The season premiere of Survivor: Edge of Extinction airs tonight on CBS. Read a live recap and join the discussion here.
This season will have fourteen castaways competing against four returning players. The returnees are four fan favorites that have yet to win the game: Kelley Wentworth, David Wright, Joe Anglim, and Aubry Bracco. In addition, there will be a new twist that will affect the game. When castaways are voted out, they have the choice to go home or “go to the edge of extinction.” Extinction Island will push them further than ever before as they wait for the chance to reenter the game.
It’s time for the marooning! Jeff greets the new castaways on a ship and reminds them that the first person will be voted out in 72 hours. He does not tell them about Extinction Island. Afterwards, he introduces the returning players. The new castaways are excited to see these fan favorites as they climb aboard the ship to join the newbies. Jeff recalls Kelley’s use of an individual immunity idol that cancelled a record breaking amount of votes, he calls David a strong strategist, he says Joe managed to make it far despite having a target on his back, and he points out how Aubry lasted 76 out of 78 days in her two seasons. Despite being great players, Jeff says these four haven’t won the game before since Survivor is unpredictable.
Next the game officially begins as the castaways must jump overboard into smaller boats while trying to gather as much food and supplies as possible. During the chaotic scramble, Ron finds a secret advantage on the floor. He picks it up and hides it in his pants. Afterwards, they make their way to their camps.
On the Manu tribe are Kelley, David, Wardog, Chris, Rick, Reem, Wendy, Lauren, and Keith. Kelley says in her confessional that it’s important to establish an early alliance since she played from the bottom her last time in Survivor: Cambodia. David recalls his nerves from his first time playing, but he sees the other castaways want his advice on building shelter. He gives them ideas and wants them to view him as a friend. We hear from Wendy too. She admits to being socially awkward, but she’s determined to prove herself in this game.
The Kama tribe has Joe, Aubry, Ron, Aurora, Julie, Julia, Victoria, Eric, and Gavin. Joe says in his confessional he wants to hold back his skills to not be viewed as a target, but the other castaways keep asking for his advice on building shelter. He even helps them make fire too. Aurora shares in a confessional that she’s impressed by Joe. Meanwhile, Ron wanders off alone to learn what his secret advantage is. It’s the Advantage Menu. He can choose one of the following: Steal the other tribe’s reward from a challenge, get an extra vote, or get individual immunity. This advantage will no longer have any power after the third tribal council.
Joe and Aubry talk game. Joe believes they are in a good spot on the tribe, but Aubry is nervous about being the returnee in a game full of newbies. She wants to lay low early as much as possible. We later see Eric and Gavin talk to each other about Joe and Aubry. They agree that a new player should win the game, and they plan to vote out either Joe or Aubry if Kama loses the immunity challenge.
Back at the Manu tribe, the tribe members are getting annoyed by Reem. She tries to be helpful and dry other people’s clothes, but they don’t appreciate her touching and moving their personal belongings. Meanwhile, Keith misses his mom, but he sees Reem as a motherly figure in the game for him. Reem and Wendy go out into the water to help teach Keith how to swim. While the three of them are out there, the rest of the tribe call them a trio alliance. In his confessional, Rick calls Keith a poor swimmer, Wendy a nervous person, and Reem a busybody. He thinks they are the easy first boots if they were to lose immunity.
It’s time for the immunity challenge. The tribes must work together to go through a series of obstacles until they reach a giant slide puzzle. The first tribe to solve the puzzle will win immunity. The challenge begins as they make their way through a rope obstacle. Afterwards, Joe and Chris climb up a rope to ring a bell for their respective tribes. Next, they must go across a balance beam and untie knots. Kama takes the lead on the balance beam as Manu keeps falling off the balance beam. David is the only Manu tribe member across the beam by the time all the Kama tribe members make their way across their balance beam. Eric pulls a lever to drop a slide for his Kama tribe members as the Manu tribe only has half of their tribe members across the balance beam. They eventually cross the balance beam, but the Kama tribe members begin working on the puzzle as Lauren drops the slide for her Manu tribe members. Eventually, both tribes are working on the puzzle and becomes a closer challenge, but Kama solves their slide puzzle first. Kama wins immunity!
Manu returns to camp. Reem, Keith, Wendy, and Rick talk game at the well. Reem says Lauren and Kelley are a tight duo and must be split up. Afterwards, Keith walks away and immediately rats out Reem and Wendy to the rest of the tribe. They agree to target Reem tonight. Later, Wendy pleads her case to Wardog and David. She tries to save Reem and asks them to reconsider. When she walks away, Wardog wonders whether they should vote out Wendy tonight instead. He sees her as someone he cannot work with in the game. Elsewhere, Reem is unhappy that she is on the chopping block tonight.
It’s Night 3 and time for the first tribal council of the season. Jeff tells the Manu tribe members to grab a torch and dip it into the flame to get fire. Afterwards, Jeff begins the discussion with first impressions. Rick says it was one big tribe at first, but it eventually ended up being smaller groups within a large group. Reem agrees, but Jeff points out how she seems to be in a bad mood. Reem admits that she’s annoyed because her name was thrown out. Kelley says her name was thrown out too, and Reem says Kelley is a Survivor legend and should take it as a compliment. Kelley disagrees and asks why wasn’t David’s name thrown out. Kelley and Reem get into an argument, and Reem’s bad mood gets worse. She’s called a confrontational person, and Wardog brings up how she moved people’s personal belongings onto the beach. Reem says she was just trying to keep their clothes dry, and she tells everyone that all they had to do was ask her to not touch their stuff. Wendy speaks up on Reem’s behalf. She admits that she likes Reem, but she says that it seems like Reem will be voted out tonight. Rick and Wardog speak up and say that no one dislikes Reem. She has just rubbed some people the wrong way. Reem laments how she’ll likely be the first one voted out, and Jeff says it has to happen to someone. Afterwards, it’s time for the vote.
Jeff reads the votes. The first vote is for…
Reem
Kelley
Wendy
Lauren
Reem
Wendy
Reem
Wendy
Reem
Reem is the first person voted out of Survivor: Edge of Extinction.
Reem is frustrated and hopes rain will pour down tonight. However, as she walks down the path, she comes across a sign post. She can walk right and her adventure will end, or she can grab a torch and get on a boat to the left. She decides to get on the boat and finds herself alone on an island.
And that wraps up tonight’s episode of Survivor: Edge of Extinction. Thanks for reading, post your thoughts in the comment section below, and come back next week for another live recap.
