Edge Of Extinction Episode 7: Red Flags

The tribes arrive at a challenge, and Ron celebrates when he sees none of the old Kama are gone, letting the Manus know where they stand. Jeff tells them they are merged, but that's not the main headline: he brings in the 6 eliminated players and finally lets them know what the Edge of Extinction is.

Wendy facing bonus obstacles

The return challenge is to crawl over a net, grab a key with a stick, then do a table maze. Keith uses his disadvantage on Chris, giving him extra knots. The challenge starts and Chris is in the lead, with Aubry and Rick behind him. Aubry snags her key first to unlock the gate. Chris and Rick get their keys, then Reem and Wendy. Wendy's tics are acting up all over the place, as Chris gets done with his knots and gets in on it. Keith finally catches up, and he starts doing very well. Wendy is close, but then drops. New leader Chris loses it right at the top too. Now it's Rick's turn...and he gets it! Rick walks out with the rest of the merge tribe as Probst asks the losers what they've taken from this experience. Reem talks about being a fan, Chris says he's learned how to fail, and Aubry expresses gratitude for all Survivor has given her. Jeff then offers them the change to go back to Extinction again, which they all accept emphatically.

At the merge, Kelley says she did not want Rick to come back. Really? It could've been much worse, girl. Julie and Rick bond, and she says it'd be cruel to send him back to Extinction straight away. We cut to the other island, and Keith and Wendy have raised the sail. That was a quick change of heart. The eliminee club is now down to three.

Going through hell all over again

Kelley and Lauren agree that if they need to throw out an easy name, they should go for Rick. Kelley talks with Joe also to see where he's at, and he admits he doesn't trust most of his Kamas. The girls talk where they agree to target Rick, but Julie doesn't like how quick Kelley and Lauren were to turn on their own, so wants one of them out instead. Rick reaches in his bag and has been given...a two-part idol that he must give half of to someone else, and can only use if they both survive the vote. Ok, I get the intent here to give him some leverage so he's not a sitting duck, but it's still kinda bullshit if you ask me. He was voted out, let him fend for himself!

Tread carefully, because now you have to multi-task

The immunity challenge is to hold a pole above your head with a statue balanced on it. Ron is out almost immediately, with Gavin 2nd. Then they have to move further down, which knocks out Wardog. Rick, Victoria and Aurora are next. Kelley drops out when her arms go numb as Lauren complains about a bug on her. The next transition eliminates Eric, Julia and David, leaving us with three. Joe, who's been steady the whole time, loses it out of nowhere. A showdown between Julie and Lauren...and Julie pulls it out. She hasn't been a stellar challenge performer so far, but you never can tell who'll be good at ones like this.

The trio pulling the strings

Julie wants Kelley out but is still telling her Rick, as she lets Rick know that the girls are throwing him under the bus. Rick and David are annoyed that Manu aren't sicking together, as Rick gives him the idol half. As a bunch of people go off on a chicken hunt, Ron asks Joe for his thoughts, but he's non-committal and just keeps painting the flag. So now Ron is thinking: why not get Joe out? Victoria think it's too soon and would still rather do Kelley as she's a threat too, but the Kama 6 agree they need to all be on the same page.

Ron's not holding back

At tribal council, there's some shocked faces when Reem, Chris and Aubry arrive to take their seats as members of the jury. Ron opens up by saying he loves Kama, as Kelley seems annoyed that he's rubbing the fact he has the numbers in their faces. Victoria says it would be evil to send Rick back to the Edge of Extinction and there's other threats in the game, which Joe gets nervous at and seems to think is about him. Rick says Joe did nothing today except paint, to which he responds he was relaxed because he trusts his group.

The votes are a clusterfuck for David, Kelley and Rick...but then a bunch of Joe votes come out and he is sent out. "Worst thing they could've done" says Joe, who now is gonna have to attempt to Ozzy it. "Lame" is Reem's verdict, and I kinda agree. I did say Joe wasn't going to bring anything new to this season, and I wasn't wrong.

Well, Manu really got spared for their dysfunction there by the Kama 6 making an early strike. But now they have to come back together and pick up Aurora if they're to have any shot...right? With still three idols in play, who knows what will happen.

STAR OF THE WEEK: JULIE ROSENBERG

It might not have been Julie's plan that was executed in the end, but she still had a great episode where she won the challenge, made connections and showed herself to be a real player. Don't write her off just because of her age!

Edge Of Extinction Episode 5 & 6: Fijian Standoff

Rick talks about how hard Edge of Extinction is gonna be, especially having to live with people who hate him. Back in the game, the reward challenge is to run through ropes, retrieve bolos, them toss them...all to win sandwiches. The tribes tackle the ropes, with Julie out first. Julie and Victoria are hoisted up to do the untying, but Lesu struggle to lift

Same old story

David long enough. They send Lauren up instead, and she gets it. On the tossing, Gavin and Eric are the first to score. Ron and Joe also score to tie it up. Wendy gets Manu's 3rd, and Aurora gets one too. Julie gives Kama a win, as Lesu still have nothing. Victoria struggles, allowing Kelley and Wardog to get on the board. But there's no epic comeback, as Victoria gets it in the end.

Whilst celebrating Kama's win, Julia finally speaks and says she wants Joe out. Julie urges their three to take the shot now whilst he doesn't expect it but Ron is now the one who wants to keep him since he's such a provider.

Photobombed by poultry

The chickens are still the main topic at Manu, but Aubry just wants to start strategizing. Meanwhile Eric, Gavin and Victoria are all strategizing against her. saying they'd rather take her out over Wendy since she's a bigger threat. Victoria proposes she make a fake plan with Aubry to take out Eric in order to keep her comfortable, and she buys it.

David goes looking for the Lesu idol, as the rest of the tribe trash his challenge performances. Lauren feels comfortable with David as the next boot, but Wardog tells Kelley he wants them to go to the merge together, and that maybe they should just vote Lauren out now. Seems a bold suggestion, but Kelley doesn't outright dismiss it.

Don't start Tonying

On Extinction, Chris finds a box that gives them all a map with a cryptic clue. Rick figures out you have to fold it until the arrows point at two trees. They all agree to go together, but Keith sneaks off on his own. The others see it and are pissed, racing after him. Chris catches up and shoves him out of the way to get a tube that says "practice". For the return comp, no doubt. Rick finds the other tree and it's an extra vote that he can give to anyone who attends the next tribal council. Hmm, not sure I like eliminated players being allowed to mess with the game.

Free at last!

The immunity challenge is to dive into the water and pull a rod that releases puzzle pieces. Then they need to build a pyramid out of buoys. Eric gets the first set for Manu. Aurora and Aubry get stuck and pass. Kelley takes a long time and has to quit too, as Joe gets Kama's first. Gavin and Julia get the 2nd pieces for their tribe, meaning they can start their puzzle. Lauren comes up empty, so now it's Wardog's turn and he actually manages it. David's turn now...would be a hell of a story if he did it, but no, he leaves it for Lauren to go back and she makes it this time. Nice! So nobody has solved the puzzle yet, will they be able to catch up? Kama are the first to get it, winning immunity again. Aurora then starts giving hints to Manu - but Lesu have figured it out and managed to get it first. Absolute relief for David, Kelley, Lauren and Wardog...they get to take a tribal off at last.

The 4 old Kamas keep up the ruse that Wendy is an easy vote, as Aubry debates with Victoria on whether to vote Eric or not. They talk to Wendy but she says basically nothing. Aubry checks her bag and finds the extra vote there. Curious choice by Rick. Wonder if it will help her.

At tribal council, Gavin says the mood was pretty relaxed, but Aubry says there was talking. Wendy is grinning like an idiot when she's asked if she's an easy vote, acting even more aloof than usual. Aubry starts talking about black cats - alright, maybe she's not the only loon. Jeff asks Gavin for his take on Aubry and he says he doesn't see her as a returnee and appreciates her advice.

She gotcha good!

The votes come out and Aubry lets out a stunned gasp when it's her. She tips her hat to the rest of the tribe on the way out, calling them unbelievable players. With an idol in her pocket too...they must've done a great job of making her feel comfortable. She heads over to Extinction, and is still stung the next morning, calling it a "J.T.-level embarrassment". But climbing off rock bottom is what she does best, so don't rule her out yet.

At the next challenge, Aubry's vote-out gets a big reaction...especially from the returnees. The challenge is to jump over tables to get to a lever they have to untie, release sandbags to throw at targets to release flags. All three tribes get to the lever around the same time and begin gathering their sandbags. Joe is the first to start throwing and does really well. Gavin gets a few hits, and Wardog starts tossing but way too low. Joe and Gavin both drop a flag as Lauren subs in for Wardog. Joe's tribe tell him "do it for Sierra" (ha, another random namedrop) and that proves the motivation he needs to get it done. Wardog then goes BACK IN for some reason, but Gavin soon finishes anyway, giving them 2nd place.

Riding high for now...but nothing lasts forever

Julie thanks Joe for winning the challenge for them, but he's worried he's gonna be a big target. Aubry leaving has set off the alarm bells, and now he's pushing hard for their 5 to stay together, making sure Julia knows that she's gonna be seen as a threat too.

On Lesu, Lauren cries due to lack of food and the crappy camp they have to live in. David goes out to fish and finds a clam. Kelley and Wardog tell David they want Lauren to go, but Kelley's target is actually shifting to Wardog, as she finds him domineering and sketchy.

Chris gets Reemed

The players on Extinction get a new map full of holes, and decide to split up to search. Rick thinks it's at the mast, since that's where all the holes line up to. Reem spots it in the water and points it out to Keith who goes over and grabs it. The advantage allows you to disadvantage a player of your choice in the return challenge...and Keith seems set on using it on Chris. Chris is mad at Reem for just letting him have it and Reem blows up on him.

The immunity challenge is to push a bag across to the end of a beam and then hook a release mechanism for their gate, before finishing with a slide puzzle. Jeff also lets them know there'll be two tribes at tribal council. Kama get the bag out first, then Manu, then Lesu. Joe does the tossing for Kama and hooks it with one try. Gavin gets it for Manu and Wardog for Lesu...despite being confused about where he had to stand to pull. On the puzzle, it's Joe and Julia vs Eric and Victoria vs David and Kelley. David seems like he has it figured out, but Joe gets there first to win immunity (Ok, he did have a headstart though.) So there we have it, Lesu and Manu will both be going to tribal, Game Changers style. And the numbers will be 4-4 this time, so who knows what will happen?

Girls with idols

Manu try to come up with a gameplan, knowing that it could be rocks. Wendy assures them David is sneaky and could potentially flip if they vote Lauren or Wardog. Eric and Gavin agree to go to rocks, but Victoria is secretly not willing to do it. Meanwhile, Wardog's plan is to vote Wendy, which annoys Kelley as she feels she didn't get a say. Wardog also goes off to look for the idol, digging his hole deeper. Kelley spots it just tied to a branch in plain sight and waits for Wardog to go before snagging it. Kelley tells Lauren, which leads to Lauren telling Kelley, but neither want to play it if they don't have to. They also both agree that they're not going to rocks for Wardog.

At tribal council, both tribes say they're staying united, with Wardog calling it a gunfight. Kelley extends an offer for anyone who wants to flip to their side, and Gavin does the same. Wendy mentions she has some insight into the other tribe, as David says they all love her...but Eric says that's not what he's heard. David points out he's gone to rocks before. but Victoria still doesn't believe he'll do it. David gets a private talk with Wendy right before the vote, but we don't hear what they say.

Hey, mind if I join?

The votes are cast, and Lauren is nervous when she sees her name, but Kelley assures her she'll be fine. It ties between Lauren and Wendy and now the side conversations start. In the end, they come to a conclusion and all send Wendy home, deemed an acceptable casualty by both sides. Welp, her luck finally ran out, and she exits adorably, almost getting lost on the path and talking about cheeseburgers (hey, wait a sec...). But she's not conflicted at all when she reaches the sign, and takes the road to Extinction quicker than anyone else so far.

Well this was a fun week of Survivor and it's about to ratchet up a notch again when the twist finally comes to fruition. We end with a boat arriving to tell the Extinction residents their chance to get back in the game is here. "Time for some payback" says Aubry. This is not to be missed. Who's your money on?

STAR OF THE WEEK: VICTORIA BAAMONDE

"Don't ever trust me, man" is right. The beanie-wearing redhead's ditzy persona masks a more than capable strategist that was able to get the better of a savvy veteran player. She's ruthless and emotionless. I didn't think it was possible at first, but...could Victoria actually win?

Edge Of Extinction Episode 4: Family Separation

Chris arrives at the Edge of Extinction still stung from his blindside, and Keith and Reem aren't exactly in the mood to be a sympathetic ear. The next morning, Wendy has returned the flint. Kelley and Lauren know it was her that took it though, and are not happy. Wendy tells David she's not even close to being done, which he's amazed at. The tribe are all in agreement - Wendy has to go next.

Swap shocker: Meet the new tribes, same as the old tribes

Kama are shocked to see Chris gone and give their speculation on what it might mean. And then Probst drops another unexpected twist on them - they're swapping. We form three new tribes, but curiously there ends up being very little mixing. Kama are split in two, with Ron/Joe/Aurora/Julie/Julia staying yellow and the rest moving to blue, picking up Wendy. The 5 other Manu go to green. Wendy seems happy to leave the rest behind.

Joe is hoping to pull Ron onto his side along with Aurora to form a majority. Ron tries to convince Joe that he's not coming for him...but really he's told Julia to search Joe's bag whilst he distracts him. Julia reports that Joe doesn't have the idol...which gives them the all-clear to take him out if they so wish!

Joe's little pet

Lesu (aka former Manu) are feeling a little uneasy without their scapegoat Wendy around. They try to put a shelter together, but it's hard. Kelley is really not feeling this new tribe, and Lauren is struggling even more, to the point where she's no longer eating.

Wendy flies the coop

On Manu, Wendy gives her new tribemates the tour. Aubry is happy to have an easy boot around as a buffer, even though she likes Wendy. Wendy starts dishing all the info on her old tribemates, calling them bullies and painting Kelley as the ringleader. Eric mentions eating a chicken and Wendy has to talk him out of it. That night, she finally lets the chickens go.

As Keith contemplates quitting, Chris seems more determined than ever and catches fish to ingratiate himself. Back at Manu, Eric notices the chickens gone and suspects Wendy did it. Wanting to recapture them, he even hears one taunting him when doing a confessional. Wendy's position hasn't really changed then.

The climb

Onto the first challenge with three tribes, and it's to get over two steep ramps, then pull a box along a track using rope, then open the box and solve a puzzle. The rain makes it even harder to get over the ramps, but Eric and Gavin manage it first. Joe gets up too, and now they're all pulling up tribemates. Lauren gets up first for Lesu, and hauls Kelley and the rest of the tribe up. For the second ramp, the tribes try a human ladder approach. All tribes pull their boxes around the same time so it comes down to the puzzle....Joe and Ron vs Aubry and Eric vs Kelley and David. Joe and Ron seem to be getting the closest, as Wendy subs in for Aubry. Kama win immunity, and a frantic race for 2nd sees Manu beat out Lesu. Wow, this will be a fourth trip in a row for these sorry saps.

Lesu lovefest comes to an end

David and Rick propose voting Lauren, thinking she's the weakest. Ironically they think Kelley has the idol and that by voting Lauren they're avoiding it, but she just might play it as she does feel in danger. Kelley and Lauren are their own pair and want Rick out. Wardog is the swing vote between the two pairs, as everybody tries to sway him to their side.

At tribal council, Rick gives a news report on the status of the tribe, but adds that they all love eachother. Lauren says building the shelter was exhausting. Kelley cries as she's been through a lot with these people already and this is gonna be the toughest vote yet. David talks about how many great things he's got out of his Survivor experience. Aw man, this is getting heavy. And yet the game continues!

We get to the vote and Lauren holds onto the idol. Could it be a mistake? In the end, Wardog sides with the girls, and Rick is voted off. He departs amicably...and probably won't find such a warm reception where he's heading, which is Edge of Extinction. Well now, seems like David is in a tough spot. Or will we finally see a Kama go to tribal council next? Any one of them will be fine, doesn't matter to me!

STAR OF THE WEEK: LAUREN O'CONNELL

Not sure why she was labeled the weakest when she was the first one up the ramp, but she managed to survive and hold on to her idol. I don't see Kelley turning on her, so she's probably safe as she can be right now.

Edge Of Extinction Episode 3: Breaking Point

Just another mother/son adventure

Reem is chilling on the Edge of Extinction when a boat containing Keith shows up. Well that cliffhanger didn't add much. Keith says he's ready to eat as Reem informs him they have nothing. Having considered quitting, Reem now wants to stay to protect Keith more than anything, taking up the motherly role once again. The next day they find a map which sends them on the long trek up a mountain. Their reward is...a tiny pot of rice.  That sign wasn't kidding when it said they'd have to "work hard for everything".

Chris shoots his shot

Now we're thrown into a reward challenge, where contestants have to build a wheelbarrow to collect sandbags in, then dismantle it and fire them at a target. David, Wardog and Rick put together their wheelbarrow really quickly, and end up crashing into Joe, Eric and Julie on the course. Kama overtake them and finish the first section faster, with Manu not even being able to dump theirs out. On the shooting section, Chris is hitting targets whilst Gavin struggles. Julia scores one hit, but Chris reaches 4 first to give Manu their first win and some chickens. But it's not a very celebratory occasion for Wendy, who dropped the wheelbarrow on her ankle and is now hurting bad.

Wendy has to be carried back to camp as she cries over her swollen ankle. The rest of the tribe discuss their chickens in front of a barely-able-to-move Wendy, and she decides she's suddenly opposed to eating them...even though she's never been a vegetarian before. She even asks Rick to help her set them free.

On the losing tribe, Victoria outlines the group of 6 that's in charge, which is every newbie except Aurora. She discusses the vote with Ron, and brings up Joe's name without noticing he's right next to her. Awkward. Joe, Aubry and Aurora are all feeling uneasy about their position, so Aubry goes idol hunting. After a long search, and even flashbacks to her searches in her two previous seasons, she finds it...and cries.

Oh hey, didn't see you there

On Manu, Wendy is still on her anti-meat crusade, and Wardog even calls out her hypocrisy for eating chickens back home. This is just giving the rest of her tribe more reasons to vote her out.

Dropped into the deep end

For the immunity challenge, four tribe members must pull a boat containing the other three across the water with a harness, until they reach a platform where they must each grab a key. Then they'll pull the boat to a puzzle station, where they'll have to solve a ship's wheel puzzle. The pulling part is dead even, Wendy doing a great job despite her injury. Gavin and David grab their keys first, then Kelley and Julia. Lauren gets hers ahead of Aubry to give Manu a lead. Then it comes down to the puzzle, and Kama pulls ahead, as David, Kelley and Lauren get stuck on the first part. Man, David's reputation as a puzzle master is so undeserved. Kama claim another win, frustrating their opponents once again. As they walk off, David is still set on targeting Kelley. Ugh, not this again!

Look what I got!

Thinking she's the one getting voted out, Wendy decides to walk off with the flint so they can't start a fire to cook the chicken. The tribe notice it gone, and Kelley in particular is freaking out as this is not the first time it's happened to her. They speculate Wendy took it, but David defends her. David and Rick confront her, but she doesn't admit to it. They also take the time to tell her about the Kelley plan. David works on getting the last vote they need courtesy of Chris, but he wants Wardog involved, which David is opposed to. Chris decides to tell him anyway, and not only does Wardog tell Kelley...he's now trying to get Chris out instead. Wardog proposes this new plan to David and Rick, and they're actually considering it, since this would let him take the fall for the Kelley plan and cover their tracks.

At tribal council, Rick sums up their losing streak which even extends to Wendy's ankle and the flint. Wendy downplays the chicken drama. Rick says they're not looking at challenge strength anymore, since that hasn't worked. David says he wants to eliminate the biggest social threat...a comment that leaves both Kelley and Wardog confused. Chris says he didn't realize until he played how good the players are. Ha, you don't even know the half of it!

The votes are read - 2 votes for Kelley, 5 for Chris. Great job guys, you just blindsided your strongest member. Chris goes to Extinction and looks ready for revenge. Kinda surprised by David and Rick's decision, to be honest. I felt they were in deep enough they might as well go through with the Kelley vote. All I know is they might not have seen the last of Chris, who I'm sure would love to make them pay.

STAR OF THE WEEK: WENDY DIAZ

It's certainly not for her gameplay, but man Wendy was a riot to watch this week. I can't remember anyone playing this recklessly and surviving since J'Tia. Here's hoping she can hang on in there and cook up more chaos.

Edge Of Extinction Episode 2: Open Dialogue

We open on Reem, wrapped in a blanket and wondering what's next for her, motivated by revenge and wanting to do her family proud. She's had a lot of time alone to do the post mortem on her game. Wendy is on the warpath against Kelley, who she blames for being behind Reem's vote-out. Kelley is worried about Wendy flipping on them now that she knows she's on the bottom, and suggests they all go looking for the idol to stop her from getting it.

Kama chameleon

Ron choreographs a tribe cheer that gets the whole tribe laughing, but Aubry says she hates kumbaya Survivor. Aubry tries to get answers on how the rest of them feel about the returnees, but gets generic platitudes in return. The newbies compare notes to find out Aubry has been saying similar things to everyone, talking a lot about wanting to have "a dialogue". This cast is not gonna get walked over like past ones have.

Hold on, the anti-returnee sentiment is growing even stronger! Rick and David solidify their alliance and are both in agreement that Kelley is a huge threat. They talk about teaming up with Wendy and Keith, which would give them numbers if they could get Wardog too.

Gavin and Eric decide to step up the idol hunting...and the girls have noticed. Julie says maybe the girls should look as well, but she doesn't want to be that type of player. David and Rick are looking on Manu too, but the person who actually finds it...is Lauren. Yeah girl! Kelley would be proud. She's not even telling her right now though.

Boost that stat, girl

Release the beast

The immunity challenge is to swim out to a cage containing a snake which they need to lift out and take to the beach. Then there's a ring toss. As Jeff points out, Aubry did this challenge in Game Changers and knows how heavy the snake is. The players all swim to the cage and this is where Wendy excels. But Keith is very slow and needs to be helped by Chris, which sets Manu back a lot. Kama's strategy is to have Aurora go over first and pull it down, which works well. Manu struggle for a bit then have Rick do the same. Somehow Manu catch up at the ring toss, and whilst Joe gets the first one, Chris gets one too. Joe and Eric alternate, both making successful tosses. Chris switches with Keith, who flops, and then has to go back in. Why did they take him out in the first place? Kama win the challenge, and now Wardog is thinking of going for plan C - taking out weak link Keith.

Wardog rallies the troops

Wardog explains why he wants Keith out, and Kelley is not happy...she'd still prefer Wendy since she's coming after her. Keith tells Chris that he will never turn on him since he's helped him so much, and Chris wants to keep him around. He tells this to Rick, and now the plan to blindside Kelley might be resurrected. Wardog tries to convince Chris it's a bad move and that Kelley will be a target over them down the road. Kelley can feel the shift in how people are acting around her and is really worried she's about to get voted out.

At tribal council, Rick warns Kelley that her name has been out there, and she tries to make the case to stay by pointing out her challenge strength. Keith, on the flipside of that, says loyalty is more important than being good at a ring toss. Wardog says he won't know if he's got the right read on this group until the votes come out, as everyone agrees there will be a blindside tonight, which Rick admits is a bucket list item for him.

If there's one person who shouldn't be smack talking...

The votes come out, and Keith gets super dramatic once he realizes it's him. "Still think y'all gonna win challenges?" he remarks, and the tribe just brush it off. He gets to the signpost and starts yelling "Oh God", seeming indecisive. And then the episode leaves us with that. Laame! I'm surprised anyone would find it a tough choice, to be honest. Is Reem really gonna have to wait another 3 days to get a friend?

STAR OF THE WEEK: DAN "WARDOG" DASILVA

With lots of different plans floating around, Wardog was the one who got his way tonight. He hasn't been the aggressive Tony clone I thought he would be at all, and is actually surprisingly normal and logical.

Edge Of Extinction Episode 1: Blood For The Cause

The newbies react to the news they are not alone

14 new players are about to meet 4 returning veterans. But first, we're introduced to the Edge of Extinction, this season's secret twist. Probst greets the newbies by reminding them they are always on the EDGE of getting voted out...hey, he has to give them some explanation for the title. Then he brings in the vets, and Lauren is stoked to see Kelley and Joe. After giving them their tribes, we're onto the marooning. Ron picks up a secret advantage, whereas Keith struggles with his swimming.

Manu reach their camp and David ends up being a major help in constructing the shelter...quite a turnaround from his first season! We also learn about Wendy's tourettes, which she worries is gonna make it hard for her to fit in, but I find it adorable.

Well, he dug deep

Over at Kama, Joe is trying hard to keep down his threat level even though people keep asking him how to do things. Whilst Joe gets fire on his own, Julie struggles to even weave a palm frond. Ron finally gets the chance to look at his advantage and it tells him to dig by treemail. There he uncovers the advantage menu...a choice between stealing a tribe reward, an extra vote or immunity. I feel like you should take immunity every time, right?

Eric and Gavin are bonding, and it seems like they're both skeptical of the vets. Eric sees Joe as a great shield to have, so right now he wants Aubry gone. On Manu, Reem is playing the mom role, which works great for momma's boy Keith, but Rick and Wardog are annoyed that she's moving their clothes around. Reem and Wendy help Keith swim, and Rick takes the chance to paint a target on their backs by pointing out to everyone else that they're an alliance. Now there's an implied agreement that the rest of them will take out the other three.

Body on the line

The immunity challenge is to run through ropes, walk a three-tier balance beam, release a slide and then solve a giant slide puzzle. Kama go under the ropes whilst Chris hops over them. Joe and Chris race up the rope to the bell neck-and-neck. Joe is first to take on the balance beam and makes it, whereas Manu members keep falling. Eric and Aubry also get across, helping Joe untie the bridge faster. Somehow David is the first one over the beam for Manu, but Lauren gets it eventually too. Eric releases Kama's slide as Manu get Chris and Rick across. Kelley takes a hard hit to the head after falling. Lauren releases the slide, but Kama are on the puzzle now with Joe taking the lead. They all stop once Julia gives them advice, and seem to know what they're doing...but Manu are right on their heels. Kama edge them out and win immunity. Manu return to camp, bruised and beaten.

Reem says she doesn't like how close Lauren and Kelley are so wants to split them up, so tries to get Rick on board. Keith walks away and rats them out to the other side, hoping to save his own skin. With the target placed firmly on Reem, Wardog and Rick talk to Wendy to see what she says, but she insists on voting with Reem out of loyalty. Wardog now wonders if Wendy is the better choice because she's inflexible. Wendy tells Reem she's a target, and she goes out on the attack to defend herself.

Not threatening at all

At tribal council, Rick says a split began based on who was doing what the first day. Reem complains that her name is out there, and Kelley points out hers is too. Reem denies being the weakest and claims age discrimination. Wardog tries to calmly explain that people didn't like having their stuff moved, and she acts annoyed that this is the reason. It's clear to the whole tribe at this point Reem is going, which she's pretty open about saying is "a nightmare".

You've made your bed..lie in it

Reem does indeed get voted out (though they put some on Wendy too to be safe) and walks out upset, hoping it'll rain on the rest of the tribe. But at the end of the path she seems surprised to see a sign giving her a choice to stay in the game. She takes the torch and heads off into the unknown. Like something out of a horror movie, she gets off the boat in the dead of night, to see where she is. "There's nothing here" she says, confused. Cut to darkness.

Well, I haven't been the biggest fan of this twist but that was a pretty damn compelling closing scene. Reem is gonna have a rough night, but can she hang in there? Let's see how this plays out!

STAR OF THE WEEK: DAVID WRIGHT

David actually managed to be an asset to his tribe and even did well in the challenge. He got into the majority seamlessly and has even managed to avoid having a target on his back. Step one - get your foot in the door - complete.

Edge Of Extinction preview

A new season of Survivor is just around the corner, but a controversial twist is preventing a lot of fans getting on board. Edge Of Extinction will offer every voted-out player a choice: call it a day, or continue to live on a desolate island with the chance to later return to the game. I guess my problem with the twist is...isn't this just Redemption Island without the duels? I don't know how tough the endurance aspect is going to be, or if it'll even be good TV, but it seems to me like getting voted out is just a minor inconvenience now. The idea of someone getting to skip half the game, come back in at the end and just win a couple of challenges to win the game is worryingly realistic. Bad twists can be forgiven if we have a good cast, but I'm not that confident we do. However messy it gets, we'll have to tune in on February 20th to find out!

THE FRESH MEAT

Wendy Diaz - Swap meet vendor

Wendy is an adorable ball of energy, but sadly is probably gonna play herself out of the game early. Her personality will be a bit much for some people and I don't think she understands the full scope of what she signed up for.

Daniel DaSilva - Military vet
Calling himself the Wardog, he's coming out of the gate strong. He also says he's bringing "sex appeal". Whoa, calm down buddy! I feel like he might have a tough time socially. Maybe he's good at challenges and that saves him for a while...he's also well-equipped to survive Extinction.

Aurora McCreary - Divorce lawyer
Aurora's got a lot of grit, what with her tragic backstory of losing her mother and being adopted. She might not be able to get along with people the way she needs to, but I have high hopes for her bringing the entertainment.

Chris Underwood - Salesman
Boring hot guy. His bio fits the profile of a surfer even if I didn't necessarily see it from first glance. His goofiness will mean no-one will suspect he's a superfan, which will work to his advantage. He's gonna be laid-back and a good camp contributor, so he's probably going far.

Lauren O'Connell - College athlete
Even though she's trying to hide it, Lauren isn't fooling me and I'm sure she's gonna be the high-maintenance one. The red vine/twizzlers answer was my clue. Predictably she picks Parvati to compare herself to, but also calls Kelley Wentworth a "powerful woman". Hmm, lucky you're on her tribe then!

Keith Sowell - Student
Keith is very religious and the youngest contestant on the season. I think him and Lauren will have a lot in common. I like that he has a nerdy side too and found him very likeable - could he be too sweet for the game though?

Julie Rosenberg - Toymaker
A self-described "neurotic" who has a lot of quirky hobbies, it's hard to see Julie fitting in with the rest of this cast when she doesn't have a lot in common with them. It's also concerning that she says she's going to have emotional moments.

Gavin Whitson - YMCA program director
This kid got married really young, which hopefully indicates a high maturity level. He comes off a little cocky, but I also think he's smart enough to keep that under wraps. He plans to use his Southern shtick to disarm people whilst hiding how strategic he can be. Remind you of anyone who won recently?

Julia Carter - Medical assistant
Julia is young, but smart. She seems very social and engaging. Could be a sleeper pick if she's able to slide under the radar and not be seen as a threat until it's too late.

Eric Hafemann - Firefighter
Eric definitely could be a threat to win. He's a firefighter and dad, a combination that worked for Jeremy. He gave a great answer about not taking himself seriously and showing humility, which is an attitude that will definitely help him in the game.

Reem Daly - Saleswoman
Reem seems like a loudmouth and that's probably gonna get her in trouble. It seems like she's hoping to be able to play the game loyal and honest...big mistake! Even without that, she'll probably struggle just for the fact that she's one of the few older contestants.

Rick Devens - Newscaster
They had Rick front and centre of the preview, so I would assume he's going to be a big character this season. He has a huge, goofy personality and seems very funny and engaging. He's also one of the biggest fans, so he should know how to play.

Victoria Baamonde - Waitress
Well of course I gotta root for the smokin' hot redhead. I think she's gonna have a good social game. Is she familiar with the show at all though? Her response to the Survivor you're most like question makes it sound like she was literally browsing Wikipedia for her answer.

Ron Clark - Teacher
Ron is the biggest name in this cast, having had a movie made about his life. I'd imagine a teacher is good at interacting with younger people too. The biggest thing going against him is obviously he's not gonna contribute much to challenges.


...AND THE RETURNING PLAYERS

Kelley Wentworth
If you'd told me 4 years ago Kelley would be the first threepeater from San Juan Del Sur, I wouldn't have believed it. But she's earned that honor after Cambodia, and I'm hoping she can slay the game again. Maybe she won't have the element of surprise this time, but she still hits that sweet spot of being all-around capable without sticking out.

David Wright
David is in the most trouble out of the returning players. He doesn't have challenge strength and is the most overtly strategic of the four. Hopefully he starts this season as strongly as he finished MvGX, as the paranoid act isn't gonna work this time. If all else fails, I suppose there's always idols!

Aubry Bracco
Aubry is a great player and an even better character, but she had a tough time finding her feet in Game Changers. Maybe a group of impressionable newbies will play to her strengths though, who knows. I think she's either gonna go early or go far, but my gut is saying to not get my hopes up.

Joe Anglim
Well, this is definitely the right season for Joe to come back for, seeing as the twist is pretty much tailor-made for him. I have nothing against the kid personally, but it's clear he's not gonna change up his game and he's just gonna rely solely on challenges. A Joe win in this format would have the largest asterisk ever, so hopefully he chokes like Ozzy in South Pacific.