Survivor Island of the Idols: Three takeaways from episode 10

Island of the Idols is beginning to revert back to modern Survivor form as all of the big targets are getting taken out by unexpected minorities.

This article discusses the events from episode 10 of Survivor: Island of the Idols

Survivor: Island of the Idols has had its full share of ups and downs already. As much as the events following the merge have left a bitter taste in our mouths, this week’s episode did its best job to turn the corner and get back to ethically sound gameplay. The double Tribal Council twist did a lot to shake up this season, so here are three key takeaways we came away with after episode 10 aired.

1) Say goodbye to the big threats

As the seasons go by, contestants are getting more and more savvy. Instead of sticking with Day 1 tribal lines, these castaways understand the need to go after the strongest players first. Four of the last five jurors weren’t even the initial vote for their respective Tribal Councils. Instead of picking off the outsiders like Noura, Janet or Karishma, other castaways wisely used these less threatening players to take out the big guns.

Just this episode we lost the biggest challenge threat in Aaron, and then the complete athletic, strategic and social package that Missy brought to the game is also now on the jury.  As Dean referred to in the episode 11 preview, the “goats” have taken over by systematically blindsiding the big targets. Expect this gameplay to continue during the next few Tribal Councils.

2) Don’t underestimate Karishma

I hate to judge Survivor contestants early on, but there’s usually that one player that you know will make it far but will have no chance of actually winning. Although it may have felt that Karishma fell into that category, she’s shown some real life lately. I think we can reserve that category for Dan now.

Karishma is sitting in a decent position because people want to work with her since they believe she’s an easy number to string along and is a good person to sit next to at the end. With a Hidden Immunity Idol in her pocket, Karishma has the potential to turn that apparent goat status into Sole Survivor consideration, especially if she can continue to play a part in taking out the big guns.

3) Alliances are turning into voting blocs

We went from a Vokai majority coming into the merge, to a group of nine-strong after the Kellee and Jamal votes. This past episode just saw two members of that nine-person alliance get blindsided. We have definitely moved into the voting blocs stage. Tommy and Lauren are probably the last tight duo remaining, which means it’s time to get ready for constantly shifting allegiances and more exciting Tribal Councils!