Survivor 45 Recap: A Double Elimination Delivers a Double Scoop of Chaos — Whose Torch Was Snuffed?
On Wednesday’s episode of Survivor, another twist crash-landed on the beaches of Fiji, as Jeff divided the merged tribe into two, doling out two individual immunity necklaces and announcing that two people would be going home.
But if the show enacts the same “twist” during the same officially-official-but-no-really-it’s-the-merge episode, at what point do we stop pretending to be shocked? (Cue the Da’Vonne Rogers gif!) And how are these players even feigning their surprise?! Of course, you’re being split into two teams! Of course it’s a double elimination right after you’ve “earned the merge”! Isn’t this all just feeling a little M. Night Shyamalan? (No shade. Love the guy!)
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I digress.
But hey, at least double the Tribal Councils equals double the fun, and at the end of the hour, luck ran out for two of the game’s players, as loyalties shifted and everything was up in the air thanks to the not-so-twisty twist. Let’s recap all this madness.
BRUCE VS. KATURAH: ROUND… ACTUALLY, I LOST COUNT | After Kaleb’s shocking Hail Mary play at last week’s Tribal, the group reconvenes at the beach and it takes Bruce merely seconds to start jabbing at Katurah. He makes a comment about her being on the fence with the Kaleb vote, only he says this in front of former Reba members, much to his nemesis’ chagrin. Bruce did it on purpose (or so, he says), but Katurah doesn’t hesitate to throw daggers right on back. She tells Kaleb that Bruce flipped on him immediately, something that Kaleb was well aware of. (Still, fan those flames, girl!) Kendra and Kellie are pretty over Bruce’s sugar-honey-iced-tea too, mostly because he’s “an extremely emotional player.” Could Old Belo be officially turning on Uncle Bruce?
Kaleb and Bruce have a chat, but with Bruce’s turns of phrase from the ’50s and his elaborate sports analogies, I’m left feeling just as confused as Kaleb. (Someone give the man a whiteboard and a dry-erase marker, stat!) While Jake wants to keep his numbers (five original Belo members are still in the game), it seems like he’s going to be herding cats at this point.
IMMUNITY IS BACK UP FOR GRABS | The challenge is an oldie, but goodie: Hold on to the very tall pole. The last person to drop is safe from the vote. This is when we get the same-old, same-old: The tribe is split into two groups of six, two people will win immunity, and the person remaining earns a Sanctuary visit for his or her team. (Tacos and soft drinks!) The winning team will also go to Tribal Council second, because two people are hitting the dusty trail. The biggest bummer of it all: The first person who leaves will not make the jury! The second one will.
It might be the editing, but these people quickly chostart dropping like flies! The last two for Blue are Drew and Kellie, while Dee and Katurah hang in there for Red. Dee and Kellie win the immunities, with Dee claiming those tasty tacos for herself, Katurah, Kaleb, Austin, Julie and Jake.
SANCTUARY | While everyone noshes on the chow, Julie worries that if Kaleb survives again, it could be at her expense. And she’s right to be worried! Jake wants to keep Kaleb as a shield, which means cutting Julie in an effort to weaken Dee. Can he make it happen?
OLD LULU | The Blue team is sent to the old Lulu beach to strategize, where Bruce, Kellie and Kendra have the clear majority. Drew is scared. Sure, he has his Safety Without Power advantage, but… he left his bag behind when they went to the challenge! (Note to all future “new era” players: Ya gotta bring your stuff everywhere!) Kendra and Kellie tell Drew they’ll pull him in on a Bruce vote, but Bruce knows Kendra’s floating his name. He has an idol, mind you, but can Kellie get Bruce and Kendra to play nice before the vote?
Despite the fact that Kendra eventually tells Bruce and Kellie that they’re locked in, Drew sees the situation as a chance to off Uncle B. Kendra tries to (once again) make that pitch to Kellie, which makes Kellie question her gut.
DAKUWAQA | Yeah, I don’t know how to pronounce that merged-tribe name either. Anyway, Dee wants to axe Kaleb, and even though she thinks everyone’s on board, Jake doesn’t want to be told what to do. “I don’t just want to survive. I want to play Survivor and I want to win Survivor,” he says. Fair enough!
Kaleb suggests telling Katurah about Bruce’s idol in an effort to win her trust and secure her vote. They need her to join them in order to flip the script on Dee. Jake’s thinking that if they can pull Katurah in and force the tie, he can convince Austin to flip. Austin is scared, Jake says, and no way in hell will he want to go to rocks. So Kaleb tells Katurah about Bruce’s idol and surely enough, she says she’ll vote with them. But after talking to Jake and learning that his “lost ring” gambit was faked, she isn’t sure who to trust or which way to vote.
TRIBAL COUNCIL NO. 1 | It’s do-or-die for Kellie’s team, which spends their time talking about solidifying trust, pivoting within alliances and using this most recent twist as an “opportunity.” Sifu says he knows people are seeing him as a threat, and he’s very cognizant of the fact that the former Belos can gang up and vote him out. When it’s time to get snuffing, that’s exactly what they do and Sifu is sent packing. (Read our Q&A with Sifu here.)
TRIBAL COUNCIL NO. 2 | Team Dee discusses not being robots and the eventual devastation that is soon to come for one of them. Kaleb says he’s tried to take his foot off the gas and be transparent with everyone, but is that enough to save his hide? Jake’s plan to force a tie does not come to fruition. Katurah ultimately decides to vote with Dee and Julie, sending yet another former Lulu — Kaleb — out of this game for good. Alexa: Play “My Hero” by Foo Fighters. (Read our Q&A with Kaleb here.)
Next time on Survivor: The auction is back!!
So did Survivor go full tilt boogie with this double elimination? Who would you have sent packing? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
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