Now that Kyle Ostwald has been voted out of Survivor 47, it seems like the tribe has a different vibe in Survivor 47 episode 12, "Operation: Italy."
Sue Smey and Caroline Vidmar are definitely happy to have him gone as it may just be what they needed to get to the end. But they aren't the only ones, as Andy Rueda and Genevieve Mushaluk had a chat after the vote where it was like they were trying to reconcile with each other.
Genevieve and Teeny Chirichillo have their own moment where the former makes it clear that she believes that Rachel is the most dangerous player still in the game. And, Genevieve also tells Teeny that if it was her and Rachel at the end, she would struggle not to vote for Rachel.
Reward Challenge
In the reward challenge, it's an obstacle race with the survivors having to retrieve two balls that will have to be thrown on top of two perches. The winner gets to head to the Sanctuary with Italian food such as pasta and pizza.
The players have to untie sandbags and push them over before they can climb over. Once they are over, they have to push one of their balls through a net tunnel. At the start, Rachel is in the lead, followed by Sam and Genevieve. Then, it is on to the second ball that needs to be untied.
Once they have the second ball, the players have to crawl through sand under a net. And once again, Rachel is in the lead, with Genevieve right behind her. But, Sam quickly catches up and actually passes Rachel to get to the final stage of the challenge where they each have to toss their ball up onto a perch.
Sam quickly takes the lead by landing his first ball on one of the perches, but Rachel keeps the pressure on, getting her first ball up and on. In the end, Sam wins the reward challenge.
Sam gets his Italian meal challenge, and he gets to spend the night. After he wins, he learns that they are getting letters from home. And when he is asked to pick someone to join him, he points out how important those letters are and that this is the ultimate reward. Ultimately, Sam picks Andy because he shared that he made a promise to him that he would take him on a reward. Then, Sam gets to pick one more person to go with him. He chooses Genevieve after saying he doesn't think it would be right to eat Italian food without her.
This leaves Sue, Teeny, Rachel, and Caroline with nothing. But Jeff Probst wants to know what this means for them in the game, and Teeny makes it clear that Sam picking Genevieve was the worst decision for his game.
After the reward challenge
At the Sanctuary, Sam takes the time to talk to Andy about why he chose him for this reward. Then, Sam asks Genevieve about her approach to the game, and she points out that Kishan being voted out and telling her that he trusted her was a turning point for her.
Much like we expected, the letters from home were definitely emotional for Sam, Andy, and Genevieve. And, it was a reminder for all three of them about why they are on Survivor.
Back at the Beka Tribe, Teeny is clearly upset. She makes it clear that she believes that Sam has tanked his game. While chatting with Rachel, Caroline, and Sue, Teeny reveals that she thinks Sam needs to go. At this point, it seems like these four women are making a point of coming together to potentially make an alliance where they are the ones going all the way to the end.
At the Sanctuary, Andy tells Sam and Genevieve that he has a plan. He tells them that there is a five-person alliance, and there is no way to flip anyone. He wants to get Rachel out, and he tells them about Rachel's Steal-a-Vote advantage. They call their plan, "Operation Italy."
After the Sanctuary, Sam goes on an apology tour and says he is willing to vote for Genevieve, but he would prefer Rachel. In the background, Genevieve is working on a fake idol, and Andy is trying to prove that he is still with his five-person alliance.
Andy is also trying to get a split vote, so he is planting the idea of there being an idol in play. He has people convinced that they should vote for both Sam and Genevieve to split the vote.
The immunity challenge
This challenge is a combination of balance, dexterity, and touch. The players must traverse a balance beam with a ball on a pole, and then push a skull through a metal maze with a wooden staff, and then balance three balls in the small holes on a paddle.
Teeny ends up in the lead, but Sam and Rachel catch up quickly, and Andy gains ground as well. Sam ends up finishing the second stage first, getting to the paddle to try and get the three balls into the small dimples on the end of the paddle.
But, in the end, Rachel wins individual immunity, essentially ruining the Operation: Italy plan that Sam, Andy, and Genevieve were trying to put into play. Now, if they want to keep their plan in motion, they need to pick someone else to take her place.
So, who do they want out instead of Rachel? Sam and Genevieve are torn between Teeny and Caroline, and they still want the vote split.
Andy is pushing for a split vote, but Teeny doesn't believe that Genevieve has an idol. While Sam and Genevieve are chatting, Teeny walks up and they let her know about the idol, but as she is showing the idol, Andy walks up perfectly to hide the idol again.
It seems like Operation: Italy has a new target: Caroline. But, Sue is saying that Rachel should play her advantage while she plays her hidden immunity idol on Caroline. The problem is that there seem to be a lot of issues getting the split vote to actually happen.
There are so many ways that Operation: Italy can go wrong. And, it is not looking good for how Andy, Sam, and Genevieve will be able to pull off their plan to flip the votes.
It's another interesting conversation during the tribal council. We get to hear what it meant for Genevieve and Andy to go on the reward to Sanctuary to read their letters from home. But on the other end of the spectrum, we have Teeny who says that the reward challenge left her really thinking about where she is in this game.
After the tribal discussion it is clear that some people really believe that they know what it is going to happen. And yet, there is still a chance that Operation Italy will come together.
Caroline Vidmar is the 12th person voted off of Survivor 47
Operation: Italy was a true success. Andy, Genevieve, and Sam were able to split the vote and get Caroline voted out. And, the jury knew immediately that it was Andy who caused that vote to fall the way it did.
Andy immediately claims the move after the shock shown by the ladies left behind and says that he will explain back at the beach.