Episode 11 Chat

Welcome to the conversation about episode 11 of season 46 of survivor!

“My Messy, Sweet Little Friend”

The write up about this episode is complete, see below.

In last week’s comments, it was mentioned that some of you come here just to support me. While I appreciate that very much, still, I don’t want you to feel like you have to do that. What I wanted was a soft landing for all of us who followed Jackie’s blog, to come together and soften the blow of her passing away, together. I feel like that has been accomplished.

I know that what I started here in this corner of my website, it has a completely different feel than what Jackie did.  I provided the space to give us a place to meet and chat until we were ready to let Jackie go. In this effort, I have discovered that I enjoy writing out the Survivor episodes so much that I will very likely keep doing this for future seasons. I like writing it out and rethinking my initial opinions about players and situations. I feel this might even be good for my own emotional healing and development. So, I’ll keep at it, save the link (motherguru.ca) and come back any time.

Feel welcome to check in at the start of each new season and from time to time throughout, just to say “hi!” for old times sake. In the future I’ll make a blog pool for whomever wants in. But, again, I don’t want any of you to feel like you HAVE to come here just because you loved Jackie. You are more than welcome to come here and to try to find each other back, but this blog is going to evolve into whatever comes natural to me, and that might no longer suit you, and that is absolutely fine with me. I’m just glad I could provide the meeting place while we all adjust to the loss of Jackie and “The (TV) Show Must Go On.”

Do you know what I mean? Does this make sense?

At any rate, please feel free to head down to the comments, that is where the fun is, the opinions of many, the astute observations, and of course that’s where our friendships will hopefully continue to grow and expand. That said, as a shy, silent lurker on Jackie’s blog for over a decade, I can wholeheartedly state that lurkers are very welcome here as well.

Though I am based in the Mountain time zone, I’ll be watching the show with the NY/Toronto time zone tonight, typing quick notes which will display at the bottom of this post.

Did you miss something and want to see it written out? Or maybe you can’t view the show this season for some reason, but you still wonder what is going on? Don’t worry, I’ve got you. On Thursday and Friday, and sometimes on Saturday too I’ll spend about many hours streaming and pausing the episode, and looking for deleted scenes online, so that I can write out some of the juiciest details for us to enjoy again:

• Who all was present for that conversation?
• What exactly was said by whom?
• How did the individual players perform in the challenges?
• Who voted for whom?
• What were the final words of the person voted out?
• What details were in the previews of the next episode?

On Sunday I will watch the show a third time, just for fun, with my late-watching Survivor pals. So, if YOU are also a late watcher, please don’t hesitate to add your comments to the conversation! The more the merrier!!

• BACK TO MAIN PAGE
• LINK to Episode 1 “This is Where the Legends are Made” Days 1-3
• LINK to Episode 2 “Scorpio Energy” Days 4-5
• LINK to Episode 3 “Wackadoodles Win” Days 6-7
• LINK to Episode 4 “Don’t Touch the Oven” Days 8-9
• LINK to Episode 5 “Tiki Man” Days 10-11
• LINK to Episode 6 “Cancel Christmas” The Big Merge
• LINK to “Episode Several” Days 13 & 14
• LINK to Episode 8 “Hide ‘n Seek” Days 15 & 16
• LINK to Episode 9 “Spicy Jeff” Day 17
• LINK to Episode 10 “Run The Red Light” Day 18 & 19

Scenes from tonight’s episode, shown at the end of episode 10:

• Kenzie walks alone through a green, overgrown meadow.
• Charlie: “An idol, at this point in the game, changes everything.”
• Kenzie to Ben: “We’re screwed.”
• Kenzie to camera: “Everyone’s lying” gagging sound.
• Venus: “Damn it, Maria, you went from being a hero to a villan real quick.”
• Charlie: “We all know what needs to be done.”
• Liz: “He’s a jerk.”
• Q: “I don’t feel guilty at all.” laughs.

Survivor Fans Ready? Let’s GOOOO!

The episode rewrite begins… By the way…I like, and can relate to, the growth Liz is experiencing, and I might still wear my glasses frames that happen to match hers.

Scenes from past episodes:

• At the site of the reward challenge, Liz stands beside Ben, Charlie & Venus and cries because Q did not invite her along to his food reward. She yells: “I’m Pissed!!!”
• Q lays on the upside down boat in the dark, Maria sits beside him: “I just want to make sure you are okay.” Q: “Oh, yeah.” Maria tells camera: “Q is a number that I can use to vote with me. I definitely want to keep him around.” Maria pats Q on the shoulder and walks away.
• Tiffany and Kenzie lay together in the reward challenge shelter. Tiffany: “Play me once, shame on you. Play me twice, shame on me.” Tiffany to camera: “Q kind of blew up his own game and has been causing chaos at camp. Tonight, I’m betting I can keep my idol in my pocket because Q is going home.”
• Kenzie to Maria while they gather wood: “I would love a big move, but if we all vote Tiff and she plays her idol tonight? It’s gonna be really, really bad.” Maria: “Right, but…” Maria to camera: “Kenzie is having cold feet, but at some point, you gotta make a move.”
• Ben, Charlie and Maria plot together at the water well. Maria: “We can take Tiff out tonight. Maybe we don’t tell Kenzie?” Maria to camera: “If I keep waiting for the light to turn green, it may not turn green.”
• Liz and Maria sit on the shore together. Maria: “We have one chance.” Maria to camera: “So, I’m gonna have to run the red light.” Ending shot of Maria in a power pose, just standin’ there, looking powerful.
• Tribal Council. Tiffany: “I don’t think that anybody here thinks that Q is best for their game at this point in time.” Jeff: “And yet, at the last two Tribals everything was swirling around Q. Q’s going home. Q’s going home. Nope, still here.” Q shakes his head. Tiffany does not play her idol. Tiffany becomes the 11th person voted out and the 4th member of the jury. Jeff holds up Q’s vote, which says: “Tiff: Yanu no more.” Maria smiles, quietly yet proudly. Kenzie looks shocked. Tiffany sighs as she leaves and tells camera in her final words that she broke her own Survivor rule, she should have played her idol.

Tonight’s show begins as the remains of the tribe return to camp in the dark, carrying their lit torches. 7 figures on the beach.

Nuinui Night 19

Kenzie: “Final Seven!” Charlie: “Final Seven.” Liz: “Hooooley Crap!” Venus: “Wow.” Kenzie: “I would have voted with y’all, if someone would have told me what was going on.” Eventually she leaves the group and heads to the shore.

Kenzie to camera, same night: “This Tribal was the first time I’ve been left out of a vote, and it’s the worst! It’s the worst feeling ever, because I’m like, what did I do to not, like, be in the club? Like, who-did I-like, why am I not trustworthy? Like, I’m so confused. And I’m mad because this was my idea to blindside Tiff, and now somebody else is getting the credit. Like, I’m mad at myself for not seizing the opportunity. Ugh! I just feel so dumb! I feel SO dumb.”

Kenzie sits alone on the upside down boat on the shore. Continues to camera: “I was having this whimsical, amazing time. I just let the game get away from me. I got blindsided too, you know?”

Charlie leaves the group and finds her there: “I don’t know if you want a hug right now, or anything, I -” Kenzie: “No, I-” Charlie: “I don’t even know.” They lean into each other, side to side, Charlie puts his arm around her back. Kenzie: “Like, why wasn’t I included, you know?” They pull apart. Charlie: “Yeah.” Kenzie: “Like, I know people were probably worried I would tell her,” Charlie: “I think that was the worry-” Kenzie: “Which, I understand completely.” Charlie looks quickly behind him towards camp, then says: “I mean, I’ll just say this: It wasn’t my move.” Kenzie: “Yeah.” Charlie: “Do you know what I mean?” Kenzie: “Was it Maria?” Charlie: “Yeah.” Kenzie: “Yeah, I knew it.”

Charlie to camera: “There’s always fallout after Tribal, but this vote was different because everybody who returned to camp voted for Tiff except Venus and Kenzie. And the way they were left out, left them really feeling bitter.So, my thinking was, talk to Kenzie, because this game is all about working with people, adapting to what’s in front of you, and keeping your options open.”

Kenzie to Charlie on that upsidedown boat: “It’s a great move. It’s, it’s IT’S MY MOVE!” Charlie: “I know, I know.” Kenzie: “That’s why I’m so mad!” Charlie, much quieter: “I know. Right now, we just have to, like, bide our time, you know?” Kenzie: “There’s no time. There’s six days left.” Charlie: “Well, it’s like-” Kenzie: “And I just, like-” Charlie: “Just, like, find the right moment, you know?” Kenzie: “I have to find that idol, is what I need to do.”

Kenzie to camera: “This is the first time I’ve been wrong in the game, but maybe this is what I needed to get my head back on straight and realize I came out here to play and to win. I’m just gonna have to get a little bit more crafty, pay a lot more attention, I can turn this around.”

The fire is light in the darkness. Liz, gazing at it, is most visible because she is sitting closest to it, nearby Q and Maria sit close together, both heads down, Ben lays in the foreground, feet facing fire, head facing away from all of them, knees up, hand flat on his belly. I see no one else in this scene. Ben: “Q, who would have thought? Final seven together, huh?” Laughs. Q: “Yes. We’re gonna rock out, Ben.” Ben: “Oh, we’re rocking out already.” Q: “We’re gonna have a good time.” Liz shakes her head and looks at Q, smiling – but not in a friendly way. Maria: “We can have our final five right here.” Liz looks down at the fire and bites her lip. Q: “So, I mean, who would be the fifth? Are you saying Charlie?” Maria: “Yeah, it’s be a good final five.”

Maria to camera: “This Tribal couldn’t have gone any better. Oh my gawd!” She giggles and shakes her head and smiles. “This vote was my idea, and I was able to get this group together, Q, Liz, Ben, me and Charlie, and just pull off an epic blindside. And it was just like the sweetest feast I’ve ever had.” She laughs. “This has lit such a fire in me, I do see the end, and I’m like, is it possible that maybe we are the final five? I could do this again! Let’s do it again!” Laughs. While she talks, the video shows Charlie returning to the campfire group. Final five gathered together.

Venus to Kenzie, on the upside down boat: “The blindside, even though we were on the wrong side of it, was a blessing in disguise.” Kenzie: “Yeah.” Venus: “We got rid of big competition and Maria put a huge target on her back.” Kenzie: “Yeah.” Kenzie lays on her back along the top of the boat, and Venus lays on her side, facing Kenzie, propped up on her elbow. Venus: “Let Maria think this is her move. Don’t give off the fact that you’re upset, and realistically, it’s gonna come and bite her in the ass.”

Venus to camera: “Maria’s played a very low-key game where everyone can tell she’s a potential threat, but this is the first time she really let her freak flag fly, and she’s announcing to the world, like, hey this is my move and I’m here to play. And it’s scary because Maria has a strong three with her, Charlie and Ben.”

Venus to Kenzie: “Siga three needs to be broken up.” Kenzie: “Yeah.” Venus: “But, tomorrow’s a new day, and we’re still in this game.” Kenzie: “Exactly.” Venus: “Yeah.” Kenzie: “Day 20. Ugh. What a mess.”

Opening Credits 6:08

Nuinui Day 20

The day is dawning but everything is still dark. At camp, Liz sleeps on her back beside a still crackling fire. On the beach, Maria settles down to sint on the ground, in front the upsidedown boat, leaning back against it and ready to watch the clouds and the sea in front of her as the sun rises. Birds fly overhead. Q joins Maria, and behind him, Kenzie is coming too. Kenzie calls out, “Good morning!” Maria replies, “Good morning!” Q sits on the boat and grunts. Like Maria, Kenzie settles on the ground, on the other side of Q’s legs. Q sits between them. Maria: “You sleep okay?” Kenzie chuckles: “Oh, no, I did not. It’s all good. I’m, like, shocked Tiff didn’t play her idol.” Maria: “I guess that means it’s time to start looking, right?” Kenzie: “Yeah” Maria looks over at Kenzie and backs up her head until she is blocked by Q. She looks up at Q, he looks down at her. With her mouth, her facial expressions, and her hands she gestures to him: “You. Go. You. Look.” She leans forward and wipes her eye as though that is what she had been doing all along.

• Q to camera: “With Tiff idol leaving in her pocket, we’re thinking it’s gonna come back to play at some point. We don’t know if there’s something out there just yet, but the only way to find it is to look for it.”
• Q gets up and leaves Kenzie and Maria at the boat. Kenzie moves closer to Maria. In the background, Q is walking towards camp, and Charlie is walking towards camp too, coming from the opposite direction of the beach, as though he had been on a walk alone.
• Q quietly tells Charlie: “Hey, we have to find that idol before Kenzie or Venus or somebody does.” Charlie whispers: “I know.” Q: “I’m gonna start looking.” Charlie: “Okay.”
• Charlie to camera: “Idol fever has struck Nuinui beach.”
• Still sitting against the boat, the sun shines brighter now, and Maria says to Kenzie: “Should we try to go looking?” Kenzie: “Probably. The fact that other people aren’t down here means they probably are.” Maria, getting up: “Yeah. Maybe we should try to go.” While they talk, we see video of Ben looking and of Q looking.
• Charlie to camera: “It was sort of a domino effect this morning.  Q started looking, then I started looking, then Ben started looking, then Venus started looking, then Kenzie started looking, then Maria started looking. And everybody’s looking for…(he imitates a drumroll)…Tiffany’s idol!”
• Maria pokes a stick between two large boulders. Q slashes between some bamboo stalks. Charlie rustles between some brown, dried foliage. Charlie: “Do you know where Tiff found hers?” Q, turning towards him: “I don’t.”
• Charlie to camera: “An idol at this point of the game changes everything. So, as much as I don’t want to look for an idol because I’m exhausted and starving and want to save my energy, it’s a necessity at this point.”
• Venus approaches Charlie. “Please tell me you’ve had some luck, because if Q finds this, I’m literally gonna freak out.” Charlie: “There’s no such thing as ‘some luck’ it’s just maybe finding it.” They both chuckle.
• Venus to camera: “At last Tribal, for the first time ever in this game, I was on the wrong side of the vote. So, I need to flip the script. I need to find this idol and I need ot find it quick.”
• Venus gestures at Q & Charlie and says to herself: “They’re searching over there. I don’t think it would be …”
• Q to camera: “I’ve looked from the front to the back to the top to the side. Oh, man, I’m exhausted.”

Venus to camera: “I’ve gone through probably some of the toughest times that I’ve ever had in my life here. But today, the thing that calms me down is A/ I know this island better than anyone. B/ I know where Ramden found his. and C/ I know where Tiffany found hers. So I have something to work off of, of where to look and where not to look. And I’m like, you know what? People are going hard. Let’s go through literally every single corner. And I take my little stick, and I’m pushing leaves, and I’m pushing leaves.” She finds it, under a rock shelf, at ground level, behind some of the leaves she was pushing. She is dressed in baggy pants and a baggy shirt, so she looks around then quickly hides it somewhere in her clothing. There is lots of room to hide it. She begins to walk away to a private place so she can read the note, but then she catches herself and opts to instead stay looking where the others can see her, so no one will miss her and suspect she has already found it. She waits for everyone to wander away from her before reading it.

Liz is still asleep beside the dying embers of the campfire. Peacefully snoring. Good for her, that must feel so nice to be deeply asleep right now.

Venus finally finds herself somewhat naturally alone. “Congratulations. You have found a Hidden Immunity Idol. When played at Tribal Council, any votes cast against you will not count. If you intend to play the Idol, you must do so anytime before the votes are read. The last time this can be used is when there are five players left in the game.”

Venus to camera: “I have the idol in my hand. And it is just an amazing feeling. Like, wow, Venus, you’re NOT blind, you’re NOT stupid. You actually got this. And if I play my cards correctly, I make it to final four. Like, hey, you underestimated me since day one, and look who’s here, and look who’s not.” She tucks the idol back into her clothes and skips down the pathway.

Commercials Break 11:58

Nuinui Day 20

A fruit bat hangs upside down in a tree to snack on some ripe fruit.

Ben sits on a log near the firepit, sleeping Liz is gone, but Kenzie is there changing her top. Ben looks the other way. Kenzie: “Day 20, Baby!” Ben: “I know, we gotta put the sticks in.” (Their calendar.) Kenzie: “Pretty cool!”

Kenzie to camera: “Being left out of the vote sucked, but I have definitely, like, thought about it, and I was just…I got too comfy cozy. I wasn’t on my P’s and Q’s. I wasn’t paying attention. Trying to balance your own individual game with a group of individuals that all have their own individual games. Everyone’s lying. You never know who is telling the truth. You don’t know who’s working with who. Ugh!” She leans to the side and sticks out her tongue.

While she is talking, video shows:

• Kenzie and Ben sitting close to the firepit, with Venus sitting kinda behind/between them on a log, head back, drinking water from her canteen.
• Ben and Q playing a game on the checker board that Tevin painted. Q, fully dressed, sits on a log, and Charlie, wearing only shorts and around his neck, his buff squats on the ground in front of him, on the other side of their game.
• Maria’s face as she listens to someone and laughs at what they said.
• Liz laughing at something someone said.

Venus and Kenzie walk through the foliage.

• Venus: “Even though it feels like we’re on the bottom, we’re in the perfect position of being in the middle of this…this war.”
• Kenzie to camera: “Right now, like, the only person that hasn’t lied to me is freakin’ Venus, which hilarious, but, like, really, she’s the only one who hasn’t lied to me.”
• Kenzie to Venus: “Maria made herself very threatening last night.” Venus: “I’m so curious as to what her next move is, because she’s not really hiding it.”
• Kenzie to camera: “I like Venus now. I like her as a person. I never in a million years thought we would be working together, but, here we are, me and my messy, sweet little friend.”
• Bored, Venus watches Kenzie while she pokes through the underbrush with a stick, looking for the idol. Venus: “I don’t see it.” Kenzie: “You haven’t even looked.” Venus laughs. Venus: “It’s not looking good.”
• Kenzie to camera: “Venus is just, like, looking at trees, and is like, it’s not here and I’m like you have to move some leaves, honeybun! Like, what are ya doin’? Venus’ technique for idol-seraching, I think, is to follow around people that are idol-searching and wait for them to find it.” Laughs, fondly. “Girlfriend is not really looking hard. She’s like, kind of does this with a stick, and she’s like, No! And meanwhile, I’m like, digging holes, and she’s like…”
• Venus: “Any luck?”
• Kenzie to camera, laughing: “I’m like, Venus, what? What are you doing?”
• Kenzie to Venus: “Do you think someone found it already?” Venus: “I doubt it.”
• Kenzie to camera: “Who knows, maybe she has it already and she’s bamboosling us all!” Kenzie thinks about it a second. “But…I think she’s just waiting for someone that’s close to her to find it so she can have the tea.”
• Kenzie digs through the underbrush, while Venus makes a big show of hamming it up to the camera whenever Kenzie isn’t looking. Checking her wrist for the time, miming boredom, exaggerated motions of not looking for the idol.
• Venus to camera: “It is so relieving to know that even though people are still scattering about, looking for an idol, I don’t have to worry about going out and solving a riddle or like going and finding a second part to this idol. I have it. But no one will every catch a whiff of me having this because I don’t see any benefit in someone knowing that I have this power.”
• Venus: “I feel bad for Tiff, I think the worst thing would be if I went home with an idol in my pocket.” Kenzie: “Oh, my gawd, I know, I cannot believe it. Like, she’s gonna beat herself up about that forever.” Venus: “Noooo, she shouldn’t. People were just really good at lying.” Kenzie: “Yeah.”
• Venus to camera: “So it’s very much a timing game. Like, when is the right time to play this? So, it’s stressful, but it’s so comforting. It’s like the sweet, sweet comfort. Like, I want to …Mwah.” (She kisses it.) “I love you. It’s like, I think this is my best friend on this island right now.”

Various living creatures enjoy the shoreline: crabs, foul, Charlie.

• Charlie walks towards Maria and they have a talk. Charlie: “Hello!” Maria: “What’s going on?” Charlie sits down and sighs: “Okay. We have lots to go through.” They smile small smiles at each other, holding back mutual affection, but it’s clearly there. Maria: “Yeah.” Charlie: “First of all, congratulations.” Their smiles get big and they both giggle a bit. Maria: “Thank you! I’m happy to have had my moment!” Charlie: “We have not…even talked!” Maria: “That was, like, amazing!” They hug each other and come apart. Charlie: “Yes, I’m so glad to have been a part of it, I’m really proud of you.” He looks around to see if anyone is witnessing how close they are. The coast must be clear, because his huge smile stays on his face. Maria: “Thank you. That was scary as hell.”  Charlie: “That’s big stuff that you pulled off last night.” Maria: “Yeah.”  Charlie: “That was big stuff.” Maria: “I know what the repurcussions are, but, like -” Charlie: “Yeah.” Maria: “Thank you for doing that with me.” Charlie: “Oh, my gawd, of course, you know?” They both look to their left. Is someone there? Or are they both just cautious, and to the left is where people will likely walk?
• Charlie to camera: “Maria wanted the Tiff vote to be something that she drove, she controlled, 100%. Because the more you can clearly claim that a move was your own, the easier it is to sell and to pitch to a jury that’s looking for a player who had real influence in the game, and that’s where Maria’s head is at. But, it’s also a very double-edged sword, because Maria getting all the credit from the Tiff blindside has made her a huge, huge target.”
• Maria: “I mean, people would be silly if they didn’t see that, like, you and I have been working together. You’re a threat.” Charlie: “We voted correctly every time.” Maria: “Every single time.” Charlie: “Taking out three people.” Maria: “You’re a threat, I’m a threat.” Charlie: “Yeah. I did want to talk to you about Q.” Maria: “Okay.” Charlie: “What are you, where’s your head at on him?” Maria: “I think we can use Q for one more vote, because Q trusts me, and I trust Q.” Charlie: “Yeah.” (Hmm, would Q turn on Maria?) Maria: “I don’t know how that happened.” Charlie: “Yeah.” Maria: “Like, I do think he would vote with us for one more time.” Charlie: “Yeah.”
• Charlie to camera: “I’ve been playing this game with Maria since day one, and we have been lockstep. We’ve been talking about going to the final three together. But Q is, as far as I can tell, in Maria’s pocket, and I want him out of the game. So, this move and the buildup to this move is really where I have seen my thinking and my route to the end maybe start to diverge from Maria’s.”

Bright green background. A spider web with it’s spide a little out of focus, then, suddenly, the spider IS in focus, and part of the web is not. The spider is munching someone. A fly? A slug?

• Walking though greenery of the same shade as the spiders background, Liz says to Kenzie: “Maria has got to go.” Kenzie: “I know!” Liz: “She’s the KingPin.” Kenzie: “Yeah.” Liz: “Last night, they told me, like, pretty much last minute. And I was like, well I’m just gonna go along with it so I can really see what was going on. After Tribal, we come home, they’re talking, like to Q and with Q, like oh, this could be our final five!” Kenzie: “Who, like the Siga three, you and Q?” Liz: “Yeah, who voted for Tiff last night.” Kenzie: “Yeah.”
• Kenzie to camera: “Luckily, people have realized Maria is a huge threat. Nobody likes Q, so he’s kind of on the outs as well. So the two big threats, Q and Maria, have made themselves very well-known, they are peacocking, for sure. Like, everyone can see that their tail feathers are out, and that the attention’s on them.”
• Liz: “Maria – she got to go.” Kenzie: “Yeah. Dangerous.” Liz: “I thought she was just–” Kenzie: “Quiet, meek, little mom.” Liz: “- a sleeper.” Kenzie: “But Charlie, yesterday, came to me, he was like-” Liz: “Yeah.” Kenzie: “That was a game-winning move, and it wasn’t mine. And I was like…” Liz: “Okay.” Kenzie: “Well, there’s hope.” Liz: “I mean, I want Q out, but, Maria is obviously running things.” Kenzie: “Yeah.” Liz: “What do you think?” Kenzie: “Oh, I think it makes sense, If we can pull it off, then Maria’s got to go.” Liz: “Okay.”
• Kenzie to camera: “There’s seven of us left, and we need four. So the best thing for me is to figure out who I can work with to get Maria and Q out of here, and then at the final five, we can battle it out from there.”
• Venus, walking towards them, tired, like a zombie: “Kenzie, have you checked the beach?” Kenzie: “I wonder if somebody found it already.” Venus: “I’m gonna be honest. If Q doesn’t get up and look for it again, I’m gonna assume he has it.” Liz: “Okay.” Venus: “And Maria’s been gone alone for a long time. If she doesn’t win, can we, like, consider it? Her over Q?” Kenzie nods. Liz: “That’s what we’re talking about.” Kenzie: “Yeah that’s what we’ve been talking about.” Venus: “Okay. And she will think again next time before leaving us out of a vote.” Liz: “It’s not about that, it’s about she’s the kingpin.” Venus: “She’s the kingpin, she-” Kenzie: “She’s got the best story, the best moves.” Venus: “Yeah, no, she’s got to go.” Liz: “We don’t have the majority.” Venus: “We will have the majority. Low key, I can pull in a fourth number. A hundred percent.”
• Venus to camera: “I am certain one of the Siga three may be open to potentially working with us, especially with Charlie. I’ve questioned how strategic he is, how cutthroat he can be, but it seems like he’s seeing that writing on the wall and realizes that he can’t go to the end with Maria, no matter what. And eventually he’s gonna have to cut that cord, and I hope he sees that now’s the time, while everyone’s still on board.”

Charlie meets Venus and Kenzie as they walk in opposite directions towards each other along a path.

• Kenzie: “Okay, so what are you thinking?” Charlie: “I think Q is in Maria’s pocket.” Venus: “Oh, a thousand percent, he is!” Kenzie: “Yeah?” Charlie: “It’s not even a pocket anymore, it’s like she has, like, a full bank vault that Q is stuck inside.” Venus kinda rolls her eyes, and looks away from Charlie, thinking her own thoughts. Kenzie smiles: “Yeah.” Charlie: “I was not cruise director last night, you know?” Kenzie: “Yeah.”  Charlie: “So-” Kenzie: “Ugh.” Venus: “That’s so funny.” All three of them look beyond them, further up the path, behind Charlie, beside Venus, in front of Kenzie.
• Charlie to camera: “In the build up to the Tiff vote, I wanted Maria to have sole credit, because I need someone that I can sell as the biggest target in the game.” Video shows us Ben laying on the ground in the shelter, talking to Maria who is painting a rock. The tips of her nails, also, have been painted black.  Charlie continues: “If that can overshadow any attention on me, for the moment, that’s probably what’s best for my game right now.”
• Charlie whispers to Venus and Kenzie: “At this point in the game, there’s seven people, and that has somehow become the strongest pair. The whole stuff with Q and that whole vote was a big, I think a big wake up call for probably everyone.” Kenzie: “Yeah.”
• Kenzie to camera: “Charlie and Maria are super close. They’re in the Siga alliance. But Charlie has no real resume moves, and he knows it. He has been Maria’s like, jester, for this whole game. And he’s a smart kid, he knows that. So I think Charlie’s ready to make a move on Maria.”
• Venus watches Charlie as Kenzie asks him: “So who would you rather go first?” Venus: “Too early to say? Or-” Charlie: “I think it’s too early to say, but -” Kenzie: “We’ll just see whoever wins and go from there.” Charlie: “I’m just saying, yeah, cause, like, I feel like anyone could win.”
• Charlie to camera: “I’ve been building trust and relationships with Kenzie and Venus so that I could, if I wanted to, make a move against Maria and Q at any point.”
• Charlie to Venus and Kenzie: “I think we all know what needs to be done, or else we’re all screwed.” Kenzie: “If Maria or Q get to the end, they could win.” Venus: “They will win.” Kenzie: “The rest of us have a chance without them.” Charlie: “Mmmhmm.” Venus: “Yeah.” Kenzie: “So, they are like, public enemy number one and two right now.”
• Charlie to camera: “At some point, I have to ask myself, is going to the final three with Maria, handing Maria a million dollars? You have to start thinking about your own game. And I’m feeling my gut start to go in two directions. One way is gonna win, and it might be making a move against Maria.” Video shows Maria sitting alone in the shelter, perched on a log, head in hand, staring at the cold firepit.

Commercials Break 21:43

Day 21 Immunity and Reward Challenge

Jeff invites the Tribe in, Maria leads the pack, Kenzie right behind her. Liz and Ben walk somewhat beside each other, with Ben a bit behind. Charlie and Venus walk beside each other. Q brings up the rear. Jeff: “You look hungry for battle today.” Kenzie: “We’re just hungry.” Jeff: “Yeah, you just look hungry. Look at this. How many are left?” Kenzie: “The Final Several!” Liz, in unison with when Kenzie says it: “Several!” Everyone: “Several!” Jeff takes back the Immunity Necklace from Charlie.

Players will bounce a ball on a pole while navigating a series of obstacles. After the first part, players will add two more sections to the pole, making the pole three times longer than it was at the start. Now players must balance the ball on top of the longer pole (6-7 feet long) while they balance and walk across a narrow, zigzag beam. If the ball drops, player must begin that part of the challenge again. Once they make it to the mat, with the ball safely in their control, they can drop the ball to their hand and proceed to the last part of the challenge. When they get to the last part, players will maneuver a long paddle, with their ball balanced on a tiny level section at the end of the pole, like a paddle, which has about an inch leeway on every side of the ball. Players balance the ball on the paddle and maneuver the paddle-pole across a serpentine board, barely the width of the paddle, that has large obstacles on it. If at any point the ball falls, players must begin again. Half way through the winding snake track, there is a basket target to land the ball in. After they deposit their first ball here, players will untie a second ball to continue to snake their paddle to the basket target at the end.

Winner wins immunity and reward. Reward is pizza delivery: Hawaiian, Pepperonni, Vegetarian and Gluten Free. Plus soda. All cheer when they hear this, and Venus and Charlie look at Liz and smile, “Oh! Gluten free, Liz!” certain she’ll get fed something besides rice today, something that she is able to eat. “Yeah!” Says Liz eagerly, “I’m fighting today!”

They drew for colours and wound up standing like this, left to right:

Maria – Green, Q – Yellow, Liz – Blue , Charlie – Red, Venus – Lime Green, Kenzie – Orange, Ben – Purple

• Ben is in the lead, Maria next, then Venus. Charlie, then Kenzie, then Q, then Liz.
• One by one, they add the 2 extra sections to their poles.
• Ben dropped and has to go back.
• Charlie is going fast, totally in the lead right now.
• Charlie has made it to the final parts of the challenge, the winding snake track.
• Kenzie is next through, and the second one to start on the snake track.
• Maria is now through and heading for the snake track.
• Liz is good, she is through, she heads for the snake track.
• Ben and Venus and Q are still working at stage two.
• Q finishes and moves on to the snake track.
• Maria landss her first ball in the first target on the snake track, she has a big lead now. if she drops the next ball, she only needs to go back and start from the first ball target.
• Venus finishes part two for the third time, but this time she made it the final few feet tot he end and finished.
• Ben finishes part two.
• Maria drops her ball and has to go back to the mid-part of the snake track.
• Venus lands her first ball in the snake track, then Charlie does, then Q, then Liz, then Kenzie, then Ben.
• Everyone is working on their second and final balls in the snake track.
• Maria is very close to the end, and Venus is right behind her.
• Maria drops her ball, so Venus is in the lead, but then Venus drops her ball too.
• Many balls are dropping, but Maria and Venus were closest to the win.
• Venus is again near the end, drops her ball again, only an inch or two from the target.
• Maria drops, Q drops, the lead is gone again.
• Venus is in the lead again, Maria right behind her.
• Venus is at her target, but misses the mark, her ball falls.
• Maria reaches the same spot where Venus had been, but her aim is true.  She drops it in for the win.

Maria won Immunity and pizza delivery. She can invite one person to join her at her pizza party. What she says about her thought process is interesting, and later leads to the anger of some of her tribe mates, because her final choices did not reflect what she said she was looking for when choosing her guests.

• Maria: “There’s a lot going on, I mean, Liz has been eating some rice, she’s been sharing with Venus. Ben’s been falling apart, he’s completely depleted. Q took me on the reward last time, and so I feel like I need to take him. And so there’s, you know, Charlie didn’t go on the reward. It’s a really hard decision. How many people do I get?”
• Jeff: “We’ll find out. Right now, you got one.”
• Maria: “Okay. I think I’m gonna pick Ben.” Ben begins to cry, walks up to Maria and hugs her long and close. There’s positive reaction to this choice, which I won’t outline. Maria is invited to choose one more person to join them.
• Jeff: “Three will have pizza, four will not. Walk me through who you’re gonna choose.”
• Maria: “Um, for me, it’s more, like, my mindset is more like-“
• While she talks, Charlie looks beside him, he sees Venus trembling and trying not to look at Maria, he sees Liz sobbing. Kenzie and Q just ate recently, on Q’s reward feast. Charlie knows that himself, Venus and Liz are the hungriest remaining players, but he also knows that Maria just mentioned that Liz has been eating rice and sharing some with Venus.
• Maria continues: “-who is physically falling apart right now, and it’s not about competition or who I want to work with or whatever. It’s just whose body is failing.” There is a long period of silence, while everyone waits for Maria to make her choice.
• After a long silence, Charlie says: “I’ll take myself out of it, Maria. I think there are people here that need the food more than me.” Kenzie nods: “Yeah, same.” Both of them clearly want her to choose Venus or Liz.
• In her effort to avoid choosing, Maria, almost impatiently, says: “All right, Venus, Liz and Q, make your case.”
• Venus and Liz remain silent. Q: “Uh, um, I’ve lost weight. I would like to eat, but it’s your decision. I want you to pick whoever you want, you know?”
• Liz: “I mean, I still haven’t pooped in three weeks, so I’d like something to get moving. You know, I ain’t too proud to beg.” She laughs.
• Ben, laughing with her: “Love that song!”
• Venus: “I think whatever decision you make is completely fine, Maria. You shouldn’t feel guilty, either way.” It’s clear that Kenzie, Charlie and Venus all want Maria to choose Liz.
• More looong silence. Like, really long silence. Finally Jeff says: “I’ve never seen a moment like this, ever. 46 seasons. It has never taken this long. Nobody’s given this much thought. This is not a criticism. That’s just an observation.”
• More silence. FINALLY, Maria: “Okay. Liz and Q, rock/paper/scissors.” Unbelievable.
• Liz: “Pick rock.” laughs. Q says nothing. For the first go, both pick paper. For the second go, Liz picks rock, Q sticks with paper. He wins.
• Jeff: “Paper covers rock, is that it?” Maria nods: “Yep.” Jeff: “Q, come on over.”
• Kenzie: “Wow.”
• Liz scratches her nose: “That’s (curse)ed up.”
• Kenzie again: “Wow.”
• Jeff: “We don’t need to belabour this anymore. Tribal Council tonight. Somebody will be the 12th person voted out of this game, become the 5th member of our jury.”

Kenzie: “I am shocked. Maria is like, Liz and Q, play rock/paper/scissors. What? Liz has made it very abundantly clear that she is starving. If you just want to take Q because he is your number one, just say that! Don’t be like, oh, I want to take care of the people who haven’t eaten, and then take the guy who just ate? Makes no sense. My jaw, I’m still picking it up off the floor.”

Commercials Break 36:06

Nuinui Day 21

The Tribe makes their way back home to their camp where three of them look forward to being fully fed with pop and pizza, and four of them are thinking angry thoughts that they can’t wait to air out together.

Q, Ben and Maria split off from the others to find their pizza party set up a short distance before the campsite area. Charlie, Venus, Kenzie and Liz continue along the beach.

Q leads the way to a stack of 6 pizza boxes waiting for them on a bench, and a basket of iced soda bottles of various colours. There is a reed mat in front of the food, with three cushions on it for them to sit on. Everything is decorated with wicker and pink flowers. Q hugs Maria: “Thank you.”

In the shelter, the sitting down around the firepit contains much less happy anticipation.

• Liz: “Is this a joke?”
• Charlie: “Oh, my gawd!”
• Kenzie: “Honestly, I am in shock!”
• Venus: “When she said, Venus make your case, I’m like, I’m sorry, I’m not gonna beg. You know, physically, where I am at.”
• Charlie: “Um, when she said rock/paper/scissors, I was like, Oh, it’s gonna be Liz and Venus.”
• Kenzie: “Me too!”
• Charlie: “And I was like, Liz and WHO?”
• Liz: “I knew it was gonna be Q.”
• Kenzie: “I cannot believe she said, I’m just trying to judge it on whose body is breaking down.”
• Liz: “I know, and then-“
• Venus: “Can I just say, I would have respected her so much more if she just picked who she picked, but the fact that she prefaced it by saying that, and then picked the most well-fed-“
• Kenzie: “I know!”
• Venus: “-buffest guy?”
• Charlie: “He’s been to, like, three rewards now. He just finished his Applebee’s feast, like a day ago.”
• Venus: “Yeah, literally! He hasn’t even digested it yet, it’s still in his stomach!”

Charlie to camera: “The pizza picking was a bit of a – for lack of a better word – a shit show. I thought for sure, Maria was gonna choose Venus or Liz, but Q ends up going! And let me tell you, the four pizza losers? We’re pissed.”

• Kenzie: “What the?”
• Venus: “She went from being a hero to a villain real quick. To emphasize being this, like, mother to all, caring about everyone…”
• Liz: “I’m so done, like, being quiet when someone ticks me off.”
• Kenzie: “So, what are we doing tonight? Q? He’s evil and self centered and selfish! My gawd!”
• Liz: “I know it’s a game, but, like, geez.”

Liz to camera: “The veil has been lifted. I had a feeling Maria and Q were working together, but now it’s just blatantly freaking obvious, and I cannot respect anybody who is playing the game with that jerk!”

• Liz: “I mean, did you know they were so close?”
• Charlie: “I – As far as I’m concerned, Q’s Maria’s number one. That’s -“
• Liz: “Q’s an idiot.”
• Charlie: “It’s the classic Survivor – if you can’t go for your target, go for their number one.”

Charlie to camera: “I was just piling everything on. Maria’s the worst. They’re such a tight duo. I can’t believe she’s working with him. But since Maria has the necklace tonight, the pizza losers want to vote out Q. Which is great, because Q is someone that I want out of the game, and I want him out soon.”

• Kenzie: “Okay, so we don’t think Q has an idol?”
• Venus: “Definitely not.”
• Charlie: “Uh, I am 97% sure.”
• Liz: “Charlie, thanks for listening to me vent. I know you and Maria are close. I’m in my feelings right now.”
• Charlie: “We are, but, I mean.”
• Venus: “That’s different. That’s game versus-“
• Charlie: “Things have been turning a different corner, you know?”

A living creature happily enjoys a feast: a colourful little bird has buried it’s head in a piece of ripe hanging fruit, slurping happily.

• Maria: “How about those red pepper flakes?”
• Ben: “Damn right!”
• Maria: “I slowed down.”
• Ben, reaching for another piece: “I just want to say, thank you so much.”
• Maria: “You’re so welcome, Ben.”
• Maria: “If a look could kill, I got slaughtered today.” Ben chuckles. “Liz pierced me with her eyes. I was gonna be damned either way.”
• Ben: “Yeah. Yo, Liz DOES have rice.”
• Maria: “That’s what I’m saying. That’s why I was like, well, what’s, you know?”
• Ben: “Yeah.”
• Maria: “Kenzie just ate. Charlie’s like, don’t take me-“
• Ben: “Yeah.”
• Maria: “So, I’m like, well that’s the right move.”
• Q, munching pizza this whole time: “Mmmhmm.”
• Ben: “A hundred percent!”

Maria to camera: “I’m sure I pissed people off, but winning this challenge gives me peace of mind. It means that I am safe tonight, and that gives me a lot of power. At this point, there are still three Siga members. So, with seven people left, although it’s a very unpopular opinion, I gotta keep Q happy right now. Q is a number for me. He trusts me and I trust him.”

• Ben: “They know you two are tight. It’s a little obvious at this point.”
• Q: “Yeah.”
• Ben: “And they know you and Charlie are day-ones.” Maria eyes him. “The three of us.”
• Ben nods vigorously: “Exactly.”
• Maria: “That’s all we need.”
• Ben: “That’s all we need.”
• Q: “There’s seven people left in the game.”

Q to camera: “I shouldn’t have sent on that reward. I just ate a couple days ago, a BIG meal, and now I just ate about 23 slices of pizza.” He laughs. “It ain’t fair! But I don’t feel guilty at all, because I get to now make sure that I’m not going home tonight.”

• Q: “I say…Siga three, plus me, take out Venus first, because-“
• Maria: “Yeah. Yeah.”
• Q: “Liz is less likely to win immunity than Venus.”
• Ben: “Yeah.”
• Maria: “Right, right. Venus came SUPER close today.”
• Ben: “I know! I thought she had it!”
• Q: “But – “
• Maria: “I say, it’s time to get her out.”

Q to camera: “Venus is the real problem, with all the complaining, and the pushy, and the running and telling this story to this person. And, also, she has the greatest shot at winning immunity, as we saw in this challenge. She is a problem. So, she needs to go.”

• Ben: “The negative vibes have been a bit much.”
• Maria: “Yeah. Any chance Venus found the idol?”
• Ben: “No!”
• Maria: “It’s time to get her out. I’m ready.”
• Ben: “Yeah.”

Commercials Break 41:37

The four pizza losers are hanging around the fire pit in the afternoon sun, which is mostly shaded by their shelter. Q approaches, with Ben and Maria not far behind him. Charlie looks over, Kenzie turns around, Liz looks to be in mid sentence of something she is saying to Charlie.

• Kenzie: “Well, well, well! Pizza people!”
• Charlie: “LOOK who it is!”
• Liz: “Behhhn, feeling better? Did you get a slice down?”
• Ben: “Yes, I got-I got a slice down.”
• Charlie: “What was the best flavour?”
• Liz: “That was so fast!”
• Ben: “I feel like a Ninja Turtle right now, I’m not gonna undersell it.”

Charlie to camera: “The pizza winners come back to camp, and we do our classic niceties. How much did you eat? Was it delicious? Oh, tell us all about it! I’m so glad! Even though, seconds before they arrived, man, I thought that the people at camp were gonna eat THEM! It was tense. I’m happy with Maria’s choices for me, but it really put the heat on her and Q.”

Q, alone to Charlie: “I know they probably been pitching me this whole time.” Charlie: “Yep!” Q: “Just got to let them know that’s not happening, so they don’t write my name down.” Charlie: “Okay, yep.” Q: “In case V pulls out an idol, but-” Charlie: “Okay.” Q: “The REAL plan is Venus.” Charlie: “Okay. Okay.”

Charlie to camera: “At this point in the game, I want the burners turned up on everyone but me. So, if I can hide this vote – when I don’t have the necklace, and all of a sudden, everyone’s eyes are on Q and Maria, this is great.”

Venus, Liz, Maria and Kenzie sit in an L around the cold firepit.

• Kenzie to Maria: “Did you have fun?”
• Maria: “I mean, I did, it’s just, I feel really bad, and I’m not really sure how to talk about it.”
• Liz: “Honestly, Maria, it was really weird. We were all like, Wow!”
• Maria: “I know. There is no way to win that situation, and I told myself, I never want to win reward-” Liz flinches. Maria: “-because I don’t want to have to make that choice-” Venus rolls her wide eyes and pulls a smirk. Maria: “-and I knew I was gonna piss people off and I just, I apologize if I hurt anybody’s feelings. There was just, there was no way to make everyone happy in that choice.”
• Liz: “Oh, I completely agree with that. I just can’t stand Q, and I just don’t know why you would want to make him happy. ‘Cause he’s such an ass to everyone. He does nothing around camp, he used all the firewood in, like, two hours.”
• Q walks up behind where Liz and Venus are sitting, to hang up his water bottle. Obvioulsy, he can hear her. Maria says nothing about his approach, though she could see him coming. Kenzie tries to warn her: “Lizz…”
• Liz: “I’m done not expressing myself.”
• Maria: “Okay, Yeah, go for it.”
• Liz: “That is my mindset, Maria. I guess that’s what I’ve learned in Survivor, is, like, I’ve spent my whole life just letting myself be angry and not speaking what I’m really feeling, for the sake of someone else’s feelings. And I think, honestly-this sounds crazy-I think that’s why I have so many (cuss) allergies, because I’ve supressed my own self for so long that my body started attacking things. So. I’ve said my piece. I feel better. Thank you for hearing me.” Venus leans over and rubs a comforting arm around her back.
• Liz to camera: “Normally, I’m not someone who holds grudges, but with Q, it just feels a little more personal. For some reason, he just keeps surviving. And I’m getting more and more and more and more and more and more irritated.”

Maria and Liz sit together at the shore.

• Maria, alone to Liz: “I felt like a hurt you, and I didn’t like how that felt.”
• Liz: “I was just shocked about Q, because I’m like, he’s a jerk. So-“
• Maria: “The thing is, Liz, is that, like, the only people that are talking to me are Siga people and Q. That’s it! You know-“
• Liz: “I feel like the only person talking to me, is Venus.” Venus is laying on the sand behind them. Possibly within listening distance. Liz: “And I don’t believe anything she says, she’s so all over the place.”
• Maria: “Well, that’s another reason why I can’t work with her. I can’t understand her game at all.”
• Liz: “Ditto.”
• Maria: “And, so I guess that’s why I come to you, because it’s like – I liked working with you for Tevin. I liked working with you for Tiff. I like the fact that you said I’m here to play the game, I want to play the game. But, like, let’s play the game.”
• Maria to camera: “Right now, having not had a chance to talk to everybody, it seems like the ladies want Q out, and Q, Ben and I have discussed getting Venus out. And so, Venus and Q are gonna be the targets tonight. It’s my hope that Venus goes home, but, you know, you never know, like, as the sun starts to go down, sometimes things change, and people scramble, and then a new plan comes out. In my mind, the people I’m working with are solid, but I guess that’s a silly assumption.”

Kenzie and Charlie stand together, sheltered by palm fronds.

• Kenzie: “The girls are doing Q, and we, like, need your vote.”
• Charlie: “Yeah, I know, I’m like, I know, I know”
• Kenzie: “Okay. Are you and Ben doing Q?”
• Charlie: “Well, I don’t know about Ben -“
• Kenzie: “Well, Ben can do whatever Ben wants, but, like, if you’re-“
• Charlie: “It doesn’t matter.”
• Kenzie: “-gonna write Q, then we’re good.”
• Charlie: “Yeah. Exactly.”
• Kenzie: “If the idol comes into play at 6, and Q gets it and Maria wins immunity, then we’re screwed. Like, we’d be so dumb to not get rid of him right now.”
• Charlie: “Yeah, I know.”
• Kenzie: “We’ve GOT to do Q.”
• Charlie: “I know.”

Charlie to camera: “I don’t think Q’s a bad person, I don’t think Q’s evil, but I’m fine with other people thinking that. Because, ultimately, down the line, I want a final four that doesn’t have Q or Maria in it.”

Charlie and Venus walk together.

• Charlie: “What is your ideal final four?”
• Venus: “Final Four?”
• Charlie: “Yeah. Cuz, frankly, we got to think about it.”
• Venus: “I’ve been thinking about that-“
• Charlie: “‘Cause a 4 at 6 controls the vote.”
• Venus to camera: “Charlie’s in a power position. He’s King Pin right now. And, based off of discussions from today and previous to today, just based off of my relationship with Charlie as a whole, I think that Charlie really understands trust goes both ways. And if he sticks to the Q vote tonight, I’m gonna give him something in return next time.”
• Venus to Charlie: “Can I tell you, I’ve got your back, and I’ve got-“
• Charlie: “I’ve got yours, too.”
• Venus: “I’ve got some things up my sleeve, I feel like we’ll be fine.”
• Charlie: “What does that mean?”
• Venus: “You don’t have to worry about it now, but I feel like in terms of-“
• Charlie: “Well, come on, I AM worried about it.”
• Venus: “No, you don’t have to worry about it, I’m saying us, final four, is locked in.”
• Venus to camera: “For tonight’s vote, sure, I have an easy out. I can just play my idol. Oh, there’s a reisk of me going home, I can play it. But that’s not what wins the game for you. It’s about using it correctly or not using it at all because your social game is that good. And so, even though I have a guaranteed way of going into tonight’s Tribal stress-free, I don’t even care, I don’t want to use it, because for me, if I get this correct, and I get to save the idol for another vote, then that just speaks to more of why I deserve to win this game in the end.”
• Venus to Charlie: “We’ll make it to final four.”
• Charlie: “Do you have an advantage?”
• Venus, hesitates before answering: “No.”
• Charlie: “Okay, that’s why I was, like, that seemed like things up your sleeve.”
• Venus: “Or maybe I do!” She gasps playfully. “Who knows? No, I don’t. But-“
• Charlie: “Oh, Venus. I thought we were close!”
• Venus: “We will be close after this vote.”
• Charlie: “Yeah, Yeah.”
• Charlie to camera: “Venus alluded to someone – maybe her – having something up their sleeve, as an advantage, or some sort of extra spice, that could shake things up around here. And I was trying to get Venus to tell me what the heck it was, but she kept being very cagey about it.”
• Venus to Charlie: “In terms of idol, I really don’t think Q has it.”
• Charlie: “I don’t think anyone has it, unless you do. Unless it’s up your sleeve.”
• Venus: “No.” Chuckles. “No, no, no. There’s something else up my sleeve.”
• Charlie: “You’re being all shifty. What else is up your sleeve?”
• Venus: “No, I-There’s something else that’s going on, that I’ll tell you about later, but it’s not an idol. And that’s why I’m so adamant to find this idol, too, by the way.”
• Charlie: “Yeah, I’m curious why you’re not telling me now.”
• Venus: “Because I want Q out for sure.”
• Charlie: “Okay.”
• Venus: “And as soon as Q is out, we can have an open discussion about everything that will guarantee us final four.”
• Charlie: “Okay. All right. I trust you.”
• Venus: “Okay.”
• Charlie to camera: “I’m trying to set up a final four deal with Venus, and she’s stonewalling me on something incredibly important. That, to me, is a read flag. So, I’ve just got to think about how to play this in a way that it doesn’t sink my game.”

Charlie meets up with Ben.

• Charlie: “V talked to me and she was like, I’m totally cool going to the final four with you and Ben and one other.”
• Ben: “Of course, ’cause she’s a poser.”
• Charlie: “Yeah. The other thing that V said is that she alluded to some advantage that somebody has. So it would either be her, Liz or Kenzie who has it.”
• Ben: “She’s saying whatever she can to get out of tonight: “I want to get Q out?””
• Charlie: “Yeah.”
• Ben: “V has got to go.”
• Ben to camera: “Q is a heavy target we got to get out of the game, but at the same time, Venus also does have to go. My reason for Venus having to go has nothing to do with her being a threat. She’s just creating more and more chaos. She freaks out before every Tribal, and she’s always running around trying to pitch some crazy plan, and I’m sick of being around that. So, I’d rather get her out first before we get out anybody else.”
• Ben: “I mean, I could be down for Q, but I’m still thinking …tomorrow would be the move.”
• Charlie to camera: “My head is going in 22 different directions. It’s being pulled every which way, and I just have to hope that I can figure out what’s best for my game. But right now, it’s a big old storm cloud.

Charlie walks with Kenzie.

• Charlie: “Here’s the Taylor Swift’s honest truth. Ben and I want Q out of the game, but if we make that move right now, Ben thinks that’s too risky. Venus was like, somebody has an Advantage, and they’re gonna play it-“
• Kenzie: “Venus is chaos. I don’t want Venus here, either-“
• Charlie: “Yeah. I trust what you want to do.”
• Kenzie: “Okay, I want to vote out Q.”
• Kenzie to camera: “I think that the bous are being babies and don’t want to make a big move because they want to feel secure. Because if they get rid of Q, then they’re more vulnerable. But I’m like, if I get rid of Venus, then I’m more vulnerable.”
• Kenzie: “I just think it’s foolish to not take out the biggest threat in the game while they’re vulnerable.”
• Charlie to camera: “The middle is a safe place to be and a dangerous place to be. It’s a double edged sword and, frankly, it’s a sword that has a point also pointing at you.”

Charlie sits alone on the upside down boat, and Maria happily walks towards him, smiling, to sit beside him. He smiles back.

Charlie: “I haven’t been able to talk to you, really, all day.”

Maria: “I know, I didn’t know where you were.”

Charlie: “I was like -”

Charlie to camera: “Even though I might have power tonight, I could make a mistake  that sinks my game moving forward.”

Maria: “So it’s Venus, right?” Charlie nods, thoughtfully. Maria: “Is that what you’re hearing?” Charlie hesitates: “Yeah.”

Charlie to camera: “The way people are talking about Q and Maria, working with them could taint my image. Right now, I know I’m a little bit of a threat, but people are not mad at me. After tonight’s vote, my main concern is can I pull the people that I”ve burned back into a position that benefits me? And I don’t know if I can do that if I burn people who are so dead set on getting Q out tonight. It might be the last straw, and I might be public enemy number one for stringing them along. So it’s really, really tricky where I am right now.”

It’s sunset, and the tribe picks up their torches and make their way along the beach to Tribal Council. Front to back: Maria, Liz, Ben, Charlie, Kenzie, Venus, Q.

Commercials Break 52:16

Tribal Council. They sit, left to right: Kenzie, Maria, Ben, Charlie, Liz, Q, Venus.

The jury looks so nice! All cleaned up, and glamorous. Tiffany looks over at Tevin and quietly says, “Should be good tonight, yo.” Jeff jokes about bringing popcorn a couple Tribal’s ago, and shows off that for tonight’s show he brought a cushion, which he sits on, and some red licorice, which he pulls out a strand and bites into it. He hands one piece of red licorice to Ben. Many of them thank Jeff, while Ben tries to hand out equal size pieces to each of them.

• Jeff: “All right, so, let’s start with one of the craziest challenges. At any given point, any one of you could have won it. Maria, you win, and you get to bring two people. It’s the longest time we’ve ever spent deciding who to bring. So, how did that go?”
• Maria: “The first decision for me was really easy, but then you have to start weighing, like, am I fueling my competition? Am I fueling my alliance? Am I feeding people who are malnourished? Like, how do I make this decision? And I had to give Q a chance, and I wanted to give Liz a chance. And I said, let’s rock/paper/scissors, ’cause I can’t make this choice.”
• Jeff: “Venus, you were clearly upset that you weren’t chosen.”
• Venus: “It’s one thing to decide who you’re gonna take with on a reward, but to start off by saying, you know I really want to choose someone who is physically weak, and really needs this reward, health-wise, and then put on this farce to ultimately choose the most well-fed, fittest guy here – it kind of felt like a punch in the gut. It kind of felt cruel, you know?”
• Maria: “An act and a farce is, that’s to me, like daggers. That was the hardest decision I had to make today. So if she can stand there and say, that was an act and that was a farce, I’d love for her to take that spot and make the decision herself.”
• Venus: “I wouldn’t have prefaced the decision that kind of comment. I would have just made my decision and just been content with it.”
• Q: “But, Jeff, if Venus would have won the reward, she wouldn’t have taken -“
• Maria: “No way!” Laughs.
• Q: “-uh, Maria. She wouldn’t have taken me. You know what I’m saying? So-“
• Venus: “We’ll never know.”
• Q: “So – uh, we know. Trust me. Okay.”
• Venus: “We don’t know. You can’t sit there and say, well, Venus never would have picked me, ’cause you don’t know. So-“
• Q, whispering: “You wouldn’t have.”
• Venus: “-and that’s a fact.”
• Jeff: “Wow. Charlie, what’s your take?”
• Charlie: “Sooo, I think the big theme of this pizza reward is really “decisions.” And, no decision in Survivor weighs as much as who we are voting out at any given Tribal Council. So, you’re thinking about who are you putting on the jury? Who are you leaving in the game to work with you? And at this point in the game, who am I going to sit next to at the end, and have the jury judge me against? Everything has consequences, and it makes this game just incredibly, incredibly hard.”
• Jeff: “Kenzie, let’s talk about blindsides. When you’re the architect of a blindside, it’s great. And yet, you can’t tell people, because there are idols, there are advantages. Tonight’s the last night you can use Shot in the Dark. Does that get more and more pressurized as the days get closer to the end?”
• Kenzie: “It’s extremely pressurized. I mean, I got bamboozled by a blindside last time, and it wasn’t even me. So, when it’s getting down to just seven, and everybody’s telling you all these different things, it’s like, so layered and weighted, and you just have to put your faith in these people who have literally blindsided you, even if it’s not your name written down. It’s very jarring.”
• Jeff: “Liz, it’s really interesting to hear Kenzie say that. That you get blindsided, and then you might actually have to work with the people who lied to you.”
• Liz: “Amen. I’ve been incredibly vocal.” laughs. “I don’t know how else to say it. And I’m just -“
• Jeff: “About what?”
• Liz groans and pulls a cute frustrated face.
• Jeff: “Okay, one more time, one more time.”
• Liz: “Sure.” She groans again and pulls the same frustrated face. Then laughs. “I’m just feeling-“
• Jeff, biting into a piece of licorice: “Okay. You’ve been very vocal about what?”
• Liz: “About Quuuuu! I mean, come on, I feel like I -” groans again “Like everybody’s talking about, oh, I want to make a big move, let’s blindside, let’s do this, I feel like I can’t trust anyone right now. It’s like, yeah, the Q and Liz rock/paper/scissors. And it was like, okay, in my head, Maria wants to play with Q more than I thought. I don’t know.”
• Jeff: “Q, did you hear your name in the same way you have for the past few Tribals?”
• Q: “Oh, yeah, I heard my name today. But, again, Jeff, I approach the situation the same every time. You tell me something. I tell you something. We agree. If I believe it, I’m going on about my way. If it’s a lie, you will put my fire out tonight. That’s how I go, I’m not gonna worry about it. But, you know, with the people that I’ve talked to, it seem like everybody’s on the same page. I don’t know if that page is my page or someone else’s page. I guess we’ll find out.”
• Jeff: “Venus, how would you describe camp today?”
• Venus: “Today was a bit different, because up until the last vote, I’ve been in on what was gonna happen, and like Kenzie, I was on the wrong side of the vote for Tiff. So, although I felt like I could trust everyone before, now it’s like I don’t know who’s telling me the truth, who’s lying, which way the vote’s gonna go. ‘Cause people just love writing my name down.”
• Q: “Oh. My name is out there as well, Jeff. But, to be fair, every body out here knows to never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever-“
• Venus: “And yet he did! And yet he did.”
• Q: “Say a name in front of Venus.”
• Jeff: “Why is that, Q? Why do you think-“
• Q: “Becasue what Venus will do is, she’ll come up to you aggressively.”
• Venus: “Never.”
• Q: “say what do you want to do? You tell her a name, and guess what she gonna do? Run and tell this person, oh Liz said this-“
• Venus: “Straight up-“
• Q: “-Q said this. This person – “
• Venus: “With, Q, specifically, Jeff, I made sure not to talk strategy-“
• Q: “No one talks game with her. I’m done talking about it.”
• Venus: I would never in a million years try to talk strategy with this man voluntarily. And that’s a fact. And, last vote proved that exactly, with what happened to Tiff.”
• Q: “That’s why you didn’t know about the last vote, ’cause they didn’t trust you.”
• Venus: “Mm-hmm, but I knew about the previous three, and you didn’t, so.”
• Jeff: “Ben.” Ben jumps, chuckles. “Every Tribal, while entertaining, has been complicated.”
• Ben: “I don’t think I’ve seen the cynicism and paranoia be played up to 11, the way it’s been the last few days. This-” He gestures towards Q and Venus “-is a prime example that some people are just not gonna be on the same page. It’s about making it through the next vote, because one crew that will do one vote together is probably not gonna be a crew that’ll do a second vote together. And it’s been this constant shift since the beginning of the merge.”
• Jeff: “So, then, Charlie, what do you do? Sooner or later you have to walk up those steps and write down a name. What is the final decider? What do you go to?”
• Charlie: “Even if you can’t trust someone, can you somehow point yourselves in the same direction? You know, set up your row of dominoes all in a line and make sure that they all tip over and send the right person home for your individual game. So you have to be able to persuade people to point in the same direction. And, I think that’s what tonight’s about.”

Time to vote. Venus votes Q, Q votes Venus, the rest are hidden from us.

Venus chooses to NOT play her idol, just like Tiffany and Hunter did not play theirs. Save it for another day.

Here is the list of who voted for whom, from the end of the episode:

• Ben – Kenzie
• Venus – Q
• Kenzie – Venus
• Maria – Venus
• Liz – Venus
• Charlie – Venus
• Q – Venus

After Jeff announces that Venus is the 12th person voted out, everyone says nice, loving stuff to Venus, like:  “Love you, Boo!” “Love you.” “Nice game, V.” “Great game, sister!” S”You killed it!” “Bye Venus!”

Commercials Break 1:03:54

Scenes from the next episode: 1:03:55

• Q: “Q skirt! Q skirt!” Maria wears a Q skirt. Q to camera, with a crazy look in his eye: “I’ve been calm, but I need the storm!”
• Maria and Charlie sit alone on the end of the upsidedown boat, looking out over the water. Shadows of trees reach the water, suggesting that this is an early morning conversation. Maria: “I feel like I got a good friend.” Charlie: “I love her to death, but I have to vote her out.”
• Kenzie makes a hand symbol of the letter Q to Ben and mouths “Q!” Ben to Charlie: “This is gonna be my favourite blindside of the season.”
• Maria lays on her back in the shelter, a bright green sweater serves to cushion the log acting as a pillow. Her eyes are closed, and both hands are palm down on her ribs. “Something died in me today.” She is sobbing. Maria to camera: “It’s gonna light a fire under me.” A tear slides down the side of her face.

Venus last words: “I went home with an idol, but I’m proud of the journey I’ve gone on. I hope that I have made the women of Iran proud. I have three words that I want to say, which is: women. life. freedom. I hope that I was one voice that helped uplift those who are voiceless. This was a wild ride and I wouldn’t take it back for a single thing.”