**Contains spoilers about Episode 4, but no spoilers or rumors about who wins future challenges, gets voted out or lasts long in the game**

intro2.png

Another great episode and another great blindside! This group of castaways is giving production plenty to work with to keep it interesting and funny, but I also have to say the editing has been on point this season, too!

This week Vokai had to unanimously pick someone to go to the Island of Idols (IOI) or they would have to randomly draw someone’s name from a bag. After awkwardly discussing drawing names, Dan asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to go. A couple of people explained why it would be stupid to want to go... then Noura volunteered to go. 😉 I’m not sure if Noura really knew who Rob and Sandra were. She said she saw a “"handsome man's face" as she approached IOI. 🤣

ioi.png

Watermelon must be a CBS sponsor this year, having a spotlight episode on both BB and Survivor! Noura’s reaction to watermelon was almost as over the top as Jackson’s (BB21) would have been. As Noura was screeching about the watermelon, production worked their magic and gave us a shot of all the birds flying off to escape IOI. 🤣

Rob explained that Noura’s lesson was a skill that every Survivor player needs to have: the art of persuasion. As Rob explained strategies of persuasion, production showed us flashbacks of some great persuasive points in Survivor history with Parvati, Yul, Sandra, Rob, etc. (This was probably, in part, to remind us of these past greats for the upcoming Season 40 with all returning winners.) I thought it was a great segment overall. It cracked me up when Noura explained to Rob that she’s more “intellectual”. To give him credit, he kept a relatively straight face! 👏

If Noura could convince her tribe to let her be the caller at the upcoming challenge, Noura would be able to cancel another players vote at tribal council. If Noura didn’t succeed, she would lose her vote at her next tribal council. As Noura left IOI, Rob said "Noura's the last person you would want in the calling position. She cannot coherently communicate anything to anyone. She's living in Noura world. This is Survivor. You gotta be in Survivor world. She's definitely perceptive. the question is, Is her perception reality?” 🤣

The funniest part of the episode was when Noura returned to Vokai. The looks on her tribemates’ faces as she spun a confusing lie about having to be the caller was hilarious! Kellee was clearly relieved that Noura didn’t reveal anything that would put a target on Kellee. Dan said "If eye's could do full circles without being in a cartoon, our eyes would be doing full circles." 🤣 Lauren summed up what they were all thinking by saying "A blind man can see that Noura doesn't belong on that perch." Production added to the comedic atmosphere with suitable music. 👏

When they got to the challenge, Vokai had to pick someone to sit out and they unanimously picked Noura. 🤣 It was funny to see and very interesting that Lauren was the leader in this.

Overall, the IOI segment itself took up 8 minutes of the episode (less than prior episodes), followed by an additional 4 minutes of follow up at Vokai. While that did take some time, it was very entertaining. So far I’m enjoying seeing Rob (and Sandra) and I don’t think the IOI segments are taking anything away from the episodes. I know we aren’t getting separate reward challenges and we are getting more immunity idols (or the potential for more), but having an immunity idol doesn’t mean it will affect the game (looking at you Vince and Chelsea!) and we are getting to know some of the castaways in a one on one setting, which is kind of cool to see.

challenge.png

They didn’t show how either tribe picked who would call, but Jason was the caller for Vokai and Elizabeth was the caller for Lairo. Jason did a great job calling for Vokai! They had their 3rd key and were heading to the puzzle when Lairo still only had one key. Lairo was very confused, especially Dean who didn’t seem to know his left from his right!

Vokai only had a few puzzle pieces left when Lairo started their puzzle. Luckily for Lairo, Vokai had made a mistake and needed to remove a few pieces. Unluckily for Lairo, they made their own mistakes and ended up losing the challenge. I have to give Elizabeth credit for doing a great job directing Aaron to complete the puzzle. Even Jeff said “Elizabeth has shown great leadership under pressure.” Ultimately, Vokai won and Lairo had to go back to tribal council.

tribal.pngWhen they arrived at tribal council, Sandra said "They just love tribal council." 🤣 It was an interesting tribal council. Jeff questioned most of them. Karishma made it clear she was still really nervous about getting voted out and said nobody would talk to her at camp. Elaine said she stays lost because everyone is always changing their minds. Dean pointed out that the chaos is positive for Karishma and Chelsea agreed. Elizabeth confirmed they discussed many plans and that sometimes you just go with the last plan that was talked about. Missy said they are playing Russian roulette - they "loaded a gun" and it's going to hit someone who "maybe isn't expecting it." Then, Karishma said she was loving what she was hearing and Missy responded by saying "Time out. I don't want her to love what she is hearing. Just because a stray bullet may hit someone doesn't mean that she cannot still get hit. And also that doesn't mean she is not without fault in this game… All of us are playing equally and she is just getting lapped.” Wow. Harsh! 😲

After Chelsea said "It definitely is fun. I like it." regarding blindsides, Jeff said “it’s time to vote”. More production foreshadowing!

Chelsea was the second this season to go home with an immunity idol (and probably not the last, considering the theme). Dean and Chelsea voted for Karishma and everyone else voted for Chelsea. Sandra said what we were all thinking "You wanted a blindside. You got you one."

It really annoys me that (again!) we didn’t get to see Kellee and Noura talk about their trips to IOI. In Vince’s RHAP exit interview, he confirmed that he and Elizabeth did talk briefly after he returned from IOI, but they didn’t have time to talk for long. (He also sort of confirmed that they aren't supposed to come back from IOI and tell everyone the truth. He didn't outright say that, but he said he didn't know what he was allowed to say, or something like that.)I’m sure Kellee and Noura must have had time to talk since they didn’t go to tribal council. I really hope that we get to see some conversation between Kellee, Elizabeth and/or Noura next week! At least two of them will end up on the same tribe!

Next week on Survivor – “Drop your buffs!” The words that make every Survivor player cringe and every Survivor fan clap! 😊 It’s time for a tribe swap! Woo hoo! The preview clip on CBS shows Missy and Elaine wresting at Lairo. There was a previous clip of them wrestling, so I assume/hope this is for fun?

Lairo Tribe

lario.pngThe episode started at Lairo immediately after the tribal council. Karishma (smartly) reassured her tribe that she understood why she received votes, but told us in a confessional that she knows she’s still a target. Aaron told us in a confessional that he is calling the shots now and is concerned about Dean and Chelsea getting close. That was the intro into a brief Dean/Chelsea showmance segment. I think CBS was stretching with this. They took Aaron’s paranoia and ran with it. If they had more material, they would have shown it. Instead we get a shot of Dean and Chelsea cuddling, followed by Elaine trying to set them up and Dean and Chelsea each admitting the other was cute. I really liked Chelsea a lot and think it stinks for her. She was a Survivor superfan who tried to get on the show every year for the past six years (since she turned 21). No Survivor fan wants to get voted out period (especially pre-merge), but even more so, no Survivor fan wants to go because they are accused of being in a showmance!

At first, Missy and Aaron were both pushing to get rid of Dean. However, neither Elizabeth or Elaine were on board with that. Elizabeth, Tom and Elaine wanted to stick with the plan and get rid of Karishma (as did Dean and Chelsea). However, Missy and Aaron wanted to keep Karishma. Missy approached Elaine and explained that they needed to break up Dean and Chelsea. When Elaine told Elizabeth that Missy had changed the target to Chelsea, Elizabeth was shocked. Overall, it was pretty crazy! Though we did get to see a glimpse of who is working with who, we also saw that Lairo was a mess! This will not help them after the tribe swap and could easily hurt them!

1. Elaine Stott - 41 years old ❤️❤️❤️

elaine.pngI like everything I am seeing from Elaine. I know some people were judging her for not wanting to get rid of Dean, but I feel the opposite. I would rather her stick to her guns and voice her opinion than weakly go along with an “anyone but me” mentality (looking at you, Karishma!). I also think Elaine knows exactly what is going on because everyone is talking to her! Sure, Elaine isn’t a leader, but the leaders are listening to her and she isn’t a floater either. Unfortunately, Elaine could be at risk following the swap since Lairo is down by 3 players and she isn't likely to find herself in a majority on her new tribe. This is especially worrisome because she doesn’t trust Aaron, Karishma or Missy. I’m hoping that her easy going and non-threatening personality keep her from being an immediate target.

dean.png2. Dean Kowalski - 28 years old ❤️

Jeff was correct in his preseason prediction regarding Dean – the more I see of him, the more I like him! Dean is definitely getting the cute airhead edit on the episodes so far. However, there’s a secret clip on CBS that shows Dean cooking for the tribe and leading stretches on the beach with Tom and Aaron. In a confessional he explains that he is trying to work with strong leaders and play under the radar. The preview for the upcoming episode shows Dean saying that Missy is talking a lot of nonsense. He is also shown saying that he isn’t sure if he can work with someone. I assume that he is talking about a fellow Lairo tribemate vs. a new tribemate from Vokai. All of Dean’s allies blindsided him and he will probably be more than willing to work with the other side after a swap. He could be in danger if he’s in the minority on his new tribe since he’s athletic and could be seen as a threat. I hope he sticks around and we get to know him better. I would love to see him working with Tommy and Jack!

3. Tom Laidlaw - 60 years old ❤️

tom.pngMy opinion of Tom has stayed the same since we didn’t get to see much of him this episode. He has been in the majority of every vote, probably due to his relationship with Elaine. Tom has been outspoken about wanting to keep the tribe strong all along and I don’t see his opinion on that changing. Unfortunately for him, he could still be an easy vote out as the “old guy” if he ends up in the minority after the swap. However, it’s getting close to the time where they start wanting to target big threats and that could keep him safe.

 

 

4. Elizabeth Beisel - 26 years old 👍👍

eizabeth.pngElizabeth disappointed me this episode. She was running back and worth between Aaron/Missy and Elaine spilling way too much information. On the other hand, she is clearly close with both “sides” of Lairo and did a great job as the caller in the challenge. I think Elizabeth will probably be safe after the tribe swap. It would be stupid to get rid of a strong swimmer at this point and she has a very friendly personality. I can see her getting along with everyone on the other tribe. On the other hand, it would be stupid to keep an Olympian around post merge and that could make her a target eventually.

5. Missy Byrd - 24 years old 👍

missy.pngI really didn’t understand Missy’s attitude at all this episode. Clearly she is done with the women’s alliance and is very close with Aaron. Though she wanted to control Karishma’s vote, that didn't translate to her being nice to Karishma at all! She did nothing to make Karishma feel safe and was extremely harsh to her at tribal council (see above). Her whole attitude made no sense to me. As I said last week, Missy is playing way too hard from a position of power. She could be in danger post swap for multiple reasons – being a physical threat in competitions, as well as not being seen as trustworthy from her own tribemates! I hope her social game improves and she starts playing smarter – not harder.

aaron.png6. Aaron Meredith - 36 years old 👎

My feelings for Aaron haven’t changed at all. However, I do have a bit more insight into why he is feeling so arrogant. Normally I don’t listen to any other podcasts, interviews, etc. until after I write this article. I don’t want to be influenced by the opinions of others. However, I did listen to Chelsea’s exit interview on RHAP. According to Chelsea, Missy, Elizabeth, Dean, Aaron and Chelsea were in an alliance together. This explains the conversations we have seen between Aaron and Missy, as well as why Aaron felt like he was running the show. However, it doesn’t explain why he wanted to target Dean and then Chelsea! 🤔 Like Missy, Aaron could be in trouble post swap.

7. Karishma Patel - 37 years old 👎 👎

karishma.png

The “woe is me” attitude is getting really old! She talked big (telling Chelsea that she was going down swinging), but she isolated herself. Yes, she has gotten votes. However, she has also voted with the majority every tribal council! She needs to get off of the pity party ride and start playing the game instead of letting others play her. She made it clear that she is more than willing to flip on her old tribe after the swap. This could keep her safe or it could paste a huge target on her back. I hope the latter!

 

Vokai Tribe

vokai.pngAt Vokai, Jamal is still feeling left out and contributing to that feeling by alienating himself. It was interesting that Jason went off for a walk by himself and Jamal decided to stay alone at camp while the rest of the tribe went fishing on the raft. I wonder if Jason was also idol hunting? I can’t imagine any other reason to separate yourself from the majority like that!

Jamal narrated his idol search by telling us about his past and how he is "here in space and now in time". Then he found an idol laying in the opening of a tree. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but who really thinks that idol was sitting there for 8 days undiscovered?

Due to Noura’s visit to IOI (covered above) and their challenge win, we didn’t get to see anything else on Vokai this episode. Other than Jamal, Vokai seems to be a pretty tight knit tribe and they obviously work well together in challenges. They have the numbers and the relationships to do well after the tribe swap. It will be interesting to see if they are in the majority on both of the new “sides”.

1. Tommy Sheehan - 26 years old ❤️❤️❤️

tommy.png

We didn’t see much of Tommy this episode, but what we did see I still loved! He seems to be in a good place with his tribe and gets along with everyone. In a confessional he said there was no way he would volunteer to go to IOI because he wants to play under the radar. I really hope he is safe after the swap! I don’t see him being a target, even if he ends up in the minority, because of his easy-going personality.

 

janet.png

 

2. Janet Carbin - 59 years old ❤️❤️

I really like how Janet continues to be in the middle of things, but is listening more than talking. She is playing a great game. I think she will be safe after the swap.

 

3. Jack Nichting - 23 years old ❤️

jack.png

I absolutely loved the look on Jack’s face as he listened to Noura’s convoluted story about IOI! 🤣 When the boat arrived and they were discussing how to decide who goes, he tried to explain to Noura why nobody wanted to volunteer to go (she ignored him, of course). Similar to Tommy, I think Jack’s personality should keep him from being a target post swap.

 

 

lauren.png

 

4. Lauren Beck - 29 years old ❤️

I like Lauren more each week, even though we don’t get to see enough of her. I’m hoping that means she will be around for a long time and we will get to see more of her down the road! I was impressed when she spoke up for the tribe and said that Noura was sitting out during the challenge. Lauren seems to get along with everyone and I don’t think she will be a target post swap.

5. Kellee Kim - 29 years old 👍👍

kellee.png

Kellee was clearly freaking out about someone else going to IOI and knowing the secret. She was also clearly relieved that Noura took the focus off IOI with her elaborate lie and practicing for the challenge. I’m sure post swap Kellee will try to figure out who else has visited IOI and try to work with them! I do think her visit to IOI could make her a target if she ends up in the minority post swap; otherwise, I think she’s safe.

 

jason.png

 

6. Jason Linden - 32 years old 👍👍

Jason made me laugh when he said the Mom side of his brain told him not to volunteer to go to IOI. 🤣 He did a great job as the caller for his tribe and has done a good job getting back in their good graces since the first few days. However, he could put a target on his back if he’s in the minority post swap and his paranoia kicks back in. I find him entertaining and hope he sticks around.

 

7. Dan Spilo - 48 years old 👍

dan.pngDan is growing on me. Production is using his confessionals for smart/funny observations. He clearly thinks Noura is a nut and didn’t buy the story she was selling, but he went along with it anyway and practiced for the challenge. It seems he not only listened, but heard, when he received constructive criticism from the women in the first few days and he gets along with the rest of the tribe. In the preview Dan says "This is a dooms day scenario." I assume that means he ends up in the minority after the tribe swap, which doesn’t bode well for him. He could be a target if he’s considered a weak player or if they don’t trust him.

8. Noura Salman - 36 years old 👎

noura.pngYes, she’s extremely annoying. No, I don’t want to see her win it all. But, Noura Salman (aka, Philip Sheppard) is also extremely entertaining and I don’t want to see her go! 🤣 Unfortunately for her, being annoying is a great way to get a target on your back if you are in the minority after a tribe swap. Regardless, I can’t wait to see the reaction of her new tribemates when they meet Noura!

 

 

9. Jamal Shipman - 33 years old 👎 👎

jamal.pngJamal is a Bitter Betty! I can’t stand it when people complain about being alone and then chose to alienate themselves. His holier than though attitude about being left out of the Molly vote is annoying. I can 100% see him turning on his Vokai tribemates following the tribe swap. I really hope he is the 3rd person we get to see go home with an idol in their pocket this season!

 

 

Thank you for reading my thoughts and rankings. If you got this far, please leave a comment and let me know what you think!