Well it looks like Survivor UK has finally decided to act like Survivor. The merge has come, and with it, we have had some of the best gameplay and moves of the season so far. After 20 days in the game, most of the players have really stepped up and are moving forward with their eyes on the prize and are ready to make moves to take home the win.
However, after such a revealing tribal council, the route to the final will not be as easy for Ashleigh and Christopher, who were put in the tribe’s firing line after Lee called them both out before he left the game. This is pretty much the theme throughout the episode, as we see Christopher and Ashleigh try their very best to untangle themselves from the mess they have found themselves in.
Firstly, the two find themselves groveling to Tinuke and assure her they were in no way targeting her to go home. Tinuke is somewhat skeptical, though, and is not reassured that Ash and Chris are the best people to work with moving forward. This doesn’t bode well for the women’s alliance that Ash has been planning to work with, with Ash noting that both Tinuke and Leilani are far less likely to work with her now.
Personally, I think Ash has been quite unlucky in the way her game has been perceived. Her willingness to entertain moves and keep players from across different alliances has made people see her as a bit of a snake, whereas in practice, she is being pretty smart with how she approaches the game. Perhaps if she was on a later season, people would be a bit more understanding of her moves, but with this group of players, she has definitely gained a reputation as being a write-off when it comes to being trustworthy.
After quite a tense morning at camp, the players head off to the immunity challenge. Doug hands back the immunity necklace (which I’m sorry to say might be the most hideous immunity necklace ever, but hey, as long as it keeps you immune, who’s complaining!). The challenge is the iconic Last Gasp, which is one of my favorite challenges on Survivor. I think the thing that makes Last Gasp so unique is that typically, when I watch a Survivor challenge, I find myself thinking, “I would LOVE to try that,” whereas this one seems like the last thing I would ever want to put myself through!
We see the players float below a grate, which slowly starts to lower and reduce the breathing space. First out of the challenge is Nathan, which makes him 2 for 2 in being first out of individual immunities since the tribes merged. To be honest, Nathan’s perceived challenge threat level is way too high, as he struggled to win in a lot of the head-to-head challenges pre-merge as well.
Speaking of challenge strength, Leilani is next out. I think her poor track record in challenges is now going to benefit her, seeing as the tribes have merged, as she will likely not be targeted as much as she was earlier in the game.
Now six players are left in the challenge, including Ash and Chris, with them both desperately needing a win here. However, they are the next two to bow out, meaning their shot at safety is gone. Finally, it’s down to Matt and Pegleg, and after the two guys try to hold off from tapping out, Matt finally has to bail, meaning that Peg takes home his first individual immunity win. The surf instructor was clearly on another level from the rest of the pack, revealing that he was so attuned to the ways of the water that he was able to count the ocean swells to know when a wave was coming.
Post-challenge, Ash is still feeling vulnerable. She doesn’t have immunity, but she does have a huge target on her back. The tribe at large is pretty set on splitting the votes between Chris and Ash, but the two in the firing line are looking for a way to survive the vote. They note that not many people are talking game to them, which increases their sense of impending doom.
Things might not be so bad for Ash, though, as Tinuke reveals she would rather see Chris go so that she can have more control over Ash in future votes. In this episode, we have really been seeing Tinuke’s Survivor skills at play. Not only is she socially really likable and great in challenges, but she also clearly has a great strategic vision. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her go all the way to the end.
Later on, Matt and Ash have a sit-down, and Matt reveals that he is pretty sure Chris has the idol. Without hesitation, Ash confirms Matt’s suspicion and completely throws Chris under the bus. The two of them also float the idea of voting Doug out, seeing as he is a threat to win the whole thing. Beyond Doug, Ash, and Chris also put Nathan’s name out there as an option, and this seemingly goes down well, so much so that Chris contemplates whether or not he will need to play his idol.
It’s now time for the players to head off to tribal, and Chris and Ash remain the main targets and focus of the tribe just as they have all episode.
At tribal, Leilani makes it clear that she doesn’t appreciate people being friendly to her and then conspiring behind her back, whereas Doug makes it clear that separating friendships from strategy is essential if you want to go far in the game. This is just another example of Doug showing that he has a really great understanding of the game and what needs to be done in order to win.
Before too long, the players cast their votes. As Joel prepares to read the votes, he asks if anyone will be playing an advantage, and for the first time in Survivor UK history, an immunity idol is played. Chris states that his idol is no good just sitting in his bag and decides to play it for himself. This move successfully negates all four votes for Chris and means that with four votes against her, Ashleigh is the ninth player voted out of the game and the second member of the jury.
It’s a shame to see Ash go; she seemed to have a lot of enthusiasm for Survivor and didn’t shy away from putting her mark on the game. It will be interesting now to see if the rest of the tribe will keep their focus on getting rid of Chris or if they will start to eat each other alive. According to the preview, next week’s tribal is pretty spicy, so I’m sure a lot is about to go down.
Written by