By Survivor Guest Correspondent Cho
Happy Survivor Wednesday! It’s been a complete mess on my end, so let’s get right into it! Read about last week’s DOOZY of an episode here.
Too Long Didn’t Watch
Nick is very upset about being blindsided by Christian and Gabby the previous night. He says they are so smart that they’re dumb. He confronts Christian, saying he regrets that he, Davie and Carl used all of their advantages to save Christian earlier in the game. The Mason-Dixon alliance is officially DEAD!
The Loved Ones Reward
There’s never anything unique about these visits. Everyone cries; there’s lots of touching moments; and it’s cool to see the family members talk about the remaining Survivors. They are divided by pairs, and Angelina ends up winning her FIRST reward of the season. She and Nick choose Davie to join them in the BBQ reward. They end up choosing Mike as well. While on the reward, everyone is really feeling the final 4 vibes except for Davie who has reservations. He thinks he would be out 4th if he goes with Angelina, Nick and Mike.
Back at camp, Gabby is now having concerns about Christian’s threat status. She pulls Alison and Kara aside and lets them know she wants to get rid of her perception as Christian’s side-kick by blindsiding him. This is music to Kara’s ears who says she’s been wanting him out forever now!
The Immunity Challenge
Yet another unique challenge involving balance, control and endurance all at once. Mike and Gabby leave in the first round. Alison and Angelina leave in the next. Everyone is giving Nick advice during the challenge while secretly rooting against Christian. Kara maintains her fierce pose throughout the entire challenge and wins! Alison is cautiously optimistic about blindsiding Christian and fears him pulling out another advantage.
Gabby And Christian Pay For Booting The Godfather?
Gabby is foaming at the mouth at potentially getting rid of her biggest ally, Christian. She talks to him and convinces him that the target is still going to be Alison. Naturally, she cries about it, but gives us some straight up common sense: Christian doesn’t want her to win; he wants himself to win. I’m proud of her. She goes to the other Davids and lets them know the plan to take him out. Nick is utterly shocked. He’s still pissed that he saved Christian multiple times but was betrayed.
When Mike and Angelina are brought up to speed, they immediately worry about an idol. Since they don’t trust her long term, they decide to vote Gabby as backup. Nick literally CACKLES at the thought of Gabby being booted due to Christian’s idol, and so do I. Davie agrees to the plan, but in a confessional is thinking it’s better to keep Christian as a shield. Christian tells Davie once he’s gone, he’ll be the next target. Davie is smart. Voting out all the threats is why Alec was booted. Davie lets Christian know that the entire tribe is basically against him.
Christian decides it’s time for damage control with Nick. Better late than never? During the conversation, Nick is not having it. He indulges Christian by lying about his desire to vote out Alison. Christian totally deserves the entire tribe turning against him at this point. Him voting out Carl at the previous vote didn’t gain him any loyalty from Kara/Alison yet it turned his own allies against him… even the one person he thought would never turn against him. Bad gameplay, Christian.
Tribal Council
Alec and The Godfather walk in as jurors looking pissed. Nick explains that Christian and Gabby’s “big move” against Carl was a big move, but it was a stupid move. All big moves aren’t good moves. I agree. Nick lies and says he’s rebuilt his relationship with Christian. Gabby announces from now on she is reasserting herself and standing on her own two feet. Alison is still worried about leaving tonight as she still feels she’s a threat and without many allies. We get to the vote. Christian is not going home. He would be an idiot to not play his idol. Jeff tallies the votes… Christian stops Jeff, and looks at everyone in the eyes before playing his idol! 5 votes are nullified. 1 vote for Alison. 1 Vote Gabby… and Gabby is voted in a 2-1 vote. Angelina and Mike are so pleased with themselves I can’t help but laugh out loud!
We didn’t get into it last episode in the comment section, but I’m so happy with Christian and Gabby paying for their idiotic gameplay in the previous episode. Gabby leaving especially is delicious irony! What did you think about this episode? How do you feel about Gabby finally showing how strong of a player she is in the episode where she is booted? Let me know everything in the comment section! As always, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms to stay in touch with me throughout the entire week: Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and Twitch!
Great recap Cho! I was also surprised to see Gabby coming out of the background to try to make big moves. I am waiting for Davie to make a big move, I hope he has it in him, otherwise if he makes the final two he will never win. He is strong enough to win challenges and he has some game, but not enough. I miss the days of the old firm alliances, people turn on eachother all the time and it is hard to keep up. It also makes the early alliances seem unnecessary.
I love when the families come to visit, since it turns all of these warriors into puddles of tears. The toughest played would fall to his knees, “Oh it’s Mommy!” Dont get me wrong, I could never do this show and would be the biggest crier of the bunch, but it is entertaining anyway.
I think Davie has made enough big moves to be notable imo. He did use his idol to save Christian. That was huge. And ironically enough, him tipping Christian off and making him blow his idol is also kind of a big move. It keeps Christian in the game while weakening him a bit.
The old rigid alliances can get boring at times though. Could you imagine the game now being all Goliaths? I can’t. Also, all the alliances do matter, because the game is always organically changing. Regardless, you’re right: it’s QUITE the crazy ride!
Good recap but you left out what I viewed as the subtext of Gabby’s betrayal of Christian, which is that Gabby saw Christian’s real life girlfriend and sort of freaked. After that, she was a woman scorned when she had a big crush on him to that point but realized nothing was going to come of it after the game.
Glad Gabby’s emotional get out Carl because he’s annoying strategy ultimately bit her.
Don’t like seeing Nick in danger in the next ep previews.
I agree with your assessment of Gabby’s real motive for betraying Christian. It was obvious.
I actually thought Gabby & Christian made a better match than the gal that showed up, but that was just a quick observation and I know nothing about her other than the few seconds shown last night.
See my opinion on Gabby’s motive here: http://tamaratattles.com/2018/12/06/survivor-37-so-smart-theyre-dumb/#comment-541606
I thought Christian’s gf’s pigtails were SO cute!!
I thought the same thing when Christian’s girlfriend came out! 😂
These thoughts never crossed my mind! I didn’t see any romantic interest from Gabby toward Christian.
Does everyone else see this? I bought Gabby’s explanation about wanting to get more credit for the moves she was involved in. Now I feel like I missed something.
Why is Angelina being allowed to skate through this entire game?
I am rooting for a Nick win at this point. Or Davie.
Wow….We FF’ed thru the loved one stuff last night and I am rewatching. Angela was so ridiculous telling her mother she gave up immunity to get rice for the tribe. I can’t stand her. Pathetic.
I wanted to see if I thought Gabby was jealous. I didn’t necessarily see that from her.
But damn, I like Christian so much!
I don’t think Gabby was jealous. She saw how Christian managed his girlfriend and realized he was doing the same to her. The rest of her plan was ridiculous but she was right about that.
Agreed! Totally! I make a detailed reply below this one about why Gabby did what she did.
I thought Angelina was once against trying to manage the jury, and all of this overt jury management will bite her in the butt when she gets no votes. I can’t really imagine anyone voting for her against others. I definitely want to see her in the end though!
I didn’t see the jealousy angle either. She was really specific about her goals concerning Christian in the game.
I understand why people are saying that, but I totally disagree with the assertion. I give my explanation down below…
Angelina is skating through, because no one finds her threatening anymore. She has been on the wrong side of the vote several times. People don’t really trust her, so they’ve left her alone. You know who else is really skating by? Kara. Mike! Those two are ones to watch out for as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 1 or 2 of these three in the finals due to their positions.
Yes it is obvious to most of us what motivated Gabby to go against Christian: his girlfriend!
I give Gabby more credit than being as stupid as actually she was, but the explanation is IMO that she did not realize where her sudden motivation came from (his girlfriend).
If not this unfortunate situation, she might have been an interesting player to watch in the coming episodes.
I agree. Gabby got jealous of Christian’s girlfriend and when she saw his convo w/Kara and that green eyed monster reared it’s ugly head and she decided he had to go.
See my comment below and tell me what you think. I think it’s a really interesting conversation and would love more detailed opinions.
I totally get what the edit is trying to convey. I’m going on record to say that I don’t think Gabby’s betrayal was sparked by jealousy. Let’s look at what I think happened:
1) Gabby has the idea to blindside Carl.
2) Gabby and Christian follow through and actually blindside Carl with an assist from Mike.
3) Back at camp, CHRISTIAN gets the brunt of the push back for Carl leaving.
4) Gabby feels like even when she makes her first big move of the game, Christian gets the credit. She’s still in his shadows and being taken care of by him.
5) She sees Christian with his girlfriend, and it becomes crystal clear: he has quite the social prowess over the others and WILL win this game if he isn’t taken out.
6) Now, she’s inspired to take Christian out in order to change her perception of the jury’s perception of her: that she’s basically Christian’s island-girlfriend that is following his lead.
I don’t believe she was jealous whatsoever. I believe after 20 something odd days, she finally woke tf up and realized she needed to play as a true individual instead of having him be her emotional rock in the game. I don’t even like Gabby’s “character”, but it definitely fits the narrative CBS is pushing, and quite frankly, it smells a bit sexist in undertone. If I were you, I’d check out Gabby’s post-show interviews which will also shed some light on her thinking.
“THAT’S MY OPINION!” – Tamra Judge
Fabulous recap as per usual, and another fabulous episode! I can always tell how good the season is by how invested my partner gets – usually Survivor is just background noise for him, but this season he’s anxiously asking me to put it on Wednesday nights. Christian and Gabby have annoyed me through the entire season – there is something false about their twee dorkiness, so I was glad to see their game torn asunder. However, I worry for Nick, who I think is playing the best game. If Christian is out next, it behooves the others to get Nick out immediately after.
I didn’t quite understand what was in it for Davie to tell Christian the plan. He didn’t have the numbers to change anything. Just jury management? I’m a big Davie fan but he does need to start building a resume. His mom was beyond adorable. I’m hoping Kate? Kara? is out next because she’s one of those utterly useless players who can hang on til the end and take a deserved spot away from someone else.
And I was so happy that Angelina came from behind to win the reward! Against my better judgment I’ve come to really be rooting for her as well.
What a great season! I really have no idea which direction it will all go, and I love it!
I thought Davie told Christian, because he was hoping the idol got played.
Keeping Christian in the game keeps the target off of Davie.
Yes, I’m pretty sure Davie actually said that.
I am so happy he told him!
I cannot stand Gabby for going after her best ally. What an IDIOT.
SO glad she got booted because of it!
Who says during voting, “If this plan works, I’m getting rid of my biggest ally”?????? He was actually her only ally. She literally was so smart she was dumb. And we lose yet another David WHEN THEY HAD THE MAJORITY. Now all of the Davids are in trouble and stupid Angelina just keeps skating by.
Cannot wait for Angela to get voted out. She absolutely thinks she has this game in the bag.
It doesn’t make any sense. I thought Gabby’s decision to vote him out now was poor planning. At this point in the game, you need a coalition of votes. I’m not so sure she had that except with Kara and Alison potentially. Getting rid of Christian before the 3 people she had JUST blindsided a day earlier was just not smart. Mike and Angelina played her hard with this vote.
Mike and Angelina made a great move knowing what Christian might play the idol.
I am not as annoyed by Gabby & Christian as a duo as you are, but I am happy that their game was torn apart after they needlessly backstabbed Carl last episode. It made a bit of sense for Gabby, but none for Christian. They should have taken someone like Angelina out instead who was always going to be a number against them instead of Carl who was always going to keep them to Davids strong.
I think Davie’s move was great. He wanted to keep Christian in the game. He succeeded. He knew the votes would bounce onto Gabby, someone else that he wanted out. He just wants other threats to be taken out before him. But I think he has shown a bit of flash. It was him who played the idol on Christian earlier.
I am a huge Angelina fan this season. Her character is so hilarious to me. I think she brings something really dynamic. She’s quite the fighter. She hasn’t had an easy time out there (due to her own devices), but she’s still fighting as best as she can. She just isn’t a good player. I was really rooting for her to win the reward too! Finally!
This season is awesome! Cho, love the recaps. My kids and I believe that Gabby only went after Christian because she was envious of the girlfriend. I am going to cry and yell at my tv next week, because I believe the Goliaths are now going to pick off the David’s one by one. I do not want my top three: Davie, Nick, and Christian to go.
Wow Joey that seems to be the popular opinion. I think it’s a bit more complex than that, but it doesn’t surprise me that people think this of Gabby, who appeared to be overly emotional throughout the season. Here is my definitive opinion on the matter:
http://tamaratattles.com/2018/12/06/survivor-37-so-smart-theyre-dumb/#comment-541606
I think Davie Christian and Nick will find a way to coexist and get through the next round. F7 is really important, but the game is not Goliath vs David. There is irreparable damage between Alison and Angelina, so I don’t see them ever working together. It also appears like the Mason Dixon alliance between Nick and Christian is definitely dead.
Great Recap, Cho! Thanks so much!
I want Christian, Davie, and Nick in the final Three.
I hope Angelina and Mike are not in the final four.
Angelina bragged about making the deal for rice, AGAIN, loudly, to her mother, but to the other cast members. She’s not very subtle that one.
Gabby’s lightbulb came on when Christian’s GF came out.
I, on the other hand, was quite shocked.
It was an awkward moment, for sure.
Anyway, the camera kept going back to Gabby’s reaction upon seeing the GF, on purpose,
same as when Christian talked about his GF, pan to Gabby’s reaction, to manipulate our
viewpoint. It’s all bells and whistles and I’m STILL down for Survivor!
Agree with all of what you said!
That would be a great final 3.
I can’t believe how much I STILL love this show after all these years. And it can still surprise you.
I think right now, I want an Angelina, Davie and Nick Final 3.
The Golyaths will vote out the remaining Davids, unfortunately, and after that the show will be boring.
Christian made a huge mistake by voting Gabby out, she is a poor player no threat to anyone. He should have voted for Alison instead. To late now!
Christian didn’t vote Gabby out. He voted for Alison. Mike and Angelina are the ones who made the power move with getting rid of Gabby.
I always need to be reminded of who voted for whom because it’s always a blindside. I’m still confused. So it was five votes Christian three votes Gabby?
Some of us have cocktails during the show. 🙂
Christian votes: Nick/Davie/Kara/Alison/Gabby
Gabby votes: Mike/Angelina
Alison vote: Christian
So Christian was completely blindsided. I’ve read interviews, and everyone knew Gabby was receiving the next highest votes, even Kara and Alison.
So in conclusion, the entire tribe turned on Gabby & Christian after their move last week.
I don’t think production will allow a David slaughter. I think they want one of each in the final three.
I just watched and now I am so pissed I deleted the episode. How did I not see this situation with Gabby? She voted out Christian because she was jealous of his girlfriend? This makes no sense to me. I hate missing the point, but here I am missing it by a mile I guess.
I pray for a genuine reconciliation between Nick and Christian. I love the Mason Dixon alliance. They need to start voting out the females, I’ve never seen such a male dominated jury!
I loved Mason Dixon too, but it’s not going to happen. Nick is too blinded by anger.
never say never in survivor! LOL
Especially this season.
We could see the old M/D alliance again.
Angelina might open her mouth and say who knows what and bingo,
back to the old M/D plus Davie, I hope.
It’s so hard to keep track of the alliances. Everything is wide open now.
So, you DO think she was jealous?
I don’t think she was jealous, I think there are a lot of people making a sexist assumption and because people keep seeing that theory they are starting to believe it.
I agree MJ. There is some undertones of sexism, but I don’t think that’s the intent of anyone commenting or watcing. It’s a large conversation to have. You could insert a straight or gay male in Gabby’s position with all things remaining the same, and people would not come to this conclusion of jealous intentions.
I think she simply was trying to change the perception of the jury, and seeing the girlfriend, and how good Christian was to her, was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
I don’t think that’s what happened, but editing combined with Gabby’s overly emotional nature would easily lead you to believe this.
Thank you so much for the compliments! I think we have a differing opinion on Gabby, but I totally understand why so many people think she was jealous. It certainly can look that way when you look back and squint at the tv.
I think Angelina and Mike have played overall subpar games, but what matters most is how to finish these last few votes, and it seems like they could be in the drivers seat for a bit if they play their cards right. The Mason Dixon alliance seems like it’s dead for now unfortunately. Christian should not have made that stupid ass betrayal of Carl. That was REALLY stupid and is the exact reason why his alliance turned on him this time.
Random, but I thought the lack of physical affection between Mike and his bf was weird… Mike’s body language seemed like he was a bit self conscious, and at the end of their greeting, he was like “hey thanks for coming out.” Like he was talking to a poker buddy or something. I thought maybe they just hadn’t been dating for a while, but then they said 2 years?
Gabby was definitely jealous of Christian’s girlfriend. She said she realized that Christian was playing a “role“ when comforting her. Which I thought was a strange perspective. I think that’s just who Christian is as a human… not a role/ strategy. I think Gabby realized that IRL, she wouldn’t be the recipient of his attention and comfort, which caused her to act out emotionally.
Mike is doing a great job of flying under the radar. I was a little concerned for him when he turned on his David alliance members so fast, but he has since done a good job of laying low. So low, that I’d kinda be disappointed if he won now.
Thanks for the recap, Cho!
OMG, I saw the same awkwardness with Mike and his bf. It was odd. If you love someone then show it, man.
I totally agree with you. Mike and his boyfriend were so uncomfortable that I speculated that they were not actually in a relationship and Mike just had him flown out because he needed a person to fill the family member role. And Gabby was totally upset about Christian’s girlfriend…she can’t hide ANY of her emotions and it was very clear that it hurt her feelings.
Love that this show is being recapped!
Mike and his boyfriend were oddly distant to the point I wondered if he was being outed by the show.
Tamara is kind of right about the show outing Mike. Mike White is notoriously uncomfortable with his sexuality. He has a very publicly gay father (who was a former Evangelical big shot until he came out). But Mike has always refused to talk about his orientation other than to say he’s bi (which is what some gay men say when they don’t want to acknowledge their gayness). As a long time Mike White fan, I’m so happy he has a loving partner that he acknowledges in public. Yes, it was awkward as all get out. Cringefest galore. But it was a HUGE step for Mike. He came out at 48 years old, to the world. And don’t worry. I’m sure Mike and his boyfriend are much more affectionate in private (Mike never forgets the cameras are running). If you want a better understanding of Mike White, watch his semi-autobiographical film Chuck & Buck. But do so at your own risk. It’s the cringe-iest film I’ve ever seen. Awkward, emotionally challenging, a masterpiece of weirdness. You won’t be the same after.
Awww, Lady C, this makes me happy! I saw the awkwardness and hoped it was because of something innocuous- which you confirmed 😊
THANK YOU FOR THIS! I was just trying to compose the right words to defend this display down below.
Thank you for that explanation. I was thinking that since he is older and may still be nervous about showing PDA in public…
I noticed this too. But context is important too. He’s an older gay male who might not be into PDA. My partner and I would never kiss or be physically affectionate like that in public. That’s just who we are as a couple. While it’s definitely quite the juxtaposition to see when everyone is slobbering over each other, I do give Mike a pass.
Also, I think his gameplay has been subpar overall. I agree: he really screwed up with turning on the Davids so early, but the magic thing about this game is that all it takes to turn things around is to let others screw their game up. And that, they’re doing. Him, Angelina and Kara are the ones to watch out for. No one is paying attention to them, which is a huge mistake since they are threatening in their own rights.
Here is my perception of the Gabby is jealous debate: http://tamaratattles.com/2018/12/06/survivor-37-so-smart-theyre-dumb/#comment-541606
Omg! Thank you for bringing that up. Mike and his boyfriend’s interaction was awkward AF. I was starting to think I was the only one confused with their interactions. Perhaps they’re just more reserved with the PDA, but something seemed off.
Yeah, I’m glad it was addressed. They are just not into PDA which is perfectly normal and not automatically suspicious.
Does Davie or Nick have the idol? Plus, it will be interesting if anyone finds Christian’s idol next week.
Davie used his idol to save Christian. I believe Nick still has one though which will probably used next week!
I thought that Mike may have been holding back because he was thinking of how long it had been since he bathed or changed clothes. Gabby was unlikable with her turning against Christian, but now the comments have made me realize that she was acting out the woman scorned role. Wonderful recap, thank you.
Am I crazy? When I watched Gabby watching Christian and his girlfriend, she looked genuinely touched. I didn’t pick up on any jealousy at all, and I was looking for it. Her interviews were impressive, and I was happy to see her express my own feelings about being emotional. One can feel deeply, express those feelings, and also kick some ass!
I am worried the show will go south from here. After all the excitement and anticipation, it would be a huge disappointment to end with a Goliath final three. Or even two Goliaths in the final three. I’m mentally preparing myself for a let-down.
You’re not crazy at all. If anything, I thought Gabby’s observation of Christian and his girlfriend was a COMPLIMENT. The problem here is that Gabby’s character has been highlighted as an utter emotional wreck, so it’s easy for us to assume the worst of her intentions. Gabby’s post-show interviews and her ponderosa segment has really turned me around on my feelings of her character. I definitely didn’t enjoy her character throughout, but it’s great to see this complex side to her post-show. Prime example where editing really effects the perception of certain Survivors.
Also, I think at this rate, it’s definitely going to be a few Goliaths in the end. You have no one to blame for this except for Gabby and Christian though. Their move against Carl made no sense when you have SO MANY Goliath outliers like Angelina, Kara, Alison and Mike. The fact that all 4 of them are there despite none of them having played super strong games is a testament to poor gameplay of the Davids. If they lose, it’s because they deserve to.
There’s still a pathway if they can really rally behind an Alison boot next. I just think it’s going to come down to a Nick vs Christian situation…
There are two theories on the web about the last voting:
1, Christian voted for Alison, Angelina and Mike voted for Gabby and the rest voted for Christian.
But this is wrong because Davie would never vote out Christian.
2, Nick voted for Alison, Christian and Davie voted for Gabby.
If true, Nick was blindsided and will be pissed in next episode.
Also, in case 2, Mike and Angelina changed their minds and voted for Christian, and that is why they were surprised but happy to see Gabby voted out.
What do u think, which one happened?
They show you how everyone votes at the end of the show. They are also shown on CBS Survivor Youtube channel.
Christian votes: Davie/Nick/Alison/Kara/Gabby
Gabby votes: Mike/Angelina
Alison vote: Gabby
Everybody knew that Christian had an idol, so it was Mike and Angelina’s idea to throw votes at Gabby in case he played it. They didn’t trust her and she was firmly against them. They knew it was very possible for him to play it, so they were prepared!
Thank u Cho, indeed u are right.
I missed the preliminary after the show ended.
I see now they are going to attack Nick, a surprising move. But nick has an idol.So what do u think who is the next one. Nick playing his idol they could attack a Goliath.
Regard Alex
AT THE LAST TWO TRIBAL COUNSELS ALL GOLIATHS VOTED FOR DAVIDS !
So Jeff thinking that “Tribal Lines are Blurred” was completely wrong. For a short while the Goliaths deviated from it, then returned to it with vengeance.
If that continued, the two remaining Davids would be eliminated next. So Jeff decided to finish the season next week. But, does he have a plan to prevent a complete Goliath takeover which would lead to a sad and boring end?
When they voted out Carl and gave up the David advantage, Nick and Davie foretold there would be consequence. Nick and Davie have been playing a sophisticated and smart game. I think that Davie asking Kara on the boat to vote out Nick (while Nick was on the boat) was a blindside, it didn’t work: Kara told Ellison, Elison told Mike and Mike told Nick he would be voted out (most likely a blindside from Mike designed to flush out Nick’s idol). Then the Goliaths split up: two voted for Christian and two voted for Davie to be on the safe side. They properly estimated that at least one of the Davids to vote for Christian or Davie.
Carl had to go, he made a big mistake and had to pay for it. But first, the Davids should have voted a Goliath out and only after that Carl.
The Goliaths play poorly, Mike and Kara lay low doing little for the game while Angelina and Ellison fight harder but cause many self inflicted wounds.
Picking Carl at the wrong time was mainly Christians mistake for which he payed the ultimate price. At the end Christian was not as smart as Jeff and other would have liked him to be.
David vs Goliath episode turns out to be just like real life. The cream, the elite, the Goliaths always promote their family members, friends and cohorts for positions in companies and politics and for any well payed position. ASSOCIATION OVER MERIT.
Nick and Davie are the best players but will they even have chance at it?