Recap of Survivor S32E9

SPOILERS

So this may sound confusing – but I watched the whole episode, but when I wanted to re-watch it to take notes, it only recorded the last half of the show – so a little of this is going off memory, and the other half is note taking.

Firstly though, as I missed the very beginning (five minutes max) during my first watch – how is Tai suddenly working with the boys? When did this strong alliance happen – because, forgive me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Tai vote for Jason the episode before? How did Jason not pick this up? Or was this a plan? Or does Jason just not care? I’m very puzzled by how this came about. I know he’s in a good alliance with Scot – but still … I’m confused …

Scot and Jason decide to cause chaos around camp – putting out the fire and hiding tools and whatnot. Then Tai decides to join in as well. This is their payback for the votes that were cast against Nick.

During the reward challenge, Joe puts himself up to sit out from the challenge. So Aubry, Debbie, Michele and Cydney make one group – with Scot, Jason, Tai and Julia (who willingly chose to go over with the boys) form the other. They had to untangle their rope and work as a team. Scot, Jason, Tai and Julia win reward in form of Chinese food. Julia considers working with the boys. This makes Aubry not trust Julia, and wanting to vote her out next tribal. Debbie, says she trusts Julia and doesn’t want to vote her out. Aubry mentions how Debbie is voting with her heart and is not thinking strategically.

And that’s all I remember from what I missed … now for note taking …

Immunity

• Immunity involves stacking blocks on a moving plank. So if they hit a part of the post (that they have to step through) their blocks will fall, and they will have to start again. Basically, it’s impossible to really explain it. But you would think that a person with smaller feet would have an advantage in this challenge, also the ability to go steady and not rush. Just putting it out there, that I think Scot and Jason have no chance.
• “(You have to) space (the blocks out) so they fall like dominoes” – Jeff
• Tai drops!
• Michele, Jason and Aubry are leading.
• Joe and Cydney are falling out of the challenge.
• Jason loses everything!
• Scot loses everything!
• “Can Tai catch Michele?” – Jeff
• “Tai loses everything” – Jeff
• Aubry loses everything.
• Michele, Debbie and Julia are now leading.
• Julia, going slow and steady.
• Cydney loses everything.
• Michele tries to push her blocks over, but falls short. She has to re-stack everything.
• Julia loses some blocks.
• Debbie gives it a shot. The first blocks of hers fall off but the pro is that at least she only has to re-stack from the beginning so it shouldn’t take her as long as it should take Michele, for example, who knocked almost all her blocks over.
• Scot and Jason are in it again.
• Scot drops. Big feet. Big … hmm.
• Jason for the win? No. Jason drops.
• Debbie goes for it. No. Debbie drops.
• Julia tries. And like perfect dominoes. Julia wins immunity!
• Aubry is upset that Julia won because now she can’t vote her out – and her grand plans are ruined.

Dara

• “The trick was to use them all” – Debbie, on using all blocks to win.
• Debbie tells the group that they will split the vote between Tai and Scot for a 3/3 split, and then all re-vote for Scot.
• “Oh no. Deb says, ‘this is the plan right in front of Julia” – Aubry.
• “Julia has been playing double agent” – Aubry
• Julie goes straight to Scot and tells them the plan.
• “So vote Cydney, and that’ll be the end of it” – Scot, to Julia.
• “I’m incredibly concerned about her” – Aubry, to Cydney, about Debbie.
• Aubry says how she needs “someone who is logical and won’t change course”
• Aubry thinks Joe would be okay with voting for Debbie. I don’t think so.
• Cydney is certain she has Michele’s vote.
• Aubry trusts Cydney’s judgement.
• Aubry goes to Michele and tells her that they’re voting for Debbie tonight.
• “I never thought I’d see the day that the four of us would go Debbie” – Michele
• Joe doesn’t want to vote for Debbie. Told you, Aubry.
• “We need to stick with the Debbie thing” – Cydney
  “I don’t know if we have the numbers now” – Aubry
• Cydney is convinced that they have to get Julia over to their side.
• “Julia, the person I wanted out is now the person I need” – Aubry
• Michele and Cydney tell Julia to vote for Debbie, and tell her they will be really upset if she is not with them in the alliance.
• Julie feels like she has a lot of power in the game – because she can decide to vote Debbie out or Cydney.
• Julia sees Cydney as a threat, but she wants Debbie out eventually as well.

Tribal

• Ugh. RE to Nick’s face.
• “Clear there’s a division” – Jeff, to the group.
• “I love her” – Debbie, in response to Aubry talking about Mexican food. I wouldn’t be so fast to say that Deb, she might just be voting your ask out of there!
• “We’re completely fine” – Debbie, on trusting Julia to go with the boys during the reward challenge. “She was fine to step up to the plate and go” Debbie thinks Julia just wanted to eat Chinese food – which she thinks then won her the immunity challenge.
• Jeff asks Tai about idols – and Scot interrupts.
• “We can just go ahead and say what’s gonna happen” – Scot
  “I think that’s a great idea!” – Jason
• Scot says that Tai has an idol. Tai reveals his idol.
• Jason stands up.
• “The idols got a brother, there’s two of them!” – Jason, shows his idol.
• Jason says that Scot will rock, paper, scissors for who will get to use the idol tonight.
• “I’m gonna let fate decide if I stay in this game or Scot does” – Jason
• There’s lots of talking going on in the group … lot’s of shocked faces.
• “It just keeps going” – Jeff, mentions all the chatter that is going on.
• Michele points out that Tai could give his idol to Scot too.
• Aubry says they have to go with the original plan – whatever that is …
• They’re definitely scrambling!
• “One of the craziest tribals I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing” – Jeff
• And it’s time to vote.
• Jason and Scot rock, paper, scissors for the idol. Scot wins. But Jason instead gives the idol to Tai.
• “I accept your idol and I’m gonna sit down” – Tai.
• And the vote goes as follows …
• Julia, Aubry, Michele and Cydney vote for Debbie
  Joe and Debbie vote for Scot
  Tai, Scot and Jason vote for Cydney.
• Debbie is going home tonight!
• “They’re safe now for a while” – Nick, on Debbie going home, to Neil.
• Jeff says something very interesting about this seasons game that no matter how bad you think you’re out, it doesn’t mean you’re out, and it doesn’t matter how safe you feel, because it doesn’t mean you are either.
• “The girls chose to get rid of a girl” – Debbie, on being voted out.
• “Sucks those three wankers made it further than me” – Debbie, on Scot, Jason and Tai.

I’m torn this week over whether or not they made the right decision. I feel like they really should have flushed the idols. Yes, Cydney would have gone home but at least the idols would be out of play. Or, split the votes, and use the two idols as a super idol and save one of them. I just feel like the longer the idols are in play, the more power it is going to give Jason and Scot in the game. It gives them longevity, which is a bad thing for everyone else involved. Yes, taking Tai away will cripple them, but they still have cards to play.

This season, the votes seem to all be driven from an emotional background. Yes, Debbie was a wild card but she was also loyal. If she was in your alliance, she wouldn’t vote you out – that’s why she couldn’t vote for Julia, because she considered her to be in her alliance. Going forward, they’re going to need numbers and a plan to flush the idols. Once the idols are gone, they can start really being strategic players.