We start off this week with Tyson proclaiming his place atop the mountain, with Anesu unknowingly on the bottom, as nobody trusts her. Then a great production move. It immediately switches to a confessional from Anesu telling us her plan to vote off Tyson. These kinds of edits are the best. It’s nothing fancy, but the juxtaposition is always great, and it potentially sets up a great 1v1 battle for the episode.
Reward Challenge
The reward challenge is two teams of four. They throw coconuts to fill a net. Once it gets heavy enough, it will topple a stack of puzzle pieces,, which they then gather solve the block puzzle.
The winning team gets to test drive a new Mahindra, ending up at a braai feast.
Green: Wardah, Tyson, Nicole, Chappies
Orange: Kiran, Anesu, Anela, Santoni
The Green team edges out Orange on the puzzle, winning reward.
Osindile
While the others are off at their reward, Santoni is fuming from Tyson picking Nicole over her. I get it, but still. This is where your social relationships are absolutely key. Tyson had every reason to pick Nicole over Santoni, and it paid off as they won. But you also have to realize the people you’re dealing with. Sometimes it might be worth it to pick someone like Santoni just to appease her.
Anesu approaches Anela about targeting Tyson next. He seems keen to go along with the plan, assuming they have the numbers. That’s of course what you say when someone comes to you one on one like this. But he now knows he’s in the middle, being courted by both sides. Kiran and Tyson later approach him with their idea to vote out Anesu next. Let’s see where this goes…
Immunity Challenge
The players swim out to a platform collecting rings along the way. Once there, they must go up over and under the platform, moving the rings from one side to the other. Nico then presents them with an “Eat or Compete” scenario., offering up pasta and soft drinks. Wardah, Anesu, Kiran, Santoni, Anela, and Tyson all sit out, leaving Chappies and Nicole as the only two competing for immunity. Chappies wins easily. Chappies sends Santoni to Immunity Island.
Immunity Island
Santoni has a balance challenge on her hands at Immunity Island. While balancing on a beam she navigates a ball through a snake maze. If she beats the sand time, she wins a Fire Idol, which would force the players with the most votes at Tribal Council to make fire. If she loses, she loses half her money for the auction.
Having planned this out ahead of time, the decision to stay and play was essentially made for her. She was sent there on a mission to find the immunity idol, which she can only look for if she plays the challenge. She is successful in finding the idol. With her idol, Chappies’ immunity, and the potential for her to play this idol for another alliance member, it could shake things up quite a bit at Tribal Council.
Pre-Tribal
Tyson and Kiran continue working their plan to vote out Anesu. Everyone is banking on Anela voting with them, and he’s playing the middle very effectively. When a player is in the middle like this, they run the risk of being found out and seeing themselves voted out instead.
It’s a super fun cat and mouse game between Kiran and Anesu. They’re both targeting each other, while still pretending to want to work together to vote out Anela. Anela had seemingly been leaning towards siding with Kiran and Tyson, seeing that as a move he could more easily claim as his own over voting Tyson out. But he also feels a sense of loyalty to Nicole, as she saved him at a previous Tribal Council. And remember, as a safety net, Anesu still has her Tribal Council Pass, which she can use to save herself if she senses trouble.
Tribal Council
Anesu does not use her Tribal Council Pass and Santoni does not play her idol. Anesu is voted out 5-2, after Anela sided with Tyson and Kiran and Nicole flipped her vote to Anesu. If you flip back to Anela and Nicole’s conversation, Nicole’s choice makes a little more sense. Anela tells her their biggest priority should be getting themselves through this vote safely. We don’t see the conclusion of that conversation, but you could make the assumption (obviously could be wrong too) it cut off before Anela pitched her on switching her vote to Anesu. The result wouldn’t have changed had she voted against Tyson, but that vote is a show of good faith, and could put her in favor with that group ahead of Chappies and Santoni. Anything to get yourself another day in the game.
From a fan standpoint, it’s been a brutal last few weeks, with big players and fan favorites going out one after the other. But thankfully the Survivor SA production team absolutely nailed the casting (once again, as we’ve come to expect) so there are still plenty of big, fun players left as we hit the home stretch.
