**Contains spoilers about Episode 7 and the preview for Episode 8, but no spoilers or rumors about who wins future challenges, gets voted out or lasts long in the game**

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I know it’s too early to say, but, WOW, this is an amazing season and might end up being the best in a long time! I love the people – almost all of them I will hate to see leave! I absolutely love the tribal councils! And, I can’t get enough of Boston Rob! 😍

 

ioi.jpgJanet was the Lairo castaway picked (anonymously) by Elaine to visit the Island of Idols. She was not too happy about going! She was worried that it would put a target on her back. (BTW - Sandra couldn't hug Janet due to blisters all over her hands and wrists. You can see one bandage in the picture. The clip on CBS shows how bad it was. Sandra is a tough cookie!) When she arrived, Sandra and Rob talked to her about her position in the game, then Rob explained that her lesson was about taking calculated risks. Production provided another cool montage of past Survivor events (and big moves). Janet was then offered the chance to play a game of chance against Rob. If she lost, she would lose her vote at the next tribal council. If she won, she would earn a “safety without power” advantage. It would protect her from being voted out by allowing her to leave tribal council and return to camp one time and would last until 7 players were left in the game.

rob.jpgJanet decided to play it safe and return to camp because she wanted to have her vote for her allies and she didn’t want to risk putting a target on her back by leaving tribal and letting her allies down. Rob was impressed with Janet's reasoning for turning them down. I am still not sure how I feel about it. I completely see Janet’s point. However, if you are in a strong alliance, which she was then, you can risk losing one vote. She has no idea how things will play out post merge and it would have been nice to have that advantage! As Janet left, Sandra predicted the winner of this season will be a female (Rob wouldn't take that bet!).

vokai.jpgThe immunity challenge wasn't particularly unique - shooting hoops (again) and a puzzle (again). It was interesting to see how they did with throwing the coconuts in the basket. Tommy did well for Vokai and Jack did well for Lairo. After a learning curve, the rest of them did ok. Vokai knocked their pieces over first and had a head start on their puzzle. Lauren did a great job directing Elaine, Dan and Aaron to complete their puzzle. Lairo almost ic.jpgcame back and won, but they lost by one piece. I think it was the physicality of the puzzle (moving the large heavy pieces) that made Lairo lose (not their puzzle solving ability). Tommy was channeling Kaycee from BB and yelled “Let’s go!” repeatedly throughout the puzzle solving to spur on (or annoy?) his tribemates.

This was another remarkable tribal council! First, they discussed how strong their connections were based on their original tribes and Vokai's early success. Noura was hilariously clueless and told Dean that she’s indifferent to him and Jamal that she hates him sometimes. 🤣 Jeff pointed out that at least with Noura they always know what she is thinking. Jamal said he’s not sure if he will be there after TC because of what Noura said and his fear of an all girl's alliance (then why didn’t he play the idol on himself???). Kellee explained why she thinks the term “all women’s alliance” is sexist and how an all men's alliance isn't called out or labeled like that – even though they occur more often than women's.

lairo.jpgJamal asked Jeff to ask Noura if she had considered an all women's alliance and she admitted she had. Noura said "if you were a woman you would be with us too" - basically confirming an alliance. 🤦‍♀️ Karishma supported what Kellee said and explained how what’s happening in our society today is carrying over to Survivor. Janet then explained why what was said is wrong in a really powerful speech. One thing she said was "you can't be a powerful woman without men and women backing you." I loved watching Jamal's expression through this. He was really touched by Janet's speech. It’s clear that his intention was NOT sexist in anyway and that he was open and understanding to their explanations.

After voting, Dean played his idol on himself, then Jamal played his idol on Noura. Sandra said "holy ____, they got all kinds of idols". 🤣 I really don't understand why Jamal gave Noura his idol and I can't wait until he explains it to us! My only guess is that he thought Dean was voting for Noura and everyone else was voting for Dean??? In that case, Noura would have gone. I guess Jamal was protecting his alliance and thought they would have to revote and would vote Karishma out???

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Dean received 5 votes against him that didn't count (Jamal, Karishma, Kellee, Janet and Jack). Jack received 2 votes against him (Noura and Dean). It’s clear that Kellee convinced Noura and Dean to vote for Jack. The question is why Jack and not Jamal? Speculation on that below!

 

jack.jpgI was very surprised that Jack will be on jury. I think jurors should be post merge so they have a chance, even briefly, to get to know the potential finalists. That being said, I love Jack and look forward to seeing him on the jury each week. Watching his Ponderosa video made me like him (and miss him in advance) even more!

 

Next Time on Survivor – Merge time! Yay! The preview was kind of confusing with close camera shots and voice overs, so we don’t know exactly who was talking to who or when. Kellee is shown saying she wants all of old Lairo out. Dean is shown telling someone they need to flip now. (Flip on who? Old Lairo, New Lairo, Old Vokai?) Tommy is shown telling Aaron “they” want Kellee out. Lauren is shown telling Missy the plan is to vote out Missy. And, Elaine is shown telling Dan that someone told her to vote out Dan! Whew! The two most likely outcomes are either: (1) Old Vokai gets back together and an Old Lairo goes, or (2) the women’s alliance becomes a reality and a guy goes!

 

Ranking – My ranking is based on who I enjoy the most. This could be because of personality, game play, pure entertainment value or some combination of the those. Those at the top are the ones that I want to stick around. Those at the bottom are those who I wouldn’t mind leaving. The emojis indicate how much I like them (some are tied). However, I do explain for each how safe I think they are in the game and how I think they are playing overall.

Vokai Tribe

vokai-2.jpgThe episode started on Vokai with the reaction from Jason getting voted out. Lauren felt betrayed by Missy. Missy comforted Lauren and said "no girl has gone home since the swap. You are the only connection to the girls on the other side." Interesting! The guys may be in trouble post merge!

Later on, when we returned to Vokai, Lauren, Elizabeth and Missy complained about Dan making them uncomfortable when they are sleeping and he cuddles up to them (If Dan really bothered Elizabeth and made her uncomfortable, do you think she would have jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist like in this picture? I'm not saying he didn't occasionally bug her. I'm just saying that I think the edit could be making a mountain out of a mole hill at Dan's expense). Lauren and Tommy agreed to throw Dan to the wolves and try to put the target on him. Tommy and Lauren told old Lairo Dan couldn't be trusted and he wanted Aaron out. Missy and Elizabeth discussed breaking up Tommy and Lauren since they are so close. They want to target Tommy and work with Lauren.

elaine.jpg1. Elaine Stott (Original Lairo) - 41 years old ❤️❤️❤️

We barely saw Elaine this episode, but I still love her! I hope she doesn’t get “butt hurt” any time soon. 😊 Maybe I’m in denial, but I think Elaine is safe for now! Even if Old Vokai teams up against Old Lairo, they have much bigger threats (Aaron, Dean and Missy) before they get to Elaine. She has also made good connections with many people.

2. Tommy Sheehan (Original Vokai) - 26 years old ❤️❤️❤️

tommy.jpgTommy Boy is going to be a happy camper to get back with his Old Vokai! He will definitely be waving the purple flag after feeling the fear of being in the minority. He cracked me up with his talk about the chickens and I was impressed by his willingness to turn on Dan to save himself. He should be safe even if the women team up against the men, because I still think they’d go after Aaron, Dean, Jamal or Dan before him.

 

 

lauren.jpg3. Lauren Beck (Original Vokai) - 29 years old ❤️❤️

I love when we get to see more of Lauren! Even though Lairo got most of the airtime, we got to see a lot of Lauren. She played it perfectly with Missy – making her feel guilty and getting a future agreement. Lauren will be good with a women’s alliance or with Old Vokai, so I think she’s good to go for now.

 

4. Elizabeth Beisel (Original Lairo) - 26 years old ❤️

elizabeth.jpgElizabeth is playing a quiet game for an Olympian. Her name is never mentioned as a target, even though she does well in all the challenges. She is playing down her personality and has a great social game. I think she will be safe for now regardless.

 

 

 

 

missy.jpg5. Missy Byrd (Original Lairo) - 24 years old 👍👍

Missy is her own worst enemy on Survivor. I just don’t see her getting much farther. She is an outspoken, confident, physical and strategic threat. You know Karishma has been whispering in Janet’s and Kellee’s ears about her. Also, I don’t see Missy wanting to work with Janet and Kellee. Missy and Janet are both natural leaders – but completely different types. Missy leads from the top and wants to drive the boat. Janet leads from below and directs the current. I think Missy could be in trouble within the next couple of tribal councils. Nonetheless, I really enjoy watching her compete and hope she lasts longer.

6. Aaron Meredith (Original Lairo) - 36 years old 👍

aaron.jpgI could pretty much copy and paste what I said about Missy here for Aaron! I think he’s going to try and work with the guys, while trying to keep ties with Elaine, Missy and Elizabeth. I don’t think he will be successful, though. Missy and Elizabeth are ready to work with the women and Elaine has never fully trusted him. She will stick with Missy and Elizabeth. If he doesn’t win immunity, I think Aaron might be the first out after the merge. If not then, soon.

 

dan.jpg7. Dan Spilo (Original Vokai) - 48 years old 👍

I feel sorry for Dan a bit. His career is based on reputation and he has a teenage son who is watching this. I hope he was given a heads up that they are showing this. It would be a tough conversation to have with your child and his edit is bad! We didn't get to see Dan say anything this episode and have no idea if he understands the position he is in. However, I assume some of Old Lairo have been whispering in his ear. If the women’s alliance happens, Dan could be a target simply because he makes them feel uncomfortable, though I think it would be smarter to go after one of the challenge threats first. It’s also smart to keep someone around who makes people feel uncomfortable!

Lairo Tribe

lairo-2.jpgWhen we got to Lairo, it was pouring rain and they looked miserable trying to sleep in their shelter. The next morning, Jamal tried to start a fire unsuccessfully. Jack suggested that Kellee try and said she’s really good at it. Jamal tried to tell Kellee what to do and she walked away until Jack talked Jamal into letting Kellee try it her way. Next we saw Jamal upsetting Noura about the rice portions. Then Noura vented to Kellee, Janet and Karishma about Jamal. However, Janet wanted to play it safe until they get to the merge and not turn on Jamal. (Also, Janet doesn't trust Dean.)

janet-2.jpgWhen Janet returned to Lairo after IOI, she flashed her tribemates to show that she didn't have an idol. I’m not sure how that proved it wasn’t in her pants? I guess she was just being funny? She then "explained" what happened to her tribemates. I was really disappointed they didn't show her talking to Noura and Kellee alone. They had to compare notes and I would bet that Kellee told Janet about her idol.

After the immunity challenge, we were shown several discussions about wanting to vote Dean out. I think everyone wanted him out except for Kellee! Jamal confessed that this vote is the safest he has felt going into tribal council. I honestly thought that was foreshadowing and he was leaving after that! It reminded me of Chopped when the chef says they know they won the round…

Jack and Jamal told Dean to vote for Noura. Kellee confessed not wanting to let her idol go to waste and potentially giving it to Dean and trusting him to vote for who she wanted (Jamal or Jack). I personally think she preferred to vote out Jamal over Jack based on what she has said and what we have seen. My speculation is that she told Janet her plan and that Janet wanted to keep Jamal over Jack. I could be completely wrong about this and I hope we get to find out in future episodes or interviews! Finally, Kellee talked to Dean about her plan and he (of course) said yes.

1. Janet Carbin (Original Vokai) - 59 years old ❤️❤️❤️

janet.jpgJanet’s reaction to seeing Rob and Sandra was exactly what my reaction would be! However, she did way better than I would have with their lesson. I would have been way too distracted by Rob’s smile and would have agreed to anything without weighing the risk. 🤣 I’m not one to analyze story arcs and edits. There are experts (and novices) who do a great job at this, but I think production is on to us and plays with us now. However, Janet is amazing and gets more amazing every episode. I would be ecstatic if Janet won this season based on her game play so far. She has proven to be great at every aspect of this game and I can’t wait to see her win individual immunity against the athletes. Janet should be safe for quite a while. She is playing a great under the radar, social, strategic and physical game.

kellee.jpg2. Kellee Kim (Original Vokai) - 29 years old ❤️❤️❤️

I can’t wait to see how Kellee’s plan plays out! Noura knows that Kellee told her to vote for Jack. Dean knows that Kellee orchestrated Jack’s boot and gave him the idol. We don’t know if anyone else knows what happened or if Kellee can trust those two to keep their mouths shut. I think the likelihood of Noura keeping her mouth shut is slim. Also, what incentive does Dean have to keep his mouth shut if Old Vokai gets back together OR the women’s alliance happens?  Kellee could have put a big target on her back and her name is being mentioned by at least one person as a target in the preview. I really like her and want her to stick around to the end, but I’m worried she has started playing too hard. I hope she can trust Noura and Dean and slide back under the radar.

3. Dean Kowalski (Original Lairo) - 28 years old ❤️❤️

dean.jpgDean really is cute. Is that a great reason to cheer for him? Probably not. Do I care? Nah. 😊 We haven’t seen any real strategy from Dean. He has been following the lead of other people so far. I do think Dean could be a target of Old Vokai or a women’s alliance, but I think he will probably last longer than Aaron. I hope he wins immunity next week!

 

noura.jpg4. Noura Salman (Original Vokai) - 36 years old ❤️❤️

Can you imagine Noura on Big Brother and getting to watch her on the feeds 24/7? She would be so annoying and hilarious all at once! She cracks me up unintentionally in every scene she is in. Also, the looks on the faces of everyone around her as she talks is priceless. I think Noura is safe – she’s the PERFECT person to take to the final 3 with you!

5. Jamal Shipman (Original Vokai) - 33 years old ❤️

jamal-2.jpgI really do like Jamal more and more. He is intelligent and introspective. I know he has irritated some of his tribemates, but they were also tired, wet and hungry. It doesn’t take much! Even though Noura wants him out, they chose Jack over him for a reason and I think he should be safe until some of the Old Lairo are gone (or some of the more physical threats). (BTW - This picture is of Jamal at tribal council when Noura was telling Dean how she felt about him. 🤣)

 

karishma.jpg6. Karishma Patel (Original Lairo) - 37 years old 👎

Karishma is lucky! She made it to the merge and has good connections on Old Vokai now. She is also a perfect person to bring to the final 3 and isn’t a threat socially or physically. I don’t see her going any time soon unless she tries to press her position or overplay in some way.

 

 

Final Thoughts - As much as Missy and Noura want a women’s alliance to happen, I don’t see it working out – for the reasons I already mentioned above AND because I don’t think it’s what Kellee or Janet want (and we all know they are really in charge). I can’t wait to find out, though!

 

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

@MomTampa