By Survivor Guest Correspondent Cho
Good morning everyone! Sorry the post is later than usual. I’ve been pretty under the weather this week with a migraine cold nasty combo! I’m excited for this episode, because I think Naviti finally implodes on itself. If you missed the tragic last episode, do go read up on that before continuing.
Too Long Didn’t Watch
We get back from the double tribal council. Everyone is confused why there were two votes for Laurel. Kellyn admits that it was her with the double vote. Laurel acts upset that she was targeted by Kellyn. But girl, you voted against Kellyn too. Laurel is happy that Domenick and Wendell stuck by her.
The family reward is here! Everyone is in tears already. Wendell’s dad gives off a cool vibe. He’s literally Wendell Senior. By the way, Wendell’s ass is distracting me this episode already. How have I only just now noticed? Kellyn admits that Survivor is the glue to her relationship with her brother. Aunt Patty comes to visit Donathan which sends him into full blown ugly crying. He worries about his mom and grandmother because of how much they depend on him back home. Angela’s daughter comes out and explains how their family had to sacrifice time together due to Angela’s time served in the military, but how it’s made them stronger because of it. Chelsea’s sister Sidney comes out. They have different colored hair. Laurel’s big brother visits her. More tears. Sebastian remarks how pretty his sister is. Dom’s wife says she loves and hates him so much right now. Dom appreciative that she sacrificed for him to be on the show.
The challenge is super basic and not worth recapping. Sebastian ends up winning the challenge and picking Domenick, Wendell and Donathan to bring their loved ones with him on the reward. Twist alert: he is able to choose one person to send to Ghost Island where there is a guaranteed advantage awaiting them. He asks the guys if they want to, and Wendell says he’ll give up his dad in order to go. Kellyn is visibly pissed!! Kellyn says the ladies have work to do while the boys are on their reward.
While on Ghost Island, Wendell receives the immunity challenge advantage that Malcom received. He gets to practice balancing the ball between the two sticks. He hopes he can break the curse and pave his way onto the F3.
Domenick is working the group hardcore already and promising Aunt Patty that he is with this group of guys. She says country folk take loyalty very seriously! Donathan listens to Dom’s wheeling and dealing but realizes in a confessional that they are the biggest threats in the game.
Back at camp, Kellyn is throwing the biggest hissy fit. Her jealousy over the the boys’ good fortunate is palpable. Laurel and Angela chime in with how the boys always get the advantages, rewards and immunities with nothing bad happening to them. Kellyn rallies them to break up Wendell and Dom pointing out that this is the only time to do it. Chelsea joins in and says they should go after domenick first. Laurel claims that Kellyn burned her at the last tribal, but that they have a common goal in taking a shot at one of the guys. She worries that the plan will bounce back onto her if it doesn’t go well.
We get to the immunity challenge where they have to balance a ball underneath two sticks. Balance and pressure on the handles are key in this challenge. Kellyn drops first. Everyone makes it through the next round where they have to add another cylinder stick. Angela can’t get up in time, and Wendell drops. They all reset, because Wendell’s advantage allows him a second shot. Wendell drops again. We get to the final round, and Sebastian drops. Chelsea is so strong in challenges I’ve realized. Laurel drops next. Chelsea’s streak of immunity wins is over. I’m proud of Donathan for lasting this long. Domenick ends up winning, much to the chagrin of the ladies!
The scrambling starts immediately, and the lines are drawn immediately. Domenick wants to vote Chelsea out, because she’s a challenge beast. The girls are setting their sights on Wendell. All of Naviti is pretending to be Naviti-strong, but that’s not the case at all. We see Chelsea, Angela and Kellyn all take turns working on Donathan. Domenick and Wendell remain confident that they can trust Laurel. Wendell says that despite this, if someone blinks at him the wrong way, he’ll play his idol.
Laurel and Donathan finally have a powwow. Donathan seems more on the side of taking out one of the boys. He says that after this vote, Dom and Wendell will keep steam rolling them. Laurel says she trusts the boys way more, but doesn’t think she can beat them. On the other hand, she doesn’t trust any of the girls to get her to the end of the game, but thinks she can beat all of them. That is quite the conundrum. Donathan wants to go big or go home.
Tribal Council is here, and Donathan says bluntly that there is an opening tonight to take out Naviti. Literally everyone pretends to be perplexed by this news. Ha! Kellyn says that there’s generally a truth bomb coming from Donathan at tribal council. Now that the cat is out of the bag, Laurel says that they’re going to take this opportunity to make a move. Donathan spells it out for Jeff saying that it’s boys versus girls tonight with Laurel and Donathan in the middle. Wendell plays super dumb and says he doesn’t know what Donathan is talking about. Chelsea is afraid, because she’s had immunity the last two tribal councils. She says the game is like a giant game of bumper cars, and you never know who’s going to crash into you at any time. Domenick says he’s going to take the shots first before others take it at him. We get to the vote. Wendell surprisingly does not play his idol and Chelsea is booted 5-3. She tells Wendell good battle sir.
Next Time On Survivor: Domenick is caught with his idol by Donathan which leads him to target him. Kellyn sees this as an opportunity to survive. Domenick says Donathan has gone completely rogue.
Final Words: Chelsea is happy with the game she played and that she attempted to make big moves on her way out. She seems very proud that she went out fighting, and I’m sad to see her go.
Cho’s Top Takeaways
We Can’t Have A Girl’s Alliance Because Caryn Laurel Sucks!
Season 10 Survivor Palau Final 7. Katie realizes the only way she has a chance to take control of the game is to take out one of the boys. She pleads to Caryn, warning her that if they don’t do it now, Tom will win the game. Caryn rats the plan out and sides with the boys. Tom goes on to win the game. In terms of Domenick and Wendell’s dominance, this was definitely a huge victory for them. Not only do they have an idol in each of their pockets, but they are also some of the strongest competitors remaining in the game in terms of immunity. Chelsea was their biggest threat in terms of the latter, and now she’s gone. Laurel’s decision to not go with the girls could prove costly. As she admitted herself, it could be very hard to take them out moving forward. At the very least, she could have spooked wendell enough to play his immunity idol, but she couldn’t even do that. What are your thoughts? Is a Dom/Wendell victory as clear cut as it seems now?
Kellyn Unraveling
It seems as though Kellyn’s emotions are getting the best of her at this point in the game. She is wearing all of her frustrations on her sleeve and it isn’t the best look. While I do empathize with her position, she needs to curtail the way she comes off to her fellow Survivors. Usually, with an emotional person, it is easy to decipher their game and predict what they will do next, especially if they are attempting to lie. While pre merge Kellyn was excellent at building alliances and connecting with others on a deep level, it appears that Kellyn’s inability to connect with Laurel has doomed her. What are your thoughts on Kellyn right now? Do you empathize with her position or are you annoyed by her presence?
Chelsea Who?
Chelsea I think is the most under-edited character in Survivor history!! I think we can count on one hand how many confessionals she received this season. It’s unfortunate, because if you squint really hard the way I do when watching Survivor, you would realize she was an above average player. While she made a questionable move with voting Bradley out, I think overall, she had set herself up well with allies. She also won multiple immunities and was voted out due to being a physical threat. What are your thoughts on Chelsea if any?
Well that’s it for me everyone! Please do let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Will the rest of this season be a predictable battle battle between Domenick and Wendell? Will Laurel ever make a real move against them? Let me know!
Please No Spoilers In Comments
Great recap. I am so bummed by Chelsea be voted out. I want a girl to win this … but I’m afraid the girl to beat was Chelsea
I’m actually bummed that she left too. I find it hard to root for any of the females remaining at this point. Laurel is really smart and intellectual, but there are a lot of holes in her game. She hasn’t made any big moves at all quite yet. There’s still time, but she has now pigeon-holed herself into a position where she’s at the whim of Domenick/Wendell, not the other way around.
Chelsea was definitely a strong competitor.
I just find Kellyn to be unpleasant to watch. I think your analysis is spot on, that she has lost it somewhat and is too obvious.
I was worried about Wendell.. His father told him to grab the 👻Ghost Island trip.
Kellyn was so bitter at Wendell taking her chance (for reward? Ghost Island?), but she never mentioned Sebastian, who was the one who chose who went on reward and Ghost Island.
YES! Nobody EVER brings up Sebastian’s name and it PISSES me off!!!
Thank you!
Do you think Dom/wendall will turn on each other?
Half the time I forget Sebastian is even there. Maybe they forget too.
My gut tells me that YES they will be broken up before the end of the game, but not by anyone else’s choice but their own. I just don’t know who will turn on who first. It’ll probably be super dramatic. No matter which way you slice it though, whichever gets to the end will have deserved a lop sided win against this cast.
Agree!
If I had to use one word to describe Kellyn it would be EXASPERATED. She just gives off the feeling that she is totally spent. I can’t describe her any other way. At the same time, I also feel her frustrations. I empathize. But yes, she has been a bit unpleasant to watch lately. But this is what we sign up to watch. Kellyn is being her authentic self. She is STRUGGLING out there and it’s obvious to see. She’s raw. It’s kind of refreshing when you think about it like that.
And yeah, Sebastian isn’t getting any of the blame. he took the coward way out by giving passing the choice on to everyone else. Smart on his part, but obviously we all see through it. I must say I would have done the same thing.
Cho- While waiting for your recap I realized how much I look forward to reading them and the comments from others. Thank you!
Wow! Wendell’s dad is sooo handsome. I would definately like to see Wendell, Dom, Laurel and Sebastian in the final four. I don’t care for Donathan. I don’t trust him and there is something about him that I can’t quite figure out. Does anyone else get the same feeling?
Cho- I hope you’re feeling better. I get migraines also. Usually about 2 times a month and they last about 48 hours. Sometimes putting an ice pack across my throat, the back of my neck and across my forward can relieve some of the pain. 😊😊😊
I don’t care for Donathan much. He seemed so smug while blowing up the game for others. Now, that may be the game, but maybe he should be more subtle..
he was definitely very smug. I mean, think about it like this: he’s been clawing from the bottom for so long. I would relish in my power a bit too. However, it looks poor when you relish in making a bad fucking move. lol
Kerry that is such a thoughtful comment to make. I love writing these posts for Tamrara, but really it’s just a vehicle for discussion in the comments. That’s where my joy is really profound! So thank YOU for always stopping by to comment.
Now onto your actual comment. You know what they say: black don’t crack. We now know where Wendell gets his dashing good looks!! in terms of Donathan, you aren’t the first person to say this about Donathan. He definitely rubbed me the wrong with tonight with his his attitude towards blowing the game up. Also, he’s obviously letting Laurel lead his decision making. He’s been wanting to take out Domenick/Wendell for some time now. He’s letting Laurel blow his game up.
RE my migraines. I grew up getting migraines often. both my mom and my Abuelita get them as well. I almost went onto medication for them until I became a pescetarian in college. I got them a lot less then. However, a year ago, I reduced my caffeine intake to 30mg or less per day. Haven’t had a single migraine until Tuesday morning. It’s different for everyone. I suggest trying eliminating foods from your diet and testing things out over a period of time. I was lucky enough to find one of my triggers. Thank you for the tips!!
I actually admire Kellyn for lasting as long as she has, but the sour grapes about losing were ridiculous, how was anyone to know about the Ghost island challenge? They blew it by not bonding together, the guys are strong, I am actually starting to root for Dominick a little more, though I love Wendell. (who doesnt!?)
hope you are feeling better!
Thanks for the well wishes Ingrid. I can’t say Dom is my favorite, but he has become more and more endearing as the merge progresses. I LOVE Wendell. He can do no wrong in my eyes at this point and is the person I am rooting for the most.
I like that Kellyn is being raw and authentic to herself. The game is getting to her and it is definitely showing. If she were to be pissed at anyone, it should have been Sebastian for making his choice.
I love that Wendell’s dad encouraged him to take the advantage. Kellyn was just a sore loser.
“The challenge is super basic and not worth recapping.” I agree. Is there a budget problem with the show now that they have two per year? You would think there would be more elaborate challenges at this point in the game at least. Also I miss those challenges where they try to tempt them to quit with food.
Girls alliances NEVER EVER work. Someone always sells out to work with the guys and screws the whole thing up. That said, it was dumb of Sebastian to take ALL the guys and leave the girls to plot.
Chelsea looked unrecognizable to me this episode. I kept wondering who she was. Then again, y’all know I can’t recognize people very well.
Kellyn is annoying AF.
Wendell’s dad is a boss. You can look at him and know he’s a smooth hustler! So attractive too. No wonder Wendell is such a hottie. I couldn’t stop looking at Wendell’s muscular butt this episode. It has the right amount of jiggle. Ok let me stop now before I type more embarrassing things on the internet.
Kellyn is definitely losing her mind out there. It’s refreshing to see, because I can’t help but empathize with her bratty behavior. I imagine I would be just as unbearable to the viewers out there. I would be complaining all the time in my confessionals. Kellyn needs to learn to do that instead of complain to her tribe mates though.
Idk wtf is going on with the challenges these later seasons, but they are lack luster. LACKING. IN. LUST!
Chelsea got the Purple Kelly edit, except it was even worse. Not your fault you have no idea who she is.
Thank you everyone for your patience with last night’s recap! Be sure to leave comments! This was a juicy episode, and I really want to discuss everyone’s opinions on what happened!
Maybe some of the challenges aren’t as intense, physical and long because in past seasons people have suffered heat exhaustion, dehydration and injury. I did like the challenges that tested mental stamina. I remember one challenge they had to stand on a stump in the water for as long as they could. Jeff tried to bribe them off with food. Two of the girls said they would jump off the stump naked for Oreos and peanut butter. One of the guys yelled at Jeff Probst to get some damn Oreos and peanut butter. It was hilarious. The girls jumped naked and dined on Oreos and peanut butter.
Kerry, that was season 6 in Amazon. Jenna (the winner) and her partner in crime Heidi were the ones who jumped off naked for peanut butter and oreos. Great product placement for Oreos!
But yes, I think CBS got in trouble for some of the challenges they were putting the Survivors through. They were becoming way too dangerous. It was around the time of when Caleb from Big Brother was on. He was on the season where 3+ people were medically evacuated from the game for various issues.
Why is Sebastian’s name never brought up. He was the one making the picks for the rewar right? How did it become all about Wendell?
I know right. It was also kind of frustrating for me to see him get away without the brunt of anger from the ladies. If anything, it would have been best for them to blindside Sebastian at the very least.
Hi Cho!
Sorry you have been under the weather- Big cyber hug ((((((((((((((CHO))))))))))))
My daughter has had migraines all her life. She takes medication for them. Interestingly, the only time they stopped was when she was pregnant. But unfortunately they returned. Glad to hear you are better.
Kellyn annoyed the hell out of me with her tantrum. It was disingenuous of her to blame Wendall for “taking her spot.” She fails to see that 1. Sebastian chose him and 2. Neither Wendall nor Sebastian knew Jeff was going to offer the Ghost Island twist until it actually happened. In fact, all the girls were a little catty back at camp.Their plan was more emotional, rather than calculated and thoroughly thought out, which is why the boys are currently dominating. It’s funny because the Laurel/Donathan “jungle chat” has been done for the 4th week in a row now….
As far as the challenges go, I think there are some location restrictions in play. Most of them are on a sand bar right next to the water and almost none of them require a ton of building. That is my take on it anyway.
I can’t wait for Kellyn to be dispatched to the jury. I am also looking forward to the final show down at final tribal. BTW on EW’s web site they did a compilation of clips of Jeff saying the opening line for Survivor over the past 36 episodes, funny to see the changes over time.
BTW Donathan tweeted that he was willing to flip but Laurel was not. On to the finale!
Thank you so much for the well wishes. I appreciate it and am finally feeling better! You’re so right about the ladies being emotional. Chelsea was the only one that didn’t have a lick of bitterness towards the guys where as the other 3 hammered on and on about how the boys WIN EVERYTHING! Maybe it’s because you girls SUCK!
Oh wow, I’ll have to check out that EW compilation. That would be funny seeing Jeff age, then reverse age over the years. You know he’s had plenty of work done!
I could sort of tell re Donathan. He’s BEEN ready to get rid of the boys. We can see him in the previews for this week “going rogue” presumably without Laurel’s backing. Too bad that it’s too late and he played his idol too soon.