Survivor 47

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What are your first impressions of the new tribes?

 

In Survivor 47, the castaways are divided into three tribes: Gata (yellow), Lavo (orange), and Tuku (blue). Each tribe features a mix of personalities and skills, setting the stage for interesting dynamics:

 

Gata Tribe includes strategic thinkers like political commentator Jon Lovett and competitive athletes like Sam Phalen, a professional athlete. This tribe could be strong in both physical and strategic challenges, with members like firefighter Andy Rueda contributing endurance and resilience.

 

Lavo Tribe stands out with resourceful and socially savvy players such as fashion designer Genevieve Mushaluk and real estate agent Rome Cooney. Aysha Welch, an IT consultant, brings a combination of strategic acumen and resilience, giving Lavo a well-rounded feel in terms of social and physical gameplay.

 

Tuku Tribe features a blend of experience and endurance. Sue Smey, a 59-year-old flight school owner, and Caroline Vidmar, a strategy consultant with endurance training, bring leadership and strategic strengths. The tribe also benefits from younger, more physically capable members like firefighter TK Foster, who could shine in physical challenges.

 

Each tribe offers a balance of social, strategic, and physical strengths, which will make the early days of the competition highly unpredictable

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Episode One Recap

The season opened with brief introductions of some of the castaways as they made their way to meet Jeff for the first time on the beach. Sam, on the Gata tribe, immediately presented himself as a “wolf in wolf’s clothing,” while Aysha, part of the Lavo tribe, showcased her quirky personality by keeping a fly swatter in her back pocket. 

On Tuku, Kyle reflected on the “recipe for disaster” that his life had dealt him, setting the stage for what could be an unpredictable game. Among these competitors were also standout castaways like Tiyana, the first native Hawaiian to compete, Jon, whose friends wanted him to “suffer,” identified himself as a cofounder of Pod Save America. Anika warned she might “get a little evil,” and 59-year-old Sue was confident she’d “beat all your asses.” 

Jeff gathered the three tribes for their first challenge — a reward challenge offering camp supplies for winning tribe. After introducing the concept of “community,” Jeff laid out the rules for the obstacle course that would test both physical endurance and puzzle-solving skills, with only one tribe walking away victorious.

The challenge kicked off with Kyle blazing through the mud pit for Tuku, but the duo of Kishan and Aysha for Lavo was first to return in the initial leg. Sue and Gabe from Tuku took control in the second leg, while Gata struggled as Andy and Sierra fumbled their lead. 

Tension mounted on Gata as Sam expressed concern over their “bad team chemistry,” but Gata soon made an impressive comeback, with Rachel and Anika racing through the puzzle to secure the victory for their tribe.

Gata arrived at their camp, where they bonded by rinsing off in the ocean and strategizing for the days ahead. Andy, already thinking about the numbers game, aimed to align with two other castaways. When Andy and Jon ventured off alone, Sierra capitalized, telling the remaining four members that they shared a “vibe,” sparking the possibility of an unspoken alliance forming.

Meanwhile, Gabe on Tuku enacted his pre-game strategy of aligning with an older person, targeting Sue as his first ally. Sue, however, felt a natural connection to Caroline, whom she likened to her daughter, adding complexity to the budding alliances.

Lavo tribe members assessed their perceived strengths and weaknesses, with Teeny confident in her social game and aiming to be “everyone’s number one.” She began bonding with Kishan and set her sights on bringing Aysha into the fold as a potential fourth ally. Simultaneously, Genevieve was positioning herself to work closely with both Teeny and Rome.

Selected from the two losing tribes to go on a Journey Aysha and TK were challenged to race for three keys each, with a picture marked by an X pointing to the next key and another picture clue. The last clue led to a single fourth key hidden under the water. 

Aysha took an early advantage and quickly found her first three keys. However, she got lost in the dense forest, allowing TK forge his own path to take the lead and secure supplies for Tuku, leaving Aysha to return to Lavo empty-handed, a blow to her tribe's morale.

Anika found herself unintentionally stepping into a leadership role for Gata, a position she had hoped to avoid. Sam, happy to let someone else lead, took on a supportive role, preferring to be the “glue guy” for the tribe. Sierra solidified her importance to the tribe by becoming the first player of the season to start a fire, thanks to their flint reward.

TK returned to Tuku with the camp supplies, greeted as the hero he presented himself as by his tribemates. Despite his success, Caroline grew wary of a potential “bromance” forming between TK and the other men, particularly Gabe. As Gabe and TK gathered logs, Gabe stumbled upon a Beware Advantage but chose to keep it secret from TK, further complicating their dynamic. Later, when TK inadvertently discovered Gabe's secret, suspicion arose between the two.

Teeny from Lavo recognized Aysha as a podcast host and revealed this knowledge to Aysha, sparking concern in Aysha about being blindsided by “good vibes.” Meanwhile, Rome isolated himself from the tribe while searching for an Idol, a move that was noticed by the rest of the group, raising suspicions about his intentions.

Gabe enlisted Sue as a lookout while he continued his search for the Beware Advantage Idol. Though he found an Idol good for the next 3 Tribal Councils, he decided to risk it for an Idol that would last longer. Unfortunately, his careless movements alerted the tribe, further complicating his position in the game.

Jon from Gata realized he was the oldest person on his tribe and felt the need to work harder to connect with his younger tribemates. Andy, already feeling insecure, latched onto Jon but soon complicated their relationship with late-night strategizing that left Rachel wary of his erratic behavior.

Gabe finally secured an Idol, choosing not to risk looking for the enhanced Idol. Around the same time, Rome made a late-night attempt to secure his own advantage, only to be spotted by Aysha, leading to increased distrust within the Lavo tribe.

At the Immunity challenge, the tribes raced to paddle boats, load them with heavy trunks off a floating platform, race to land and then drag the boats across the beach, where they would complete a massive 3D puzzle. At one point, all three boats overturned with Castaways and trunks floating helplessly in the water, drawing Jeff's ire. Despite early setbacks, Lavo claimed victory, followed by Tuku, leaving Gata to face tribal council.

During the competition, Andy collapsed by the side and Jeff had to call Medical. While he was being given water for heat exhaustion, Andy confessed to Jeff he was going to be voted out by his tribe anyway. Jeff fed him a pep talk to stayin the game. But then Andy repeated his belief to his tribe, adding that he was so desperate to stay he even considered throwing his best frined Jon under the bus.

While he apologized afterward, the damage was done, with tribe members debating whether to keep him for strength or vote him out due to his emotional volatility. They also considered voting out Jon because of his perceived weakness in competitions.

Gata attended their first tribal council, where Jon’s efforts to protect Andy were pointless and the tribe chose to vote Jon out, prioritizing physical strength over his emotional liabilities. Jon’s predicted his friends and family would never let him live this down.

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Episode Two Recap

Previously on Survivor, the three tribes competed for camp supplies, with Gata emerging victorious. Aysha from Lavo and TK from Tuku were sent on a journey to secure supplies; TK succeeded, while Aysha returned empty-handed. During the reward/immunity challenge, Andy had a breakdown and threw his ally Jon under the bus. After Gata lost immunity, Jon targeted Anika, but his plan backfired, leading to his elimination. Seventeen players remained in the game.

At Lavo, Rome decided not to keep his discovery of the Beware Advantage box a secret and confided in Teeny under the cover of night, hoping to gain her trust. The next morning, Teeny told Kishan and they examined the box together but were discovered by Rome. 

Teeny attempted to cover her actions and suggested an alliance between the three. Rome, however, realized that he couldn’t trust Teeny as much as he initially believed. Ultimately, they decided that Rome would keep the Hidden Immunity Idol valid for one Tribal Council instead of risking his vote for a longer-lasting Hidden Immunity Idol.

At Tuku, TK focused on forming a three-person alliance with Kyle and Tiyana. Despite an earlier desire to work with Gabe, TK dismissed that idea after Tiyana expressed concerns about a potential bromance. TK reassured her that there was no bromance and that he wanted to align with her and Kyle. Tiyana felt assured that the idea of a bromance was now off the table.

After his meltdown the day before, Andy at Gata hoped for a recovery and to feel more included socially. However, in confessionals, it became clear that his tribe was only superficially supporting him while secretly planning his elimination. 

As Hidden Immunity Idol paranoia spread, Sam was assigned to keep an eye on Andy while the girls searched. But when Sam left Andy alone to use the bathroom, Andy seized the opportunity to search for the Hidden Immunity Idol himself. He found the Beware Advantage but not having enough time before Sam returned, he decided to leave it for the time being.

At Lavo, Rome was beginning to annoy his tribe members by assuming an authoritative role. He wanted to be the first to make fire and accomplish all the typical bucket-list tasks for being on Survivor. His behavior, which included excessive storytelling and socializing, was seen as cocky by his 
tribemates. It did not help that he was unable to actually start a fire.

At Gata, Sam informed Anika that Andy had time to search for a Hidden Immunity Idol. So they embarked on a search of their own, finding the very same Hidden Immunity Idol Andy had discovered and replaced. Anika was relieved Sam had it, as she didn’t want an additional target on her back. 

Sam, however, regretted Anika knowing his secret, fearing she might tell Sierra and Rachel. To avoid this, Sam decided to reveal the Hidden Immunity Idol to both Sierra and Rachel before they could hear it from Anika. When Andy returned to retrieve the Beware Advantage, it was gone. Believing one of the women now possessed the Hidden Immunity Idol, Andy approached Sam and suggested they stick together against the women, unaware that Sam had the key to unlock the box with the Hidden Immunity Idol.

At Tuku, TK discussed plans with Kyle and Tiyana, proposing that Sue be voted out first. Gabe joined the conversation but privately considered Sue and Caroline more attractive alliance members. He referred to them as “wounded birds” who would remain loyal to him. Gabe then approached Caroline, showing her his Hidden Immunity Idol as a gesture of trust, which helped convince her to consider working with him.

Sue, frustrated with TK's constant chatter during a nap time on the beach, vented to Tiyana. Though Tiyana privately wanted to stick with the stronger players, she sympathized with Sue’s feelings but wasn’t sure if she’d vote out TK just yet.

After Sam disclosed the Hidden Immunity Idol to Sierra and Rachel, he and Sierra found the box containing it. Together, they chose to play it safe by keeping the Hidden Immunity Idol valid for one Tribal Council. Sam considered using it to protect Andy, though Sierra wasn’t entirely comfortable with that plan.

The tribes faced their next Immunity Challenge, which involved retrieving a bag of rice from the ocean, solving a blind lever slide puzzle, and 3 tribemates maneuvering a ball hidden in the bag of rice across a difficult snake trap using guide ropes. 

Gata won immunity and the larger reward of a fishing kit. Lavo secured second place, earning a smaller reward. Tuku, however, lost the challenge, prompting TK to direct his frustration at Tiyana for staying positive. Sue noticed the tension and hoped it would be TK’s downfall. 

While the last part of the challenge was underway, Rachel from Gata tried to sneak leftover rice from the bag back to camp in her pocket. However, she was caught by cameras and Jeff forced her to empty her pockets, to ammusement of the other tribes.

Gabe saw the tension between TK and Tiyana as an opportunity to exploit Tiyana’s emotional state and get the votes needed to oust TK. Meanwhile, TK aimed to perfect the tribe’s performance and dictate their mindset. Kyle mediated between TK and Tiyana, but TK refused to apologize to Tiyana, who was nonetheless willing to stick with the alliance for now.

Tiyana, wanting to maintain her relationship with Kyle, agreed to vote out Sue with TK. However, Gabe, secretly aligned with Sue and Caroline, planned to flip the vote against TK by swaying Tiyana.

At Tribal Council, Sue brought up the bromance and the tribe’s division along gender lines. Tiyana disagreed, and Gabe downplayed the idea of any strict male alliance, suggesting guys bonding did not mean they couldn't have alliances across genderl lines. TK suggested that Sue’s social discomfort might be the real issue. 

As thunder rolled in, Gabe played his Hidden Immunity Idol, which was only good for this one Tribal Council. And then it was time to vote.

Jeff then read the votes: 

Sue
TK
Sue
TK
TK
TK

By a vote of 4-2, TK was voted off the Island. Kyle was visibly surprised, suggesting he had also been blindsided and likely accounted for the second Sue vote. After his torch was snuffed, TK congratulated his former tribemates for the move, but guesses they don't value winning much.

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Episode Three Recap

Tuku returned to camp, their spirits shaken by the previous week's blindsiding. Tiyana was visibly stressed, having endured a highly emotional night. Feeling lost and isolated, Kyle realized his vulnerable position in the game. Gabe was relieved to have escaped the vote and glad not to have joined the line of Survivor 46 castaways who were voted out with an Idol in his pocket.

Sue and Caroline, on the other hand, were elated by their successful manipulation. They had managed to turn the tables on their rivals, securing their position in the game. However, the drama was far from over. Sue harbored resentment towards Kyle, vowing to hold him accountable for his actions.

The day after the eviction, Kyle found himself in a desperate situation. He sought salvation from Gabe, hoping for a lifeline. Gabe, while hesitant, considered the possibility of helping Kyle, recognizing that he had a strong alliance with Sue and Caroline. However, he also saw Tiyana as a potential expendable player.

Kyle, unaware of Gabe's intentions, shared the information with Sue and Caroline, pitching an alliance that included him and Tiyana. He portrayed Tiyana as a liability, hoping to convince them to target her instead.

Unfortunately for Kyle, his pitch fell on deaf ears. Sue, still wary of Kyle's past actions, was reluctant to trust him. She recognized the value of her alliance with Caroline and saw no reason to risk their position by bringing Kyle into the fold. Kyle's efforts to secure his place in the game had failed, leaving him more vulnerable than ever.

Boats came to each tribe's camp and they selected tribemates for a Journey. Anikia from Gata, Rome from Lavo, and Kyle form Tuku. During their time together on the journey, they engaged in strategic discussions, with Rome expressing relief over TK's elimination and revealing his feelings about being at the bottom of his tribe.

Gata was far from peaceful. Anika, growing increasingly frustrated with the harsh living conditions, took charge, demanding that the tribe improve their camp. Sam, however, resisted her authority, arguing that they had more pressing concerns. The tension escalated as Anika focused her energy on creating a more comfortable living space, while Sam remained focused on survival.

Andy observed the growing divide with amusement, seeing an opportunity to exploit the situation to his advantage. While he maintained a close relationship with Sam, he also recognized the value of allying with Sierra. In a calculated move, Andy offered Sierra a Shot in the Dark. Despite her initial hesitation, Sierra accepted, recognizing the potential benefits of such an alliance. Andy's gamble had paid off, and he had successfully forged a connection with Sierra, strengthening his position within the tribe.

The Lavo tribe was a source of constant drama. While Rome possessed impressive fishing skills, his abrasive personality and lack of social grace often alienated his tribemates. His tendency to boast about his accomplishments and his unwillingness to share his resources created resentment and animosity among the others.

Aysha, in particular, had a deep-seated dislike for Rome. Rome seemingly relished the opportunity to taunt her and flaunt his fishing prowess. The tension between them reached a boiling point, as Rome deliberately consumed his catch close to Aysha, reveling in her discomfort.

To make matters worse, Rome had discovered a hidden idol, granting him immunity from elimination. This power emboldened him to act with impunity. Rome's behavior became increasingly erratic and unpredictable, further straining his relationships with his tribemates.

In a surprising twist of fate, Rome, Kyle, and Anika found themselves selected for the journey. They each hoped to seize this opportunity to improve their position in the game, while their tribemates were unhappy to see them get this opportunity. 

The journey provided a chance for the three to connect and share information. However, the dynamics within the group remained complex, as each player sought to protect their own interests and gain an advantage. Rome was quick to point to Aysha as the leader of his tribe, while Kyle shared the news of TK being voted out, though he did not share his lowly position in the tribe.

Anika discovered a shocking secret that Sam and Sierra were both in committed relationships back home, making their close bond on the island seem even more suspicious. This revelation could have significant consequences, as the other houseguests might target them for their perceived deception.

For the Journey, the three castaways were told to draw one scroll from a bag. One was an advantage and the other two would cost them a vote at the next Tribal Council. If they lost a vote on the first draw, they had the option of drawing again, but could potentially lose votes at the next two Tribal Councils.

Anika and Kyle both lost their vote at the next Tribal Council and chose to not risk losing their vote at a second, even though they had a 50% chance of gaining an advantage. However, Robe's luck continued as he pulled the Steal A Vote advantage out of the bag on the first attempt. 

Upon returning to camp, Kyle decided to come clean, revealing the truth about his journey and the information he had gathered. While his honesty might have earned him some trust, Sue did not believe him, making him a more vulnerable target.

Anika also hid her loss of vote from her tribe, but feeling betrayed by Sam and Sierra's secret relationship, confided in Leah and Rachel, hoping to gain an advantage. However, Leah and Rachel were hesitant to trust Anika, as she had proven to be untrustworthy in the past.

Rome, on the other hand, continued his manipulative ways. He lied to his tribe, instead claiming to have lost his vote. However, he revealed his hidden idol and advantage to Teeny, placing her in a difficult position. Recognizing the power dynamics at play, she knew she would have to work with Rome, despite her dislike for him.

The challenge was for both immunity and reward. Each tribe had to individually jump into the water, climb up a large block, run off the edge, and back into the water. Then they had to climb up another pair of blocks and jump back into the water. Finally, the first member of the tribe would recover a key from an underwater buoy, and then navigate a floating balance beam; the other tribe members would compete in pairs, with each pair retrieving a buoy key attached to the beam. Once the whole tribe had completed the obstacle course, they would solve a 3D Seahorse puzzle.

Gata got off to a bad start after Andy struggled multiple times to get across the beam without dipping his feet into the water. Kishan made a strong showing, despite admitting to having just learned to swim 4 weeks earlier, earning Jeff's admiration. Still, Gata made a comeback to pull off a victory while Lavo ran into trouble, giving the second Tribal Immunity to Tuku. Gata earned a pair of hammocks and large tarp, while Tuku received a smaller tarp.

 

Back at the Lavo camp, alliances were rapidly shifting. It was their first Tribal Council, and Rome was aware that his name was circulating as a possible target. Though he initially saw Aysha as his target, he was talked into blindsiding Sol by Teeny.  Now eager to secure Aysha's elimination, Rome approached Sol with a strategic proposition, but Sol was sure he was lying and didn't believe him. 

Meanwhile, Teeny and Kishan made a pitch to Aysha to vote out Sol and ally with them. But Aysha was not having any of that and wanted to target Genevieve since they couldn't risk going after Rome directly since he might have a Hidden Immunity Idol.

Teeny and Kishan found themselves caught in the crossfire between two rival pairs: Genevieve and Rome, and Aysha and Sol. Aysha's insistence on separating Rome from his allies raised concerns for Teeny and Kishan, who were wary of her manipulative tactics. The growing distrust within the alliance threatened to undermine their unity and jeopardize their chances of survival.

At the Tribal Council, the Lavo tribe members voiced their concerns about trust and loyalty, with Rome and Sol subtly targeting each other in their responses. Rome played his Hidden Immunity Idol, though he didn't think he needed to, because it could only be used at that Tribal Council. 

The one vote against Rome (from Sol) did not count, and an out-of-the-loop Aysha targeted Genevieve. The Rome/Kishan/Genevieve alliance all voted against Aysha who was surprised and none-too-happy to be the first voted out of Lavo.