A new episode of Survivor airs tonight on CBS. Read a live recap here.
The tribe returns to camp after tribal council. Mary is sad to see Star go. She’s especially disappointed everyone she gets close to ends up getting voted out. She feels like she’s in a pit, but at least she’s still in the game. Later, Mary and Kamilla talk game. Mary wants to be kept around as a number to get rid of Joe or Eva. Kamilla agrees that Joe and Eva have the most power in the game. Mary also gives the same pitch to Mitch. Mitch admits that Joe has been dominating the game, and they need to do something. Mitch hopes they can get Shauhin and Kyle on board to vote out Joe. Otherwise, Joe is going to “run away with the season.”
Meanwhile, Joe feels like he’s in a great spot. He says his alliance with Eva, Kyle, and Shauhin are solid and will go to the Final 4 together. In his confessional, Kyle admits he has reservations. He wonders if he’ll be able to beat Joe in a Final 3 scenario. If not, should he make a move against Joe?
Mary gives her pitch to Kyle the next morning. She says they can use Mary as a number to vote out Joe. Kyle admits this could be the last chance to have the numbers to blindside Joe out of the game. However, Kyle says he’s in a tough position since he has a personal bond with Joe and Eva. He admits it would be difficult for him to make a move against Joe. Mary is annoyed, so she later chops coconuts and eats them herself. She doesn’t feel like she owes anyone anything since they’re all plotting against her. This gets on the other castaways’ nerves. Kamilla says no one will want to keep her around if she’s eating all of the food.
Kyle and Kamilla talk game later. Kyle admits to her that he’s considering taking Joe out of the game. In his confessional, Kyle says that he’s been playing the middle throughout the game, but now he’s at a crossroads. He knows Joe and Shauhin trust him. They’ve also shared deeply personal stories with each other. He doesn’t want to betray them. On the other hand, Kamilla is his closest ally in the game, and he doesn’t want to betray her either.
A boat arrives at their camp, and a man hands them a note. Eva reads the note. One person must get on the boat for a Journey. If they cannot agree, then they will have to decide randomly. They draw rocks to decide who goes on the Journey. Eva draws the purple rock, so she gets to go on the Journey.
Eva must complete a challenge in order to win a Knowledge Is Power advantage. If she fails, then she will lose her vote at the upcoming tribal council. She must stack tiles with four levels within the time limit to complete the challenge. She also has the option to attempt eight levels to win a stronger advantage. Eva first builds the four levels with no issues, and she contemplates going for the better advantage. She starts stacking tiles for the fifth level, but she changes her mind. She keeps her Knowledge Is Power advantage. Eva returns to camp and tells everyone the truth.
Mary gives her pitch to Shauhin next. Shauhin is hesitant. He knows Joe and Eva are threats, but Shauhin believes he has played a better game than Joe and Eva. He believes he can choose whichever path he wants to get to the Final 3. Shauhin is confident in all the relationships he has built throughout the game.
It’s time for the immunity challenge. They will complete an obstacle course of balancing a vase on a wheelbarrow while crossing balance beams until they unlock the puzzle pieces of an arch puzzle. The first to complete the puzzle and spell out the word “unforgettable” will win immunity. In addition, they will win a food reward that includes sushi, teriyaki chicken, noodles, and chocolate cake. The challenge begins, and Mary takes the early lead. However, she eventually falls behind at the second balance beam requiring them to balance two vases on their wheelbarrow. Shauhin is the first to attempt the arch puzzle, currently putting him in the lead. Mitch is the second person to begin working on the puzzle. Joe and Kamilla are the next to begin working on the puzzle. Eventually everyone is working on the puzzle except for Mary. It ends up being a photo finish between Joe and Kamilla. Joe steps off his mat first, but two blocks are on the wrong side. Kamilla wins immunity! Kamilla picks Mitch and Eva to join her on the reward.
We next see Kamilla, Mitch, and Eva enjoying their food reward. In her confessional, Kamilla explains that she picked Eva to make her and Joe feel comfortable. She also wants to hide how close she is to Kyle. Kamilla wants Eva to believe they are voting out Mary tonight. However, Kamilla wants to make a move to blindside Joe. She’s hopeful Mary, Mitch, and Kyle will join her on this plan.
Back at camp, Mary says it’s apparent that they want her gone tonight. After Kamilla, Mitch, and Eva return, Kyle talks game with Kamilla. Kyle shares his secret with Kamilla. He tells her he’s really a lawyer and not a teacher. Kamilla is impressed, but she doesn’t care. It doesn’t change her thoughts about working with Kyle. Kyle says Kamilla is his #1 ally, and he’s going to side with her. Kyle and Kamilla agree they want to vote out Joe eventually, but they’re unsure if now is the time.
Mary tells Joe to his face that she’s going to write his name down tonight. She says this in front of everybody too. Joe admits this makes him feel unsettled. He’s paranoid that Mary has an idol, so he wonders if they should throw a vote to someone else. He says this to Kyle and Mitch. Mitch asks him whose name would he write down? Joe is still panicking, so Shauhin tries to calm his nerves. He tries to dissuade Joe from writing someone else’s name. He tells him Mary doesn’t have an idol and to just write down Mary’s name. Shauhin says Joe’s paranoia means he’s likely to flip on someone in his alliance.
It’s time for tribal council. Jeff asks them about the downtime when they can only sit around and think. He asks about home. Kyle is thinking of his fiancee back home, and he uses it as motivation. Joe is thinking about his kids. Mary talks about her mother who immigrated to the United States, and she wants to win the money for her. Kamilla says she’s here for her parents as well. Shauhin says his parents made sacrifices for him too. The talks shifts to the game. Mitch says everyone has to do what is best for them. Eva says her game hasn’t shifted to a “me” yet. She still wants to think of her group as a team that needs to work together. Kamilla says not everybody is in the core group, so they have to think individually. Joe says every past Survivor winner had to rely on others to get to the end. Jeff asks about timing. Kyle says timing is everything. Some players make a big move too early, and others have never made a move. Mary shares her thoughts, and she says that no one was open to working with her. They just placated her. Joe says no one ever truly feels safe. They can either be paranoid or trust the group. Shauhin says he needs to play the game proud of what he’s done and be in the best position to win. Finally, it’s time for the vote.
Jeff reads the votes. The first vote is for…
Mary
Joe
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary is the twelfth person voted out and the fifth member of the jury. As she gets her torch snuffed, David stands up for her.
And that wraps up tonight’s episode of Survivor. Thanks for reading, and come back next week for another live recap.
