Survivor: Island of the Idols’ latest tribe swap certainly opens up opportunities for some, but it also puts others in more difficult situations.
Yesterday we looked at five players that benefited from episode 5’s tribe swap, but more often than not, it’s the castaways who get gypped by a swap that end up being more memorable. Original Lairo is outgunned, but even Vokai members are on this list because their position in this game has weakened. Here are five losers from the Survivor: Island of the Idols tribe swap.
Noura Salman (New Lairo)
Previous situation:
Noura’s unique personality put herself on the outs fast in this season of Survivor. She became that easy target that nearly everyone didn’t mind seeing go. Thankfully for Noura, big play-itis set in on Lauren and others, motivating them to go past the easy vote to take out a more serious threat.
Jason Linden, her closest ally helped in making this plan a success. Since Vokai didn’t go to another Tribal Council, it’s hard to tell where Noura and Jason stood, but it felt like they gained some ground within Vokai.
Current situation:
It’s true that Noura is on a tribe that has an overwhelming Vokai majority, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s still vulnerable. The remaining Lairo members on that tribe have committed themselves to being loyal to Vokai now, and Noura doesn’t have Jason there to protect her.
Tom mentioned in his exit interview how there was a noticeable rift between Jamal and Noura. If this tribe loses again, which is likely because the other one is stacked, the Vokai majority might decide to take out one of their own and Noura’s name is likely to come up.
Dean Kowalski (New Lairo)
Previous situation:
It wasn’t until the showmance buzz arose when we finally got to learn a little more about Dean. He did get blindsided by his tribe when they decided to vote out Chelsea, but with that fear of a power couple extinguished, Dean became less of a threat moving forward. Plus, we learned in that episode and in exit interviews that Dean was fairly close to Tom and Elaine, so more than likely, he would have recovered from this blindside just as Aaron did.
Current situation:
The swap has now put Dean in a minority of two. It’s only Karishma and himself against five Vokai members who are sticking together so far. Building a bond with Kellee does help his game, but Kellee is a smart player, so if the majority decides to vote out Dean, she won’t jeopardize her position in the game to save him.
Lauren Beck (New Vokai)
Previous situation:
Lauren was the star of the only Tribal Council Vokai went to. We got to see the power of her social game when she was able to successfully change the vote from Noura to Molly. It appeared that she had a strong relationship with the girls, especially Kellee. She was in a power position heading into the swap.
Current situation:
Lauren went from being in the majority, to a fifty-fifty split. Based on last episode and even the preview for today’s action, it looked like Tommy was acting as spokesperson for his four Vokai numbers.
In that same episode, Lauren received a poor edit, which isn’t the greatest sign when there’s a big event like a swap. If Tommy and Aaron somehow come to an agreement, Lauren might end up being the sacrificial lamb.
Elizabeth Beisel (New Vokai)
Previous situation:
The Olympic swimmer was in a good place in her tribe before the swap. She was closely aligned with Missy and Elaine, and was well respected by the rest of her tribe members. She was always in the conversation when the core Lairo members were deliberating over a vote.
We also saw in some of the secret scenes how she was a big part of the fun atmosphere created by the Lairo tribe. If the tribes stayed as they were, I couldn’t see Elizabeth getting her torch snuffed anytime soon.
Current situation:
With the state of new Vokai up in the air, anything can happen. Elizabeth’s clear majority has disappeared, and similar to Lauren, she didn’t have the greatest edit during the tribe swap episode. If one of the four original Lairo members end up going home, I would be surprised if it was anyone else but her.
Jason Linden (New Vokai)
Previous situation:
It’s hard to find anyone else in Survivor: Island of the Idols that had as bad of a start to the season as Jason did. After talking all preseason about keeping a low profile and creating a “shut the heck up strategy”, Jason had a major setback when he was accused of looking for an idol right after the game begun.
Fortunately for Jason, he was able to recover his spot in the game by proving his honest and wholehearted intentions towards his tribe. He was able to use Noura as both a shield and an ally to his advantage.
Current situation:
Jason doesn’t have Noura as a shield any longer, and now could potentially be in the minority. If Vokai does end up losing a member in this deadlocked tribe, I could see either Lauren or Jason taking the fall. Jason has always been a possible target, and that was especially true for Dan who desperately wanted him out. With Jason’s current lack of allies, if he doesn’t work on his social game quick, he might be jeopardy.