Survivor Island of the Idols: Is Jason Linden doomed for his idol searching?

Jason Linden on the Vokai tribe became an early target on Survivor: Island of the Idols thanks to searching for an idol. Can he get out of this hole?

First impressions are absolutely crucial on Survivor because the smallest of actions could get your torched snuffed on Day 3. There just isn’t as much to base a vote off of in the first few days, other than if they fit well with the group or not. We’ve seen several first boots over the years receive the majority of votes because they came out of the gate too aggressive.

A similar situation has arisen at the Vokai tribe in the Island of the Idols premiere. Jason Linden took an early opportunity to explore his camp and look for a Hidden Immunity Idol by himself. Although he was apparently only gone for one hour, that was enough to raise suspicion. The big group left at camp began to realize Jason was missing.

Dan Spilo was quick to take advantage of this opportunity by emphasizing that they can’t trust him and that he’s already on the chopping block. Dan even said in his confessional that Jason will not escape the vote when they go to Tribal Council. So is Jason Linden really doomed? There are a couple of reasons why I think he might survive this ordeal.

First of all, being a main target in the first episode doesn’t necessarily mean anything. David vs. Goliath is a great example of that. Mike White was called out for going off on his own to search for an idol, he was runner-up and nearly won it all. In that same season, Nick Wilson was expected to be the main target in the premiere until Pat was medically evacuated. Nick went on to become the Sole Survivor.

The point is, just because someone faces heat in their first episode, doesn’t mean they’re in immediate danger of going home. Yes, Jason did paint a target on himself early, but he hasn’t done anything since then to raise suspicion. Meanwhile, Dan has been annoying people with his physicality, and the promo after the premiere teased Noura going a little crazy.

There’s a good chance that the target can slip away from Jason and onto one of those disruptive Vokai members. For now, Jason is very much alive, and based on his pregame coverage, if he can survive this near catastrophe, he has the ability to make it far in this season.