The ranking of Survivor seasons *updated with s29*

A very hard season to place because whilst a lot of exciting and weird things did happen, it still felt like kind of a letdown. There weren't really enough cast members that inspired strong emotion in me, making it hard to get truly invested. The pre-merge was a slog at times, but it did pick up a lot in the second half.

1. Pearl Islands
2. Cook Islands
3. Heroes Vs Villains
4. Micronesia
5. China
6. Cagayan
7. Vanuatu
8. Nicaragua
9. Philippines
10. Palau
11. Caramoan
12. Blood Vs Water
13. Samoa
14. Tocantins
15. All Stars
16. Exile Island
17. Guatemala
18. Gabon
19. San Juan Del Sur
20. Amazon
21. One World
22. Fiji
23. South Pacific
24. Redemption Island
25. Australia
26. Borneo
27. Africa
28. Marquesas
29. Thailand

San Juan Del Sur Episode 14: Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves

Ok, ready to wrap up this unpredictable yet slightly lacklustre season? Still in the running we have last pair standing Missy and Baylor, the recently-scorned Jaclyn, Natalie (who's doing it all for her twinnie) and Keith, who seems just as confused as anyone as to how he's still here. One will be the winner of San Juan Del Sur!

The fireworks start early when Natalie and Jaclyn clash post-tribal, as Jaclyn takes some of Natalie's comments as an attack on Jon's character. Baylor and Missy talk about their dream to make the top 3 together, which is actually now a realistic possibility.

The contestants show up at the challenge and Jeff tells them they're playing for reward - Natalie brought the necklace for nothing, then. It involves running through a circle to unspool their rope, then building a bridge with sticks to get across to a bag toss. Jaclyn's rope gets tangled, leaving her behind from the start...then she falls down on the bridge. With Missy sitting out again and Baylor struggling also, it falls to Natalie to stop Keith. The two are neck and neck until Natalie has to go back for more logs. Keith gets to the table and starts throwing. He knocks most of his blocks down in one shot. With three left, Natalie enters contention too - but Keith takes the reward: an advantage in the next challenge.

Jaclyn rocks it out

Jaclyn goes off to Exile, making her day even worse. Missy, Baylor and Natalie are frustrated that Keith has the advantage, because they really need him out on the next vote. His advantage is the opportunity to practice the challenge in advance, and he gets a table which he spends the rest of the day on.

Keith, master of balls

Missy shows up at the challenge with a new shoe (it's Jon's, modified) and it's something she can actually compete in! All she needs to do is transfer balls across a course, using paddles. Keith may have had practice, but he doesn't seem to be doing any better for it...Baylor and Missy are the ones coming the closest. Later on, Keith does seem to get the hang of it and gets three balls before anyone even gets close. Keith is safe, and now a girl is going.

A frazzled Keith tells us in confessional (eventually) that Jaclyn is going home. But Jaclyn appeals to Natalie to take her last chance at breaking up the couple. Baylor still puts her trust in Natalie, even telling her to play the idol on...Missy? Natalie wants to make a big move, but not if it leads to her getting voted out next.

A jaw-dropping twist at tribal

At tribal council, Jaclyn says she trusts no-one now Jon is gone and that she's in a tough spot with Keith immune. Missy says she knows where the idol is and is confident of the vote going her way, claiming Jaclyn can't say anything to save herself now. Jaclyn and Keith didn't even know there was an idol! Once the votes are cast, Natalie decides to play the idol, but not for herself. After confirming with Jaclyn that she voted for who she said, she decides to use it on her. Baylor is stunned! Jon celebrates as three Jaclyn votes are cancelled and Baylor ends up sent home. Wow, what an unexpectedly exciting (and pointless) move this late in the game!

Natalie explains her reasoning for voting out Baylor, and Missy seems fairly understanding. Natalie knows she's screwed if Keith wins immunity though, and it falls to her and Jaclyn to stop that happening.

Putting the final Nale in Keith's coffin?

The final immunity challenge sees the contestants race down a four-storey structure to collect bags, solve a puzzle, and then use the missing shapes in the puzzle to determine what the combination to the final lock is. Looks great, but how disappointed must the producers be that only three are competing? They start by sliding down a fireman's poll, so this is right up Keith's alley. Keith and Natalie are side-by-side. Keith starts moving slower, but is still ahead of Jaclyn. Natalie works on the puzzle, and the others get there too, but they look exhausted - Jaclyn can't even open the bags. But with some quick puzzle-solving, Jaclyn does get back into it and is the first to make her way back down to the shapes...hurting herself in the process. Natalie races down hot on her heels as Jaclyn hobbles back up to the top. She has enough of a headstart - Jaclyn wins immunity!

Jaclyn and Missy weigh their options

We get back to camp, and Keith seems to have given up hope on convincing Jaclyn to turn on Natalie after the last tribal council. But if you thought they were completely solid, you were wrong. Jaclyn is now considering taking out Natalie, as she might have a stronger case to win. Missy asks her WWJD? (What would Jon do?)

At tribal council, Probst points out how Natalie saved Jaclyn on the last vote, but Natalie is not expecting anything in return. Jeff asks Natalie why Keith should get voted out, and she says he's too likeable. He offers Keith a chance to do the same, but Keith seems pretty fixated on Missy. Keith is indeed voted out, but claims no hard feelings. Probst tells them they've made the final three, and Natalie can't contain her excitement.

Ladies night tonight!

Missy is happy for an all-girl final three, since they started off the game with a numbers disadvantage. Natalie starts thinking about her final argument, and talks about how her game has been about trying to make Nadiya proud. For Jaclyn, it's all about inspiring other women with MRKH.


The three ladies give their opening statements to the jury. Missy talks about loyalty and says her hardest vote-off was Jon...that's not a great start, why focus on a vote you're guaranteed not to get? But she does point out she finished the game on one foot, which is pretty badass. Jaclyn says she started the game on the outs but was able to work her way to the top after the swap, and explains what the money would do for her. Natalie stresses that she made moves, was good at challenges, and overcame obstacles, harking back to the "outwit, outplay, outlast" motto.

Jon gives his girlfriend an opportunity to take ownership of a big move for herself, and she says voting out Josh was her idea. Seems like she needed that, as Josh asks her pretty much the same question a few minutes later and implies she rode Jon's coattails. Alec asks Natalie about her biggest move, and she tells Alec it was voting him out...which he seemed happy to hear. Keith calls Natalie out on a lie, but she says she needed to keep the attention off her. Wes asks a fluff question about what they gained from playing the game with a loved one.

Jeremy is up next, and I expected him to be the bitter juror, but he's actually the "talk to the jury" juror...which is worse. Reed happily fills that role though, and his vitriol is directed at Missy. He calls her the demanding, entitled "evil stepmother" and that she's going to pay for making the outcasts feel like they weren't welcome at the ball, which shocks everyone and reduces Baylor to tears.

Nat gets the Jeremy seal of approval

Voting time...All three finalists get at least one vote, all of them coming from the person you'd expect the most (Baylor and Jon supporting their loved ones, and Jeremy giving it to Natalie). Less expected was Reed writing down Jaclyn's name, but I suspect he just wanted to make sure Missy came 3rd. Aah, the pettiness continues. We cut to the studio for the vote, and the three women look gorgeous in their bright red/yellow/blue dresses. Natalie is named the sole Survivor, and Nadiya gets to share the moment too.

STAR OF THE WEEK: NATALIE ANDERSON

The Twinnies provide the bookends for the season, which is an interesting testament on how much of Survivor success is circumstantial. But regardless, Natalie proved herself a strong player in all areas of the game - socially, strategically and physically. She took every opportunity she could to kiss ass and build trust, timed her moves carefully, and kept her head in the game at all times.

Reunion highlights:

• Please stop doing hypothetical votes, Jeff. They just steal the winner's thunder, make everyone feel bad and probably aren't even accurate anyway. Jaclyn didn't screw up because she would've lost either way.
• Keith seemed pretty sad - I guess because everyone kept telling him he sucked at Survivor.
• That might have been the awkwardest silence ever when Jeff asked Missy to address Reed's jury speech. It was funny to see Dale backing him up too - he still hates her.
• Funny how some of John Rocker's best friends now are the ones that clashed with him the most. Presumably when he hangs out with the twinnies in New York, he doesn't take the Subway.
• Next season, Worlds Apart, sounds good. Three tribes has rarely gone wrong, and I have faith that the show can put together an interesting cross-section (it's a shame random audience member Casey won't be on, though). I'm pre-emptively rooting for No Collar!

San Juan Del Sur Episode 13: Hobbling To The Finish

Everyone comes back from tribal council confused at what just happened, and Natalie is playing along quite well. She claims she didn't know who she was supposed to vote for, and it appears everyone buys it. Natalie lets Keith know that she went out on a limb to keep him and that she has his back. Yay, Keith! You still have an ally after all.

Holy crap, this challenge is a death trap

Today's reward challenge involves going through hay, through an obstacle course and carrying a bucket of water over a see saw. It's Natalie, Baylor and Jaclyn against Jon, Missy and Keith. Jaclyn leads her team through the hay faster and hell of a lot more gracefully than Keith and Missy's team. Missy takes a few knocks climbing over the posts and then gets a bad sprain on the see saw. The three girls pick up a decent lead on this section, but the end puzzle seems to be going well for Jon and Missy. Jon missed the border at first, but still got it before the other team to win the challenge. The reward is a spa, but Jon doesn't care much for it, and decides to give it to Baylor. Baylor has to piggyback her mom out of the challenge arena. With Natalie Exiled, Jon and Jaclyn are going back to camp alone. Everyone wins.

Keith points out to Missy that her ankle still looks bad, but she's playing it down as she wants to see the game out. The spa treatment is a lot of fun, and Keith is particularly hilarious throughout, as he's never done this kind of thing before. Baylor's even coming around on him, realizing for the first time that he's pretty cool.

Keith enjoys a cleanse

Back at camp, Jon talks about how he's definitely gonna use Natalie's wonky vote against her when it comes time to face the jury. You idiot, you're the one that looks dumb there. Jaclyn now starts to wonder if she did it on purpose, but Jon can't see the blindside coming. On Exile, Natalie spends a lot of time crying and thinking about her sister.

No Payne, no gain

We get the longest "come on in, guys" ever before the challenge, as Missy has to be carried to the mat. Obviously it's bad enough for the medic to look at, so they bring him in to examine it. Based on the swelling, the medic can't rule out the possibility of it being broken, but would need to pull her from the game to do an X-ray. However, with only 4 days left, he's happy to just immobilize it and leave her in. Missy breathes a sigh of relief, as she didn't want to go, so Baylor and Natalie promise to carry her over the finish line if they have to. There's still no way she can do the challenge, however.

Bringing a new meaning to "battling the elements"

The challenge is to hold onto handles and balance another see saw to avoid your vase falling. Jaclyn is the first one out, and Baylor is next. The three left face an onslaught of the wind, and Keith falls next to set up a Natalie/Jon showdown. Jon's vase topples without him doing anything...mother nature decided the outcome in the end. Natalie wins immunity.

Missy says...shut it down!

Jon is happy for Natalie to have immunity, though he really shouldn't be. Natalie is planning a split vote between Jon and Jaclyn, and fills Keith in, telling him not to do anything crazy this time. Jaclyn is a little concerned as she's not sure Keith is really going home. Baylor tells Missy the plan and she flat-out refuses, saying she's gonna lose jury votes if she betrays someone she gave her word to. But she might have to do what's best for Baylor's game.

Missy is still on crutches and needing to be carried around even at tribal council. Surprisingly that injury doesn't come up and they mainly talk about how Keith wants people to trust him and make a move. Jon admits he's thinking about his final tribal council speech a lot, and the jury seem very angry at this. He'll have to get there first, starting with surviving this vote.

The first vote ties between Jon, Jaclyn and Keith, with the split vote only prolonging Jon's agony. He doesn't have any hard feelings about it, but admits he didn't see it coming at all. Natalie is grinning as this had been a long time coming. Probst closes the episode by telling them to remember to outwit, outplay, outlast. We're right near the end now and it's gonna be a struggle...for everyone.

STAR OF THE WEEK: MISSY PAYNE

You gotta respect Missy for hanging on in there and not quitting, she really is pretty tough. Despite initial reservations, she went along with the big move too. The last pair in the game could be occupying two of those final seats.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 12: Making A Stand

Here we go with the second episode of the night, then. Alec doesn't like that he was called out at tribal council, and senses his game is coming to an end. He asks Jon if he's gonna vote him out and Jon decides to be honest and say he trusts his alliance. But we all know trust on Survivor is rarely merited.

Stick to the plank

Time for a reward challenge now and this reward looks very much like immunity. They can win spaghetti in bed (is that a thing?) by keeping a ball pinned to a bar at the top of their station. Alec is out pretty much as soon as he starts. That's fine, save your strength for immunity. Missy, Keith and Baylor all drop too, and predict Jon is in trouble. They're right...he'd been hanging on by a thread for quite a while. Natalie and Jaclyn are the last two and Natalie wins. She gives Jon and Jaclyn the reward, hoping they won't have sex in the bed. Missy doesn't like missing out on the prize, but Natalie isn't making the same mistake she did: keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

Checking out the new digs

Jon and Jaclyn enjoy the reward, although it's a little bit awkward that everyone can see them enjoying it. Jon in particular likes the wine since he's a wine enthusiast, but Natalie wishes he'd just shut up. Natalie starts plotting with Baylor about how they need to get Jon out, as he's too dangerous to go to the end with. Baylor is on board because Jon is reminding her of one of her mom's exes. Seems everybody is souring on the golden couple now, with Keith pissed that they're sleeping for 90% of the day. When they finally do awaken, Jon detects a weird vibe in camp and wonders if he's now in trouble.

Divine intervention at the immunity challenge

Jeff gives a weird pep talk before the immunity challenge, as he sees Missy getting emotional. The challenge is to take blocks and stack them on a tipsy table. You know, the one Tyson won. Keith mystifies everyone with another solid performance and takes the lead. Then he ends up hitting a setback when he drops his stack, allowing Jon and Jaclyn time to catch him. Jaclyn drops too, and now it's all on Jon. Jon starts going very slowly for his last block, and it's enough to beat a pursuit from Keith. Jon is safe, and Natalie's blindside is a bust.

Alec starts showing a sensitive side to Baylor now that he feels he's on the block. Just bang already, for God's sake. He is not Jon's target this time though, who wants Keith out for being a challenge threat. They decide to split the votes just because they can, and now Natalie is wondering if she should take this opportunity to make a move and vote out Alec instead. She wants to keep Keith for the same reasons Jon wants him out - he could beat Jon in challenges.

Natalie's secret weapon?

More character development for Jon

At tribal council, Keith is called out directly for being a challenge threat. A rat interrupts the discussion and that somehow becomes a segway into Jon talking about his dad. He gets very emotional about how he didn't make up with him sooner, but Keith argues it might be a ploy for the jury.


Time to vote, and both Alec and Keith are forced to vote for eachother in order to survive. The last vote comes up for Alec, which gets a shocked reaction out of Jon and Missy. Well, Natalie has made a statement here. Time will tell if saving Keith was worth giving up the element of surprise, though.

STAR OF THE WEEK: KEITH NALE

Keith hasn't always made the smartest moves, but he's now the last man standing from his alliance. The fact he's in the final six is almost inexplicable. He's dodged a lot of bullets to get to this point, and with Natalie having his back, he might not be done next week either.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 11: Domestic Dispute

Keith has to answer to Reed and Alec for his big mouth, whereas Jon is elated to be safe. He claims he was gonna play his idol anyway, but Natalie doesn't believe it. Jon has a talk with Jaclyn about how she can't give Natalie credit for the move, especially in front of the jury. Jaclyn gets mad because she feels like he's trying to take away credit from her, too.

Baylor makes the cut

The reward challenge sees the return of the dreaded coconut chop, and the contestants have to answer questions about their fellow castaways to be able to take a chop. Keith isn't very good at it, answering a Jeremy question with "Jax". Natalie leads the charge to get Reed out. Alec isn't far behind, but gets to take some revenge out on Jon. Once Keith goes too, the five of them decide to have a discussion about who should win. Probst has had enough and decides to call the challenge off, knowing it's just a formality. Missy is declared the winner and takes Natalie and Baylor with her on the reward. This sends a message to Jaclyn that she's bottom of the alliance, and you know the guys are gonna use that. For the time being Reed is content just to argue with Baylor and Missy though, calling the younger one a brat.

Jon is happy to be back at Exile, thinking he can get another idol. There's not really many places they can hide it out there, so of course he finds it. Missy, Natalie and Baylor enjoy the horseback reward and start talking game when they get to the villa. They're worried about Jaclyn flipping, and decide to reaffirm their final 3 alliance. Natalie feels good about her chances in that combo.

Ladies man in action

So Reed is being nice to Jaclyn, since she's mad at not being picked. He warns her that Missy is a ruthless player and will make a move on them if they don't make a move first. Alec works his magic too, trying to build a rapport and talking about wanting to "party" with her and Drew. Natalie finds it inappropriate and thinks she wouldn't do it if Jon was here...Baylor worries that Alec might have swung the game back in his favour.

The immunity challenge is to get balls into the holes of your paddle and keep them there. Jon gets three early, but has trouble with the fourth. Natalie and Reed have minor success, but Keith is the only one able to really get off the ground. He overtakes Jon and wins immunity. Challenge beast! Now Reed's survival hinges on Jon and Jaclyn again.

The old dog learns some new tricks

Trouble in paradise: Jon wants to smooth it over

Jaclyn goes to Jon and tells them they might want to flip the game. Jon doesn't want to hear this though, as he doesn't trust the guys and just wants to spend time with Jaclyn, having been on Exile so long. Feeling disrespected, Jaclyn walks away. This is annoying for Reed because he's trying to make his case - and Natalie coming down to break up his conversations isn't helping either. Jon tries to smooth things over with Jaclyn, but he's getting the silent treatment. Bad time not to talk, right before a vote.

Another dream come true

The Jon/Jaclyn argument comes up at tribal council too, and Jeff finds it interesting that real life has invaded the game. Alec is accused of "flirting" also, which he denies. Missy tries to shoot down Reed's claims that Jon and Jaclyn are bottom of the alliance by pointing out how Reed was gunning for Jon just three days prior. Reed is unanimously voted out.

Reed is mostly positive in his final words, which is nice to see. This is probably the vote we expected but don't worry, there's more Survivor on the way tonight....

STAR OF THE WEEK: ALEC CHRISTY

Who'd have thought Alec of all people would come the closest to turning things around for the guy alliance? He's been accused of having a poor social game in the past, but he must have put a lot of work in to build bridges again, as now he seems to be doing alright.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 10: Stick To The Plan

Even though he was out of the loop, Keith congratulates everyone on getting rid of Jeremy, which was a good move for him. He gives Reed props in particular. Now Reed is trying to keep his old group together, even though they voted for him. Somehow he's gone from dead man walking to swing vote in a matter of hours.

Jon meanwhile works to try and bring a scorned Natalie back into the fold. One of the methods he uses to get her trust back is to tell her about his idol. However, Natalie wants an idol of her own and is already digging.

Natalie's revenge, coming...eventually

The reward challenge is to dive into the water, snag a key, unlock puzzle pieces and bring them back. If they win, they will be taking baseball supplies to needy children, and also eating "baseball food" (is that a thing?). Split into two teams, Keith ends up sitting out. Wes is the first to unlock a stack for the blue team, beating Jon. From that point on, castaways are allowed to hook their teammates back with a buoy on a string, which is weird. The last two to go are Natalie and Alec, and Alec pushes yellow into the lead. Jon does the puzzle solving for his team, whilst blue struggle to even get it unlocked. Yellow team win reward, disappointing Baylor because her mom hasn't been on a reward yet. But Reed is willing to step up to the plate and let her take his spot. And yet earlier he was giving Natalie shit for doing the same.

Missy being mom again

The reward winners are mobbed by kids on the baseball field, and Missy really enjoys playing with them. Kids are kind of a sore spot for Jon and Jaclyn though, because they can't have any. What could've been a blatant sob story is actually a sweet scene where Jon proclaims his love for his girlfriend, regardless of her child-bearing abilities.

Girls who run the game

Reed lets Keith know his plan is to organize a split vote between him and Wes, convince the majority that he'll go along with it, whilst secretly blindsiding Jon. Keith nods along to this unconvincingly. Natalie tells Baylor they need to look for the idol, using the clue they got from Exile. She finds it under a big log, and then talks about her endgame strategy with Baylor. Take out Reed first, and then turn on Jon to form a girl's alliance.

Reed decides it's time to split

The immunity challenge sees contestants hanging on a cross in a very Christ-like pose. Probst starts taunting them with food temptations, and Jon is the first to bite. He lets out a loud scream as he helps himself to a sugar rush and Keith starts ragging on his weak resolve. Missy is out next and ends up irritating her daughter by talking too much. Baylor and Jaclyn take cookies, and Wes (who has just got off Exile) takes chicken. As the battle rages on between Alec, Natalie and Reed, Wes shoots the shit with Probst on the sidelines, bragging about his chicken-eating prowess and bringing up his Two And A Half Men cameo. The final showdown is Reed and Natalie. Reed is looking steady, whereas Natalie is spitting all over herself. She gives in for food after 3 hours, giving Reed immunity, but neither of them can walk far enough to claim their prize.

Reed and Alec reaffirm to Missy that they're down to flush Wes and Keith's idol. Jon has reservations about whether Reed really will vote with him, but Missy guarantees it. He's feeling a bit better after a talk with Alec, but still knows that this is the first time he's been vulnerable for a while.

Former foes become bench buddies

At tribal council, Probst brings up how no idols have been played, and Keith says Jon must feel comfortable to have stepped down so early. Reed throws shade on Keith to keep up the facade of them being against eachother, but then when offered a response, Keith looks at him and tells him "stick to the plan", confusing everyone else. Natalie and Jaclyn get chatting about whether they really trust the guys or not, as Reed tries to calm everyone down. As Probst goes to tally the votes, Natalie urges Jon to play his idol. He does just that, forcing Keith to spring into action and play his. 4 votes on Jon are negated, letting him know who he can't trust. And with Keith's votes canceled too, it's Wes that takes the bullet. His dad did offer him the idol, but he turned it down. Such a gentleman.

Welp, a blindside foiled in spectacular fashion but still a pretty great episode. It's a long way back for Reed now, who has just lost every bit of trust he'd built up. Dammit Keith, you dun goofed.

STAR OF THE WEEK: NATALIE ANDERSON

Natalie recovered well from her blindside and is smart to bide her time. Now we finally have her path to the end and it looks like a smart one. Owning the only idol left in the game is sure to make that run even smoother.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 9: Think On Your Feet

Reed is obviously devastated at losing Josh, but now he has nothing left to lose. Jon is the one being comforted by Missy as he feels bad for leading the other alliance on so badly. Keith is mad at Jon and is hoping to get the opportunity to idol someone out.

Natalie and Jaclyn shake it up

Let's get stuck in to a reward challenge now, where two teams stand on a balance beam and have to knock eachother off. And the rain starts just as the first matchup is about to begin. It's Wes against Reed, and Wes falls over trying to reach. Jaclyn falls in too, but Jon scores his team's first point by beating Jeremy. Baylor shakes the beam against her mom and wins easily. Alec falls over to give Keith the win, and Reed loses once he gets mud in his eye. Jaclyn falls in again, and Jon wins a point. That means it's Missy vs Baylor to decide it...and Baylor wins! Natalie asks if she can trade her spot to Jon as a thank you, and Jeremy does the same thing for his girl. Then he gets sent to Exile too.

The yacht club spot dolphins

Wes and Keith talk to Natalie back at camp, with Wes saying he doesn't want to be #blindsided (yes, he added the hashtag). But really the two of them are just fishing for clues on who to play the idol on. Wes seems impressed with Natalie's move to lock down Jon and Jaclyn. Jeremy can even see the boat he's supposed to be on from Exile Island, which has got to rub it in a little. The reward winners are watching dolphins, whilst Reed talks about how he plans to stir things up.

Jeremy doesn't get a ton of sleep on Exile Island, but decides to hunt for the idol. After scouring the rock where the clue said it would be, he comes to the conclusion that Jon might have it. This makes him a little wary of Jon...if nothing else, it would just be nice to know he didn't have to suffer out here. Jon has noticed this too, and thinks Jeremy is smart enough to figure out he has it. Does that mean he'll have to reveal?

Baylor gets a leg up

The immunity challenge, as Probst delights in telling us, is one that's totally unique. You have to stack blocks and plant a flag using only your feet. "How does that even work?" Natalie wonders. Reed starts off well, with Keith not far behind. Keith knocks his blocks off with one left to place. Suddenly it's Reed and Baylor going toe-to-toe. Reed gets nervous and Baylor wins.

Reed is on the (paper) trail

Now that he's in "go big or go home" mode, Reed
searches Keith's bag just to see what's in there. Turns out he left the instructions for the hidden immunity idol in there, tipping Reed off that Keith has it. He decides to let the girls know, which shocks Baylor in particular. Reed might just have shifted the target onto somebody else.

With all the idol gossip spreading quickly, Jeremy adds fuel to the fire by telling Natalie he's sure Jon has one. He goes to Jon and asks him directly but Jon doesn't admit it...and he senses Jeremy doesn't believe him. Jon goes to Missy and reveals he has the idol, but he's not willing to tell Jeremy as he wants him out. Missy is happy Jon trusts her, but still feels loyalty to Jeremy and Natalie as they were her first alliance.

At tribal council, Probst wants to talk about the reward switch, and Reed is quick to point out that it wasn't as selfless as it seemed. Jeremy talks about how depleted Exile Island left him. Jaclyn says she thinks someone has the idol, and gets into an argument with Keith and Wes about the two of them not talking to her. Reed wants this fight to continue, as any conflict is good for him right now.

The votes come in, and it's between Keith and Reed. Except it's not, as a bunch of Jeremy votes come out of NOWHERE and he ends up getting blindsided. Holy crap, did that just happen? I thought I was pretty good at reading Survivor editing, but they got me good with this one. Natalie is understandably pissed at Missy...guess they'll think twice before going the good Samaritan route again.

Where there's smoke, there's firemen

Jeremy's exit has opened up this game so much that it truly feels like nobody is safe now. No alliances are likely to stick from this point, meaning it's truly anyone's game to win, and anyone could be next.

STAR OF THE WEEK: REED KELLY

He was so invisible for so long, I didn't think Reed would ever get this award. But he finally got a chance to shine tonight, and overcame the odds to survive. Just goes to show you, never give up...sometimes chaos is the way to go.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 8: It's A Gas!

Whilst Missy is pissed at Julie for abandoning them, Jon is happy he didn't have to show his hand. Him and Jaclyn have promised both sides the world, but Jon has decided that kicking out Jeremy is the best decision for him at this point. And he doesn't think he'll see it coming.

Probst referees a frantic race

The reward challenge sees the contestants split into teams of two, where they have to stack heavy blocks on a large trolley and push them across to where they have to build a pyramid. The prize is a trip to a taco bar, and everyone really wants it. The teams are decided via schoolyard pick: Jeremy, Natalie, Wes, Keith and Reed vs Josh, Baylor, Alec, Jon and Jaclyn. Sorry Missy, you're sitting out. Reed's team try to move 4 blocks on their first try whereas Baylor's team go with 5. The lighter load proves smarter as yellow have an advantage going into the puzzle, but blue end up assembling very quickly. It's not enough to catch them though, as Natalie kicks off the hoisting of the statue to give her team victory. Getting to choose who to Exile from the losers, they decide to pick the one they think can handle it the best - Jon.

I don't wanna taco bar it

There's very little strategy talk at the taco bar, since the winners aren't all in the same alliance. Keith tries to play dumb and claim he didn't know who he was voting for, but Jeremy sees through it. Wes wolfs down the reward and gets sick. Back on the beach, Josh is happy to be with the people he needs to be with and makes one last plea to get Baylor on his side. But Baylor doesn't like Josh holding the "I saved you" card over her head, saying it feels like she's being "blackmailed".

On Exile Island, Jon gets a clue to the new immunity idol. When it mentions a fork in the water, he heads straight for the huge peninsula and starts making his way up. Near the top, he finds the idol and declares now he can make his will happen.

Chivalry is dead

Alec is being a douche to Baylor after getting back from the reward, and Keith decides to badger her about not collecting wood. The guys being gross is turning off the women towards them, and Jaclyn in particular takes exception to Alec implying she doesn't do camp work. Way to go Alec, you may have just cost your alliance the game!

The immunity challenge puts their memory to the test. Jon is the first one out, proving that the deprivation of Exile is real. Reed, Wes and Alec go next...not looking good for Josh's alliance. More people are eliminated one-by-one until we get a split decision, with Josh and Jeremy on one side, Missy and Keith on the other. The last question comes down to the two power players, and Jeremy takes it.

You win this round...

Jeremy receives some half-hearted congratulations on winning the necklace, but he's nervous that Jon and Jaclyn might not be with him. The guys talk about who to vote for instead, and the general consensus is Baylor. Jaclyn tells Jon how the guys barely talked to her while she was gone and that she wants to go with Jeremy now. They debate back and forth for a while, discussing who is better at challenges and who is a bigger jury threat. Keith meanwhile makes it clear who he's voting for, bluntly telling Missy that her daughter "doesn't do shit". Missy relays this back, so now Baylor knows she's in the hot seat.

Josh braces for impact

At tribal council, Jeff outlines the split. Natalie talks about how the talk of bodily fluids is off-putting, and Josh starts to get nervous when Jaclyn backs her up. Keith defends this by saying they're not at the Hilton. Reed decides to make one last pitch before the vote, telling Jon and Jaclyn that Jeremy will turn on them very quickly. Did it work?

Baylor votes for Josh, saying she stopped trusting him when he voted for her for no reason. Knew that could come back to bite him. Josh and Reed hold hands as the votes are read and you get the feeling he's preparing for the worst. He's not wrong and he sadly leaves for the jury house. Advantage, Jeremy! But there's still a long way to go.

STAR OF THE WEEK: JACLYN SCHULTZ

Jaclyn has been underestimated in this game (hey, I'm guilty of it too) but is coming into her own lately and is much sharper strategically than she first appears. I've suspected for a while now that she wears the pants in the relationship and this proved me right. Way to show those gross men who's boss!

San Juan Del Sur Episode 7: Trails And Tribulations

Missy tries to explain to Keith why he got votes but she does a terrible job, and now he's pissed. Not good for them to have a potential defector with a merge coming up. Hunahpu get a map to a new location, which they all assume is a merge. Josh says he couldn't get Jeremy out when he had the chance, but starts counting numbers with Reed to figure out how he can do it now. Jeremy is also seeing this as the time to strike. Looks like the two best strategic players in the game are about to go head-to-head!

Dateable status confirmed

The two groups gather together for a feast and Julie starts to get jealous that she doesn't have a partner. The new buffs are teal, which seems a bit too similar to Hunahpu's, but I'm not complaining about any color that isn't black at this point.

The first person Jeremy checks in with is Jon, seeing him as a crucial vote to secure. He lets him know that he's got in tight with Missy, which is great for Jeremy, because he's been close with Missy since day 1. And still is, based on their reunion talk. In less serious news, the painting of the "Huyopa" flag begins, and it becomes the first tribe to have a hashtag. Not sure how I feel about that.

Baylor takes her orders

Josh is also hustling for votes and goes to Baylor to ask if they're still good. He doesn't get a good vibe from Baylor, and is disappointed because he kept her in the game. Baylor likes Josh and feels bad for having to go against him but Missy feels confident that her bonds are the better option so tells her to deal with it and "let her drive". Man, watching Missy talk down to her daughter is no fun. Why should Baylor have to play *her* game?

Having given up on the girls, Josh decides to move on and try to get Jon and Jaclyn instead. His argument is that the two well-off broadway guys are far less of a threat than the big strong firefighter. Credit to Josh, he is working it.

Sorry I'm not sorry for being a princess

Alec is wondering where the trail mix from the merge feast is and Wes wants to start checking people's bags. Julie is the one hoarding it, and Jon finds it in a search. The rest of the tribe are pretty outraged, and Baylor even steals some of it back. Julie doesn't even give a good reason for her behaviour and doesn't seem to care. Jon is seething mad, making for an awkward moment when Julie returns to camp.

The immunity challenge is to hold onto ropes and keep a plate in the air. If your ball falls off, you lose. Jeremy is the first person to lose his ball with Missy and Julie next. The second round has a longer rope, which is too much for Reed and Baylor. Alec falls out once the wind picks up, and an even larger gust eliminates Natalie. It comes down to Wes...and Keith? Wes ultimately loses to his dad which gets him a lot of stick from Jon, but Keith gets praise as well for his remarkable win.

The animosity towards Julie is building, and Alec makes an off-hand comment about the trail mix that Julie hears. Julie talks with Missy and tells her that her head is not in the game anymore and she's had enough. Missy tells her "don't quit yet" (yet?) because they need her. But Julie sees right through her faux-concern and knows she is just a number.

Caught at a crossroads

Jon lets Jeremy know that Josh is still working to get him out, but it's easy for Jeremy to rebuff Josh's arguments of him being a challenge dominator based on his performance earlier today. Some of Josh's words are getting through though, particularly that they need to keep the loved ones together and that Jeremy has been targeting couples. Jaclyn seems shocked when her boyfriend tells her he has done a 180, but convinces her it's for the best to switch over. Dun dun dun, what a game changer!

My heart won't go on

But looks like there's another twist: Julie wants to call it a day. Off by herself, she has a conversation with Probst where she says she thinks her time in the game is nearly done and she wants to spend time with her boyfriend. I don't usually go soft on quitters but since Julie knew she had no chance of winning, I don't blame her for feeling she was wasting her time.

Probst walks into camp and gathers everyone around to tell them Julie is gone. Julie's allies are pretty dismayed, Jeremy most of all. Alec is quick to bash Julie for being useless, whereas Jaclyn is still sore about the trail mix. Jeff then says tribal council is canceled, leaving Josh a little disappointed because he thought he had the numbers to get Jeremy out. Looks like the Josh vs Jeremy war will have to be continued next week. And with the numbers so precariously poised, anything could happen.

STAR OF THE WEEK: KEITH NALE

Almost gave this to Alec of all people (hey, who else got out an opposition player with a single sentence?) but the firefighter dad gets it for surpassing expectations with an unexpected immunity win. He didn't take his votes lying down and any enemy of Missy is a friend of mine. He may not remember his son's birthday, but Keith should be safe for a while.