Episode 10 Chat

Welcome to the conversation about episode 10 of season 46 of survivor!

“Run The Red Light”

The whole episode is now written out below.

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 a dozen hours (between sleeping, driving a school bus, housework, and personal care) streaming and pausing the episode so that I can write out the juicy 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?

I watch it live in NY/Toronto time on Wednesday evenings, then I stream it on Thursday and Friday to write it out, and finally 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

From the end of episode 9: Next time, on Survivor:

• Liz sits by the firepit with someone’s leg and hand in the foreground. She is sobbing. She tells the camera: “These people are making my mind crazy.” Liz walks out of the ocean onto the shore screams “Aaaah!” at the sky. Sits in the private spot where she talks to the camera: “What the heck, you ho-bags?”
• Venus: “Q is causing chaos.”
• Ben: “I want him the hell out of here.”
• Liz, screaming: “Q blew up my whole game!”
• Maria to Q, as they quietly rest on the sandy beach in the shade, Q laying down, Maria sitting beside him: “Everybody’s coming for you. But you could change that.”
• Maria to camera: “This could be a game-winning move.”

Survivor Fans Ready? Let’s GOOOO!

Recaps from previous episodes:

• Voice over the night sky, Venus or Kenzie: “Q blew everything up.”
• Everyone except Q and Tiffany sit or stand around the campfire after Tribal Council, discussing Q. Hunter says, “Stupid.”
• Q lays on the upside down boat on the beach, Tiffany sits beside him, on the edge of the boat, by his feet. “What was the (swear) point?”
• Venus: “He’s literally an idiot.”
• Venus to camera: “No one’s gonna trust Q from now on.” “Karma is a bitch.”
• Hunter, Charlie, Maria and Kenzie sitting in a line on the sunny beach. Kenzie: “Tiff’s feeling so comfortable, that now we could pull off a blindside.” Maria: “MmmHmm.”
• Kenzie in voice over, while we watch Tiffany walks a path carrying 5 very large fruits, followed by Ben carrying some, followed by Venus, also carrying some: “Everyone is so distracted, I could drive something that’s a little risky.”
• Tiffany to Ben and Maria, in the shelter: “The idol has zero value to me now. I’m ready to burn it on the spot.” Maria, nodding: “Right.”
• Charlie to camera: “Tiff’s gonna play her idol, so now we’ve gotta figure out what the heck we’re gonna do.”
• Hunter in the treeline along the beach, behind Maria, Charlie and Ben as they discuss voting out Hunter instead of Tiffany.
• Hunter alone on the beach, Q reclines alone on the beach in the distance. Hunter: “I’m beginning to feel pretty nervous.”
• Kenzie and Ben sit on the upside down boat. Kenzie: “So, you wanna do Hunter?” Ben: “Yeah.”
• Hunter to camera: “So, I am 100% playing my idol.”
• Tribal Council. Liz votes Q. “You’re just too much chaos.” Neither Hunter nor Tiffany play their Hidden Immunity Idols. Jeff reads the votes, then announces: “tenth person voted out and the third member of our jury: Hunter. Liz is shocked. Maria smiles, knowingly. Hunter, the tribe has spoken.” Hunter: “Yes, they have.” Hunter walks down the lonely bridge. Hunter shows his idol to the camera: “There it is, in all of it’s splendour.”

New footage, Nuinui Night 17

The dramatic ‘return to the camp in the dark’ scenes play out.

• Liz to camera: “After Tribal Council, I was so ticked off. No one told me there was a split vote between Q and Hunter, and so I am trying to hold my composure so I don’t explode, but I’m thinking, “What the heck, you ho-bags?”
• Around campfire, Venus sits next to Ben, who says: “How y’all feeling? Y’all okay?”
• Liz: “I just want to know what is it about me that made y’all say, no we don’t want to let Liz in on the split vote?”
• Venus: “Honestly, Liz, everything happened ten minutes before Tribal, and there was … by the time–“
• Liz, to everyone gathered there: “Is that true?”
• Venus: “That is straight-up what happened.”
• Tiffany: “That’s straight-up.”
• Liz: “Well, damn.”
• Charlie: “We thought Hunter had an Idol all of a sudden.”
• Tiffany: “We thought he had an idol, and we was like, all right, well, just in case, let’s just split the votes. They’re like, how are we gonna do that? We’re like, well, Liz is already voting Q—“
• Liz: “Okay. ‘Cause I felt stupid as (swear)–“
• Tiffany: “We said, Liz already voting Q—“
• Liz: “Like, stupid as (swear) just now.”
• Liz to camera: “Considering I was the only person left out of this vote, I feel pretty dumb. On top of that, I wanted to get Q out. He did almost blow up my game, and he’s not someone that I can trust, moving forward.”
• Ben to campfire group: “Hunter’s also gotta be crazy to not see that blindside coming. If he had an idol, he should have played it.”
• Off-camera female, sounds like Liz?: “He might have been bluffing, but he definitely saw it coming.”
• Venus: “No, he overplayed his hand and he thought, I can save this for the next time because clearly everyone hates Q right now.”
• Tiffany to camera: “Tonight, Tribal erupted, as Jeff predicted it would. Once again, Q was causing chaos, and because of that, it kind of threw Hunter off the scent. If he did have a idol, I guess the smokescreen was so good that he didn’t play it because now our biggest physical threat is on his way to the jury house.”
• Kenzie: “What’s the plan? Are we just gonna keep ignoring Q?” Tiffany: “He’s grown. If he wants to, if he wants to reconcile things, he could come talk.”
• Tiffany to camera: “At this point, my immediate next step is to get Q out. I’m tired of the drama, I’m tired of the chaos. That man did too much. He flew too close to the sun, and his wings burnt off. And now he’s feeling the pressure.”
• In the darkness, Maria walks alone on the beach towards Q, who still lays alone on the upsidedown boat. Kenzie: “Where’s Maria?” Tiffany: “I don’t know, probably down on the beach with Q.” Kenzie: “Is Maria down on the beach with Q?” Charlie: “Yeah, Maria went to go talk to Q, I think.”
• Maria to Q: “Do you feel like chatting, or do you want to be alone?” Q: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m good.” Maria: “Okay?” Q: “Come on, come here.”
• Maria to camera: “Right now, Q is, like, sitting back in the shadows. Q is sort of checked out of the game, mentally. But, I think that Q still has some fight in him. So, for me, this is a great opportunity to connect, but he’s a wild card at this point.”
• Maria: “I just want to make sure you are okay.” Q: “Oh yeah. I am a hundred percent okay. I’m locked in. I know, basically I gotta win the rest of the way, and, you know, I’m cool with going through like that, and when I lose, if I go home, I go home.”
• Q to camera: “At this point, I think everyone wants me out, so there’s no need for me to go around and sit around a fire and talk to these people. They don’t really wanna talk to me. So, I’m okay with that. Right now my strategy moving forward is, first, win the immunity. If I can win, and now that it’s in the individual stage, I control my own destiny. I’m not out of this game, trust me. It might look like it, but it’s not.”
• Q: “You’re doing the right thing in the right way, and however I can help you i this game, you let me know.” Maria: “Yeah.”
• Maria to camera: “Q is not only a good person, but, like, he’s also a number that I can use to vote with me, and so I, I definitely want to keep him around.”
• Maria mutters, pats him on his elbow closest to her, and begins to get up. Q: “You’re awesome.”
• Maria to camera: “Q’s an easy vote. Everybody wants him out, but in my mind there are bigger targets here, and so it may be time to focus on somebody else.”

I watched some footage about Q on another site where they get deleted scenes, and he expressed there that he isn’t sad or anything. He just knows that if he lays low and doesn’t say anything to anyone for the next few days, then he’s got a chance to make it past everything he did to annoy people, and he might still be able to stay in the game. Knowing himself as he does, he knows the best way for him to not do or say anything offensive is to stay away from everyone.

Opening Credits 5:27

Nuinui, Morning, Day 18

Maria and Charlie sit on the shore at dawn, waiting together to watch the sun rise. The light around them is still silvery blue. Kenzie joins them, sitting beside Maria. They all sit in the sand, leaning against the upsidedown boat. Goodmornings are exchanged between them.

• Maria: “How do you feel about yesterday’s vote?”
• Kenzie: “I mean, I’m glad it went the way it did, like, it just sucks, ’cause now I’m like, I don’t know if we can pull off … what we talked about yesterday, ’cause I don’t trust anyone left.”
• Maria: “I think we can.”
• Kenzie: “Who?”
• Maria: “I know that this is a hard thought for you, but I think Q would be willing to work with us, um, in that, he told me last night, I’m a vote, use me.”
• Maria to camera: “Yesterday the plan was to blindside Tiff, but then we switched it to Hunter. But the biggest thing for me is that Tiff has an Idol. That’s not a secret. And Tiffany’s sort of been on my radar for a while. Evidently, she’s still on Kenzie’s radar, too, which is just music to my ears.”
• Maria: “But you want her gone regardless of the Idol. Or is it just ’cause of the Idol?”
• Kenzie: “I want her gone, regardless.”
• Maria: “Okay.”
• Kenzie to camera: “Tiff has been my number one since day one. We have voted the exact same way this entire game. Tiff and I have made every move together. We have played almost the exact same game, so I’ve gotta differentiate. I’ve gotta build my resume, and a huge checkpoint on your resume is voting out your number one. That means I just need to be a little more sneaky than her, to get her out first before she comes for me. ‘Cause I know it’s coming. I know it’s coming.”

Commercials Break 8:11

On Day 18, before the Reward Challenge, there was an interesting 2-minute-long deleted scene which shows how much Liz was counting on being brought along to the food reward by whomever won it. This explains why her reaction against Q was so extreme.

Entertainment Weekly posts an “Exclusive Deleted Scene” showing what happened BEFORE the Reward Challenge, a scene which did not make the cut to broadcast TV. (If you want to watch it yourself, the link to this scene is inside the quotation marks.)

Here is my play-by-play of that short scene:

• “The best reward so far…
• And it comes with power.
• Victory breeds popularity.
• Who will be the player of the hour?”

Everyone except Q is gathered on the beach in the sunrise. Ben lays across the upsidedown boat, Kenzie is perched on the inland edge of the boat, Liz, Maria, Charlie and Tiffany lean against the boat in the foreground. I do not see Q, which means that Venus chose to read the above TreeMail without Q present. Before they discuss together what the message might mean, everyone responds to the message with groans and aaaaah’s. Maria quietly suggests to Charlie: “Maybe power to, like, bring someone along for the reward.”

• Liz to camera: “We get TreeMail this morning, and like, we think there’s an upcoming food reward, which is really, really exciting!”
• Maria, Ben and Charlie sit on a log in their shelter, eating what looks like coconut pieces. Between bites, Maria: “It’s definitely NOT a good one, but it’s SOMEthing!” The two men pull a face after swallowing each piece.
• Liz to camera: “Everyone is aware that I have all these allergies. All the things available, I really can’t eat. I can’t eat the coconut. I can’t eat the fruit.”
• Liz, wearing only one shoe, to the group: “Did y’all burn my shoe last night?” Woman: “You can’t find it Liz?” Liz: “I put them right here in the crevice of the tree.” Liz to camera: “The lack of food is definitely getting to me. Like, I can’t even find my shoe! I can see that I am not moving as fast. I’m out of breath more than my tribemates. And this would really, really fuel me in more ways than one.”
• Charlie, Venus, Ben and Liz stand together by the water well. Liz: “Can I just, uh, plead my case for the reward if I don’t win?” She laughs weakly, hopefully. Charlie: “Liz, you know how I feel.” Venus: “You have nothing to worry about. This reward is yours.”
• Liz to camera: “So I know my body is in starvation mode. And so I would really, really love – not to WIN the food reward, but to have someone give me a pity pick.” She laughs. “And pick me for the reward.”
• Back at the water well, Liz cries with relief, knowing they said she has nothing to worry about. Laughing with her, Charlie puts his hand on her shoulder: “Stop it, Liz! I don’t have that much water!” (to produce tears if he cries.) Liz: “I don’t even have any calories to have tears.”
• Liz to camera: “So, hopefully I get picked or I win, and we can get some food in my belly, get the digestion going, and get the game going.”

Day 18 Reward Challenge

Camera hones in on the challenge field. Eight lines of an extreme obstacle course. Each line a different colour. As the players gather, Jeff observes that everybody looks noticeably smaller. Clothes are looser. Though I know that Jeff is only saying this to lead up to introducing the reward, I have to say, that I’ve noticed this too. Occasionally my infant grandson comes to visit us in our apartment, and he likes to have something going on in the background on the TV as he falls asleep beside us on the couch. I’ve been turning on early episodes of Survivor season 46, and we are still in the first episode of the season. Players were noticeably meatier then. It’s nice to see the players I made harsh judgements against, while they are still fresh in the game and full of potential. The challenge of this game must really rip your self-control out of you and reveal your weakest, most embarrassing parts. In episode one, I still liked everyone. I could never play this game because I have health issues that would get me voted out right quick. Among those health challenges, like Liz, I can’t eat very many things, and I can’t imagine knowing that I was heading to a place where the only things I’d be able to eat are things that I cannot eat. I go into my adventures by planning ahead in great detail how I will take care of myself in the different circumstances. I know I’d never be able to make a plan of survival for me to survive on Survivor.

Jeff: “I can see the clothes are big, your bodies are shrinking. Are you starting to feel that cumulative effect?”

Charlie: “Listen, everytime I stand up, I literally feel like I’m about to faint, you know, I have to go back down on my hands and knees . I’ve never felt that ever before in my whole life.” Everyone nods.

Jeff: “All right, shall we get to today’s reward challenge? For today’s challenge you’re gonna race through a series of obstacles until you reach a sack of sandbags. You’re gonna throw those sandbags into a net tunnel, and then use your hands to get them out the other side. Once they’re all through, you’ll grab one last sandbag, go under a net, crawl, and attempt to land that sandbag on a very tall target. First person to finish, wins reward. Wanna know what you’re playing for? It’s day 18, you’ve gone a long time without food. You passed up the opportunity at rice, so I know you’re gonna be glad to hear that you’re playing for the biggest reward of the season.”

Jeff: “Applebee’s.” Cheering. Jeff lists out some menu items, then lifts the cover to reveal three very appetizing looking entree’s.

Liz: “My Wednesday night ritual!” Jeff: “For real?” Liz: “Yes! Every Wednesday, my daughter and I have “Survivor Sleepover.” We go directly to Applebee’s, I get the burger, she gets the pizza, and then we go home. Then we watch Survivor! Yaye!”

Jeff: “Oh, if only you can win this challenge.” Liz: “Burger!”

Jeff lists off what is in store for the winner. He sounds like a commercial for Applebee’s (and he probably is) and the starving competitors squirm and groan with pleasure as they imagine eating each menu item. “All the apps you love: Boneless Wings, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Chicken Quesadillas. Or maybe Bourbon Street Chicken & Shrimp, Bourbon Street Mushroom Swiss Buger.” Lizz, jumping up and down with a desperate look on her face: “That’s my favourite!” Jeff: “That’s 100% Ground Beef.” Liz: “That’s my favourite one!” Ben: “Damn!” Jeff: “Smothered in sauteed onions and mushrooms.” Liz: “Oh Jeff, you’re killing us!” Jeff: “Somebody say dessert? Oreo Cookie Shake.” Liz: “I might eat it, even though I’m allergic.” Jeff: “And to close it out, an Applebee’s reward would not be complete without The Shark Bowl. Applebee’s Rum Cocktail Favourite.” Charlie: “Ah! Careful now!” Jeff: “All this can be yours, IF … you win this challenge.”

• From the first seconds of the challenge, Q is ahead with Tiffany close behind him and Venus close behind her. Bringing up the rear, Liz has the least to give. This order of performance does not change much throughout the challenge.
• First, players run about 20-30 feet to a hurdle-like platform. They jump or climb up the ledge and then jump or climb off the other side. These hurdles are approximately 3 feet high, 3 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep, so you can’t just jump over it like you can with a regular hurdle. There are two like this, about 5 feet apart. The third one, 5 feet further, players need to get down on their hands and knees to crawl underneath it, where there is a web of rope to pass through. Over, over, and through. Q is first through, with Tiffany close behind him. Liz is second last through, and Kenzie makes it through last, with great struggle.
• Next, players run about 20 feet to a large bag, which they must untie, to release and dump out what looks to be about a dozen sandbags. Players then launch/toss their sandbags into a long net tunnel, which is about a foot square in diameter and about 4-5 feet long. Sandbags get snagged on the rope frame, but players can stick their hands through the gaps in the rope to move them along towards the exit. Q is the first one to finish.
• Third, players untie a sandbag that is larger than the ones that passed through the net tunnel. This is the sandbag they must carry with them in order to toss it at the end. It looks like about a dozen knots are waiting to be untied. Then they crawl under a large net lean-to, that starts off around 3 feet high, and ends low to the ground. The middle of the net run is weighted down by five large sandbags, pushing the net and the player closer to the ground as they try to crawl through. The large net, which extends over every colour of every player, is held up by a large wooden beam framework, and there looks to be around 50 feet of distance for players to crawl through. Q is the first to untie the sandbag and begin the crawl, and Tiffany is very close behind him. Q finishes the rawl about ten feet before Tiffany does.
• As Q begins to release his final sandbag from the bag that holds it, Liz is the only one still trying to untie her sandbag from the lean-to frame. Everyone else is already crawling under the heavy netting. At this part of the challenge, players stand on a small (3×3?) platform and from there, they try to land their final sandbag on top of the target, which is a small (1 foot around) disc perched on top of a tall (20 feet) pole. The platform where they stand is about ten feet from the base of the pole.
• Jeff: “Eighteen days of fatigue showing up right now. The answer to your problem is Applebee’s. You just gotta earn it!”
• First Q, then Tiffany, then everybody is tossing their sandbags up to that little target in the sky – except for Kenzie and Liz who seem to be neck-in-neck, mired within the sand and the netting.
• Liz and Kenzie get through at the same time. Liz almost lands it on her first toss – but doesn’t.

A few more tries by all, and then Q is the one who lands it. Q wins reward!

The Applebee’s reward will take place at The Sanctuary, “where good things happen,” and it is an overnight stay. Jeff tells Q that he has a lot of power in the game and a lot of strategic decisions to make. As we know from the deleted scene, Liz has been plotting all day to get anyone who might win the challenge to take her along with them to this food reward, so that she can eat her favourite burger. Venus told her she has nothing to worry about, and I expect many others have assured her similarly, because her heart is set, she knows this meal is for her, whether she wins or loses the challenge.

• Q’s first pick: “So, Jeff, in my everyday life, I always try to make things right. So, for my first choice, I’m gonna choose Tiff.” Tiffany looks surprised but happy to eat. Jeff: “What an interesting choice, given…” Liz, as Tiffany walks past her to stand by Q: “I can’t!” Jeff: “the last Tribal where you two were done.” Tiffany: “Jeff, I’m, I’m actually surprised, but I am excited because I do feel like we need to talk in, like, a setting where it’s not high pressure, not a whole bunch of people around, and just really be able to hash things out.”
• Jeff: “Alright, Q, choose another person to join you, and before you decide —” On either side of Liz stand Ben and Maria. Both very tired, both very hungry. Liz: “I’m gonna beg. I’m gonna beg, please. Please.”
• Q’s second pick: “The next choice that I’m gonna make, Jeff, it’s just based off, when I was out there by myself, there was one person that came and checked on me, genuinely, wanted to know if I was alright, so I just want to say thank you, and the next choice I am gonna make is Maria.” Everyone claps. Well, not Liz. Liz doesn’t clap. Liz holds her elbows, closes her eyes behind the glasses that I also have but will never wear again, and cries. Maria hugs Q, she whispers: “Thank you.” Q, hugging her back, whispers: “Yeah”
• Jeff: “Alright, Q, you have one more person. So it’s gonna be four people at The Sanctuary for Applebee’s, four people back at camp, and you have one person, Liz, sobbing, has talked about food this entire season, how she can’t eat certain things, therefore she’s more hungry. But it’s also a million dollar game, with only a few people left!” Liz sniffles and cries. Ben, Kenzie, Venus, and Charlie stand beside her, not begging, not crying, but also very, very hungry.
• Q’s third pick: “Liz, she hasn’t eaten, um, in almost 18 days.” Ben puts his arm around her shoulder as she hugs her elbows, closes her eyes and cries. “This is something that she could potentially eat. But, Kenzie was with me since day one, um,” Kenzie holds her face in both hands, unbelieving. “and it’s something in me is saying, bring the family back together.” Liz opens her eyes and inhales deeply. “So my decision is basically going to be to bring Kenzie.” Kenzie: “Oh, my gawd!” Liz cries and turns away.

Jeff: “The Yanu three is back together again, after declaring they were dead at Tribal Council.” Kenzie hugs Q, who hugs her back. Q to the others: “Sorry, y’all.” Jeff: “Liz, do you feel comfortable talking about what you’re feeling?” The birds sing as she weakly stops herself from crying and turns slowly around to face Jeff and Q.

• Liz, screaming with great, unexpected energy: “I’m pissed! Y’all say you ain’t gone without eating!”
• Ben, Charlie and Venus stand silently to her left, also not chosen, also very hungry.
• Liz pauses to inhale a shaky breath, then continues screaming at Q, and to everyone, it seems: “I see you eat everyday!”
• She pauses again to wail.
• She inhales deeply, and Venus begins to step in front of Ben, towards Liz, but Liz continues screaming: “Q, you almost blew up my whole game!”
• Venus wisely backs away.
• Liz: “You overshadowed everything I was trying to do! And I said it’s cool. I didn’t say NOTHIIIIIIIIING!”
• Kenzie lift up a finger, thinks better of it, folds it down again.
• Liz groans, then yells some more: “I don’t even WANT to be around y’all!”
• Venus flinches and blinks a bit, standing tall and calm.
• Liz screams: “I’m just…Q…you blew up my whole freaking spot! I didn’t even know about the damn split vote last night!” Everything came pouring out of her.

Q, in his calm, reasonable voice: “But, Liz, you voted for ME last night, so…” Liz looks at his face and pauses, licks her lips, silence for a moment. Charlie nods, and smiles his quiet little smile at Q. Q continues: “I made decisions based off where MY head is right now in the game, I’m sorry.” He shakes his head.

• Liz sighs. “I’m over it now. Thank y’all for letting me have that. I feel better. I just exploded. I’m sorry. Back to your regularly scheduled program.”
• Jeff: “Liz, you don’t have to apologize for having your emotions. Obviously, missing out on rice is coming into play now.”
• Liz: “I haven’t eaten since the merge. I’ve had zero calories since the merge. But, there’s hope in the game, always. I don’t even think I screamed that hard during my divorce.” She laughs, no one else does. She exhales a playful groan.

Jeff: “All right, here’s what’s gonna happen. Q, Kenzie, Tiff, Maria, you’re gonna leave here, go to the sanctuary. Applebee’s chef is there, waiting for you. Fresh, beautiful Applebee’s food. You will spend the night, get a good night’s sleep, and return to camp in the morning. Head out, enjoy a well-deserved afternoon.” The lucky four: “Thanks Jeff.” Maria: “Thanks, Q.” The other three clap. Charlie: “Eat up, y’all.” Liz stands there, hands holding elbows, frowning at the winners while holding eye contact with Maria. Maria to Liz: “I’m so sorry, Mama.”

Jeff: “Liz, Ben, Venus, Charlie, got nothing for ya, grab your stuff, head back to camp.”

Liz to camera: “I am so angry.”

I think Liz is possibly angry about a lot more than what is happening in this game, a lot more than people who hardly know her who are her competitors, who don’t owe her anything, and to whom her weakness is their gain. I mean, maybe I am harsh, but is her difficulty eating really any of their burden to bear? Sure, it’s nice to oil the loudest squeaking wheel, take care of the person who begs the loudest, but still.  I suspect she’s actually angry about untended things that have happened in her real life, outside of this game, and her disappointment at expecting to be able to eat because she is the hungriEST of them all, but not being chosen, just triggered that, and set that anger free. She said it herself, that she hadn’t even screamed like that during her divorce, which must have been an extremely painful experience. This anger has needed to come out of her for a while, and it wasn’t about food. I hope that it helps her, emotionally, in the long run to have let it out like that.

Liz continues: “Q screwed me over. Not only am I not going on this reward, not only am I not eating, but now I’m not feeling that connection to my daughter and our Survivor ritual, and I’m gonna have to go back and just sit in all this disgusting feelings.”

Maybe I am becoming a little too cut-throat, but I like Q’s choices. For one thing, it makes for great TV!

I think that Liz believes her eating limitations are a problem for other people to solve, however, in reality, it is only her own problem! None of her opponents signed up to keep her alive and happy, that is her job alone. In the past, winners of these types of challenges take the people who are suffering the most on the reward with them, to help them out a little. What do their guests invariably do? They use their renewed energy to dispense of the person who had compassion on them.

Liz can be proud of herself, though, because she has made it this far in the game in spite of not being able to eat as much (of almost nothing) as the others have enjoyed. If I had starved for 18 days, I would be lying on the floor almost dead, not yelling at someone with such energetic animation. She is a strong woman! That is awesome! Go Liz!

Commercials Break 21:44

Nuinui Day 18

At camp, a tired and deflated Liz apologises again to Charlie, Venus and Ben, for her outburst. “OK, thank you for letting me have my moment. I let it out. I’m over it. Thank you for letting me spew what I had to spew.” I don’t think anyone LET her do anything. She did what she had to do in the moment, and holy heck, that was a lot of rage, there, that she had been holding inside her tiny little, starving body. “Oh my gawd, I was, like, literally screaming at this person!” She laughs, calmly.

• Charlie: “I was like, you’re a beast in the best way right now!”
• Venus: “We’ve all wanted to do that to Q at least once.”
• Liz to camera: “I’m so mad at Q, I mean, everyone’s aware that I have allergies. On Survivor, I can’t really eat much. I’m allergic to coconut, most fruits, chicken. A lot of everyday foods causes my throat to clench. But I can eat any kind of beef, and the burger is the exact burger that I order.”
• Venus: “Liz, that was yours.”
• Charlie: “I’ve never even….”
• Liz: “We legitimately go to Applebee’s every Wednesday. It’s like our thing. Like, the…”
• Liz to camera: “So, to not pick me and deny someone who has barely eaten in 18 days, who has this emotional connection with this meal, I don’t know what kind of person does that.” Oh Liz, the more you talk about how you deserve it more than anyone else, the more I applaud Q’s courage to pick someone different than you.
• Venus: “You of all people should have been…”
• Ben: “He’s a villain, yo, straight up! There’s nothing else to say, he’s a villain, bro, like that’s it.”
• Ben to camera: “You know, Liz has a daughter at home, and when the Applebee’s reward get’s revealed, Liz very publicly states that this would make her feel like home.”
• Liz: “Ugh! That Bourbon Burger is what I get, too.”
• Ben to camera: “And on top of that, the Bourbon Burger is her go-to menu item.”
• Ben: “My anger is satisfying my hunger right now.”
• Venus: “Yeah, my need for vengeance.”
• Ben to camera: “Like, how can you not feel for that? But I think Q is working from the bottom, so the only option he has is to rekindle his old alliances. But I think they would be idiots if they fell for this crap. If I were in their position,, I’d be like, yo, let me get the Applebee’s and still get Q out next.”

Man, if Applebee’s and Survivor teamed up to create drama in the show and sell meals at the same time, they’ve succeeded big time. Well played, big corporations, well played! I bet the sale of Bourbon Burgers has really increased this week.

Sanctuary Day 18

The Sanctuary is decorated like what I assume is an actual Applebee’s. Their slogan “Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood” is written on a plaque, hanging on the wall, surrounded by Hibiscus blossoms. (Just gotta say, as a Canadian, I found it very difficult to write their trademarked slogan and leave the “u” out of Neighbourhood. In addition, I’ve never heard of Applebee’s before this show. The food looks good.)

Q, Tiffany, Maria and Kenzie walk in the sun, along the sandy shore, towards the building. They are greeted by 3 people, dressed in black short sets, holding out 4 light blue slush drinks. “Bula. Welcome to Applebee’s!” They say in unison. Accepting the drink, Q says, “Bula, wow!” The three women smile as they accept their own drinks.

The four starving survivors enter the table area, all set up with four place settings and a large plate of nacho chips, flatbread, chicken strips, and 4 dips per place. A tall, frosty glass of water for each of them awaits their parched lips. Raising and clinking her large light blue slush cup, Maria starts a Cheers with each player, first Kenzie, then Q, then Tiffany. Everyone seeks each other out, “Cheers!” Clinks all around.

They happily sit and eat, each of them saying charming little things about the food and about themselves, enjoying the meal and the moment. Later, alone on the beach, Tiffany reveals that she, too, has a weekly ritual at Applebee’s: “Me and my friends go to Applebee’s every week, just for the spinach and artichoke dip, I promise you.” As they’re chowing down on their delicious feast, Q reminds everyone that this filling meal is only the appetizer. Everyone is shocked about that. On the beach, Tiffany happily observes: “As soon as it entered my body, I felt, like, eighteen days of starvation just evaporate. I feel ready to play Survivor again, let’s go!

The Meal Conversation begins.

Kenzie: “Well, Liz was pissed.” Tiffany: “Oh, my gawd!” Q: “Yeah, that was tough.” Tiffany, laughing: “Q, you might have to watch your back you get back to camp.” Q shakes his head and smiles a bit. “It was tough, but, you know, I’ve dealt with that, like firing people. So I was just like, man, that is sad, but dang.” Tiffany: “Yeah?” Maria: “It was really hard to watch.” Q: “Yeah.” Kenzie: “It was tuuuuuuf.”

• Q to camera: “It was hard for me to see Liz crying like that, but at this point I think everyone wants me out. So my only option is to make my bed back where I started, and that’s with the Yanu three.”
• The camera focuses on Maria’s thoughtful face, looking down, staying silent, no eye contact. Q to group: “Man, it would make sense for us and Siga, your two – Ben, Charlie and you, and then the three of us, and, we’ll see what happens.” Tiffany: “Yeah.” Maria: “Yeah.” Kenzie: “Yeah.” Tiffany: “I mean, I really have no strong ties to Venus or Liz, so I have no qualms about it whatsoever. Maria: “Yeah.” Kenzie: “I don’t either.”
• Q to camera: “For me, this moment was about pushing my game forward with the right people. Maria, she is someone that’s been in my corner, and those are the reasons I made my choices. I don’t owe Liz anything.”

Finishing up their Oreo Cookie Milkshakes, the ladies thank Q. Kenzie to camera: “Q is like my unhealthy boyfriend. He’s buying me a nice meal at Applebee’s, hoping I just get amnesia and forget about the fact that he’s left me out of plans for half of this game? Like, I’m not, I’m smart, Q. Takes a little more to woo me! On top of that, I don’t know how he could pick me over Liz. I was like, damn, Q, like, that’s cold! Like, that is cold! So, I’m like, Oh, after all the nonsense you’ve pulled the past couple of days, like, I’m just supposed to forgive you because we broke bread together? Like, that’s ridiculous.”

A waiter walks in: “Ready for the main course?” A plate is set in front of each person. Chicken, shrimp and mashed potatoes. While they eat it, Kenzie continues the above private monologue with the camera, and people comment on the food. Waiter walks in again and offers everyone the Bourbon Burger. Honestly, everything looks scrumptious.

Tiffany: “I need a ToGo box.”

Remember when that was a thing? They could smuggle their leftovers home and share them with people there? That would have been the humanitarian thing to do about Liz’s situation. Clearly Survivor is trying to step in and find ways to feed her without breaking any rules. So, this would have been an easy thing to do. As a “Save Poor Liz” rescue mission, invite the feasters to carry home leftovers from their reward feast to share with the others for breakfast. Or send her to jury house and let her eat.

• Kenzie to camera: “Our stomachs have shrank so much that my stomach hurt, and the BURGER comes out. This is the Bourbon Burger that Liz gets every single Wednesday. And I can see why. Like, it’s so melty, it’s so moist, and the mushrooms and the onions, OH! But I’m so full of all the other stuff, like, I just couldn’t do it.” Tiffany: “I ain’t gonna be able to eat no burger.” Laughter.
• Kenzie to camera: “And I am mortified because I’m one of the people who are, like, taking her burger dream away.” Tiffany: “Wow, I’m about to sleep like a baby.” Maria: “I could sleep right now.” Tiffany: “Like, immediately right now.”

The burger sits, forlorn and undisturbed. Camera pans to Liz. Poor, more-starving-than-everyone else, Liz. She seems to be trying to build a fire, but clearly the effort of it is more than she can do in her current state. She drops the tools and begins to cry. Ben naps nearby. Liz to camera: “It’s like really hard today. I’m just in my feelings, and it’s not just about food. I grew up really poor. My family had a lot of food insecurity. Pretty much, we barely ever had enough. And so, being able to sit down at Applebee’s with my daughter is so important to me.” Her voice begins to break. “My favourite part of the week, is, it sounds so silly, but, it’s picking her up after yoga, we go immediately to Applebee’s, I turn my phone off, and that’s the one night of the week where it’s just us. And it’s something we bond over. And to have so much hope that, okay Liz, you’re gonna get this, you’re gonna get this, and then it’s, it’s Applebee’s, and it’s THE THING I order.” She cries. “I really wanted that connection to my kid. And that delicious, juicy burger! he he he!”

4 well-fed folk laydown or sit on the mat, on the ocean side of their dinner table. Laying down are Kenzie, Tiffany and Maria, and beside Maria, Q sits. Maria: “Wow. This will definitely tide us over.” Silence, as people start drifting off to sleep. Q stands up and walks away: “I’m gonna walk this food down a little bit. See y’all.” Everyone says see ya later.

• Kenzie: “What are you thinking?”
• Tiffany: “Oh, I ain’t buying none of this crap. Play me once, shame on you. Play me twice, shame on me. I’m not rerouting my game because you’re going on an apology tour.”
• Maria to camera: “Q’s brought us on this reward, and we’re in this, like, wonderful mood. And then, like, the minute Q steps out, Tiff and Kenzie said, “Q’s got to go. Q’s got to go.”
• Tiffany: “Q is still a big, physical threat. He did, you know, beat us today.”
• Kenzie: “And he’s driven a lot of votes.”
• Maria to camera: “Q is still a number for me. Q is somebody I trust. But, it sounds like Q has really rubbed people the wrong way long enough, and it might have to be his time to go.”

Nuinui Day 19

The sun rises on three hungry ones, Liz gazes at it, smiling a soft smile. Charlie: “Not a bad sunrise.” Liz: “This is stunning.” Ben is silent. Venus is no where to be seen, maybe she is taking the picture. Liz and Charlie sit close together on the side of the upsidedown boat, and Ben sits beside Charlie, but in the sand in front of him, leaning back against the wall of the upside down boat.

• Charlie: “How you feeling today, Liz?”
• Liz: “I feel alright. A little nervous if we have a challenge today.”
• Charlie: “Yeah.”
• Liz: “They’re so well-fed and rested.”

The fully fed ones make their way home, walking along the beach towards these three. Greetings are exchanged. Liz smiles and waves a welcome, along with the others, even though she’s furious inside.

• Liz: “We were just wondering when we’d SEE you.”
• Charlie: “We don’t need to hear ALL the details, but I do want to hear a little bit about what —“
• Liz to camera: “The winners return from their feast, and I’m ticked. I don’t want to hear anything they have to say….”

Venus joins the group.

• Charlie: “Q, what was your favourite item? That you ate?”
• Q: “Quesadillas.”
• Tiffany: “I had quesadillas…I had spinach and artichoke dip. I didn’t even touch the burger, though.” Liz’s face, though.
• Venus: “I’m surprised you didn’t bite, like, a little bit of the burger.”
• Tiffany: “Nah, just because I was so damn full, I could barely eat any.”
• Liz to camera: “I’m listening to them, and it turns out no one ate the burger. Aaaah! I mean, honestly, it’s just another, like, slap in the face.”
• Charlie: “All right, Tiff, favourite item.”
• Tiffany: “Oh, Oreo milkshake, hands down. That Oreo milkshake was delicious. I’m lactose intolerant, but I couldn’t not do it.”

Liz to camera: “Oh my gawd. I couldn’t even eat the baaaacoooooon!” Whiny voice, fake cry face. “I’m lactose intolerant, but I ate the milkshake anyway! I mean shut up! Like, read the freaking room! I’m just, like, all over the place. But, as much as this not eating is making my mind kind of crazy, I do still have my eyes on the prize.”

• Liz to Q: “I’m sorry, Q, I’m sorry I exploded.”
• Q: “You’re allowed to express your emotions.”
• Liz: “I was just really hungry.”
• Q: “That was a tough moment.”
• Liz to camera: “So I decided to say I’m sorry for my outburst at the challenge. It’s the biggest lie I’ve ever said in this game so far, because, honestly, I want to vote Q out. I was lying. I’m not sorry, I’m definitely not. I’m super proud of myself for yelling at him.”

Back on the beach, Liz half jokes, half brags: “I will be having a HOT GIRL summer, though, when I get home.” Kenzie: “The Survivor Diet.” Liz: “Be back to, like, my tenth grade body weight.”

• Q to camera: “Liz apologized for her outburst, but I’m not concerned with what Liz thinks. I’m not ashamed of going on a reward that I won. I can choose who I want, and, of course, there’s gonna always be someone mad.”
• Liz stands in the shallow water, turns back towards shore and bellows out a groan so loud, that sitting at camp around the fire pit, Maria, Q and Charlie turn towards the beach to see what the sound was.  Tiffany, Venus and Ben are there too. All look towards the beach. Venus: “Oh, that was Liz. She was just groaning.”
• Q to camera: “Hey, it’s a business decision. Uh, just like at home, if I fire someone, I don’t care if they’re kicking and crying on the floor. They have to go. So, at the end of the day, an apology out here, you can keep it.”

Maria and Charlie emerge through the trees, walking along on a path together. Maria: “Alright.” Charlie: “Okay, what’s the quick update?” Maria: “So, Q proposed Venus, then Liz. And then the ladies proposed Q out first.” Charlie: “So, is the Tiff blindside off?” Maria: “For now, but, I think that it’s all gonna come down to if Q wins immunity or not.” Charlie: “Okay.” Maria: “But what are you all proposing?” Charlie: “I was thinking that it would be still Tiff today.” Maria: “Tiff. Is that what everyone here was talking about?” Charlie: “No, Q. That’s all we were talking about.” Maria: “Okay.”

• Maria to camera: “After Q did not take Liz on the reward, everybody wants him out.”
• Charlie, alone to Maria: “The only think that scares me is that Tiff has an idol. Which is why I’m like, I don’t know how long that can be on the back burner.” Maria: “Right.”
• Maria to camera: “The problem is, Tiff has an idol, and it’s something that, like, we really have to get out of this game, but everybody is just like, we want Q gone.”
• Venus to Maria, Charlie beside them: “We have the numbers for a big move next vote. But Q is causing chaos, and he proves himself capable of winning challenges, so if we have an opportunity, he should go.” Liz walks up, Maria nods: “I think if he doesn’t win, he’s got to go.” Charlie: “Yeah.” Venus: “I agree.” Liz: “I made my feelings pretty clear.”
• Charlie to camera: “Everybody is saying beat Q at all costs. but for me and Maria, Tiffany could be more of a threat. SoI don’t want Tiffany to win either. So we need to make sure that Tiffany and Q lose this challenge.”

Commercials Break 35:24

Immunity Challenge Day 19

The challenge is lined up along the beach, on a platform. Each player has a place to stand and a basic pully to grasp on to. The rope from the pulley is connected to a bucket that contains 25% of their pre-game body weight. Hands have to grasp a bar that spins, stop it from allowing gravity to pull the heavy bucket to the ground and smashing their tile. Last person to finish wins immunity, guaranteed a spot in the final seven. A losers are up for grabs at Tribal Council tonight, one person will be voted out and become the 4th member of the jury and the 11th person voted out.

Jeff pulls out a bag of rice. “The first time we did this negotiation, it was four people have to sit out or two votes given up at tonight’s Tribal. But there were ten of you. There’s only eight of you now. It’s still four people to sit out or two votes, which means the price has gone up. Anybody interested in stepping out? Four people gets you enough rice to get you all the way to the end of the season.”

Kenzie: “I mean, I’ll step out.” She steps forward.

Jeff: “Kenzie’s one.”

Liz groans, does not offer to step out this time. Jeff: “Liz thinking about it.” Liz to group: “Y’all think you can win this?”

Jeff: “All right, let’s make this a little more interesting. If you can’t come up with four people for the group, then any individual who wants to step out,” Jeff places a jar of rice on the table. “Your own individual portion of rice. It’s not a lot, but there’s enough there to stave off that hunger.”

Venus nods at Liz: “You get it!”

Liz: “Would you guys hate me?” Tiffany: “No, no. I’d judge you more if you didn’t.” Charlie: “Get the rice, Liz, that’s yours.” Ben: “That’s all you.” Charlie: “That’s your coconut.” Liz: “All right, well, I’ll step out.” Jeff discusses with them if anyone else wants to step out, make it four, and get more rice. No one does, and Jeff concludes that a deal for rice will never be struck for the tribe this season. Kenzie steps back into the group that will compete. Liz comes forward to get her rice and sit on the benches.

Players stand at their spots, put their hands on their handle, pull it back until they hear a click. Once the lever clicks, the weight is theirs to bear.

• Venus is out first. Ben is out after a valiant fight to hold on.
• Jeff: “6 minutes. The longest the challenge has gone was Mike Gabler 38 minutes.”
• Venus seems to be casting a spell on Q, trying to get him to drop. Ben calls it manifesting.
• Maria adjusts, Kenzie squirms, but it is Q who drops. In slow motion. Venus: Karma exists, oh I am so happy!”
• Kenzie drops. Maria drops. Only Tiffany, who stands as solid and peaceful as a sculpture, and Charlie remain.
• 21 minutes.
• Charlie removes each hand, one at a time, for a brief stretch in each hand. Somehow, he does not lose his grip.
• Tiffany remains seemingly unbothered. Jeff: “Tiffany looking like a statue down at the end, she’s barely moved or changed her body position at all.” Liz: “She got fed.” Unfed, squirming Charlie taunts solid Tiffany by pulling playful faces at her. Seeing that his bucket is low, Tiffany risks shifting her concentration by pulling a winky face smile back to Charlie.
• Charlie pulls his bucket all the way back up to the top. What a grip.
• Tiffany squats, then drops. Charlie wins.
• Tiffany lays on the ground with her back to Charlie. She won’t shake his hand until he chases after her about 2 or 3 times.
• Charlie gets the Immunity Necklace.

Charlie to camera: “When I started watching Survivor, I saw that grip strength is the most important skill for Survivor challenges. For the past, really, two years, I’ve been literally training my grip with the grip squeezers, dead hangs on pull up bars, anything I can think of to strengthen my forearms and grip. It’s really validating to have your hard work pay off in a way that actually impacts my game.”

Commercials Break 47:59

Nuinui Day 19

Walking back along the beach in the sun, to their camp. Q walks alone in the foreground. About 20 feet behind him is Maria, Charlie just behind her, Tiffany just behind him. Venus and Kenzie walk together about 10 feet behind her. Ben walks about t10feet behind them, and Liz brings up the rear, carrying her jar of rice, about 10 feet behind him.

• Tiffany to camera: “I was pretty peeved that Charlie won immunity, because, aside from the fact that I just want a chance at wearing the immunity necklace, I wanted to be the one to beat Q and send him home. He tried to destroy my game, and there’s no way under this Fijian sun, that I would let that go. I want Q gone. Tonight is a easy vote. Myself, Kenzie, Charlie, Ben, Maria, Venus and Liz are all on board to send him home. I haven’t heard a single person utter another name today besides Q.”
• Everyone cheers for Charlie for winning the necklace, and for Liz for having rice.
• Tiffany continues to camera: “But when there’s idols in play, people start to act stupid.
• Liz: “I need somebody to make fire, honestly.” Earlier in this episode we watched Liz find starting the fire to be too much for her to do. Tiffany bends down and makes a fire for Liz, so Liz can cook herself some rice.
• Tiffany to camera: “I have been doing a lot of debating about this idol because now that it’s out there, I know that the clock is ticking on when I have to play it. However, Q kind of blew up his own game and has been causing chaos at camp. He’s now the biggest target. He’s a strong competitor, he’s won the individual reward, and he’s proven that, like, he can beat us.”

Kenzie and Maria go to get more firewood for Liz’s fire. Tiffany is going to crack a coconut.

• Tiffany to camera: “I’m a betting woman, so I’m putting my chips on the table and I’m making a bet. Tonight I’m betting I can keep my idol in my pocket because Q is going home.”
• Kenzie to Maria: “I’m pretty sure that everyone wants Q.”
• Maria: “I agree, but I’d love to get the idol out.
• Kenzie: “Yeah. I would love to get it out, too, but if she plays her idol tonight and we all vote Tiff, it’s gonna be really bad.”
• Maria: “Right, but let’s just think.”
• Kenzie: “I don’t want to go back on the plan, but, like, it’s just it’s not really worth the risk.”
• Maria: “I agree.”
• Maria to camera: “It seems to be that Kenzie is having cold feet. It seems to be that Kenzie doesn’t necessarily think that this is the right time to make the Tiffany move, but if I keep sitting back and waiting for the light to turn green … it may not turn green. So I’m gonna have to run the red light.”

Venus lays across the upsidedown boat in the sun, Kenzie and Tiffany sit against the boat, by her head. Kenzie to Tiffany: “You’re basically in final six.” Venus opens her eyes and looks hard at them. Tiffany smiles a small smile.

• Tiffany: “That’s so awesome! As long as y’all not trying to blindside me tonight.”
• Kenzie: “I mean, not yet. It’s a good idea, though.” Both laugh.
• Kenzie to camera: “I have been working on this, like, Tiff blindside thing on the side, but it’s just not singing the same heart song it was to me. I have no respect for Q. I have no respect for the way he’s playing the game. And I don’t want to get out Tiff, who wants to be here, for someone who doesn’t care. It’s like spitting in the face of everyone who has ever applied, everyone who has ever tried to be out here, in the face of the jury, that he just doesn’t care. It’s annoying. “

Q is laying on the beach, out of hearing, but within sight of them, and the three women notice as Maria enters the beach and, seeing them both, chooses to walk to Q instead of to them. Kenzie: “I wonder what they’re talking about?” Tiffany: “I don’t know, probably she giving him some type of encouragement or something, I don’t know.”

• Maria to Q: “The thing is, Q, is everybody’s coming for you.”
• Q: “I’m the easy vote.”
• Maria: “But you could change that, like, there are options, but, like, you got to be in the game.”
• Q: “I’m in the game! So, would y’all go Tiff tonight?”
• Maria: “If you want to take Tiff out, there are options to take Tiff out. Are you in, or are you not in?”
• Q: “I’m in. I would vote Tiff tonight.”
• Q to camera: “Tonight’s vote is life or death, uh, for me. It’s gonna be me or Tiff. I go to Vegas a lot, and I’m a high roller. I hope tonight I can roll nothing but sevens, and we can send Tiff home.”

Walking together, Maria catches Ben up on her plan.

• Maria to Ben: “What are you thinking? Obviously, Q is an easy vote, but I’d love to get the idol out.”
• Ben, sighs in relief: “Oh, no doubt.”
• Maria: “We can take Tiff out tonight. While it might be hard to work with Q, I think we’re gonna have to work with Q.”
• Ben to camera: “I have been thinking about this vote. Q is a schemer and a bit of a bully, and I want him the hell out of here, but the argument for Tiff being the vote is that everybody knows Tiff has an idol, and the idol’s more dangerous than Q at this point.”

Tiffany, Kenzie and Venus are in the shelter painting rocks together.

Maria, Charlie and Ben walk together to the water well, then stand there to quietly continue talking.

• Ben: “I think we got to go with the Tiff blindside.”
• Maria: “Okay.”
• Ben: “Strategically, it’s the most, it’s the smartest -“
• Maria to camera: “Now we have four votes to get Tiffany out, but in a game where there are eight people left, that’s not enough.”
• Maria to Ben and Charlie: “This is how we do it. Q is down to do Tiff. Maybe we don’t tell Kenzie?”
• Charlie: “I was thinking the same thing.”
• Maria: “We’ve got Q, Ben, me, Charlie. That’s four. Thing is, we need one more solid person.”
• Charlie: “Personally, I think Liz is the better bet out of –“
• Maria, shaking her head: “Liz, I don’t trust her -“
• Charlie: “But out of Liz and Venus, who do you trust more? Venus, I don’t trust, she’ll cause some random chaos.”
• Ben: “Right.”
• Maria to camera: “Venus is not somebody I could work with, but the whole fight that Liz and Q had, makes it really hard looping Liz into the plan.”
• Charlie: “We only have to get one more vote. I think Liz is better.”
• Maria to camera: “I want Tiffany out, and I want it to be today, but Charlie’s right, Liz is hte key person for this plan, and so our plan is contingent on the person that has a personal vendetta against Q. But at some point, you’ve gotta make a move, and this is terrifying. It’s terrifying because it could blow up in my face, but it could also be a game-winning move.”

Later in the day, camera shows us a rocky section of the shore, with water fould perching and flying around the rocks. Liz and Maria sit nearby.

Maria: “I understand that you are angry at Q, and you don’t want him in the game. And I agree with that. Ben hates Q. Like, a lot of us don’t want Q, but we have one chance.”

• Liz: “For Tiffany?” Maria nods.
• Maria: “This is the only night that we can do this.”
• Liz: “Okay.”
• Maria: “And you are the key holder.”
• Liz to camera: “Tonight’s vote is making the wheels turn in my head. I think Maria wants to make this bold move for the jury, but I really, really dislike Q. Plus, I have a personal vendetta against Q, because he didn’t pick me for the Applebee’s reward. I know Tiff has an idol, and that is something to consider. So, it’s gonna be a really hard battle between my mind and my heart. Getting Tiff out with an idol, without her even playing it, it’s a huge, huge move. On the other hand, voting Q out, seeing Jeff snuff his torch, would be just as sweet as that juicy, delicious Bourbon Burger. Like peace out, brother, I am so done with you.”

The sun is setting, so the tribe makes their way to Tribal Council. Q leads the way, followed by Ben, Kenzie, Liz, Maria, Charlie, Tiffany, and Venus in back.

Commercials Break 54:50

Tribal Council Night 19

As they file in, we get a look at the nicely cleaned-up jury members, and Kenzie accidently burns some of her hair when sparks fall onto her head from a torch. They sit in this order, left to right: Venus, Kenzie, Maria, Liz, Q, Charlie, Ben, Tiffany.

• Jeff: “Okay, let’s review where the game is. Every single person on the jury is there as a result of a massive blindside. Q, you have been an unwitting smoke screen the last two Tribals. So, once again, let’s start with you. Did the day centre around you a lot? A little?”
• Q: “So, Jeff, over the last three days, um, I’ve been calm.” Liz shakes her head throughout his words. “I lay on the beach, if they approach me, good. if not, I don’t bother people. Right now I have no power, so I can only put the trust in the people around me.”
• Jeff: “Tiff, this is a different story, ’cause the last two Tribal’s, everything was swirling around Q. Q’s going home. Q’s going home. Q’s going home. Nope, still here.”
• Tiffany: “I mean, like Q said, he kind of just sat back, minded his business, and he has a keen understanding that, at this point, it really just is what it is. And today at camp, for probably the first time in quite a while, it was actually peaceful.”
• Jeff: “Kenzie, this is eerily familiar, though. The last two Tribals, there was this certainty that it was Q going home. Did it feel different today?”
• Kenzie: “Today definitely felt different. Q has been, like, such a good smoke screen for if a blindside is gonna get pulled off. But today, we were all on a pretty much an understanding on what was gonna go down tonight.”

Jeff brings the conversation to the reward challenge. Biggest reward of the season. Liz whimpers while he brings back her most recent painful memories.

• Jeff: “Q, you win. You’re in charge. You choose Maria, Tiff and Kenzie. Liz was left out, was frustrated, understandibly. It’s a long game, she hasn’t eaten, and she let you have it.” Liz laughs.
• Q, nodding and smiling: “Yes. That’s fair.”
• Liz: “I mean, I said what I said. I said it very loudly and very publicly, but I didn’t want it to be awkward for everyone, so I aplogized to Q. That don’t mean I’m, like, really that sorry, but like, Q, you and I, we just can’t play together.”
• Jeff: “Q, this is the story.”
• Q: “I know, man” sighs, “It’s tough, Jeff, but, you know, I put out a plan, and if four others get on board and help me out, we’ll see where things kind of shake up. But the other folks might just say, you know what? kick this guy out, so you know. it’s one of those things where its not in my control.
• Jeff: “Ben, is it possible that everybody could jump on board with Q’s plan, and it’s not Q again tonight?”
• Ben: “Personally, I’m just a bit over it, but, uh, if that does happen, like, it’s beyond me, ’cause everybody has seemed to have been on, like, Q tonight? Q tonight? I mean, it’s almost eerie how on board everybody is with that.”
• Jeff: “Charlie, Ben said it. It’s almost eerie. You can’t not consider the fact that something weird’s gonna happen again, because look across. The last two have been absolute devastating blindsides using Q as the smoke screen.”
• Charlie: “The eerie silence is scary, and I think there was a moment today where I was sort of questioning, like, is something going on that I don’t know about? And what I realized is that, no, the calm is because people are on the same page. So that’s what I’m hanging my hat on.
• Jeff: “Maria, let’s talk about blindsides at this stage of the game. If you’re somebody who pulls of a blindside, you’re happy, you’re proud, you should be. You hoodwinked somebody, that’s difficult to do. But they’re different when you have a jury.”
• Maria: “I mean, I am sure everybody here is thinking to themselves, How can I get something on my resume? Right? Like, there are three unfortunate people sitting over there who are thinking to themselves, was this a good move or was it not? Am I gonna award a vote to this person or not? And so, a blindside right now is huge. That’s just not the case tonight, unfortunately.” She laughs.
• Jeff: “Tiff, let’s go back to Q for a moment. There’s so much energy around whether he should be here or not, that I’m curious when the scales tip and suddenly keeping Q becomes the better move.”
• Tiffany laughs softly: “Um—“
• Jeff: “Liz is shaki–everybody’s shaking their head.”
• Tiffany: “I don’t know if keeping Q is the better move for anybody, just based on what I’ve been hearing, I don’t think that anybody here thinks that Q is best for their game at this particular point in time.”
• Q: “Again, for me, Jeff, I can only put out an idea. If it doesn’t stick with others, it doesn’t make sense for their game, I can’t make ’em vote with me. And, I was prepared to go two Tribals ago. If it’s my time, it’s my time. I’ve accepted it. If my plan is not their plan, I’m cool, man.”

Jeff: All right, it is time to vote.

Kenzie goes up first. When Venus goes up, she says: “Very easy vote.” and writes Q. Q votes Tiff.

Jeff carries the votes back to their area and before he tallies the votes, no one plays an advantage or a hidden immunity idol. Tiffany looks around at everybody, clearly feeling calm and confident.

• Q: Venus
• TIFF: Maria
• Q♡: Kenzie
• Q.: Tiffany
• Tiffany: Liz
• Tiff YANU NO MORE: Q
• Tiff: Charlie
• TIFF: Ben

Nothing is said by the players, Jeff says the usual things. Kenzie looks shocked. Liz shrugs with a smile on her face. Soda whispers to Tevin: “Dude, she had an idol.”

Scenes from the next episode:

• Kenzie walks alone through a green, overgrown meadow.
• Charlie: “And 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.

Tiffany’s last words:

“I broke my own Survivor rule. I should have played my idol. I should have just gotten rid of it, but I was trying to stretch my idol out for one more Tribal. It turns out that it bit me in the butt, so I’m not gonna sit up here and pretend that I’m happy that I just got blindsided, but if there’s any way to go out on Survivor, it’s a blindside.”