Survivor Game Changers Episode 4 Tribal Council: What The Hell Happened?

The push for a live tribal council was evident in Survivor Game Changers episode 4, making it difficult to understand. We break it down succinctly here.

Spoilers for Survivor Game Changers episode 4, “The Tables Have Turned.”

Wednesday night saw one of the longest tribal council sequences in Survivor history as two tribes, for the first time ever, voted out one castaway. Our excellent recap tells the entire story of what led up to the biggest shocker yet in Survivor Game Changers, but even after watching the show live I’m still a bit confused as to exactly what happened.

It becomes a lot clearer on a rewatch, but only barely. Let’s break down the sequence of events leading up to, and during, the Survivor Game Changers episode 4 tribal council.

Post-immunity challenge, in a huddle Sierra points out that it would be foolish not to take out Malcolm (twice) while Brad thinks he can get J.T. onboard with a Sandra vote. It’s clear that Brad’s relying on J.T. to come through for Mana in hopes of flipping the numbers. Meanwhile, Tai used his immunity idol magic to find one and use it at a pivotal time but only brought it up to old Nuku, leaving Hali in the dark.

At Nuku, Sandra makes it clear that she wants to take out Sierra Dawn Thomas, as she’s the strongest woman threat that will have the least chance of having an idol played for her. J.T. pushes for Tai but secretly wants an opening to take out Sandra. Malcolm thinks Brad would take out himself, if not for Malcolm being close to J.T.

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As tribal council got started, it seemed to be the traditional merge vote banter; players from one group passing off cliches about unity, while the minority alliance talked about cracks in the majority alliance’s group. Brad speaks up by noting that Nuku has the most threats left in the game, specifically mentioning Malcolm, then the two-time winner, Sandra.

Hali, for the second tribal council in a row, makes her presence known in Survivor Game Changers by putting it out there that a rock draw is possible, and for everyone to air out concerns if they’re not sure about their rock solid alliances. As Sandra states her tribe is solid, Sierra remarks that her old tribe doesn’t need her.

From here, Survivor Game Changers episode 4 goes off the rails, so let’s nail down the sequence of events happening in whispers, side conversations and elsewhere.

Sierra reaches out to her current tribemate and Dirty 30 player, Hali, whispering she needs to go with the tribe’s vote.
Hali publicly calls out a physical threat should be going home.
Sandra whispers to J.T., reading Hali’s plea as a sign she wants Brad Culpepper gone. Sandra then whispers the same to Jeff Varner, then Michaela Bradshaw.
J.T. passes the idea to Malcolm that he thinks Mana is voting out Sandra. Nobody but J.T. has mentioned Sandra at tribal council yet.
Debbie reads Hali’s call to get out a physical threat as a sign that Nuku switched their vote, and posits it as a whispered question to Brad.
Aubry and Sandra say to stick with the original vote (post-facto, we know this as Sierra Dawn Thomas).
Brad hears this, whispers back to Debbie that they’re sticking with their original plan.
Sierra whispers to Brad she thinks the vote’s heading to her (it is, but has no proof), as Brad says “No, it’s not.” (even though it is)
Jeff says his patented “Wow!”
J.T. asks Malcolm, who he plants seeds of Sandra back at camp, “Should I talk to Brad,” in a whisper.

Now here’s where all hell breaks loose.

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J.T. gets up and publicly walks over to Brad, whispering that “I love you brother, but they’re voting Sierra out.”
Brad whispers back, “Ok. Thank you,” knowing full well who Nuku are planning to vote out.
Hali ain’t having none of that s—, walks over to her old Mana tribemates on the new Nuku and whispers to Sandra, “You have to do Brad.”
Brad beckons J.T. over, whispering a confirmation about who Nuku plan to vote for. Brad responds, “It’s on you, buddy.”
As both groups inaudibly whisper about, the two inevitable voting targets, Malcolm and Sierra, hash it out as Malcolm asks how Sierra’s doing. “I’m scared,” she says, as Malcolm responds, “I’m gonna wet myself.”
Hali whispers to Jeff Varner, saying “I’ll go Brad with you.”
Brad gathers Mana minus Hali together, whispers to Hali, “J.T. said they’re voting you.”
Hali whispers to Michaela, “There’s less chance than Tony…” before the rest becomes inaudible as two groups whisper it out and Jeff Probst goes into his “Oh my gosh” giggle fit.
Sandra brings Nuku in for a huddle, whispering that Hali wants Brad to go because he doesn’t have an idol. (Hali knew he didn’t have an idol but was unaware that Tai just found one)
Debbie goes up to Brad alone as she asks him who he wants her to vote for. We don’t hear who it is, but it’s clearly Sierra after seeing the episode.
Right before Michaela sits back down, Sandra wants to change the vote as J.T. asks if the tribe is sticking to the plan.

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Malcolm or Varner whispers “We should change it to Brad.”
J.T. whispers to the group, “I just told Brad it wasn’t him.”
Tai asks for clarity, whispering to Brad to make sure the vote isn’t headed for him. “You decide,” Tai reiterates.
Sierra whispers a name (Malcolm, likely) to Hali, who replies, “Ohh.” Sierra then asks, “Are they going me,” as Hali replies, “I’m trying to change everything.”
As the tribes try to reconvene, you can barely here Sandra whisper “Sierra” to Aubry to re-clarify that Nuku is still going to vote for Sierra.
Jeff goes back to asking questions as members of both tribes continue inaudible whispering.
The big push from J.T. comes after the big hooplas, as he whispers a plea to Brad to vote for Sandra.
Just as Jeff says it’s time to vote, Hali wishes to talk some more. Sandra reassures that it’s time to vote, as Hali responds, “Alright, you may regret it, but I’ll go.”
Even as the voting begins, Michaela whispers to Sandra, wondering why Hali didn’t just tell her old tribemates who had the idol. Sandra continues to believe nobody has the idol on Mana. Hubris is Survivor‘s strongest tool.
In his vote confessional, Brad whispers that (Malcolm) “is the best player here,” noting he has to send her home.
In his vote confessional, Varner whispers that “If (Sierra) pulls out an idol, I’ll soil myself.”
Jeff asks if anyone wants to play an immunity idol, now would be the time to do so. Even though Tai knows what to do, he still needs encouragement from Brad to whip it out in the first place and to give it to Sierra.
Sandra whispers, “Who did they go after,” as J.T. curses when Malcolm’s name is revealed.
As the final words from Malcolm are shared, J.T.’s vote is revealed, and it was for Sierra.

J.T. either thought Mana had an idol and wanted to stay true to his alliance by voting for Sierra while hoping they vote for Sandra, wanted to keep his alliances at old Nuku strong by reassuring Brad it wasn’t him, or he genuinely wanted Sandra out but thought better of it as tribal council went along.

Any way you look at it, J.T. was instrumental in Malcolm’s vote out by helping Mana know who to protect while trying to serve his best interests. Instead, he’s on the bottom of the totem pole at Nuku, has a huge reason to get voted out whenever possible, and made the second most idiotic move he’s ever made in Survivor history during Survivor Game Changers, despite not being at the merge.

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James Thomas, ladies and gentlemen!

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What The Hell Happened At Survivor Game Changers Episode 4 Tribal Council?

By Daniel George | Mar 23, 2017

The push for a live tribal council was evident in Survivor Game Changers episode 4, making it difficult to understand. We break it down succinctly here.

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