Recap of Survivor S32E5

SPOILERS!

Brain

• So I missed the start of the episode and the recap – and switched over to see Joe’s gross finger. Eww. So gross! Do we really need a close up?
• “Don’t poke it too much!” – I don’t know who said that, but good advice .. I’m guessing it was Dr Peter.
• “Feel like a neutered dog; I have no play” – Peter, now he has to pander to these people.
• Peter is just trying to seem useful to the tribe by helping with all the medical issues. Which, you know, as a doctor, he probably should do anyway. I once spoke to an on-set medic – not from Survivor but from another television show – and she said how amazing it is as to how arrogant theatre doctors are. Peter is the perfect example of how I know imagine them to be.
• Neil sums up that there’s a “tribe of 5. 4 people aligned. One cancer about – is Peter” Harsh.
• Oh. And now Neil goes searching for the Idol. Ooh he’s found a clue!
• “Will I get caught in this process?” Neil, goes looking for the tree with the idol box key attached.
• And he’s got it!
• “The kind has his idol” – Neil
• All three idols are now in play! Neil has one for the brains. Tai has one for beauty. And Jason/Scot have the one for brawn – although, which actually is in charge, remains to be seen. I hope someone teams up to use it as a super idol. I don’t see this happening though unless one individual person finds two idols independently, because I just don’t see one person giving up their idol to help another person. I don’t care who you are or what great alliance they have – I just don’t think it will happen. Unless you do some fine manipulating work on that other person, that is.
• “Now the goal is to find another idol, or another person with an idol” – Neil, is keen to use the super idol.

Challenge?

• “Bye bye, Blondie” – Neil, when he hears Alecia was sent home last tribal.
• No one seems at all surprised by Alecia’s departure.
• Ooh we’re switching things up. Oh yeah, baby! I predict they are going to merge into two tribes now, which brawn being so “weak” and all, as a tribe.
• Ooh what?! Jeff explains that they were going to split the tribes into three, but with Caleb’s medical departure, they’re going to do something a little bit differently. They’re going to stay as three tribes – which six on blue, six on yellow, and one lone person on red.
• “Go to the brawn beach alone, won’t participate in the challenge” – Jeff, to who’s in red. But that person will join the tribe who loses a member at the next tribal.
• Jeff also mentions how they will have to “rely on your current alliances”
• “Follow your gut” – Jeff’s advice to Neil, in choosing a new buff.
• And Julia has the red!
• “I had like a gut feeling” – Julia.
• “Find your spot alone” – Jeff, to Julia.
• Then Julia stands on red alone, while the others spend some time introducing themselves to one another and saying hello. Poor Julia. She looks so alone.
• So on yellow there’s now 3 brains (Aubry, Peter and Joe), 2 beauty (Tai and Anna) and 1 brawn (Scot). Blue has 2 brains (Debbie and Neil), 2 beauty (Michelle and Nick) and 2 brawn (Cydney and Jason).
• Julia says the “downside is not getting to know everyone”
• “The girls alliance got clear divided. It’s crushing” – Michelle. Sucks, as I actually thought they were a good strong alliance with potential to control the game. Fate is a cruel mistress.
• Peter is now confident he will make it to the merge.

Yellow – I don’t know tribe names yet, my bad!

• Brains are shocked at how luxurious the beauty camp is. They have mangoes, chickens, all kinds of things.
• Scot compares his situation to the NBA – meaning, he’s had to work together with people he used to play against in games, so he thinks he will handle the transition quite well.
• “The logical thing is to take out a beauty” – Peter, is gunning for a beauty if they lose, because otherwise Julia, a former beauty, will come in and that’s more numbers for the beauties. Say, they got rid of Scot, that leaves three brains and three beauties.
• Scot is happy that brains wants to take out a beauty. He feels safe.

Blue

• Debbie shows off blue’s exercise bar.
• “It was a warm welcome to our humble abode” – Debbie
• Cydney wants to work with Debbie, because she wants that motherly influence.
• “I’ve been playing the dumb joke role” – Cydney, doesn’t want to let people in on the fact that she went to an ivy league school.
• “He is weird” – Debbie, on Neil, to Cydney.
• “Eventually I want to see a woman win this” – Debbie, wants a female on top.
• Debbie works on Jason and Cydney, so that she now has a tight foursome with herself and Neil included.
• Debbie thinks to win this game you need flexibility and strength.
• “Once again, I’m the mastermind behind the game and they just don’t see me coming” – Debbie.
• I actually think Debbie is playing quite a smart game. I mean, she seems nuts. Peter thinks she must own a million cats. Obviously, Peter underestimates her because his ego is too large. But I think Debbie is smarter than she appears, especially in terms of analyzing the game and moving forward in the game. She’s a player to watch, I think, especially because she probably won’t be a huge threat in single challenges either, so other people should, in theory, get voted off because she does. If she makes it to the end, I think the only thing that may be her downfall could be her mouth. I think being a strong talker is a big key to winning the game. Not always, but it definitely helps. A strong argument can win you the game – just look at last season.

Yellow

• Tai is missing Caleb – but he feels like the switch is a good opportunity to make new friends.
• I’ve got a man crush on Tai right now” – Scot. I smell a second bromance brewing!
• “I think almost three of me can make one of him!” – Tai, on Scot
• “There’s no way, brain’s going to keep both beauties” – Anna, on her chances of staying in the game.
• “I know how to hustle” “Uphill battle” – Anna, isn’t afraid to “throw Tai under the bus”

Blue

• “It’s gonna be the battle of the pairs” – Nick, on his new tribe
• “When it comes to being manipulated, I feel like the most intelligent person here” – Nick, you’re not but keep believing that.
• Debbie thinks Nick looks like a Greek god.
• Everyone wants to work with brawn. Debbie has already approached Jason and Cydney. And now Nick is trying to win Jason over. Jason feels like he’s in a good spot.
• “We kind of hold all the power. So I’m feeling really good” – Jason

Red

• Cue to Julia, alone at camp – well, if you don’t count the millions of ants she’s surrounded by.
• “Wake up and felt my body shutting down” – Julia
• “Being out here alone is the hardest for me” – Julie, means something about it being easier for other people, but not so much her.
• “The longer I’m out here, the more paranoid I’m going to get” – Julia.

Challenge

• For realz this time!
• It’s blue vs yellow. Julia, obviously, gets to sit this one out.
• Michelle went to the yellow mat instead of the blue.
  “Old habits die hard” – Jeff, to Michelle
• The challenge has two people swimming out to collect fish puzzle pieces; then two more people have to sort the fish, hang on hooks and carry; then the two remaining people have to solve a fish puzzle using the pieces.
• Wow. Only five people have been voted out of the game so far. It feels like many more. This season feels like it’s been going on for ages!
• It’s Nick and Jason (blue) vs Scot and Aubry (yellow) in the water.
• “Your only as fast as your strongest player” – Jeff, as Scot reaches the end but has to wait for Aubry to catch up.
• Nick and Jason have the early lead.
• Scot is going to get the puzzle pieces all by himself. This man is a monster!
• Now they have to race back to the beach carry 100 pounds (45kg) of puzzle pieces.
• “Scot has been a work horse in this challenge” – Jeff
• Scot and Aubry have taken the lead.
• It’s Michelle and Cydney (blue) vs Tai and Joe (yellow) to untie the fish pieces and hang on the hooks.
• Ooh it’s a back and forth race!
• Now it’s Peter and Anna (yellow) vs Debbie and Neil (blue) to put the puzzle together.
• Peter and Anna have had success doing puzzles in the past. Jeff calls them a possible “powerful duo”
• Yellow is starting to fall behind …
• And with that – blue wins immunity!
• Now the question is, will it be a beauty?
• “It’s a battle between Anna vs Tai” – Anna

Yellow

• Tai doesn’t want to play his idol
• “Many survivor gone home with an idol in their pocket” – Tai
• Peter wants Anna gone, because he finds her too intelligent, a good player and good looking.
• “If we want to get to the end, we’ve got to play the game smart” – Joe to Aubry.
• “There’s something arrogant about Peter” – Tai
• “I want to take Peter out” – Tai
• Tai mentions how he could use his idol to save Anna and blindside Peter.
  Why didn’t I think of this? What a great game play! I hope this happens!
• Scot doesn’t want Tai to use his idol – this is more so because of the possibility of using it as the power idol.
• “Decide whether to play or not” – Tai, on whether he is going to use the idol.

Tribal

• First time at tribal for Anna and Tai
• “They’re the devils we know” – Aubry, mentions working with the brains on her new tribe.
• Anna mentions how her heart dropped when they lost the challenge.
• “Gonna keep Scot, he’s a massive asset” – Tai, mentions how brains will keep Scot around, so it has to be him or Anna tonight.
• Tai makes a good case on why he should stay.
• Anna makes a good case on why she should stay.
• “Gonna have to make a tough decision” – Aubry, on who to vote out.
• Joe mentions that he thinks the twist is that there are no idols this season.
• Tai mentions how he also thinks there is no idols this season because he looked for one but couldn’t find it – this we know, is a lie, as the idol is in his shoe.
• “All depends on how tight the brains are” – Scot, mentions that the brains may have cracks, and the voting may not go as brains planned.
• Peter says he trusts the game will go as planned. Jeff says that you can’t.
• ^ He really should take note of that as its burned him before. Has he learnt nothing? Is he really that arrogant that he believes no one can out smart him?
• Jeff mentions how beauty and brawn could have teamed up so it’s a three/three split. Peter still doesn’t believe it will happen.
• I personally hope Peter goes home. I want Tai to use him idol on Anna.
• And it’s time to vote –
• Ooh will he? Won’t he?
• He’s thinking about it … you can tell. Will he play the idol?
• No. He won’t. Anna looks confused.
• And the results are in ..
• Anna votes for Peter. Everyone else votes for Anna.
• “Tonight you decided to keep Tai over Anna. Did you make the right decision?” – Jeff, asks the question.
• Anna mentions how they were going to “blindside Peter, it’s gonna be awesome, but instead (Tai) blinded me” – Anna

So let’s think of the pros and cons. I understand keeping your idol for yourself. It’s a security blanket, I get it. But everyone likes Tai. No one wanted to vote him off. They only considered it because he was a part of the brains tribe and they wanted to keep their numbers down. Now, if he had used his idol, it would have kept the beauty numbers strong and wounded brains. This is a good thing, because with Julia back – once they hit the merge, Tai could align with the girl’s alliance. Now, this would only work if they wanted him part of the alliance, and it would probably only get him so far as the girl’s would most likely vote him out once the time came.

The other thing, is that Peter isn’t really a threat. I don’t believe come merge that anyone will want to work with Peter. I don’t think anyone really likes him, no one trusts him, and thus, he probably isn’t a threat to take home the big prize at the end – especially, I imagine being a doctor that he makes a lot of money. So taking out Peter wouldn’t be smart game play. Yes he is annoying, but I don’t think he has much play or will have in the future.

Even I want them to vote out Peter simply because I can’t stand him. And I feel like that’s how the tribes have seen him so far, but for the same reasons, kept him around as its smarter game play.

I think everyone likes Tai but his lack of strong alliance is cause for concern as no one really has his back. It appears that Scot might – but I’m unsure how much sway Scot has, and it’ll be very interesting if they both make the merge, and if Scot aligns Tai up with his former brawn. Tai is in a good place as he’s liked, he’s a hard worker and isn’t too much of a threat in challenges. His social game is strong – but not so much in a game sense.

At this stage of the game, I think it’ll be a female who wins the money. But which one is anyone’s guess …

Until next week!