It Smells Like Success

It Smells Like Success
Episode Information
Version	United States
Season	Edge of Extinction
Episode Number	1/14 (556)
Original Release	February 20, 2019
Viewership (in Millions)	7.75
Ratings/Share (18-49)	1.6/7
Episode Chronology
Previous	"Reunion" (previous season)
Next	"One of Us Is Going to Win the War"
Subpages

It Smells Like Success is the season premiere of Survivor: Edge of Extinction.

Story

Day 1

Traveling on a ship in the waters of Fiji, fourteen castaways are about to begin a journey of a lifetime. In front of them is another boat carrying four former castaways who will be playing alongside them.

	Wardog	“	When you look at me you think, "ah it's some New Yorker; oh he's a military guy"; but I'm currently in law school and I definitely don't want anybody to know I'm gonna be a lawyer, because the wrong first impression could make or break my entire game.	”

	Joe	“	I think that I'm gonna have a target on my back, but I'm gonna try my hardest to never shine brighter than everybody else.	”

Jeff Probst welcomes the fourteen new castaways of Survivor: Edge of Extinction.

Host Jeff Probst welcomes the new castaways and reminds them that the first person will be voted out of the tribe in three days and that the game progressively becomes more difficult to play and ultimately, win. Jeff then brings in the veteran castaways: Kelley, David, Joe, and Aubry. Jeff remarks that while all four of them have played impressively, none of them have won the game because of the game's unpredictable nature, introducing the theme of the season: "Edge of Extinction".

Jeff assigns Kelley and David to the Manu tribe and Joe and Aubry to the Kama tribe. After providing the castaways their Buffs, Jeff tells them to gather as much food and supplies as they can within two minutes. During the chaos, Keith struggles at swimming, with Lauren helping him; while Ron stumbles upon a clue to a game advantage which he tucks in his pocket. Jeff notes Kama having more items than Manu. With the time limit lapsed, the tribes paddle their way to their respective camps.

	Keith	“	I'm not the best swimmer out there; and I've never been in open water. Naturally, me who can't swim can will cause me to be the first one gone; because in this game, if you're on the outs you're on the outs.	”

The Manu tribe arrives on their beach and begins introductions.

	Rick	“	As everyone's introducing themselves, I'm so overwhelmed by the fact that I'm in this game. I'm still so excited, because I'm a huge fan of the show; I've watched it since the very first episode. No one thinks news anchors are tough; I've got "dad-bod" out here, but I got a lot of belief in myself. I wanna come into the game like the Kool-Aid Man, I want to break through the wall. Oh yeah!	”

David and Kelley spot Rick rummaging through their crates, believing that he might be looking for a Hidden Immunity Idol clue.

	Kelley	“	Playing a third time, I know I may have a target on my back initially; so getting an initial alliance in the beginning is very important. I've played from the bottom in Second Chance and that's not a good feeling, and so this time I want to have genuine relationships, which can be hard for me because I'm a closed off person; but I have to be more open. I have to get to know these people on a human level.	”

As the tribe builds the shelter, the newer contestants seek David's advice. David notices the change of perception towards him for this season.

	David	“	The first time I played Survivor, I was afraid to like voice an opinion, chopping the wood; the sound of that like rattled me, I plugged my ears with my fingers. I was worried that my tribemates would have that perception of me. This time, people are coming to me; these newbies with like "Well what do you think? What should we do?" and I'm trying to give them ideas. I want people to feel I can help them navigate especially the very early part of this game so that they know, that I'm a friend, you can trust me, keep me around.	”

While Wendy shows Rick and Reem how to weave palm fronds, Wendy experiences tics and shares her Tourette's Syndrome and her symptoms. Reem becomes fond of Wendy.

	Wendy	“	I have Tourette's with a touch of OCD. I'm kind of an open book in a way; I'm not gonna go out and be like, "Hey everyone, I've got Tourette's!" It's not like that; it's something I feel comfortable talking about. I try to have a good social game, but let's admit it, I'm awkward. But I have to understand that this is a game and you have to play by the rules of the game, so I guess I have to play ball.	”

The Kama tribe arrive at their camp, and Victoria is excited to be following her childhood dream of playing Survivor. Under Aubry and Joe's guidance, the tribe builds shelter and sparks a fire. Later, Joe admits to Aubry that he finds it difficult to put "Joey Amazing" away because his skills offer so much. Aurora is enthralled by Joe's survival skills.

	Joe	“	Coming into this game, I'm really trying to put "Joey Amazing" away, but it's hard because new players are asking you, "hey, what should I do"; and you don't wanna point yourself out as a threat yet you have so much to offer these new players, so what do you do?	”

	Aurora	“	Having Joe on our team means I'm better set for this game. I don't have to make fire, Joe did that. I don't have to make a shelter, Joe did that. He's just amazing, and I would love to work with him in this game. I'm gay and I'm still on team Joe.	”

Julie admits having no outdoor experience. She struggles at weaving palm fronds and using the machete to cut bamboo.

	Julie	“	I'm trying to help out around camp as much as I can, but I live in New York City; I have no outdoor survival skills whatsoever. I think the closest I can come to is that I peed in the bushes of Central Park once and that was that was an emergency. So this is definitely gonna be a test for me, because I don't want to be the person that everybody looks at as like the older woman; "She's a mom, what is she doing here? She doesn't have a clue."	”

Ron excuses himself to collect water, but only goes to Tree Mail to read the clue that he found. The clue instructs him to dig three feet east of their Tree Mail. Ron digs and finds another parchment: an Advantage Menu which could be used either to steal a reward from the other tribe, an Extra Vote he can cast at Tribal Council, or as a Hidden Immunity Idol. The note also explains he the Advantage Menu is only usable up to the third Tribal Council.

	Ron	“	I won the coup de grace of Survivor advantages! I have the best thing you could possibly have: I have options. Coming in, my goal was not to be the first one voted out, but this, has given me a new goal, I'm thinking this can propel me not only to last for a while but to win Survivor.	”

Day 2

At Kama, Eric, Gavin, and Joe question the meaning of the season's theme while working on the shelter. Later, Aubry and Joe agree that while they remain conscious of being targeted as returning players, they believe that they feel good about their tribe so far.

	Aubry	“	Being a returnee, it is kind of terrifying to play with newbies because if I pop my head up too much it's gonna get lopped off because I'm gonna have that returning player target; so I know that the best thing to do sometimes is lay in the grass and then come out like a cobra when the time is right.	”

Unknown to them, Eric and Gavin, while getting to know each other in the woods, agree that they cannot rely on the returnees forever and will have to figure the game out by themselves.

	Gavin	“	I'm from Erwin Tennessee, but I'm not just the good ol' southern boy. I know this show and I am here for one reason and one reason only and that's to win the title of Sole Survivor. That million dollars is gonna come in handy and for the town of Erwin I might buy us a fourth stoplight going down through main street, I don't know yet, we'll see.	”

	Eric	“	Being a firefighter, at the very core, it's about taking care of people, so we get good at developing lightning-fast rapport. For example, with Gavin; right away I kind of get a sense that he's somebody that is thinking along the same lines. We'll get rid of [the returnees] if we lose, and if it's up to me, it's about me getting Aubry out of here, fast. If I could do it tomorrow that would be great.	”

At Manu, Reem begins to rub her tribemates the wrong way for moving around their clothes on the beach to dry without their permission. Lauren finds Reem's maternal instincts as sweet, but others, particularly Rick and Wardog, are unhappy.

	Reem	“	I'm super pleased with how the tribe is going. So far, so good man; we're all just getting to know each other, everybody's working hard. There's definitely an appreciation for what everybody's doing right now.	”

Keith approaches Reem and likes her for being motherly, although Reem dislikes being labeled as such. Apologizing, Keith admits that he is a "momma's boy", and Reem commits to being there for Keith, but being firm with him if he ever goes "too soft" on her. Reem and Wendy offer to help Keith with his swimming.

	Keith	“	I am young, I am nineteen, and not having my Mom out here is kind of affecting me. I feel Reem is like that motherly person out here. So I thought about going out to the water practicing swimming, and Reem and Wendy even offered to help me with that. Me and my family, we live in like a trailer; deep in the country and that million dollars is gonna change our lives, and so like if I don't know something then I am going to learn it.	”

Rick notices the three at the beach and takes them as making an alliance. He tells this to the rest of the tribe, with Kelley exclaiming them breaking off on their own inconspicuously makes their first vote easier.

	Rick	“	We started out as one big, happy family and we're still a big, happy family; but just naturally, Keith, Reem and Wendy started doing their own thing, and we saw that Keith wasn't a great swimmer, Wendy is a whirling dervish and Reem's a busybody. So it's been really helpful for the rest of us in the tribe because we're sitting there going "Wow, those three are dividing themselves." and those might be the three we wanted to vote out anyway so, okay keep dividing yourselves.	”

Day 3

The Immunity Challenge.

The tribes convene for their first Reward/Immunity Challenge. After explaining the mechanics of the challenge, Jeff informs them that they will also be competing for reward in the form of flint.

The tribes completed the first rope obstacle neck-and-neck. Joe for Kama and Chris for Manu climb the rope and ring a bell, doing so at the same time. Climbing up the rope ladder at the same time as Manu, Kama breaks the lead by having Joe cross the three-tier balance beam on the tribe's first attempt to untie knots, whereas Wendy goes back to ask Lauren to go instead. Both Lauren for Manu and Gavin for Kama fail to cross the beam. However, Eric and Aubry for Kama quickly cross the beam to help Joe. After Chris falls, David is the first to cross for Manu, but Rick also falls, allowing Kama to release their bar, widening the balance beam for the rest of Kama to cross. While Lauren successfully crosses the beam, Eric for Kama crosses the rope bridge and quickly climbs to the crow's nest, pulling the lever, releasing the slide for Eric to head down. Julie starts crossing for the rest of Kama, while Chris and Rick make it across the balance beam to help David and Lauren. Kelley, however, takes a hard fall, gashing her head in the process. Manu, with a lot of time to make up, release their bar for the rest of the tribe to cross. Lauren pulls the lever at the crow's nest just as Joe slides down for Kama, allowing all but Julia, Ron, and Victoria to help in the slide puzzle. Kama suddenly gets stumped at the puzzle, allowing Manu to close the gap. While not allowed to physically help her tribe, Julia takes the reins from Joe in directing the tribe in solving the puzzle. Aubry and Eric realize what Julia sees and begin moving puzzle pieces with confidence. Kama slides its largest piece out of the center slot, winning them immunity and sending Manu to Tribal Council.

	Kelley	“	Losing the first challenge is one of the worst things that can happen to you because you have very little wiggle room. You've known these people for three days; and I know from experience that any little thing can send you out of this game and you can be gone in a second.	”

The Manu tribe dejectedly returns to camp. Reem gathers Keith, Rick, and Wendy at the well to discuss strategy. She describes Kelley and Lauren being very close and must be separated. Keith dislikes how Reem and Wendy monopolize the conversation.

	Keith	“	You never come out here to expect to lose the first Immunity Challenge. But even though I'm more introverted, I need to have more one-on-one conversations. As soon as I was at the well, Reem and Wendy are not afraid to put it out there they wanted Kelley and Lauren. They have linked them up as this dynamic duo as if they cast control of everything, and so they're trying to get the votes together to get one of those two out; and they're just dogging Rick down! He doesn't even get the chance to breathe. So I wasn't really feeling the whole well vibe, and something clicked in my head that I have to start playing this game for me; and at the end of the day, no matter who goes home, I just can't be the one to go home.	”

Keith goes to the shelter and tells the rest of the tribe what goes on at the well. Kelley insists on keeping the tribe strong. David suggests to vote Reem out, believing Wendy is better at challenges. Lauren is down with the plan, though Chris insists to keep tabs on Wendy. Wardog volunteers to pull Wendy aside to learn about her plans for everyone to know.

In a conversation with Wendy, David and Wardog confirm that she is indeed targeting Kelley and Lauren. Wardog remains firm in voting Reem, but Wendy reminds him that couples are the deadliest alliances possible. Wendy tells them that she will be voting with Reem out of loyalty, but asks the two to keep her posted. Wendy leaves the conversation, and Wardog suddenly brings up the idea of voting Wendy out instead.

	Wendy	“	I feel they are not giving credit to Reem; they're really just taking age into account. She can't help her age, but she can pull her weight, which she has been doing.	”

	Wardog	“	Wendy, it was extremely surprising me that no matter how direct we tell her it's gonna be Reem, she pushed back, and that's really causing an alarm in my head, because what does that mean down the road? Can I work with somebody like that? So this vote tonight I think should be Wendy.	”

Wendy pulls aside Keith and Reem again to tell them the majority of the tribe is voting Reem, which upsets Reem. Reem later pleads her case to David and Rick.

	Reem	“	When you hear your name is out there, screw you dude! Just because I didn't go power lift before I showed up... they're idiots. I'm so strong; you don't even know this old lady bro, this old lady can kill it. Wentworth, didn't she get hurt today? I didn't get hurt today. I'm not done. I'm not going down without a fight. I didn't leave everything to go down like that. Screw them, man!	”

Manu at Tribal Council.

The Manu tribe arrives at Tribal Council where Rick states that he noticed subgroups of people formed in the first three days. Reem vehemently expresses displeasure for being targeted for no apparent reason. Kelley interjects saying that hearing someone's name is part of the game. Reem explains that Kelley's name was brought up because of her legacy. Kelley asks why her name was thrown around but not David's. Reem cites her age as the main reason to be voted for believing she is weak in challenges. Chris and Wardog explain that the tribe was irked by Reem being too motherly and hanging out everyone's clothes at the beach without their consent. Reem goes on the defensive but later admits her mistake. Wendy defends Reem and expresses pleasure having her around as a mother figure.

For being confrontational and defensive, the Manu tribe votes Reem out.

The Manu tribe cast their votes, with the majority splitting their votes between Reem and Wendy, who then split their votes between Kelley and Lauren, but Keith ultimately casts the deciding vote against Reem, voting her out in a 4-3-1-1 decision.

Without flinching, Reem accepts the offer to go to the Edge of Extinction.

A visibly upset Reem walks away from Tribal Council when she finds a crossroads with a cryptic message instructing her to make a decision. If she no longer wants to play, she must head the path to the right. However, if she wants a chance to get back in the game, she must take the torch and ride the boat at the end of the path to the left. Without hesitation, Reem takes the torch and goes to the Edge of Extinction. She arrives and realizes the island is almost barren.

Challenges

Reward/Immunity Challenge: Social Network
Each tribe must first maneuver through a rope obstacle. One person must then climb to the top of a rope to ring a bell. The tribe must then climb a rope ladder to a platform, where one tribe member will then cross a three-tier balance beam. Once across the beam, they must untie knots to make the balance beam wider for the rest of the tribe to cross. One person must then climb to the top of a crow's nest to release a slide. Once down the slide, six members will then solve a giant Klotski puzzle. The first tribe to finish their puzzle wins.
Reward: Flint
Winner: Kama

Tribal Council

Tribal Council 1: Manu
Voted Against	Voter
Reem (4 votes)	Chris, David, Keith, Rick
Wendy (3 votes)	Kelley, Lauren, Wardog
Kelley (1 vote)	Reem
Lauren (1 vote)	Wendy
VOTED OUT: Reem Daly (goes to Edge of Extinction)

Voting Confessionals

No voting confessionals were aired this episode.

Still in the Running

Reem On Edge	Aubry Kama	Aurora Kama	Chris Manu	David Manu	Eric Kama	Gavin Kama	Joe Kama	Julia Kama
Julie Kama	Keith Manu	Kelley Manu	Lauren Manu	Rick Manu	Ron Kama	Victoria Kama	Wardog Manu	Wendy Manu

Trivia

Secret Scene

• Old vs. New

Behind the Scenes

• Not seen in the final cut of the episode, Joe Anglim found a clue to a submerged crate containing canned goods during the marooning. He successfully found and retrieved the crate underwater, winning the canned goods for Kama.

Other

• The episode title was said by Joe in reference to the smoke from the fire he built.