User blog:Sulola/Survivor: Taveuni EP. 2: His Heroes Can't Save Him Now

PREVIOUSLY ON SURVIVOR…
50 castaways began the game in the biggest season of Survivor to date, the inaugural season of Su’s Blog Survivor, being split into 5 tribes. Bouma, Vidawa, and Laucala were able to succeed early, while Kocoma and Navaka both struggled at first. Kocoma ended up losing the first Immunity Challenge. Eventually, two targets crystallized: the shady yet strong Gunpei, or the lively but weak Jacinta. In the end, most of the tribe decided to keep the tribe strong and voted off Jacinta, making her the first boot of the season.

49 remain, who will be voted off tonight?

KOCOMA
As the Kocoma tribe arrives back at camp, there is a deathly silence. Valerie can be seen still fuming, and she sets down her torch roughly. She crosses her arms, looks at everyone else, and demands to know what has happened. In confessional, Valerie growls that she is pissed off that almost the entire tribe went the other way and that this now leaves her on the outs, which she is not excited about at all.

Gunpei stands up for himself, coming out of his shell to snap at Valerie that she has a giant ego over this whole ordeal. It’s just a vote, and she needs to get over it. Valerie snarls in response, telling Gunpei that she doesn’t need a psychopath to tell her how to play her game. Annoyed, Gunpei storms off to the shelter to sleep, while the rest of the tribe awkwardly stands around the fire. No one offers up a good explanation besides wanting to keep the tribe strong, and an angry Valerie goes off to cool down by the beach, extremely upset. In confessional, she holds back tears, saying she isn’t one who likes to cry, but if her Survivor dream is already in jeopardy, she doesn’t know how she’s going to be able to last 76 more days.

Meanwhile, the other person left out of the vote, Casey, tries to take a much calmer approach. She sits by the fire with Khelani and Shel as the rest of the tribe prepares for bed, and asks what happened. They say that they ultimately decided to vote off Jacinta to keep the tribe strong, but that they didn’t do it because they have an alliance with the guys or anything, and that they want Casey to stick around. Casey seems relieved at this; in confessional she says she still feels in trouble but that she thinks things are much more fluid than she originally believed.

Gunpei can be seen storming through the jungle, swatting branches out of his way with a dark, stormy look in his eyes. In confessional, he says he hates confrontation and that he wants Valerie Beks out of this game if it’s the last thing he does.

BOUMA
In the morning of Day 3, Mena, Mark, and Rowlan all get up early to try and light a fire with the flint they got at the Immunity Challenge. After collecting some wood and some hard work with the machete, Rowlan is able to get a spark going, and the three celebrate as the rest of the tribe begins to wake up. Everyone is very pleased to see the fire; Mark in confessional talks about how pleased he is with the state of the tribe so far, even if things aren’t going 100% awesome.

The scene then shifts to the three of the four “cool kids” huddling around the fire. Faustina is recounting some dirty joke which makes all four of them laugh, and then Daisy impatiently asks Mena when the food will be ready. This causes the daycare worker to roll her eyes, but Daisy doesn’t notice, instead distracted as Conen tries to cuddle her. She giggles, swatting him away, and Rowlan and Zia can both be seen watching them skeptically. The camera also pans over to the shelter, where Lane is still fast asleep even though it’s almost noon.

In confessional, Rowlan admits he’s very worried about the lack of work ethic from almost half of their tribe. He says that if those four try hard all of the time, that their tribe can be fantastic, but he is worried that they will start to do even less, and the rest of them will not be able to pick up the slack. He says that he’d usually be worried about someone like Elmer, who is completely useless around camp, or Zia or Lori-Ann, who are struggling in the elements, but instead he is more concerned about how the “cool kids” are going to impact their tribe, for better or for worse.

Meanwhile, trying to be helpful, Zia and Lori-Ann go out to collect firewood for the tribe’s new fire. As the two women walk along, talking about their lives back home, they feel a strong connection forming. In confessional, Zia says that Lori-Ann is by far the most relatable and kindest person on the tribe for her, and that she wants to work with her and wants to propose an alliance. As the two ladies are walking back to camp, Zia proposes the idea, and Lori-Ann is enthusiastically interested. In confessional, Lori-Ann smiles as she says that her alliance with Zia is the first step to getting herself to the next stage in the game.

VIDAWA
As the sun rises on the Vidawa campsite, a castaway can be seen sitting along on the shoreline, staring at the sun. Rogue sings softly to herself, pretending to play chords on a guitar as she sits there. In confessional, Rogue admits that the one true way she has always been able to express herself is through music, and without her beloved guitar it is very hard for her. She’s already very stressed about the game, knowing a lot of the others are unsure of her, but she’s not going to give up any time soon.

Most of the tribe gets up soon, and Rogue heads back to camp as to not arise suspicion. As the tribe sits around the fire they made last night with their new flint, beginning to cook rice for the first time, everyone seems excited to finally eat. However, two of the castaways are clearly thinking very strategically already.

As everyone eats, Terry says that he and Rochelle will go get more water for another batch of rice to make up for not eating for the prior two days. Everyone nods, too focused on their food to mind two people going off together. The two, who have gotten along well, walk off to the well. On their trip, they discuss the game, quickly agreeing to ally. They discuss working with those who built the shelter and proposing an alliance to them in the coming days. After figuring that all out, the two shake hands, and Terry heads back to camp with the water while Rochelle says she has to use the restroom. In confessional, Terry happily says he feels like he is already controlling the game and is excited for the future.

Instead of using the restroom, Rochelle begins to run through the jungle, towards a weirdly bent tree. She says that she noticed the odd looking tree on her walk to the well with Terry as they were strategizing, and she thought it looked like a place an idol would be. As she pokes around, her fingers brush against some cloth in a knot hole; Rochelle begins to jump up and down as she pulls out a purple bundle. She unwraps it, breathlessly reading that she has found a hidden immunity idol! Beaming, Rochelle holds her idol up excitedly. In confessional, she says that she feels confident in her skills in this game and that with this idol up her sleeve, nothing can stop her.

LAUCALA
Everyone seems to start to arise around the same time on Laucala, getting up and preparing a morning meal of rice. Working in cohesion, the group is able to prepare a nice meal to start off the day, raising their spirits and keeping things going well. Kenedie can be seen leaning against a tree with a smile in confessional, talking about how idyllic Laucala has been so far.

With the general sense of unity, there are two people who are sticking out a little more than the rest however. Sid is by far the outsider of the tribe. Despite doing his best, Sid is just a really nerdy guy, and isn’t really meshing with most of the more athletic, jock types that dominate the tribe. He gets along with Cleo and surprisingly Axel the most, but besides those two most people don’t really seem fond of him. In confessional, Sid expresses concerns over his weak social game thus far potentially damaging him, especially because he’s probably the physically weakest male on the tribe, too.

The other person that is starting to stand out is Colleen. Despite her hardest work, her age is showing, as she struggles to keep up with the fast pace of life on Laucala, and seems worn out just from the Immunity Challenge. However, despite her weaknesses, she is very grandmotherly and is well liked by most members of the tribe. Colleen says in confessional that she knows she is the weakest member, which scares her, but that she has heart to make up for it.

Jared and Mikayla, the two African Americans on the tribe, spend some time together and find out that they know someone. Mikayla’s second cousin is the girlfriend of Jared’s best friend, and they might have been at some events together and not even known it. Suddenly having even more to talk about, Jared and Mikayla start to become close. They talk about Jared’s football career and Mikayla’s aspirations to become a doctor someday. In confessional, Mikayla talks about how she is happy she’s starting to form a close ally. Jared talks about how he’s not interested in Mikayla romantically, no showmances for him, but that she’s the strongest girl in the game in his opinion and he wants her on his side.

NAVAKA
Jackey is shown to be the first person awake, waking up when the sun is barely over the horizon. In confessional, Jackey says that he feels pretty unsafe on this tribe so far, and doesn’t feel like he has any allies. He says he needs the idol to keep him safe, and he rushes into the jungle to search for it.

As Jackey is looking, Norbert shuffles out of the shelter, unable to sleep in despite being extremely tired since he wakes up early back at home every day. Looking back at the shelter, he notices Jackey is gone and seems suspicious, saying in confessional that he does not like that the boy is gone so early in the morning. Turem is the next to wake up, and Norbert tells him that Jackey has been gone for a while. Turem snorts, laughing that the boy would be dumb enough to blatantly look for an idol.

Jackey returns to camp without anything to find about half of the tribe already awake, and he groans internally as he sits down. He tells the tribe that the rice they cooked last night wasn’t cooked enough for him and his stomach didn’t deal well with it. Most of the tribe seems to buy it, but Turem and Norbert both seem suspicious still. Jackey says in confessional he hopes people don’t target him now, and that he realizes he should’ve been more careful searching.

Later on Norbert talks to Jerica and Elizabreath about his suspicions about Jackey, animatedly trying to convince them that the boy was idol hunting. Elizabreath does not seem intrigued. In confessional, she talks about how Norbert reminds her of her toxic great uncle who she does not get along with. He just naps and then suddenly starts trying to strategize. Elizabreath says she doesn’t really care if Jackey has an idol because he is easily the least annoying guy on the tribe so far, and she hopes the other men learn to act like him. She says shy is better than stupid.

KOCOMA
Still recuperating from their tumultuous Tribal Council, the Kocoma tribe rises slowly, with most people staying quiet and giving each other space. In confessional, Shel talks about how the tribe is definitely healing after the drama of Tribal. She hopes that they don’t have to go again anytime soon, and she also says she knows that the drama is far from being resolved.

This is clear when Valerie wakes up, and sees Gunpei sitting by the fire with most of the rest of the tribe. She immediately walks in the other direction, refusing to speak to him. Gunpei sighs, rolling his eyes, and in confessional he says that he is going to do his best to be social after being targeted so hard at Tribal. With Valerie coming after him so hard, he knows he has to try harder to connect, even if it is hard for him. He is shown telling a bad joke which makes Scott laugh. In confessional, Scott says that while Gunpei is awkward, he is trying and he also is one of the strongest members in challenges, and that he’s happy with his decision at Tribal.

Meanwhile, Valerie is out on the beach still, head in her hands and doing breathing exercises, trying to calm herself down. She says in confessional that she just instantly gets triggered when she sees Gunpei now and it’s hard for her. She hears footsteps behind her, turning and expecting to see Casey, who has already extensively comforted her. Instead, to her surprise, it is Khelani.

The nursing student sits down next to Valerie and asks her if she is doing okay. Valerie bluntly says she isn’t doing great, and Khelani nods knowingly. She tells Valerie that she is sorry for not voting out Gunpei, but that she didn’t think it was the best move. However, she still wants to work with Valerie, especially since the men seem to be getting along really closely. Valerie nods vehemently at this, saying she wishes she had pushed the point of a possible men’s alliance harder before Tribal. Khelani tells her it probably wouldn’t have changed much; she needs to put it behind her and move forward, which Valerie nods, accepting it.

In confessional, Khelani says that while Valerie might be pretty volatile, she also seems pretty loyal, and she would rather work with someone who is loyal than someone like Gunpei or the other men who haven’t seemed to be as loyal yet. She says she doesn’t regret voting out Jacinta, but she does want to make sure that she isn’t pushed into a corner by the men, and she needs Valerie on her side for that.

IMMUNITY + REWARD CHALLENGE
The five tribes convene for their second challenge. Not many from the other tribes are surprised to see Jacinta voted off of Kocoma, as she was visibly one of the older and weaker members. For this challenge, the castaways will both be competing for Immunity as well as a reward; the top four tribes would be immune from Tribal Council and would also receive an extra flint and machete to aid their firemaking. Many of the castaways were excited to get extra supplies for camp.

For the challenge, six castaways would start out on a platform floating on the sea. They would have to swim to a balance beam, where three of them would have to untie bags hanging off of the beam. Then the other three would have to cross the beam as well. Once everyone had crossed, they would then give the puzzle bags to the other three castaways on the beach, who would use them to build a circular puzzle in their tribe’s color in a tribal pattern. The first four to finish win Immunity and Reward.

Highlights
 * Laucala gets off to a fast start that they maintain throughout the whole challenge.
 * Kocoma surprises many by starting strong and finishing even stronger, with Gunpei especially getting the puzzle done fast.
 * Bouma does decently in the water, and finishes the puzzle quickly as well.
 * Both Vidawa and Navaka struggle in the water; Paolina falls off of the beam once for Vidawa, while Jackey falls off once and almost another time for Navaka.
 * At the puzzles, Vidawa is able to pull away due to Rigoberto, Rochelle, and Terry's skill, leading them to win and Navaka to go to Tribal Council.

PRE-TRIBAL
When the Navaka tribe returns to camp, they are obviously dejected. In confessional, Turem rants about the lack of strength and work ethic on the tribe. He is frustrated with how little some people are trying from his view, and he wishes he was on a stronger tribe. He says his only consolation is having his bros Joseph and Pheonix. Pheonix calls Turem over, and the two talk about the vote. They both are annoyed with Jackey for failing on the balance beam, pinning the blame for the challenge loss on him.

Jackey can be seen already feeling defeated, trying to avoid tears as he takes a beach walk on his own. In confessional, he says he feels terrible for having fallen off the balance beam during the challenge and slowing everyone down. He knows he is going to be targeted, especially after Norbert caught him looking for the idol. Taking a deep breath, he steels himself and begins to do his rounds.

He goes first to Aia and Bella, who are sitting in the shelter. He pitches that he’ll be way more loyal to them and that he has strengths, like puzzles, and that he felt pressured to do the beams this challenge. The girls nod in understanding. Jackey takes a deep breath and says that he thinks they should go for Norbert, who he views as the biggest liability. A shot of Norbert yawning is shown. The girls nod again, and in confessional Aia says that Jackey makes good points about Norbert being overall weaker, even if Jackey did cost them the challenge.

Meanwhile, Norbert pitches against Jackey hard. Walking down the beach with Joseph and Turem, he emphatically talks about how weak and odd Jackey is, laughing that he makes comics for a living. Turem chuckles at that too, while Joseph stays quieter. In confessional, Joseph says while he does think Jackey is a liability to the tribe, he isn’t sure if making fun of him is the best thing to do. However, he does overall have a stronger connection to Norbert, and he thinks it might be smarter for him to keep Norbert.

Norbert thinks his work is done, having already locked in Elizabreath and Jerica’s votes in his mind yesterday. He goes to talk to Aia and Bella still about the vote, and they tell him they do think Jackey might deserve to go since he blew the challenge. In confessional, Bella says she’s happy to have options, since it means she and her closest ally Aia are probably not in trouble at this Tribal Council.

Meanwhile, Jackey is ending a conversation with Kokoro, who has promised him her vote. In confessional, Kokoro says for her it’s an easy decision if the vote is between Jackey and Norbert; Norbert doesn’t even acknowledge she exists, and she thinks he is the weakest link. Jackey thanks her then goes to the last of the women to beg for their votes. Elizabreath and Jerica hear out his pitch. Elizabreath is very excited about this plan, having been annoyed with Norbert, but Jerica seems skeptical. Sighing, she says that she doesn’t know what to do, seeing the merit in both plans. Norbert seems to trust her while she is not as close to Jackey, but she does think Norbert might be weaker overall.

As people are trying to figure out each other’s plans, Jerica can be seen talking over the vote with Pheonix and Joseph. She is very vague, saying she has no clue what she wants to do, and says she’d be open to any plan, even one besides Norbert or Jackey. This alarms Pheonix and Joseph that she won’t give them a name, and in confessional Pheonix says that he hopes nothing out of the expected happens.

As the castaways prepare to leave for Tribal Council, both Jackey and Norbert seem to think they have done enough to save themselves, while some others are paranoid that things might not go down as they expect them to.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
After the Navaka tribe arrives at Tribal Council and lights their torches for the first time, Su begins to question them. He asks Bella how camp life has been; she carefully chooses her words, saying that it’s been different from what she expected. When she won’t elaborate, Su asks if everyone is going to be that vague, making everyone laugh. Aia helpfully clarifies, saying they aren’t a united team or a completely fractured group, and the dynamic is still forming, which most people seem to agree with.

Su then asks Turem how you decide a vote in such a fluid atmosphere; Turem says that right now, for him, it is all about keeping the tribe strong and also keeping his closest friends in the game as well. Su asks which takes precedence over the other, and Turem admits he would save a close friend even if they were a weaker competitor, which most people seem to agree with. Su asks Jerica how she feels about the vote; she says she feels like anything could happen, which take some people by surprise. Joseph especially is shown narrowing his eyes at the paranoid woman. Su then questions Jackey after his poor performance in the challenge. Tears in his eyes, Jackey says that he’s made a lot of mistakes the past couple of days. Norbert chuckles at this, but Jackey ignores him, continuing by saying that he hopes the tribe gives him another chance.

With that, the castaways go to vote. Jackey is shown writing down Norbert’s name, saying “It’s either you or me, and I’m not giving up my million dollar opportunity for a meiser like you.” Bella is seen putting her ballot in the urn, and then Norbert is showing writing down Jackey’s name, smiling as he says, “Foolish youngin’, think before you do foolish things.” Joseph is the last one shown walking back from the voting hut, biting his lip anxiously.

Then Su gets the urn and asks if anyone would like to play an idol. All eyes go to Jackey and Norbert, but neither moves. Then Su begins to read the votes.

Norbert.

Jackie.

Jerrica. We’re tied, 1 vote Norbert, 1 vote Jackey, 1 vote Jerica, 7 votes remain. Jerica seems shocked to see her name come up on the ballot, and meanwhile both Norbert and Jackey wait for the other votes.

Norbert.

Jackey.

Norbert.

Jacky. We’re still tied. 3 votes Norbert, 3 votes Jackey, 1 vote Jerica, 3 votes remain. Both Jackey and Norbert stare more intensely at Su, while Jerica seems less worried having only gotten a single vote thus far.

Norbert.

2nd person voted out of Survivor: Taveuni…

Norbert, you need to bring me your torch.”

Norbert grunts, absolutely disgusted that he has been voted off. Meanwhile, Jackey breathes a sigh of relief, and Kokoro squeezes his shoulder reassuringly. Norbert scorns the entire tribe, even refusing to shake a shocked Turem’s hand even though the man voted with him. He slams his torch down before Su, who snuffs it.

“Norbert, the tribe has spoken.”

Norbert stalks out of the Tribal Council Area without another word, and Su turns to the remaining Navaka members, telling them with dynamics still up in the air and with a fractured vote, they are going to have to begin to unite if they want to avoid Tribal Council. Navaka leaves Tribal Council with that, with Pheonix and Turem looking blindsided, Jackey looking happy, and Joseph looking worried about his thrown vote.

TRIVIA
The episode title was said by Norbert Rolle, referring to how Jackey Hal, a comic book artist, couldn’t be saved from being voted off by the heroes he illustrated in his comics.

POLLS
Did you like how I did Immunity better this time? Yes No Who would you have voted off at Navaka's Tribal Council? Jackey Jerica Norbert Someone else Rochelle found Vidawa's idol; which idol will be found next? Bouma Kocoma Laucala Navaka

Thanks for reading y'all are the best and I hope you're enjoying the season!!