Come on in guys! Welcome back to “Idol Speculation”, my knee-jerk opinion that everyone is entitled to! It is time for us to begin our episodic look at season 36, aka “Survivor One Bad Decision Can Haunt You Forever”, where one bad decision can haunt you forever. As we all know, one bad decision can haunt you forever, so it’s important that you remember that one bad decision can haunt you forever. And did we mention that one bad decision can haunt you forever?
Oh, I’m sorry, did you find the repetition of that phrase to be incredibly annoying and patronizing? TOO BAD! This is a two-hour premier, and we’re taking advantage of it by repeating this phrase another 187 times!
Ok, ok, so that’s more of a fault of the opening than it is a fault of the episode as a whole, but when you repeat the phrase three times in as many minutes, it gets a bit wearing. “Reverse the Curse” is also in danger of encountering the same problem, but since it’s at least a shorter phrase, and its appearances were more spread-out, it is somewhat more tolerable.
Vehicle porn is for once NOT the order of the day during our introduction. Nor is the location, though that may have something to do with the fact that this season takes place in FREAKING FIJI! AGAIN! Look, I get that it’s a beautiful location that fits well within the “Survivor” infrastructure, and after last season took place there, this one was guaranteed to do so as well, but the lack of variety is really becoming a damper on my enjoyment. PLEASE let the rumors of going to Papua New Guinea next season be true, however unlikely it is.
Well, with neither vehicles nor location to focus on, we’re left with the twist, that of the titular Ghost Island. We’re given some brief flashbacks of the “mistakes of the past”, before talking about how our new group will have to play using these former items so as to break their “curse”. Like I’ve said before, not a terrible idea, but one that would fit better on a returnee season, since people would be guaranteed to know a lot about most of these items, and avoid the pitfall of “Huh, I wonder what this thing was?” We are spared such a hilarious yet painful confessional this episode, and due to notes coming with items, it’s unlikely to happen, but I’m still wary.
After being introduced to the Malolo and Naviti tribes (and thank God for once I don’t have to rant about how I’m not calling them by their division names), we cut right down to business with another twist. This one comes to us courtesy of “Survivor Samoa”. Clearly we’re pulling from nothing but the finest stock this time around! Actually, the twist starts out like “Survivor Samoa”, but builds on it. Both tribes are asked to select a leader for this particular challenge. Malolo, after conferring for a bit, chooses Brendan. Not a bad choice. The dude seems paternal, knowledgeable in challenge areas, and gives his tribe enough freedom in the decision to name him to not seem like a dictator. The same cannot be said for Naviti. The second they look at Chris, he’s all for it, showing you how much his head is actually in the game. Look, being the overt leader like this on “Survivor” is very tempting. Controlling your own fate seems like the way to go. And true, being a leader, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. It is the word “overt” that is the problem here. Heads that are readily visible tend to get lopped off on “Survivor”, and as we’ll soon see, I doubt Chris will be an exception to this.
Our new leaders are now asked to pick people for a challenge, one to run, and one to puzzle. Brendan goes first, and again, measuredly takes his time with both choices. First, he selects Michael to run, then Laurel to puzzle. Neither is an overtly bad choice. Michael is built, and Laurel gives off the air of being smart, so hard to argue with those. Chris, once again, acts on impulse, another sign that his head, and soon to be the rest of him, is out of the game. His quick pick to run is Sebastian, which admittedly is a good impulsive choice. I don’t think consideration would have changed anything here. But then he picks Desi for the puzzle. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing outwardly to indicate Desi would be a bad puzzle solver, but he really seems to put no thought into the decision, and as Desi admits, she’s not a good puzzle solver. Plus, he had Bradley wearing his glasses right there, and as we all know, glasses make people look smarterer.
Since being named as a leader didn’t pile on the “Royally Screwed”, enough, Probst now explains what the tribes are playing for. You see, supplies at camp are low. REALLY low. One pot, one machete, and a wine bottle of rice (no wine, unfortunately). I mean this is some “Survivor All-Stars” level of deprivation, and unlike that season, I doubt these players will be able to whine their way to more supplies. Fortunately, this challenge is a chance to win some helpful items. There’s fishing gear for both tribes, but only the winning tribe will get theirs, along with shelter-building supplies. However, because the producers have evidently learned SOME lessons from “Survivor All-Stars”, there is a way to mitigate disaster. As soon as once tribe starts the puzzle, a timer begins counting down. At any time until the timer stops, any leader can dramatically forfeit the challenge by dropping the puzzle. If they do so, they save their fishing gear, but the other tribe wins everything, PLUS twenty eggs and flint for fire. This, for me, is what saves this twist. While it was never going to be the worst, singling out the “leaders” this way kind of rubbed me the wrong way. However, the sheer amount of choice, leading to good strategy and debates, is enough to save it for me. Plus, the leader role WON’T be forced into everything like it was on “Survivor Samoa”, so that’s a plus.
At the outset, Chris’ one good decision so far seems to work. Michael and Sebastian stay even for the most part, but by the third and final lap, Sebastian has pulled fairly far ahead. Sadly, everyone quickly realizes Desi hails from the Tony Vlachos (“Survivor Cagayan”), school of puzzle solving, a school whose motto is “Wing it and see what happens!” Unsurprisingly, this strategy does not do well against the methodical Laurel, and Chris, in what is probably the only unquestionably good decision of the whole thing, pulls the plug at the last minute. He showed his faith in Desi, but when it was clear that faith was misplaced, he made the only call he could. Better to have fishing gear and let the others have fire that to proverbially cut off your nose to spite your face.
That won’t stop him from getting shit, though. Most everyone on the tribe realizes Chris’ blunder, but only the blunt Domenick is willing to openly call him on it. Not saying Domenick is wrong in this case, but in a game like this, based on stealth and subtlety, being so blunt is unlikely to get you anywhere fast, except for Ponderosa.
For once, we actually get to see the essential scene of the tribes introducing themselves to their tribemates. I have to admit, I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I saw it again. We haven’t really had a proper one of these since “Survivor Millennials vs. Gen-X”, and it makes for a lovely pair of scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I like the strategy talk a lot, but it was nice for a second to let these people sit and be people. Granted a bit of strategy did leak into both scenes. On Malolo, Michael lies and tells people he’s 23 (which, given his looks, he can definitely get away with), when he’s really 18, but that’s stuff that would be naturally relevant regardless. We also hear about how Gonzales is tougher than she appears to be, and more used to this environment. The big moment, though, is Donathan. He talks for a bit about the difficulties of being a gay man from small-town Kentucky, but does it in a very genuine way. Hell, he manages to find humor in the whole thing, commenting to Laurel that “You can’t find a good man in Kentucky.” Ok, that’s a good line. He also talks about how eye opening it is to interact with people like Laurel (who’s African-American), and James (who’s Asian-American), since he mostly sees white people in his area. Again, a line that could easily be forced and cliched, but Donathan manages to pull it off in a genuine way, and it really helps me connect with these people.
Naviti are a bit more impersonal (though we do learn about Wendell’s business, and Chris’ life changes), but that’s because they have grudges to get to. Chris, being at least aware enough to realize that Domenick calling out his decision-making means he probably has a mark on his back, sets out to do something about said mark. Unfortunately, said impulsive something is again a misfire. Chris, being a big, brawny guy, decides to team up with the other big, brawny guy, Sebastian. Even leaving aside the poor math skills here for a second, this runs up against the issues that TEAMING UP WITH OTHER BIG, BRAWNY GUYS MAKES YOU ALL TARGETS! HOW IS THIS IN ANY WAY A SMART IDEA? Yes, in case it wasn’t obvious Chris is our first boot, let me say it now: Chris is our first boot.
Don’t believe me? Here’s the only strategy talk we get at Malolo. Jacob, not being the most brawny guy out there, recognizes he might be in trouble. Being a student of the game, Jacob naturally works to form bonds with the other less-scrawny people to for a coalition against the strong… Or he goes and looks for the idol and alienates himself. Why does this keep happening to superfans? I get that the idol is alluring, but idols do not win “Survivor”. Social bonds do. Focus on those first, idols later, especially when you can just casually idol hunt without suspicion while collecting wood. To Jacob’s credit, he at least realizes his mistake, but rather than try and form bonds to fix it, instead just whines about it and continues his hunt. Perhaps that ship had sailed by that point, but I still feel like something else could have been done. I do have to admire his ingenuity, though. Recognizing that the bottle of rice would be a good place to hide a clue, Jacob looks through it by tying off his sock to the end of the bottle, and dumping the rice in it too look. Gross, but not a bad plan. Plus, we get to admire Jacob’s sweet monkey socks in the process. I don’t know why, but I love those things.
Contrast this with Naviti, where strategy seems more the order of the day. After hearing again about how Wendell followed his passion with furniture making, we see that he and Domenick are bonding over their mutual love of building things. Wendell thinks he might be a good ally due to this bond, which isn’t horrible logic. Granted, I’m usually AGAINST making alliances with people who are so blatant about their thoughts as Domenick is, but given Wendell’s current options, he’s not bad. At least Domenick thinks through his positions. The impulsive Chris and Sebastian are more likely to get you in trouble, so when Sebastian comes up to Wendell to get him on the anti-Domenick agenda, Wendell’s not exactly on board with the idea. After taking a moment to bask in the fact that my man Wendell is doing well at putting himself in the middle (in case I didn’t make it clear, while I have a soft spot for Jacob as my doppelganger, Wendell is my favorite on the season. He’s just so charming), he loses a slight bit of respect by playing off the situation somewhat poorly. Rather than just noncommittally go along with it, Wendell says he likes Domenick, and suggests that Sebastian “keep thinking”. Granted, there are ruder ways to get out of an alliance, but it still seems pretty clear that Wendell is not with Sebastian and Chris, which should tip them off that something’s amiss. Fortunately, they don’t, and Wendell uses this information to bond with Domenick, hoping it will help him down the line.
Down the line may be sooner than he thinks, as it’s CHALLENGE TIME! Despite drawing from the pool of despair that is “Survivor Samoa”, this is again a good challenge. After lifting up a few tribemates to untie ropes, tribes then pull a platform back and forth to transport puzzle pieces from one side of the course to another. Then, said puzzle must be assembled, with the first tribe to do so winning immunity (and fire, if they’re Naviti). While the puzzle itself originally hails from “Survivor Thailand”, overall the structure resembles the first immunity challenge from “Survivor Samoa”, so that’s where I say the inspiration comes from. Since said “Survivor Samoa” challenge was pretty cool, I’m happy. It’s mostly about teamwork, keeps the tribe together by and large, and hauling large crates is cool-looking. I should also give credit to the innovation of not just pulling the crate one way, but doing it back and forth. That’s a nice twist on the classic.
This also gives us two reveals: the immunity idol, and the fact that the art department is clearly not trying anymore. I guess the “Survivor Millennials vs. Gen-X” idol was technically worse looking, but this is your basic tiki with a couple skulls carved in the top. Effort is a thing, guys, you should try it sometime.
To make up for the lack of misdirection from the strategy, Naviti gives an incredibly impressive challenge performance, particularly as they’re presumably operating on no water. They manage to haul their platform a lot faster than Malolo, in part because they do the actually smart thing of RUNNING with their rope and letting momentum help them along. But you just know it’s all going to fall apart on the puzzle. Yep, there’s Laurel, making a comeback and… Wait, why is Probst saying “Naviti, wins immunity!”
Ok, show, I’m HAPPY you pulled the wool over my eyes, but now a lot of this time feels a bit wasted. We couldn’t have gotten a BIT of strategy from Malolo earlier? To be fair, it seems like there really was no strategy apart from “Get out Jacob” up until that point, but the fact remains that now everything shifted gears so suddenly, I got whiplash. Jacob’s in kind of a bad state as well, given the state of his face. He gave it his all, even in terms of smack talk, still boasting about how Malolo will be the best tribe in the history of forever, despite their loss. But it was all an actually clever ploy, for you see, Naviti gets to send one member of Malolo to Ghost Island, allowing them to avoid Tribal Council. Having found no idol, Jacob made himself look a bit of an ass so as to get sent. Of course, most people would recognize this, and go against that wish. Personally, I favor the Ken Hoang (“Survivor Gabon”) strategy of “send the survival wimp so they may quit. Unfortunately, this tribe still contains Chris, and so Jacob’s strategy works.
Give credit to the editors for one thing: they go all in on the whole “Ghost Island” thing. They cut around like it’s a horror movie, cutting around to shots of various spooky-looking “Survivor” artifacts, and also the immunity idol from “Survivor China”. It’s fortunate that Jacob of all people was the first one sent, since while some of these so-called “superfans” can be questioned, Jacob is a true dyed-in-the-wool fan, and his googly-eyed faking of the snuffers in particular is just as fun as you think it would be.
Moving on to business, Jacob smashes an urn (boringly, he goes for the first one in line, though as the second person to go to Ghost Island smashes the second one, I guess it’s a rule that they must be smashed in order), and is told to follow the fire. At the end of said fire is an offer of a gamble for Jacob. He has a 50/50 choice of two bamboo chutes. One has a key that will unlock a third shoot with an advantage. The other will cost him his vote at the next Tribal Council. Talk about your high stakes! This is actually a real dilemma. An unknown advantage is powerful, but a 50/50 shot is still not great odds, even on “Survivor”, and the reward for losing is so high, it’s genuinely worth not taking the chance, especially if you happen to be in the majority. Jacob, thankfully, is both a superfan, and in the minority, so he goes for it. I can’t complain too much, as while I think building social bonds is better, Jacob is clearly in the doghouse with his tribe right now, and so just needs any advantage he can. Worst case scenario, I don’t think his vote loss changes anything, but an unknown advantage could.
Luckily for Jacob, he picks correctly, and opens the chute to get his advantage. But what could be so powerful that it’s worth risking a vote over. A vote steal? An extra vote? A free super idol? No, in fact, when we find out what it is, it’s really not worth it. Jacob inherits Sierra’s legacy advantage, courtesy of “Survivor Game Changers”. Because when you want to appeal to long-time “Survivor” fans, you start things off with referencing “Survivor Game Changers”. Don’t get me wrong, the legacy advantage is fine in and of itself, but for someone in Jacob’s position, it’s practically useless. With limited times it can be played, it works best in the hands of someone in power, not someone in the minority like Jacob. But it would be bad enough if it were an advantage Jacob was unlikely to use, but he doesn’t even get to KEEP the damn thing. He has to will it to someone on Naviti, in the hopes that those bonds will save him. Yeah, I’m SURE that the guy on the bottom wants bonds with the other tribe, not something to keep THEMSELVES safe. Jacob decides to will it to Morgan, since she seemed a bit weaker on that tribe (she ducked when someone was to be chosen for the puzzle on the first challenge), which is a logical choice. Jacob then settles in for an evening in “Survivor” fan heaven.
We make up for lost strategizing by noting again how Donathan is weaker, though more socially bonded. Contrast with Gonzales, who’s been speaking up a bit too much (she called out distracting comments about the immunity puzzle, and insists she had the right way back at camp), but is stronger. The debate quickly comes down the pair of them, and from this tribe, if Jacob is not going to be the target, then this is actually a good debate. Both have their plusses and minuses, outlined above. Both have similar amounts of screentime, and while neither is the most fascinating character, both have something that makes me want to view this debate. Unfortunately, all that time spent at Naviti means we cut to Tribal Council only after establishing that Stephanie wants to go with social bonds, while Michael wants to go with physical strength. I’m leaning towards Stephanie getting her way, since Donathan was presented as a hero of the season, so it would be weird to see him go this early, but strange things have happened.
I retract my statement about the art department getting lazy. This Tribal Council is GORGEOUS! A lot of cluttered chaos, but in a good way, with sticks poking up everywhere. The piece de resistance, though, has to be that voting booth. Nothing is as cheesily cool as voting in a giant tiki head with flaming eyeballs. That’s the kind of cool cheese I love from “Survivor”.
What happens at Tribal Council ain’t half-bad either. Nothing earth-shattering (with one exception we’ll get to shortly), but we get to see that this tribe is pretty good at double-talking. Laurel in particular is able get in a line about going with strength without making it obvious she’s voting out the “stronger” Gonzales. Stephanie does her share as well, but does it in such a way that it does tip Gonzales off.
This is where things get interesting. Gonzales now pays greater attention to everything, culminating in her whispering to several people prior to the vote. Ok, how is this in any way smart? If Gonzales wanted to CHANGE her plans, I could understand it, but she’s just checking that everything’s still good. Apart from the whispering revealing who your alliance members are, OF COURSE people will tell you they’re sticking to your plan! It doesn’t matter if they lie to you! You’ll be gone! Nothing lost! You’re just doing this because you saw it on previous seasons, and wanted a bit more screen time, aren’t you?
As Probst goes to tally the votes, I am pleased to hear the return of the awesome Tribal Council soundtrack from “Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers”. The vote ends in a slight anticlimax as Gonzales goes home. While I liked both her and Donathan as a viewer, I feel like less was lost with a Gonzales exit. While she was tougher than your average “Survivor” beauty, her story just doesn’t have the heart Donathan’s has. Plus, I feel her exit was the smarter strategic decision. Despite losing, this tribe is not hurting for strength. In addition, given the chaos Gonzales helped cause at the immunity challenge, I don’t see her as that much of a help. Given that, it’s better to keep the people who keep your unit cohesive, and thus, Donathan is the better choice.
With the exit of Gonzales, she joins the long line of great “Idol Speculation” winner picks. It’s insights like these that make me the strategic mastermind you keep coming back to.
Checking in at Naviti, Domenick is having some trouble keeping his paranoia in check. Despite Wendell acting as his alarm system, Domenick takes from the playbook of Ben Driebergen (“Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers”), and goes idol hunting though the night. He finds the thing in a tree (what a shock), but can’t read the note in the dark. The next morning, he finds that this idol hails from “Survivor Caramoan”, and is the one Andrea was voted out with on that season. A double-bonus for him, as unlike other idols, this is from a less-liked season, and thus is less likely to be recognized, even by superfans. By all measures, Domenick now has much more room to play. He squanders it instantly by making a move on Chris that I STILL can’t wrap my head around. Making a peace with Chris I can understand. After all, as the cliche goes, best to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Chris understandably asks if Domenick has an idol. Dominic actually plays off a good incredulous look (better than some we’ll be getting to), and I’m still ok with this. After all, if you’re still looking to get out Chris, it’s best to have a tool like an idol on your side. Then Domenick proceeds to make a fake idol, and stash the note with it. Still following. Best to throw other idol-hunters off the trail. Then Domenick SHOWS Chris the fake idol with the real note, thereby proving that he lied to Chris about not having the idol, and you’ve lost me. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF LYING TO CHRIS, ONLY THEN TO REVEAL SAID LIE WITH ANOTHER LIE LATER? Where are you going with this? Chris, while impulsive, is not an idiot, realizes that Domenick has lied to him, and thus swears to keep an eye on him. Stellar playing there, Domenick! You’ve accomplished exactly the opposite of what you intended! Truly, it takes a masterful player to do that!
Domenick’s not the only one with an advantage, though. Morgan finds the legacy advantage willed to her by Jacob (in a cute moment, both caress Sierra’s name in the same fashion), and we get some foreshadowing for the inevitable swap. That’s about it. Morgan seems nice, but she’s not the most exciting person out there.
Speaking of Jacob, just because he got no advantage at Ghost Island doesn’t mean he can’t bluff that he got one. He makes a pretty convincing fake idol, and plots to tell his tribe MOST of the truth. You see, he’ll tell about the urns and the game of chance and all that, but say he got an idol out of it. I’d keep what the specific advantage was a secret, implying rather than telling, since it makes calling one’s bluff harder, but not a bad plan, assuming it can be pulled off with subtlety. Jacob being Jacob, he spills everything to his tribe in about five minutes, and misplays the damn thing. Look I’m not saying don’t threaten idol usage, but don’t outright state it. Imply that you will, and let paranoia take care of the rest.
As it stands, Jacob’s plan truly backfires because his bluff is called. Brendan asks to see the note, and Jacob must quickly make up that he forgot it on Ghost Island. After he leaves, Brendan rightly points out the BS this is, and keeps the plan on Jacob, though he asks Stephanie to make Jacob comfortable, just in case the idol is real. Good plan by Brendan, bad play by Jacob.
Our second immunity challenge, sadly, does not compare to the first one. Despite drawing from better stock (specifically “Octopus’ Garden” from “Survivor Cagayan” and the coconut cage challenge from “Survivor Micronesia”), this one just feels like an underwhelming generic obstacle course. To make matters worse, this thing’s another blowout for Naviti. Here, when we actually HAD enough strategizing from both tribes to make things a mystery, one tribe is clearly going to be the winner. Naivety takes an early lead, and when both James and Donathan struggle with the diving portion, everything is set in stone. Not that Probst can’t force a moment out of this, though. Donathan, not being a strong swimmer, left everything to James. When James chokes (both figuratively and literally), he begs for Donathan to sub in. Donathan insists he can’t, which leads his tribe to cheer him on. Even Probst, dropping any pretense of impartiality, also eggs on Donathan to do it, because dammit, it was a sweet moment when Cirie did it on “Survivor Game Changers”, and we’re going to recreate that moment, no matter how forced!
Forced or not, it was nice to see Donathan succeed. Naviti still wins handily, though, and unfortunately for Jacob, are sticking with their “Send most visible player to Ghost Island” strategy. Lest you think Probst has no impact on the game, his egging on of Donathan gets the boy sent to Ghost Island. Way to be impartial there, Probst.
Donathan does not get the pleasure of a Ghost Island gamble, and so must be content with his moral challenge victory. Bummer.
With everything now on the line, Jacob is in trouble. Despite James’ struggle, the tribe as a whole is still anti-Jacob, especially as few really believe in his idol. Fortunately, Stephanie is getting a bit power-mad, and considers taking Jacob on, since he’s a more loyal soldier. It will take all of Jacobs guile and cunning to play this correctly and save himself. He crumbles in about five minutes.
For all that I give Jacob a hard time, I actually have a real soft-spot for the guy. I feel like his main flaw is simply too much enthusiasm as a super-fan. He just wants the game to go on, but in his eagerness, overplays and overshares out of excitement. Is it a flaw? Yes, but would any other true fan be much different in that situation? It’d be difficult, at the very least.
In the ultimate failure to take advantage of Stephanie’s power grab, Jacob spills everything to her. He admits the idol is a fake, because that’s SURE to get people to stick with you. Admit that you’ve lied to them, nothing can go wrong! Then, Jacob talks about the legacy advantage to Stephanie, which at FIRST seems like an ok idea. After all, this means that Jacob has connections to the other tribe, and is thus more valuable, right? Unfortunately, it being so early, all Stephanie has to do is vote out Jacob, then lie to Morgan and say his boot wasn’t her idea, and BAM, all the connection without the Jacob. For all that I like the guy, his eagerness to play is a liability, since it makes him reveal secrets an alliance may not want revealed.
For the final nail in the Jacob coffin, the alternate target is not James (since he would be required in the vote) but Michael. Don’t get me wrong, Michael’s been fairly visible, and of the potential targets tonight is the one I most want to see go as a viewer, but really, between the arguments for him and the arguments for Jacob, it’s no contest.
Tribal Council, while still good, is a less memorable affair. Some more decent double-talk, and good arguments from Jacob, and even a really fun voting confessional from him as well (“There’s a reason we have two ears and one mouth. Listen more.”), in the end, the inevitable comes, and Jacob is booted. Like Gonzales, I will miss the guys. He was a lot of fun, and his only true crime was to be too eager to play, a flaw I can easily forgive. He will be missed.
This episode is a bit of an oxymoron for me. By most rights, I should hate it. Fairly predictable, a number of repeated storylines, and the editing was all over the place. And yet I LOVED it! I think it comes down to those early scenes of camp introduction, to be honest. Whatever the other flaws of this episode, it did a fantastic job of getting me to understand and care about these characters. That, at its core, is what makes for a good season of “Survivor”, and if it can do that job well, which I contend this episode did, I can forgive a lot.
Less forgivable is the overabundance of twists. Next episode is a swap. God help us all.
-Matt
Title Credit to Jean Storrs.
P.S If you’re looking for a “Top 5 and Bottom 5”, don’t worry. I have one in mind that I will put in next week’s episode. For now, it is late, and I am tired.