Survivor: Edge of Extinction episode 2: Immunity/Reward Challenge

Timothy Kuratek/CBS Entertainment ©2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Timothy Kuratek/CBS Entertainment ©2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Strengths and weaknesses from the cast of Survivor: Edge of Extinction became readily apparent during this grueling Immunity/Reward Challenge.

After a unique idea for the first challenge of Survivor: Edge of Extinction, production went back to a familiar setup. There have been several iterations of this challenge in the past, but the version most similar was the one in Game Changers that Aubry took part in.

The challenge involves swimming to a wooden cage housing a massive stuffed snake. Once all tribe members are in the cage, they can work on lifting the heavy snake up and over, carrying it to the shore and under another obstacle. The castaways can then work on untying the snake in search of numbered tiles to solve a code.

Figuring out the six-digit code will unlock rings that have to land on eight targets spelling out “Immunity.” The first tribe to do so wins Immunity and will choose between spices and fishing gear as a reward. Here’s another look at episode 2’s challenge below.

Immunity Challenge Takeaways:

Even though we’re 38 seasons into Survivor and the game’s strategy has evolved significantly, you can still be voted out for weighing down the tribe physically. Keith found out that fact the hard way. Besides Keith, the Manu Tribe continues to look inferior to the Kama Tribe.

While Kama has two strong physical threats in Joe and Eric who once again killed it in this challenge, Manu appears to rely upon Chris. It was tough watching Chris put on a one-man show, as he was the only one who could land a ring, and he had to literally pull Keith through the water.

They need a challenge that is less physically demanding for them to finally avoid Tribal Council. The only other positive effort we saw was Wendy’s strong swimming ability. The rest of the team didn’t do anything wrong, but you need more than “not bad” to beat Joe and company. I would like to see Wardog and Wentworth actually make an impact on their tribe’s performance going forward.

Overall, the challenge was still entertaining despite Kama’s slight lead throughout. This is definitely one of those that you enjoy watching from home but never want to attempt! There is nothing easy about lifting that ginormous, wet snake. Kama’s choice to select fishing gear over spices was a smart decision as well, especially when you put a spear in the hands of Joe the provider.

Immunity Challenge Rankings:

Creativity: 2/5

Difficulty: 4/5

Entertainment Value: 3/5