After another tease of a big move, Chelsea Townsend was sent home, and many Survivor viewers do not know any of her thoughts from the entire season.
Coming into this week on Survivor, we knew that the Naviti strong ideal had to finally end. Laurel and Donathan were closer with Domenick and Wendell than any alliance in the game. We knew the Naviti war was on the horizon. The battle was certainly going to be Kellyn against the two boys. The question was how the tug of war was going to go down between them.
The reward challenge set up the division for the episode. It was split right down the middle, boys against girls. One big surprise that came out of this was Sebastian. We had no real idea of where he exactly stood with his fellow Navitis. This put him in a position where he was clearly with Domenick and Wendell.
On the girls’ side of things, Laurel is put in a complex position in Survivor Ghost Island. Kellyn was trying to pursue Laurel’s vote after voting for her twice at the last Tribal Council. Angela and Chelsea are the two pawns that Kellyn has. Just like Sebastian, they are not shown to be power players, so taking them out would not raise many eyebrows.
For Laurel and Donathan, we had seen them in a tight four with Domenick and Wendell. However, for the first time, they are shown to be a member of an alliance of five with Sebastian. This is slightly concerning for them in the long run; they are the bottom two of this alliance.
Since Domenick is immune, Kellyn’s plan is to take out Wendell. Wendell already has an idol in his pocket, so the time is running out to take out the big threats. Laurel and Donathan realize that the two guys are the obvious favorites to win the game, but do not know if this is the right time. I think their decision is to make this move at seven, not eight.
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If Wendell does go home tonight, Laurel and Donathan are still in a quite precarious position. They lose the trust of Domenick, who had been their closest ally along with Wendell. Then, they are distinctly on the bottom of their new alliance of five, even if the three Naviti women decide not to turn on them before that.
If Domenick or Wendell go at Final Seven, now Donathan in Laurel are in a much better position. In this case, they will be firmly in the middle of a Naviti divide, with two numbers on either side.
Betsided
Chelsea, despite her lack of screen time, has been on a tear physically. She won back to back challenges, and once again makes a deep run for immunity. Despite the Domenick and Wendell versus Kellyn battle, it seems like all three of them still have a potential to have a working relationship. We do not see the two boys have any relationship with Angela and Chelsea.
Between Angela and Chelsea, a decision has to be analyzed. Angela, outside of the gross food challenge, has not shown any real game. Chelsea, on the other hand, has excelled in the endurance challenges and could be a major obstacle to defeat down the road, when Domenick and Wendell need the immunities.
At Tribal Council, it appears as if Donathan and Laurel are wavering, but this is just an act. I think they are possibly trying to scare Wendell into an idol play, but he is clearly confident in his alliance once again. Yet again we see Laurel and Donathan pass up on pulling the trigger, and I understand what they are thinking at the time.
With numbers getting slimmer, and each guy having an idol, it is going to be easier for the guys to be immune. There are not too many votes left, and next week is the time the move must happen.
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Unfortunately for Chelsea, the move was not made this week. She was seen as a threatening pawn to Kellyn and seemed like an easy vote out who would make Immunity Challenges easier to win once she is out of the game.