Each week, Christine Pallon and Gia Worthy will round up the previous week of Survivor 50 as they list their top moments in various important categories. This includes the most essential information, the stand-out castaways, and the key moments from the week.
Here, Christine and Gia break down all the action from the latest episode.
Top 3 Moments
Christian’s Sh**ty Predicament
Christine: Following Kyle’s exit and Vatu’s emotional response to losing him, we cut to Cila, where Christian is experiencing a very different kind of crisis. After being hit with some, err… gastrointestinal distress, he finds himself desperately in need of a new pair of pants. Sure, it’s not the most consequential scene of the episode, but it was certainly one of the most talked-about. This was a big episode for Christian, who has quickly reminded us why he was one of the most beloved characters of the 30s, and his, um… incident, really started this episode off with a bang.
Vatu Does Baggage Check
Christine: After only really hearing from Aubry in the premiere in the context of her bizarre interaction with Genevieve, we finally got a better understanding of her place on Vatu this week, and it’s not looking good for her. She’s struggling to connect with her tribemates and their sour coconut-consuming ways, and they’re incredibly suspicious that she’s the recipient of a Billie Eilish boomerang idol. They’re so suspicious, in fact, that Genevieve orchestrates a bag-searching party to find the proof. The search proves fruitless, but Genevieve’s instincts weren’t totally wrong, as Aubry would indeed receive a boomerang idol from Christian later in this very episode. Vatu was, unfortunately, just a little early.
Rick vs. Joe
Gia: If you asked me pre-50 which cast members would feud on the island, I would never think to put money on Rick Devens and Joe Hunter. As it turns out, the honor and integrity that made Joe a coveted ally in 48 is now the very thing making him a liability to Devens. Rick doesn’t appreciate how Joe’s old school style of play is stifling his gameplay, and Joe doesn’t trust Rick or his possible shady deals with their other tribemates. This leads to a full-blown argument between the two, as their tribe has to attend another tribal council. The argument itself isn’t enough to thwart the plan to vote out Savannah, but it does put a strain on their partnership for future votes.
Tribe Breakdown
Cila
Gia: Cila is a mess, but what an entertaining mess they are. Between Rick and Joe’s feud, Cirie and Ozzy trying to keep their pair together, and Christian’s… everything, they’re proving that even the best tribes on paper do not make for the most successful in challenges. One thing is for certain: it has been a tough road for fans of the Orange tribe. Though we may be down, one thing we will never be is bored.
Kalo
Gia: Just because Kalo has yet to lose a member doesn’t mean they aren’t a disaster in their own special way. Coach can’t keep his mouth shut during the mat chat, Chrissy is rubbing everyone the wrong way, and Mike White is most likely spending his time gathering inspiration for the next season of The White Lotus. This is the tribe we’ve seen the least of in the first two episodes, so hopefully the impending tribe swap will give some of our more “purpled” players time to shine.
Vatu
Christine: After Kyle’s exit and Colby and Q’s lost votes, Vatu’s tribe dynamics essentially got reset this week. It’s not a major shake-up, as Genevieve/Q/Colby/Steph remain in the power position. Aubry is now firmly and clearly on the outs, but there’s also some additional tensions brewing related to work around camp. Rizo and Angelina’s perceived laziness in camp life is starting to rub Q, Steph, and Colby the wrong way. With a swap coming, we of course won’t get to see this drama play out in full. Heading into the swap, we can be sure that the suspicions towards Aubry are likely to carry over to her new tribe, and Q and Colby’s lost votes could cause major problems for them, depending on how things shake out.
Top 3 Contestants
Christian
Christine: Poopgate aside, this was another strong episode for Christian on the gameplay side. He found a Billie Eilish boomerang idol, setting himself up for a potential built-in ally in Aubry down the line should they both survive long enough to meet up. His intentionally played-up goofiness seems to be keeping him off people’s radars as a big threat, and his strong relationships with Devens and Emily in particular have kept him in a power position on Cila. And even as drama shook his tribe with the Rick and Joe blowout, Christian deftly navigated Joe’s emotions to keep his allies in check. We’ve waited a long time to see Christian 2.0 in action, and so far he’s delivering both as an entertaining character and strong, socially-minded gameplayer and strategist.
Aubry
Gia: Aubry is the kind of player who plays the best when she is on the bottom, and this episode proved it. She is clearly on the outs within Vatu, to the point that the majority of the tribe made an effort to look through her bag to ensure she didn’t have an idol or advantage. Luckily for her, Christian sent her the boomerang idol after the bag search, a move that potentially breathed new life into her game. I’m still not fully confident in whether the tribe swap will be good or bad for her longevity, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we are made to pay attention to her at this stage in the game. I don’t know what to think about the arc we have gotten from Aubry thus far, but I do believe she will be one to watch in this next phase of the game.
Rick
Gia: Rick Devens is back and better than ever! Those who identify as Devens truthers (me) have been vindicated. Rick is in a fairly secure spot on Cila, especially within his core alliance of himself, Christian, and Emily, but the one factor he could not plan for was Joe Hunter. Joe’s particular commitment to upholding the values of honor and integrity makes him a great ally, but a terrible one for chaotic players who still rely on his vote. As a chaotic player himself, Rick is still trying to find a way to strategize as he wants, while not burning bridges with Joe. He was able to survive this round, but time will tell how his commitment to messy gameplay impacts his long-term game.
Fallen Comrades
Savannah
Christine: Savannah didn’t have a great shot as a returning winner who missed out on what we have to assume was a lot of pregaming. Plus, she had no chance to integrate into the alum community and the watch party circuit to at least make some casual connections with her competitors prior to hitting the beach. Savannah had a remarkably strong start last week, considering her threat level and lack of integration into the broader Survivor alum community, and it seemed like she had a shot of making a somewhat deep run this season.
Alas, she was placed on the tribe that can’t win an immunity challenge, and this second tribal council proved to be an insurmountable obstacle for her. Savannah built strong enough connections in episode one to keep the target off her, but she never really fully managed to integrate into any position of power. Despite there being some pretty strong reasons to vote out Joe over her, her lack of connections and threatening unknown winner aura were enough reasons to send her home.
Gia: From 1st place to 22nd, Savannah had the difficult task of trying to integrate herself with players who knew nothing about her. She may have had an early end in Survivor 50, but it does not diminish her accomplishments in 49 that earned her a spot on this season in the first place. She proved to be a fun foil within Cila, an unknown force within a tribe that was already fairly acquainted with one another. Sadly, her unique experience did not guarantee her a long tenure in this season, but she remains an indelible figure in Survivor history.
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