By Guest Correspondent ChoHey, it’s Cho and this is the first week in a while where I’m actually “on time” with my Survivor 39 recap. Can somebody please shower me with compliments for doing the bare minimum?! GO ME! This could be a long one considering it’s the merge, so let’s not waste any time!
Kellee Is In the Spotlight
There’s major fall out from the previous tribal council. Jamal is demanding to know why he was blindsided. Noura, being the truth cannon that she is, admits that she appreciates Jamal playing his idol on her and that she was advised by someone in the tribe to write Jack’s name down. She tells everyone that it was Kelee! Now, Kelee is scrambling to figure out a lie to cover her tracks. While Janet believes her, Jamal says in a confessional that Kelee got caught playing an undercover game because she chose to play it with Noura. Kelee proceeds to find an idol!
There’s already a struggle happening between the New Vokai alliance and the Original Vokai alliance. Basically, Tommy wants to pull in Kelee & Janet to create a new power majority, but Kelee is totally against the idea. I agree with her that it only helps Missy, Aaron, Elizabeth and Elaine. She’s not willing to let go of Dean who is obviously in her pocket. Tommy is frustrated that Kelee & Janet are unmovable in their position.
Dan is Still Making the Women Uncomfortable
We are still talking about Dan touching people inappropriately. Missy and Kelee actually bond over their similar experiences with Dan. Kelee cries about not being able to speak out on things like this due to it potentially affecting their upwards mobility both in real life and in the game of Survivor. It’s heartbreaking. We get LOTS of flashbacks of Dan touching people including Missy. Kelee is flipping out because she realizes it’s a horrible pattern that is only being talked about now because 5 women this season have shared similar experiences. She’s just happy that she doesn’t feel crazy that it’s just her who feels this way. Even a producer steps in and comments that he will step in if Kelee deems it necessary, but she says Janet will put an end to it now that there’s a merge.
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Janet sees Kellee crying so she goes to comfort her. Kelee is still upset because she doesn’t want to speak up about Dan for fear of her position worsening. Janet pities Dan and has been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but she can’t ignore the girls’ feelings. She’s planning on confronting Dan the next time she sees anything inappropriate. She also says that if Dan is 100% innocent that it’s an awful thing for him. This is a really uncomfortable subject to be seeing on Survivor.
The Producers Step In
Missy has decided that her only option to survive is to make Dan look even worse than he already does, so she instructs Elizabeth to emphasize to Janet that they feel uncomfortable around him. Elizabeth gets right to work on retelling a story to Kellee about Dan touching her inappropriately. Elizabeth has no shame. More incriminating flashbacks occur. CBS is trying to bury Dan. Despite all of this, Kellee decides that she still wants to make the better game move by targeting Missy. I think this is a mistake.
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Tommy sees Kelee bonding with Missy and is upset that she’s cozying up after having just targeted Missy, so he tells Lauren that she needs to go. The producers are breaking the 4th wall a lot, which leads me to believe that there’s a distinct possibility that Dan is ejected out of the game this episode. Dan is officially warned by producers but allowed to remain in the game. What do you all think about the producer’s decision to keep Dan in the game? What would you have done as a woman in one of these positions?
Jamal Works To Get Dan Out
Jamal and Noura are not on board with Kellee or Missy leaving but instead are wanting to push for Dan to go. They don’t think it’s ok to wait even one vote to take him out. Janet feels relieved that others are wanting to finally vote him out, so she tells Elizabeth to change their plans from Kellee to Dan. She feels a moral responsibility to take care of the girls, but feels bad because she truly likes Dan and wasn’t planning to vote him out.
Unfortunately, Elizabeth doesn’t believe Janet and says in a confessional that she’s being fed bullshit lies by Janet. There’s too much paranoia in camp. Elizabeth and Elaine decide to throw JANET under the bus to Dan of all people to try to blow up her game. You’ve got to be kidding me. The desperation of these contestants is REAL! Obviously, Dan doesn’t take kindly to the accusations. He is personally hurt by Janet turning on him, and calls her move reprehensible. The only thing reprehensible is that you inappropriately touched a fellow contestant to the point of making her cry on national television.
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Jamal is still putting in work overtime trying to rally the votes against Dan. He goes to Kellee who is overly nervous about switching from Missy to Dan last minute. She decides to go look for another idol, and she finds it! Let me tell y’all right now if I haven’t made it clear yet: Kellee is THAT BITCH and she’s here to stay! We see that Tommy and Lauren will ultimately decide if it’s Kellee or Dan who receive the majority of the votes. The problem is that no matter their decision, they will undoubtedly piss off half the remaining tribe.
Trust or Deception at Tribal Council?
We’re having a debate over trust being more important than deception in the game of Survivor. Kellee says that tonight’s vote is about trust for her. Tommy says that it’s a distinct possibility that tribal lines could hold true, but Janet says that those tribal lines can be softened. Dean says that he’s in a special position because his original tribe and new tribe have outcasted him so he’s looking to build trust.
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It’s time to vote. Kellee asks Lauren if they’re good before she casts her vote, and Lauren says they are. Lauren’s a liar, and her pants are on fire! Kellee, homegirl, you better play that idol! Omg she doesn’t play her idol. I’m about to cry. Dan, Kellee, Dan, Kellee, Dan, Kellee, Dan, Kellee, Dan, Kellee. 6 votes each. And Kellee is blindsided with 2 idols in her pocket. Wow, even Dean voted against her.
A DISGUSTING Mockery of the #MeToo Movement
So the episode isn’t over, and Janet is LIVID. Janet feels betrayed, because she voted Dan out to protect the other girls in the tribe. She is confronting both Tommy and Lauren who are giving her vague reasons why they backstabbed Kellee. Get them, Janet! Lauren says she couldn’t vote Dan out for the reasons that were described, because she personally hasn’t experienced negativity with him. I imagine this is blowing up on Twitter.com right now!
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Janet then goes to Dan and exposes Elizabeth, Missy and Lauren for them crying to her about Dan’s inappropriate behavior. Dan is shocked by the accusations and feels like his soul is being ripped in half. He apologizes to Missy and Elizabeth for any uncomfortable feelings they have towards him. Missy then says to Dan that if they truly felt that way they would have used the power they have to vote him out. And here is where I lost my respect for Missy. This is some bullshit and transcends the game.
Women Not Supporting Women
Elzabeth and Missy are really throwing Janet under the bus, and I’m disgusted. They say that Janet and Kellee misconstrued things, BUT WE HAVE THE FOOTAGE! I can’t imagine how they have a leg to stand on in real time after millions have watched this episode. The reunion should be juicy for this incident alone.
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Janet is now on a warpath, because she’s being made out to be a liar. She corners Elizabeth who admits in front of Dan what she said about being uncomfortable around Dan. Satisfied by her name seemingly being cleared, Janet storms off. Dan is shocked by this, but in the next breath Elizabeth tells him that she’s just saying things to get Janet off her back. I can’t be the only other person really disappointed in these two women. Would you do the same?
This reminds me of the time that Johnny Fairplay lied about his grandmother dying in order to win a fucking reward challenge. Janet feels so alone and is upset that the issue of sexual assault is being made a mockery of on the show. I scream when she finds the idol, because I know she’s likely to receive votes at the next tribal.
The Art of Sabotage
Jamal sees a hanging note that tells him to go immediately to the island of the idols. He promises Karishma that if he achieves anything good that it’ll be used for the both of them. Jamal is completely dumbfounded at discovering Sandra & Rob who he deems as the trendsetters of Survivor. Rob tells Jamal to open up the note and read it. He reads aloud that he’s now lost his vote in the upcoming tribal council.
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Rob says his lesson is in the art of sabotage, and he now has the chance to create a fake advantage! He ends up giving the fake advantage to Dean as “an olive branch” but it ends up making both Jamal and Dean major targets! I’m still pissed about Dean voting Kellee out, but in a strange way, I think that was good for his game. Aaron wins his second immunity challenge, and Missy also wins, leaving Jamal, Karishma and Janet as likely targets.
Aaron & Missy Attempt to Gaslight Janet
At tribal council, we get right into the fallout from the previous tribal council. Janet says that there was a lot of miscommunication, and she made an emotional play that backfired. Aaron and Missy try to gaslight Janet into believing that she’s at fault and that she’s the reason why Dan’s reputation is ruined. No, Dan is the reason why Dan’s reputation is ruined. SHAME on Missy & Elizabeth for not being honest about their own feelings when everything is being fucking recorded on national television! One of them need to win, because it’ll be the only thing that can ease their conscious. Also, I’m back to hating Aaron. #TeamJanet
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Jamal steps up to defend Janet and says that women bringing up charges in real life is often negated on the stance of “Why now and not earlier? Why didn’t you report it?” after being checked by Jamal, Aaron begins backpedaling and pussy poppin talking about how he’s trying to look at it from Dan’s perspective. He says the blurring of lines is occurring between Survivor & real life and it’s hard to judge this situation objectively. Karishma defends Janet by saying she is not making things up in regards to her perception of events surrounding Dan. Jamal says that men need to take a step back in order to attempt understanding other perspectives, especially from women.
Janet Is The Hero We Deserve
Dan, fearing that his in real life job is at stake, is becoming visibly annoyed by the topic. He gets overly defensive towards Jeff Probst who has to hold himself from going in really hard on Dan. Dan says that if it’s not going to be let go then he’s going to talk about it. Jeff snaps back that he will NEVER let it go, because it’s an issue. Drag him, Jeff! Dan goes on to apologize to Kellee personally and to the tribe if his behavior has affected others. He says if they feel it, it’s their truth, and he’s horrified by the way he potentially made others feel. Janet is seriously contemplating quitting the game, because she cares deeply about the Survivor franchise and doesn’t want to mar its reputation. She thinks the tribe hates her and feels alone. She’s in tears. Jeff convinces her to stay.
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We are now having a lengthy discussion about everyone’s ability or inability to separate the game from reality. Lauren cries as she apologizes to Janet and reassures her that she’s a strong champion for women. I’m fucking exhausted. Aren’t you? Jeff finally reads the votes, and Janets plays her idol on herself. Janet, Janet, Karishma, Karishma, Karishma, Jamal, Jamal, Jamal, Jamal and Jamal is voted out. I’m disgusted. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you like what I do here on the site, be sure to support me in my other ventures elsewhere on the internet!
Thanks for the recap because I thought I had imagined the low Elizabeth and Missy went to for a game!!! Disgusted with them and they should go! Also disappointed that they feed Dan lies when it was obvious they also felt uncomfortable with Dan’s touching. Dan still doesn’t understand he was making people uncomfortable. I hope Jeff drags all 3 of them at the reunion. Team Janet all the way!
Missy and Elizabeth, I have no words for. I think they’re both playing stellar games, but the truth is that their decisions on a game show does have real life repercussions. Not everyone can separate the game from real life, nor should they. We aren’t robots.
I’m pulling for Janet 100%. I think Jeff will definitely be dragging a lot of people at the reunion this season…
Where to begin? First of all apologies to Cho, this episode recap needed to go up much faster. But as a huge Survivor fan, I can’t put up a recap until I actually see the show. I can do it for other shows, but NOPE not this one. This show is amazing and I need to watch unfettered by anyone’s recap.
That said, I am not as outraged as Cho was by Dan’s actions. At least the one’s we were shown. What I was OUTRAGED BY was the Script they put up about “Having a stern talking to” about Dan. That was kind of disgraceful to me. If I were Dan I would be suing Mark Burnett and Jeff Probst for every fucking dollar they have.
I presume he signed all of those rights away as I have my own hard copy of a reality show contract somewhere in the office I never got to. They want medical records of all sorts and to test you for everything and the names and addresses of pretty much everyone you have ever known. They do extensive background check, hell, Evel Dick found out he had AIDS from being on the show. They have access to anything and everything. So if there were anything in Dan’s background they would have found it.
Moving on, Dan is a touchy feeling guy in ways that some may find in approproiate. It is interesting that Janet and Elaine were not bothered by it. I don’t think Dan did anything wrong per se, but I do feel like he made some of the young women uncomfortable. It doesn’t help that he bears an image of someone who did assault women. So it was a huge mistake for him to feel comfortable enough to be overly handsy.
But nothing he did warrarnted basically ruining his whole life in the industry.
It was a teachable moment. Young women are vulnerable. They don’t want older men touching them in an intimate fashion. In this particular setting I can see how that happens. Have you ever watched Naked and Afraid?
I am appalled by that one girl who I didn’t even know existed…. is her name Elizabeth who
played up the situation for her game. She is the piece of shit here even if Dan was the worst grouper in the world.
As always, THAT’S MY OPINION!
And I think Dan needed to think about tapping out. But tapping out would probably have made him feel guilty.
And not that is matters but I’ve been sexually abused many times in my life starting from childhood. Somehow once you assaulted as a child you become promiscious and make decisions that led to it happening muptiple times.
And I kind of hate that Survior is playing the #MeToo movement thing. But I am more angry at the edit that Dan got tonight. And frankly, I wasn’t even paying attention to Dan prior to this.
Also, HOW FUCKING HOT IS AARON AND HOW AM I JUST NOW NOTICING HE IS GOING TO BEAST HIS WAY TO WIN THIS GAME?
I totally see your point TT! Dan is genuinely shocked and appalled at the mere thought that people are thinking that he has crossed boundaries. If I’m Dan, I’m also indignant about the topic being brought up on the show.
If you look at Twitter, CBS is being DRAGGED, because people think they are covering for Dan. You can’t make this shit up. It’s like they aren’t watching the same show. I thought CBS really eviscerated Dan which is sad to see if he’s really innocent. I thought it was their job to seek answers if they received complaints. And the fact is that Kellee felt really victimized by Dan. It’s such a touchy subject. Pun intended.
Elizabeth and Missy are both TRASH for the way they handled things. Lauren is also planning for some public announcement. Did you see Aaron’s apology video? I’m coming up with an updated post soon about the fall out from this episode. Aaron is beyond hot. I love his nose.
Also I WAS SCREAMING AT KELEE TO PLAY HER IDOL ON JAMAL! I thought she was safe.
She had two idols. TWO! I was also screaming the entire time. What a mess.
I love Jamal and want to make the beast with two backs with him. I love a tall, big, intellectual man. HOWEVER, I feel some type of way about his tribal council always being about “women’s rights” kind of stuff. The thing about being with a smart guy is for him to tell me smart people things. I kind of already know what it is like to be female. So I wish he would have moved off that topic.
I hope his fake advantage takes out Dean. Dean thinks he will go far because he is a cute white guy. I’d rather lost Dean before Dan.
I’m calling it now Aaron wins. In so many ways,
I love Jamal too. I don’t think he was intentionally harping on it, but obviously it’s the questions that Jeff are posing that causes him to go off on those topics. I also hope Dean is taken out with that fake advantage. I thought Dean did the right thing to drop Kellee, but I don’t have to like it!
I think Aaron will have a tough time. He’s winning all these immunities that he doesn’t really have to win, because Missy is a much bigger threat than him at this point. I’m actually putting my money on Missy or Elizabeth as the victor this season which really pains me to fucking say at this point. I think there’s hope for Janet too, but she has a reaaally tough path with most of the tribe not trusting her.
I am devastated to here Dan is getting dragged. CBS should be dragged but not for the reasons they are. I feel like they were trying to exploit the Me Too movement and they ROASTED Dan in the process. I am sure PRODUCTION brought up Dan’s touchy feelyness in interviews. THis is PRODUCTION on something that could ruin a man’s life.
He never touched anyone’s “naughy parts” that we saw. We saw touching someones HAIR and putting an arm around someone he slept next too at night on a fucking island.
I am FURIOUS with CBS for what they are doing to this man for ratings.
I am open to opposing opinions IF YOU WATCH THE SHOW. But this is just really outrageous behavior by CBS/Mark Burnett.
This season was filmed right when we were in the thick of the MeToo movement. It’s no coincidence that they are trying to capitalize off of it for ratings and probably felt pressure from the entertainment industry. But at the expense of Dan. It’s sad to think of them in such a nefarious way, but you’re not wrong.
The footage we saw as individual clips were innocuous, but put together under the context we have from Kellee, I just see it as problematic. I thought for SURE they were going to eject him from the game. Had they done that, OK. But to not eject him from the game and still have his name be dragged through the mud despite having not been “convicted”. I’m just so torn up about this.
You have just summed up everything i was thinking…this is some BS on the part of CBS
I don’t think his touching was inherently inappropriate, but he was talked to about it (at least by Kellee) and continued doing it anyway. In similar moments I totally froze, but Kellee was visibly uncomfortable.
Yes, this was the aggravating behavior about Dan. He was told by Kellee, and a few others, to stop touching them. And he didn’t. I get he is a touchy-feely kinda kind, but he must respect other’s personal space.
Missy and Liz are getting exactly what they deserve on social media.
TT, I get you think Aaron is good-looking, but he was wrong last night. He strongly argued there could not have been any inappropriate touching because he would have known about it if it had happened.
Did you see Aaron’s apology? I did noticed that during tribal council, he made a sharp pivot after Jamal responded to him. I’m trying to do a media-round up of all the fall out from this latest situation…
Agreed! I felt for Kellee and the struggle she went through.
There are a couple of issues at play. In the edit, Dan seemed to be touching Kelly a lot. Some would not be bothered by the touchy-feely Dan, I for one would. I do not like being touched by men other than my husband. There is also the issue that Dan is not a young and attractive man. He is old enough to be the father of some of these younger girls. Ewwww
I went to Twitter and I am HEARTBROKEN for Dan. I feel like he is being exploited. I can’t even find him on Twitter. This is a POS move by CBS. Dipshit Kellee who I am glad is out is slandering him up one side and down the other. THIS IS WHY WOMEN DO NOT REPORT SEXUAL ASSAUTS. Now Kelee who is a woman suddently doesn’t understand the difference between a creepy guy who doesn’e understand personal space and a sexual assult???????????????????????? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
My very first reaction when I saw the black screen with the dialogue from production was THEY ARE TRYING TO RUIN THIS MAN.
And twice more with feeling I am a multiple time victim of sexual assault.
There is a HUGE difference between a creepy guy who has no concept of Personal Space and a sexual assualt victim. And Kelee is leading the charge on ruining Dan’s life on social media.
Gitl, you better have more in you ammo than what we saw on the show. There are men with no concept of personal space on this planet and for them to get lumped in with sexual predators IS DEAD WRONG.
It’s up to someone to say “That makes me fee uncomfortable.” That is all YOU had to do. But instead you are RUINING HIS ENTIRE LIFE BECAUSE HE TOUCHED YOUR FUCKING HAIR.
There is a great interview out there with Probst where he explains just how many cameras they have and how none of the players ever know all the information. It’s on entertainment weekly and was one of the first out last night. I thought Jeff did a good job of explaining how things went down.
Thanks Beets! Found it. Read it. Very insightful.
Do you mind sending me the link via email or twitter? Click my name for a link on how to contact me!
Thanks for your piece of information!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/ew.com/tv/2019/11/13/survivor-jeff-probst-island-of-the-idols-epsiode-kellee-dan/amp/
I’m sorry for posting this here TT. I couldn’t figure out how to do it on Cho’s site. Many apologies.
Been waiting for the recap to be up.
I do not feel heartbroken for Dan, because he was told by Kellee she felt uncomfortable with him invading her personal space. Kellee even pulled him aside to have a conversation with him.
What I am disappointed about is the fact that both Kellee and Missy articulated that they did not want to take the issue further because of the effect that it would have on their game! They essentially did not want to ‘blow up’ their games so it appears that it is more important to feel uncomfortable than to address the situation through the proper channels.
This for me is the problem, things are not going to drastically change for women until we are economically in the position to say, actually I am not going to be in this situation for the sake of a money, fame or a designer bag. I have other options. Yes, a million dollars is a lot of money, but there is no guarantee you will win it.
Cho asked what would any of us do if we were on the island. I would like to to think that if in that situation, I would report it to the producers and if other women had the same problem I would like to think we would stick together (this is my utopia) and bring the game to its knees until the issue was resolved. Kellee was asked during her confessional if she wanted to do something, she declined. Women have to report things and not let things slide, but it appears (correct me if I am wrong) she made a strategic choice to not report so it doesn’t blow up her game. That is what she said. And so did Missy. This disappoints me.
Last week at tribal Kellee was insinuating Jamal was sexist because he used the term ‘girls alliance’. From what Jamal has shown us he doesn’t go out of his way to offend people but she was gunning for him last week. Go figure!
Missy and Elizabeth, all I can do is shake my head.
Janet was the only authentic person during this whole situation.
You bring up a great point about Kellee’s “mistakes” during this episode. I thought it was a mistake to not have action taken against Dan as well, but I’m not a woman and don’t feel comfortable telling her what she should have done as a victim of such a thing. I just know what I think I would have done, and it would have been different from what Kellee chose.
Kellee does make a great point of what reporting abuse can potentially do to victims. She’s not wrong to be afraid of making that decision…
Thank you so much for your insight. I appreciate it!
Out of all the women on the island, Janet was the only one willing to ‘blow up her game’ to do the right thing. That speaks volumes to me about Janet and her integrity and values.
The others including Kellee went back and forth on the issue of voting Dan out. Kellee first objective was to get Missy out and she articulated why Missy over Dan in her confessional.
But it was Janet who had not been affected by Dan, out of her moral obligation was willing to put everything on the line.
That to me is an authentic and a selfless act that we all need to learn from.
This is so fucking true. Janet is a champion.
I so agree with everything you have said. I think this episode was a snapshot into what actually does happen when you have a person who is inappropriate in any group situation – without actually crossing any criminal line. In that respect, Dan was somewhat “victimized” for lack of a better word. But he was wrong in what he did. And he certainly seemed to be only overtouching the young, cute girls on the tribe. Not a good look, no matter how you see this playing out. However, what Missy and Elizabeth did was far worse. To inflate a situation that can have huge, far-reaching and permanent consequences on another person is sickening. It’s not on the same playing field as lying about a dead grandma, or throwing away rice, or any of the other “villain” type antics we have seen in the past. I do believe that this also happens in real life and we are seeing exactly how it can run out of control. It’s terrible to subject another person to unwanted behaviors. It’s also terrible to lie or even overstate such behavior in order to benefit yourself. I’m hoping the lesson that is learned from this episode is exactly that. Finally, we have poor Janet who ends up totally doing the right thing and is left sitting shell shocked at the end. So she just moved way up on my list of people I want to win (she just went to #1 actually – even though I know it’s a long shot)
I also noticed Dan’s touching only extended to the younger women, I see his behavior as sexual harassment. Women should not have to put up with unwanted touching, I had a job once where I was subjected to inappropriate jokes and unwanted touching but it paid more than any other job I’d had until I was the last woman in the bldg at which point I was too skeeved out to stay any longer. Sucks for me, I needed that job.
The biggest takeaway here is that I agree: we need to stop conflating sexual harassment with what Dan is actually doing. This huge difference can ruin someone’s life forever.
Absolutely ? agree. I do believe Kelly was upset about him touching her- and that was exacerbated by all the other girls “playing up” the same thing. Liz actually admitting she always felt safe around Dan but playing up being uncomfortable for the game is despicable. And they completely used/manipulated Janet to “take care of them” and then threw her under the bus.
There is a HUGE difference between feeling uncomfortable and feeling unsafe.
HUGE difference. Both have the imply that Dan isn’t innocent, but one is life ruining and one isn’t. I wish people wouldn’t conflate the two, but it seems like the media is running with this and making the angle all about sexual assault. I get it, but I do feel a TINY bit of compassion for Dan.
Thanks Cho!! I’m having so much fun watching this season, I’m understanding, feel it is simpler to know what is going on, and after so many seasons, for some of us, we could use a refresher course on ways of the game. ME DEFINITELY BEING ONE.
(I’m not thrilled with the way Dan was clearly spoken to, THEN a topic again at tribal. The blurb explained it was handled by the powers that be, as well as cast spoken to individually, therefore handled)
CHO, TT, BANJO AND EVERYONE, HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. XO
Thank you so much cheryl for being along for the ride that is called Survivor! I know it’s been a struggle for you to keep up, but you’re right here along with us, and I appreciate you! I just want to see what the Survivors all think about this situation now that it’s been aired…
I feel differently about last night’s show than most of you. I think CBS handled this as best as they could. It was a difficult situation. 5 of the women had made comments on camera about Dan being too handsy. Kellee was the most visibly upset about it. CBS can not ignore the comments and can not afford to allow the public to think the concerns were not addressed. No, there didn’t appear to be any sexual aggression from Dan at all but he did ignore verbal requests to stop. He needn’t be vilified, but he is not an innocent. Still, I see how it was a difficult position for Kellee to be in while trying to game play for $2 million; to complain or not to complain. The horrible, horrible thing that happened was for Missy and Liz to exaggerate their accusations for game play, then lie about it, and place all of the blame on Janet.
The positive about last night show’s for my house was it gave me an excellent opportunity to discuss with my youngest son the seriousness of respecting personal space (i.e., listen and respect a person if they tell you your behavior is bothering them) and the equal seriousness of false/exaggerated accusations.
Wow Suzy I really appreciate this comment. It sums up probably 80% of the feelings I currently have about the situation after discussing it with others. I’m still harboring some resentment towards CBS.
Thank you for having such an important conversation with your son.
Cho- Anpng recap for such an intense 2 hr show. Aaron is so hot but I still findoôu Jamal and his muscular neck the size psexiest.
I think a couple of the girls felt uncomfortable around Dan but the other girls used it to put a target on Dan’s back. I thought the flash backs of all of Dan’s “touching” was bullshit! I’m sure any of the guys could have been edited the same way with flashbacks. Is it just me or does almost everyone that go see Rob and Sandra end up at risk during the next tribal council?
I agree. The inidividual clips of Dan touching the other women could feasibly be used on literally anyone else. Together though combined with the context of complaints, it tells a different story. I’m still somewhat torn. I’m slowly becoming a TINY bit more compassion for Dan but not by much. I’m thankful for the different views I’m seeing. I’ve calmed down a lot from last night.
Yes, going to island of the idols is like a near-death sentence.
Oops! Sorry about my spelling-should
be amazing, find and sexiest.
I just re-watched it because I wanted to see it with my eyes open. It was cut off with Jamal and Aaron were giving their different point of views. I understand both points. Aaron stated that if the Dan situation was true, he and the other men would of known about it. Jamal was saying just b’c no one saw it doesn’t mean it’s not true..
Aaron is apologizing and crying on twitter and asking to be forgiven over his comment. Kellee approves of Aaron’s apology. I guess now Kellee is the all knowing spokesperson on the #MeToo movement since Dan touched her hair. Dan is being called #CreepyDan, Weinstein (sp?), and if you google Survivor Dan, it comes up Survivor Dan Touching; how humiliating it must be for him.
I think Dan is a bit touchy-feely and the girls ran with it to better their game, with the exception of Kellee. She was the only one that stayed true to her feelings, but if he just touched her hair that is not enough to ruin someone’s life. I am kinda disgusted with all of this. Clearly Liz, Missy and even Lauren lied about it and Janet took the fall for it, which is just terrible. Janet truly thought she was helping these girls.
When they showed Dan massaging the girls a few episodes ago, Dan said to the girls that they asked him to crack their backs. Both Missy and Elizabeth said to Dan (after these allegations came out) that they still want to sleep in the same spot with him and do not feel uncomfortable with him.
If Kellee was so offended/scared of Dan, why did she want to vote Missy out and not Dan? She went with Dan after Jamal offered it.
I’m annoyed that Jamal is out. I love his smile and his dimples; I just like him. It was Aaron’s idea according to the edit. Aaron is obviously a very strong player.
I felt so bad for Janet thinking she was doing the right thing for all the girls crying to her about Dan, then she gets attacked for it. This is all so wrong.
Last week Jamal was too aggressive, this week Dan is creepy. What’s next week?
Dan might be too touchy. I wouldn’t like it if someone was touching my leg or tickling my feet. I would simply say stop it right now. It doesn’t seem like the girls said that, but I might have missed it. The only thing I didn’t like with Dan was when Elizabeth said he had him arm on her hip and asked her if it was too much..Yes it’s too much! I think this is just how he is with no abusive intent and it should of been handled different by CBS. Dan needs to know boundaries (if true) and the girls need to learn not to run with a lie over a game.
So now Dan, Aaron, Missy, Elizabeth and probably Lauren are all getting dragged on social media. They signed up for a game that they love and now look what is happening.
Terrible. There is nothing wrong with Dan touching Kellee’s hair after she made a comment that it might be dirty or something to that effect.
I think Dan is off all social media because his mental state is at risk if he reads all of the things about him for an innocent touch, tickle whatever..
Still Mad that Jamal is gone. I was rooting for him. I would of liked to see him go further along with Janet, Elaine and Aaron.
And since it was cut off, I missed the part when Jeff, the Host went after Dan. I want to see that.
Thank you for your own little recap of what happened! haha
I think Kellee didn’t follow through with trying to get Dan out because it wasn’t actually best for her game where as taking Missy out was. Unfortunately, everything changed when she bonded with Missy over Dan and Lauren/Tommy turned on her. That was the turning point for Kellee going home.
Jeff definitely was about to drag Dan, because she was getting overly defensive (and rightfully so) about the implications this situation could have on his life.
Also, some people have difference boundaries. I think Dan’s flagrant lack of awareness of physical boudnaries is troubling AT best, and I don’t judge Kellee for feeling uncomfortable. I just wish she would have followed through with production.
Cho you deserve all the compliments for getting this recap up especially after double episodes AND probably the most difficult episodes to unpack of the entire season!!! Great job and thank you!!
I have such mixed feelings.
I was yelling at Kellee during tribal to DO IT! Even if playing her idol had been wasted she definitely wouldn’t have been suspected for having another one, and could have gone on to some powerful gameplay. I was bummed she went out like that. She should have known that if she was bringing up Missy’s name, Missy was bringing up hers. Dean should have given her a heads up after last week, but I knew that move wasn’t going to pay off for her. And then to watch the conversation about Dan at the next tribal but not be able to participate in it… just not the ending I hoped for for Kellee.
I was rooting for Missy but I’m definitely less of a fan now.
Based on what aired, Dan reminded me of someone who would make me uncomfortable. Elizabeth’s confessionals made my stomach churn. Yes Survivor can be a microcosm of society but it is also an extremely heightened and unique environment. This is so complicated.
It felt weird to watch scenes of finger wagging at Dan in between scenes of Jamal attempting to pass off a handwritten note as an advantage (I thought this IOI “lesson” was random and kind of a double sabotage.) The producers chose to spend a lot of minutes on Dan’s behavior. I honestly don’t know how I’d handle it. Like I said, mixed feelings. Please do the roundup you mentioned, I’d love to learn more and gain more insight.
I’m all in for Janet right now but I doubt anyone will want her at the end with them. I’d love to hang out with her and Elaine, I bet it’d be a lot of laughs 🙂
Thanks so much MJ for the comment. I’m still reeling from the episode and its implications, but I’m slowly calming down. There’s still so much to unpack, and I’m just taking in all the comments and different viewpoints for what they’re worth. I’ve already gotten into one squabble on twitter, and I refuse to get into some toxic fucking smack down over this!!
I’m overall just extremely sad for Kellee. I was rooting for her. It’s going to be hard to watch the following episodes knowing what has now happened in real life and how people would have done things differently. Pretty sure no one will want to actually REWATCH this season. Just imagine going back and watching all those scenes when women complained about Dan… Or the confessional Kellee made episode one where she says Dan’s lack of physical boundaries will cost him the game. How ironic.
I think something that’s being missed, is that Missy previously did express her discomfort over Dan situation after it immediately happened (can’t remember the episode) At least from what was shown, Missy & Kellees conversation was them bonding over their experience. I do think Missy would have been fine voting him out for the touchy feely stuff. Now, I do think it’s low for Missy & Elizabeth (moreso her) to lean into sentiment. But they were genuine. Now where it went left is Lauren and Liz used Missy & Kellee’s authentic bonding moment to weaponize it against Kellee with Missy. By turning “the bonding moment was fake and she wants you out.” Here is where 70/30 ratio (real life motive of getting Dan & game motive) jumped to 100 all game. Her discomfort (however slight) wasn’t enough to jeopardize her position in the game. Which contributes the blow and the self preservation while keeping an “unjust” target on Janet.
The right thing for Missy to have done was say hey, the bonding moment I had with Kellee is real but my level of discomfort didn’t outweigh my game needs and I heard my name in her mouth. Another factor I think plays into things are people’s personal boundaries thresh hold.
This comment wins.
This was the critical moment that turned the tide onto Kellee that people are kind of missing. But remember that perception is reality. Lauren may have genuinely thought that Kellee’s bonding moment with Missy was fake and more of a jury vote ploy. Let’s not forget Tommy’s role in this particular instance as he was the one who was butthurt about Kellee wanting to vote out Missy in the first place.
Missy should have done what you said, but that also would have weakened her position in the game. Let’s keep it real here: Missy is playing a near flawless game, and I think is in the position to win it all at this point. If society was made up of robots, we would be applauding her move.
We’re in the midst of huge cultural changes, a shift, some would call it social movement. It feels awful because, as the norms begin to change, we don’t all agree on what that should look like and the Information Age – a friggin’ movement of its own – heightens all those disagreements while we try to figure it out.
Should ‘creepy old guy’ even be a thing we allow or normalize? I’m old now but hell, I could’ve done well without them 30 years ago. But I think we’re struggling to define what inappropriate touch looks like. Intent should matter right? Did Dan touch male castmates in the same way? Did Kellee touch females? If she did, would it make a difference what her sexual orientation is? Are we gonna take the rules of sexual touch or harassment by someone in power in the workplace and apply them to every day relationships? I guess we all want the personal power to control who touches us but geesh, this is going too far.
I think CBS had no choice but to address the issue head on. Talk about damned if you do! People would’ve been twittering one way or the other but moreso if they hadn’t. I think there are those that want to make Dan a poster boy for what they want to be the new normal. Dan’s behavior was normal amongst the people he interacted with on a daily basis but it is rapidly becoming unacceptable in large population in our country.
Elizabeth and Missy suck. Elaine is southern where that type of behavior is more likely to be suffered by women and Janet has probably seen it her whole life as well. She shoud be old enough to have learned that riding into battle on the strength of someone else’s perceived woundings never turns out well though. She has her hands in the air : “this doesn’t bother me but it bothers them so…” Hmmmm.
Things are getting good! Thanks Cho ☺
Thank you so much for your insight onto this episode. You bring up a lot of thought-provoking questions about how we deal with this stuff in the real world. I for one don’t think there’s an excuse for “creepy old guys” being creepy. Based purely on the example of others, I wouldn’t engage in such behavior, because I’d be so afraid of such an accusation, true or not!
The sad thing is that this situation with Dan is being conflated with sexual assault, and I’m not sure if I’m willing to accept that as the case here. It’s just not accurate. Again, what Dan did was wrong and should be frowned upon, but what level of severity is this and what’s the appropriate way to respond? Is it for his life to be ruined?
“But I think we’re struggling to define what inappropriate touch looks like. Intent should matter right?”
No, intent does not matter. “I thought grabbing you by your pussy would be funny, that’s all.” “I love you, I just wanted to make you feel good.” Intent. Does. Not. Matter.
The only thing that made Dan’s touchiness inappropriate was he was asked several times to stop and he did not. That’s it. The women’s comments were address by production and Dan was appropriately not asked to leave the show.
You’re right. I think what I’m trying to say is that Dan’s protest is false because, as far as we know, he was not touchy feely with the men. He wouldn’t have touched Brian’s hair in the same way he did Kelee”s. His intent was sexually driven otherwise she *might* not have felt uncomfortable.
But again, I agree with you in that consensuality is the bottom line. I just want to get to that point where someone shouldn’t *have to* ask to be left alone like that. It’s already assumed that Brian wouldn’t want Dan to touch his hair. Why should Kelee have to ask, repeatedly, for the same thing?
I also agree that CBS did the right thing not asking him to leave the show. Dan’s just the guy the’re pointing to when they say “see that? That’s what we want to have stop!”. They’re taking it too far though w what the consequences should be.
Kellee saying that there’s something in her hair is not an invitation for Dan to rub his hands through it. That was a really uncomfortable moment to watch.
Thank you for these comments Dee & Suzy.
This episode was disturbing to me. What Dan did was certainly inappropriate and creepy but I hate that he’s being crucified the way he it. If that was the only thing that happened it wouldn’t have turned into the spectacle that it has but a lot of gross things happened and it haS just snowballed. Missy and Liz using it as a game play was going too far but the most disturbing part to me was when everyone turned it around on Janet and tried to gaslight her into thinking she was the one who had done something wrong.
100% to this. The gaslighting of Janet is what hurt me the most. I have a pretty great fucking life. I have great relationships. Outside of business drama, the most drama I have in life is when Starbucks is out of almond milk. But unfortunately, I DO have several friends who have gone through sexual assault, rape, physical abuse etc. and it breaks my heart trying to stay strong and support them through their trials. We’re taught to support our friends and stand up for what’s right, but is this what happens when we do that??? I almost started crying when Janet said she was contemplating quitting the game.
I just relate so strongly to Janet’s position in life.
Well, I guess I don’t belong on this website. I completely disagree.
I think Dan is a massive CREEP and I don’t feel bad for him.
He quite obviously does not stop when someone tells him to stop.
He was pissed at Kellee when she got grossed out by him touching her hair. She literally ran away from him and he went running after her screaming he washed his hands.
And not to mention the way he just had to grab Noura with both hands at TC to try and brush it off.
He’s disgusting, and I’m surprised so many people here are defending him.
I thought what happened to Jamal was ridiculously unfair. ANYBODY would have taken that note. Why would he think there would be a penalty…There never has been one before.
Oh I think Dan was totally creepy and what he did was not ok. You can’t say he’s just a touchy feely person bc he only got really handsy with the young, cute girls and the way he was acting toward Kellee and Janet at tribal made me want to smack him. I just think there were a lot of things going on that made the whole situation worse and he doesn’t deserve for his life to be ruined over it.
Thanks for not blasting me!
I’m not sure how this is ruining his life.
Damaging his reputation yes.
And sorry, it is not made up. It may have been exaggerated, but he still did it.
Why shouldn’t he be called out for it?
But I’d bet money that most people that know him are not surprised.
ZZZ your opinion is valid. I don’t know what I would have done in that situation. Because I have never been stranded on an island to play a game before. In all of the seasons people generally sleep together in a big pile. These little huts they have built are new and I never noticed them until this episode.
ANY unwanted touch is unnacceptable. But the thing I dislike about the #MeToo movement is that there is no spectrum for the touching and all punishment is basically to ruin people’s lives. There is a big difference between rapist like Weinstein and people who don’t understand personal space issues. BTW, personal space issues vary wildly by country.
That said Dan had been told by Kelee that his touches were unwelcome and he continued. I feel like Dan needed to be educated on his unwanted, nonsexual touches and how they can cause emotional damage to women. I don’t think Dan is some sort of sexual predator. I think he just is one of those people who don’t understand personal space. Like close talkers. Kellee was definately in the right for discussing it with producers. Producers were definately right about speaking to everyone individually and giving Dan a warning.
To me, Elizabeth being a lying cut about the whole thing makes her the worst person on the island. I believe that Dan was clueless and mortified by the whole thing. I felt the same way for Al Franken.
There is a continum for abuse. There should be a continum for our responses. What I would have done, or at least would like to believe I would have done, would have been to remove Dan’s hand from my body. Or I would have gotten triggered and done nothing. I honestly don’t know.
I do think CBS blew up Dan’s whole life with all the production notes showing up on the screen.
I want Liz gone next. People who lie about anything on the unwanted physical encounter spectrum are the reason people do not believe us,
Also, Aaron is young and hot AF and has no idea how women respond to unwanted advances. He learned a lot from Jamal, and from watching the season back. If the goal of this was a teachable moment. He had one. We don’t need to castrate all the men to get our points across.
Thank you for this comment TT. Everyone should read it. It’s a rational case for why we should have some amount of compassion for Dan. Emphasis on the word some. You’ve definitely helped to move the needle in terms of my opinion and I thank you for that!!
I agree that Dan is far from innocent. The scene where he grabs her hair is extremely uncomfortable and needs to be considered. Kellee saying there’s dirt in her hair is NOT an invitation for him to grab it.
ALSO, Jamal’s trip to island of the idols is SUCH BULLSHIT and has unfortunately been brushed aside due to the other drama. How unfair of a twist is that? Did the producers ACTUALLY think that a Survivor would walk past that note and not grab it???? It was essentially a landmine that was going to blow up whosoever game it touched.
Another issue brushed under the table is Dean voting against Kellee and not giving her a heads up. There’s so many issues with this episode. lol I could go on.
I just finally was able to watch this episode today, it was killing me to not chime in sooner! I have a lot of thoughts, and a lot of confusion about this episode. It was hard for me to determine where real concerns about Dan ended, and where it was gameplay for some people. I think Janet’s intentions were pure. I think Lauren’s counterpoint was very interesting. But it was murky, and confusing, and emotional, and probably very much like how this plays out in real life. I understand Dan getting frustrated with Jeff for pushing the issue, and I understand why Jeff had to press it further. Not only did the girls exonerate him, but even implied that they liked his coziness. It was a lot to unpack.
Anyway, on to lighter topics. I was so ready for Jamal to go. I always feel like he’s lecturing, but also a bit of a hypocrite. Despite his high minded talk about respecting women, he snatched that reward away from Karishma without blinking, and karma bit him for that. However, as much as he bugs me, his speech at Council was right on and I was glad he shut Aaron up. “If there was a problem, I would have known about it!” Dean continues to be hot. Karishma seems to have nine lives. Maybe she’ll be the Vecepia of this season.
This episode Pissed me the fuck off. “A DISGUSTING MOCKERY OF THE #METOO MOVEMENT “ pretty much sums it up.
Those girls are cuntsatchels for bringing it up then back pedaling and using it for gameplay. Then gaslighting Janet was unforgivable. They are clueless children who have no idea what women have endured for generations.
Can’t believe Kelee went out with TWO idols in pocket. Never seen so many people go with idols in their pockets. Stupid AF.
I appreciated Jamal’s comments at tribal. But AARON. I JUST CANNOT. I HATE HIM WITH THE FIRE OF A THOUSAND SUNS AND CALLED IT EARLY ON. HE LEARNED NOTHING FROM THIS AND THIS ASSHOLE IS GOING TO WIN. Good looking blinds everyone to douchebaggery and dumb af. ( full disclosure, this is why I’ve always had a bad picker)
Fuck Dan and fuck CBS. Sorry but he IGNORED IT when he was told to his face he was making them uncomfortable. Fuck CBS for capitalizing on this too. Here’s my take: any time we as society make a huge shift we swing the pendulum way in the opposite direction at first and that’s what happening now. Eventually it will be sussed out and we get to a happy medium. So the creepy touchy guys are going to get lumped in with the rapists and molesters for a while and then it will get sorted into the subcategories. If you don’t want to be lumped in, then LEARN SOME FUCKING BOUNDARIES and if you’re lucky enough to have someone speak up and tell you to your face then you better take the chance to change your behavior STAT. It’s just the cycle of how things work in society and there will be injustices like Dan being made to look worse than he was. He had a chance to listen and change but chose to be defensive. It will all come out in the wash. And what about all the women’s lives that have been ruined and went to their graves with zero justice. I see them all (as in the women and the Dans) as necessary casualties in a war for the greater good of changing progressively better societal norms for the future of civilization, in hope of equality once and for all. But this cultural change has nothing to do with CBS and their ratings so they can all go eat shit and fuck themselves. ESPECIALLY AFTER THE LES MOONVES SHIT.
Janet has learned that no good deed goes unpunished but she’s the only one that I feel I can root for at this point and now feel like the rest of the season is going to piss me off more. I need to take a break from my binge because I AM FURIOUS.
PS- CHO, your recaps are incredible and I don’t know how you managed to do this one. But, you did an ahhhmazing job given the enormity of this episode. Bravo!
Sorry for the rant.
I love getting caught up with you. xo
I am SO happy that you have caught up and read all the recaps. Thank you so much for joining us late in the game. It’s a good season, and I hope you stick with us through to the end even after the controversy that happened this merge episode.
Much love!!
Why is my rant in moderation?
Okay yeah…probably just want to delete that rant, lol. I was super PISSED! Plus I already forgot what it said and I’m back into the show and these are just rambling comments while I binge.