Episode 38.5

I’m still watching through Survivor: Borneo on DVD. Once I’m done with that, I’ll replace it on my list of things to watch with Survivor: Gabon. I can then do posts about that old season like I’ve done with Palau and Borneo in the past. I still also want Survivor: Blood versus Water to watch again. If I do an old season of this show in posts, the posts would be on Sundays. If I do two old seasons, one would be on Sundays and the next would be on Fridays. This would happen instead of random posts should the show be on hiatus and in addition to regular posts should the show be on as usual.

Something that I know for sure is that if I can’t blog about an episode when I normally would want to, I might have to post it when I have the other ones scheduled. They would then take a break as I get to the rest of the current season and only get to posting whatever I missed once the next hiatus starts. This is part of the reason why the two delayed posts from last season were on Fridays, even if I don’t have an old season posting there now anyways. I’m still treating it like I could be doing that. Another potential issue would be other blogs affecting when I post things. I’ll explain if I share posts later. I might do that on Fridays right now, but only if I feel like I should.

Let’s get to the idols from Blood versus Water. This season had many people flat out denying such an advantage when they could have gotten one. While winners of Redemption Island duels could give clues to these people still in the game, they took to burning these clues unread. But idols did make some of an impact on the season. Tyson found an idol and wasted it. He then found another idol and gave it to his friend Gervase on the last tribal where idols could be played. Gervase played the idol, but it was also a waste, although it wouldn’t have been if their ally flipped on them.

I still don’t know why Survivor has taken to NEVER advertising when they do two hour episodes. It would be nice of them to do a clearly labeled promo saying such a thing was happening. Sometimes they say that two tribal councils are going on, but most of us know that they can fit that many into one, hour long episode. I can understand why this is the week that they are combining them into one. I also know that I hope that too much of my next day isn’t taken up watching this show. But enough of my ramblings.

In the first segment of the show, we see people at Extinction Island. Rick talks about how the others at the island are glad that he failed in the game. We don’t get much there. We then get to the tribes at the next challenge. It is a reward challenge. They have to be on the lookout? That is what bolo means, right? I thought that’s what it meant. I wonder why everyone has to get a bolo caught. That seems unlike most of the challenges. Comma came in first. Manu comes in second. Lesu loses again. Kelley is upset that they can’t win anything. SPOILER. They will win something as I saw who sent to tribal council when I was rewinding the tape. END SPOILER.

In the second segment of the show, we get back to Comma after their win. Julia talks about their streak of winning challenges and wanting to get rid of Joe. Joe wants to get rid of his challenge beast stigma. A lot of people want to get rid of Joe, but Ron is starting to have second thoughts since he’s a provider. I would say that Richard Hatch played that role perfectly, which is why you should be a bit wary of it.

Eric on his tribe talks about being really hungry. They talk about the chickens again that are free range. I do think that some free range chickens would be in more danger of getting run over. Aubry wants to play the game, but that is a bad thing to say at times as you can often wind up being the target when you want to play the game. Victoria wants to put into motion the elimination of Aubry. Aubry believes that Victoria is on her side. David talks about how his tribe is going extinct and that scientists have stopped looking for life on it. He then looks for an idol, but has not found one yet, at least, as far as we can tell. Lauren reminds us that she has an idol. When did this happen? I must have missed this part. Wardog talks about wanting Lauren voted out. Kelley is on board with that.

In the third segment of the show, we go back to Extinction Island and a crate is found. There is a note for each of them. They solve the map. Keith sneaks off and they notice it, quickly following him. It’s dumb that they censor the hole in a hole. They didn’t even include the ass part. Chris tackles Keith. They get sticks and are told to practice it. Rick gets an extra vote to give to whoever goes to the next tribal council which makes me wonder how he’ll know who it is from or what will be known about it.

We then get to the immunity challenge. It seems like Lesu struggles a lot in the challenge, but are able to pull a come from behind second place sort of win after Comma had won the challenge first. They might not have been able to do this without the puzzle being solved first. Victoria talks about still wanting to get rid of Aubry, but she is not sure if she should do it or not.

In the fourth segment of the show, Aubry thinks that the upcoming vote seems easy as she thinks that the vote would be for Wendy. But she questions whether or not they should do it or make some other move in the game. Victoria and Aubry talk to Wendy about voting out a man. Wendy doesn’t seem to be on board with doing anything. Aubry gets the extra vote, but is unsure if she should use it now. I’m a bit surprised it lasts that long and isn’t something she has to use right now. She thinks that things have gone wrong when she has played in the past and she wonders if something will go right.

In the fifth segment of the show, we get to tribal council where there is an evil hand afoot ahead. The people in the game light their torches. Jeff asks Gavin how he thinks the tribal will go. People were all talking about who to get rid of. Wendy is glad that she’s done what she’s done thus far, even if she is the one voted out tonight. Jeff thinks that Aubry could be a target since she’s a returning player. Gavin does think that he knows what to do. Aubry is asked third if she can trust people in the game. If you are the one asked third, you are the likely person getting voted out of the game. No one plays an idol. It is then Aubry that is voted out. She calls them unbelievable players as she is voted out. I wonder if this makes her the first person voted out with both an unused idol and advantage.

Aubry then gets to the choice and takes the no brainer decision to take the boat to Extinction Island. She talks about how she’s voted out in epic JT style embarrassment. She wants to pull herself up from the bottom. We then get to the next challenge. The first returning player has been voted out of the game. It is a reward challenge. Comma comes in first place, thanks to Joe. Manu comes in second place. Kelley talks about how the Comma tribe has basically gotten to pause the game for themselves thus far.

In the sixth segment of the show, we get back to Comma who seems to never lose. They are always just expecting to win the challenge. Joe thinks that the returning players are now seen as threats. He does not have anyone to rely on out here. He gets emotional talking about how he should be adaptable. He then talks to the others about how they should take out the others in the game. Joe thinks that Julia might be a threat, which worries her.

Lauren talks about how upset she is over the game and how the rice makes her sick. Wardog thinks that Lauren should be the next target since she feels so upset and not in the game. Kelley thinks that she should target Wardog and talks to David about getting rid of him. He considers working with her since that might get him to day 39.

In the seventh segment of the show, we return to Extinction Island. They get maps with holes in them. Aubry is confused by all of this. Rick thinks out that there is something by the mask. But Keith is the one who finds it after Reem helps him find it. This leads to a fight with her and Chris. I don’t quite get what Keith’s advantage is, but it is knots that relate to a curse of some sort.

We then get to the immunity challenge. Only one tribe will win immunity and the other two tribes will go to tribal council. But will this be a double tribal council or a joint one? The tribes need the monkey fist to proceed. I thought that item was cursed. It gave you what you wished for in a way that made it not a thing that you wanted anymore. Comma wins the challenge yet again. Lesu and Manu will be going to tribal council. Both tribes will be going to tribal council together, but only one of them will be voted out. David is worried that a tie will happen and they will go to rocks.

In the eighth segment of the show, Eric talks about how anyone could go home. Wendy thinks that they can get David to flip on his tribe. Can they get a returning player to avoid drawing for rocks? Gavin does think that it could go to rocks, even if they don’t want it to. Victoria is willing to vote however to avoid going to rocks. Kelley talks about the best move for them. She doesn’t like how Wardog dictates what the vote should be, but agrees that he has the right idea.

Lauren doesn’t want to go to rocks. But she does have an idol so it might come into play. Wardog looks for an idol. David thinks that this makes him more of a target in the game. Kelley sees something in a tree. She finds an idol and tells Lauren about it. They think that it is likely that either Lauren or Wardog will be the target and they might be willing to flip on Wardog.

In the ninth segment of the show, we get to the tribal council at hand. Will it be as good as when we saw this happen in Game Changers? Both tribes talk about having to stay united. They don’t know what the other tribes are like. Wendy talks about how she had insight into the other tribe and feels like she is in the middle of the situation. There are side conversations going on while everyone is talking about if they should go to rocks or not. David whispers something in Wendy’s ear.

Everyone is ready to vote. Once again, no one plays an idol. The vote is tied between Wendy and Lauren. People whisper in each other’s ears about what to do. Jeff just watches this and doesn’t do a thing as David, I think, calls this the worst cocktail party ever. Wendy is voted out at the revote as the rest of her original tribe flipped on her. That’s good strategy on the other tribe’s part. Wendy takes the torch to the island. This is exactly like Pandora’s Box. No one will decline opening it.

On the next Survivor, the tribes merge and the old contestants come back into the game. Meanwhile, it is time on Extinction Island for them to get back on the boat. I guess we will see what will happen in the future when the next episode happens.

Total confessional count: Victoria- 9, Aubry- 9, Julia- 2, Ron- 3, Wardog- 9, Wendy- 10, Eric- 5, Aurora- 2, Lauren- 8, Julie- 4, Kelley- 14, Gavin- 3, David- 13, Joe- 6; Reem- 10, Keith- 11, Chris- 6, Rick- 15. New confessionals this episode: Aubry- 5, Julia- 2, Ron- 1, Wardog- 2, Wendy- 1, Eric- 2, Aurora- 0, Lauren- 3, Julie- 2, Kelley- 5, Gavin- 1, David- 4, Joe- 2, Victoria- 4. Extinction Island confessional count: Reem- 2, Keith- 3, Chris- 2, Rick- 4.

Let’s see if I can make sense of the whole, current confessional count right now. Aubry had five new confessionals, the same number as Kelley. Everyone else was lower. Wendy had just one confessional new to this episode, the same number as Gavin and Ron. The only person lower than them is Aurora with zero new confessionals.

As for the total confessionals, Aubry has night, the same number as Victoria and Wardog. As for Wendy, she has ten, the same number as Reem. Kelley is the highest of those in the game with fourteen. As for those on Extinction Island, Rick is the highest with fifteen. The lowest is a tie between Julia and Aurora with two each. Some people had more new confessionals just this episode than they have yet to get this game. And what does it say that Rick’s confessional count is so high? Is he coming back into the game? I guess that we’ll have to wait and see.

Just a quick note before I move on to end this post. I’m a bit unsure of what to do regarding some of the schedule that is going on. Jane the Virgin returns next week. I’m wondering if I should put that show on tape with Riverdale while I use my laptop to record Survivor and another laptop to write a blog about it. I could instead record Jane the Virgin on my laptop or try to get the other laptop to record the show so I can put it on this laptop as usual. I’ll probably just stick with what I’ve been doing thus far. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.