Survivor Island of the Idols: Three takeaways from episode 11

The endgame is starting to take shape in Survivor: Island of the Idols, as another physical threat is now sitting on the jury.

This article discusses the events from episode 11 of Survivor: Island of the Idols.

Even though a Hidden Immunity Idol was played correctly this week, oddly enough it felt like an ordinary episode. There’s still a lot of game left and it’s still hard to determine exactly where everyone’s allegiances lie. However, the events of episode 11 gave us a decent indication of who has the power. That leads us to our first takeaway from Wednesday’s Survivor action.

1) Lauren and Tommy are in control

Sure they got surprised by Karishma’s idol play, but it doesn’t change the fact that this dangerous duo escaped all notice after nearly getting split apart last week. With Missy and Aaron gone, the rest of the gang seems content with playing along with Lauren and Tommy.  What makes this pairing so successful is their equally good social games. People trust Tommy and Lauren, so when they’re unsure about a vote, they turn to them.

We saw a glimpse of Lauren’s social skills in the way she handled her Island of the Idols visit. She was able to systematically assess everyone’s skills and mindset coming into the Immunity Challenge. With Tommy’s help, Lauren executed her plan perfectly by subtly convincing the majority of players to sit out, including Janet! At this point in time, Tommy and Lauren have a stranglehold on this season.

2) Noura is a challenge beast

Physically skilled castaways are continuing to drop like flies in Island of the Idols, leaving the competition wide open. After winning two Immunity necklaces in a row, Noura is emerging as a strong physical presence in this season. Due to her dynamic personality, she has often been viewed as a goat by the other castaways, but that may actually help her game.

As a result, she can win Immunity without being viewed as a threat that needs to be voted out. The same couldn’t be said if Dean or Tommy had two Individual Immunities under their belt. So as crazy as it sounds, Noura could still have a shot at becoming the next Sole Survivor if the big threats keep on falling like flies.

3) The “goats” are gaining ground

It was nice to see some of the more unappreciated players of this season step up their game this week. Karishma negated a Russell Hantz tieing seven votes, while Noura won back to back Immunities. Even Dean who has been super quiet most of this game was starting to get more involved in the vote. Although it’s a little sad that Dean thinks Jamal’s advantage might be real, his idea of creating and playing a fake one, while still holding onto the original was brilliant thinking!