We've reached the week of hunger, and every tribe seems to be feeling it. They're also feeling annoyed at each other (hi Bruce and Katurah), new (nerd?) alliances, and my queen Emily is stepping into her power. Episode five of Survivor really planted some seeds for new twists to come.
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Even though everyone is dealing with hunger, none more than Lulu's Jake. He is physically feeling it. At the beginning of the episode, he passed out (again). It turns out he's had his own journey with binge eating and losing weight, which just makes the hunger part of Survivor all that more complicated. Considering how many people struggle with eating disorders and weight issues (myself included), seeing something like that on one of America's most-watched shows is relatable and feeds into the idea of, 'Oh wait, I can be on Survivor too.' Let's be real: when you're physically not in a good spot, it's difficult to imagine yourself surviving on Survivor. That's true for me. So, thanks, Jake (and producers), for offering me and millions more that little nugget of hope. (I should probably join a gym, right?)
While hunger is first and foremost, so is plotting their next moves.
So, Reba tribe is dealing with Sean quitting the game last week. (Who does that?) But because of that, Sifu knows he's in the hot seat. But it doesn't matter because Reba wins immunity during the challenge, so they live to plot another week. Meanwhile, Lulu's biggest problem is how annoyed Katurah is with Bruce (more on that in a minute). But what shines through in this episode is my girl Emily from Belo, who is legit playing everybody. (God, I love her so much.)
OK, before I get to Emily, I need to talk about this ongoing feud between Katurah and Bruce. She hates him, and that hasn't changed in this episode. It does seem like other members of Lulu are picking up on this, but how it will play out has yet to be seen. If I were to make a bet, I'd say we're being set up for a Tribal Council showdown between Katurah and Bruce, which frankly would be delicious to watch. And like I said last week, I'm not fully on board with Katurah's hate parade for Bruce. Sure, he'd probably annoy me, too, but like, that's just how he is. And I can relate to Bruce. Like, I know my default setting is annoying. It's part of my charm. (And I'm too dumb to notice half the time, which is a lovely spot to be in.)
Now, back to my girl Emily. So, because Belo loses the challenge, it is Emily's moment to step up and play hard before Tribal Council. Every single tribe member seems to be coming to Emily, with Lulu split in two: you've got Drew and Austin on one side, and Brando and Kendra on the other.
But wait, there's a twist (because of course, there is). After the challenge, a member from each tribe (Austin, J. and Kellie) are sent on a journey. At the top of this mountain thingy, they have a choice between a sandwich and juice or three amulets with some powers (but not a lot). Basically, it puts the three of them in an alliance for the merge. Still, Austin smartly recognizes the little power the amulets offer (because, as players are voted off, the fewer amulets in the game, the less power they have). Oh, and it puts a target on their backs. But J. and Kellie want the amulets instead of the sandwich, so they collectively pick the amulet. I would have gone with the sandwich, I would have lobbied for the sandwich, but like, in life, I will always go with the sandwich.
Because of this, Austin and Drew plot a way to get Emily on their side by sharing this information with her. Honestly, this trio is fun. Drew has this confident, nerdy arrogance that's both fun to watch and fun to think about how Emily will play him. I can see Austin and Emily getting close and going far, which would be a nice emotional journey, and also fun when Emily eventually stabs him in the back. Either way, I'm very here for Emily blindsiding anybody.
There was a hint of Emily's gameplay on display at tribal. As everyone talked to Jeff about how hard it is to vote off somebody they've bonded with, blah blah, Emily is all... uh, it's called Survivor you dummies, the whole point of the game is surviving.
Let's all say it together: We. Love. Emily.
So yeah, because of this split in the tribe, Brando got voted off. Honestly, it's a bit of a bummer, because while I love Emily's gameplay, Drew really should have been the person sent home. Turning down Brando's nerd alliance offer was dumb, and he was just mean about it. It would have just strengthened his existing alliance with Austin and Emily. Then he turned down Brando's shot-in-the-dark advantage, seemingly for no other reason than to be kind of mean to Brando. It seems like Drew thinks he has lots of power, and he's drunk on it, and it's manifesting as "good" game play when in reality, he just got lucky this episode. (Emily will spot this, watch, and stab him in the back.)
Speaking of Drew, Jeff had some interesting things to say about him on his podcast On Fire: The Official Survivor Podcast. Jeff was praising Drew's game play, which confused me. Is Jeff watching the same show? Or, is Jeff hinting at something to come?! (Jeff be sneaky like that. Text me Jeff, I need to know more.)
All in all, a fun episode, and a good lead-in to the moment we've all been waiting for: the merge! Well, sort of. It's mergatory, where like, they're all together, but you're not guaranteed a seat on the jury. It's confusing. Actually, if you think about it, that also just sounds mean.
Anyway, there are exciting things to come. Let's just hope some of what's to come is food because like, I don't want to see Jake pass out again (especially now that he has my heart).
Who Needs to Get Snuffed?
I've been convinced Austin is actually someone to watch, even though last week I said he should leave. This week I'm here for Drew to go. His game was messy this episode.
Who Should be the Sole Survivor?
I feel bad for always choosing Emily, but when you have a good thing, why change things?! That said, I'm growing more interested in Austin.
Watch Survivor every Wednesday on CBS or anytime on Paramount+ to follow along as I react to every episode this season.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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