Castaways must fly blind during the immunity challenge, leaving one tribe with tribal council in their sights. The rising tensions within the losing tribe culminate in a historic tribal council.
Tonight, I didn't have a vote, and I'm so grateful that I am still here, 'cause honestly, I thought I was going home. And then Kevin went home, of all people, which was not what I was expecting. So, right now, I'm definitely at the bottom, but honestly, I feel like I've been at the bottom since the beginning of this game. So… I'm just proud of myself for even being here tonight.
As upset as I am that I am legitimately on the bottom now, at least now I don't have to worry about, 'Are they telling me the truth, or are they not?', 'cause the answer is, no, they're not telling me the truth. So, in that sense, it's kind of a win. I got no fake friends here anymore.
The way that the votes panned out made me feel wary of Cedrek and Justin, because, before we left, Cedrek told me I need to play my idol. And so, it's showed me that my lines of communication with my 'alliance' weren't as firm as they should be, because I shouldn't have had to use it at all. My first plan of action tomorrow is to look for the idol. I will be missing for a while. I do not care. I just need some sort of security in this game, because the two boys that I've felt secure with have shown me that that security might be false. And we can't have that.
David is insane. This dude is insanely strong. So, here's the thing. For people who are chronically online, in internet slang, um, a 'Chad' is, like, one of those big, muscular, manly men. And they're just, like, all muscle, they're tall, they get all the ladies. Like, that's who we have on our tribe.
I think when people meet me, and they start to get to know me, you know, they might be maybe a little impressed at - I don't know - my physicality or things that I've done in my life. But, that's because they don't know. They don't know the secrets, and once they do, yeah, I think it definitely knocks me down quite a few notches.
I live in a trailer parked in front of my dad's house. That is the honest truth, and really comes down to money. And that's… it's… not easy to talk about sometimes. Because, 38 years old, you know, living in a trailer parked in front of my dad's house. Like… I think that's pretty pathetic. It's a very humbling experience, especially because my dream is to start a family. And I can't do that right now, because of my living situation, because of my financial situation.
I only have a girlfriend if I win a million dollars, 'cause she's gonna leave me if I don't. She wants to be a stay-at-home mom, and she's 32 years old, and, so, she knows that she's kind of running out of time. That's a heavy subject for me knowing that. I'm sorry. I don't know why, like… There's nothing more I want in this life than a family. It is… I'm fighting for a future family, absolutely. I'm here for the experience. More importantly, that million dollars - that's a guarantee for me to start a family. That's my ultimate dream.
Even though we are crushing it in the challenges, in this exact moment, our tribe is a little broken. We're tired, we're exhausted, morale is low. But, thankfully, we were fortunate enough to win some challenges, so we have a toolkit. And so, I thought, 'You know what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna make a big ol' bonfire.' Because of my job as a fire captain, you got to sense morale of the team. You got people working for you hard. You got to take time to give 'em a break. You got to take time to relax and be chill. At the end of the day, I want to be a great dad to my kids, and I want them to always see me out here as a good man. And, even on the hardest days, I want to handle it like I would want my kids to handle it, and I want them to look at me and say, 'I'm proud of him.'
Joe is my number one right now. He's so funny, and we have the same sense of humor. And then, I also have Joe, me, and Thomas in the California Girls alliance. And then, we have the California Girls plus Bianca for Thomas. And then we have the California Girls plus Eva for Joe.
Eva and Joe are on that athlete tip - that jock tip. They speak the same language and in the same way. And that leaves Star on the outs. Star found the Beware Advantage, and she runs off by herself all the time, trying to figure out the puzzle lock. So, if I was betting on who's gonna go home, I would bet that it's Star going home first.
I'm from Minnesota, and we have a cabin that's in Chippewa National Forest. And so, me and my dad always build these huge fires that are so big that people come across the lake thinking that our cabin's on fire. And so, Joe making this massive bonfire makes me feel super close to my family, and I've made such a tight connection with him in this game that I wanted to give him something to show my gratitude.
I'm nervous about Joe and Eva. I don't like that she's Joe's little sidekick. Like, when she gave him beads for his daughter as a bracelet, it's like, 'Girl, you cut it off your water bottle and tied a little bow.' Shauhin looked me in the eyes in that moment, and it was like, 'Yeah, we got to cut her.' Like, this is troublesome. Sorry, Eva.
This morning, I wake up, and I'm just like, 'Alright, Mary. Time to go.' Because, traditionally on Survivor, after an idol is played, it's hidden again. But, honestly, I hate looking for stuff. Like, when I'm at home, and I lose my wallet, and my friends are like, 'Hey, Mary, you gonna go out tonight?', I'm like, 'I'll find my wallet at some point. I'll Venmo one of you guys.' Because I hate looking for stuff. But, when the stuff is one of the only things that can save my life, I kind of got to look.
Sai is playing defense. My only chance at safety is finding this immunity idol. But, I'm a competitor, and Sai is a competitor, and we're both here to win. And the more she follows me, the more I respect her.
This game is so much fun. I get to evade people chasing me. I get to play this mind game and be a version of myself that I never am. Like, this is why I came out here. I'm so glad that I've gotten to play with Sai, because it's just hella fun.
Mary is going to work for this idol, and I have nothing but respect for that. She's a scary player, because she is a good player, and I wouldn't be going after her if I didn't think that was the case.
I feel like we're beginning to fire on all cylinders. Everyone's clicking as a tribe. I want to go deep in the game with, obviously, everyone on my tribe. But, if push came to shove, I really want to work with Charity.
It's exciting to start playing the game, and it feels good to be in this place where I'm really solid with one person. I feel like Mitch genuinely has my back. And so, we think, let's keep Kyle and David around, and they're great shields going into the merge.
When the boat falls over, all you can do is laugh. But, really, the purpose of taking out the boat was for us to talk strategy. Up until this point, I was a little wary of Mitch. We haven't talked game. But now, Mitch starts to open up to me for the first time, strategically. I love hearing this from Mitch, because that means I've got two different groups I can sort of go with in my own Civa tribe. The first group is the Civa Four alliance, which is myself, David, Chrissy, and Kamilla. Conversely, I also have the option of Charity and Mitch plus David. It feels great to be in the middle of a tribe that's winning challenges, with two separate alliances who want to work with me. And, oh, by the way, I got an idol in my back pocket. It's - it's… it's incredible.
I've really not talked strategy with Star this entire game. And so, I need to have a conversation with her to try to open up, not because I really want to work with her, but because I don't want her to work against me. I want to gauge how she is at lying, or if she's going to tell me the truth. But, having autism, I'm very bad at recognizing small social cues, such as, I don't know when someone's lying to me. But, the thing is, I know that Star has the clue to an immunity idol. And so, that gives me an advantage, because she doesn't know that I'm in on this.
Her not telling me the truth really shows me that she doesn't trust me. But, I figured, if I could create a situation that she might resonate with, then she'd be more likely to want to work with me.
Eva's never talked game with me. She never gave me a vibe that she wanted to work with me. We're not friends, she's not on my side, and I know I'm not on her side. I trust Bianca and Thomas, so, let me go to my puzzlers and let them know, 'Hey, somebody's pitching one of your names, and I want y'all to know it's Eva.'
At first, the plan was try and flush the idol and try to take out Star. But, now what has developed in days since is that I want to work with Star. I think I have her loyalty. So, I really love the plan of me, Thomas, and Star getting rid of Eva, who is my biggest threat right now.
”
Thomas
“
I think the best option is to help Star unlock the idol, and then, if the three of us try to pull a move and get rid of Eva, we would be on the top of the tribe, in theory. Can I trust Star in the long term? I have no idea. I think Star is a bit of a wild card and not someone that we can control. So, it's a little risky, but it's Survivor, right? And I'm not gonna get to the end by being safe.
So, I got picked to go on the journey after the challenge, but I know that going on the journey usually means you got to risk your vote. And, when there's only four people on your tribe, it's not something I really want to do right now. But, sometimes in this game, you got to do something you're not comfortable with. And, after losing that challenge, I just have to make sure I'm here tomorrow.
Today is our third loss, and it's not a surprise to me. Although, I think it might have been a surprise to everyone else, although, I'm not really sure why, given our track record. And, once again, I'm at the bottom. I keep being at the bottom, but you know what? That's fine, because the only place to go from here is up. My game plan is to seem as cool as a cucumber. I've been preparing and planning, because I don't think that I can find an idol with the amount of time that I have left. So, now my game plan is to pretend like I have found an idol. We come back from the challenge, and the first thing I do is swim instead of scramble, because that is the kind of behavior that they would think that I would have, if I had an idol.
My game plan, coming back to camp, was to keep an eye on Mary, 'cause I expected her to scramble. But, she went for a swim, which gets my wheels turning. The person who doesn't have anything - the person who's on the bottom - is just cool as a cucumber? I'm a hundred percent sure that, if Mary has an idol, she plays it, then I am the collateral damage.
Sai's putting a vote on Justin, because she's not sure what Mary is gonna do with her Shot in the Dark or an idol. Justin's my right-hand guy, and I… I have a… a challenge with putting his name down. I don't believe Mary has anything. The real question's gonna be, 'What does Justin bring back to the table, and how does that influence this plan?'
I'm feeling super, super nervous, because when you go on a journey, there's always a risk-reward element. It's either you're gonna lose a vote, you're gonna risk your vote, you're gonna maybe have a sandwich. Like, that's the best thing that's gonna happen. But, at the same time, like, we all know journeys usually don't end well.
I was initially thinking, like, 'Oh, I'm gonna… I'm gonna get to do a puzzle. That's what journeys are. They're all puzzles.' But, it looks like I'm playing a game of chance. I'm very nervous, because a game of chance means I have no say in what happens.
First to four wins, and it's either skulls or flames. If I get to four flames first, I get an Extra Vote. If I get to four skulls first, I completely lose my vote. I'm off to the worst start ever. All I need is one more skull and I immediately lose my vote.
I'm not the biggest gambler, but, I mean, I like horse racing; I like slot machines. But, on Survivor, this is not fun. You're kind of playing with the fate of your game, and it's in fate's hand right now.
Losing your vote is… is awful. Without that, it's really hard to stick around another night. I'm powerless. I don't have a voice tonight at Tribal Council, so I'm like a sitting duck.
Coming back to camp, I wanted to, like, be honest with my tribe and show them the Extra Vote, because that's what Mitch did when he came back from his journey. I told myself coming into this game, 'Don't share your advantages with anyone.' But, unfortunately, my tribe is too damn honest with each other, and I don't get to hide anything from them, which kind of sucks.
Coming back to my camp, I'm freaking out. My head is spinning a thousand directions, because I don't want everyone in my tribe knowing that I don't have a vote. So, I lied about the game. I didn't tell my tribe that I lost my vote, but it did kind of make me wonder who to tell the truth to. And I don't trust anyone - in real life and here - but I need to trust someone.
I love that Bianca told me everything. Like, I will take all of the information and continue to lie to Bianca. I went on a journey and got an advantage, but she doesn't need to know it. Even though Bianca is my number one, I don't know what's around the corner. So, I made a promise to myself that I'm not gonna reveal my advantage until I absolutely have to. As horrible as it makes me feel, I really am starting to feel bad about it; but not bad enough, I guess.
Tonight, we go back to Tribal, and I really don't want anybody to know I lost my vote, because if they find out I don't have my vote, then I think I'd really be in trouble. I try to concoct a story, which might not have been the best lie. I'm not sure even what the hell I said, but that could be the key to saving me tonight. I do feel bad about not telling Cedrek. Cedrek's been with me this whole game. He's never lied to me once, but, as much as I love the guy, strategy isn't his strong suit. If you throw a different plan at Cedrek, especially so close to Tribal Council, he gets kind of flustered. And I just got to make sure that I'm safe, and I can wake up on this beach for another day.
I believe him. Justin's, like, my number one dude, and I know that I can trust Justin at this point. However, Sai wants to vote for Justin. If Mary has something, that means my number one dude would be going home. But, will she play her Shot in the Dark or an idol? I don't know.
Hearing my name, it's scary. Cedrek believes Sai's gonna write my name down. I'm feeling pretty uneasy, to be honest. The reality hit. This is the first time I'm really in trouble, and… and if Mary does pull out the Shot in the Dark, or if she pulls out an idol, it really could be me going home tonight.
Justin tells me Mary doesn't have anything, but I don't quite trust him, so I'm thinking of ways to best protect myself. I don't think I did that the first Tribal Council. I just went with what the boys were telling me and accepting it as truth, and I learned from that. So, what do I do next to prevent myself from going home or being in a sticky situation like that ever again?
All I have left is this mind game, and a lot of life is committing to the bit. I'm committing to this bit. I am committing to this false reality that I have an idol and that I'm safe. If she does believe me tonight, it would not be advantageous for her to split the votes, 'cause once she splits the votes, my vote has more power. And I think it might work, but if it doesn't, I am gonna have to pull out my Shot in the Dark.
Mary was looking all over this island for an idol, and I'm not really sure what she has. She's acting like everything is fine, because she has this sense of security. Now, I could be delusional, and she could very well just be like, 'I've accepted my fate.' Or I could be spot on, and she has something, and she's waiting to play it, in which, the votes that we put on her no longer matter. And I'm a hundred percent sure that, if Mary votes, it's gonna be on me. So, I'm debating between, 'Do I stick with the Mary vote?', or, 'Do I throw a vote on Justin?'
My plan tonight is to vote for Mary. Mary will likely be voting for Sai, and Sai could still vote for Justin. So, I think it comes down to Justin's vote tonight.
In Cedrek's mind, we're voting Mary. But, unbeknownst to Cedrek, I don't have a vote. So, now we're down from four votes to three, so, it's scary. It only takes two to vote somebody out tonight, and it really could be anyone.
”
Challenges[]
Reward/Immunity Challenge:Blind Melon One caller for each tribe must guide three tribe members around a series of obstacles to retrieve three bags of puzzle pieces. In order to do this, each tribe must perform three tasks while blindfolded: unscrew a handle to release one bag; unspool a rope from a winch to release a second bag; and dig through sawdust to retrieve a final bag. Once all three bags have been returned to the caller, the caller must lead their tribemates to a puzzle station. The caller must then guide one of their still-blindfolded tribemates to complete a slide puzzle. The first two tribes to finish win. Reward: Tarp and hammock Additional Stipulation: The losing tribe must forfeit their flint, though they can win it back if they win the next Immunity Challenge. Winners (in order of finish):Lagi and Civa(Lagi sent Kamilla Karthigesu, Bianca Roses, and Justin Pioppi on a journey)
Historic Tribal Council and that's what sealed my fate. It's just upsetting me cause I had such great plans to come out here and do so well and I believe I was dealt a pretty tough hand, but I have no one to blame but myself. I flew too close to the sun and I got burned. This is definitely the adventure of a lifetime, it's just I wish the lifetime was a little bit longer.
