Survivor: David vs. Goliath episode 10: The epic Immunity Challenge!

With all the theatrics at Tribal Council in the past few episodes of Survivor: David vs. Goliath, who knew that a basic idea for a challenge would steal the show!

Yesterday’s thrilling Immunity Challenge will go down as one of the most epic challenges in Survivor history! It’s not a complex challenge by any means, and it’s a concept that has been done twice before, but rarely do we get this long of a grueling duel. If you want to see it again, feel free to take another look below.

The challenge involved each castaway standing on a narrow perch while holding a handle behind their head. If someone lets go of their handle or falls off their perch, they are out of the challenge. Before it started Jeff tempted the castaways with a large plate of nachos and beer to enjoy only if they choose not to participate in the challenge. Carl, Angelina and Nick chose to sit out.

The name of this Immunity Challenge: Uncomfortably Numb, is definitely suitable as you can see the castaways squirming and shifting, trying to find a spot of relief. Mike was the first one out, and Davie let go of his handle not too long after. Following those early exits, it wasn’t till an hour later when the next castaway dropped.

While Carl and Angelina were discussing how Alec looked shaky and Kara was solid, moments later Kara stepped off of her perch! Alec mumbled to himself: “boom.” After one hour and 35 minutes, Alison who looked totally drained dropped off of her platform. Once again Alec muttered under his breath: “here we go!”

Then Jeff asked Alec; “how long do you think this is going to go?” Alec responded confidently; “till I win.” Fast forward to two hours and 30 minutes into the challenge and Gabby is visibly in turmoil. She emotionally explains how this is the one challenge she can win, but Alec kept on saying he wasn’t coming down at all until her and Christian dropped. Not too long after, Gabby stepped off of her perch, and Alison came over to comfort her, while Alec tauntingly muttered “bye Gabby.”

Then it came down to an epic battle of David vs. Goliath with Christian squaring off against Alec. The minutes flew by, and around the three-hour mark, things got even more interesting. Christian asked Jeff is he could tell a story to pass the time, which Jeff agreed to. Two hours went by with Christian telling stories and sharing experiences, which visibly irritated Alec.

At the five-hour mark, Alec was starting to lose his bearings as he felt dizzy and about to pass out. Then Alec had an emotional conversation with Christian. Alec said: “you’re safe, I’m not”, which was completely true for this vote. Christian responded saying “I know,” and then went on to explain with tears in his eyes, apologizing, how he might never get this opportunity to win a challenge again. Moments later, Alec dropped off of his perch, giving Christian the win.

This challenge has been done twice before. The first time was in San Juan del Sur (Blood vs. Water 2), when Reed Kelly outlasted Natalie Anderson after a few hours. The other season this challenge was featured in was Kaoh Rong, where Tai was able to win his first Immunity by standing on his perch longer than Cydney. That lasted around 40 minutes. None of those compared to this season.

It wasn’t simply the five-hour and 30 minute runtime of this challenge that made it so entertaining. It was the length combined with the great characters of this season just being themselves. It was fun to watch Alec completely zone in, and see him act and talk as if he’s already won the challenge in order to dissuade the rest of the castaways.

But it was the most entertaining castaway of the season, in Christian, who made this challenge even more of a joy to watch. His continuous banter having Jeff as his “captive audience” for over two hours was hilarious to watch. The interactions between Christian and Alec also added to the emotion and meaning of this challenge.

This reminded me of the challenge back in Survivor: Tocantins, where once again, a castaway’s flamboyant character, in that case Coach, spilled into the Immunity Challenge making for a unforgetable episode. It’s great to finally get back to a Survivor season where dynamic personalities are just as prevalent as idols and strategic talk.

Immunity Challenge Rankings:

Creativity: 1/5

Difficulty: 4/5

Entertainment Value: 6/5