Playing Hide n’ Seek Previously on Survivor, at Tribal Council, Devens saved himself... <”I would like to play this immunity idol for myself”>
...but Victoria, Gavin, Lauren and Aurora had a back-up plan.
It’s evident that, for production, the show is reduced to its simplest expression and that is Tribal Council. They should be happy with a finale that will feature 4 of them and a Fire Challenge. Except for the challenges, (which also feature Jeff) what happens on the island is becoming less and less important.
Vata Night 31
Gavin had the first interview of the evening: “Last Tribal Council, I blindsided Ron. That was probably the most guilty I’ve felt voting someone out. I felt like I had to separate my heart from the game. Now that he’s gone, I think all the focus went straight to Devens because you know Devens is the idol and advantage king right now. So, Devens needs to go home.”
Devens’ confessional: “I told everyone that I got the idol from the Edge of Extinction instead of Vata Beach because I don’t want them to look at Vata Beach. I want to be the only one out here grinding and working to find the idol. For the time being, if they still think that all the advantages come from the Edge of Extinction that plays right into my hands. I think I’m still on the bottom; no one is coming to work with me except maybe Julie right now because she was blindsided so I’m going to get really clever in any other way that I can manipulate the game.”
Devens would come up with many clever ideas. In fact his tricks will be featured all night long, making this episode quite enjoyable.
In confessional, Aurora told us that she was happy to have finally found an alliance in Victoria, Gavin and Lauren. Devens was her number one target. She really wanted him out.
Right there and then, we had the feeling that Aurora’s happiness wouldn’t last. It was the perfect set-up for another blindside.
Devens gave us an interview while we watched him getting up in the middle of the night: “At Tribal last night, Ron went home and that was great but if I didn’t have the idol, it was me going home. I’m still at the bottom and I know the only way I’m getting to final 3 is if I work and get myself there.”
Vata Day 32
Devens was still walking around the jungle: “Early bird gets the worm; I’ve got to find it before anyone else. To get to the end of the game, I’m going to have to do it alone.”
It was Lauren’s turn to be interviewed: “Devens is a huge liar; I mean he didn’t get gifted an idol from Extinction. He found the idol. I have the Hidden Immunity Idol from the original Manu Beach up my sleeve so I know that idols do come from this island but nobody else knows. So, I’m definitely looking for the idol but, most importantly, I want to make sure that Rick does not have one.”
Lauren followed Rick for a while but then walked back to camp.
Viewers will ask why she didn’t stay with Rick the whole time but she did say that she had been searching for the idol. So it’s possible that she had looked all over that path and found nothing. Should she have looked more attentively? Maybe. But it’s also possible that the idol wasn’t there when she was looking but had just been placed after she left. Production also has tricks up their sleeves.
Devens interview: “I feel it’s idol or bust. I have to find the idol. If I don’t find it, I’m back to the Edge of Extinction but I’ll keep hustling until the end of this game... Ta-da-da-da-dun-da! Breaking news: Another Idol found! And it was me! I’m so excited. I’ve been at the bottom for so long and that can be so defeating but I’m working as hard as I can to bring the money home to my family. I’m getting stronger. I absolutely feel strong and i know that my family is going to be proud of me...and I am too.”
If we recall, War Dog made a good proposal to Rick soon after the merger which the news anchorman flatly rejected. Had he accepted it maybe he wouldn’t have been on the bottom for so long.
The Reward Challenge
Gavin won the reward and he chose Victoria and Lauren to share it with him. That upset Aurora who, like Victoria hadn’t been on many rewards.
It’s strange how no one mentions that Gavin is good in these challenges. I’m guessing it’s because it won’t matter in the end; he won’t win the final immunity, the one that will really count. That was the reason why we never heard about Rafe’s challenge abilities in Guatemala.
Gavin’s confessional: “Winning this reward is a life-changing moment for me because I’ve only been on a plane twice and never been on a helicopter... It almost feels like a roller coaster but a heck of a lot different than Disney World that’s for sure. I chose to take Victoria and Lauren instead of Aurora. I’m sure Aurora is hurting because of this decision but I hope she’s a smart enough player to know that she is still better off going with me, Victoria and Lauren instead of working with someone like Devens who has a clear shot of winning this game.”
This interview is just filler because it tells us nothing about Gavin other than his feelings of the moment.
The helicopter flew right by their camp so the players saw Aurora sunbathing on the beach. It was going to be the first of two helicopter shots showing a player this evening and this one would be very ironic considering that Aurora was going to be our next player voted out of the game. I expect that the second one was used in the traditional way; the winner’s helicopter shot.
Lauren’s interview: “As of right now, the three of us all agree that Devens has to go and then Gavin and Victoria are thinking Julie but I’m really worried. Julie and I have been close since right about the spa reward and we have built a trust so I personally don’t want to take Julie out.”
Note that Lauren had the interview instead of Victoria which tells us their relative importance in this story. Lauren’s confessional also shines in comparison to Gavin’s because of its substance. It is also notable that this was the first step in turning the vote away from Julie and on to Aurora, a turn that could have been entirely credited to Devens’ creative manipulations during the upcoming Tribal Council. The viewers could have been shown a story from Aurora, Devens or Julie’s perspective, a story in which Devens’ tactics were the only reason why the vote suddenly flipped to Aurora but, instead, we are shown that Devens’ tactics played nicely into Lauren’s plans. It could be a significant hint in our search for the identity of the Sole Survivor. Of course, that is if we are being told the winner’s story, nothing here matters if our winner spent all his or her time on the Edge of Extinction.
Vata Day 32
Victoria’s confessional: “Coming back from the reward, I knew I had to talk to Aurora to assure that, on our end, nothing had changed. The most important thing is moving together as a foursome. Aurora, she’s just an emotional player so now I have to doubly reassure her that nothing has changed. To win this game it would be smartest for us to stick together.”
Aurora’s interview: “So automatically, Victoria wants to explain that there really was no ill-will from their side being on the reward. Even if I have doubts, it is the most logical choice to stay in this alliance. I just want to move forward; to get out Devens and Julie. So, at this point, I’ve got to stick with my plan.”
The “automatically” used by Aurora indicates that there is no real love between her and Victoria. Could it be a hint to the way she will vote if Victoria is one of the choices offered to her.
The Edge of Extinction – Day 32
Each player had written a letter to himself before the game started and the players on the edge were now receiving those letters. Each was directed to find an isolated spot to read it. It was production’s way of making us feel that Survivor is a life changing experience but some of these players had been through the rigors of the games 3 times already so how much change were they really experiencing. As for the new players, it was mostly vain bravado since only one will actually get a second chance.
Which one will it be? There came the second helicopter shot of the evening and this one had the wide overview that we’ve come to connect with a winner’s shot. It was Chris who walked out to a rocky promontory to read his letter. Once more, we heard him say his plan had been to play a perfect game and that now he had to adjust.
Vata Day 33
Devens’ interview: “My plan right now is, I’ve got my idol, now I’m doing the best I can to totally mess with everyone I’m in camp with. I can rest on Day 40 but right now it’s everything into the game.”
I was afraid that Devens would make the usual mistake of relaxing in camp after finding his idol but his plan was not only perfect but very entertaining. The rest of the segment showed us just how much he was effective in messing with everyone’s mind. Gavin’s confessional showed just that Devens plan was working.
Lauren’s interview: “I think that Rick has gone crazy; he disappears out of nowhere. It’s like playing hide n’ seek and I always hated playing hide n’ seek as a kid. So we’re just walking around aimlessly; trying to find him is madness.”
Day 34 – The Immunity Challenge
It was a word puzzle which seemed to be Aurora’s least favorite kind of game but Devens’ specialty. As he said: “If they are all bad at word puzzles I just have to be mediocre.”
I guess this sums up this season nicely. Since most of the last 20 seasons have been bad then this one only has to be mediocre to be better. It is. Maybe not better than the last one but certainly better than the most of the others.
Rick won Immunity.
Rick in solo: “Because I have the necklace, I am safe now but I was target number one. They are going to go for Julie, the only person not in that four, the only person who might be willing to work with me so I’m really hoping that I will find a way to keep her in the game.”
Vata Day 34
Aurora had a confessional that closed her story arc nicely: Rick was a thorn in her side and his win sucked but she trusted her Final 4.
Right after Victoria guessed that they’d vote for Aurora, we heard Rick telling Julie that they should vote for Aurora.
As brilliant as it is, there is a major flaw in Rick’s edit: He is always shown to be one step behind in the tactical game. It started in Lesu, continued after the merger when he flatly declined War Dog’s first offer to work together and even more when he tried to rally Ron in an alliance of the “Big Threats” and now by Lauren first and even Victoria. His edit is telling us this: He’s working hard to win this game but he isn’t working well. If Rick doesn’t win the game then he’ll become Survivor’s version of the Ingenious Gentleman Sir Quixote of La Mancha.
Julie’s interview: “I’m willing to work with Rick for the next vote because I don’t have many other choices but i need more than just the two of us. I do have a good relationship with Lauren but if Lauren votes for Aurora we’re still going to need someone else to vote Aurora with her.”
After talking to Julie, Lauren gave us her thoughts: “Moving forward with Julie means that I could possibly sit next to her in the end and I think I have a better chance of beating her than I do Aurora. I think that Julie has become a very emotional player so I don’t think that a lot of the jury likes Julie. So, I’m going to try to convince Gavin that his best play is to not take Aurora to the end.”
Lauren understood that he best option was to go for the “easy vote” Gavin. It wouldn’t be the first time that he’d flip on an ally.
Informed of Lauren’s plan, Gavin was non-committal, wanting to talk to Victoria before making up his decision. Lauren pressed him, asking if he’d do it even if Victoria shut down the idea. Gavin couldn’t give her an answer.
Gavin solo: “Lauren hit me with a conversation: “Do we really need to vote Julie who is the easy vote or should we get out someone like Aurora who is going to be a threat at the Fire-making challenge or just a threat to win that Final Immunity challenge.” Lauren was ready to roll with it as long as I was. She didn’t need Victoria’s vote but that concerns me just because I am close with Victoria. Moving forward, I want to make sure Victoria is in on this vote and that she is OK with it because I don’t want to rock the boat before it needs to be rocked.”
Informing Victoria of Lauren’s plan was one thing, telling Victoria that Lauren was willing to do it without Victoria EVEN if she said she’d vote for Julie if Victoria was opposed to the plan is ratting out a friend. Gavin isn’t a player who should be trusted. He even had to audacity to tell Victoria that Lauren knew he wouldn’t do it if it was only the two of them. That is a flat lie.
Victoria’s interview: “Lauren was ready to vote Aurora with or without me. It doesn’t matter to her whether I was on board so now I feel like I’m in a bad spot because, at this point, I trust Gavin but I believe Lauren is trying to work with Julie so I’d rather just have Julie out of the game.”
Rick’s confessional: “Julie...I should do everything I can to keep her in the game. She is also someone I wouldn’t mind sitting next to in the Final 3 so I’m going to have a trick or two up my sleeve to go along with my necklace. It gives me an opportunity to make a splash at Tribal Council and have this four person alliance turn on each other. Just to have them look at each other like that will put a smile on my face. The more confused they are the better it is for me because confused people do crazy things.”
Tribal Council Night 34
The Final episode usually starts on Day 36 but this time we’ll be in the morning of Day 35 so it’s easy to imagine that the editing of that final episode will be rushed.
Devens said he saw many unhappy faces in camp after his win.
Julie confirmed that there was a four person alliance that didn’t include her or Devens.
Aurora wanted to see Devens out of the game.
Victoria and Gavin agreed with Aurora. Then the group talked about Devens running around and hiding in trees.
Devens put an end to the speculation by taking out his idol adding he’d play it for Julie and they’d vote for one of the four.
That got the jury’s attention and really excited them. Either they admire Devens’ game play or they want to see that Julie is safe. Lauren and Gavin see her as a goat but is she really?
Lauren looked at Gavin as if to say: “Now you have to vote for Aurora.”
Gavin was nervous and Lauren said she didn’t feel as comfortable as before.
Aurora wasn’t even sure if it was a real idol.
Devens pointed out that he could play the idol on Julie because he already played on for Dave and, with a returning player, the numbers could turn from a 4-1 disadvantage into a 3-3 tie. He added that is more aggressive game play came from his sojourn on the Edge of Extinction.
It was time to vote.
As expected, Devens didn’t play his idol.
He and Julie voted against Aurora.
Aurora voted against Julie.
Lauren, Gavin and Victoria also voted against Aurora.
The Story The story has not been easy to follow. There isn’t a discernible villain and the main star of the story is continually shown to be one step behind his antagonists. That could be easily explained if the story of Vata doesn’t include the winner of this season. Looking at the Next Time on Survivor segment, we see that it is all about the return challenge which happens one cycle earlier than in previous iterations where Outcasts returned late in the game. Maybe, like Devens did with the other players, the editors have played Hide n’ Seek with the viewers, keeping their winner mostly out of sight on the Edge of Extinction. The returning player may have an advantage like Devens received at the merger, complicating life for our Final 5. So, let us see what case could be presented to the jury.
The Characters
Most of the old tenants of the Island of ExtinctionReem, Julia, David, Aubry, Eric, Joe, David, Kelley War Dog Ron: Anyone of them would have a strong case to present to the jury. It would be their personal story of perseverance and, for the returning players in this group, their perseverance extends well beyond the weeks spent on the Edge of extinction. Joe, Aubry, Kelley and Dave have been persevering for years to conquer this game and all have made strong bonds with other members of the jury.
The New Resident:
Aurora: She has won a few challenges but, unfortunately for her, there are a lot of challenge experts on the Edge of Extinction. It will be difficult for her to win that challenge and continue winning if she comes back. If she does make it to the F3 she will have a strong case to present to the jury because she has been left to fend on her own for most of the season. Her main liabilities are her lack of involvement in the tactical part of the game and her social skills which seem very limited. She didn’t appear to make friends out there and that often proves costly.
Gavin: The least trustworthy member of the Final 5, Gavin should have the toughest time convincing the jury of his merits. He’s turned his back on many members of the jury and he’s been indecisive in his actions. His main chance would be to win all the remaining challenges, earning the chance of eliminating the two Edge of Extinction returning players and selecting his final opponents. That could earn the jury’s respect but short of that I don’t see Gavin winning.
Victoria: Like she yelled to Jeff during the immunity challenge, Victoria needs to remind the jury that she is playing the game. She has played a strong game, benefitting greatly from Kama’s early dominance and then nicely navigating through its self-destruction. However, the editors haven’t given her the attention she deserved and it is probably because the jury won’t see it either. I feel that her participation in the Final 3 is the most certain of them all but her failure is also the easiest to predict.
Julie: Lauren, Gavin and Devens all said they’d like to sit next to her at the end, suggesting she’d be easily beaten. She even calls herself a goat but whenever someone says they are a goat, Sandra for example, then that’s often proven false by the vote. Julie will need to control her emotions at Final Tribal Council. Tears have often earned votes but not hysteria. If she can present her case calmly, shedding a tear or two at the right moments, I’m not so sure she couldn’t beat the players that haven’t had a chance to mingle with the other jurors.
Devens: He is undoubtedly the break out character of the season, the “Hero” of the story but, like Don Quixote, he could be a failing hero. All his tactics are valid but he is still shown to be one step behind his opponents. Devens had the rare opportunity to talk directly to many of the jury members in a non-competitive environment, he is a family man and he speaks extremely well in public so he would win in any combination of Final 3 players that excludes the other returnee but, if he is destined to be Survivor’s Don Quixote, then Aurora should get her wish and see him voted out. The returning player is both a curse and a help for him. It will help because that player will draw immediate attention as a player to eliminate but it is a curse because it will be a tough opponent to beat in the next 3 immunity challenges and maybe an impossible one to beat in front of the jury.
Lauren: Personally, I would vote for Lauren if she makes the Final 3. She has been able to infiltrate the Kama alliance and has been able to keep Julie’s trust. Her journey has been difficult, going through Manu and Lesu’s losing streak and suffering from the harsh conditions that prevailed before the merger. She’s made the most friends out there and she has seen clearly through most of the schemes that didn’t include her. Despite her position in the minority she has almost always been able to see the direction of the vote (Kelley’s elimination is the one big exception) which meant she has kept her idol. Now, having the returning player coming in at F6 instead of F5 means someone else in the game will know about her idol so that could hurt her but it could also attract a new ally.
The Helicopter Shot:
Chris: The camera work on Survivor is superb. We get incredible nature shots and we are able to mingle with the players in camp when they are having very intimate moments and during extremely heated arguments without even noticing the staff. Once in a while, the producers decide to augment our experience by giving us a view from a camera mounted in a helicopter. The helicopter shot is so impressive that, at times, the editors have chosen to show only those that include the eventual winner. Earl on top of a Mountain in Fiji, Parvati and Natalie White on beaches in Micronesia and Samoa respectively were central in these great panoramic images. I’m sure every one noticed the magnificent image of Chris sitting alone on a rock out in the ocean. He went there to read his own letter, telling us it was about his desire to play a perfect game and how he realized Survivor wasn’t about playing a perfect game. Wouldn’t that be a perfect moral to this season’s story if Chris is not only the returning player but the one who becomes the season’s Sole Survivor?
I don’t know how I’d feel about this season if a player won despite being voted out. Like any purist should, I simply hate the idea even if everyone knew the parameters of this season once they hit the merger. The returning player had much to endure, yes, but they didn’t have to face the votes. Taking Chris as an example, it is exactly as if he had been immune for the last 9 Tribal Councils. More than that, he has become friends with the members of that jury and he’s fed them daily. For me, Survivor is all about the vote and a winner should not only have contributed to those votes but most importantly, needed to avoid being voted out.
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