The latest visit to the Island of the Idols added some intrigue to the Immunity Challenge but ended up taking the excitement away from a classic Survivor element.
This article discusses the events from episode 11 of Survivor: Island of the Idols.
Eleven episodes into Survivor: Island of the Idols and we’ve already had several thrilling challenges, especially pre-merge. With that being said, having a realistic outlook means that we understand there’s going to be some less exciting challenges. Last night’s episode definitely falls into that category.
Immunity Challenge review
The castaways were tasked with trying to keep a ball pinned to a structure above them by pushing upwards on a handle. If they relaxed slightly, the ball will start moving and eventually drop, taking them out of the challenge. The last castaway still standing wins the necklace.
There was more to the challenge than simply competing. Jeff gave everyone the opportunity to either eat or play. The tempting meal was a rare Survivor breakfast including pancakes, bacon, hash browns and more. Only the castaways who chose not to participate were allowed to eat, and only until someone wins immunity.
The storyline behind this challenge was Lauren’s Island of the Idols test. She had to find a way to increase the odds of Noura or Elizabeth winning immunity. As Lauren and Tommy did their best to convince everyone to eat and not play, it ended up being a very short battle for Individual Immunity. You can take another look at this challenge below.
Everyone sat out except for Karishma, Noura, and Elizabeth. Within a minute, Karishma dropped her ball, frustrated and disappointed with her outcome, while Jeff did his best to comfort her. That meant Lauren won her idol and it was only between Elizabeth and Noura. It wasn’t too long into the challenge when Elizabeth lost her concentration and her ball fell, giving Noura her second straight immunity necklace. Although Noura tried to keep the contest going to allow her fellow castaways extra time to eat, it doesn’t work that way.
Challenge takeaways:
As the episode referenced, this same challenge was featured once before in Ghost Island. It’s a simple idea, but not the most exciting one to watch. What makes or breaks these types of challenges is if two or more castaways are battling to win. Unfortunately, Elizabeth didn’t last too long, making it an easy win for Noura and a relatively boring Immunity Challenge.
With Elizabeth on the jury, another physical threat is now out of the game. Noura has been performing exceptionally in challenges, especially endurance ones that require focus. Besides Noura, Tommy and Dean seem like the biggest threats to win, but really anyone can win at this point.
Immunity Challenge Rankings:
Creativity: 2/5
Difficulty: 2/5
Entertainment Value: 1/5