Category: survivor game changers

The next logical thing happened in Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 9 as Taylor was voted off the island after stealing everybody’s food and bragging about it.

Jay unburies the food in “good faith”, the same food that he helped eat. Considering how much is left, it doesn’t look like he actually only ate crumbs like he claimed.

It would seem that Jay should be the next target, but Bret and Chris want to target Jessica.

Will reveals to Zeke that Jay has an idol, telling him that he and Hannah are his alliance. He wants to jump off that sinking ship that has had two casualties in the last two votes, and he trusts that the information won’t spread. This sets up a “Jay has an idol” montage in which everybody in the tribe knows.

For the reward challenge, they are divided into two teams of five. Reward is pizza. They must swim out to the raft and then pull themselves into shore, retrieve keys, and unlock colored boxes that must be stacked without repeating colors on the same side. David tries to volunteer to sit out because he is such a weak swimmer, which isn’t even really that much of a part of the challenge, but they talk him out of it. Jay ends up drawing the short straw or odd rock as the case may be. Ken, Jessica, Chris, David, and Will (orange team) go against Bret, Zeke, Sunday, Hannah, and Adam (purple team). Orange is one key ahead of purple as they start unlocking the blocks. They increase their lead on the locks. But Zeke and Adam come from behind on the puzzle to win for purple.

In addition to the pizza, they are surprised with letters from home. Taylor warned everybody that Adam might try to steal letters with his advantage, and considering his reaction, that may not have been wrong.

David is mostly concerned with Chris, Bret, and Sunday as a threesome. Ken is not so sure they can really get Zeke on their side to get rid of Chris.

The immunity challenge will require them to stand on a narrow beam while balancing a statue with a pole. Everybody lasts five minutes on the first section. Hannah drops first, followed by Ken. The others move to the third section. Sunday drops, followed by Chris and then Will, Jay, and Bret. Those who remain move to the final section. Adam drops. Jessica is next. Then Zeke. David wins immunity.

David is gaining confidence, but he has a dangerous strategy of trying to talk Zeke into getting rid of his hero. Zeke is right in the middle, but he does advise David that Chris is trying to get rid of Jessica.

Jay does not play his idol. The attempt to get him to flush it didn’t work.

Votes
Chris
Jessica
Chris
Jessica
Chris
Jessica
Chris
Jessica
Chris
Chris

With 6 votes, Chris has been voted off the island. The plot to eat one of his own backfired because somebody else had the same idea. Jay seems to be at least sort of in the loop, but he was in the wrong loop.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 11, which airs next on CBS.

Somehow, Michelle ended up being the target in Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 8 and was the first post-merge victim.

Despite his behavior at Tribal Council, Taylor is under the impression that nobody knows that he stole most of the food.

For the reward challenge, they are divided into two teams of six. Reward is a trip to a resort. Chris is a captain and chooses Bret, Ken, David, Sunday, and Taylor. Hannah chooses Adam, Will, Zeke, Jay, and Jessica. Brawn against not brawn. They have to clear some obstacles, untie a key, and drag a box containing bolos to toss. To nobody’s surprise, Hannah’s team drags behind. They were behind from the beginning, and that box is so heavy that they never even make it to the toss as Chris’ team wins reward.

Adam tells Jay what is already obvious after the last vote. They are on the bottom and likely the next to go.

Despite voting as a group, Sunday doesn’t really trust most of them. Her target is Jessica.

The immunity challenge is a simple endurance challenge of balancing a ball on a bow while standing on a narrow beam. Probst has an offer of grilled ham and cheese, chips, and drinks for anyone who does not want to participate. Zeke and Will sit out and opt for the food. Jeff keeps talking about how Will can’t drink beer, although I’m not sure why since the legal drinking age in Fiji is 18, regardless of what it is in the US. The possible argument is that Survivors can’t break any US laws, which an American who drinks abroad would not be doing.

Hannah is quickly eliminated and probably should have taken the food. After 5 minutes, everybody else moves to the second narrower section. Bret falls next and asks why he didn’t opt out. Those who remain move to the final section. Jessica, Sunday, David, and Chris fall immediately after moving. Adam is next, then Jay. Taylor drops. Ken wins immunity.

Zeke and Will were correct that they are safe. Taking the food may have backfired as cocky, but perhaps worth the risk for anyone who didn’t think they could win. Nobody is even considering voting for either of them.

The plan is to split the vote between Jay and Taylor. Realizing this, Taylor shares his stolen food with Jay and then tells him Adam’s secret.

Taylor pretends that Adam helped him bury the food. But he and Jay ate all the food today because they assumed one of them was going home. Well, then, you should be if you are this much of an idiot. Next, he reveals Adam’s advantage of being able to steal a reward, the silliest advantage to hold over someone’s head because rewards provide some benefit but rarely hold any strategic power.

Then Jay tries to take the moral high ground. He would never steal food from other people. Aside from that food he ate when Taylor offered it. None of this is helping Adam, who nobody really trusts anyway, but surely nobody is buying this ridiculousness.

Votes
Jay
Taylor
Adam
Jay
Taylor
Jay
Taylor
Jay
Taylor
Taylor
Taylor

With 6 votes, Taylor has been voted off the island. I think Jay’s the bigger threat, but as I said last time, Taylor is a dumbass who deserves his comeuppance. Jay made a risky move by not using his idol, but he left Taylor alone in the dust by voting against him.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 10, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

The flipping continued in Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 7 as the Millennials turned and voted out Michaela.

Probst talks about how Hannah is in the dark. Like this is new.

The tribes receive a boat visit informing them of a merge.

Michelle says that Jay and Taylor are the people she could take to the end. This was the reason for David to get rid of her when he had the chance.

Everybody else is still feasting, but Adam decides to go searching for a hidden idol. Instead, he finds an advantage, which will allow him to steal a reward. I’m not sure that is really an advantage.

In the middle of the night, Taylor puts together a stash of what is supposed to be everybody’s food for the week. He is not very quiet about it and wakes people up. People have been voted out for eating a cherry. Filling a whole jar, now that’s just selfish.

One of the people who hears Jay is Adam, who gets up and talks to Taylor about getting rid of Will. Then he tells him about his advantage. You just voted out this guy’s girlfriend of two whole weeks. Stop giving him ammo.

Bret was the other person who was up in the middle of the night, and he informs some other Gen Xers about Taylor’s food raid.

Taylor tells Jay what he heard from Adam, but neither of them looks around to see that Zeke is standing right there listening.

The immunity challenge is a Survivor classic with a small twist. They will hold their hands above their heads and try to avoid moving them so they don’t dump a bucket on themselves. Sunday drops almost immediately. Chris is behind her. Then Bret. It’s been like a minute. Jay drops at just over 10 minutes, followed by Zeke. Ken is next and then Hannah. Michelle makes it to 20 minutes. Taylor is behind her and then David and Adam. The final two make it through an hour. Then another half an hour. Jessica drops. Will wins immunity.

Jay wants to target Adam because he was going after Will. Michelle considers this proposal to be stupid.

The others want to get rid of Taylor, but David suggests Michelle because she doesn’t have an idol. Meanwhile, not having overplayed enough, Adam’s name is coming up again as he continues to scramble.

It comes out at Tribal Council that Taylor stole the food. He’s proud and happy with himself for doing this.

Votes
Adam
Michelle
Adam
Michelle
Adam
Michelle
Adam
Michelle
Michelle
Michelle
Michelle

With 7 votes, Michelle has been voted off the island. Not a bad choice, but Taylor should have been voted out for being a dumbass.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 9, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

Adam found himself somewhere in the middle between the couple he had been with all along but never really trusted and a new set of tribemates. He chose to split from the showmance in Survivor Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 6 and helped vote out Figgy.

Adam wants to talk to Taylor right away, but there does not seem to be much point. Taylor wants revenge.

David doesn’t really trust Chris, but he trusts Zeke, at least more than he trusts Chris. To prove his trust, he tells him he has an idol.

Michaela says it’s been time for Figgy to go home for a while. She’s perfectly fine with this result.

Reward challenge requires them to retrieve balls, score some baskets, and then land the balls on a perch. A chef will cook for them. Second place is some kabobs. Bret and Sunday sit out for Ikabula. Vanua foolishly tries to lift Zeke and falls behind before realizing that David is a lot lighter. Ikabula is leading from the start, but they stumble on the basket shooting and allow the others to pass them. Chris and Ken pull ahead in what looks like a lost cause. Vanua wins reward. After swapping Michaela for Jay, Ikabula comes back from behind to place second.

He doesn’t have much choice, so Taylor agrees to never write down Jessica’s or Ken’s name.

Bret tells Hannah he’s a funeral director, but she keeps prodding with specific questions about the business. She is pretty sure he is really a cop. Jay agrees.

The immunity challenge requires them to throw coconuts into a net and then slingshot sandbags at targets. Hannah and Will sit out for Ikabula. Takali is the first to lower their net. Ikabula follows. Michelle takes forever to piece together what seems to be a simple puzzle of putting three pairs of numbers in the right order, putting Vanua further behind. Takali wins immunity. With Ikabula unable to hit the targets, Vanua comes in second.

Unlike the other tribes where everybody is flipping, this seems like a pretty clear cut case of Bret or Sunday going home. They agree to vote for each other.

Afraid that Bret might be a cop and is lying to them, they want to vote for him after splitting the votes the first time. That’s always potentially a problem because all it would take is one person to flip. If only either Bret or Sunday were actually making an effort.

Jay worries Michaela is too dangerous to make the merge. His conversation with Will is not overly convincing, but even on his own, he has the numbers if they split the vote.

Votes
Bret
Bret
Michaela
Michaela
Michaela
Michaela

With 4 votes, Michaela has been voted off the island. She does not leave quietly and goes off on Jay, though Will is unscathed by her wrath.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 8, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

Following a tribe shuffle in Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 5, Gen X had the numbers advantage on the newly formed Vanua tribe. So of course they flipped and voted out CeCe instead of someone from the other side.

David says it’s no longer Millennials Vs. Gen X. Except it kind of is, and you’re way behind in numbers.

Jay and Will go searching for a hidden immunity idol, and Jay finds it. It’s a secret just between them. Plus Michaela, who accidentally stumbles upon them.

Figgy is very visibly and vocally excited to see that they were dumb enough to not get rid of Michelle. Oh, and it’s kind of nice to see Zeke, too.

The reward challenge splits them into blindfolded people collected puzzle pieces and those who are screaming at them. Reward is some snacks and drinks with chocolate chip cookies for the second place tribe. Jess sits out for Takali. Bret and Hannah sit out for Ikabula. Even blindfolded, David is a source of frustration. Takali is the first to start the puzzle, a very simple puzzle but one that they must solve blindfolded with the guidance of the shouter. Despite how much Michelle was getting upset with David, Vanua still comes from behind to win. Then Ikabula comes in second place, as Figgy is unable to lead Ken to solving the puzzle.

In the middle of all this, Hannah, who sat out, has to call in medical. It turns out to be panic attack.

Figgy reluctantly decides to “come out”. She reveals to Jessica that she has a thing with Taylor, which is not a surprise to her. Ken’s response wins points for sarcasm. He had no idea what was going on when they were cuddling and holding hands.

For the immunity challenge, they will race across a series of balance beams carrying bags of coconuts that also contain balls for a table maze. Adam sits out for Takali. Will and Sunday sit out for Ikabula. Jay quickly takes off to a lead. Strangely enough, David is not far behind him, at least until Jay grabs three bags to David’s one. Ken catches up as Dave’s lack of strength forces him to make another trip. Taylor overtakes the lead for Takali as Bret and Chris fall behind him. Michaela barking orders at Hannah works to give them the lead on the maze, scoring twice before anybody else does. Ikabula wins immunity. Jessica and Figgy have managed to score once by this point. Then Michaela starts helping Michelle and Zeke. Huh? I’m not sure just how much Michaela’s instructions helped them, but Vanua wins immunity.

After the challenge, Michaela reveals to everybody why she did what she did. She wants the Millennials on the now even tribe to be safe. If the three who have an advantage on the other tribe can’t figure out how to work together, they deserve to go home.

The Millennials want to get rid of Ken. You certainly don’t want to go up against Ken at the end, but that is a stupid move for challenges for now when you can just get rid of Jessica.

Votes
Ken
Figgy
Ken
Figgy
Figgy

With 3 votes, Figgy has been voted off the island. Once again, someone has flipped. Adam was already at the bottom of the Millennial tribe, so it’s hard to fault him for breaking up a showmance. Taylor is not going to be happy, but he whatever power he had is seriously diminished.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 7, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

Following a wacky Tribal Council with a very early use of a hidden immunity idol, Lucy found herself going home in Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 4 despite having only received two votes.

After the vote, David realizes that he just saved somebody that nobody wants to work with.

Having realized way too late that Ken was trying to help her, Jessica wants to build trust with him. So she tells him that she has an advantage, which she would have given to him if she got eliminated.

Because the idol is out of play, everybody goes searching for it, and they are not hiding that fact this time. Once again, David finds it. This time, Sunday and CeCe are walking right near him and pass by it. He waits for them to disappear and has another hidden immunity idol. Perhaps that wasn’t such a waste after all.

Whatever has happened so far is about to get tossed into the wind. They can drop their buffs. In another twist, they are going from two tribes to three. The green tribe will have to go to a completely new place and start over, but they will have one more tribe member. These are very small tribes, two of which are odd numbered, immediately serving as a numbers advantage for someone.

Vanua (Orange): CeCe, Chris, David, Zeke, Michelle
Takali (Purple): Taylor, Figgy, Adam, Jessica, Ken
Ikabula (Green): Michaela, Hannah, Jay, Will, Sunday, Bret

Takali consists of three Millennials (a couple and an outcast) and the newly rebonded Ken and Jessica.

Vanua has a Gen X advantage. CeCe and Dave perhaps just accidentally stumbled into having an upper hand, and maybe Zeke is no longer at the very bottom. As for Michelle, any powerful allies she had are on other tribes now.

The Millennials have the clearest advantage on the largest tribe at 4-2, but this new tribe is a strange mix of people who could easily comingle because none of them are on the same page.

Figgy warns Taylor that he probably shouldn’t hug her. That would be new, but it probably won’t last any longer than it did the first time.

It doesn’t take long for Adam to start spilling the beans to Ken. Taylor and Figgy are his worst nightmare, but he may trust the devil he knows better than the devil he doesn’t.

Zeke and Chris quickly bond over being Oklahoma boys and the fact that Zeke loves the championship football team Chris played for. This is Zeke’s chance because Chris has no loyalty to either CeCe or David and can just as soon turn on them as vote with them.

The immunity challenge requires them to retrieve buoys and then toss them into baskets, with the option of trying to hook the basket and pull it closer. Will sits out for Ikabula. Sunday eventually gives up on her dive, putting her tribe well behind. After CeCe takes a long time, her tribe drops back as well, and David is even worse. Ken quickly hooks the buoy to start shooting. Michaela eventually does the same and promptly scores two baskets to take the lead. Figuring they are out of it anyway, Vanua just starts shooting the long distance rather than trying to hook the basket, a strategy that puts them further behind. Michaela has five baskets by the time Ken has one, and Ikabula wins immunity. Ken also hits all the baskets to win immunity.

The conventional wisdom is that people will stick with their original tribes, but the odds of flipping are real here. Zeke pretty much worships Chris, and CeCe and David suck at challenges. That would let Michelle survive without having to do anything or really improving her position any. Her strategy is to at least try and convince CeCe that they should get rid of Dave, which is her only option, but has no chance of succeeding.

That could be important new information to David because Chris just got done suggesting to him that they should work with the Millennials, one of whom is already trying to get rid of him.

This open up David’s option of giving his idol away and getting rid of Michelle instead, but he declines.

Votes
Michelle
CeCe
CeCe
CeCe

With 3 votes, CeCe has been voted off the island. Time will tell whether that was a good move by David or not. It worked out well for everybody else, though.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 6, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

Paul seemed to be at or near the top of his tribe, but after the women got spooked in Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 3, he was sent home.

After listening to Bret and Chris whine, there is concern that maybe they made a mistake getting rid of Paul. Lucy throws Jessica under the bus to them.

For the reward challenge, they will race out to grab rings and then back to a flag pole while the other tribe tries to stop them. Reward is food. Michelle sits out for Millennials. Chris ties up Jay and Adam, allowing David to take the 1-0 lead for Gen X. As the other tribe sort of hangs out, Figgy and Michaela tie the score. The Millennials think they are a lot more fit, but they are no match for Ken and Bret, who retake the lead 2-1. After Michaela takes her top off, she again drags the ring to tie the score. Chris and David are the odd couple but manage to score again to win reward.

Adam stumbles upon a clue to the hidden immunity idol. Even without the clue, these don’t seem that difficult to find, so it is only a matter of time before he finds the idol. Then Hannah finds him and asks him how his idol search is going.

Now that she’s already got Bret and Chris onboard, Lucy aggressively tells Ken and David that they have to target Jessica, too, and warns them not to speak to anybody else.

The immunity challenge requires them to lift one team member on a chair to a giant board to gather numbered bags for a puzzle. Adam sits out for Millennials. Chris weighs a lot more than Figgy, but that doesn’t stop his tribe from opening up a lead. Ken and David keep going at that pace, but it will as usual come down to the puzzle. They’re still trying to solve it at the 20 minute mark. And at 45 minutes. Millennials eventually win immunity.

Ken wants to flip Lucy’s plan around specifically because of how she talked to them. Jessica should be easy to encourage, but they need a fifth. That makes Sunday the swing vote in his mind, but instead Jessica warns Lucy about Ken. That makes Jessica the easy vote. It’s not like they are dumb enough to get rid of Ken. That sort of stupidity has happened before, but it is rare.

And yet, David decides to play his idol to save Jessica. Nothing like protecting someone who just tried to blow up the plan of one of your closest allies.

Votes
Jessica (does not count)
Jessica (does not count)
Jessica (does not count)
Jessica (does not count)
Jessica (does not count)
CeCe
Lucy
Lucy

With 2 votes, Lucy has been voted off the island, and basically everybody in the tribe has been blindsided, including Ken who decided to side with Lucy. I’m not sure what to make of this weirdness. Perhaps Jessica will trust them now, but Ken has already been burned once.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 5, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

With the rest of the tribe falling in line to keep the couples in power in Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 2, gamer Mari was the first person voted out of the Millennials tribe.

Hannah, who was both confused and not paying attention at Tribal Council, believed Michelle that they had the numbers and voted with them. That belief was correct, but it doesn’t help her make nice with Zeke and Adam in one of the oddest post-vote conversations.

Ken is baffled that he’s on the bottom because he doesn’t really see what those who are in power are offering, a fair complaint seeing as he is the tribe’s brawn and provider.

Treemail contains a bag of rocks. Whoever draws the orange rock will go for a summit with members of the other tribe. Taylor, Figgy, Will, and Jay go for the Millennials; CeCe, David, Paul, and Chris go for Gen X. Seems a little early for this. Sides have formed, but they have only voted out one person each. How the rock draw worked is different for both tribes, though. The Millennials send just about a whole alliance, while a pair of outcasts join a power pair for Gen X. That is a potential opportunity, if CeCe and David can survive long enough. Paul and Chris go for a swim and are outed as being in control.

For the immunity challenge, they must carry heavy bags under and over obstacles, cross a balance beam with the bags, knock down a puzzle, and then complete that puzzle. Millennials just make Taylor their ox on the balance beam, while Gen X want to all do their own work, arguably a parallel to the tribe generations, but the Millennials have the far more effective strategy, which Gen X eventually adopt after losing a lot of time. Zeke and Michelle are the first to start on the puzzle. Ken gains some ground on the throwing as Sunday and David take over on the puzzle, but it’s not enough. Millennials win immunity and comfort reward.

Jay has a request. He would like to switch comfort for fishing gear, which they passed up for chickens. Gen X is unwilling to agree to such a trade, a requirement that Jeff sets before he will allow it, so they will have to settle for the comfort items.

After her performance in the challenge, CeCe gets the blame, but it is just like the first challenge. Aside from Ken and Chris, the whole performance was poor, not just one scapegoat, though there is an argument to be made that CeCe should have just given up and let someone faster do it. It’s not like she will suddenly become strong in some other challenge anyway.

In an effort to assure the women in his alliance that there is no plan for the boys to get together, Paul tells them not to worry that has happened because he would tell them they are on their own if that were the case. Well, I didn’t believe there was any merit to this Paul vote, but he is not helping his case by suggesting to the women that he would drop them if the others thought it was a good idea. Given that he is the oldest and has already had a medical emergency, his potential to be a strong contributor is not so high that they can’t afford to lose him.

Votes
Paul
CeCe
Paul
CeCe
Paul
CeCe
Paul
Paul

With 5 votes, Paul has been voted off the island. Chris and Bret are surprised to find out they are not in control like they thought.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X Episode 4, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.