By Survivor Guest Correspondent Cho
My Wednesday night started off a hot mess due to me being really forgetful about really important things! I am actually a checklist person, but lately, I haven’t been using my checklists. Silly, I know! Science says that you have a 96.83% chance of forgetting something off your checklist if you don’t actually use the checklist. Does this happen to you? Are you a list person? If you have any ideas on apps that you use for lists, shoot me a comment below. Anyway, one thing you should check off your list right now if you haven’t already is reading last week’s recap of Survivor. Now let’s get into the recent episode!
Too Long Didn’t Watch
Immediately upon arriving from tribal council, Carl joins the Vuku tribe and meets Kara and Alec for the first time. Naturally, Kara is upset about being blindsided. Alec reassures Kara that he is still with her, but she’s worried about how she’s on the bottom. She realizes that she needs to scramble to get in the good graces of the Davids now that Alec is their knight in shining armor. I have a feeling Alec might be regretting his situation now with Carl joining the tribe.
A Wild Cyclone Appears
On Tiva, Gabby is feeling more hopeful about her place on the tribe due to the sunny weather. Right after she gets this confessional, the clouds cover the sun up, and we are shown Natalie on the Jabeni tribe reveling in the nasty cold & windy weather. She’s just happy to be living in the game and calls it beautiful. This is contrasted by the ugly weather. Really interesting editing here!! I implore you to go back and watch this transition. It seemed really meaningful. Everyone on all tribes are being devastated by the blowing sand and rain. The tribes are then suddenly EVACUATED FROM THE ISLAND due to a cyclone coming their way! Christian lets us know that everyone is a David and the weather is a Goliath on this day.
We see the Survivors coming back to their perspective tribes and everything is ruined. Everything. I’m sure tensions will be high because they all have to now rebuild their entire camps. I’d be so pissed. I wonder what type of accommodations they got while they were off the island…
The Reward Challenge
When the tribes arrive at the reward challenge, everyone GASPS at Natalia having been voted off. Winners of the slingshot challenge get multiple egg-laying hens and a rooster. The second place tribe gets a dozen eggs. I can’t stop staring at John’s washboard abs. Surely you’ve noticed them too, yes? Tiva the stacked green tribe is obviously in first. They will sweep every challenge I bet considering they have both the smartest and strongest competitors. Not minutes after saying this, Elisabeth wins the reward for Vuku! Of course she would be good with a slingshot. Shockingly, Tiva comes in last. Gabby tells us that their tribe is too overconfident at the challenges.
On Vuku, they are celebrating their first win while also taking some time to strategize. Kara turns up her charm and throws Alec under the bus hardcore. Elisabeth reminds us that Alec needs her more than Kara, because Alec is the one who betrayed the Goliaths.
On Jabeni, there’s already an argument about the eggs. And naturally, Natalie is at the center of the drama! She is demanding that they eat all of the eggs immediately, because they will go bad otherwise. Lyrsa lets us know that she graduated magna cumlade from culinary school and knows what she’s talking about when it comes to proper storage of food. She can’t believe Natalie is so egotistical and laments having to play the game with her any longer. Mike says that Natalie has a masters in ungraciousness.
On Tiva, Dan says that Christian has been accepted into the “brochachos” alliance with him and John. He singles Gabby out as the first person to leave. I know you wouldn’t believe this, but Dan ends up finding the clue to the idol! It’s one of those clues where you have to risk being caught in the immunity challenge. These are high pressure! I just hope it’s not just something really easy.
The Immunity Challenge
The immunity challenge is composed of a relay through ladders, ropes and bridges and ends with a puzzle. Tiva and Vuku are in the very early lead, but Jabeni is still fighting. Dan sees where the idol is, and is trying to find the right opportunity to grab it. My heart is pumping, because I know how awkward this is! Everyone’s eyes are focused on the people doing the puzzle. He quickly leans back and grabs it while everyone is focused!! Everyone drops their balls making it hard to tell who will ultimately win. I’m stressed. Nick is going the slow and steady route while Alec is being aggressive. He has a nice juicy ass. This is a nail biter!! Alec gets his ball in first and Christian pulls it out ahead of Nick, sending Jabeni the purple tribe to tribal council. Is tonight the time we finally see Natalie leave?
Pre-Tribal Scrambling
The Goliaths are sticking together and they are deciding between Lyrsa and Nick. Angelina says obviously she would rather get rid of Lyrsa because Nick will bring more to the challenges. Not even a second after this decision, Angelina says she wants Lyrsa’s jacket before she votes her off, because the elements are tough out there. I literally LAUGHED OUT LOUD at how cold blooded this is. She manipulates Natalie into aggressively bullying Nick into trying to steal Lyrsa’s jacket. When he denies, she has the audacity to ask him for the jacket off HIS back! When he denies that proposition, she asks if his jacket is worth a million dollars! Nick says that Natalie is using her power and influence to coerce and bully which is crossing the line. Typical Goliath.
Nick reaches out to Mike for a bone. They strategize on a way to get Natalie out while keeping Mike in the good graces of the other Goliaths. He suggests that Nick talk to Angelina since she’s tired of Natalie’s negative energy around camp too. If he can get Angelina on board, Mike will feel more comfortable voting Natalie out. Mike blatantly lets Angelina know that he wants Natalie out, but she worries about the bigger picture of losing yet another Goliath member after having just lost Natalia. What a powerful position to be in: despite Mike, Lyrsa and Nick having the majority vote against Natalie, the decision comes down to one person tonight: Angelina. I wish John was on her tribe, and I bet she does too. She really just wants to get an extra jacket.
Tribal Council
No time is wasted getting to the point at this tribal as Angelina makes the case why Goliath should stick together. Lyrsa, fearing for her life, gets right into it by reminding them that Goliath isn’t strong because Natalia just got voted out, so it’s better to make new alliances. Natalie tells her that she is sticking to what she committed to, and Lyrsa retorts that she was Goliath’s first target to leave. Natalie says she’s never at the center of drama in her real life, and everyone on the couch laughs. We are brought back to the egg drama. Her and Lyrsa argue about it some more. Angelina jumps in to explain Natalie’s personality by saying she prioritizes efficiency over worrying about group dynamics which is a problem. Mike calls her out on having an opinion on everything.
Finally we get to the second big issue of the night: jackets! Nick is offended that she was trying to get a jacket out of him and likens it to bullying. Natalie says it’s not bullying but negotiating. Sorry if this makes me go to hell, but I can’t help but chuckle at Natalie’s ridiculous excuses for her bad behavior!! She says she was leveraging her power and learned how to negotiate from her experience in sales. Jeff is trying to stir the pot even more, but Natalie is doing a good enough job by herself.
Sensing that Natalie has dug herself into a deep hole, FINALLY, she leans over and asks Angelina to expand on the jacket drama!! Angelina is EXPOSED and begins to stumble over all of her words as though she has a mouth full of marbles! She explains that Natalie bullied Nick out of love for her and her want to keep Angelina comfortable. Aww how sweet, right?! Jeff says that Angelina is always the peacekeeper in all the arguments that have occurred. Natalie is so annoying as she tries to get the last word with everything. Everyone finally votes. Lyrsa votes for Natalie and she returns the favor saying: “Take your lime green, members-only jacket back to Boston. I like your purple hair!” Nick votes for her saying: “You can make a preacher cuss.” which also makes me laugh out loud. Jeff reads the votes: Natalie, Lyrsa, Natalie, Lyrsa and in a 3-2 vote, Natalie is voted out! Shocker! Angelina gets up and gives her a fake teary hug before asking for Natalie’s jacket, but she gets radio silence. LOL As Jeff snuffs her torch, Angelina is literally begging Natalie for her jacket! Natalie walks out, completely ignoring Angelina.
Final Words: Natalie doesn’t feel like she deserves all the heat she probably got while on the show, but admits that some of the things said about her was true. She says she loved the game a lot and didn’t give Angelina her jacket because she didn’t know whether she was a part of her blindside or not. What a great character to watch!
Cho’s Top Takeaways
Is A Jacket Worth A Million Dollars?
For Natalie, it obviously was, because I think it’s the single thing that pushed everyone over the edge and cost her the million bucks. Angelina’s feelings about wanting their jackets were not odd in the least bit. What was cold blooded was actually verbalizing it to Natalie and then having her follow through with a plan to take their jacket! I can’t believe I’m even typing this right now, but obviously blatant bullying does not take you far in this game. Yes, it can work very seldomly (see Russel Hantz) for a quite awhile (up until Final Tribal), but overall, it’s a terrible way to play! Natalie’s problem is that she thinks she’s subtle when she’s really quite the opposite. What are your thoughts on the jacket debacle? Do you think it was wrong for Angelina to suggest Natalie get a jacket for her? What about Natalie’s role? Would you have given your jacket up if you were Nick or tried to take Lyrsa’s?
Scrambled Eggs
Yes, we’re still talking about Natalie, who will probably go down as one of the most iconic premerge boots in Survivor history. Not for good reasons of course, but I guess infamy can be good, right? The argument about whether or not to boil some or all the eggs in this episode really encapsulated another one of Natalie’s quirks: her need to be involved in all decision making. If it’s true that her employees would take a bullet for her, I know why: because she would literally shove them in the way of a bullet. Her style of decision making and micromanaging is so aggressive that I can’t help but wonder about the intricate work dynamics in her real life. Have you ever worked for a micromanager? How did you deal with it? Are YOU a Natalie in the workplace, in group projects or even your relationship?
Tonight was definitely the Natalie show, but do let me know what other takeaways you had concerning the episode. What do you think about Kara vs Alec? Dan finding yet another hidden immunity idol? The dangerous cyclone that hit the island? Alec’s juicy booty? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms: Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and Twitch!
Please No Spoilers In Comments
Cho does your boyfriend ever punch you in the throat for drooling over those guys 😅. (Sorry for the violent visual – just joking). I’m kinda sorry to see Natalie go, because I wanted more drama involving her and to see how she would evolve. I can see her being a good boss as far as expecting good work from her employees and them complaining about what an asshole she is when they get together for drinks after work. I was on Natalie’s side about cooking the eggs tho – I thought once boiled, they would last longer. Something about once boiled the bacteria couldn’t penetrate the shell. I don’t care enough to look it up but I do remember all the Easter egg hunts and eating the eggs that were decorated the day before. I don’t believe in using “bully” for adults but I thought she would be a little more smooth in trying to get the jacket from your boy
He has good taste, so I imagine if he watched Survivor, he’d drool over them too!
I also wanted to see more drama from Natalie this season. I actually thought she was going to make it far into the game considering the way they edited her. I also seemed to agree with her about the eggs, but Survivor isn’t about being technically right. It’s about being right, socially. She never understood this part of the game.
Lyrsa and Nick throwing around the word bully is ridiculous. “Davids” like them use victimhood as a crutch. In this case, they used it as a weapon against Natalie, and I guess it sort of worked for once. haha It was quite the ridiculous situation all around.
“I can see her being a good boss ” you would love working in the public school system then, it’s full of Natalies.
And Cho, Natalie is a CUNT. AND A BULLY. I’ve watched every single episode of this show for 37 seasons and we have NEVER had someone let alone two someones conspiring to steal someone’s clothing before they were booted and then trying to get another potential boot to do the stealing for them while threatening them if they don’t.
Natalie is the reason I busted into your introduction to the players in the first place,
Natalie Cole
Age: 57 Current residence: Los Angeles Occupation: Publishing CEO
She is going to be a STAR this season. She’s cunning, cutthroat and focused. She compares herself most to Kim Spradlin, because both are very calculating and calm under pressure. She is hyper-competitive and is very entrepreneurial. She has many businesses and not in a Phaedra Parks kind of way either! I could see her hurting the feelings of many others if she makes it to the end. Being logical-minded is great, but not everyone is programmed that way…(Admin Note: first boot)
http://tamaratattles.com/2018/09/23/survivor-season-37-david-vs-goliath/
Natalie is definitely both of those things. You were right on the mark about her being a first boot too except Jeremy “took a bullet” for her. LOL
Even 37 season in, characters are still making HISTORY… in the worst of ways. I think we’ll be talking about JacketGate for a while.
So sorry for the jam-packed post, but there was just SO much stuff to detail in this episode, and I still didn’t get through all of it! My Aunt TT and I are thinking about potentially having me publish two posts a week. One post with just the bare bones recap and then a second with more of my deeper takeaways and discussion topics (potentially news stuff related to the latest booted castway maybe?). What do you all think about this? Give me your ideas under this comment please. 🙂
Yes, please do a 2nd post! I really enjoy your recaps, especially your analysis. Your take away should/would/could be expanded into it’s own post.
Second vote for a second post! I love these posts. I am a Survivor junkie and love this little community. Cho, your posts are hee-larious.
I kinda felt bad for Natalie, she’s totally blind to her true impact on the people around her. I don’t think she’s heartless, she’s just socially hopeless. What was up with Angelina begging for the jacket? I couldn’t figure out if it was a show, or if she was slightly trolling Natalie. It was funny as hell though.
I thought Jeff’s takeaway tonight, that the vote showed tribal harmony over tribal lines, was kind of timely with the elections coming up. And yes I have to agree about Alec’s booty – good observation 🙂
Thank you for the awesome feedback Sean. I will definitely take it into consideration. It wouldn’t be much more additional work for me at all since I basically do the top take aways right after the episode when I do the recap. The only additional items might be more analysis on the booted castaway or things that come up in the recap comment section.
I feel only a TINY bit bad for her, because she simply doesn’t know any better. Angelina’s begging for the jacket was a ruse: she voted for Lyrsa despite knowing Natalie was going home in order to try to get her jacket. She was serious about being really cold. Natalie saw through her feigned loyalty. I guess she was spoiled by John being her cuddle buddy….
I’m glad you and I are paying attention to the important things in this game!
Thank you for the feedback! I will be evaluating everyone’s responses on this comment and also brainstorming with TT to decide the best course of action for our community.
Lady C. My nephew likes to send me 2500 word posts late at night when I am cranky with five photos three of which are photos of whatever the stupid reward was.
It’s like the longest best, perfectly written 2500 and so I can’t bear to cut a damn thing. And I got a photo of some coffee and a picture of the puzzle that are not reusable in future posts.
SO MAYBE I SHOULD MAKE YOU PULL THE ELEVENTY BILLION PHOTOS I NEED, little miss, yes! to! more! words!
Also I am having a bad day and am very cranky. I don’t want to talk to ANYONE at the moment but I did just go buy a bottle of rum. I am not allowed to drink rum. So you should perhaps be on standy by or turn off your phone.
🙂
That said, my idea is to cut the recap and discussion in half for two posts. Because I don’t want to miss a single word.
I’m having American Horror Story/Urethra Franklin flashbacks. So many words and each a gem. I think UF would approve.
I love UF. :'( I rank nowhere near his awesomeness. Ever.
LOL I’m so sorry!!! I’m a wordy little ass I know!! I just have so many FEELINGS that I need to express on the blog! I’m excited at the possibility of breaking the posts into two different sections. That way I can get all my feelings out there more succinctly!
I know you’re always carrying around jugs of sweet tea, and when you drink, you’re more liable to spill it. *rubs hands evilly*
Great idea! I look forward to reading both of them! Go Cho😀
I have only ever laughed as hard as I did at the post-boot jacket request twice before – at Shane Powers, for the entirety of Survivor Panama: Exile Island Snake Boogey Man Skulls, and at Coach in Tocantins, when he went on his bizarre rant about Erin’s evil eye, and how he’d been practising her ‘look’.
Seriously, HILARIOUS tribal. One of the best.
First off, Shane is one of the most hilarious contestants ever. You know he’s been in a long standing feud with Jeff Probst which is why we haven’t seen him on again. When Lynne, the casting director, got fired (presumably because Jeff hates THIS current cast), Shane blamed it all on Jeff. That’s a bit of old tea that a lot of people may not know.
I think Jacket gate will go down in history.
Wow – had NO clue about this tea!! Thanks Cho! Verrry interesting… I love Shane, that was one of my favorite seasons. Any idea why Jeff hates this cast? From a viewer’s perspective, I’m really enjoying this group of people, way more than I typically do at this stage in the game.
You know what I don’t know actually! I should dive a bit deeper into my resources to see what the actual deal is with Jeff and this cast. I guess we’ll see as the season plays out.
And I have to agree. This premerge season is really good and has me definitely hooked!
Jeff is a moron. THIS IS A GREAT CAST! The jacket bullying alone was amazeballs! That cowgirl chick has tons of potential. I need a Christian and Mike alliance in my life! John is hot as fuck and the situation with Angelina is marketing gold,
HOW DOES JEFF HAVE THE POWER TO FIRE THE CASTING DIRECTOR?
I’m not sure he has the power per se, but he definitely holds a lot of influence… fortunately or unfortunately. I was reading tweets of lots of people who were super sad to see Lynne go, Natalie from the current season and Shane Powers of course. Jeff is a total idiot.
“Natalie. Natalie. Natalie? Natalie. Natalie??” I will never stop laughing about the end of this Tribal Council.
This TC will go down in history as one of the funniest. Angelina fake crying and begging Natalie for her jacket. I’m just in total disbelief.
I bet Natalie is wishing she had uttered a snappy reply as she headed to Lower Lodge, aka Ponderosa, so she could (in her mind, at least) be as memorable as Susan Hawk from season one.
Opportunity lost, Natalie! No amount of Monday morning quarterbacking will convince me you played a different game..
I think she left her mark well enough without saying anything. In fact, how delicious is it that during the time where she should have said the most, she said nothing. Delicious irony!
Wunderlist has been my lifesaver. What’s so cool about it is that you can invite people to share certain lists with you, so my hubby is invited to my grocery list so he can add what he wants me to get. And I’m invited to his Home Depot list so I can add house things for him to do, lol. It’s so simple even my 76 year old mom uses it. Love your recaps!!
I agree, Heidi! As a single mom with a demanding job, I credit Wunderlist for our very survival. I like that you can create sub-lists and notes under each list item.
Another Wunderlist subscriber! Thank you for the input. I’m definitely going to check it out!
Oh wow thank you for the tip. I actually haven’t heard of that one but I will check it out. Obviously, you can have multiple lists. Hmmm. Thanks so much.
I vote for multiple Survivor recaps too. I didn’t get to see this episode because our shitbag President visited for a “Thank You” rally in the town next to us so I had to go protest. They showed the rally instead of Survivor so it’s one more reason for me to loathe him.
Omg he even ruins Survivor? THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS GONE TOO FAR!
Cho- Great recap! I would definitely read anything you post. I kinda wish Natalie was still on because as annoying as she was she was incredibly entertaining. She was very bossy but I don’t recall her being mean spirited or unnecessarily insulting to the others. I would love to see John’s washboard abs combined with Alec’s juicy booty .
Kerry thank you so much for the feedback. I’ll definitely be doing some more brainstorming on the structure of my Survivor posts! I appreciate your dedication to my posts!!
I agree wholeheartedly about Natalie. Not a mean bone in her body tbh. She was definitely bossy but never mean or malicious like we’ve seen with others. When she was confronted with people tearing into her character, she never responded with ugly negativity. Her voting confessionals were shady though! lol
John’s abs + Alec’s booty = the perfect guy. Kerry, you speak my language.
Great job, Cho! Lol, I make “lists” all the time and then . . . . can’t find them! I feel so bad for Natalie. Do we see ourselves as others see us? I guess not! Really sad to see Natalie go. She was the worst and the best in so many ways!
Oh and my lists are everywhere too! I have multiple written lists, lists on multiple apps, and lists on my laptop. I really wanna find ONE list maker app that can help me. Luckily, our wonderful community member Heidi has suggested Wunderlist. I’m gonna check it out.
Agreed about Natalie. Best of the worst truly!! She will be missed.
Natalie, can I have your jacket? Natalie? Natalie? I may be the only one that liked the drama Natalie stirred up. Natalie’s downfall was stepping into the mix trying to negotiate a jacket for Angelina. If Angelina wanted a jacket so badly she should have gotten it on her own.
Literally, I think had she not caused a ruckus over the jacket, she’d still be in the game. In a sick and twisted way, this was all of Angelina’s doing… Now we’re missing a great character!
I put everything into Calengoo app (Google Calendar on a pc) on my tablet that goes everywhere with me. The info syncs anytime I am on Wi-Fi. By everything, I mean appointments, directions, tv show start dates, topics I want to bring up when I see a doctor,..
I still have to go remember to look at the list.
I would be thrilled to get a second post from you about each Survivor show!
Natalie is continuing to entertain as she re-writes the story of the season as seen by.. Natalie. (In interviews).
I had no idea, but people have looked it up and freshly laid eggs keep better uncooked. I am more amped up that they are back to giving these people live brings in a cage, especially with the crazy weather in this location. I know they stopped having the caged live chickens hurled into the ocean but just stop!
Calengo. Ok I haven’t heard that one either. Calender + what’s the other word it’s mashed up with?! lol Is it an app for your phone too?
Ooo girl Natalie’s interviews have been HOT. I feel like the post-show interviews have been as crazy entertaining as the actual show. She accused Jeremy of allegedly trying to PHYSICALLY INJURE her! I was thinking about making a full post about that too, because the shit is just insane!! Jeremy and Natalie should BOTH still be in the game as far as I’m concerned as a viewer. lol lol
Really? So Lyrsa was right then. I mean, as she said, she does have a culinary degree and graduated manga cumlaude! Don’t you forget it! I wonder how Natalie feels about that now? I mean, her logic makes totally sense for the person who isn’t educated on food specifically.
I gather that Lyrsa was technically right if the eggs are fresh and not washed off, they can be stored outside a refrigerator for a time.
I am no expert on eggs.. I am just happy Natalie’s tribe didn’t win the live chickens, as she would have probably ordered their immediate slaughter!
Yes, Natalie is certainly claiming an awful lot was left in the cutting room floor where she was involved because, you know, Natalie is a benevolent earth mother who gently fosters her underlings, encouraging them to shine!
And she is is sales! I am not buying it.
Probst.. I think he has come to think he is the show (and sometimes, he us!)
In his interviews with Dalton, he says this is a great cast.
But firing my almost namesake? Hmm.
Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, lol.
Freeze, girl!
The only one that’s going to be freezing will be Angelina. At least she’ll be as cold as her heart is in the game! haha
This continues to be an enjoyable season! I disagree with Jeff. So far, this cast is gold. I even like most of them, which is weird. I couldn’t handle another minute of Natalie, and I can’t believe she lasted this long. She should have been first boot, per TT’s prediction. It’s fun waiting for Dan to be taken down a notch. And I dislike Angelina even more now, but oh, the laughs! She’ll never live this down. I like everyone else but Kara so far.
Two posts a week would be great. Sometimes I miss the post-show stuff. Thanks, Cho!
Yeah I’m actually loving this cast too. Jeff is loony if he thinks this cast isn’t’ great!
Angelina is definitely leaving a negative impression on some. She’s persuasive in the most calculating ways! I’m liking her as a minor villain: someone we see behaving somewhat badly and selfishly but in a non attractive way. I definitely think people will begin to notice her backbiting ways though!
Can I have your jacket? Can I have your jacket? I am soooooo cold! Can I have your jacket? . . . . will be recorded in the history of Survivor forever as being the “coldest” exit ever! Natalie, most of us, (no matter how angry or abused we were) would have felt empathy for those left behind and tossed that warm jacket back to anyone (everyone) who needed it!
I would not give the bitch who just got me involved in jacket gate and tossed off the island a damn thing. Let her dumb ass freeze.
omg right?! I mean, Natalie is so stupid for getting involved, but Angelina is the mastermind! Can’t wait to watch her this week!
She clearly wasn’t cold when she was on the tribe with John…. 🙂
LOL too easy