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“Survivor” fans definitely got our money’s worth with a 2-hour episode that featured four challenges, two tribal councils and — finally! — some action on “Extinction Island.”
Kama continued its challenge run, winning both reward and both immunity challenges, primarily on the back of Joe Amazing, who agonizes that each victory he cinches for his tribe puts a bigger target on his back.
All season the castaways have been threatening to vote off Joe and the other three returning players — Kelley, David and Aubry — but the Manu tribe finally made good on the threat by snuffing Aubry’s torch and sending her, unbeknownst to them, not out of the game but off to Crazy Town, also known as Extinction Island.
At the last immunity challenge for the night, host Jeff Probst threw in a little twist. Instead of the first and second place tribes both winning immunity, only the first place tribe would get it, and the two losing tribes would head to Tribal Council together to vote one person off.
That led to a lot of bravado and angst. With both tribes down to four players, a tie is a forgone conclusion. In the event of a tie, they’re told, a second vote will be taken and if they remain knotted, the players on the chopping block are saved and the other six must draw rocks to see who leaves.
Lesu tribe — Wardog, Kelley, Lauren and David — vowed to stand together and draw rocks if need be. Kelley had a plan, but Wardog cut her short and said they all must vote for Wendy, because it’s doubtful her tribe would want to risk drawing rocks for the likes of her.
Manu tribe — Livermore’s Eric, Gavin, Victoria and Wendy — targeted Lauren but were hoping, based on Wendy’s former experience with the players on Lesu, they could convince David to join them. Victoria vowed, like the others, to remain united, but privately said she’d do what was best for her.
“Don’t ever trust me,” she said. “I don’t know if anyone’s figured that out yet.”
The first vote ended in a tie between Lauren, who had a hidden idol but didn’t play it, and Wendy, who doesn’t have a clue. As the players prepared for a second vote, there was a lot of whispering, pleading and mini confabs. In the end, Wendy’s number came up.
Let’s talk about Wendy for a moment. She freed the chickens and stole her tribe’s flint. When asked about her strategy, she only gave blank stares or giggled. She’s like someone who left for work one morning, but ended up at the mall instead, delighted to go from shop to shop.
When she was voted out, she was the happiest person in the hut, applauding, laughing, asking Probst to call her “Big Wendy” and asking for a hug before skipping off down the wrong trail. She finally found her way to the fork in the path and the big go home/play on decision. She might have intended to go home — who knows? — but she headed for Extinction Island.
Meanwhile on Extinction Island, things have gotten pretty grim. Chris and Rick seemed to strike up a bond, Keith was listless, Aubry was confused and Reem was just plain nasty, as usual. But at last, the castaways 2.0 had something to do.
Before Aubry arrived, the four misfits received identical maps with the show’s classic cryptic prose. Rick figured out that if you folded the map and aligned the stars, they pointed to two trees. As he was foolish enough to solve the riddle in front of everyone, they all agreed to search as a team, but have some rice before setting off.
Keith, however, rightly figured out that “Survivor” is not a team sport, and set off on his own. He had a sizable lead before the others figured it out, and then the chase was on with Reem bellowing at him like an enraged bull.
Just as Keith got to the first tree, Chris tackled him and got to the hidden object first. It turned out to be three slats, some string and a note to “practice.” Meanwhile, Rick had headed to the other tree, where he claimed the right to send a special “extra vote” advantage to the player of his choice, who would never know where it came from.
He chose Aubry, who was voted out next and arrived on the island with the unused advantage and a hidden immunity idol in her bag.
The next day, with Aubry wandering the beach like a ghost, they all received another map, this one with holes in it. Aubry followed their lead, folding the map and studying it, but she had no idea what was going on. They all trekked back up the hill, looking for something familiar.
Rick, again, figured out that if you folded the map to line up the holes, it indicated the treasure was back down on the beach, and he headed back, digging fruitlessly around the surrender mast.
Reem wandered back down with Keith, and they decided to check out the rocks at low tide. Reem spotted something in the water, pointing it out to Keith, who promptly grabbed it. Reem shrugged it off, saying he had touched it first and those were the rules of the game she had apparently made up in her head.
When Chris noted that Reem had “given” the treasure to Keith, Reem flipped out and ended up rolling around with her hands over her ears, telling Chris she was done with him.
“People are legit losing it,” Aubry said. Clearly.
The treasure, by the way, was a piece of knotted rope; during a challenge, Keith can give it to his greatest nemesis, forcing that person to untie the knots before carrying on.
Next time: The merge is here but before anyone gets too happy, the exiles from Crazy Town Island come back to blow some minds.
