SURVIVOR 41 (Episode 6)

WE MADE IT TO THE... MERGE(A-TORY)?????? Well, this was certainly an episode of Survivor firsts… 1. No one was eliminated from the game 2. Kind of merge and yet not a merge 3. A challenge for individual immunity that’s won as a group 4. A “merge feast” with only half of the “merged” tribe, and last but ooohhhhh CERTAINLY not least 5. The opportunity for a castaway to “reverse history” by smashing an hourglass?? Let’s review, shall we?

• We begin the episode, once again, at a tense UA camp. With only TWO tribe members remaining. Shan and Ricard are still in an awkward debate over the advantage that originally belonged to JD then became Shan’s and now is in the possession of Ricard. Shan argues that Ricard said he would give it back and him not giving it back makes her question his trustworthiness. Ricard argues that if they really are as tight as she says they are, why does it matter if he holds onto it? Eventually Ricard gives in and hands it back over to Shan, but not without resistance. I have a feeling the fallout from this disagreement might linger. It feels like they’re siblings who are besties but also know each other so well that they know not

• We get to the challenge and Jeff is really flexing his acting skills. “DROP YOUR BUFFS” and then... *record scratch*... “For the moment, you are without a buff and without a tribe. Like every other thing so far in this game, you are going to earn your way into the merge.”

• They draw rocks for teams - Blue Team is STACKED with Ricard, Evvie, Deshawn, Danny, and Sydney. Yellow Team is the clear underdog with Tiffany, Heather, Shan, Liana, and Xander. Naseer and Erika draw the gray rocks which means they don’t participate… (Any seasoned viewer knows that means some additional twist is coming).

• WOW - Whatta challenge!!! Production clearly spent some of their downtime in the Q brainstorming because this season has had some really exciting new challenge components. Honestly this challenge had me in tears! The teamwork. The camaraderie. The exhaustion. (Sorry the only person sappier than Jeff Probst these days is me). The Blue Team ultimately pulls out the win, but not without a VERY impressive comeback performance by the underdog Yellow Team.

• Through an alleged game of “paper, rock, scissors,” the Blue Team chooses to bring Naseer with them to the merge feast and to send Erika off alone to Exile for two days and two nights (further affirming that she’s at the bottom of the LUVU group).

• The merge feast is overall underwhelming. No major strategy talk, but this is probably because it’s a LUVU heavy group. We do hear Danny reveal to Evvie that the guys are concerned about the women creating an alliance. We also get to enjoy Naseer’s excitement about his buff: “Smells really good. LooOoOoovveeee the color”

• The losing team heads to LUVU’s old camp, and the most confusing part of the episode takes place… IN FRONT OF TIFFANY, Shan asks Liana if she got the advantage from their trek together. WHAT ON EARTH WAS SHAN THINKING????????? Maybe she just wasn’t thinking? Brain fart? Was it an accident? I DON”T KNOW. Shan, please explain this to me!!!!!!!!! Tiffany being the chaotic queen that she is quickly finds out what Liana’s advantage is and we can only expect that she will ensure that the pot will be STIIRRREDD between the YASE four.

• Liana, Shan, Danny, and Deshawn quickly form a bond as the people of color on the season, and decide to create a final-four alliance. This has the potential to be a complete powerhouse alliance. They collectively have a great chance of winning individual immunities. They have multiple advantages/idols as a group. And three out of four of them are from different original tribes which means they have some level of connection with every person on the “merged” tribe. If they can keep this alliance under the radar for a few more votes, I think they’ve got a solid shot at final four.

• We’ll wrap up this recap with the most… interesting… part of this episode. Jeff rides up to Exile Island on a boat, and checks in with Erika briefly before revealing that (to no one’s surprise) her time on Exile comes with an opportunity to shake up the game. He hands her an hourglass and a mallet and gives her until her departure from Exile to decide if she’d like to reverse history by flipping the outcome of the previous challenge, giving herself and the other losing tribe members immunity, while the winning group would have to relinquish their buffs and compete in the next immunity challenge. While I’m not entirely opposed to the craziness of this new twist, I think it’s made less interesting because of the person who received it. Erika knows she’s at the bottom, so she absolutely needs immunity and doesn’t really have many bridges left to burn anyway. It’s a no brainer decision. I’d be much more interested to see how someone with a lot of relationships like Shan or Deshawn or Danny managed this type of decision if they knew it would put their allies at risk. I think we all know a slow-mo shot of Erika smashing the hourglass is kicking off next week’s episode.

NOW FOR THE LEAGUE!

Everyone’s “alternate” castaway has now been added to their tribe (if they’re still in the game, of course). This means you’ll now receive points for all members of your tribe who are still in the game, including your alternate. This additional castaway on your tribe may revive some of us who have been falling behind, buuuuut it also may further solidify the leads of some of our frontrunners. Andrew and Brendan for example, our top scoring members of the league this week with 74 points and 76 points respectively, both now have FIVE active tribe members, in comparison to Tori, Petra, and Casey who trudge along with only two active tribe members.

With no one getting sent home this week, most of us racked in a fair number of points, but not enough to steal any of the top three spots from our usual frontrunners Brendan (255), Matt R. (252), and Rachael (237). Look out for Amy (236) though - slowly and stealthily continuing to sneak her way into a steady top spot in the league!

xoxo

Your fave tribemasters,

Liv + Brian