S47 E6

See you tonight!!

What will happen tonight? Will GATA still be able to walk back to camp as a cohesive group? Will Rachel overcome the betrayal she must be feeling, and keep playing the game? Has Sierra destroyed her game when she voted the way Sam wanted her to? Will Rome and Sol continue to befriend one another? Will Sue finally see that Kyle is right and Gabe does not really respect her? Will anyone ever guess that Sue isn’t really 45 but rather an impressive 59? Previews suggest there’s gonna be some kind of a merge. I’d like to see Genevieve and Rachel work together. Maybe Kyle and Tiyana with them.

Ok, here we go!!

Episode opens with Rome saying, “previously on, Survivor” and then he goes on to narrate his own impact on the tribe, on the game. The Survivor editors kindly show images of Rome doing the kinds of things that he talks about. Pretty cute.

Returning to camp, GATA Andy tells in private about how everything went exactly how he wanted it to go. He loves that Rachel is on the bottom now, after feeling like she was on the top. Sierra tries to make it good with Rachel, Rachel talks about how it is just a game, Sam tries to make it up, Andy says that Anika was a block between them. Rachel seems into what they are saying, but in private she reveals that it doesn’t feel very good. Sam explains to us that he chose not to play his idol because he didn’t want to lose trust with Andy who doesn’t know he has the idol. Rachel and Andy chat on the beach and Andy talks about the impending merge, hopefully tomorrow. Rachel knows that she needs other pathways and is hoping for a lifeline in the merge.

-opening credits-

GATA tribe in the morning hears a boat heading their way. As they go out to greet it, they are handed a letter. They all hope it is not a journey. The game is about to change. They hug and cheer. They drop their buffs and gather their things.

LAVO sees a boat, same deal, they cheer and drop their buffs too. Teeny feels as Rachel does, a merge is her lifeline.

TUKU gets a letter to drop their buffs, that their fellow Survivors will be joining them soon. They jump and cheer too. Suddenly they realize that everyone is coming to their campsite. Sue feels paranoid that people will go through their bags, so she goes to clean her idol in an effort to make it less obvious. While still rinsing it off, she hears the boats come.

Everyone hugs, happy to be able to talk to each other. Tiyana walks up the beach and she sees a sign that must be read with all tribe mates together. There will be a grueling challenge that will decide who will make it to the merge. There is something hidden that will help them. They all dash off to look for whatever it is.

-commercials break-

The campsite is now called Merge Beach. The thing that will help is floating in the water in front of a large rock islet. It’s kind of yellowish tan. Everyone searches only on land. Kyle searches the shore, moaning about how he lost his vote. In the background we see that things floating behind him. Genevieve and Sam look out into the ocean and daydream together about swimming here. Genevieve points and says, “What is the Buoy?” Sam dismisses it, it’s nothing, “I’ve seen a tonne of those around.”

Sol and Sue tell each other that they are 45 and 42, Sol says they look pretty good for 42 and 45. Everyone sits at camp chilling and chatting. Sol is amazed that no one is searching. People notice the paint where it splashed from Sue finding her idol. They find the pottery pieces. Everyone says it feels like a murder scene. They seem to think it is a clue to the advantage. Caroline immediately remembers when she found Sue with the red paint all over herself, she is proud of Sue when she realizes that Sue must have found the idol. She vows to keep Sue’s secret. People show Sue what they found, and she looks deer-in-headlights guilty, but tries to act normal. She jokes that it feels like she committed a crime, all evidence points to her and the cops are on their way.

Genevieve decides to go back to the buoy. She complains that she will get all wet for nothing, but then she finds the advantage! She goes back and tells everyone that she found it. The nature of the advantage will be revealed at the challenge after she presents the note.

What’s with the red paint? Someone asks. Tiyana stares at Sue, beginning to understand that Sue is connected to the crime scene. Sue and Caroline talk about it together. Caroline tells Sue that she is proud of her and will keep her secret. Sue trusts Caroline, but she suspects that Tiyana is on to her too and not trusting Tiyana the way she trusts Caroline, she’s not happy about that.

-commercials break-

It seems like everyone is lounging together on the shore watching the sunset and chatting. It’s nice to see people talk to people they weren’t able to talk with before. Rome is quiet, trying to get information out of people. He targets Kyle who, and Rome’s prodding, tells him that he thinks that Sam is the biggest male threat, Rome baits him to agree that Tiyana is the female threat. Kyle says that Sue and Caroline are a duo, Rome baits him to agree that Sue is weak in challenges. Later on in daylight, Rome tells all to Sue and to Sam and to Tiyana that Kyle is after them. Rome plays dirty, and I am intrigued by his confidence and creativity. I’d hate to be someone he is plotting against. Tiyana and Andy talk to Sol about it, and Sol says that Rome does that stuff, he makes stuff up. Sol tells Kyle that Rome told everyone what Kyle told him, and warns him about how sneaky and manipulative Rome can be. Kyle tells Sol that he doesn’t have a vote tonight. Kyle talks to everyone about what Rome just did to him. They clarify with him, Sol confirms what Rome is like. Kyle is now officially anti-Rome, others might be too, unless they don’t believe Kyle.

-commercials break-

It’s time for that grueling challenge. There will be a yellow team and a blue team. The winning team will earn a meal, but it is not a merge meal. There will be a second challenge where the winning six will compete against each other for one immunity necklace. The winner will be the only safe person tonight at tribal council. One person will be safe, 12 will not be safe. Genevieve’s advantage is that she will not have to participate in the supper challenge. She will automatically get to eat the food and she will get to compete for immunity. The challenge is a physical obstacle course and at the end there is a table maze that two players from each team will try to solve. To choose teams they will do a school yard pick.

• Yellow team:  Sierra, Rachel Sam, Sue, Kyle and Teeny
• Blue team: Rome, Caroline Andy, Gabe, Tiyana and Sol

In pairs they dive through the muddy water under horizontal logs. Then, one at a time they go through the dry woodchips and over and under a wooden frame. Then, they poke through a large wooden grid to reveal something. The two people on top of the structure use a grappling hook to try to grab the big, heavy bag, which they have to get up and over the tall wodden platform. Then they slide it town a large slide on the other side. Everyone must now climb on top of this frame and go down the slide too. They untie the bag to release the ball. Then they climb up a smooth ramp with rope netting at the top. Both teams are quite even. It’s difficult to get up the smooth ramp to reach the ramp. Teams may use heavy sandbags to build steps or a ladder, but that is quite labour intensive. Yellow’s Sam is hauling sandbags over to help people up the ramp. Without the help of a boost from sandbags, Blue’s Caroline keeps trying and finally the team is able to reach her hands as she jumps, and pull her up. This brings blue to the lead. Blue is working on the maze, Yellow is now able to get up and over.

Gabe and Rome work on the blue table maze. Sam and Kyle work on the yellow table maze. You can’t see anyone’s colour because everyone is covered in mud. Rome & Gabe clash and argue while working at their table maze, making large, uncontrolled movements. Sam & Kyle work calmly and methodically together. Rome or Gabe or someone on the blue team asks if there can be a swap out of who is working on the maze but Jeff says no there is not. Blue is catching up to yellow. This is a very close competiton. Blue drops, yellow wins the meal.

Immediately the winning six move on to the second challenge and a clean, unmuddy, untired Genevieve joins them.

-commercials break-

Jeff starts by telling them that they are all going to be eating this afternoon. Each player stands on a very narrow beam while balancing a small ball on a wooden bow. If at any point they drop or their ball drops, they are out. Periodically players will move forward, making the balance more difficult. Sierra is the first one out. Sam drops. Kyle, Sue and Teeny are perfectly still. All are doing very well. They move to the next, narrower, position. Genevieve, not covered in mud like the others, seems more affected by the heat of the sun. Rachel drops. Genevieve drops. Kyle, Sue and Teeny remain, all are as steady as a rock. Jeff comments that Sue has a bit of movement, taking the bait, Teeny looks over towards Sue and immediately drops. Both Kyle and Sue move down to the final section. Sue has movement, Kyle is perfectly still, and Sue is a master at recovery. Kyle’s ball begins to move too, can he recover as well as Sue does? Sue drops, Kyle wins!! They were both amazing! Without a vote, I’m happy Kyle is safe.

The immunity necklace looks cool, it’s a skeleton bat with leather-like bat wings spreading across his chest. “Thanks, Bub,” Kyle says to Jeff as he hangs the necklace on Kyle’s muddy self. The new buff is purple, and Kyle wears the first one. The others will get theirs tonight after tribal council.

The winners will go and enjoy bonding over a meal at a seperate part of camp from those who don’t get to eat.

-commercials break-

The meal is fresh fruit, hummus, flat bread, charcuterie (how do you spell that? I”ve always just called it a meat and cheese platter…) beer, wine, water. They sit in a semi circle and witness Sam trying his first piece of pineapple and liking it. They admire the immunity necklace and Kyle marvels at the coincidence that he has a tattoo of a bat on his back! They discuss who to vote for, so far everyone agrees that it should be Rome. Sam asks for a second name, and Sue suggests Andy.

Caroline, Teeny and Andy plan to use the amulets tonight in a public way, so that the amulets cant force them to work against each other or make any of them a target.

Those who don’t have a feast to enjoy all agree to get Rome out as well. Rome is a very popular choice. Most of the people I watch the show with, they don’t like Rome, but I admire his amazing self-confidence, his never-ending energy, his happiness and his fighting spirit. Rome says that he wants Sol out. I wonder what will happen, cuz I feel like the editors want us to hate Rome and wish for him to leave. We will see what really happens. Andy and Gabe tell Sol that Rome wants Sol out. Rome thinks that Caroline is with him against Sol. Rome tells the returning feasters that it is going to be Sol. Rome feels like he is a bit of a master mind, coralling so many people to vote his way. Everyone agrees that it will be Rome. I don’t know, guys, it seems too easy. What will really happen? I feel like they’re not telling us everything, do episodes really ever play out this predictably? I think not…

-commercials break-

In the Tribal Council discussion it is observed that advantages can actually be disadvantages. Jeff invites Rome to his seat so he can explain about the three amulets. Rome happily perches on Jeff’s seat, with Jeff standing a little behind him, and Rome explains how the amulets work, what the risks are, and why the three players holding the amulets might want to play them right away.

Jeff asks Gabe to talk about the “deliciousness” of a blindside. Rome and Gabe agree that blindsides are only fun when you’re part of the vote, if your’re outside of the vote it feels like betrayal. Andy gushes how he loved blindsiding Anika last time.

At voting tome, it seems like everyone is voting Rome, and we are seeing many of the votes as they come. Sol was supposed to vote Andy, just in case, so he did. Rome was going to vote Sol, but since he figures ots a sure thing Sol going home, he decides to “shake things up a bit” and votes Sam instead.

Caroline, Teeny and Andy play their amulets for Teeny.

Jeff reads the votes…Sam, Andy, Andy, Rome, Rome, Rome, Rome, Rome, Rome… (Andy looks around at the others and whispers, “Was I the backup plan?”)

Rome says a beautiful, generous speech at the end. I really liked him, even though he played dirty, he’s a genuinely nice person. Rome’s last words also are generous and happy, he takes nothing personal. He enjoyed sitting in Jeff’s chair for a minute, and he loved playing with these people.

Andy and Sam look uncomfortably at the others, wondering who voted for them? Jeff hands out the purple buffs. They are so clean.

-commercials break-

• Andy- Rome
• Caroline- Rome
• Gabe – Rome
• Genevieve- Rome
• Kyle- no vote
• Rachel – Rome
• Rome – Sam
• Sam – Rome
• Sierra – Rome
• Sol- Andy
• Sue- Andy
• Teeny- Rome
• Tiyana – Rome