My Messy, Sweet Little Friend (S46: Episode 11)

This episode was a rollercoaster for me. I found myself not rooting for any of the people I was rooting for the week before, and more unsure of who I want to win than ever before. 

The immunity challenge was a blast to watch. We haven't seen a challenge that close and evenly matched in a while. It was truly anyone's game until the very end, with Maria ultimately securing the win in a nail-biting finish. Her decision to put Liz and Q through a rock-paper-scissors showdown for the final reward spot was strategically questionable. By removing the ownership from her strategy there, she inadvertently pissed people off. In a game as complex as Survivor, every move counts, and moments like this could make or break your final jury votes.

While we're on the subject of questionable moves, let's talk about Ben voting for Kenzie aka “Kensey” at Tribal Council. Homeboy seems to be fully checked out at this point. Perhaps the harsh conditions of the game have finally taken their toll on him, or maybe he's playing a more complex game than we realize (but I really don’t think so). Only time will tell.

Venus finds the idol, and this leads to Season 46 breaking an all-time Survivor record for most players voted out with an unused idol in their pocket. Four castaways have fallen victim to this trend (RIP Jem, Tiff, and Hunter), with Venus being the latest casualty. Makes you wonder if the idol is the new era’s curse. Plus, the last three that this has happened to have all believed that Q was the actual target over them. I have no doubt that this season will shift the way future players determine when and how to use their idols. If only Venus could have kept quiet about it, I truly think she would have lasted another day and could have pulled off an epic blindside that would’ve gained her some major resume points. But her decision to tell Charlie that she “has something up her sleeve” was enough to swing the target back her way. If this season is teaching us anything, it’s 1. Play the idol, 2. Shut the #%$* up. Time will tell if this move pays off for Charlie, or if he'll come to regret not taking out Maria's other #1, Q, when he had the chance.

Amidst all the chaos, one player who consistently brought entertainment and unpredictability to the season was Venus. While her chaotic nature may have rubbed some of us the wrong way initially (me), the further she progressed, the more I began to appreciate and respect her ability to progress through all the mess. Her blindside this episode was a bittersweet moment, as we bid farewell to a true Survivor character who reminded me a little bit of the good ole early 2000s casting days. 

Let’s check out the league - 

Maria brought in 40 points for her tribes thanks to winning an immunity/reward challenge. Venus, despite being voted out, brought in one final swing of 28 points for her tribes thanks to finding the idol (and being voted out with it in her pocket). No huge shake ups in the standings this week, but Rachael jumped from the 10th ranking to the 4th which is a pretty significant leap at this point in the game. 

With the departure of Venus, Strega Mandi is now the only person with four tribe members remaining in the game. Everyone else has three or fewer including Edrick who is in this week’s #1 spot for the third week in a row. Is this everyone else’s chance to finally sneak into that #1 spot? No one lost their Sole Survivor pick, but two of our league members did lose their final remaining tribe member; Emma W. and Allison K. - The tribe has spoken. Sorry for you. 

-Your Tribemasters Liv + Brian