Another epic season of Survivor continues this week. Survivor 47 shared one consistent theme with recent seasons: hidden immunity idols may no longer be as valuable as they once were. So far, we are 0 for 4 on successful immunity idols in Survivor 47. We look back at the immunity idols that have been used or expired.
Gabe's early gambit
Gabe Ortis from Tuku found the first idol from the beware advantage, and he managed to complete a second challenge to extend its validity to his next three Tribal Councils. Despite being caught by tribemate Terran "TK" Foster, the hidden immunity idol helped him forge a bond with Sue Smey and Caroline Vidmar.
However, he then wasted it on the first tribal council they went to, where the Tuku tribe unanimously voted out TK. Considering the hoops he jumped through to extend the life of the idol to three tribal councils, this seemed like a massive waste.
The Kingdom of Jerome "Rome" Cooney
Over at the Lavo tribe, Rome also found an idol but faced immediate mistrust from his tribemates. He decided to settle with an immunity idol for one tribal council. He played it the first time Lavo went to the tribal council, but it ultimately did not matter as he only got one vote.
While not working successfully, the temporary protection plus a later steal-a-vote advantage set Rome up to control the proceedings at the Lavo tribe, before ultimately being ousted just before the merge.
Sam Phelan choosing not to play his
Meanwhile, at the third tribe Gata, Sam Phelan found the hidden immunity idol valid for one tribal council. The tribe was deciding between Andy Rueda, whose erratic behavior made him a logical threat, or blindsiding Anika Dhar. They ultimately decided to blindisde a shocked Anika, and Sam decided to let his idol expire instead of revealing it to Andy.
The amulet advantage
During a shared journey, Andy, Caroline, and Christine "Teeny" Chirichillo earned an amulet advantage that became an immunity idol when played together.
However, with that information widely known by the rest of the tribemates, the three players decided to get rid of it at the first opportunity. At the first tribal council, where all three were present, they played it for Teeny, although she was not one of the targets, essentially preferring to exhaust it than to hold on to the power and associated dangers that come with it.
Remaining Idols
As the game heads down the final stretch, two hidden immunity idols remain.
Sue Smey found one back at Tuku. She was alone when she found it, but the idol came with a pot of red paint that exploded when she retrieved the idol. Her close ally Caroline has since deduced that Sue has an idol.
Rachel Lamont found a clue in her food at the Survivor auction, and the clue turned out to be for a hidden immunity idol hidden in the tarp at camp. Rachel masterfully acquired it without being detected in a tribe of 11 people. She has the only immunity idol that no one else knows of this season.
Time to play the idol
With the hidden immunity idol only valid for a few more tribal councils, it is likely to play a major role in the upcoming votes. Considering its recent futility, we are long overdue for a shocking hidden immunity idol play.