By Survivor Guest Correspondent Cho
Excuse me for being a bit frazzled on the account of I just rushed home late from work. Thank the Heavens for DVR! I’m excited to get into this episode especially considering I think that it’s the last one before we merge! Ok, no more hesitation, let’s get into it!
Too Long Didn’t Watch
In the previously on segment, they make it a point to tell us how Michael turned on his ally James. They don’t mention any part of Angela being a swing vote. I think Angela’s an idiot. Michael is our resident hero of the season at this point. He starts his morning off searching for an idol. Despite Desiree, Angela and Kellyn noticing that he’s searching, they don’t do anything to stop him, so of course he finds “The Stick” that Ozzy made in Micronesia to fool Jason into playing. They give this hilarious flashback and montage of the curse of this ridiculous stick and how it has “matured” into a real hidden immunity idol.
Getting into the reward challenge, it’s one of those super intense stacking challenges where you can lose everything at any given second. They’re competing for kabobs which look super tasty! Communication and teamwork is the key to this challenge as tribemates take turns stacking blocks in the middle of the balance. I’m already stressing out, and they just started the challenge. Naviti is the first to drop all of their blocks! Timber for Yanuya! I can’t believe Mololo is in the lead… I spoke too soon. This challenge is crazy back and forth. Everyone is arguing, even douchenozzle Bradley gets some sass from Donathan who is fired up from Bradley barking orders at him. Naviti ends up winning 1st place and Yanuya comes in 2nd. Naviti decides to send Kellyn, because they don’t want new people going to Ghost Island. What do you all think of that strategy?
This is Kellyn’s second trip to Ghost Island, and I wonder if she will get another opportunity to play a game. Kellyn does get a chance to play a game: she has to risk her vote in order to take a ⅔ chance at gaining a possible advantage. She tells us that she’s “gotta risk it for the biscuit”! She unravels the “Steal Vote” advantage that Michaela passed up in Game Changers. Kellyn’s advantage is an extra vote whenever she wants to use it. Kellyn considers her desire to finally take a risk to have paid off. We shall see.
Naviti gets back to camp with all of their steaks and doucehnozzle Bradley is immediately barking orders at his tribe to hurry up to eat. He has 0 patience. He admits how in his personal life he’s so nasty to people and how that holds him back. Bradley’s entire tribe sits at the beach and bashes Bradley for how awful he is to live with. Donathan hopes that this means him and Libby won’t get picked off, but Domenik tells us in a confessional that he is still weighing his options.
We get to Yanuya where they are celebrating the birthday of Wendell’s girlfriend, Nicole. It’s a really sweet scene of Wendell drawing inspiration from his love for her. He decides to go look for an immunity idol and ends up finding a clue. You get an idol! You get a clue! You get an advantage! Is Oprah on the island?! Wendell ends up finding the immunity necklace that Erik gave away to Natalie in Micronesia which can be used as a hidden immunity idol. All I’m thinking is how the FUCK is he going to hide this from his tribemates?! We all know what they say about black male endowment, but he can’t shove that in his pants and pretend like nothing’s weird can he???
We finally revisit Mololo which is in total despair. Desiree says her stomach feels like it’s touching her back due to hunger. She says Mololo is the most losing tribe in history, and she is markedly wrong on that front. Ulong says hello. Desiree decides that they are going to burn the Mololo flag which is actually pretty intense! Has any other tribe ever burnt their own flag before?! Let me know in the comments.
We get to the immunity challenge where tribemates have to race out into the water to grab rings to toss onto a post. It’s really basic, and I’m so happy that these tribal immunity challenges are almost over. Michael makes up a huge lead for Mololo with a gorgeous Olympic-like dive while Yanuya is in a comfortable lead. I’m rooting for Mololo, because I don’t want Michael to go home. We get to the shooting and Wendell is on fire winning it for Yanuya. Donathan is tossing, and I feel like he plays this in his backyard at home in Kentucky. Michael starts shooting and wins the challenge for his team. Desiree’s screech is heard across the nation. The curse is reversed.
Naviti gets back and Libby has her sights set on Bradley for how awful he is towards his tribemates. Domenick apologizes and takes responsibility for his part in the challenge. Libby says they win as a team and lose as a team. Bradley interrupts their positive pow wow to say Domenick had too much coffee which is why her performed poorly. Bradley goes on to target Libby for being a threat in the game, remarking that Donathan is only here for a beach vacation. He can’t get worse than this can he?
Chelsea gets some great footage strategizing and having her head in the game. She’s actually a thinker this one! She and Domenick go back and forth on the pros and cons of whether they want to betray original Naviti right before the merge. Domenick reminds us how Libby betrayed Morgan and outplayed him earlier. I just really want Bradley to go home tonight. Don’t you?! I’m nervous. It doesn’t look good for Libby.
At Tribal Council, we have a discussion about whether it’s still original Naviti versus Mololo. Bradley doesn’t believe there’s any tension in the tribe and gets looks from everyone. Jeff asks if the tribe is very happy, but Donathan reminds us that Morgan’s boot still stings for certain people. Libby explains that she stands by her alliance, her vote and says it showed loyalty that she can bring to another alliance. Good point, Libby!! Bradley continues to be blind to the fact that he has alienated his entire tribe through his poor behavior and negative attitude. The vote ends up being 4-1 for Bradley which is a total blindside for him as he mutters incoherently on his way out. You know what, this delicious blindside was ALMOST worth Brendan, Stephanie and James being voted off! Are you as elated as I am right now?
Next Time On Survivor: Obviously, we get to the merge. The war between Chris and Domenik comes to a climax, and lines are drawn. Chris calls himself too suave and Dom a loser. Chris is not suave, and my bet is on Domenik beating Chris with how stacked of a hand he has in advantages and allies with advantages.
Bradley’s Final Words: He says had he made it to the merge, he would have won the million dollars. His delusion knows no bounds. I want to live in that world. Must be nice.
Cho’s Top Takeaways
Is Bradley Really Self-Aware?
Ok, go back and read my first impression of Bradley right now. I was hoping he would flip my first impression upside down, but that wasn’t the case. It’s one thing to know that you have asshole tendencies. Like they say, knowing you have a problem is the first step. Bravo! But Bradley’s problem was not actively correcting those tendencies and keeping them in check. His poor attitude combined with his undeserved arrogance kept him from being even slightly introspective. His lack of awareness was mind-numbing this episode, and after the last 3 boots, I am so relieved to have some good news with his vote off. Let his character serve as an example to actively work on yourself and your bad habits!
Mololo’s Flag Burning
I thought this was a really cool moment, because to my knowledge it’s never been done outside of a finale episode. Mololo has been in total despair for many episodes now. For them to finally catch a break right before the merge was great to see. Hopefully the morale boost from winning that challenge will help Michael in the merge part of the game. What other tribes come to mind when you think of long losing streaks?!
I’m going to keep it short for my biggest takeaways, because I REALLY want to get started on my cast analysis going into the merge episode!! Let’s talk about it in the comments. What are your thoughts on each person’s position? Who are your favorites and least favorites? Who will win in the battle between Domenik and Chris, a battle that’s been getting hyped up for 6 episodes now?!
Please No Spoilers In Comments
I will be working on my post-merge analysis post in the coming days. I really want everyone’s input on the remaining castaways, so please do leave me a comment!
OMG YES YES YES BRADLEY GOT VOTED OFF!!!! This is my fourth year watching the show now I want to kick myself in the butt for not watching it from the beginning. Can’t wait for the merge. Cho Love your Recaps on the show.
I was literally shouting when the votes kept coming for Bradley. I could not have been any happier tbh. I think it was also a power move on Dom’s part, because he can curry favor with the Mololo’s come merge time having saved their necks.
yes I totally agree with everything you said I kept yelling at the TV it better be Bradley
You haven’t watched this season from the beginning? That’s ok. I can give you quick recap:
* Chris and Domenik hate each other.
* The coolest people from Mololo have been getting picked off due to unlucky switches.
* Ghost Island has had very little impact on the game thus far.
Ok you’re all caught up now!
Thank God Bradley is gone, and in the process Domenick pick up a couple of allies to add to his arsenal against Chris. Allies? Check. Less annoying than Chris? Check. Idol? Yep. Legacy Advantage? Absolutely. Dom is in a good spot.
Is it me are or there more swimming challenges than usual this season? Production manipulation seems strong this year.
We now have FOUR people holding idols and Dom has an idol and the legacy! Wendell finding an Idol this week let’s us know that production likes him as much as we do. He’s getting a good edit.
But what is the deal with Kellyn? I barely remember a thing about her? How is she magically getting two shots at the game on Ghost Island? Why are the keeping her around?
Oh Tamara, you pick up on a lot of the points I plan on bringing up. I think Domenik booting Bradley will for sure pick up some allies in the short term which he knows he needs going into this merge. The only interesting thing will be if Kellyn remains with Dom or sides elsewhere. She’s been Naviti strong since day 1 but I think Bradley was her #1. Regardless, he has all the advantages he needs to survive the merge!
There are a lot of swimming challenges. And yes, this season is Big Brother levels of production intervention it seems.
I think they’re keeping Kellyn around because she’s really good at puzzles and she’s actually really sweet to live with. I think she’s played a decent game so far. We’ll see what happens after the merge though.
You know it’s possible that there are restrictions as to what they can “build, etc. due to local government requirements.That may be why there have been a lot more swimming challenges.
How on earth is Wendall going to “smuggle” that necklace to tribal undetected?????
He most certainly has to hide it before hand, hope no one finds it!
Good point there, but this is their gazillionth time in Fiji. By now you would think they would plan for enough flexibility to give a variety of entertaining challenges.
And yes, that was my thought too. Wendell can’t possibly shove that necklace in his pants and hope no one notices. haha I mean, even bringing it to Tribal Council would be a pain.
When thinking about this episode, I thought about it with my emotional brain and then with my Survivor strategy brain. While Bradley being gone is good for me, in that I do not have to listen to him any more, was it good for Dom. & Chelsea?.
From a strategic point of view, Bradley has been with Chelsea through 3 different tribe changes and remained loyal to her. He was also loyal to Dom., he said as much: , “You’re pretty much my closest ally out here.”
On the other hand, Libby actively deceived Dom. and voted against his alliance when she turned on Morgan. Morgan’s parting words were “Don’t trust the cute blonde.”
“Libby is the devil in an angel’s body. Libby is out for blood,” Domenick said last episode. “Libby – no good. She’s got to go.” At least Dom. has settled down and stopped with all the “look at my idol” foolishness.
So…..as annoying and sanctimonious as Bradley was, it may have been a better strategy to at least keep him until after the merge.
Moving on to Malolo, oh boy, I haven’t liked Michael much from day one, but those 3 women he is with each have their own lengthy list of faults. I dislike every one of them for different reasons. They have forced me to re-evaluate Michael, compared to them, he is great!
The flag burning was pretty lame to me, it seemed a bit juvenile. They did not loose because of some bad mojo, they lost because most of them (excluding Michael) pretty much suck at challenges. Des is so lacking in self-awareness, almost to a Chris level ! My goodness, she is a legend in her own mind, she relies on others to push her forward in the game. Her screaming last week was awful.
I got up the nerve to have a look at the boot list (subject to speculation of course) on Reddit, it was thought provoking.
I found out they just left to film Season 37 in the last week. Over on ET Jeff said to watch the Chris, Dom, Wendall dynamic when they merge.
It will be interesting to see what happens!!!
(Waving at Cho…hello!)
Hey Lawst! Thank you so much for the comment!! There’s a lot to unpack with your reply. Bare with me.
I actually don’t think it was a good move for Chelsea, while I think it was a great move for Domenik. Domenik knows he’s going to have Chris coming for his neck after the merge. He has Laurel on his side, but wasn’t quite sure on Libby after the stunt she pulled last time. Well now, Libby and Donathan kind of owe their life to him. Sure, he may have lost Kellyn maybe he basically gained all of original Mololo’s support with that move. When the war breaks out, I think Mololo will side against Chris partly because of Bradley’s boot. Michael will be happy to see him gone.
Now Chelsea’s position is harder to figure out, but I think it was a bad move for her. My gut tells me that she just wanted to follow in dom’s foot steps. The problem for Chelsea is that I don’t think she is Dom’s #1 ally or anywhere near the top where as she probably stood in higher standing with Bradley. If anyone should be pushing for Naviti strong, it should be Chelsea as I don’t think she’s done a great job bonding with the Mololos.
I don’t have as strong of an opinion on Des as you do, but her screeching is something I notice regularly. lol Kellyn, I’m into actually because she seems quirky and fun. Angela is kind of a train wreck.
The Wendell/Chris/Dom dynamic will for sure be interesting because there’s a tug-o-war for his affection and loyalty. Is it possible that Wendell mends the fence between them??? That would be quite the plot twist actually, but that would unfortunately mean Mololo getting picked off.
Stategy or not, I am pleased that Bradley is gone, pre-jury.
Stategy or not, I am pleased that Bradley is gone, pre-jury.
Omg I am so happy he’s gone too. We don’t have to be subjected to his assholery until the reunion. Did you read some of his post-show interviews? He has gone out of his way to TRASH Donathan and Libby.
Oh, I just read those, just to confirm my opinion!
He tries too hard to be a villain. I guess he’s aiming at a second chances season. I hope he doesn’t come back. I bet he tries to be extra snarky at the reunion.
And he probably will get more than his share of time at the finale, unfortunately.
Reality is all about airtime.
Am I terrible for wishing it was the rainy season? I love it when they get bad weather. This season it is just one sunny gorgeous day after another. Perhaps I have been in winter too long…
I have watched every survivor episode ever, can never remember everyone’s name, who won from year to year, or where they played, I still am totally absorbed into every show.
Right now I am really liking Michael, hope he can keep his age a secret for as long as he lasts on the show. So happy Bradley got voted out, and Chris is an asshat. Next week I will learn the women’s names, and promptly forget them except for Desiree, since that is the name of my BFF in college.
Thanks for the great recap!
Ingrid, as someone who has been suffering from Ohio weather, I share your desire to want to see others suffer from bad weather!! haha Thank you so much for the comment btw! I’m glad you are as big of a fan as I am. You will eventually learn the names of everyone as we enter into the merge.
You are spot on with your love of Michael and Chris being a complete asshat. lol
Hi Cho!
Thanks for the great recaps. I have missed the last 2 shows due to Easter and spring break. I totally forgot to DVR them. Sad to see James go. Glad to see Bradley go. Now I need to go catch up by watching the shows. I still have no idea who most of the women are – not sure if that is good or bad!
Hey Mary! Thank you so much for commenting. I really appreciate it!
You didn’t miss too much tbh. Like you said, it was super sad to see James go and super satisfying to see Bradley go. Hopefully after the merge you will learn the names of some of the ladies! They haven’t gotten a lot of screen time this season.
Thanks Cho for the recap. I just got to watch it due to on demand taking longer lately to update.
Last week I felt lost.
This episode I knew what was going on.
That’s, for me, progress, lol.
I love Dom’s jump/dive. 😊
Oh hey Cheryl! Thanks for always commenting. It means so much to me!
I’m glad you understood what was going on this episode. It was pretty simple to understand: Bradley’s an asshole and needed to go.
Omg but did you see Kellyn’s jump into the water? OMG I literally died. lol lol
I liked the “no one new to G.I.” strategy of Naviti, sending Kellyn to go again. While there when she had to “follow the fire” I really thought a buffet of food was awaiting her! Just the way the scene was filmed with her walking down the path around a corner. As for Bradley he’s such a jerkwad esp when he made the coffee comment. When Wendell found the necklace I too thought how is he going to hide THAT??
Domenick has slowly been slithering his way around gaining support here and there and dammit especially after seeing Chris’ suave comments I am now team D!! Not majorly but I do find myself rooting for him now.
Definitely agree with you there, Liz! Naviti’s strategy to send Kellyn to GI was perfect, because now someone has an advantage that they can hopefully depend on.
Yeah, I’m definitely team Domenik at this point. There were a couple of weeks when I was team Chris, but I’ve come to my senses.