading man charisma and charm, Ben’s relationship is on the radar of the women of SIGA and his charisma is being pitted against the suspicion of Tim having the idol, even though we know Jem actually has the Beware Advantage. Also worth mentioning is Ben doesn’t have a vote at Tribal.
NAMI - Day 10
The idol hunt is blatant at NAMI too. Soda, Tevin, Venus, and Hunter are going for it. Liz is hanging back. Venus reminds us that Randen had found the idol and Venus knew it. Must admit that I forgot about this.
Then, after an awkward Venus vulturing situation, Hunter finds the Beware Advantage and the same challenge that Tiff (YANU) and Jem (SIGA) had. He immediately opens it because of his challenge threat level and the impending merge. The most interesting takeaway is Hunter mentioning there is an option for moving forward with the Beware Advantage if the tribe never loses. I want to know more about that. Would it kill them to show us everything the scroll says?
Bottom line, the season is more interesting with Hunter finding the Beware Advantage than Soda, Venus, Tevin, or Liz. He’s brilliant, has hidden his Survivor puzzle factory background, is a challenge beast, really smart, and the idea of him getting some firepower in the game is more interesting than anyone else on the tribe getting it.
YANU - Day 10
YANU just looks pissed off and ready to go home. They’re wet, no flint, and the bamboo is triggering Q’s trauma. The next drama of YANU is Q surfacing the temptation of volunteering to go home to Kenzie to make her comfortable. I’ve underestimated Q’s game.
Tiff finds herself in the middle of Kenzie and Q. If YANU’s losing streak continues, Tiff’s vote will be the knockout blow to one of them.
SIGA - Day 10
The first detail we get from Tim is he hasn’t pooped in 10 days and he is leading the investigation of the Beware Advantage. Then, Tim throws down on Jem and calls her out about “moving the Beware Advantage”. He’s onto her about the advantage and the girl’s advantage and she’s just lying to his face.
The suspicion is driving a wedge through SIGA. Ultimately, one side is trying to press people to find out information and discover the truth and the other side is trying to maintain anonymity and keep the advantage all to themselves. At this point, I don’t see the benefit in Jem’s plan, especially in a tribe of only 6. There’s nowhere to hide. Plus, everyone dug where the advantage was rehidden and found nothing. Jeff doesn’t lie. So now Jem is left to either trust someone and share her information or continue to deny til she dies, which could come from Tim’s growing suspicion being shared with the rest of the tribe.
Feels like we are reaching a boiling point with SIGA and either the episode will reveal Jem sharing the information with another tribe member or there will be fireworks at Tribal Council.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - Day 11
3 level obstacle course collecting keys along the way. Keys unlock a hook. Hook undoes rope to release sandbags. Sandbags are slingshotted to knock down targets and win immunity.
REWARD 1st - Pastries and fruit, 2nd - Smaller version
Jeff’s sass comes out kicking YANU while they’re down and fills them in on their potential records of being the losingest tribe in the new era.
Sit-outs
SIGA - Charlie, Moriah, Ben
NAMI.- Liz
NAMI and SIGA are out in front through the first two people to maneuver the 3 level obstacle course. Q is left to catch up YANU, be the savior, and prevent YANU from becoming the 1962 Mets. Luckily, Q is an athlete and catches them up and surpasses SIGA, but then he fumbles and falls back behind into 3rd lagging behind.
Fire away on the slingshot and no surprise here, Hunter closes it out for NAMI winning immunity and the large pastries and fruit reward.
Down to SIGA vs. YANU with one target remaining. Tim vs. Q.
YANU Gets its 1st Immunity Challenge Win
“Q” the slo-mo…YANU WINS IMMUNITY AND FLINT and sends SIGA to Tribal Council! First time in 11 days that they will have food, fire, and not have to go to Tribal.
Thank goodness that SIGA is heading to Tribal Council. I’m so happy to see the “vibe tribe” end their “Kumbaya Era” in this season. The song battles, uncoordinated salsa dancing, and success at challenges was no longer interesting. Last thing about SIGA heading into their first Tribal
Maria - EXTRA VOTE
Ben - NO VOTE
Jem - BEWARE ADVANTAGE
JOURNEY - Day 11
NAMI - Hunter
SIGA - Tim
YANU - Q
The physical trio of Q, Tim and Hunter seem to come to an agreement on the beach going forward, but first a Survivor knowledge test to win an advantage.
Who will take the risk to win the advantage?
No surprise here, but Q isn’t the most knowledgeable Survivor fan. So he’s out. Tim has to go to Tribal Council so risking his vote isn’t ideal at this time in the game. He’s out. Both good moves by them. Their votes are too valuable.
That leaves the recent discoverer of the NAMI Beware Advantage - Hunter.
TASK - Arrange 20 Survivor Logos in correct order.
Hunter took the words right out of my head about this challenge being fun to take a walk down memory lane. We got a Sandra, Rupert and Tyson sighting. Plus, the wise words of the one and only Boston Rob from Redemption Island…
“You gotta hustle if you wanna make a dollar” - Boston Rob
Hunter is 100% hustling to make a a couple dollars this episode, but I’m shocked at him lack of confidence in this challenge. 8 out of 20. Put an F on his test paper. He loses his vote and takes a walk of shame in what we thought was a superfans only era of Survivor.
Fans across the world were definitely SCREAMING at the TV or paused it to conduct their own version of the challenge.
By the way, I nailed it within the time limit. 😉
YANU - Day 11
Pastries, Fire, and the ability to relax. What a turnaround at YANU and for the season. Thrilled to not go to Tribal with them. I needed a break from them.
SIGA PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE - Day 11
Jem has no vote and has some machete measurements to do to secure her idol and regain her vote.
Boat Perimeter
Tribe Logo
Tree Mail
She solves the Survivor Machete Math Equation and finds the Hidden Immunity Idol. The biggest takeaway is Jem taking it upon herself to simply announce to the tribe that she is going idol hunting. From there, she completes the task and obtains the idol.
Now that she has it, the question becomes,,,
Should Jem play the idol tonight or scramble to be on the right side of the numbers and hold onto it?
I know this all depends of what transpires and probably a lot of what we haven’t seen to this point in the edit, but I would be working my social game hard at camp and holding onto the idol. It would be in my pocket for sure, but I would roll the dice and white knuckle that thing as the votes are read with my heart in my throat.
My read on Jem is she’s playing hard and Ben confirms the Jem I’m seeing. She’s high anxiety and chaotic. She’s got firepower with the idol and has been lying to everyone. She’s using words like “look me in the eyes” or “I’m with you” and “I’m looking into your eyes” and it just reads as…FAKE!
This is the fun of the hunky dorey salsaing 6 now facing the music.
PREDICTION: Charlie, Tim, and Maria stick together and blindside Jem. Ben survives without a vote.
TRIBAL COUNCIL - Night 11
I love how Ben’s brain works. The ability to pull a rock and roll analogy out of thin air and apply it to every situation is what makes me feel a “Whole Lotta Love” for Ben. Hoping he stays.
The Beware Advantage discussion from Ben, Charlie, Maria, and Moriah directly to Jeff puts an exclamation point on my confidence in my prediction. I think the tribe knows Jem’s deal and her lies are a facade. Jem’s comment after this to Jeff was “not knowing who to vote for…can I vote you Jeff?” is so revealing. I will be shocked if it’s not her tonight.
Can the “vibe tribe” remain after tonight’s vote or will the blood of Tribal spoil the party?
Let’s see for whom the bell tolls…(see Ben, I can do it too)
VOTES
Jem 4 (Maria used her Extra Vote, Ben did not vote)
Ben 2
LATER JEM!!!!!!!!! My prediction was correct!!! ROCK ON 🤘
Of course Jem didn’t expect this. She was too absorbed in the Beware Advantage and her web of lies. I think this is a lesson for all future Survivor players out there. The Beware Advantage isn’t just telling you to beware because you have to earn the advantage, but beware of how consuming the advantage can be and how it can effect your thinking. Jem’s choices to take the Beware Advantage and rehide it to make the tribe squirm backfired big time. On a tribe of 6 there is nowhere to hide, especially when you rehide the clue and NOTHING is discovered when the tribe hunts together.
TOO SUSPICIOUS!
Having said all that, the best part is far and away the endgame. After all the energy, lies, and deception that Jem thought she was playing on SIGA, her greatest mistake was trying to find her idol and keep it too. She was too self-absorbed and hold onto idol-absorbed to see the best move after all that was to play the idol for herself and live to survive another day.
I takeaway from this that there is less harm in playing a Beware Advantage Immunity Idol in the 3 tribe phase of the game, especially if you haven’t been to Tribal for 11 days. In other words, if you are lucky enough to be on the tribe who doesn’t start playing for 11 days, calls themselves the “vibe tribe” and find yourself lying to everyone in hopes to escape the first vote with all the benefits and no sacrifice, you probably are the target. So fellow Survivor fans, don’t be afraid to play your idol right away because making decisions like Jem will leave your fellow tribe members singing “I got blank space baby…and I’ll write your name”. 😉
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