Survivor season 35 episode 12 recap: Drawing rocks

Whether it’s fake idols, real idols, stretching out or spy shack creeping, Survivor season 35 episode 12 had a lot going on. Here’s our recap.

With just one Healer left in the game, Survivor season 35 episode 12 looked to continue the season’s trend of mostly Heroes and Hustlers teaming up to take down the majority tribe at the merge. However, things didn’t look so sturdy when Chrissy, Ryan and Mike were all blindsided, leaving us a chaotic episode to follow.

We kick things off with Night 30 as Chrissy seemed super salty about being taken for a ride, and Ben made a note about a trend that happens every time she is blindsided; she turns them into a villain. Chrissy and Ryan are in revenge mode, at this point, showing just how poorly Ben planned this betrayal out. If you know your trusted confidant is going to blame you, make sure they can’t take you out in retaliation.

The bitterness didn’t last too long, as we got to the part of most every Survivor season where people are divided; the Loved Ones reward challenge. Ashley’s dad, Ryan’s dad, Mike’s wife, Lauren’s sister, Chrissy’s husband, Devon’s mom and Ben’s wife all ran out and brought an immeasurable number of onions with them, and unfortunately, they each decided to cut them open for everyone on the island to start crying.

The reward challenge was based on luck, as players and loved ones had to grab marbles out of a bag. If the player matches the marble color of their loved one (black or white), you stay in for another round. It took out everyone but Ben and Chrissy in the first round, with Ben falling short in the second round. It’s easily the least Survivor challenge of all challenges so far.

Chrissy decided who else got to have loved ones visit them, not hesitating to pick Ryan, Mike and Ashley in quick succession. It’s clear that Chrissy is still playing Revenge, not Survivor, as she clearly telegraphed an anti-anyone-who-wrongs-her mentality with her reward decision.

Ashley just happened to be chosen because she was viewed as the easiest to break. Although Chrissy does have a point that Ben will be difficult to beat because of how great his story is at the Final Tribal Council, she still wrestles with logic and making a big move for the sense of having something on her resume.

While Ben works on crafting a fake Hidden Immunity Idol for Chrissy or Ryan to find (a move that Lauren finds ridiculous because of how personal he’s making the game), Lauren actually finds the idol clue and brings everyone in on where it will be. Sharing is caring to the Lauren Reward Alliance, as she shows that she needs to find the second half of the Hidden Immunity Idol in a shell found at the Immunity Challenge.

I’m not sure exactly why there’s a need to create a half-idol when you need to make a play for the shell for the other half, as it’s just an “idol grab in plain sight” task either way. Regardless, the challenge starts and the new chimes added to the “hold a disc with the fingertips of your hands” challenge is an interesting new take.

Everyone was shaky out the gate, but it was Ben who dropped his rings first. Chrissy dropped her discs, followed by Ryan quickly behind him. Lauren just gave up behind them, picking up her shell half of the Hidden Immunity Idol and put it on her leg as if it was a prop from the challenge. Mike dropped after half an hour, and Devon and Ashley just negotiated back massages for whoever dropped. Devon agreed to the massages, and Ashley wins her second Immunity Challenge of the last three.

It’s a very Big Brother move to negotiate who wins power in the game, as Devon and Ashley did the Survivor equivalent of offering up Head of Household. It also has the same strategic prowess in Devon not to win Immunity, thus not making him a big target.

Once the tribe got back to camp, Ben looked like the target of the majority. Unfortunately for them, he overheard them, and things got sketchy when he approached Lauren, Ashley and Devon at the well. Nothing good ever happens at the well! Ben then tried to turn things around by telling Mike, Ryan and the ever vengeful Chrissy about every single advantage Lauren had in a blindside attempt to vote her out.