David Vs Goliath Episode 1: What's Your Story?

Probst lets us know we're in for a biblical showdown this summer, and the contrast couldn't be more apparent out of the gate. Natalie introduces herself talking about her success as a CEO, whereas Elizabeth's claim to fame is she can throw a hay bale. Climbing onto the boat, Angelina sees what she's up against and is stoked. Jeff explains the theme, and it's the Davids who seem the happiest with it. Alison seems to reject the insinuation that she doesn't work hard, being a successful doctor, but then Pat tells his story about how he couldn't even go to high school because he was taking care of his mom.

Not sure why Alison needed to be in a bra for this, but OK

For the first challenge, taking place on the boat, Jeff makes the Goliaths select the David's two weakest players - they choose Lyrsa and Christian. They then pick their strongest players - Alison and John. The challenge is a multi-choice obstacle course...but the Davids get to make the choices for both tribes. In the first section, the Goliaths have to build a plank bridge whilst the Davids shimmy across a beam over water. Despite them looking like they're going to fall in at times, Christian and Lyrsa complete it first. The net crawl however lets John and Alison catch up. It comes down to the puzzle (slide puzzle for Davids, cube puzzle for Goliath). This is where Christian shines as he does it rather easily and wins the Davids a shelter-building kit. Turns out he had some experience with them, and gets a funny confessional nitpicking how he could've done it even better.

Time to trim the fat

At Goliath camp, Mike is pretty much immediately outed for being on The Amazing Race. Dan tells his weight loss story and gets pretty flirty with Kara, who rejects his offer of a showmance. Pat is happy to take charge of putting the shelter together for the Davids. And he does a good job, which is just as well, as he's also being quite bossy and crude. Natalie puts a target on herself when the Goliaths build shelter, clashing with engineer Natalia over a difference of opinion.

Alliances start forming on the David tribe, with Jessica connecting with Bi and Carl. Davie and Carl are also together, whilst Elizabeth and Lyrsa form a surprise early bond too. Gabby and Christian are vibing well over their nerdiness, though Christian is careful to not be seen as a (platonic) pair with her.

The intimidation game

John talks about his job, revealing his long list of ring names. Natalia is getting further annoyed by Natalie, complaining about her standing silently like a stalker. Mike meanwhile is looking for an idol. Natalie goes to check Mike and tell him he's making himself a target, and it seems a safe bet the first boot will be one of the two of them.

The Davids put the finishing touches on their shelter as the rain comes down, as Nick concentrates on making alliances with Christian and Elizabeth (even naming his alliance with her the Thoroughbreds, Big Brother style.) Carl is annoyed by Nick's lack of effort around camp though, and wants to make him the first target.

I'm all for more idol equality

Alison and Angelina look for the idol, with Angelina pointing out how statistically, very few women have found idols. Yes, let's see that change! The whole tribe is looking for it now, and we learn via confessional that Dan has it! Only Kara and Natalia know for now, and Dan is clearly happy to have some beautiful ladies close to him.

Davie catches an octopus, which I can't remember seeing anyone do before. Things get a little heavier when Jessica cries telling people about how she had to look after her mom. Bi talks about her abusive relationship, hoping to make her feel better. This inspires Nick to share his story too, maybe the most emotional one yet, about losing his mom to a drug overdose.

Nick sheds his snake skin

Having a rough day

Rain is pouring for the first immunity challenge, which involves racing through an obstacle course, crawling under a log to cut rope, crossing a platform on a pole and then arranging heavy number blocks so they all end up in order. There's a lot of physical contact out of the gate, with Pat going after John. Alec beats Carl in the dig under the post when Carl gets stuck, forcing the Davids to untie their ropes instead. The puzzle is pretty even, with Alison and Christian directing their tribes. The Goliaths just about beat them when the Davids have one block left to place. Damn, that was close. But the stronger team prevailed. Davids are going to tribal, and Lyrsa seems pretty set on it being Nick.

The storm claims a victim

But fate has other ideas, as we cut to a storm and see the jarring image of Pat being dragged off a boat in pain. Apparently he was hurt on the ride back to camp. Jeff is there, as well as the doctors, as they look Pat over. Pat pleads to stay, but he doesn't have a choice and is officially pulled from the game. The Davids cry about having lost a strong leader, but at least they don't have to vote now.

Well, that was a very emotional premiere and refreshingly character-driven. Sucks to see Pat go like that, but they wouldn't be the David tribe if they didn't have a few curveballs thrown at them, and now they have to rise against adversity once more.

STAR OF THE WEEK: DAN RENGERING

This dreamboat seems well-liked by his tribe, and he has an idol and some strong connections already. As long as he doesn't get too distracted by girls, he should be OK.

David Vs Goliath cast preview

Survivor is taking a big risk with this season, with a theme that could end up as a total mismatch. My overall impression of this group is they seem very different, in a good way. Let's go through them one by one.

THE DAVIDS

Christian Hubicki - Robotics scientist

What Jeff says: "Christian Hubicki is what you think of when you think of a David. Very smart guy. Underestimate Hubicki and you'll find yourself being voted out."
Yeesh, can we chill with the last name stuff already? His bio is funny but he also rambles on a lot about random stuff. He seems pretty awkward so I can't imagine him doing well, but usually these nerdy superfans always do.

Gabby Pascuzzi - Writer

What Jeff says: "Gabby is, some would say, a female Cochran or another version of Aubry. She's got a nerdy side to her but the truth is she's really smart, so socially she's excellent."
Already one of my favorites. She has a great sense of humour and knows the game, so I hope she can do well. If she can get to the merge, nobody will be worried about her for a while.

Davie Rickenbacker - Social media manager

What Jeff says: "Davie's one of my favorites, he's a really likeable guy, has great self-awareness. And I think he's a guy who is actually so likeable he might be the guy that can float through without getting in anybody's way."
Davie seems like a really fun and eccentric personality, but also normal and relatable at the same time. His bio made me laugh the most, especially when he was talking about his pack of huskies.

Lyrsa Torres - Airline agent

What Jeff says: "I think Lyrsa's going to struggle in the beginning, but if she can fit in and let her guard down I can see her going deep in the game."
Hard to imagine her not as an early boot. Anyone who stands out or is different in such a blatant way is likely to be in trouble very quickly. I'm sure Lyrsa has a great personality, but being a weak challenge competitor as well is just too many strikes against her.

Elizabeth Olson - Kitchen staff

What Jeff says: "Elizabeth was one of my favorites the minute she walked in, I like everything about her. She'll say 'I started working at 11 because I wanted to have a horse'. I don't know many 11-year-olds that are working and earning real money. That's the story of a David."
I feel like Elizabeth was cast due to the success of Lauren. She's gonna be a big personality, but will she be a gameplayer? She's a long-time fan so maybe, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Nick Wilson - Lawyer

What Jeff says: "Nick Wilson is a guy that is really complicated. He's a David so much that he's willing to forego the shot at Goliath and come back to help other Davids. He's a little quirky, he's really likeable...he's gotta find a solid alliance."
I think if a David was to win, Nick might have the best shot. He's likeable, laid-back and smarter than he seems. Humble and accomplished, Nick has the best of both worlds.

Carl Boudreax - Truck driver

What Jeff says: "I think Carl is a real sleeper to win this game because I don't think he's gonna get in anybody's face."
Carl is a family man, religious, very blue collar. That should be enough to connect with people like Elizabeth and Pat at least. He had the shortest bio so he was hard to get a read on, so I'm not expecting much right now.

Pat Cusack - Maintenance worker

What Jeff says: "Pat Cusack is actually the guy that inspired the David vs Goliath idea. He told us his story about growing up with nothing. For me it was 'absolutely must be on the show.' That's the guy you root for, he deserves a shot."
I don't see him lasting long, but I feel like he could at least provide some good comic relief while he's there. Jeff's story about him not understanding time zones was hilarious.

Jessica Peet - Waitress

What Jeff says: "Jessica is a hard-working smart young woman who I think is gonna lie about her age. She doesn't want people to think she's a teenager. She's already had a lot of experiences when most kids her age are just trying to get through school."
My biggest takeaway from Jessica's bio is that she's surprisingly a huge fan! And she smartly seems to want to keep that under wraps, so people can assume she's a recruit an underestimate her. Not revealing her age to avoid the Will Wahl problem is a good move too.

Bi Nguyen - MMA fighter

What Jeff says: "Bi is literally an MMA fighter, so you would think at first glance she's gotta be a Goliath, but then you talk to her and no. She's had a hard life, and as she describes it, everything about my life has been climbing out of one hole after the other."
Let's be honest, the only reason Bi is a David is so they don't get slaughtered in challenges. She'll probably be too valuable for her tribe to get rid of early, but come a swap or merge, she could be the biggest target.

THE GOLIATHS

Mike White - Writer

What Jeff says: Mike White may be one of the most unexpected Goliaths because when you look at him, you think 'you gotta be a David', but you talk to him and he says 'when have I lost?'"
I'll tell you when: two seasons of The Amazing Race! All shade aside, I really like Mike, and I'm glad not everyone on Goliath is a physical powerhouse. That might draw some attention initially, but the good thing for him is they're probably going to win a lot of challenges. He's also a long-time friend of Jeff Probst, so he knows the ins and outs of the game.

Angelina Keeley - Financial consultant

What Jeff says: "Angelina is smarter and more accomplished than she wants anybody to know. Her ego would want people to know I was a 4.85 Stanford and a Yale master, but she's also smart enough to know that if I trot out my resume, it just makes me a target."
Smart enough to fit in with the nerds, pretty enough to fit in with the popular crowd...Angelina starts this season a in a very good spot. I kinda get Liz Markham vibes though, so maybe she's too perfect? The key will be keeping her threat level down (her friend Adam Klein probably gave her great advice on that) because there's a cutthroat player in her waiting to emerge.

Jeremy Crawford - Financial consultant

What Jeff says: "Jeremy is a very likeable guy. Strong, smart guy, an attorney, and I think he's as cunning as people are going to think he is."
As a gay black guy from the South, Jeremy feels like too much of a misfit for the Goliath tribe, but they must be leaning on his lawyer credentials. The way he talks about not being able to fly under the radar, he's gonna put a target on his back very quickly. And I don't know if he has the self-awareness to realize it.

Natalie Cole - Publishing CEO

What Jeff says: Natalie Cole is a powerhouse. This is a Goliath, someone you're a little intimidated to talk to. Older, black, female - you could use any of those and say: these are things going against me. She says 'No no no, this is my asset right here.'"
Natalie gives a strong first impression - I could tell within seconds she was going to be a big personality and was completely unlike anyone that has ever been on the show before. She'll want to run the show, and maybe they'll let her for a while, but I can't see it lasting long.

Alec Merlino - Bartender

What Jeff says: "Alec is one of the most charming guys we've ever had on the show. And he knows it. And he says that's why I'm a Goliath. He's funny, he's good-looking, he's athletic...all of those are things that you want to be around in any other situation, just not on Survivor."
I could be way off on this, but Alec strikes me as a douchebag. Allegedly this guy got himself voted out from the reunion before the season has even aired, so that's a remarkable feat. If that's any indication of what's to come, we could be in for another Drew Christy, and I'm excited.

Alison Raybould - Physician

What Jeff says: "There's a bit of a free spirit in Alison that wants to come out. 'I'm not the uptight Doctor, I'm actually fun and sexy and I can do things.'"
I think I've landed on Alison as my official winner pick. When I make my choice I always try to go for some who isn't too anything - too young, too old, too strong, too weak. Alison has a very non-threatening personality and is exactly the kind of mediocrity I'm looking for (not meant as an insult!).

Daniel Rengering - SWAT cop

What Jeff says: "Dan is a really interesting guy because he lost over 100 lbs, completely transformed. He's a Goliath, but what I think he's probably going to say on the beach is that the truth is, I'm still a Goliath in bloom."
Daniel is basically Michael Yerger with more life perspective, which is a very dangerous player indeed. Doesn't mean I think he's going to win though, he seems almost too obvious and will probably have a tough time after the merge. If I was him, I'd be using Johnny as a shield for as long as possible.

Kara Kay - Realtor

What Jeff says: "Kara owns every part of herself. She says 'absolutely, being attractive has helped me throughout life. I've been a cheerleader, I'm now one of the best real estate agents in my field.' And I would not be surprised at all to see her in the final 3."
Kara is more than just a pretty face - she's worked hard, and I think that will help her. She doesn't seem to know the show too well, which could hold her back, but overall, Kara stands a good shot at being underestimated.

John Hennigan - Wrestler

What Jeff says: "John Hennigan wears everything about himself on his sleeve, on his jacket, on his arms, on his biceps. He doesn't pretend he's something he's not. I think once you get over the initial 'my name's John, I'm a wrestler', you realize, oh, that's just who he is. He's actually a very likeable guy and very accomplished".
It seems to me like John is always "on", which makes it hard to figure out how he's going to play the game. Will he takes it seriously or just be the court jester? It's hard to picture him taking the belt on this one.

Natalia Azoqa - Industrial engineer

What Jeff says: "Natalia, another extremely strong woman this season. Very smart, an industrial engineer. She clearly has the physical abilities and I think given who else is playing she could find herself in a very strong female alliance."
This girl is one badass bitch. She definitely has the making of a strategic challenge beast, let's hope she has the social game too. Natalia's challenge will be not coming on too strong out of the gate, because she's got a lot going for her if she can reign herself in.

The ranking of Survivor seasons *updated with s36*

Ghost Island had a fun start which dropped off a little post-merge once it became clear Domenick and Wendell were absolutely dominating unopposed. The season's titular location had a great vibe but wasn't as consequential as it could've been. The first ever FTC tie made sure it ended with a bang however, and will probably be a huge part of this season's lasting legacy.

1. Pearl Islands
2. Cook Islands
3. Heroes Vs Villains
4. Micronesia
5. China
6. Cagayan
7. Kaoh Rong
8. Vanuatu
9. Nicaragua
10. Philippines
11. Millennials Vs Gen X
12. Cambodia
13. Palau
14. Caramoan
15. Blood Vs Water
16. Game Changers
17. Worlds Apart
18. Samoa
19. Tocantins
20. All Stars
21. Exile Island
22. Ghost Island
23. Guatemala
24. Gabon
25. San Juan Del Sur
26. Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers
27. Amazon
28. Australia
29. Borneo
30. Fiji
31. One World
32. South Pacific
33. Redemption Island
34. Africa
35. Marquesas
36. Thailand

Ghost Island Episode 14: The Inseparables

Six are left - who will take the victory?

Back from what Angela calls a "barn-burner", Donathan is nervous he might be a target for blowing up at tribal. Sebastian was not in on the vote, and is tired of being in Wendell and Domenick's shadow. Domenick has Sebastian in his sights too, since he's an immunity threat and has no enemies on the jury.

Cracking skulls

The immunity challenge is a gigantic skull maze. Donathan gets lost in it early, as Wendell and Sebastian take the lead. Sebastian and Laurel get all their bags back first, with Wendell not far behind. They start building the puzzles, as Donathan excitedly declares he has his final bag at last. Wendell finishes the puzzle and makes sure to yell for Jeff this time. Wendell picks Sebastian and Angela to share his steak reward. He says it's because Angela hasn't eaten, but Laurel thinks it was strategy.

Wendell tells Sebastian and Angela that he wants to vote Donathan. Donathan thinks it's him because Domenick and Wendell haven't talked to him, but Sebastian says it doesn't have to be. Although Domenick has been telling them he has 2 idols, Sebastian suggests they just vote for him anyway and hope for the best, and reveals his extra vote. Angela then inexplicably decides to open her mouth to Domenick about it. Amazing she would ruin this, as even Laurel is OK with losing Domenick at this point. Domenick catches Wendell up, and realizes he has a big decision to make with the idol.

At tribal council, Laurel talks about the difference between big and smart moves. Donathan says he feels he's going home. Domenick says he doesn't buy it, and when Donathan doesn't fess up, he reveals he knows about the extra vote. He pulls out his two idols and Wendell pulls out his. He then gives the fake one to Jeff early, saying he's playing it. After the votes are cast, Domenick reveals his bluff. It works, as Sebastian is voted out. Not only did he switch his vote, but he didn't even play the extra one. Whaat? Well, he went out in the most fitting way possible: like a dumbass.

Shape shifter

Onto the final 5 immunity challenge, which is to get puzzle pieces from a course that starts on water and finishes on land, then build a pyramid. Wendell leads the way and Angela drags behind. The puzzle proves tricky, but Wendell is the one to figure it out and win immunity. Now he's caught up to his competition.

There's lots of factors to the vote. Domenick asks Donathan who he'd take if he wins the final 4 challenge, and he says him. Yeah, he doesn't believe that. But Domenick also starts quizzing Laurel, as he thinks she might be their biggest threat left.

Your savior is here

At tribal council, it's clear that Angela, Laurel and Donathan all feel like their lives are on the line. Donathan pleads his case that he's sucked at challenges so far, whereas Laurel says she hopes her loyalty is repaid. Wendell hints his idol might come into play. After the vote, Wendell lets Domenick play his idol first....then he uses his on Laurel. Donathan is voted out as a result, and leaves calling it the "wonderful most experience of my life".

The final immunity challenge is to stack 6 balls on top of eachother. Wendell keeps his cool and is looking good, whilst Domenick's keeps dropping. Wendell's falls with one left, so now Angela is in the lead. But when she drops, Domenick gets the lead and never loses it. The construction worker is in the final 3, and now he must decide who to take with him. But they're all sent off to Ghost Island for the campaigning, and Domenick gets a note.

They're going at eachother now, but never lost the love

Wendell is pretty sure that Domenick is not gonna take him, so has to practice his firemaking skills. Domenick is looking for the best candidate to beat Wendell, and Laurel insists that's not her. He goes to Angela and tells her he has confidence in her. Domenick's note gives him the choice of which urn to take - the one from Australia, Cagayan or Game Changers...all seasons where someone screwed up on who to bring to the end. He picks Cagayan as he feels Tony's game reflects his own. True to that style, he's considering doing something truly crazy - giving Angela the necklace and taking Wendell out himself.

You won't get rid of him that easily

At tribal council, Angela makes the case that taking Laurel to the end would be a mistake since she's so smart. Wendell says he never had a hope of being chosen and that there was an understanding that this is where their partnership comes to an end. It's time for Domenick's decision, and he chooses Laurel. Taking their seats for the fire challenge, Wendell makes Angela switch since he doesn't want to be with cursed orange. It's Wendell who gets the fire going first, as Angela never gets off the ground. Wendell secures his spot in final 3, sending Angela to jury. Michael says he's glad it's this three.

A very deserving final 3 celebrate the end being near. Wendell says he was the silent assassin, whereas Laurel says she was an underdog. Domenick takes notes from Wendell on how to talk to the jury, as he's worried about coming off as arrogant.

Kellyn opens up final tribal council by asking about their social games. Laurel says she used hers to get out of a tough spot after coming from a decimated tribe. Michael argues she never made a move on the threats, but Laurel says none of the opportunities to do so benefitted her. Michael thinks Domenick had the best social game, but Wendell says that even though he wasn't as loud, he still had genuine conversations. There's an inspired cut to Chris here when he mentions talking about rappers with Desiree.

Chris asks who was the mastermind, and Wendell says it was him. He takes credit for pulling in Laurel, but Donathan says that was actually Domenick. Domenick rejects Wendell's claims, saying "do I look like I take orders from anyone?". We then do a straw poll among the people who worked with the duo to see who feels Domenick brought them in and who feels Wendell did. Donathan, Chelsea and Libby say Domenick, whereas only Sebastian says Wendell.

The conversation moves on to physical game, and Laurel says she was good at challenges but never felt like she needed to win them. Wendell mentions building stuff for camp, and also his loyalty which Michael says he's not interested in. Domenick is most proud of his fake idol move, though Sebastian thinks it was disrespectful. Chris says that as much as they fought, he has a mutual respect for Domenick.

History made! And the reactions were priceless

They all give their last pitches, and then we start the vote. Michael and Chris vote for Domenick. Sebastian and Kellyn vote for Wendell. Jeff brings the urn back and says he's gonna read the votes right here. The players are shocked...but it can only mean one thing:  a tie! Finally, something we've been wanting to see for years. That makes Laurel the final juror with the power to cast the vote that single-handedly decides the winner. She reluctantly does it, but Jeff decides to leave that one a mystery for now.

Now we switch to the studio, where Jeff prepares to read out the sole vote. Even right now, there's a sense it could go either way. He flips it over and it's....Wendell! Congrats to him, he escapes being haunted by bad decisions  - and even reversed the curse of being Probst's winner pick!

STAR OF THE WEEK: WENDELL HOLLAND

Wendell emerged the winner over his equally deserving partner, thanks mainly due to his magic likeability. Him and Domenick ran the whole game together so it's only fitting it came down to the two of them.

See you next time for David Vs Goliath, the season with an already built-in underdog story. Neurotic nerds, wrestlers and trailer trash, oh my!

Ghost Island Episode 13: Going Rogue

Kellyn feels on the bottom now, despite Sebastian reassuring her. Laurel is STILL unsure about making a move on the top dogs, but Donathan is at the point where he's willing to make a move with or without her.

Remind anyone else of The Borrowers?

The reward challenge is for 3 teams of 2 to keep wooden spools rolling down a track. The pairs: Kellyn/Sebastian, Wendell/Domenick and Donathan/Laurel. The challenge wears people down gradually, with Sebastian and Kellyn the first to drop. Donathan makes a nice save, but they're out next meaning Domenick and Wendell get the reward...just like they've got everything else this season. They get to take one person with them for their mission trip and send one person to Ghost Island. They make both decisions quickly, bringing Laurel with them on reward and sending "the pirate" (Sebastian) into exile. That just makes Donathan feel even more left out.

Suckerfish or just a sucker?

On Ghost Island, Sebastian makes an analogy about how he's playing the role of a suckerfish, but that he's hoping to get an advantage that can really boost his game. His most coherent analogy yet. He wins the extra vote...the same one that Kellyn just misused. This is a bit meta.

Hide yo kids: Domenick's carried a few people this season

On the reward, Domenick is playing with the kids, Laurel is playing volleyball and Wendell is playing basketball. The three agree that this is the final 3, with Laurel even asking the local who she thinks will win. Why, need strategy advice? Laurel tells them her best bet is to hope they both split the votes, though that might not be her actual plan.

Wendell tries to reassure Donathan that they're solid. but Donathan knows he won't be getting to the end unless he stirs things up. He tells Wendell that Domenick will be hard to beat at the end and that he'll vote for him if he's on the jury. Wendell says this is "incentive for Domenick to put him on the jury"...I'd say it's more an incentive for Wendell to put Domenick on the jury.

Wendell loses on a technicality

The immunity challenge is to build a bridge using planks, then build a ladder to climb up to a slide puzzle. Wendell and Sebastian are out in front, as Kellyn trips and falls (moving wasn't even supposed to be the hard part). Domenick and Laurel catch up on the ladder, as Jeff roasts Donathan and Angela for being hopeless at the bridge. The slide puzzle feels like Wendell's to lose, since he had such a big time advantage, but Laurel has done this puzzle before in episode 1. Laurel gets it and wins immunity, although Wendell points out he actually got it first, he just didn't call Jeff over. Jeff explains he doesn't know that you're done unless you call, to which Wendell agrees, but he's still a little salty about it. I love a good controversy!

Laurel says she wouldn't feel right voting out Wendell after what happened at the challenge, so is gonna stick with the boys to pick off Kellyn. (A: who cares about "fair"? B: Vote out Domenick, then!) Donathan seems to think he's in trouble and asks them to tell him if he's going home, which throws Domenick off. Wendell asks Domenick for some idol instructions to go with his fake idol, and Donathan sees him take something out of his bag. He doesn't buy their vague explanation, and wonders if they're going to play an idol on Kellyn to get him out. Donathan then goes to Kellyn to plot against Domenick. Domenick and Wendell see this and growing increasingly annoyed with how paranoid he's being, debate switching the vote to Donathan with Angela and Sebastian's help.

At tribal council, Domenick talks about the mental toll that makes even a simple slide puzzle difficult at this point, with Wendell admitting not being sharp was the reason he lost. Donathan brings up how he feels the others are withholding information from him, and shuts down Domenick when he tries to explain. Domenick then urges people to stick with their plan, which Donathan assumes is him. Wendell whispers to Sebastian to split the votes. Dang, Donathan could've dug his grave here.

My time to g...oh.

Donathan votes for Domenick, Kellyn votes for Donathan. We know other votes are going his way, could this be enough? It's a tie between Donathan and Kellyn in the end, and on the revote, Donathan grabs for his bag thinking it's him. But then Kellyn goes, and he has to put it back down. Awkward.

So Donathan has blown up his game and getting out the power players is gonna be very tricky when they both still have idols. But there can only be one winner, and we'll have to see who emerges on top in the finale next week!

STAR OF THE WEEK: DONATHAN HURLEY

Donathan made a valiant effort to get Domenick out and appears to have no fucks left to give. I liked his attempt to try and get the power couple to realize they are eachother's biggest threats, since he really has nothing to lose right now.

Ghost Island Episode 12: Too Soon Or Too Late?

There's still some confusion about how tribal went down, but they eventually figure out Kellyn had the extra vote and she admits to it. So now Laurel doesn't trust Kellyn since she voted for her (but I don't think she really did anyway).

The reward challenge is to carry a sandbag through obstacles and then throw it on a table. The reward? Time with a loved one! We meet Wendell's dad, Kellyn's brother, Donathan's aunt, Angela's daughter, Chelsea's sister, Laurel's brother, Sebastian's sister and Domenick's wife. Even Probst gets choked up when Angela talks about her military service getting in the way of her family.

You can tell who wears the pants in the Abbate household

Onto the challenge, Wendell runs over the beams the fastest and takes the lead, with Donathan and Angela last. Sebastian gets under the log first (despite going the wrong way) and has a huge lead. Domenick eventually joins him, but Sebastian gets the win. He picks Domenick, Wendell and Donathan to join him on reward. Probst then tells him he can send somebody to Ghost Island to get an advantage, but whoever goes gives up seeing their loved one. Sebastian decides to pass, but Wendell takes up the chance.

Wendell gets a hand

At Ghost Island, we see what Wendell wins: Malcolm's challenge advantage from Philippines, giving him two tries at the next immunity challenge. I would say the bigger advantage is knowing what the challenge is though and getting to practice. On reward, Domenick is willing to pledge in front of Donathan and Sebastian's loved ones that he is committed to getting to the end with them. It might not be mutual though, as Donathan recognizes them as big threats.

Back at camp, Kellyn is starting to resent that the boys are getting everything good and that they ruined somebody else's loved ones visit. She then helps unite the girls together and says that with Donathan, they can strike against the top dogs. Oh God, you just know Laurel is gonna fuck this up somehow.

Let's go girls!

The immunity challenge is - as expected - the one Malcolm choked in: keeping your ball balanced on wood using handles. Kellyn is out first, and then Angela fails to get hers back up in time after adding more. Wendell drops his, resets, and drops again. Curse not reversed! Sebastian is out, then Chelsea...leaving it down to Domenick and Donathan. Donathan's falls, meaning Domenick gets the necklace back.

Naviti strong is OVER

Domenick and Wendell want to vote out Chelsea as she's the biggest challenge threat. The girls are after Wendell, but want to keep it quiet in case he has an idol. Wendell gets bad vibes from Laurel, and she's a little conflicted. She knows she wouldn't beat Wendell or Domenick at the end, but doesn't feel like she would even get there if she flips now.

Donathan "stick to the plan" Nale

At tribal council, Donathan declares that he has found an opening and got Naviti to turn on eachother. This is...not what they agreed, and now everybody is nervous. Domenick mentions the people left out of the reward could be a possible alliance. Kellyn says the family visit woke her up a bit, as Chelsea compares the game to bumper cars.

After the votes are cast, we wait to see if Wendell plays his idol or not. He chooses not to, which surprised me a little. Turned out to be the right call, as Chelsea goes home. The edit didn't give Chelsea much love, but she grew on me a lot and I unironically liked her by the end. Bad move by Donathan and Laurel if you ask me. Will they get another shot at Wendell or Domenick now?

STAR OF THE WEEK: WENDELL HOLLAND

Sacrificing his reward for the advantage shows that Wendell's head is truly in the game. Thanks to his headstart in forming those connections, he managed to stop the plot to vote him out and hold onto his idol, so overall it was a good week for him.

Ghost Island Episode 11: Split Decision

Not the idol you're looking for

Domenick thanks Laurel for letting them know about Desiree's plan, but Kellyn isn't fully ready to start working with her and still wants to stay Naviti strong. Wendell and Domenick are acting buddy-buddy, but Domenick is thinking about cutting him soon. Domenick decides to go looking for an idol, and it looks like he's found one. But it's not a real one, it's just the fake one David made. Thank God, I would've screamed. It is a pretty convincing one though so he might be able to trick the right person with it.

Don't look up!

Into the immunity challenge now, and it seems simple enough: hold up a handle to keep your ball pressed against a post. But the twist is, there's two immunity winners - because they're being split into two different groups for separate tribals. One group is Michael, Laurel, Wendell, Domenick and Kellyn. The other is Chelsea, Sebastian, Angela, Jenna and Donathan. Literally the worst possible draw for Malolo. Kellyn is out already after just looking up. Michael and Donathan lose it too. Once Laurel goes, we're down to Domenick and Wendell for the first group. On the other, Sebastian and Jenna fall, and Chelsea's starts inching. But then Angela falls, giving the Chelsea the win. I kinda thought she was gonna get twistfucked here based on her lack of edit. Domenick and Wendell start bantering with eachother, but Domenick seems the most determined, and eventually I think Wendell recognizes that and concedes. Congrats Dom, first guy to win immunity since...Cole.

Donathan says he's undecided if he's gonna play the idol or not. Michael asks to...uhhh..."borrow" it, and Donathan shuts it down. Michael does tell Kellyn he has an idol, and she believes it. Domenick doesn't though, and shuts her down. Kellyn tells Wendell she's voting for Laurel, and Wendell lets his secret ally know that she needs to vote Kellyn. Kellyn is considering using her extra vote for some more security.

The stress is real

Self-preservation

The strategy on the other side is much less intense - Sebastian, Angela and Chelsea are all pretty laid-back about having the numbers and have decided to target Jenna. Man, no resistance from Sebastian at all towards voting for his showmance? Cold-blooded. They tell Jenna that Donathan is the vote, and now she wants to make sure he doesn't play his idol. Jenna tells Donathan that they've told her she's going home, seemingly duping him. Now Donathan is considering playing the idol on Jenna...which ironically would be the wrong move and maybe idol himself out.

I thought the dress code said casual

At tribal council, Sebastian says he feels bad for Malolo, who keep getting bad luck. Jenna says there's nothing she can do and that she's going home. Probst seems surprised at how quickly everybody has given up and sends them to the vote after barely asking any questions. Donathan plays the idol on himself - as he should, better safe than sorry. Jenna gets voted out and is sent immediately to the jury. Like, she awkwardly walks over to sit with the other three. Not even a real exit, damn.

The second tribal council begins with Laurel not happy to see another Malolo gone. Domenick remarks on how crazy it is that Naviti have had the majority literally every single time there's been a switch-up. Kellyn says they have to account for Michael's idol-finding skills, whilst Domenick reassures her he doesn't have it. Domenick and Wendell whisper. Not sure what about, but that can't be a good feeling for Kellyn.

We get to the vote, and Kellyn very stealthily unfurls her extra paper and uses it. The votes are in, no idols are played, it looks like Michael is going home, but then a mystery sixth vote for Laurel ties it up. We go into a revote with not much time to figure out what happened, and Michael is sent home. Dang, he could've stayed if he hadn't wasted his vote on Wendell.

It's funny how they clearly put this twist in to shake it up a bit and it just resulted in the least interesting thing happening..but at least the flow of the game has sped up a bit now, we lost some fodder and a major screentime hog, and Kellyn surely has some questions to answer. We'll see what the reaction is next week.

STAR OF THE WEEK: DONATHAN HURLEY

It was interesting how Donathan seemed willing to use his idol on his ally if he needed to, it shows he has some balls in his gameplay. Though he kept it for himself in the end, that was the right thing to do given the circumstances. Now we're gonna see if his secret alliance comes into play.