‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X’ Episode 5 Recap: Drop Your Buffs!

Warning: This recap for the “Idol Search Party” episode of Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X contains spoilers.

A tribe shuffle shakes up the game in the latest episode of Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X.

Jeff Probst, the dimpled daddy of Survivor, often says that your game isn’t over until the flame of your torch is gone. What he means is, there’s always a chance, even when things look bleak, you can find an opening and claw your way back to the top. The tribe swap is known for providing those opportunities for players to reposition themselves in the game. It’s a chance to meet new people and form new relationships and alliances. It can also just as easily tank your game.

The episode opens with the Gen X tribe plodding back to camp after last week’s tribal council, a sight that’s becoming all too familiar. David, the idol-wielding maniac that surprised his tribe by saving Jessica, is ready to take his spanking. “You can let me have it,” he says, like a naughty schoolchild that’s all out of excuses. But his tribemates are more befuddled than angry, confused as to why he played his idol on someone that even David himself admits “nobody wants to work with.”

Jessica is tearful after her near-torch-snuffing experience and is eternally grateful to David and Ken. She tells Ken about her Legacy Advantage which she found back in episode one. Interesting that she decided to tell Ken and not David, the man to whom she owes her life in the game. Also, a risky move telling someone about an advantage that is willed on after the holder is voted out. Jessica might be tempting fate.

The next morning, the Gen Xers split off, poking and prodding at any tree in sight for a new hidden immunity idol. David has the advantage of knowing what to look for having found one already, and he soon spots the tribe logo painted on a log. He cracks it open and voila! What is it with Survivor and skittish bald dudes discovering multiple idols? Russell, Tony, and now David. Word to future players, shave your head before the game starts.

Both tribes prepare for what they expect to be a reward challenge, only to be told by Jeff, “Drop your buffs!” Three words that inspire relief or panic depending on your position in the game. Jeff informs the Gen X and Millennials tribes that they’ll be swapping from two tribes to three — Vanua, Takali, and the new green buffed Ika Bula tribe who have to start from scratch on a new beach. To help with that disadvantage, they will have an extra tribe member.

The new tribes are as follows:

Vanua: CeCe, Chris, David, Michelle, and Zeke. With the three former Gen Xers outnumbering the two former Millennials.

Takali: Adam, Figgy, Jessica, Ken, and Taylor. By a stroke of luck, Survivor’s Bro-meo and Juliet (Taylor and Figgy) somehow manage to draw the same color buff.

Ika Bula: Bret, Hannah, Jay, Michaela, Sunday, and Will. Michaela is NOT happy with having to start over on the beach with no shelter, fire or food. She said she wanted to flip Jeff off and let’s face it we’ve all felt like that at some point — like when he started talking about how millennials text the word “u” the other week.

At the new Ika Bula beach, Jay gets to work on building the shelter while bemoaning the ineptitude of the Gen Xers he picked up in the tribe swap — Bret and Sunday. It’s kind of funny, last week Jay talked about how millennials are dreamers and don’t want the boring 9-to-5 lifestyle, and here he is acting like Mr. Bossman of the camp while Bret follows him around like a docile intern.

On Takali beach, Figgy and Taylor choose to keep their romantic relationship a secret from new tribemates Jessica and Ken. It proves a struggle for Taylor who can’t resist whispering “You. Are. Hot” to Figgy across the camp. Adam just looks baffled, cursing the Survivor gods for leaving him with the canoodling couple. But things are actually looking up for Adam; he is someone that the tribe swap benefits massively. He’s positioned as the swing vote between two pairs (Figgy/Taylor and Ken/Jessica). He quickly bonds with Ken, letting him know that he was on the bottom of his original tribe, and suddenly, Adam has options.

Things don’t look as rosy for Michelle, who finds herself outnumbered on the new Vanua tribe, and the only other Millennial, Zeke, is already ingratiating himself with former Oklahoma Sooner football player Chris. A proud Oklahoma native, Zeke calls Chris one of his childhood heroes, as if Chris didn’t already feel old being placed on the Gen X tribe.

Before we get to the immunity challenge, we check back in with Ika Bula who are struggling to start a fire. Jay gives it his best effort with the help of intern Bret but eventually gives up. In steps Michaela “Beastmode” Bradshaw to save the day; she sparks that baby up and has an emotional reaction to her success. She talks to the camera, with tears in her eyes, about how she never gives up, it’s not in her nature, and how she wants to win this for her family. “I just wanna prove that you can have success and you can have, like, your family, together.” Michaela is easily becoming one of the most rootable contestants this season.

And the Michaela show doesn’t end there. She once again claims the MVP title at the immunity challenge, where the tribes have to dive into the ocean to retrieve buoys before shooting them into baskets. It’s a disastrous challenge for multiple people. Michelle and Sunday both fail to release their buoys. CeCe doggy paddles in the water longer than it took her to walk across a balance beam. And how can you describe David’s performance? If you imagine what Mr. Bean would be like as a lifeguard, now imagine even worse than that. It was so bad that Zeke actually thought David was throwing the challenge! Meanwhile, Michaela sinks shot after shot, beasting the challenge and winning immunity for the Ika Bula tribe. Takali comes in second, sending Vanua to tribal council.

At Vanua camp, CeCe says she feels like she’s living in a nightmare, no matter what tribe she’s on, she just keeps losing and losing. But she isn’t too worried tonight because the former Gen Xers have the numbers advantage, and she’s all set to send Michelle packing. Oh, CeCe, she must have swallowed too much seawater, things are never that easy.

Sure enough, Chris has ideas of his own, and it involves getting rid of CeCe. He tells David the plan, and while David is somewhat reluctant, he sees that Chris already has Michelle and Zeke on board. David agrees, hoping to buy back some trust, and Chris half-jokingly threatens to “choke” David if he blindsides him again — not a threat I’d take lightly given Chris’ performance in last week’s “Water Slaughter” challenge.

It seems the plan is set, but Michelle has reservations, not fully trusting what Chris and David are selling her, she takes it upon herself to go chat with CeCe about a potential alternative (like getting rid of David). CeCe doesn’t bite though, and instead goes back and tells David that Michelle was throwing his name around, setting off David’s paranoia and making him consider using his newly found idol on CeCe and blindsiding Michelle. Please, David, we already saw a near heart attack scare this season, we don’t want to see someone choked to death.

At tribal council, David puts up a pretense that the Gen Xers are all solid and sticking together, while Chris talks about how this vote will help rebuild trust. In the end, David avoids a tribal throttling by voting with Chris, Michelle, and Zeke, and sending CeCe home. Alarmingly, CeCe is the fourth minority woman to be eliminated this season, and we’ve only had five votes! What that says about the game and society as a whole is a different topic for another time but it’s worth highlighting.

This episode brought about new dynamics and intriguing relationships. It was about players taking advantage of new opportunities and not giving up. Adam, a player on the bottom of his old tribe, found new life on Takali, now positioned as a powerful swing vote. Ken, another player that has been on the outs from the beginning, reformed his bond with Jessica while building a new one with Adam. Michaela, disgruntled by the tribe swap initially, showed strength and determination both at camp and in the challenge, proving invaluable to her new tribe. Chris and Zeke, two players that have been blindsided before, connected and have started to carve new paths for themselves in this game.

But perhaps best of all, with three new tribes, it meant Jeff didn’t force the theme down our throat every two seconds!

Players of the Week

Chris: After the immunity challenge, Chris pretty much ran the show at Vanua beach. He called the shot, gathered the numbers and pulled the trigger.

Zeke: Worked his social game with Chris, creating a new ally while putting himself in a strong position in a tribe where on paper he should have been on the outs.

Adam: Smartly approached Ken and shared just enough info to let Ken know that he could work with him in the future. He’s keeping his options open.

Michaela: Seriously, she’s just a badass. Between starting fire and sinking shots like Steph Curry, you can’t deny Michaela a spot in the Players of the Week.

Who are your players of the week? Was the right person voted out? Let us know in the comments.

Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.