“The game has started and they are behind,” says Chelsea of Lairo after starting a fire for her tribe and finding a hidden immunity idol. And the game has indeed started. After Ronnie was eliminated, things were tense at Lairo camp. Alliances had already been broken, and anger was close at hand. Even without a tribal council, Vokai started to feel the pressure. Noura had a meltdown. Somehow this resulted in an alliance for her with Jason—the idol hunter on day one. The two styled themselves the outcasts of high school and slotted Molly in the role of their villain. Because that’s not high school at all.
Kellee received a chance to escape the drama when she was sent on a boat to Island of the Idols. Her mantra heading forward was: “Assume nothing. Think outside the box.” Which is a pretty good motto for Survivor. Kellee’s lesson was very different from Elizabeth’s. In fact, she did not even know her lesson had begun. Hers involved being swarmed with facts about Sandra and Rob’s personal lives. They did not stop asking questions and offering information about themselves. Then the challenge was revealed: If Kellee was able to correctly answer 4/5 questions about what they told her, she would get an immunity idol to be used for the next two tribal councils. She took time to think and was rewarded with an upgraded deal. She only needed to get three questions right, and the immunity would last an additional tribal. She got her first three right, hid her idol in her hair, and returned to her tribe.
Challenge day brings reward along with immunity. And it’s a reward I’d love in my own life: a gorgeous selection of spices and cooking tools. On Survivor, those extras mean so much more. The tribes needed to swim for a ladder and use it to lift one of their own into the air and grab a bag. The bag contained three balls, so the survivors could play the show’s favorite mini-game. It’s ski ball time! Lairo maintained a lead well into the challenge, but getting those balls into their pockets proved difficult for them. Vokai managed to tie the game, but it just wasn’t soon enough. Lairo won immunity, and it’s Vokai’s turn to get fire.
Back at Vokai, the drama continues. Jamal, Molly, and Jack—or The King, The Queen, and The Jack of Vokai—are planning the vote. Jamal, in particular, is confident in their gameplay. He says it will be an easy vote and they should relax and enjoy the afternoon. Famous last words. Jason and Noura aren’t the only ones who see their court cards as a threat. The other tribe members are getting nervous, in particular about Molly. Calling her Parvati 2.0, a reference to the “manipulative flirt” of Cook Islands, a plan begins to take her out of the picture.
Tribal begins with Jason admitting he had a bad start, saying the title of this season causes paranoia. Watching from above, Rob and Sandra laugh. Their identity remains secret; neither of the two visitors to their island has talked. Jason goes so far as to mimic Kellee’s return from the island, dumping his bag out and begging to be searched for idols. Jamal tells him he is playing perfectly from the bottom, but he remains self-assured in his hold on the tribe. Noura gets her time as well, stating how she always puts herself on the outside, and that she has no real relationships off the island. Molly claims this makes her more understandable, but even Jeff can see it’s too little too late. Seemingly in a nod to her lesson, Jeff asks Kellee to sum up the evening, and votes are cast.
We are two for two on blindsides this season. Molly is the second person voted off from Survivor: Island of the Idols. With both tribes having gone through a blindside immediately, the game is in full swing. Alliances are ever-shifting. The second person from Lairo will go to the Island of the Idols, revealing Elizabeth’s lie. How that lie is handled will change the game even more. Tune in next week, and if you miss it, check back here for your recap.