Survivor 41: Big Moments Episode 7

Ok Survivor 41 fans, for all of you superfans who hung in there and stayed with watching the show, you most certainly were rewarded this week, as it was no doubt the best episode this season.

Wednesday’s episode finally felt like the Survivor that we have come to know and love. For those of you that had gone astray, shame on you for leaving, but welcome back.

I must admit I had my doubt’s about this season, but it started picking up some steam last week and this last episode was the super fans Survivor. New twists, outwit, outlast, outplay, backstabbing, paranoia, and just plain old good fashion social gamesmanship was the recipe for success, and I for one am glad that SURVIVOR IS BACK BABY!!!!.

Survivor 41 episode 7 recap

The first big moment of course has to the power grab that Exile Erika received while being sent to Exile Island. Quick recap. Danny, DeShawn, Sydney, Ricard and Evvie won the immunity challenge and become the first people to be safe from the next tribal council and how to choose between Nasser and Erika to join them, so they strategically picked Nasser and sent Erika on her merry way to Exile Island.

Little did Erika know that she would be greeted by the greatest power and advantage ever given in the history of Survivor, as Jeff Probst presented Exile Erika with the gift of back to the future. He laid an hourglass down and explained that if she choose not to break the hourglass that things would remain in the state they currently are in, or she could break the glass and change the course of history and change the outcome of the challenge in changing who was saved from immunity.

And so, as expected Erika cemented her name and legacy in Survivor history as she cracked the hourglass and thus turned back time.

This was the start of a chain reaction that we have been waiting for and anxiously have been waiting for. So, Danny, DeShawn, Sydney, Ricard, Naseer and Evvie lost immunity and would have to compete in a individual immunity challenge and then move on to the merge, with the winner of the challenge having earned immunity. Now, since Exile Erika changed the course of history, that meant that Xander, Heather, Shan, Liana, Tiffany and Erika now had immunity and were safe from being voted off at the next tribal council. After Ricard wins immunity, all hell breaks loose, Survivor-style.

From the time they got back to camp and to the time they get to tribal council, it was good ole fashioned Survivor, as battle lines were drawn, egos were afoot, lies and backstabbing were paramount and good old I will throw under the bus game playing. But this was also the point in time in the game where Xander is starting to make a name for himself, as the top dog in Survivor 41 and orchestrated a work of art to the letter.

After Exile Erica threw the game into chaos, this is when Xander went into and perhaps cementing his legacy and the best Survivor on Season 41. Xander has an alliance with Evvie and Tiffany, so when word got back to Xander that Evvie was the one on the chopping block, he proceeded to nip that in the bud, as he promised he would play his idol for Evvie and to protect his partner in crime.

It was understood that Evvie was the target until the rest of the tribe found out that Xander was going to play the idol, which threw a huge monkey wrench into the plans of some of the others. Xander proclaimed to all what he was going to do and specifically told Liana who had the power of knowledge advantage. That advantage could be used to take anyone’s idol or advantage, but Liana had only one shot to use it. So, Xander planted the seed and was hoping at tribal council Liana would take the bait.

The second big moment came at tribal council, as the smug and cocky Liana decided to ask Xander if he had an idol and it appeared that Xander did indeed have the idol in his possession. Remember that phrase from the 80’s “NOT!!!!!” Apparently, Xander is into artwork as he made a fake idol and it was at that point where I have never seen so many stupid looking people.

Now, true Survivor superfans and Survivor gurus would have detected the trap that Xander set. I’m guessing Liana was a casual fan and not very familiar with how the game works. Great move Xander, lame-ass move Liana.

Depression set in and the scrambling began. So, if Xander didn’t have the idol, who had the idol? In a beautiful and strategic move, Tiffany had the idol. This brings us to another important moment, but more then likely wont be remembered which was the shot in the dark being played for the first time in Survivor.

It was clear during all the secret conversations and discussions, that Sydney felt the rumblings of what what about to happen, so she did what I would have done, which was to try her luck with the shot in the dark. But, she drew the “not safe” and so Sydney was voted of in what was a semi-blindside.

So here is how the voting went down:

• Danny, Deshawn (extra vote) and Ricard voted for Evvie (4)
• Evvie, Tiffany and Xander voted Deshawn (3)
• Erika, Heather, Liana, Naseer and Shan all voted for Sydney (5)

Two quick words about that vote.

If you have been following this season the alliance between Xander, Evvie and Tiffany seems pretty solid.

Take those three out of the mix and take a close look at the votes.

Is it me or did the men all vote together for Evvie and the women for Sydney. Notice the odd ball was Naseer. Keep your eye on him and see if he make some kind of big move.

So until next week, I will leave you those famous words “The tribe has spoken.”