Each week, Christine Pallon and Gia Worthy will round up the previous week of Survivor 48 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
Letters from Home
Christine: We went back to the Sanctuary (where good things happen) for a huge overnight reward of burgers, fries, cheesecake, and, most importantly, letters from home. Shauhin (and his strong legs) won the challenge and brought Kyle and Joe with him, leading to an emotional scene as the three men read their letters from home, particularly for Joe. It’s a shame we don’t get a loved ones visit anymore, but this reward at least gave us a glimpse into these players’ lives outside of the game.
Joe Gets Closure
Gia: Joe was undeniably the main character of this episode. He secured his fourth immunity win and still holds the title amongst his peers as the most likely to win the game. However, it’s the personal story we got from Joe that stood out here. We learned that Joe’s sister died by domestic violence the night after she and Joe got into an argument. Part of the reason that Joe even applied to the show is because his sister was such a big fan herself. Now, at the final six, Joe decided to finally get some closure by speaking to his sister on the Fijian beach. It was a beautiful yet heartbreaking moment, one that is all too common in our world. I hope Joe found some peace during his time on Survivor.
Kyle and Kamilla Strike Again
Gia: Move over Joe and Eva, Kyle and Kamilla are the one true dynamic duo of Survivor 48. While the Strong 5 alliance’s initial plan was to take out Mitch at final six, Kyle and Kamilla decided to shake things up and get one over on Joe and Eva. They created a convoluted lie that Shauhin has been hiding an idol from Joe all this time. Kyle would be the one to spread the rumor, and Kamilla would verify it when asked by Joe. With Kyle and Kamilla already having lied to Joe once in the pre-merge, it seemed like a long shot that Joe would believe them over his former California Girl alliance member. Well, the plan worked. Joe and Eva both voted for Shauhin, and Shauhin was voted out in 6th place.
Advantage Watch
Idols
Gia: Eva once again chose not to play her idol, which likely means she will achieve her goal of playing the idol at the final five. Now that we are officially heading to the finale, time is running out for anyone else to retrieve an additional advantage or idol.
Top 3 Players
Joe
Christine: Joe’s long been a frontrunner for the win, and while he’s still got a great shot at it, he took a big hit this week when he bought into Kamilla and Kyle’s scheme to turn him and Eva against Shauhin. I see why he fell for it: being in such a good position for so long, at some point, you have to assume someone like Shauhin might turn on you to better his position, so even though the flip against him and Eva wasn’t true, it’s understandable why he would vote Shauhin out to prevent a flip. Now that’s he’s gone, Joe and Eva’s path to the end is just a little bit harder, but not impossible. Joe could still take it all, but I have questions about how the jury will respond to him and if they’ll want to reward the kind of game he and Eva played.
Kamilla
Christine: Kamilla really needed Kyle to finally be ready to make a move so she could have any shot at winning, and this week’s vote against Shauhin gave her the opening she needed to maximize her chances of making it to the Final Three. Her (somehow still a secret) relationship with Kyle allowed them to pull a fast one over Eva, Joe, and Shauhin and break up this trio. It’s now looking more and more likely that one of Kamilla or Kyle will win this season, so long as they can dodge being collateral damage from an idol play at the Final 5. Should she make it to the end, Kamilla would have an incredibly strong case for herself as someone who thrived in the game despite being left out of the majority alliance, thanks to her strong relationship with Kyle.
Kyle
Gia: Is Kyle the winner of Survivor 48? After this episode, I’d say it looks more likely than ever. While the active players are still saying that Joe is the most likely candidate to win if he makes it to the end, it’s Kyle who appears to have the most control in the game. I still have a mark against him for his seeming unwillingness to take out Joe or Eva, but his and Kamilla’s gambit to take out Shauhin proves they are the strategically superior duo. The edit we are getting suggests that while Joe may be the face of the Strong 5 alliance, it’s Kyle who is actually the one to watch for in the finale. If he is able to make it to the final tribal council, I struggle to think of a way the other players can outshine him. Win or lose, I look forward to seeing how his game concludes.
Fallen Comrades
Shauhin
Christine: A move against Eva and Joe’s chokehold on the game finally happened, but surprisingly, it was against Shauhin, and Eva and Joe actually voted to make it happen. Kamilla and Kyle benefit majorly from Shauhin being out, so kudos to them for pulling a fast one on Eva and Joe. Shauhin was a major character this season, and before this episode, I thought he was a shoo-in to make the finale. He was a great talker, so regardless of whether or not Joe and Eva voted him out for the “right” reasons, it makes a lot of sense to remove him from the FTC equation since he would probably kill it with his oratorical skills. Shauhin may not have gone as far as his fellow Survivor 46 alternate Rachel, but he proved himself a great casting choice and a strong competitor during his time on this season.
Gia: I’m actually surprised to see Shauhin go here, but it makes more sense with the edit he was given. While he was adamant in his confessionals that he knew he could beat Joe and Eva in a jury vote, it was his trust in these two that led to his ultimate demise. Or rather, it was the fact that Joe trusted Kyle and Kamilla’s word over his own. Perhaps this is the reason we saw so many gaps in his game, regardless of whether or not he was actually a threat to win the whole thing. Overall, I think Shauhin will be most remembered for his comedic moments, whether it was recreating the theme song at challenges or his hilarious confessionals. Shauhin the finalist would’ve been fun to see, but I’m also excited to see what Shauhin the juror has cooking up as well.
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