‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Episode 7 Recap: Fields’ Mettle

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“Survivor: Game Changers” (CBS)

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Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

Last Week: Jeff’s poor choice of words helped him avoid jury duty.

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…

Alright, let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Mana Tribe (wearing orangey-red)
Aubry, 30
Brad, 47
Cirie, 45
Hali, 26
Michaela, 25
Sierra, 29
Troyzan, 54

The Nuku Tribe (wearing blue)
Andrea, 27
Debbie, 51
Ozzy, 34
Sarah, 32
Tai, 52
Zeke, 28

We start things off the morning after the outtening (that’s a word, right?) where Sarah is still furious over Varner’s mistake. She once again tells us that meeting Zeke as a person has opened her eyes to the transgender community. Here’s hoping there are a lot of Sarahs watching.

Everyone is ready to move past the Tribal, Zeke hopes it has made them stronger as a unit.

Zeke says there’s still a game to play, so “Let’s just get back to it.” Couldn’t agree more, buddy.

Next up, both tribes are walking towards Probst and what seems to be a merge feast. He informs them that the only way they’ll enjoy the feast is if one person from each tribe agrees to not eat.

Mean.

Both sides weight the options with both Culpepper and Tai agreeing to sit out. Well, how much was Tai going to eat anyways?

The remaining eleven dive into the meal while Brad and Tai are sent to sit on a log. Brad is psyched to have a chance to chat with Tai because he wants to fill Tai’s Caleb role. Considering Caleb’s most memorable role was on his back on a stretcher…that might not be such a good thing.

Brad also tells us that he doesn’t trust Michaela and Hali and would like for one of them to go home next.

Sierra reminds us that the next Tribal is one of the two times she can use her legacy advantange. Oh yeah, that thing.

Meanwhile, Debbie is grinding on Cirie. Yes, for real. Apparently, Debbie had a little too much to drink. Hali refers to this as Debbie using the alcohol as an excuse to “Go Debbie.”

“Go Debbie”?! I’m stealing that.

Then, Debbie moons Tai. Well, probably a good thing Tai wasn’t eating.

Later, Debbie claims that she didn’t have a drop of alcohol and it was all an act to make people feel comfortable with her. Interesting.

Back at camp, Debbie immediately makes peace with Brad. He forgives her.

When things calm down, Zeke tells everyone what happened with Varner. Everyone seems to support Zeke.

After that, politicking explodes. We’ve got Ozzy, Troyzan, and Brad, Ozzy and Zeke, Troyzan and Tai, Ozzy and Sarah, Tai and Hali, Sierra and Brad, Sierra, Cirie, and Aubry, and they’re all saying one name…Michaela.

So…she’s going to win immunity, right?

Anywho, we later learn that Cirie, Andrea, Sarah, and Zeke might want to keep Michaela around as a number.

The tribe comes up with the name Maku Maku which makes me wonder whose mother is named Ukam Ukam.

The next morning, there’s a hilarious moment where Troyzan pretends to take photos of bathing beauty Andrea. She promptly wipes out on the rocks.

Michaela eventually gets wind that her name is being tossed around and touches base with Cirie. Cirie gives her some pointers. You probably can’t have a better mentor than Cirie. She’s like an in-game Cochran.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will stand on a beam and use their heads to press a block against a second beam. The last person with their block in place will win immunity.

As usual, not much to describe except for standin’ and sweatin’. Hali is out quickly, she’s joined by Troyzan and Zeke. Probst says it took about three seconds.

Cirie is out next. We then lose Debbie and Michaela.

Heh…when Michaela goes out, they cut to Andrea giggling about it.

From there we lose Ozzy, Aubry, and Brad. We’re down to Sarah, Andrea, Tai, and Sierra.

After 25 minutes, Sarah is finally out. Sierra too.

Andrea and Tai battle it out with Andrea finally claiming immunuity.

The post-challenge debate starts off with Sierra wanting to pick off the outsiders; Hali or Michaela. However, she’s worried that Hali has an idol. She pitches splitting the vote with most of the votes going to Michaela.

Wait, why not split so if Hali doesn’t play the idol, she goes home?

Zeke’s name is floated to Michaela and Hali with Debbie even saying, “He has the absolute best story.”

Cirie doesn’t love the idea of getting rid of Michaela, she’d much rather see Hali go. She shares this concern with Zeke.

Zeke asks Sierra why they’re targeting Michaela over Hali with the same reasoning I used above. Sierra says it’s because Michaela will have a fit if she realizes she was a target.

Sierra and Debbie wonder why Zeke cares so much. They decide it’s because he wants to be in charge.

Finally, Cirie approaches Michaela and tells her to vote for Zeke. Her hope is that she’ll manage to save Michaela and not tip people off that they’re working together.

That night, Probst welcomes Cirie to her first Tribal of the season. She even gets the full spiel about fire equaling her life.

Andrea thinks the merge is where lines are drawn and the first couple of votes are huge.

Debbie is very confident with tonight’s vote.

Hali claims to be in the dark on the vote. Michaela agrees. She doesn’t understand why her name is on the chopping block.

Ozzy wants to vote out someone who is risky and to be careful around someone who might have an idol.

Hali offers to strip down to prove that she doesn’t have an idol. I…uh…I’m gonna leave that alone.

Nobody takes her up on this offer.

Voting Time: Michaela votes for Zeke, Hali votes for Zeke, Cirie votes for Michaela and says she’s doing it to save both of their lives, Sierra votes for Hali, and the rest of the votes are secret.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got two votes for Zeke, one vote for Michaela, one vote for Hali, one vote for Michaela, one vote for Hali, one vote for Michaela, one vote for Hali, one vote for Michaela, two votes for Hali, and the eighth person voted out of “Survivor: Game Changers” and the first member of the jury is…Hali.

So…I guess Zeke and Cirie were able to convince the others that Hali should go first? And now nobody knows that Michaela and Cirie are in cahoots.

The next morning, Michaela vows to do whatever she can to help Cirie out. Cirie once again reiterates that she doesn’t want people to know that they’re working together.

Later on, the sentiment around camp seems to be that it’s time for Sierra or Brad to go home. Zeke has separate meetings about this with Cirie and Andrea. Andrea thinks they shouldn’t let Tai or Debbie know. Well, you shouldn’t let Tai know anything ever.

Meanwhile, Zeke seems annoyed that Andrea and Cirie are getting more information than he is. Too soon, dude.

Sure enough, Zeke is considering sending one of them home in order to get on top of his alliance. Too soon, buddy.

He even knows he made a move too early last time. TOO SOON!

Immunity Challenge Time: The tribe will be split into two teams of six. Two members from each tribe will swim out to retrieve a net full of fish puzzle pieces. Then two other members will untie the fish and carry them to the finish line on a pole. The final two members will complete the puzzle. The first tribe to finish the puzzle will win a spa day courtesy of Marshalls.

Marshalls: Never Pay Full Price for Fabulous!

Our teams are Sarah, Brad, Aubry, Michaela, Sierra, and Cirie vs. Andrea, Tai, Ozzy, Troyzan, Debbie, and Zeke.

The Survivors are ready…and they go. Troyzan and Ozzy manage to get their net to the shore before Sarah and Brad. But it was close.

In the second part, Tai and Andrea make a big mistake by leaving a fish behind. They have to go back. This allows Aubry and Michaela to pass them.

Cirie and Sierra have a big head start over Zeke and Debbie but they aren’t able to maintain it. Zeke and Debbie win.

Back at camp, Cirie is super bummed for letting her teammates down. Aww…it’s just a Marshalls spa day.

We meet up with the winners and they’re having a good ol’ time. So good in fact, that Tai decides to go streaking…for some reason. There’s a lot of nudity this episode.

Andrea thinks Troyzan should go streaking next. Anyone who read my Malcolm exit interview knows he’d probably trip.

The best part of the Marshalls Lounge spa day? They didn’t have to watch “Jack and Jill.”

Once the silliness dies down, Zeke pitches getting rid of Andrea and Cirie to Tai and Debbie. They listen, but Debbie does not trust Zeke.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will climb a pole. Last person on that pole wins immunity.

Fun Fact: Ozzy is undefeated in this challenge, having won twice.

Not much to describe here except for grippin’ and slippin’. Yee haw!

It eventually comes down to Andrea, Ozzy and Tai. After forty minutes, Andrea takes a nasty spill. Fortunately, she’s OK.

The remaining two battle it out for another fifty five minutes before Ozzy finally falls. Tai wins immunity.

Post-challenge politicking kicks off with Zeke going to Sierra and telling her that Andrea is gunning for her.

CUT TO: Sierra tells Cirie what Zeke said.

CUT TO: Cirie tells Andrea what Sierra said that Zeke said.

As you’d imagine, Andrea is not thrilled with this info.

Meanwhile, Debbie sees this as an opportunity to blindside Ozzy. Sierra, Tai, Sarah, and Troyzan seem into it.

That night at Tribal, Ozzy thinks the stakes are higher this season and that everyone thinks they’re a secret agent.

Sarah compares the tribe to a bunch of single people who are just looking to hookup.

Ozzy makes sure everyone knows that his ability to get food is important around camp. Yeah, but people don’t think that way anymore. They’ll put alliances over camp usefulness every time.

Zeke is looking for people that think they can beat him. Tai is very impressed with how Zeke sees things.

Cirie wants to work with people who have displayed trust.

So…are we going to talk about who’s being targeted?

Apparently not.

Voting Time: Sierra votes for Ozzy, Andrea votes for Zeke and rips into him, Cirie casts a vote to “spice things up a little bit,” and the rest are lost to the magic of editing.

Before Probst can tally the votes, Debbie asks to play her extra vote.

Voting Time Continued: Debbie’s second vote isn’t shown.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Ozzy, one vote for Zeke, one vote for Sierra, one vote for Aubry, one vote for Zeke, one vote for Ozzy, one vote for Zeke, one vote for Ozzy, one vote for Zeke, two votes for Ozzy, and the ninth person voted out of “Survivor: Game Changers” and the second member of the jury is…Ozzy.

Verdict: So nice to get back to “Survivor” as usual after last week’s heartbreaker.

Power Rankings Results: Adam Klein had Hali in spot seven, I had her in spot three. We both had Ozzy in spot thirteen. The current score is Team Adam 84, Team Gordon 80.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

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