“Survivor: Game Changers” (CBS)
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Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”
Last Week: Tai’s victory brought him elation, Zeke and Andrea ended their relation, and “Ozzy Slayer” became Debbie’s latest occupation.
39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…
Alright, let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…
The Maku Maku Tribe (wearing yellow)
Andrea, 27
Aubry, 30
Brad, 47
Cirie, 45
Debbie, 51
Michaela, 25
Sarah, 32
Sierra, 29
Tai, 52
Troyzan, 54
Zeke, 28
Things kick off after last week’s Tribal where Debbie is claiming that her six-person alliance is a “line drawn in concrete.” Yeah, but you’ve got an odd-numbered Tribal coming up. Someone’s got to be on the bottom of that six.
If you’re not careful it’s going to be a line drawn in soup.
Quick Aside: Not only do they have the numbers, but they have THREE idols! They don’t all know that, but it’s true.
Later on, Andrea calls out Zeke for turning on her. He claims that Andrea and Cirie had no intention to take him deep into the game. Based on…? Zeke turned on them because he wasn’t driving the ship…the second-place ship at that point.
Sarah tells Zeke to relax because he’s on the outskirts of Sheriff Sierra’s Six. (I’m not in love with that name, but I do like alliteration.)
Sarah then lets us know that lines drawn in the sand disappear after the tide.
Reward Challenge Time: The tribe will be split into two teams of five by a schoolyard pick. One-by-one each team will have a player swim through an obstacle course. Once they’ve reached the end, they’ll dive down to retrieve a grappling hook. The first tribe to use the hook to claim five rings will win a trip to a picnic.
Note: The person who isn’t picked won’t get to go on the reward. Booooo! Let them bet on the winner, Jeff!
Alright, we’ve got Culpepper, Debbie, Andrea, Aubry, and Sierra on one side and Cirie, Sarah, Zeke, Troyzan, and Tai on the other.
Before we start off, Michaela calls everyone “some bitches.” Can’t disagree there. If you want to win a challenge, Michaela can go.
As Probst is asking if the Survivors are ready, the camera pans down to show some kind of “Secret Advantage” at Michaela’s feet.
We start off and there isn’t much to describe except for swimmin’ and obstaclin’. At one point, Troyzan loses his shorts. Fortunately, the censors block the exact thing Hali and Malcolm described in their exit interviews.
Andrea manages to get a small measure of revenge on Zeke by passing him as he’s having serious problems on a balance beam.
Eventually, all of Team Culpepper makes it to the end. Meanwhile, Cirie is having difficulties getting up onto a platform.
As Brad’s team retrieves their rings, Sarah actually heads back to help Cirie even though that means Sarah will have to complete the course twice. Cirie tries to make it through the balance beam portion, but keeps falling into the water.
As this is going on, Brad’s team wins reward. But, the celebration is short-lived as everyone turns around to cheer Cirie on as she is determined to make it across the balance beam.
Both teams swim out to lend their support. Troyzan even gives her a heartwarming pep talk. And…she…does it!
Also, it’s dusty in a living room in eastern Pennsylvania.
As the players head out, Sarah notices the advantage that Michaela didn’t discover. Sarah swims over and manages to snag it without anyone noticing.
When we get back to camp, we learn that Sarah’s advantage is to steal a vote. That always works out well.
On the flight to the reward, Debbie brags because she’s in airplanes more frequently than the rest of the cast. She knows how they got to Fiji, right?
Later, Brad tells us that he intentionally left members of his alliance off of his challenge team. That’s smart. We see people make that mistake all the time.
Meanwhile, Sierra is psyched because it’s obvious that the people on the outside of her alliance are at each other’s throats. She tells us that she’s in the driver’s seat.
CUT TO: Cirie convincing Sarah that she’s on the bottom of her alliance.
Cirie also tells Sarah that Sierra will beat her at final three because people will think Sierra carried her.
They crunch the numbers and come up with an alliance that features Sarah, Cirie, Zeke, Michaela, Aubry, and possibly Andrea.
Immunity Challenge Time: The players will use blocks to spell the word “Immunity” on a board that they are holding steady with a rope. Only one block can be carried to the board at a time. The first person to complete the word will win immunity.
They should have to build the word “Metamorphosis.”
Anywho, not much to describe here except for slow walkin’ and block stackin’. It comes down to Troyzan and Andrea with Andrea being unable to keep her stack standin’. Troyzan wins immunity. And he kept his shorts on. Double win!
Politicking back at camp starts with Sheriff Sierra’s Six debating between Michaela and Andrea. After a discussion, it’s decided that Andrea’s better at challenges and should go home first.
However, this decision was pretty much made before anyone consulted Sarah.
Sarah takes this the way you’d imagine and approaches Zeke with the idea of turning on the six. He’s all for it, but he’s worried about working with Andrea. Sarah and Andrea have a discussion and it seems like everything is somewhat smoothed over.
Later on, Sierra tells Sarah that she’s hoping to go to the final three with her and Debbie. This makes Sarah reconsider her place in Sierra’s plan. She’s not on the bottom.
Buuuut…that means that Sierra thinks she can beat you, Sarah.
In other news, Debbie tells Aubry that Sarah doesn’t trust her and that she’s hoping they can work together.
CUT TO: Aubry telling Sarah what Debbie said.
That night at Tribal, Andrea admits that she’s on the bottom and she desperately needed to win immunity.
Zeke then calls out the six-person alliance by name.
Debbie is happy to be in the six and says that they have respect for each other and everyone gets a voice.
Andrea says that the word on the street (beach?) is that Michaela’s number is up. But, it’d make sense for them to leak false information. Also, she heard people cheer when her blocks fell at the immunity challenge.
Debbie thinks everyone in the alliance has an accurate view of their place in the alliance and that’s how it works. Probst points out that it’s impossible for everyone to be on top.
Zeke is hoping the deck will reshuffle after every Tribal and he’ll get another shot.
Sarah calls it “wishful thinking” that the deck is going to reshuffle.
Michaela didn’t get any marching orders, so she’s going to march out swinging.
Voting Time: Debbie votes for Andrea while saying that nobody in the alliance gives order or takes orders. Andrea votes for Debbie and blows her a kiss. And, the rest of the votes are lost to the magic of editing.
Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Andrea, one vote for Debbie, one vote for Andrea, one vote for Debbie, one vote for Andrea, one vote for Debbie, one vote for Andrea, one vote for Debbie, one vote for Andrea, one vote for Debbie, and the tenth person voted out of “Survivor: Game Changers” and the third member of the jury is…Debbie.
Verdict: Always nice to see a dominant alliance get cut off before they can bore us with a complete Pagonging.
And, I think this was a good move for Sarah. I don’t know which combo of the six she could’ve beaten without a stronger resume.
Power Rankings Results: Adam Klein had Debbie in spot three, I had her in spot four. The current score is Team Adam 87, Team Gordon 84.
Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
Tags: survivor, survivor game changers
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