Telenovela (S43: Episode 12)

I am L-I-V-I-N for this episode. Anyone else’s heart still racing from what was undeniably the most exciting and strategic gameplay we’ve seen thus far? It really felt like THE mic drop moment we’ve all been waiting for in an otherwise pretty timid season. And it came from the sweetest villain you’ll ever meet, Mr. Jesse Lopez. But before we dive into his epic shenanigans, let’s take a look at what led up to it.

The morning after Sami’s departure, Owen reveals to Cassidy that Karla had been gunning for her in the previous vote. And from there on out, the episode seems to be a series of unfortunate events where we’re watching Karla’s game unwind and slip through her (very crampy) fingers. She puts on two performances of fake tears - one to convince Cassidy that she wasn’t targeting her, and the other to convince Owen and Cody that she didn’t have an idol. All of this backfires as Jesse reveals to Cassidy that Karla was trying to pull one over on her, and Cassidy reveals to Cody that Karla does in fact have an idol. The tribe was already targeting her, but these Emmy-worthy waterworks only added fuel to their fire. Then comes the immunity challenge where Karla was 3 puzzle pieces away from winning until seemingly out of nowhere, her hands start cramping, she twists her ankle, and she sort of just altogether…malfunctions. This is enough for Cassidy to snag the lead, and win another immunity necklace.

When they return to camp, Cody devises a clever plan to blindside Karla by convincing her they need to work together to keep their idols in play until the next vote. Karla completely buys into it and doesn’t even seem to question Cody’s legitimacy. While Cody is all jacked up on excitement from his plan coming together, his #1 ally Jesse begins formulating what ends up being the most exciting, multi-layered, and impressive move of the entire season - blindsiding his BFF while flushing the idol of the game’s other biggest target, all while keeping his own idol a complete secret. Production keeps us on our toes by never showing us whether or not Cody gave his idol back to Jesse. A post-game interview with Cody revealed that Cody gave it back to him because Jesse planted the seed in his head that Karla might have a Knowledge is Power advantage. Jesse never explicitly asked for the idol back, but the fear he stirred up was enough for Cody to offer it back to him right before tribal council. Jesse seems to have a real knack for quietly and cunningly crossing his t’s and dotting his i’s. Once they’re at tribal council, the plan comes to fruition. If Karla had a couple of minutes to process what Jesse just did, she probably could have deciphered that there was no need to play her idol, but given the mere seconds she had to manage the shock of that move, it makes sense that she went the route of safety by playing her own idol. And just like that… Jesse’s diabolical blindside/idol flush goes exactly as planned. Cowboy Island Cody gets snuffed by his bestie, and Karla becomes the victim of her own Telenovela. In the final moments of the episode, Survivor Nation held their breath to see how Cody and Jesse would part ways after the backstab. Jesse stands up to shake Cody’s hand. Time seems to stand still for eternity as Cody contemplates whether or not to accept it, but after a brief pause, he does. And producers couldn’t script a better bro hug if they tried.

A Hui Hou & Alllooohaaaaaaa to the loveable and highly entertaining Cody The League! Not much of a shake up in points this week. Our top 3, Rachael, Petra, and Emma, remain in their same positions. Tom D. is the only one to lose his Sole Survivor, while Erin, Abby, and Elissa lose the final remaining member of their tribe, Cody. Erin, Abby, and Elissa - the tribe has spoken. Though it seems unlikely that we’ll see someone else rise to the top with one episode left, Rachael, Petra, and Emma all have the same Sole Survivor, Jesse. This means if Jesse doesn’t end up making it to the final three and winning, there’s a slight chance someone else could earn some mega points and make a comeback. Only time will tell!

HAPPY FINALE, VUKELULU TRIBE!!!!

-Tribemasters Liv + Brian