This time on Survivor, but first… Sooo, I get my episode titles from Wikipedia, but Wikipedia and I disagree on episode numbers this year. They think this is episode seven, but unless it’s the three-hour finale, Jeff snuffing a torch signifies the end of an official episode for me. That’s how they are presented on DVD, but in order to keep things simple, I’m gonna over look my “rule” for this episode, but my blogs will still be one episode number higher than Wikipedia’s. Okay! Let’s get to it! 
Sooo we all know what’s coming – the Merge! But first… We are shown that after Tribal, the next day, Nuku is very supportive of Zeke, nothing has really changed, he’s still Zeke. Everyone has really come together and Zeke is really touched that in this cut-throat game, people still show true compassion and support, buuut… There is still a game to play and Zeke wants to get back to the task at hand. Come on in, guys! It’s time to Merge, but first… There’s a lot of “but firsts” in this blog… Everyone is excited to see a table set up for a proper Merge Feast, buuut… Jeff is also standing next to a table with cloth draped over something pointy. They still have one Tribe decision to make in order to enjoy the feast – one person from each tribe must volunteer to NOT partake in the feast and if Jeff doesn’t get his volunteers, the feast disappears and instead they get what’s under the sheet: one cracker with cheese for each person and a swig of iced tea. LOL! Brad immediately volunteers for Mana and after a few moments, Tai decides he will be the volunteer from Nuku. Zeke sees right through Brad’s actions – he just wants to be “fall on my sword” guy. Sooo, Jeff tells Brad and Tai to grab a Merge Buff and sends them away… Like, 10 feet away from the feast table, maybe 15 feet. Look, they are close enough that when Debbie gets fake drunk – YES, I said when Debbie gets FAKE DRUNK – she moons Tai.
Like, full moon action. So yeah, Brad feels like he’s sitting pretty with Tai, like he’s the new Caleb and he wants Hali or Michaela gone next, Debbie gets fake drunk to get the merged tribe to feel really comfortable around her, and oh yeah, Sierra still has that Legacy Advantage that she can only use when there are 13 or six people in the game and… There are 13 people in the game right now… 
After the feast, the merged tribe returns to, um, uh… These people have switched tribes and beaches so much that I have no idea which camp they have. Debbie immediately apologizes to Brad because Cochran told her to extend the olive branch so they are good now. Zeke tells everyone how everything went down when Varner left the game and Aubry seems the proudest of him: she has a lot more respect for him than most of those other jokers she’s known for 20 days. She also knows that it’s time to figure out who is in the loop and who is not. Cut to Brad talking with Troyzan and Ozzy about taking out Michaela or Hali, but Michaela is the name that sticks. Ozzy talks to Zeke, Troyzan talks to Tai, Tai talks to Hali, Brad talks to Sierra, Seirra talks to Cirie and Aubry, then Sarah. Everyone seems to be very onboard for this. Michaela is good at challenges and she makes some people, especially Sierra, very nervous and edgy – Michaela always seems to be just around the corner from Seirra… Later, Cirie, Andrea, and Zeke are in the shelter together and they are worried that their group of four with Sarah needs Michaela and they aren’t too keen on voting her out of the game. Maku Maku is the merged tribe name, by the way… Since we are never shown how they come up with them anymore. So, even though Hali has been told the name to write down is Michaela, she feels that no one is really trying to work with her either and she would actually LIKE to work with Michaela so she sets upon a mission to light a fire. Alone with Michaela, Hali lets her know that she wants to work with her and that she has heard Michaela’s name once, which prompts Michaela to talk to Cirie because she thinks she can work with Cirie and guess what! Cirie is totally down and the two ladies have a long talk during which Cirie gives Michaela some really good advice and they are thinking it would be cool if the two of them get to the end together. 
Come on in, guys! It’s time for the first Individual Immunity challenge. In this challenge, Survivors will stand on a beam, on their toes pretty much, while holding a block of wood against another beam above their heads. They cannot touch the frame to the sides of them and when their block falls… Well, we all know. Survivors ready? GO! Sooo, after only a few seconds, Hali drops, followed by Troyzan, then Zeke. Cirie is next to fall and despite a big wobble by Michaela, she’s still in it – and she’s working hard on concentrating. Debbie falls next and despite her best efforts, Michaela is next to take a seat on the bench. Out of nowhere, Ozzy’s block hits the sand, then Aubry’s and we’re down to five: Brad, Andrea, Sierra, Tai, and Sarah. Brad begins to struggle and can’t save it and we’re down to four. After 25 minutes, all four are still in it. Sierra is shaky, but she settles herself, buuut, she falls after Sarah does leaving Tai and Andrea to battle it out for the necklace. And even though she’s pretty shaky, Tai falls first and Andrea wins! And as a bonus, she’s the first woman to win this particular challenge! 
Back at camp, Sierra feels like she’s the person in charge and she definitely wants Michaela out of the game, but she’s worried about an Idol being played. LOL! If she only knew… She tells Sarah and Andrea that Hali seems way more confident this time around and Sierra thinks Hali has an Idol. She also shares her concerns with Brad and Cirie. Sierra wants to split the votes and with Brad, Cirie, and Debbie they agree to tell both girls they are voting for Zeke. Cirie doesn’t really like this, there is no reason for her to do what Sierra wants her to do so why not just vote for Hali and send her and her torch over to Jeff instead. goedkoop nike air max 2017 She talks to Zeke about it later; she does not want THEIR numbers to increase and she thinks that they want Michaela out over Hali so they can bring Hali into their group. After this convo, Zeke proposes to Sierra that it makes more sense to vote out Hali, but Sierra isn’t biting – she wants Michaela gone. Cirie finds a quiet place to tell Michaela that the vote is NOT for Zeke and that she’s working hard to save Michaela, but she can’t tell anyone. Cirie’s plan is to go ahead and have Michaela vote for Zeke, but she plans on switching the majority of the split vote to Hali. 
And awaaay we go to Tribal Council! After Cirie officially lights her torch, Jeff asks for Zeke and Andrea’s thoughts on how the Merge changes the game; Zeke brings up all the different groups of people talking and Andrea says that these first couple of votes after the Merge set the tone for the rest of the game. This is where the line gets drawn between the major alliances. Jeff asks Debbie if it’s like musical chairs and she says it will not be like that tonight. Nothing shocking will happen tonight. Hali brings up that some of them have blindfolds on, about four of them, Michaela agrees, no one has been talking game with her. She thinks that there are bigger targets, but yeah, she feels unguarded. Tai says that it’s not just this vote you’re thinking of, you’re thinking a few votes down the line. Ozzy brings up the possibility of someone having an Idol. Los Angeles Lakers Debbie says that now is always a good time to flush an Idol. Jeff asks Cirie if it’s time to shake out your bags and show that you don’t have one and she says it’s hard to do that if you don’t know that people are thinking that you have one. It’s not like they poke you on the shoulder and ask you. Hali speaks up and asks if this is HER opportunity to do just that – prove she doesn’t have an Idol – she’s willing to do it, but someone has to ask her to do it. She won’t do it on her own accord. Aubry says that’s a sign of a good Survivor player and Hali tries one last time to persuade some people to NOT vote against her by saying that if she’s one of the weaker ones, why not use her as a number? Why not get out a bigger threat? Sierra says some nonsense about not knowing when you need numbers AND it’s time to vote. No one plays an Idol, of course, and the votes fall as follows: Zeke, Zeke, Michaela, Hali, Michaela, Hali, Michaela, Hali, Michaela, Hali, Hali, Hali… And Hali is the first member of the Jury. 
In the morning, the tribe is gathered around the fire and Michaela is asked how she slept – best sleep she’s ever had! She is very grateful to Cirie for helping her stay in the game and these two are ride-or-die until the end. Cirie makes sure that Michaela knows not to tell ANYONE that she had anything to do with her staying in the game or they are done and Michaela listens to the advice. The last thing she wants to do is wreck Cirie’s game because like I said, these two are ride-or-die African American females who are eager to do something that’s never been done and they want to make it to the Final Tribal together. Later, doing a little damage control since she had Michaela stick to the plan of putting her vote on Zeke, Cirie is walking with Zeke and Aubry and they all agree that Sierra is the Kingpin of the other side of things; she controls Brad and he controls Troyzan sooo, they formulate a plan to target Sierra and Brad and they seem to have the votes. Cirie says if the three of them are onboard, she knows that Andrea, Sarah, Michaela, and even Ozzy would definitely toss a vote towards Sierra or Brad. Aubry points out that she’s in the middle of a big brawl and she’s totally okay with being on Team Cirie. Later, Zeke and Andrea talk; she desperately wants to take out Brad and Sierra, but she tells Zeke that they probably shouldn’t mention this plan to Debbie or Tai because Debbie is a wild card and Tai is Tai. Sooo, this makes Zeke start to feel like he’s not in control of things; all his information is told to him by Cirie and Andrea AND he doesn’t really feel like Brad and Sierra are threats. You know who is threatening though? Cirie and Andrea. 
Come on in, guys! It’s time for Reward! Up for grabs? A trip to the Marshall’s Lounge where they can shower, pamper themselves with lotions and such and… Burgers!!! In this challenge, the tribe will be divided into teams of six. Two members from each team will swim out to retrieve a net full of large, wooden fish puzzle pieces and carry it back to shore. Next, two other team members will untie and hook the fish, then carry the hooked fish to the puzzle solving station where the final two members will race to finish the puzzle. A school yard pick results in the following teams: Captain Sarah, Brad, Aubry, Michaela, Cirie, and Sierra; Captain Andrea, Tai, Ozzy, Troyzan, Debbie, and Zeke. Survivors ready? GO! Despite having a good strategy with Ozzy diving for the underwater knots and Troyzan working on the ropes above the water, Sarah and Brad are first to release the net and begin the swim to the shore, buuut… They’ve lost a fish and Sarah has to swim back for it so while Brad struggles to pull the net by himself, Ozzy and Troyzan reach the beach first. Sarah and Brad aren’t far behind and then the race is between Tai and Andrea and Michaela and Aubry to untie the fish, which Andrea and Tai THINK they have won, but they’ve forgotten a fish… In the confusion, Michaela and Aubry gain the lead and Cirie and Sierra begin to work on the puzzle, BUT… It’s the Great Equalizer and it’s a close race, but in an amazing come-back, Debbie and Zeke pull out the win for Andrea’s team. 
Back at camp, emotions are running high with the losing team. Cirie likens her contribution to losing this for her team to being able to provide for her kids – it makes her feel really bad. Sierra shares the sentiment; sometimes she wonders why she’s doing this again, but Cirie says it’s not the same feeling if you don’t have kids. It makes you feel worthless. Sierra tells her it’s not her fault they lost then we’re whisked away to the Reward. Everyone is giddy to be there with all the lovely lotions and oils and it’s not long before Tai decides to streak! Omg the nudity in this episode! He just wanted to have fun and have a fun moment. After everyone is all washed and robed up, they commence with the eating and Zeke comments to us that it’s like he’s not in the game anymore, but not having your head in the game is a sure-fire way of getting sent home so he talks to Debbie and Tai alone on the beach. He is putting together a group of snipers to ensure the oncoming war is started by him. Sooo, he basically tells Debbie and Tai about his conversation with Andrea in which she told him not to tell Debbie anything about targeting Brad and Sierra. Debbie assumes this is an attempt by Zeke to get her to vote out Andrea, buuut – she’s not buying it. LOL! She wants to make a big move, but she’s not sure what that is. What Debbie DOES know is that she doesn’t need Zeke to do it and she isn’t exactly on board to be part of his little group. 
Come on in, guys! It’s time for Immunity and it’s the “Stay on the Tall Pole for as Long as You Can” challenge.
A woman has never won this either and Ozzy is undefeated in this challenge sooo… Survivors ready? GO! So, Brad is the first person to start to slip down the pole, but Cirie is the first to drop. Sarah begins to struggle next, but it’s Brad who takes a seat next to Cirie. Debbie begins to slide, Sarah is sliding, but Aubry falls, then Debbie, and Zeke. zalando new balance uomo saldi Next to hit the sand is Sierra followed by Troyzan and Sarah finally falls. Leaving us with four: Michaela, Andrea, Tai and Ozzy. After twenty minutes, all four are still perched on their poles and Ozzy intends on breaking his record. Michaela is next on the bench; she has to pick and choose her battles… After 40 minutes, Ozzy, Andrea, and Tai are still battling it out for the necklace, but Andrea takes a hard fall to the ground; she’s okay, she just didn’t want to slide down. So, it’s down to Tai and Ozzy and both seem very comfortable on their posts. After one hour, both are still perched, but both are making adjustments to their positions. fjallraven kanken sale Ozzy is still feeling confident despite knowing how bad it starts to hurt – if he wins, he can go fishing, if not… Tai isn’t giving up though and another 35 minutes pass. So, they’ve been at this for an hour and a half and finally… Ozzy falls and Tai has taken down the Pole Perching Champion. 
After the challenge, Zeke is in full-scale “get rid of Andrea” mode and finds a quiet, private spot on the beach with Sierra. He tells her that Aubry, Cirie, and Andrea all want Sierra gone, but that he’s not that into the idea. Sierra thought Zeke was pretty close with those girls and she doesn’t trust him at all, but if they are putting her name out there, she needs to saddle up and ensure that she doesn’t join the Jury. adidas superstar uomo saldi Sooo, Sierra tells Cirie that Zeke ratted out their plan to her and she goes back to Andrea and Ozzy with the info. nike air max 90 femme pas cher Andrea cannot believe this. Not only did she think she was solid with Zeke, but she thought they were friends. All three agree that they should target Zeke and Ozzy actually wants to work with Cirie at this point. They are totes cool with each other now. Canotte Los Angeles Lakers Later, Andrea and Cirie inform Sarah about Zeke’s treachery; she is also shocked. Elsewhere, in the hammock, Debbie and Sierra are talking about the vote. Sierra is thinking Zeke and guesses that she’ll tell him Aubry. Debbie suggests that if they REALLY wanna make a move – they vote Ozzy. Sierra really digs this idea, it would be a really awesome move; Debbie says they are doing it. End Scene. Next we see Debbie putting her ducks in a row; Troyzan, Tai, Brad – they are all in on the plan to blindside Ozzy and Debbie has the extra vote, which she doesn’t want to use, buuut she’s not sure that she has the numbers. Sarah is next to be informed about the Ozzy vote and just like that, Sarah is in the swing and who has their torched snuffed is really up to her. Both are enticing targets and we’re set up for an interesting vote… 
And awaaay we go to Tribal Council! After Hali takes her seat in the Jury stand, Jeff asks Ozzy what’s unique about this season. The stakes are higher, there is a real cut-throat mentality. Sarah says that yeah, no one is sure where everyone is – it’s like they are all singles looking to hook up. lol Jeff brings up Tai beating Ozzy in the Immunity challenge and asks if he’s feeling any pressure. Of course, he is, but you just gotta trust the people you’re with and he’s good to keep around because he feeds people. Aubry says this time around is a lot tougher, food really only comes in when Ozzy brings in it, sooo… Yeah. Zeke is asked if the approach to putting people on the Jury has changed and he says that it’s all about making people believe that they can beat you and that all of the assets that will help you win are actually not that great. Tai is asked about the language barrier since English is not his first language; Zeke’s explanation was a little hard for him to follow, but he knows everyone else understood and Zeke is really good at talking and seeing different angles. How does it make Zeke feel to hear such praise – there is always worry, and there are times when he thinks he’s okay because he HAS to have those moments to stay sane. Sooo, let’s speed this up because this is a looong blog… After more chit-chat, the votes are cast and just before Jeff makes off to snag the Urn, Debbie stands up and presents her extra vote… And we ALL know who SHE is voting for don’t we? The Votes: Ozzy, Zeke, Seirra, Aubry, WTF???, Zeke, Ozzy, Zeke, Ozzy, Zeke, Ozzy, Ozzy, aaand… Ozzy. And Debbie looks quite pleased with herself… Next time on Survivor… Drama drama everywhere! As usual, if you like my blogs, check out more stuff here at Your Reality Recaps.
