Recap of Survivor: Second Chance S31E2

SPOILERS

I want to point out that upon watching this episode I didn’t know that Terry and Jeff were two different people. I actually thought they were one person – so when I’m speaking of them in this write up, I’m unaware if it was Jeff or Terry who said/did the things mentioned. I watched episode 1 and 2 together, so now moving on to 3, I know who is who. Sorry about that.

• Kelly – “It sucks to be on the bottom” In life, in the game or in sex? All of the above? Ah, gotcha. Moving on.
• Kelly – “Shirin and Spencer set the pace for scheming”
• Kelley – “Go big or go home” She has the idol.
• Jeff/Terry – “Spencer and Shirin set the pace … wake up call to old school”
• Shirin is “playing way too hard”
• Jeff – “I don’t want it to look like we don’t know what we’re doing”
• This is where I realised that I confused Terry and Jeff as one person. It should read okay from here on. I think.
• Joe made a hammock! He’s perfect. Yes, he is. Survivor MacGyver. I LOVE IT!
• Joe’s plan is “providing a service … [making people think he] needs to be around”
• “Throw some shrimp on the barbie! Agh, Australian slang done wrong. This irks me every damn time – but still amuses me, just like Kiwis with “fush and chups” Ah, bless.
• Stephen has some kind words for Joe, something about him looking pretty, “builds things, wins challenge, then you slit his throat right before the merge” Ah, it’s just like some chick-flick Hollywood romance story. Love.
• Way to interrupt abruptly Abi, when PG and Spencer are discussing building a fire chimney!
• Spencer – “Abi is here to start fights … [she’s the] tribe cancer”
• Jeff – “Abi is the perfect tool to help me win one million dollars. Who needs food when you’ve got Abi?” And says you “push buttons for various levels of entertainment”
• Andrew’s story about how he met his wife was truly beautiful. It restores your faith in love and marriage in a way, especially for a young cynic like myself.
• Kass says she wants to be a better person.
• Jeremy wants out to see his pregnant wife and see her belly grow. How sweet.
• Stephen is all about the game and suspects Jeremy has gone off to look for the Idol. “Where’s Jeremy?” Okay, Mr Paranoid. He just needed to take a moment to cry over how much he is missing his wife. Andrew sees this and understands.
• Andrew says Stephen is lacking in “morals, value, loyalty, dignity and courage”
• Stephen reminds me of Cochran from past seasons. Although I feel like he was more socially aware of things to do differently than Stephen seems to be this season – although, perhaps he’s just stuck on a tribe with people who aren’t the right people to help him during the game. Strategy plays a bit part but so does being able to get on with the people around you. It’s not always possible if people won’t give you the time of day. Survivor is very much about those you are around, but it’s also a game about paranoia, so you probably don’t want to be seen with people outside of your alliance because that might make others suspicious. I imagine people will come to Stephen only if they need his vote. And then perhaps, only then, will he be able to play the game he wants to play.
• PG and Shirin are bitching about Abi – but oh no, she can hear you! CATFIGHT! “I heard everything you said” – Abi. PULL HER HAIR. SCRATCH HER EYES OUT!
• Abi – “The reason I wanted to work with Shirin was because she felt like no one had her back on her season” Poor Abi has no friends. As she’s crying, PG “feels good” to have had a go at her. Way to have a heart.
• Terry – “She’s annoying and a human train wreck, but she’s a human being” Such a great guy to go to Abi when she’s crying. That is the true sign of a nice guy.
• Shame on Shirin for being so heartless and joking with the others when she felt like an outcast on her own season. It really shows a lot. Survivor is a social game and the things you don’t do impact the game as much as the things you do do. So not going to Abi when she’s in need will probably cost her in the long run. You can’t really joke about someone in your alliance and then come back to them like everything is okay – especially someone as emotional and highly-strung as Abi. It just won’t work. Shirin is smart – she’s very smart – but I think this time, she let her guard down and acted for those around her without thinking of the consequences.
• Jeff to Abi – “I like your little moments. They turn me on” Whatever floats your boat, Jeff.
• Abi – “People want to work with me and actually find me … a joy” Yeah, not so much. Let’s not get too carried away!
• Abi – “My old alliance will definitely regret not coming to me when I needed it the most”

The Challenge

• The other tribe is shocked to find Vytas was the first voted out
• Why did Ciera sit out? I couldn’t hear what she said.
• Ouch. Sliding down the wooden slide/ramp sure seems painful!
• Te Kao loses again. The other tribe is the power tribe! It’s all about Joe. He’s perfect. Yes, he is.
• Jeff – “The vote shall be poetic”
• Spencer – “I relate to Shirin more than anyone out here”
• Jeff – “Scrub me later” Ooh that sounds so saucy! Hello, new pick-up line!
• Jeff – “Two heads on one snake” and describes Spencer as the smartest kid he’s ever me. Shirin, he says, is all that and she knows how to talk to you like you’re best friends, as she’s in sales.
• Kelley – “We’re a mess” in referring to her tribe to Jeff.
• Kelley – “I find myself in a different alliance that I don’t necessarily like, but I’ve got to go with the flow” having now to ditch her original alliance with Shirin and Spencer due to the numbers/power shift. All in a mere 24 hours.
• Shirin feels good moving forward and believes she, Spencer, Jeff, Kelley and Abi are strong. Little she knows. Little she sees. (it’s a Les Mis quote, look it up, people!)
• Abi we’d you pull two hours from? Are you wearing a rollex? Or are sundials the new black?
• Shirin to Abi – “I gave you my word. I voted with you. What more could I do?” Ah, perhaps not be a bitch to her in front of everyone in your tribe when she’s crying her eyes out clearly all alone and in need of someone to have her back. Just saying.
• Shirin to Abi – “Are we still in this together?” Ah, that’d be a no, Shirin. There’s that “oh shit” moment of panic in her eyes. What’s she doing to do?
• Wow. Look at Shirin trying to work over Woo. Woo’s not buying it as it’s the first conversation that she’s had with him. It’s hard to win people over when you’re so clearly desperate and trying to only gain their vote by talking to them. It’s not looking good. You can’t close this sale, Shirin.
• Spencer – “Screwing over the one person I wanted to play with” Don’t worry Spencer, Shirin will be voting for you too. The tears are sweet though.

Tribal

• Spencer speaks of some kind of Survivor amnesia. To quote Jeff “We remember Survivor as being awesome, until we’re back here”
• Shirin – “I had a rough time the first time around and I’m having a pretty rough time second time around” To be fair though, she kind of brought it on herself.
• Spencer – “Talking too much about strategy and not making connections. It’s about connecting with people and forming relationships”
• Jeff brings up how both Shirin and Spencer are playing the same game as previously. And is it so easy to change. Shirin – “Change is hard. Doesn’t mean I’m going to change overnight”
• Spencer on voting for Shirin – “I know you’re writing my name down too. I don’t have a bad thing to say about you” Bless.
• I’m not sure which way this is going to go …. !!!
• And the results are in … SHIRIN is out!
• Spencer receives four votes (Shirin, Jeff/Terry, Abi and Kelly/Kelley). Shirin receives five votes (Spencer, Jeff/Terry, PG, Woo and Kelly/Kelley). I gather they split the votes due to thinking one of them could have the Idol.
• Shirin to Spencer on being voted out – “Give em’ hell”
• Spencer – “I meant every word I said. Thanks guys” Way to be a suck up until the end, Spencer. I guess that means he’s going to change up his game to try and win people back. We shall see …
• Shirin – “I had an amazing opening act and then I killed myself” And scene.