Survivor 48's Game-Changing Twist Forces The Castaways To Scramble — Who Became The First Juror?
"I feel like I am in pretty good control of the tribe," sounds like something we typically hear right before a Survivor contestant gets his or her torch snuffed. Man, was I surprised when Shauhin was not voted out in Wednesday's episode. (Go editing!)
But the thought was there, planted by the super-secret duo Kamilla and Kyle who continued to hide their partnership in plain sight. After the tribe was split into two for the immunity challenge and separate Tribal Councils, the two K's tried to sell David on the idea that Shauhin might have an immunity idol. And David, knowing that Shauhin would most likely flip on their alliance down the road, seemed to seriously consider cutting him while he had the chance. But when the votes were tallied, Cedrek, a man with seemingly very few allies left in the game, succumbed to the long arm of Jeff Probst's snuffer. (Read our Q&A with Cedrek here.)
Cedrek became the first member of the jury thanks to his team's victory in the immunity challenge. (Both teams had to go to Tribal Council, but David and Joe won individual immunities after the grueling, record-breaking grip challenge.) The night's other victim wasn't so lucky. Despite the fact that Chrissy, Eva, Joe, Sai and Star recognized Mitch's big target — the guy's immensely likable and a beast in challenges, too — Mitch used his Block a Vote to silence Sai's voice and prevent her from using her Shot in the Dark. With most of the team recognizing Sai's "chaos" and the fact that she was a "pain in the butt at camp" (Chrissy's words, not mine!), all five votes fell on Sai and "the cat with nine lives" was eliminated. (Read our Q&A with Sai here.)
For what it's worth, Chrissy did seem to be pushing for a Mitch vote. She confided in Joe and Eva, saying that Mitch was by far the bigger threat out of the two. Mitch also confirmed his Block a Vote to Joe. That plus the fact that nearly everyone wanted Sai gone tipped the scales against her and sealed her fate. But as divisive as Sai may have been, she certainly shook up the pre-jury game, and for that, we thank her.
OTHER JUNGLE HAPS
* You know how I feel about repeated challenges by now, and while it's a bummer to see this same grip challenge once again, "superheroes" Joe and David put on one hell of a show. The powerhouses carried 25% of their pre-game body weight for just under an hour and that is intense. Should I feel bad that I've been far more focused on Girl Scout cookies than weightlifting lately?
* What are the chances that Sai and Cedrek both leave the game on the same night? Their relationship was a bumpy one, yet oddly enough, neither had anything to do with the other's ousting. I know Ponderosa videos are a thing of the past, but what a treasure it would've been had they both been stuck on a different island together for a few more days. (At least there would've been food?)
* Do you wish the show would stop separating the tribes so soon after the merge? Not only has it been done a bunch of times already, but it seems that doing so only increases the weight that luck plays in the game (those teams were drawn at random) vs. relying on relationships and strategizing with your island besties.
* I absolutely loved Shauhin providing mock-vocals to the Survivor soundtrack during the immunity challenge! (I actually LOL'd.) And Jeff and Kyle doing the, "Get off the couch and apply to Survivor!" on the fly was also top notch entertainment. I love when the show gets loosey-goosey with things. If Probst wants this show to be Fun with a capital F (which he's said many times over), then mission: accomplished!
What did you think about Sai and Cedrek's exits? Go full tilt boogie in that comments section and let us know!