Hello again! We have returned from Thanksgiving and have put on our Survivor-watching pants. They are like our regular pants, except they are a button-fly. Last we met, Lauren seemed to be running things, but Karishma flipped everything on its head when she played her hidden immunity idol and Elizabeth was sent home. Will Karishma be able to build on her power play and stay in the game? Or will something entirely different happen? There is, as always, only one way to find out! Let’s get into it…

Mary: No, really, come on in, guys. This episode BEGINS with a challenge, which is wild, especially after last week’s blindside. However, this week’s challenge is a big one: the prize is time with loved ones. This challenge is always one of my favorites because it allows us to get a better picture into the contestants’ lives. What kind of families do they have? Who’s important to them? Sometimes you get awkward legs-around-the-waist situations like last season, but most of the time we just get a peek beyond the island. I’m particularly happy that Elaine made it to the loved ones visit because I’ve been curious who she’d bring. Instead of bringing along a friend (or more awkward, co-coach like, well, Coach did that one time), Elaine brought her girlfriend, confirming all that country girl sports bra energy she’s been bringing this season. I was happy to see Elaine and her girlfriend reunite, and I was so touched by how much Janet and her husband seem to love each other. Otherwise, I found myself not caring about the other contestants’s reunions much. I was actively squicked out by Dan and his son, especially after everything that’s been happening this season, and Noura and her sister could be twins. Like, very annoying twins! What did you think about the loved ones introduction, Todd? And how did you feel about this episode just jumping right into things?

Todd: I was a little shocked that we didn’t get any post-tribal kvetching after Karishma’s idol play last week, but with the way recent episodes have been edited, they probably had to start with the challenge to fit in the loved ones. As far as thoughts go, all of the loved ones seemed pretty normal. I did love Elaine and Tanya, and how sweet that Janet’s husband wore pink to signal that their newest grandchild would be a girl? But let’s talk about the big story here: Karishma. More specifically, Karishma and her husband Drew, who have somehow gotten a pretty strong arc during the season. Earlier this season, Karishma talked to her tribes about her insecurities and anxieties concerning her husband, but as the season has progressed the producers have been building the narrative of Karishma beginning to realize how precious her family, especially her husband, really is to her. How can you watch Karishma talk about how Drew knows everything about her and loves her anyway and not be moved???

Mary: Yes! I totally forgot about Karishma, and how could I? What’s interesting to me about Karishma and Drew is that I felt like I knew who Drew was to some extent before even seeing him. Karishma has mentioned him more than once on screen and talked about how she misses him because he understands her. They really did, as you said, get an arc this season, which everyone didn’t get. I know that everyone probably talks about their family while hanging out at camp, but that we got to see Karishma discuss hers and then see Drew meant so much. I’m happy for her and sad at the same time. She’s really been going through it.

Todd: I totally agree. And sadly, it comes just as Karishma’s arc draws close.

Also, I loved Noura’s little-big sister energy! And the fact that Lana has a word (“Noura-mal”) for Noura’s sometimes erratic behavior. 

Also also, Jeff allowing Lana to stand up by him so she could see Noura (because she is visually impaired) was a soft and sweet moment from ol’ Jeffrey.

Also x3, it was interesting seeing the castaways paired up for this challenge, as it usually seems like Jeff wants to put the maximum amount of pressure on one person. Tommy and Janet won the challenge. What did you think of their choices to join them on the reward?

Mary: Any thoughts on the reward or who got to go on it melted away for me after the challenge because this edit spent NO TIME seeing the winners enjoy their family time. Instead, we immediately go back to camp where the losers (Karishma, Noura, Dean, and Elaine) discuss what to do. Actually, they don’t discuss much of anything. They listen to Noura scream at them about a variety of things, including how her ex-boyfriends have left her to go back to their old girlfriends. It’s very confusing. The point is, Noura is upset enough to agree to making a big move at tribal, and the group agrees to vote out Lauren, who poses a threat to them. Really, Noura was going wild, and it was peak Noura. 

Todd: It truly was. Here’s my question: was this plan ever really viable? Or was Dean just setting up the bottom 3 (including Noura) to look like they were on the outs for...rEaSoNs?

Mary: Knowing what we know now, I’m not sure. You observed (when Noura was struggling with basic math) that they’re about 30 days in and they’re all malnourished and going a little wild. It’s entirely possible that Dean thought he was setting up some big, smart plan, but really it just seems like he changed his mind at tribal and made a mess. At least to me. 

Todd: Yeah, as it stands, I am not sure why Dean decided it was better to be 5th in a group of 5 rather than 4th in an alliance of 4. Maybe he thinks that Tommy will trust him more now and pick him over--who? Lauren? His oldest ally in the game? Maybe over Janet? I really don’t know what Dean is thinking, and I am not sure he does either.

Mary: Maybe Dean thinks it’s better to be in with Tommy, who is a big manly man I guess, instead of a group of women. That’s what it looks like from the outside. 

Todd: Oh yeah. That seems entirely possible, and also makes a lot more sense out of his decision earlier in the season to not side with Kellee. While I was listening to a Survivor podcast (almost certainly Rob Cesternino and Stephen Fishbach’s Survivor Know-It-Alls), one of their guests mentioned that Dean seems like the kind of person who always wants to hang out with the “cool kids,” and in Survivor, the cool kids are whoever has the most power, as seen earlier this season when Molly was voted out because she was part of the Queen, King, and Jack “alliance” (still one of the dumbest alliance names ever, although Season 37 winner Nick Wilson came up with so many alliance nicknames that one of them is almost definitely dumber). Regardless, Dean is now, seemingly, in a...better(?) position? Or at least a different position. As Rob ultimately says though, “All this to vote out Karishma?”

Mary: Right. Dean stays in for another week, but will he last until the end? I don’t think so. Karishma being gone isn’t a surprise, and it isn’t a big move, but it did make me mad. After Dean openly exposed a plan and Noura was revealed to have lied to Tommy, after an extremely live tribal, we just...vote out Karishma? It seems like a lot of fuss for nothing. I wanted, unsurprisingly, for Noura to get voted out. She seemed to be headed there for a moment, as she was yelling to everyone and denying she did anything wrong. But alas. It was Karishma. And after we just got to see her with sweet Drew, too! Maybe they’ll get to hang at Ponderosa.

Todd: Truly, alas! I hope they get to spend some time together in Fiji. That seems like it would be nice. The tribal is wild. After Lauren wins immunity, the plan for the underdogs seems to be for Elaine to play the idol that she found (oh yeah! Elaine also found an idol) but then when it becomes apparent that the main alliance is going to split their vote, all the 4 have to do is vote for someone else and that person will go home. They set their sights on Tommy, and this seems to be where things went wrong. 

My favorite part of tribal is when Noura says she is going to say the “unsayable” and just lays out why everyone is whispering. Finally! One of the players is as fed up with the whispers as the rest of us. Look, the whispers can be fun but they also make it seem like no one knows what they are doing when these plans have usually been decided already. As Tom said earlier this season, they often seem like they are a put-on. 

When Tommy learns that his name has been thrown out--by Noura no less--he is incensed. He wants her gone next. Dan, trying to calm Tommy down, says “Tonight? Or next?” Seemingly, this gets Tommy to remember the plan. But truly, I am still baffled by Dean’s move. This feels like it was only a good decision for Tommy or maybe Janet. And what is the next move for our sweet country princess Elaine?

Mary: I think Elaine might be in a bit of a hole right now, since she was one of the main people organizing voting Tommy out, However, Elaine has been in more or less this position before and been fine. I think she has a sincerity that a lot of contestants lack, and an honesty that allows people to forgive her pretty easily. She also knows when to stay quiet, which is a big skill (maybe Rob and Sandra should teach someone that on Island of the Idols). I’m still rooting for Elaine to win, or if not win, be in the final three. I guess we don’t have long to wait now! 

Todd: By my count, there is only 1 episode before the finale, and it makes me wonder if there will be a double elimination next week or if we are in for a very dramatic and tribal council-filled final episode. (Or even more likely, a not-very-dramatic but still tribal-filled finale.)

Mary, we are now in the final 7. There are 5 original Vokai and 2 original Lairo left. Obviously, things are statistically in my favor, but you still have Dean and Elaine. Do you have a favorite to win at this point? Does it really matter, as long as it isn’t Dan? (Or honestly, Dean?)

Mary: At this point, we are all one tribe, Todd. So we both win. (Todd: Chris Underwood is still yours.) I think my favorite to win is Janet, but my favorite to realistically win is Elaine. I don’t think Janet can win because she hasn’t been a huge decision maker in terms of voting. Meanwhile, Elaine has stealthily orchestrated or pushed along several votes. I think she has what it takes. She’s also not enough of a physical threat to scare anyone too much. She is good at redneck games, though.

Todd: That’s true. If there are more redneck games in the future, the other contestants could be in trouble. But I think you are right that Janet might not be able to win. Probably only if she is in the final tribal with, like, Dan and Noura. However, Elaine strikes me as the person that could probably run the table against almost anyone. She has been seen as a social threat since Day 1 in the game (Hi, Ronnie), and she has been able to convince people to keep her even when it was against their interest (Bye, Ronnie). If Elaine is sitting in front of the jury, I think she will probably be able to sway them using--what else?--her Southern charm! 

Look, this was a weird episode. Ultimately, it was a lot of sound and fury that signified next to nothing. There wasn’t even a trip to the Island of the Idols! We need more of Queen Sandra!

THE MERGE

Todd: After seeming like it was being phased out, potentially to save time, we get two instances of Jeff saying “Come on in, guys” this week.

Mary: Truly, two come on ins! We are lucky this week. 

Todd: Some of the only shots we get of the winners at the reward challenge involve Dan confidently saying that there is no way the bottom 4 will work together. It is very insufferable and I am so afraid that Dan is going to be in the final 3.

Mary: I hate the very idea that Dan makes it that far, and I’m not sure why no one has voted him out yet, but here we are. 

Todd: The sad truth? Anyone would win against him. So why vote him out?

Mary: The Goatiest Goat.

Also, Elaine asks Jeff at one point what “extrapolate” means, and it only endeared me to her more. 

Todd: Mmhmm. Also, even though this was Karishma’s last episode as a contestant, she went out with some great lines--like after the reward challenge when she tells Jeff that now is the time for the people on the bottom to “put a wrecking ball in someone else’s head maybe.” Woah!

And that’s all this week for…

Survivor:

Island

Of

The

Idols!