Survivor 46 is officially a parody season. The Bhanu arc was nuts, the Q arc is even nuttier, but the LIZ ARC? Oh, now we’re eating good. Even better than Applebee’s, though that’s not a hard bar to clear. The New Era hasn’t been the best at giving iconic drama lately, with most of it being silly and lighthearted or maybe a little inspirational from time to time. But in a cast full of terrible players who don’t give a damn about holding their tongues, it was only a matter of time before we got an all-timer meltdown, and that’s just one part of this week’s masterclass episode.
The drama begins following Hunter’s elimination. Everyone’s surprised that Hunter didn’t play his idol, but nobody is more surprised than Liz, who had no idea Hunter was even going home and humiliated herself as the lone vote to seal Q’s fate on the re-vote. As pissed as she is, she’s holding herself together and vowing to take him out next time, both for ruining her game and being obnoxious about it all the while.
Q heads down to sulk as everyone drags his name through the mud, but Maria’s willing to reach out and offer her aid. Not because she particularly feels bad for him but because he’s a useful tool going forward, both as a number and a smokescreen for bigger plans. Her plan? Rally Charlie, Ben, Kenzie, and Q to vote out Tiffany with that idol when she’s at her most comfortable. It’s the plan she wanted last week, and now’s her chance to make it happen as her move rather than Kenzie’s.
The next morning, it’s off to the reward challenge with Applebee’s on the line. If anyone could ever top the Season 39 cast’s excitement for mediocre chain restaurant food, it’s rumored billionaire Liz Wilcox, who gets Applebee’s with her daughter every Wednesday before Survivor comes on. After not eating for so long due to her allergies, all she wants is the sweet taste of a bourbon burger with all the fixins. A taste of home, some actual nutrients for her body, and peace of mind knowing she’s got a place in the game again.
Well, it’s a worst-case scenario when her fated rival Q pulls off the win. With three more spots on the reward trip, he takes Tiffany in an attempt to mend fences, Maria for actually giving him the time of day, and Kenzie to hopefully unite Yanu as a solid trio again. All while Liz cries and begs for that burger. Obviously crying on Survivor is nothing new, but Liz takes it to the next level and has what I can honestly only describe as her villain origin story moment. We’re talking full Joker.
She lets loose and screams at Q. At full volume. Not just about the lack of food but about her love of bourbon burgers, her love for her daughter, and most importantly, her raw hatred of the guy who ruined the season for her. It’s visceral. It’s brutal. It’s almost hard to watch. But it’s one of the most iconic moments the New Era has given us yet. For years, people will talk about the Applebee’s Meltdown alongside Shane threatening to kill Courtney in her shitty apartment, Alicia waving her finger in Kimmi’s face, balance queen Debbie blowing up on Culpepper, J’Tia dumping out Luzon’s rice, and pretty much half of whatever aired in Survivor: Gabon.
And just to make it funnier, the commercial break gives us the most awkward application ad from Jeff, where all he can muster is a shrug. Love some good meta-humor.
Unfortunately for Liz, her Joker moment probably cements her as this season’s super-goat, even though everyone except Q ironically finds her meltdown to be a righteous move. Even Ben, Mr. Good Vibes himself, is downright done with Q and calling him a legit villain, something Jeff swore we’d never have on the show again in one of his many wrong predictions as of late.
Over at the Sanctuary (where good things happen to people not named Liz), the Applebee’s feast isn’t much kinder to Q. It’s all smiles until he walks off to digest his meal, leaving Kenzie and Tiff to resume their trash talk as Maria fears her plan to save him will be impossible. The guy’s made so many mistakes and pissed so many people off that one act of strategic kindness is more his last supper than a new beginning.
The next day, the tribe is reunited, and Liz is once again hearing Kill Bill music as Tiffany goes on and on about how great the food was… except the bourbon burger, which everyone was too full to even taste. But Liz won’t have another breakdown. Instead, she goes to Q and dishes out a fake apology with figurative fingers crossed behind her back. She wants him out for personal reasons, as does everyone else, so now they just have to beat him in the immunity challenge.
Speaking of immunity, it’s the return of the challenge that got us a half hour of Gabler shouting out every minor character in his life story. But there will be no Gabler shoutouts this time. It’s a grueling endurance battle with Q in the do-or-die position. But Jeff throws another wrinkle into the mix: another shot at bartering for rice. The price is still the same: four people sit out, or two people lose their vote. But when only Liz and Kenzie want to sit out, Jeff adds another option: sit out, and you get a jar of rice for yourself.
This is clearly aimed at giving Liz something so she doesn’t fall over dead, and while she hates to be the one sit-out, everyone else pushes her to take the offer for both her sake and their own, just to avoid another Applebee’s situation.
Once Q drops out, it comes down to Charlie vs. Tiffany, and the Swiftie takes his second win in a row thanks to his grip training. So now the Tiffany plan might be a go after all. But once everyone returns to camp, the mood is very much “Q sucks, he’s vulnerable, he’s not even trying to stay, so just get him out,” with no real opposition. But Maria isn’t going to let her Tiffany plan die a second time, and she talks to Q about potentially saving himself. It’s a huge risk on her part to go against the common thought, and nobody is giving her the green light to make this move, but she’s running the red light and making it anyway.
But the issue is that Kenzie has given up on the Tiffany blindside and wants Q out again, if only because he’s not even trying to play anymore, and she wouldn’t feel right keeping him in the game over people who genuinely want to play it. Ben’s down. Charlie’s down. Q’s down. But that’s only four, and they need a fifth. So it’s between Venus, who’s incredibly shady and probably can’t be trusted with the plan… and Liz, who spent the last two days seething about Q after unleashing all her rage to his face.
Neither pick is ideal, but despite her emotional breakdowns, Liz is a rational player who sees the value in making smart moves. With this being the night to get Tiffany out, the blindside could finally give Liz some jury cred and earn her a higher standing in the game. But Q’s annoying, and she can’t really work with him long-term after their falling out. It’s a tough call, but when the votes finally come out of the urn… Liz decides to forego her emotions and sticks with the blindside, sending Tiffany home with an idol in her pocket and leaving Kenzie utterly spooked.
While losing Tiffany sucks from an entertainment perspective, it’s so compelling to see three straight blindsides with Q of all people as the smokescreen back to back. And once more, an idol holder left with egg on their face and their idol in their pocket.
The second half of this season has delivered amazing episodes week after week, and assuming the endgame sticks the landing, we’re probably looking at the New Era’s crown gem. 45 walked so 46 could run, and my only hope is that the powers that be understand why the fans are going nuts for this post-merge and continue casting for shameless drama and cutthroat gameplay instead of inspirational moments and good vibes. After all, Season 50 is still two years away from airing. So they better make the long wait for that one deliciously entertaining at the very least.
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Love this week’s title!! Total Drama Island was my 1st glimpse into these types of competitions!
I really question the decision to leave Venus out on the vote again, from the looks of it everyone kinda wants her as a goat(like Q) and that’s really gonna limit their flexibility with her.
Venus is a woman scorned, and I don’t think you can take Liz to the end of the game in good faith with fellow Nami players: Soda, Tevin, and Hunter on the jury. Someone like Ben just won’t have that kinda connection with the early jurors and there’s only 8 votes to even go for.
I wonder what final 3 Venus is hoping for? she could stand a decent chance against Q and maybe against Liz or Kenzie(provided Kenzie doesn’t bounce back) going with Maria, Ben or Charlie is way too dangerous with the social game Venus has.
We wouldn’t have to wait eight weeks for drama…if Jeff would just grow up.