Love Goggles is the second episode of Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X.
Story[]
Day 5[]
At the Takali tribe, the men take turns in using their newly acquired flint to start fire, albeit futile. Though frustrated by not having fire still, Paul Wachter is not fazed, believing that he is in a strong alliance of six. He says, "Here it is, Day 5, and we still don't have a fire. Other than that, everything is going ahead as planned. I got a six-person alliance and I'm going to say it like it is for CeCe and David: They don't have a chance. CeCe aligned herself with Rachel, which was kiss of death. With David, he just can't handle it out here." Wanting to prove himself, David Wright takes the flint and attempts to spark a fire himself. David assesses his situation and says, "Right now, I think I am playing a miserable Survivor game so I really want to be a hero to my tribe and bring them fire because I am so grateful for them sparing me last night. I really want to prove myself today and it's in line with the Generation X attitude in that you don't ever give up, but I am more of a Cochran than I am an Ozzy." Feverishly striking the flint with the machete, David manages to make fire, to everyone's surprise. However, Chris Hammons does not believe this would affect David's standing in the game. He says, "Oddly enough, Dave, out of all of us, got a flame going; but he is still going home next. Dave's probably the weakest challenge person we have. He's like our puppy dog right now. We're trying to keep petting him until we get rid of him. We're just keeping him busy. If you let him get in his own head, that's when he goes nuts and starts to look for idols and getting all paranoid."
Later, David goes to the woods to gather rocks to circle around the fire. On his way, he makes another attempt in finding the Hidden Immunity Idol. Seeing that his tribemates would suspect him of looking for an idol after getting all soiled up, David uses the dirty rocks he collected as an alibi. After three trips to the jungle, David finds a stray coconut bearing his tribe's insignia. He pries it open and it reveals the Hidden Immunity Idol. Ecstatic to finally have an idol, David says, "This is so perfect. This is exactly what I need to have the confidence to really make big strategic moves right now."
At the Vanua tribe, Figgy Figueroa and Taylor Stocker chat in the shelter. Taylor describes her, "I really like Figs. She's super rad, easy to be around. I mean, she's really beautiful. It's like [wearing] love goggles and Figs is directly in front of me!" In turn, Figgy admits being mesmerized by Taylor's blue eyes. She says, "I didn't come here for romance but oh, my God, those blue eyes! They are dangerous. They are just gorgeous. They are so beautiful and I get to cuddle up with that and I'm like: It's fine." The two find themselves kissing later in the evening. Michaela Bradshaw watches them as she tends the fire. Repulsed, Michaela says, "The middle of the night, I heard a kiss sound. You can't be for real! You stink, your mouth is nasty, you got sand in your drawers. That's disgusting!"
Day 6[]
Morning at the Vanua tribe, and Michaela is quick to spread the news about Figgy and Taylor's kissing incident. Taylor admits to the act and becomes worried at how it will impact his game. Figgy shrugs it off, saying "My tribe doesn't even consider Taylor and myself being a power couple threat and maybe it's because we're the Millennials. Nobody cares." The two leave camp again, allowing the rest of the tribe to talk about them. As normal as hooking up is to Millennials, Zeke Smith expresses his thoughts to Jay Starrett and Mari Takahashi, the former of which happens to be Figgy and Taylor's close ally, saying that couples prove to be historically dangerous in the game of Survivor. Zeke explains, "I think the Millennial generation takes hook ups much less seriously than maybe the Gen X'ers do and I think it's that casual attitude which might be getting Taylor and Figgy into trouble because you need to have the mentality that you are also playing Survivor and I think they might be missing that part." Realizing that Figgy and Taylor's deeds could hurt his own game, Jay vents, "Figgy and Taylor are frigging stupid, man! No couple ever lasts on Survivor...ever! Taylor's my boy, I love that kid. Sometimes women blind you and then you end up stuck with a woman and you're bailing on your boys when it's bowling night, and you're stuck at home with your girlfriend. Wake up." Jay pulls Taylor aside and tells him that his overt closeness with Figgy is hurting all three of them. Taylor assures him that he knows what he is doing, but Jay remains unconvinced.
At the Takali tribe, Ken McNickle is out spear fishing and returns to camp with a bountiful octopus catch. With the outdoors being second nature to him, Ken admits that he is a shy person and needs to improve on his social game. David approaches Ken to help clean the octopus. Alone at the beach, the two uses the moment to talk strategy. Ken assures David that he is not affiliated in any way with "Paul's posse". Having a mutual understanding, the two officially make an alliance. To cement his trust with Ken, David shows him the Hidden Immunity Idol. Ken promises that he will keep it a secret. He says, "Surviving in this kind of environment is something I've always done my entire life and something I'm good at, but in a social game like this, you have to develop connections. I'm socially shy, and it's something that has plagued me my entire life. As I see [David] open up, it makes me open up." David realizes that he is more similar to Ken that he thinks, saying, "Ken and I are in opposite sides of the spectrum. I don't look anything like Ken. He's built like a super-athlete, he looks like an Adonis. What girl wouldn't want to date him? Nobody doesn't want to date a neurotic bald guy! But I like Ken a lot, and in Survivor, you absolutely need at least one person that you can trust; and for me right now, it's Ken, and I think for Ken, it's me." Elated to have an ally, Ken says, "I believe in David and I as an alliance. It's real, it's legit, and Dave's got an idol; and I think we will be using that to band together and do something big, and for us to move forward, Paul's got to go. I'm ready for a fight and I don't want to give Paul too much time to come in and try to counter."
Back at the Vanua camp, Mari and Will Wahl watch Hannah Shapiro struggling to chop a coconut. Mari realizes the harsh reality of the game. Mari assesses the situation: "It's Day 6, and the Millennials' morale is good but we didn't realize that playing this game would be so hard. Nothing you experience in front of a television screen can compare to experiencing it in real life and it's surreal, man!"
Later, Michaela walks by Figgy and Taylor, who flirt with each other again. Michaela mocks Figgy, saying, "Figgy's been a flirt since the boat some up to Fiji. This girl is dumb, like you're supposed to kind of blend in a little at the beginning and work your magic behind the scenes; but her magic is trying to be all over the place! The problem is, it's hard to act like I don't know what's going on. If I have something to say and I'm not saying it, my mouth will close but my eyebrows and this face will talk." Michaela tries to cut the sugarcane with the machete, when Jay, who is behind Michaela, warns her she could hurt him. Michaela jokes, saying the machete "wouldn't be directed at [him]. Figgy, who stands next to her, sarcastically says she believes it is directed at her instead. Michaela talks back, telling Figgy to go flirt with Taylor some more. The tribe is amused by Figgy and Michaela's snide back and forth, despite the tension building between the two girls. Figgy says, "Michaela's being a complete bitch about nothing. This girl is crazy. I want her as far away from me as possible. This girl's gotta go." Taylor invites Figgy to the woods to break up the brewing fight. Figgy vents to Taylor, saying that she wants Michaela voted out. Adam Klein comments, "Clearly, Figgy's put herself in the crosshairs. Basic laws of Survivor will tell you: Don't come blazing out of the gate, don't get into a catfight, and sure as hell, don't get yourself in a showmance!"
Back at the Takali camp, Paul leads the charge in collecting firewood. Relishing his leader position, Paul says, "With me, it's very simple: When it comes to taking control of the game, I, 100% want to be in control. That's where I have to be; I don't have a choice because I breathe control." Ken uses the opportunity to numbers against Paul. CeCe Taylor, who has been an outsider from the beginning, is open to working with him. Unknown to them, Paul suddenly slumps on the ground, feeling dizzy. Momentarily, host Jeff Probst arrives at camp with resident Survivor physician, Dr. Joe Rowles. Jeff notes that a helicopter is on standby in case Paul needs to be evacuated. A worried Sunday Burquest says, "It's extremely scary seeing him go down; [it] makes you think if it can happen to him it can happen to anyone. I really, really need Paul to stay in the game. He's a huge key part of our alliance, but beyond that, I just care about him." Dr. Joe assesses Paul's condition, saying that he is just mildly exhausted and dehydrated, thus clearing him to continue in the game, much to the Takali tribe's relief. While most of the tribe is happy that Paul is not pulled from the game, David sees this as an opening he could use down the line. He says, "When he went down, I thought this might be a good thing for me because he's the one I want to vote out. He's really calling all the shots, and him being so weak right now makes it easier to convince people, you know what it might be time to get rid of Paul."
Day 7[]
The two tribes meet for the next Immunity Challenge. With one extra tribe member, Vanua sits out Hannah.
Chris and Michelle Schubert are first out for Takali and Vanua respectively. Chris is first to retrieve a key, giving his tribe a slight lead. Paul and Will are next, with Paul maintaining Takali's lead. Sunday continues the trend going up against Michaela. David struggles to swim, allowing Zeke to outswim him and take the lead for Vanua. As Vanua collects their rings, Jessica Lewis makes up for the lost time, allowing Takali to collect their rings as well. CeCe and Jay race to toss their five rings on the poles. In a close race, Ken beats Jay, winning Takali their first challenge, sending Vanua to Tribal Council.
Back at the Vanua camp, Zeke finds himself excited to go to Tribal Council. He states, "We lost today's Immunity Challenge, but, you know, I'm a little bit tickled to be going to Tribal Council. I came to vote people out, and I came to win a million dollars, and I want to get started. Figgy's in the hot seat right now because wherever Figgy goes, her little puppy dog Taylor goes. Like, one person is not allowed to have two votes. That's against the spirit of the game." He gathers Hannah and Mari to tell them that Figgy and Taylor need to be separated. Believing that Figgy would not see it coming, both girls agree. In a separate conversation, Adam, Hannah, and Michaela discuss the same plan. Later, Zeke comes to Jay to convince him to be on board with voting out Figgy. Jay laments, "Figgy is going home, and it sucks because Figgy and Taylor are in the trifecta, and we're going to make things happen. Unless something happens and things goes crazy, which they usually do, my alliance is gone."
Instead of relaying the message to Figgy right away, Jay consults Michelle first. However, Michelle, who also has ties with Figgy, worries that losing her might compromise her in the long run. She proposes a favorable alternative: blindside Mari; believing that Mari, a video gamer, is more threatening than Figgy. Jay agrees. Michelle explains, "It doesn't make sense to vote out Figgy right now. My alliance with Jay, Figgy, and Taylor; we got to keep that number and we got to switch the vote. Mari is really dangerous because she is smart, but tonight's Tribal Council is about keeping people who I know will stick with me moving forward."
To be able to gain enough votes, Jay and Michelle figure out that they would have to first reconcile Figgy and Michaela. Jay pulls Figgy and Michaela and warns them that Zeke wants Figgy out first and Michaela second. Shocked, Figgy does not hesitate in voting for Mari and to convince Michaela to join them, she tells her she does not harbor resentment towards her. While Michaela finds Figgy's sudden cordiality to be fake, Michaela worries of her standing in the game. She says, "This girl is trying to be my friend now. Figgy was going home and I was perfectly fine with that, but if Jay is telling the truth, I could definitely be in trouble so this whole thing is up in the air." Meanwhile, Michelle seeks Will's support, who has expressed that while he finds Figgy a threat, so is Mari. Though Will is not against the last-minute change of plans from Figgy to Mari, he is nervous about its repercussions later in the game. Unsure of the numbers she actually has, Michelle says she is willing to continue pulling strings at Tribal Council to save Figgy.
Vanua arrives at Tribal Council, where Adam expresses his awe at the look of the place. Mari explains the difference between playing video games and Survivor, whereas she does not meet her fellow video game competitors in person, on Survivor, she finds it tougher to blatantly beating people after getting to know and care about them. Zeke claims the game has revealed a side of him he never thought he had. Michaela rebukes Zeke, saying that her experience so far is opposite to his. As Michaela explains her strong disagreement, Michelle whispers to Hannah, who is seated next to her, about her plan in taking out Mari. Just as she receives the news, Hannah is asked by Jeff who has significantly bonded over the past week. Hannah then spills the beans about Figgy and Taylor being inseparable.
Dismissing a last-minute conversation, which was actually about her, as trivial, Mari is blindsided.
With Figgy and Taylor's relationship being a hot topic, Hannah whispers back to Michelle to learn more about why she should vote Mari, but Michelle promises to explain later. Hannah asks Jay next, who sits behind the two girls. Jay admits that he knows of the plan and suggests her to join them. Zeke explains that in a game point of view, Figgy will be more loyal to Taylor than to him. Figgy and Taylor quickly respond, saying it is too early to make such an assumption just yet. Michaela validates Zeke's worries, accusing Figgy of lying straight to people's faces, which also leads to Michaela shedding light on her rift with Figgy. Jeff then calls Jay, Hannah, and Michelle out for having a conversation of their own. Mari dismisses the three's conversation, stating that Hannah being ditzy and paranoid is who she is.
As Vanua votes one by one, Hannah, the last to vote, is visibly unsettled by the sudden change of plans and takes a long time to cast her ballot. The votes are in, and in a shocking 7-3 blindside, Michelle's majority block votes out an unassuming Mari, making her the second person voted out of Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X. On her way out, a blindsided Mari expresses her being "salty."
Challenges[]
Reward/Immunity Challenge: The Ocean
One at a time, five members of each tribe must swim out to a web. They must climb the web and leap off and retrieve a key. They must then swim to a final platform to place their key. Once five keys have been collected, the tribe must unlock a cage containing a diving mask. One at a time, the four remaining members must dive into the ocean to collect hoops. Once all five hoops have been retrieved, those four members can begin throwing the hoops at targets. The first tribe to get a hoop around each of the five targets wins.
Reward: Tarp
Winner: Takali
Tribal Council[]
| Tribal Council 2: Vanua | |
|---|---|
| Voted Against |
Voter |
 Mari (7 votes) |
       Figgy, Hannah, Jay, Michaela, Michelle, Taylor, Will |
Figgy (3 votes) |
  Adam, Mari, Zeke |
VOTED OUT: Mari Takahashi | |
Voting Confessionals[]
Zeke |
“ | (voting against Figgy) Darling, you're much too dangerous to stay in this game. | ” |
Figgy |
“ | (voting against Mari) (sighs) I really, really, really hope I can trust Michaela. | ” |
Hannah |
“ | (voting against Mari) Okay [...] are they getting me to throw my vote and I have to prove my trust to them, I don't understand, it changes so quickly, huhh. Zeke, Mari, Michaela, wait, Mari, Mari. Huhh. I don't understand like what's going on, oh my god [...], oh my god, huh. Huh, okay (sighs). | ” |
Final Words[]
Mari |
“ | I got sniped from a mile away, and I never saw it coming. Survivor is the toughest game I've ever played, because it pulls on the heartstrings, and playing with human emotion is completely different from playing on a 2D screen. And it hurts, man-- that's all I can say. It hurts. | ” |
Still in the Running[]
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Trivia[]
Secret Scene[]
- Taylor and Figgy (Extended Scene): This secret scene continues from Michaela Bradshaw's confrontation with Figgy Figueroa. After engaging in a minor squabble, Figgy leaves with Taylor Stocker. She tells him that Michaela is getting on her nerves, and Taylor assures her by saying that Michaela's actions will place a big target on her back.[2]
Unaired Confessionals[]
- A Very Dangerous Thing: Zeke Smith talks about the showmance between Figgy and Taylor, stating that Figgy managed to flirt her way to Taylor's loyalty. While at first he thought it was just an alliance, the two later made it clear that they were a tight twosome. He finds it odd that they would make such a tight alliance so open to their tribe. He finds their false sense of confidence to be naive, because the rest of the tribe was plotting against them behind their backs. He compares the twosome to Amber Brkich and Rob Mariano's tight relationship back in All-Stars.[3]
- Best Cat Fight: Jay Starrett recounts Figgy and Michaela's squabble at camp.[4]
- Don't Break Up The Family: Lucy Huang states that the Takali tribe has been getting along fine, and accredits their latest immunity win to good communication within the tribe. She hopes that the situation continues to be rosy, after Takali was able to pick up from the early downward spiral.[5]
- He's On The Same Page: CeCe Taylor discusses her newfound alliance with Lucy, David Wright, and Ken McNickle. She states that their primary target is Paul Wachter, and that, while she did not want to see anyone medically evacuated, she would have been happy to see him pulled from the game as it would have helped her strategy.[6]
- Heartfelt Connection: Ken discusses his relationship with David. After David shared with Ken his Hidden Immunity Idol, he knew that their relationship was solid, and he had respect in David all the way. He hopes that David had the same connection with himself, because he needed a strong ally to see him through the game.[7]
- I Can't Believe: While gathering rocks for seats around the campfire, David, hoping to show that he was actively contributing to the tribe, recounts how he managed to find the Hidden Immunity Idol.[8]
- I Have Two Options: Will Wahl states that the first Tribal Council for Vanua is for "establishing boundaries", given that there were two alliances in the tribe he could join with his place in the middle. He weighs his options between voting Mari Takahashi, who he likes but cannot work with, out or voting Figgy, who he hates, but would be better off working with, out.[9]
- I Need Paul: Chris Hammons recounts the events of Day 6. He talks about how afraid he was for Paul, his ally in the game, when he collapsed from a potential heart attack. He also discusses the importance of Paul in terms of getting himself far into the game.[10]
- I'm A Huge Competitor: Adam Klein reflects after losing the Immunity Challenge, and discusses the importance of excelling in the very last portion of the challenge. He is upset that he lost, because he has a competitive spirit. He talks about how uncertain the first Tribal Council is, because the tribe heads into it without any certainty about everybody's loyalties.[11]
- I'm Not An Average Person: Michaela states that she does not like to lose. However she believed that her first loss was a relief for her because she wanted to get the immunity losses out of the way early on so that she could proceed into the next phase of the game. She also discusses what she plans to do with Figgy - she would use Figgy for the moment and take her out later because Figgy had lied to her.[12]
- It Doesn't Feel Good: Despite having congratulating Takali on their win, Figgy describes the feeling of losing as miserable and something she would not hope to experience again. Not only does the loss hurt team morale, it also put her name right up on the chopping block because she had been a prominent player in the past few days.[13]
- It Sucks: Hannah Shapiro expresses her frustration at having to sit out during the Immunity Challenge. She discusses her gameplay, stating that it has mainly been about building deep relationships with her tribemates. She compares her perspective from behind the screen with her in-game perspective.[14]
- It's All About Numbers: Michelle Schubert is upset that Vanua was heading to Tribal Council because she believed that the tribe was getting along well, making having to send somebody home a difficult situation. She explains that one had to be on everybody's side when heading into Tribal Council, and states that if this were reality, it would have been impossible for her to be duplicitous. She believes her meditation and prayers help her to collect her thoughts in order to reinforce her strategy. She does not think anybody sees her as a threat, but rather a non-threatening, truthful free-spirit. Michelle also discusses the importance of trust in the game.[15]
- Sunday's Confessional: Sunday Burquest talks about how big of a deal winning the Immunity Challenge was, saying that it gave Takali a sense of achievement after failing to win in the previous challenge. She believes that the past minor successes at camp built momentum to win the challenge. She also brings up her journey with breast cancer, for Day 7 was the four-year anniversary of her diagnosis.[16]
- The Life Of The Party: Bret LaBelle recalls the moments before Paul's collapse. He states that he had not yet seen Paul exhausted or dizzy in the game, and that it was scary seeing "the life of the party" collapse. He was thankful that the producers stepped in promptly to Paul's aid.[17]
- The Scariest Part: Paul recounts his collapse. He felt that "the scariest part" was when he lost control and went into a series of spasms. He knew that he was heading into a medical emergency and though he had a medical background, was confused as to what was happening. After recovering, he feared that he might have lost his footing in the tribe after the collapse showed him to be a potential weak link. However, he remains determined to fight on for his place in the game.[18]
- This Is What Makes It Hard: Mari describes how painful losing the Immunity Challenge was, especially because now Vanua had to get rid of one of their own after they had become a tight-knit, almost familial, tribe. While she thought she would have been excited to enter Tribal Council, now that she has become close with her tribe, she finds that the only emotion present was sadness.[19]
- Today Feels Amazing: Jessica Lewis discusses the improvements Takali had made after their loss in the first challenge. She is glad that the tribe has been getting along after overcoming the first hurdle. She believes that getting fire was what set the tribe on the good path because it allowed the tribe to re-energize to keep going.[20]
- We Own The Island: Taylor discusses his romance with Figgy. He believes that while the tribe may be wary of them, now was not the time to fear and worry about them. He states that both of them are willing to take the risk of being an open power couple in order to give themselves power, and he hopes that he will be able to leave the game with both the title of Sole Survivor as well as a relationship with Figgy.[21]
Other[]
- The title of this episode references a line that was said by Taylor Stocker during a confessional when he was talking about his affection for Figgy Figueroa.
References[]
| Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X Episodes |
|---|
| "May the Best Generation Win" · "Love Goggles" · "Your Job Is Recon" · "Who's the Sucker at the Table?" · "Idol Search Party" · "The Truth Works Well" · "I Will Destroy You" · "I'm the Kingpin" · "Still Throwin' Punches" · "Million Dollar Gamble" · "About to Have a Rumble" · "Slayed the Survivor Dragon" · "I'm Going for a Million Bucks" · "Reunion" |