Survivor 48 episode 5, "Masted Class in Deception," featured one of the most emotional moments in the series' history. It was so powerful that even the usually stoic host, Jeff Probst, was driven to tears and emotion.
During a challenge, the final task was for each player from the three tribes to navigate a ball through a maze. Eva Erickson tried a couple of times but struggled to make any headway. She tapped out, and eventually, the other three tribemates finished. She had no choice but to try.
As she continued to fail, her frustration level rose. She couldn’t get the ball through the maze. Sai Hughley was having the same issue, but as everyone now knows, Eva has autism, and this sort of pressure can cause her to have "episodes," as she called them later.
Earlier in the game, Eva and Joe Hunter were on the same tribe, and she told him about her autism. She wanted someone present to help her through an episode if she had one.
While Eva struggled with the challenge, Joe could see the signs that she was starting to panic. He tried to encourage her without being too obvious, and her tribemates also encouraged her. At one point, she gritted her teeth, drew a deep breath, and attacked the task. She made it through the maze and helped her tribe win second.
While celebrating, Eva broke down. She was screaming, crying, and having trouble breathing. Joe looked on with concern as he watched her tribe hug her, then tried to console her as she continued to cry. Jeff noticed and asked if Joe would like to hug her. Joe immediately did. She ran to him, embracing him hard, and he calmed her down, talking her through her episode. After a few moments, she calmed and returned to her tribemates.
In front of all the players, the discussion began about Joe consoling her, even though they were separate tribes. Joe handled it well. In the end, Eva herself told everyone about her history and why Joe helped her. She said that it was outside of the game, and that she was grateful for Joe’s help.
Jeff added his perspective as a father and grew very emotional, too, even shedding a few tears. It was an all-time great Survivor moment.
The day wasn’t over for Eva. She found great support in her camp, including that of her nemesis, Star Toomey. Star was very vocal back at camp, telling Eve she was inspirational. Star also shared that she had family members on the autistic spectrum.
Star had a clue to an idol since the first few days on the beach, but she hadn’t been able to open the clue to reveal the idol. She tells her tribe she has it, and as a group, they gather the clues but cannot figure it out. Eventually, Eva finally solves the puzzle and reveals the idol. Star, in another great moment, gives the idol to Eva.
How will this all affect Joe and Eva post-merge on Survivor 48?
While this was one of the most incredible episodes in Survivor's history, it is still a game for $ 1 million. Everyone knows that Joe and Eva have a wonderful bond and are close. Now, Eva has an idol, and several people know about it. It won’t be a secret after the merge.
The idol will place a target on Eva, no matter what. Plus, because of the mindset created by the game, few players will want to go to the Final Tribal Council and sit next to Eva or Joe. This is not a knock on her game; she has been tremendous in challenges and played a good game before this episode.
Watching how she and Joe navigate the post-merge portion of the game will be interesting. Even without the relationship that everyone knows, Joe and Eva are physical threats. They have good social games, and Eva has an idol. As a pair, they have to be considered threats to win.
It will be imperative for them to count on their relationships with others. Will Star remain a friend to Eva as the game continues? Will Shauhin Davari, who seems like a wily player, continue to be allied with Joe? What other alliances might grow post-merge because of what happened with Eva?
These are all big questions, and they create a scenario unlike any fans have seen on the show before. Season 48 started very slowly, but after a couple of excellent Tribal Councils and now this moment with Eva and Joe, the post-merge action should be fast and furious.
Survivor 48 has the chance to be one of the best seasons of Survivor in a long time, and it is going to be fun to watch how it plays out.