A new episode of Survivor: Edge of Extinction airs tonight on CBS. Read a live recap and join the discussion here.
The episode begins with the castaways returning to camp after tribal council. Aurora was surprised by Joe’s elimination. She says she has no allegiances to anyone from her former Kama tribe, but she’ll go wherever the numbers are. Elsewhere, Ron’s plan was for David and Rick to be so mad with their former Lesu tribe members. He believes his plan worked since Rick and David received votes from Kelley, Wardog, and Lauren. He doesn’t want them to go back to their old tribe. However, Kelley, Wardog, and Lauren are trying to come up with a plan to save themselves. They know they are on the bottom of the tribe, but Wardog suggests they try to make amends with David and Rick and then bring Aurora to their side.
We see a glimpse of Joe on Extinction Island sitting on the beach by himself before it cuts to the reward challenge. The castaways greet Jeff before he explains the rules. They will be randomly divided into two teams of six. They must walk across balance beams out on the ocean and retrieve puzzle pieces. Afterwards, they must take the pieces to shore and then solve the puzzle. The first team to complete the puzzle will win a Chinese food reward. On the blue team are Eric, Wardog, Julia, Victoria, Lauren, and Rick; On the yellow team are Kelley, Gavin, Julie, Lauren, Ron, and David. The challenge begins, and the blue team takes a lead as they are quicker in collecting their puzzle pieces. It eventually becomes a closer challenge when both teams are trying to solve the puzzle, but Victoria and Julia solve the puzzle before David and Ron do. Eric, Wardog, Julia, Victoria, Lauren, and Rick win reward!
We see half of the castaways enjoy their Chinese food and the other half lamenting their loss. Afterwards, Kelley tries to bury the hatchet with David. She fears the Kama tribe will run the game if the former Lesu tribe members don’t unite and bring in Aurora. Kelley tells David it’s the “Eric and Ron Show.” Meanwhile, Aurora is in tears as she tells Ron it hurt her feelings how she was excluded from the plan to vote out Joe. David admits in a confessional how he likes what Kelley is proposing. He realizes he’s just a piece in their game, and he wants to flip the game around. The scene cuts to Eric and Ron talking game; they are both confident that the old Lesu tribe members have no power in the game.
Wardog approaches Rick, and Rick tells Wardog how he has no interest working with him, Kelley, and Lauren. He says they repeatedly stabbed him in the back, and Wardog accuses Rick of playing an emotional game. They get into a heated argument before we see Rick and David talk game alone. David wants them to work with the Lesu castaways again, but Rick is completely against it. David is frustrated, and he tells Rick that they are just puppets for Ron and Eric if they continue to vote with them. David even refuses to give back the other half of the hidden immunity idol Rick received in the last episode. In his confessional, David even begins to think Rick is someone he won’t be able to work with in the game.
Back on the Extinction Island, Reem, Chris, Aubry, and Joe receive a note that informs them that “an advantage awaits.” They all go scrambling around the island as they search for this advantage. Aubry finds a note in a hole in the wall by the steps. She has received an advantage to practice for the upcoming challenge. In addition, she can give an extra vote to someone still in the game.
It’s time for the immunity challenge. It’s an endurance challenge that requires them to stand inside a wooden frame while balancing a wooden block on their heads. They must stand on their toes to hold the block against the frame. The last one standing will win immunity. The challenge begins, and Wardog is the first one to drop. Eric is the second to drop, and he’s followed by Gavin, Kelley, and Rick. Julia is the next one to drop her block, and she’s followed by Ron and Julie. Only four castaways remain: David, Victoria, Aurora, and Lauren. After 25 minutes, David is the next one to drop his block. Lauren says she feels dizzy before she passes out and collapses onto the ground. Medical rushes to aid an unconscious Lauren as Aurora is pleading to Victoria to let her win the challenge. Julie is reduced to tears as she’s bothered by Aurora trying to talk game while someone is lying on the ground unconscious. Lauren wakes up, and she tells Jeff she is embarrassed. Aurora is still pleading to Victoria, and she tells her that she will feel better about their group if she wins the immunity. However, Victoria loses concentration and drops her block before agreeing to any deal. Aurora wins immunity!
The castaways return to camp, and Aurora is especially relieved to have immunity tonight. In addition, she finds a parchment inside her bag. Aubry has gifted Aurora with the extra vote. She can use this advantage until seven people remain in the game. Aurora doesn’t know who gave her this advantage, but she assumes it was either Joe or Aubry. Aurora says she will stay with the numbers for now, but she plans to make a move when she believes she needs to. Afterwards, all the former Kama members stand together in a circle to come up with a plan. Aurora wants to target Kelley, while Victoria believes Lauren is a more physical threat. Eric proposes to split the vote, and he admits in a confessional how he’s counting on David and Rick still being loyal to himself and Ron. Afterwards, we see Wardog approach Gavin and Julia, and he tells them that they need to vote out Rick or David since he sees how Eric and Ron are trying to pull in David and Rick. In her confessional, Julia admits that Wardog does have a point. Julia tests Eric later on, and she asks him alone if he’s willing to vote out David or Rick before Kelley or Lauren. Eric is hesitant about it, and Julia believes this confirms Wardog’s theory. Afterwards, Julia talks game with Gavin, and they are realizing how Eric and Ron may try to use David and Rick to vote one of the former Kama tribe members out in the future. They consider voting out either Ron or Eric tonight. Julia and Gavin discuss this idea with Victoria, but she is not on board with this plan. She thinks it’s too early, but Julia admits in a confessional how she believes the time to make a big move may be now.
It’s Night 22 and time for tribal council. Jeff asks Eric about the dominance of Kama, and Eric admits how the seven former Kama tribe members had a group discussion on what their plan is. Rick admits he knows about the Kama meeting, but he’s done with the Lesu tribe after they voted him out. He’d rather jump on the Kama train. David, however, is aware how they are either a pilot or a passenger. He feels more like a passenger right now. Eric points out how the Kama tribe members have an agreement to make it to the loved ones visit. Wardog asks if they are playing to get to the loved ones visit or to win the game. Victoria agrees that people may think about making a big move, but it’s all about timing. She thinks it’s too early to make a big move. She says she’d rather wait to shoot her shot than shoot herself in the foot tonight. Jeff asks Aurora her thoughts, and she says anyone can take control of the game. It all comes down to if anyone is willing to do it. Afterwards, it’s time for the vote.
Jeff reads the votes. The first vote is for…
Kelley
Lauren
Lauren
Kelley
Eric
Eric
Eric
Eric
Eric
Eric
Eric is voted out and the fifth member of the jury.
Eric is blindsided. He walks down the pathway and grabs the torch before heading to Extinction Island.
And that wraps up tonight’s episode of Survivor. Thanks for reading, post your thoughts in the comment section below, and come back next week for another live recap.
