Recap of Survivor: Second Chance S31E9

SPOILERS!

• “#hiddenimmunityidol” – Jeremy
• “I got a little worked up. I felt a little betrayed by some of you” – Kelley
• Kelley used an Idol last episode and saved herself. She feels like she has come so far and is now a different person. (This is also in relation to how she played the game last time)
• “Break up the little witches coven” – Kimmi. Ooh that’s harsh, referring to Abi, Ciera and Kelley as witches, but a great analogy for me to work with here. Abi is bubble, Ciera is toil and Kelley is trouble.
• “Brewing something epic” – Stephen, nice pun.
• Jeremy now somehow thinks he needs to find another idol. Hmm. Okay. I guess it’s less about needing to find it, and more about, with the idol having been played, a new idol now enters the game, so it’s a matter of finding it before anyone else does.
• “Joe’s won two immunity’s. He’s gotta go”
• Let the Idol hunt begin …
• “I run into Joe looking for an idol” – Abi
• “There’s paranoia in the eight” – Kelley. “Please, let’s have a big move at the next tribal”
• I hope the witches can influence someone so a big move will be played. I don’t mind people being voted out from a core group but when it’s done from within, it’s usually not as exciting as when someone from the outside is able to sway others from the inside, making a big power shift within the game. It’s a hard thing to do but it is usually beneficial to the overall game if able to pull off. But, if the witches were to be the final three, hands down Kelley would win. This would be a bad gameplay for Ciera and Abi. Ciera, of course, would be smart enough to know this. Abi, I’m 100% sure, if she made it to the end, she wouldn’t have a chance to win against anyone in the finals.

REWARD

• “Yes!” – Joe, plus a nipple twerk
• Reward is a chance to go to the spa and get a massage and food. So shower, massage and eat.
• This is redemption for Spencer and Tasha, as both participated in their season and lost. (They were the brains, remember?)
• The teams are:
• Tasha, Stephen, Ciera, Joe and Spencer
• vs
• Kelly, Keith, Kelley, Kimmi and Jeremy
• Abi was not selected and she has no chance of winning reward. Cue to Abi looking all sad and defeated. That’s so mean.
• I think the teams are very evenly matched, which should make for a good fair game.
• Very cool poles!
• Joe has the brain and brawn. I change my mind, any team with Joe should win. Always. I’m biased, of course, though.
• That looks like a fun slide!
• “Huge lead advantage. (The others) may never catch up!” – Jeremy
• “This may be one of the biggest blow outs in history!” – Jeff, way to be optimistic about the other team’s chances.
• “This is damn embarrassing” – Keith, yeah it is.
• Spencer and Ciera are working together on the puzzle.
• “Oh my god! My ass!” Kelley, as she slides down the slide. LOL!
• And team one wins!
• “Reward and redemption for Spencer and Tasha!” – Jeff
• “We weren’t even close. That was embarrassing” – Jeremy
• Will Ciera try to make another relationship at the reward to help make a big move at tribal? I feel like she has a good chance with Spencer, Stephen and Joe. All seem to want to make a move, but none have had the balls (or in Stephen’s case, the opportunity) to do it. Team up with the witches, please. Someone. Anyone. Preferably Joe!
• “This is just happiness on the table”
• “Queen of just saying things” – on Ciera
• “If you go to the end with Jeremy, I promise you, you don’t win” – Ciera has her money on Jeremy to take out the win.
• “No one dislikes (Kelley) – Tasha, is gunning to take Kelley out next.
• “(The game) is moving faster and much different than it has in the past” – Stephen. He has to change his game play, man. If you don’t evolve, you won’t take it out.
• Jeremy takes the opportunity to look for the Idol.
• Jeremy finds the clue! It seemed too easy – why has no one else been able to find it? Or did they just not get a good enough opportunity? Or does it make it easier to find a clue after previously finding one already?
• “Not again, baby!” – Jeremy, on getting a clue and not the Idol.
• The clue says that Jeremy has to go into the jungle and follow a path to the Idol. “This is going to be so easy” – Jeremy. So he pretends that his stomach is messed up and finds it again. Although, personally, I think it was way too easy …
• “Idol’s this season, there’s none that looks the same” – Jeremy, know how two idols.
• “I just want Val (his wife) to win” – Jeremy, is playing the game for his wife and kids.
• Can they just vote Stephen out already? He whines too much!
• “Joe and Kelly are super close” – Stephen, now has his eyes on Kelly.
• “They have a kind of shared arrogance at how awesome they are” – Stephen. He reminds me of the jealous schoolboy nerd who just wants to be with the cool kids but is always on the outer.
• “I want to build something with the three witches” – Stephen is ready to make a move …
• “Her social game is on point” – Abi, speaking of Kelly.
• “Where have you been the last 20 days?” Ciera, her head was in the game from the start.

IMMUNITY

• Come on Joe!
• The challenge is to balance on triangle-shaped platforms in the water. If you fall off, you are out. No hands or butt can touch.
• Spencer and Tasha participated in their season and both lost.
• “It is pouring” – Jeff
• “This challenge is on” – Jeff.
• So this challenge comes down to the “Right decision at the right time”
• Jeff offers everyone the chance of an advantage in the game, but they have to give up their chance at immunity. They can jump into the water, swim out to a buoy and get an advantage, which they won’t know what it is until they possibly win it.
• Stephen and Spencer both go for it. Stephen gets it!
• Tells Jeff he thought about going for it “instantly”. Spencer says he must have thought about going for it, “one millisecond not quick enough”
• Time to move up another leg on the triangle. “If you fall, you are still out” – Jeff
• And with that, Jeremy, Ciera, Kimmi, Tasha and Kelley are out.
• Joe is in trouble!
• “Abi looks like a statue right now” – Jeff
  “(I) feel great. Could stay here all day” – Abi
• Keith is out
• “Does not have to be pretty on Survivor” – but Jeff, Joe is always pretty.
• “Kelly, you’re out. You were too late” – Jeff tells Kelly she took too long to move up the triangle.
• “My butt’s cramping” – Abi
• And with that, Joe wins his third immunity! Yes! Yes!
• Stephen didn’t win immunity but he won the “next best thing”, speaking of his advantage win in the game.

BACK AT CAMP

• “Nobody can win from Joe. He’s going to win forever” – Abi, on Joe taking the win.
• Kimmi wants to break up the witches. The 8 want to send three votes to Ciera, and five votes on Kelley.
• Stephen’s advantage is to steal a vote from someone. This is to Stephen, “beyond my wildest dreams” And has the ability to “shift the entire game”. But he is going to use his wits and hustle to use it at the right time, but tonight he doesn’t need it. He thinks, anyway.
• “Feels much more confident, if it works” – Kelley has a game play in mind, and hopes that people will be willing to work with her.
• Stephen wants to make a big move!
• Spencer is not sure on the witches. “Trust three people we can’t trust”
• “Everyone is trying to play their own game” – Jeremy
• “I don’t wanna just jump ship and do it so fast” – Jeremy isn’t keen on breaking up the eight just yet. He wants the witches out.
• Stephen wants to make a big move – but it’s a stupid move. Why try and go for Kelly? I can only imagine that he feels like if he can’t take out Joe, then he will take out his right hand woman, and go for Kelly. It doesn’t make much sense, as Joe and Kelly aren’t really so attached in the game, but more on a social level. They’re not really two-strong. And with Kelly being out of the game, it doesn’t weaken Joe in challenges. So it’s not a big move if it really doesn’t have any play in the overall scheme of things. Stephen is being so blinded. His hatred towards Joe only comes from his loss against JT. It has blinded him so much to things around him. You can’t play the game of Survivor with a one track mind. It just doesn’t work. I believe he should, yes, be gunning for Joe but not for all the reasons he is, but he should keep his eyes on the game and go for Joe when the time calls for it.

TRIBAL

• Wow Andrew looks years younger now!
• “Going on two hours sleep over the past 32 hours” – I feel ya, Keith
• Kelley says that using her Idol, she hopes it opened people’s eyes to play the game.
• “Anything can happen. Play or get played at this point” – Ciera
• Last time people voted, nine people were together
• “The votes ultimately, tell the truth” – Jeff
• “Half the group is truly concerned” – putting up their hands in front of the people they have trust with. This enough, should be a wake up call. It’s about the evolution of the game and about flexibility. If one play doesn’t work, you change and make a new plan which will ultimately help your original plan.
• And with that … it’s time to vote.
• And Kelly is out!
• Votes went like this …
• Tasha and Kimmi voted for Ciera
• Keith and Joe voted for Kelley
• Kelley, Stephen, Abi, Spencer and Jeremy voted for Kelly

This to me is a very confusing vote. Spencer, Stephen and Jeremy’s voting for Kelly leaves Tasha, Joe and Kimmi blindsided by the vote. If it is eight strong, but then half goes one way but it doesn’t ultimately mean that there is a sway in the group or a power shift, it goes back to voting blocks where come the next vote, everyone may be together again as one. It is all about the evolution of Survivor. You ultimately have to may up again with those you didn’t tell details to, without your name being brought up.

This does show, however, that Stephen does have some sway in making this vote happen. I know the witches would have jumped on board as it does mean that they are safe for another week. But how he managed to way Spencer and Jeremy, I just don’t know, especially how without telling the others.

Also, why is no one using Keith as a vote? Why does the witches not team up with Keith and Joe? How can Joe still be in an alliance with people in an alliance with Stephen when he so obviously wants him out? It makes no sense. I sound like a frustrated Ciera, but big moves win votes. That could be five strong right there.

Alas. Survivor, you are frustrating!