If you also missed last week, I highly recommend going back and watching it. For a quick re-cap: Elaine went to the Island of the Idols, Lairo finally wins immunity, and Jason is sent home from Vokai. Elaine’s victory with her challenge completely changed the power structure in Vokai, and stopped Aaron from flipping sides. Not only was there an amazing play, but Jamal and Jack also had a bonding moment after a racist comment. The show, and Jack, gave Jamal space to explain the issue and be heard in a way that this country needs to hear. Now, for this week.
Lauren is understandably shaken after the blindside and subsequent power shift. She feels betrayed and is clinging to Tommy as her only trusted ally. Even after a victory, tension is high in Lairo after a rough night of weather. Jamal is determined to make fire. He just cannot get it to light and rejects Kellee’s offer of aid. Jack convinces him to give Kellee a shot, and she makes fire easily. This interaction was not the only complaint to be had in Lairo. Noura is also getting aggravated with Jamal and goes to Janet and Karishma to discuss voting him out.
Janet is chosen for the Island of the Idols. Her lesson is about weighing risk and reward. She is told that she can choose to give up her vote in order to ensure her own safety. This option would be usable down to seven remaining survivors. She doesn’t take it, becoming the first person to say, “No,” to Rob and Sandra. Giving up a vote would hurt any alliance she has and is not worth it. They were proud, and Sandra says Janet will go far in this game because she can think through all the possibilities of a choice. Upon returning, Janet continues the secret of the Island by not revealing any true details.
The immunity challenge once again has a puzzle element. With everything at camp so unstable, Lauren is determined to win it for Vokai. It is down to the wire and one piece away, but Vokai manages to get the victory. Lauren and Tommy are safe. Lairo is once again headed to tribal council. It seems that for once this season will have an easy vote, with Dean being on the chopping block. However, Kellee has an idol, and it stops being useful tonight. She decides it is time to make a move and gives her idol to Dean. If she pulls this off, it will be the biggest resume item so far. She will have organized a blindside, cemented an ally, and changed not only her tribe structure but the game moving forward. And if she played it right, there won’t even be a target on her back.
The tribal council immediately starts with a question on original tribe loyalties. Kellee elegantly deflects any notion of a Vokai member flipping. Noura says between a choice of Dean and Jamal, she would choose to vote Dean. Dean, knowing he is safe, points out that Noura brought up Jamal’s name. All of this takes a back seat as the idea of a women’s alliance is brought up. This sparks the second round of commentary from Vokai. It is an incredible discussion with multiple perspectives and I would rather you watch it than try and sum it up here. When all is said and done, two idols are played. Dean plays Kellee’s for himself, as expected. Jamal, however, plays his idol on Noura. Jack is voted out with two votes, and Kellee didn’t cast either of them. Her play panned out, and with the merge next episode, will she get away with it? Tune in next week!