I’m going to use a paragraph this week to express that I am deeply saddened by recent, and not so recent, tragedies that have occurred all around the world. You can say that I’m a dreamer when I say that I believe we have reached a point in time where we human beings on Earth can unite to become a non-violent society, but I’m not the only one. We are more connected to each other than we ever have been. I’m a small town girl from Kansas who writes blogs about reality TV and they get read by people all over the world. This wasn’t possible for me twenty years ago, but it is now so let me finish off this paragraph with a message to everyone around the world who reads this blog. The violence will end one way or another because we have reached the point in time when we have the technology to connect with each other, talk to each other, bond with each other, and form a global alliance that wants to work together towards finding peaceful solutions to the violent problems we face. We have to demand that our world leaders put down the weapons and find better ways to end this madness. It’s up to us. We have to work together. We have to find common ground or the whole world is going to be ground zero because eventually, the violence will stop. Whether or not we are all still around when the violence ends is up to us. Now, back to Survivor.
This week on Survivor… Savage is very joyful that his goal of making the Jury has been met and if he and his group can keep it real old school and stay the course, it’s going to be smooth sailing. He’s talking with Jeremy in the jungle about how they should move forward. Those girls, especially the “play the game” cheerleader, Ciera, need to go. Savage can see the scheming on their faces; he knows Ciera, Kelley, and Abi are planning something, something big and they need to figure out which one of them is the target. Jeremy nods in agreement with most of the conversation he has with Savage, but doesn’t say much because he’s smart. Later on the beach, Stephen is talking to Ciera who is sooo ready to make a big move and really thinks Stephen wants to make big moves too. After some flirting around the issue, Ciera tells Stephen that her big move right now would be against Joe. Stephen’s eyes light up with glee; he doesn’t want to get run over by a brocomotive and the time to make a big move is now. Indeed it is, Stephen, and not just in the game of Survivor. 😉
Come on in, guys! It’s time for a Reward challenge… On the line this week is a trip to the Survivor Café, which should totally be a real thing and I would happily work there, where the winning team will enjoy iced coffee, bagels with cream cheese, cookies, and all sorts of sugary treats. For this challenge, the tribe will divide into two teams of six, paddle out to a marker then turn around and start gathering huge, multi-colored crates that they will stack and spin to solve a puzzle. The first team to correctly stack the crates so that each side does not have repeating colors wins. After a school yard pick, the two teams are: The Kellys, Kimmi, Joe, Keith, and Ciera (green team) vs. Tasha, Savage, Spencer, Jeremy, Stephen, and Abi (purple team). So the green team takes an early lead and they hang on to it for a long time; they reach the beach with their crates first, while Spencer is still diving into the water to retrieve crates. The purple team finally makes it to the beach, though, and they make up some good time, enough time that they think they have the puzzle solved first, buuut… They didn’t have it solved correctly and soon enough, the green team is calling Jeff over to check their work and their puzzle is… correct! Green team wins and Stephen could not be more disappointed that Joe will be hanging with the majority of the women and Keith talking strategy and enjoying sweet treats.
At the reward, Ciera is all over it. Rewards, especially food rewards, are great because not only does everyone get to relax “outside” the game, but also because it’s a great time to talk strategy. Since everyone is feeling good and has taken a step away from the game, they might be more open to ideas. Ciera apologies for her “play the game” comments and gives an explanation. She was part of a tight group her first season and she thought she’d be able to make a big move eventually, but when the time came to do it, all of her numbers were gone. She guarantees that Savage, Jeremy, Stephen, and Savage are a tight four, they aren’t going to deviate from each other. Joe knows that Ciera is right. He’s with the Bayons, but he knows their loyalty to him is going to go away just as his loyalty to them will be set adrift. He just has to get the timing of his big move right and he has to do it with the right people. Then Keith revs up the engine of one of the vehicles that were used to deliver them to the Reward and he takes them all for a ride on the beach. They call it a Tuk-Tuk, but that’s not Tuk-Tuk… 😉 #McCraniacs
Back at camp, spirits are low, especially Stephen’s. He partially lost his season because of bonds made at a reward so this loss is hitting him pretty hard. Also, all the people he can make a big move with are at the reward – with Joe – the person he wants to make his move against so it’s a real FML situation here. Later on the beach, Stephen and Jeremy are talking and Stephen is pushing for a Joe vote again, but this time, Jeremy is really listening. The more challenges Joe wins, the target on his back gets larger and his use as Jeremy’s shield diminishes so as long as he can get the votes and his alliance is on board, so is Jeremy. Stephen makes the same pitch to Spencer later in the jungle and Spencer is hearing what he’s saying too. Joe’s a good bet to win in the Immunity challenges so he’s a big threat. He’s on board too if Stephen can get the numbers. Even later, Stephen makes the pitch to Tasha who seems to receive it well, buuut… Savage is watching and he can hear so he knows what Stephen is up to now and he doesn’t like it. Savage hates all the scheming and deceiving so naturally, it’s time for him to do some of his own! The next morning, Savage calls Joe over to his hammock and lets him know that Stephen is gunning for him. Joe isn’t surprised at all. Stephen is a smart player. He just didn’t think that this would happen so soon. Savage continues to promise Joe, on his kid’s lives, that he will never write his name down. This is a promise that Savage will definitely be keeping… 😉 Joe trusts Savage, he thinks he’s looking out for him, but Joe knows that he MUST win Immunity or he’s probably going home.
Come on in, guys! It’s time for Immunity! And it’s another challenge involves balancing balls, but this time the players will have to balance them on a large wooden disc attached to two ropes. After each round, they will have to move their grips on the ropes backwards. Keith won this challenge the first time it was played and he’s hoping for a repeat win. The challenge starts and immediately, Kelley and Ciera are out followed shortly by Borneo Kelly, then Jeremy, then Abi, then Stephen, and then Savage. After ten minutes, positions are changed and the challenge begins again. Kimmi has had nice save after nice save, but luck finally flitters away from her and shortly after, Tasha’s ball drops and only Spencer, Joe, and Keith advance to the next round. Everyone is a little wibbly wobbly in this round, but only Spencer loses the battle. It’s sudden death time! Since both Keith and Joe have managed to keep their balls in the “air”, they will go to a time limitless round, but they will each have to balance two balls instead of one. And let me tell you this quick round is a real nail biter and I’m glad that I’m wearing Jamberry wraps on mine to keep me from reverting to a bad habit I had for 27 years. Balls are moving, the boys are fighting to stay alive, but finally… Keith loses the battle and Joe wins Immunity again.
Back at camp, the game is on because Joe and Savage are all about getting Stephen out; Savage is going to talk to Jeremy and Joe is pretty sure he can get the three girls that are on the bottom to vote with them. So Joe talks to Kelley who is totally cool with getting rid of Stephen – better him than her! She talks to Ciera who has the same attitude – better him than her. Later, Savage, lounging in a hammock again, has assembled with Spencer, Borneo Kelly and Tasha when Jeremy strolls on by and takes a seat. When Savage tells Jeremy that the new plan is to vote for Stephen, Jeremy isn’t down. He wants to go far into the game with Stephen, they have a bond and it wouldn’t be good for his game to get rid of Stephen. Once all the big guys start going after each other, Jeremy wants to have all the bullets and Stephen is already in his chamber. So Jeremy pitches the idea that it’s bad to target people in their own alliance right now and they can’t let those girls stick around to muddy up the game board. Spencer agrees. They know Stephen’s move and he can’t do it without support from some of them so it’s smarter to keep him around for now. It’s better to take out Kelley or Ciera. Savage is disappointed that he’s not getting what he wants, but Jeremy made valid points so he’s gonna vote with the group. Later, Joe conveys the news to Ciera – The Stephen vote is off the table. Kelley is nearby and she assumes that it will be her, Joe can’t tell her who it is because he doesn’t know. So! The three ladies that everyone is so afraid of have a little meeting. They all agree they need to vote together and Ciera is just hoping for a miracle at Tribal Council…
And to Tribal Council we go! And blah blah blah let’s get to the good part because it’s a lot of yada yada yada talk between Jeff and the Survivors. Ciera is still sick of people not playing the game, not thinking about their own games; some of them know they are at the bottom, but they aren’t doing anything about it. Kelley chimes in to say that SHE was approached that day by one of the “them” to bring HER in on a big move, but she won’t say who because… What if she still there tomorrow and needs to work them? Wise words! And the eye rolls from Ciera during this whole Tribal Council are just so effing priceless… I love that girl! So the vote… They are made, we don’t get to see a single one, and tallied then Jeff brings the urn over to his perch and before he reads them, he makes the statement we are all expecting to hear. “If anyone has an idol and wants to play it, now’s the time to do it”. To which Kelley replies: “You know what, Jeff…” And the looks on people’s faces now are more priceless than Ciera’s eyerolls because EVERYONE is shocked. NO ONE was expecting this. And THIS is why you NEVER EVER TELL ANYONE THAT YOU HAVE AN IDOL. And before the votes are revealed, let me remind everyone of the #1 rule of Survivor – DO NOT GET TOO COZY. Over-confidence is a killer in this game… So Kelley plays her Idol and it is authentic, as we all know, then Jeff reads the vote: Wentworth, Wentworth, Wentworth….None of them count. And at this point I’m thinking…Uh… Hello? Bayon boys and girls? Didn’t you just say last week that it’s always good to split the vote??? Hmmm??? So the picture says it all… The three women voted for Savage and he is outta the game. I’m so sorry not sorry that I find this totally and completely amusing.
Next time on Survivor… Everyone had Idol Fever and Jeff is doing some tempting! LOVE IT! Can’t wait! Ya’ll know the drill by now… Be sure to check out Jon and Eric’s Survivor videos. Hanne is covering the Amazing Race, we have post-season Big Brother coverage, if you love Bravo shows, you’ll love Your Reality Recaps, and there is also Scream Queens & American Horror Story stuff… 😉 xoxox <3
