Life at the Survivor merge camp was pure chaos. We finally saw the Navitis beginning to fracture, taking Desiree Afuye as a victim.
I thought that the preview of this week’s Survivor episode was a red herring. Desiree was going to entertain a move, and a Malolo was going to be sent packing, being either Michael or Jenna. However, this was far from one. We saw all of the castaways scrambling. For the first time since the merge, it seemed like the game was truly live, and not just a formality.
We begin the episode with Desiree attempting to make the “big move,” setting the tone for the entire episode. Desiree thinks that the Malolo Four are firmly on the bottom. She has no idea that this alliance of four with Wendell, Domenick, Laurel, and Donathan is a thing. This causes her to approach all of the original Malolo, which is a mistake.
Based on last week, Desiree clearly knows that Michael is on the bottom of the bottom. He is going to be the most desperate and will make any move he can to stay alive for one more day. Michael would potentially go to his alliance members, and this would not blow up in Desiree’s face. Instead, Desiree puts herself in an ultra-vulnerable position that could have been avoided. Everyone scolded Chris for taking the entire tribe to the well, and Desiree proves once again that you should not talk to big groups in this way.
This is where Laurel makes a monumental decision in this game. She knows she could get Kellyn out, but this would leave her and on the outs since it would blindside Wendell and Domenick. In the short-term, it probably would have been better for Laurel and Donathan to get Kellyn out of the game, but where does that leave them?
This would mean that the Malolo Four would have isolated themselves unless Desiree and Chelsea plan on riding it out to the end with them. I do not know if this would have been the case. Laurel and Donathan would have lost an alliance that no one knows about and has full trust in them. They will have to get Dom and Wendell out at one point, but they need to use them for a few more votes.
Betsided
Desiree gets involved in a heated conversation with Malolo, and then completely shifts the focus when Wendell shows up. This is a truly fascinating scene. There is no one that can prove Desiree’s story, and only the Malolo Four can back up Laurel’s story.
Kellyn is struggling to believe that her girls would turn on her. However, the realization she must come to is that Desiree knew she would lose to Kellyn. At one point, Desiree was going to plot against her, and it just came earlier than expected. If Desiree is low enough on the totem pole, it may make sense for her to try to make waves now.
At Tribal Council, Desiree and Laurel get into a heated debate. Laurel’s story is consistent with the thoughts of Donathan, Jenna and Michael. Michael’s support is the most important. He is the biggest target, so if Laurel was lying, he would most likely just take a back seat and say nothing to shift the heat Laurel’s way.
We see Desiree trying to end the debate as quickly as possible. She says she does not like going back and forth. This often means you have something to hide, and debating for too long will mean the truth will come out.
At the end of the day, her tribe sees through her lies. Desiree showed a capability of making a move. If it was not happening now it was going to happen soon. Desiree had the right idea, but went about it the wrong way, trusting the wrong people on her way off the island.