Last week on Survivor: Worlds Apart, Mike showed his hidden immunity idol at Tribal Council in an effort to bluff the majority alliance into turning on themselves. Well Shirin still ended up going home, but both Tyler and Will threw votes Dan’s way. Something tells me Dan isn’t going to be too happy about that.

Survivor: Worlds Apart Recap: Can the Underdogs Break the Strong Six? >>>

Not a Happy Camper

The fallout starts right away back at camp, and surprise surprise, Dan isn’t happy. Will tries to tell him to stay focused and not turn on one another, but they don’t really have a choice at this point. Mike has an idol and is guaranteed at least one more go, and that’s not even considering the fact that he may just keep winning immunity.

The “Strong Six” have a secret meeting, which Mike is all too pleased not to be part of. He’s glad to see them scrambling after he’s spent the last few weeks scrambling.

Tyler defends himself to Dan, saying he had to put someone’s name down to make sure it wasn’t him going home in case Mike wasn’t bluffing. Will looks Dan in the eye and admits to voting for him too, which they both agree is a very noble, manly thing to do. (Gag. I hate them both so much.) But Dan knows Will and Tyler flinched, and he’ll keep that in mind, but right now, Mike is still public enemy #1.

Day 30 is Rodney’s birthday and he’s still whining about how he hasn’t been on a reward yet. Will promises him that he’ll be his first choice (HA! Like he’s winning a reward) or he’d even give up his spot if he has to. Rodney says there’s a 0% chance that he’s not going on reward today. Why do I think this is being edited to make sure that Rodney’s not going on reward today?

Reward Challenge

The survivors are split into two teams of three for today’s challenge. The Red Team is Sierra, Mike and Carolyn and the Blue Team is Rodney, Tyler and Dan. Will wasn’t chosen in a schoolyard pick so he doesn’t get to participate in the challenge or the reward. Looks like Rodney’s chances just got even smaller.

The two teams have to unspool ribbons to release a key, build a ladder and climb to the top of it to release a bag of balls. Then, they have to run through a narrow net obstacle. In the final stage of the challenge, they have to launch balls from a giant teeter-totter into baskets. First team to land all five balls in their baskets will win the reward. The winners get to be ambassadors of goodwill to a local orphanage. They’ll get to bring school supplies, clothing, bedding and toys to the kids.They’ll also get the chance to enjoy a barbeque with them as well.

Red is off to a quick start, getting the first two stages of the challenge done quickly. Rodney gets flustered and tries to climb the ladder before they finish building it. Then when all three of his team mates get through the net obstacle, he has to go back and do it again because he forgot the bag of balls.

But Dan makes up time for Blue, launching the balls into the nets, even though Mike is doing pretty well himself for Red. It comes down to the last ball for both teams and Mike gets it done first for the Red Team.

Rodney says he’s not going to make a plea to the winners to take him on the reward, but IT IS his birthday and everything. Mike says he wants Rodney to have a happy birthday, but he can’t pass up this opportunity. Carolyn and Sierra echo the same sentiment. Sierra says she never promised to give up her reward, so she doesn’t intend to do that.

Rodney has a little fit. He can’t believe people in his own alliance would leave him high and dry on his birthday. He hasn’t left the beach and people are going back on their word and blah blah blah.

Mike, Carolyn and Sierra don’t regret their decisions when they’re on the reward. Mike is thrilled to play soccer with the kids at the orphanage and Sierra bonds with them over horses. Carolyn says that this is totally worth the beating she’s going to get when she gets back to camp. She also points out that Rodney’s having the best birthday ever; he’s on an island playing Survivor!

Carolyn also knows that Mike holds a lot of power in this game with his idol and his ability to win challenges. That coupled with the fact that the six are going to have to turn on each other, she thinks it might be time to start aligning herself with people who can take her further in the game.

Merica

Man, I thought Rodney’s whining was bad before, but that was nothing compared to what he’s like back at camp after that challenge. He’s washing dishes on the beach kicking dirt and spitting and complaining about washing dishes on his birthday because of a bunch of scumbags.

He gets back to camp and tells Will, Dan and Tyler that the new plan is for him to act like he wants to quit to get Mike to feel comfortable enough to not play his idol and then write his name down. Everyone knows that’s not going to work, but they let Rodney be Rodney and let him think that he’s running things.

When the rest of the tribe gets back, Rodney goes after Carolyn and Sierra for having the time of their lives on his birthday. He tells everyone to just write his name down because he’s done because, in case you hadn’t heard, he had A MISERABLE BIRTHDAY. Sierra says if she has to hear about his birthday one more time she’ll vote for him for real.

Mike doesn’t buy it for even a second. He says he sees right through their plan and there’s no way he’s not playing his idol.

Tyler talks to Carolyn about their options. He asks her about her idol. He says he trusts her but he doesn’t know if she’d play her idol for him.

Immunity Challenge

It’s another endurance challenge for immunity this week. Everyone has to lean back on a perch holding their weight with a rope. Last person standing wins immunity.

Will and Dan are out first, of course. Rodney does some more complaining about, you guessed it, his birthday, to Jeff. Then he falls out. Mike and Sierra fall shortly after, ending Mike’s dominance in immunity challenges. It’s a struggle between Tyler and Carolyn for the win, but it’s not a struggle for Carolyn at all. Tyler drops out before she even flinches and Carolyn wins immunity once again.

Loser Camp

Carolyn tells everyone back at camp that the men will vote for Mike and the ladies will vote for Tyler. But she tells Tyler that they’ll vote for Dan. He hopes this means they’ll flush Mike’s idol, Dan’s advantage, and Dan all in one vote.

But Carolyn knows that this might be one of her only opportunities to get rid of Tyler. Mike tells her that he’s voting for Tyler too and he hopes he’ll vote with her because he’s running out of options. Carolyn has a bond with Tyler but at the same time he’s the only one in the game who knows she has an idol so he could blow up her game by telling people about it. 

Survivor: How Worlds Apart Demonstrates Sexism is Alive and Well >>>

Tribal Council

Mike tells Jeff that he definitely has his idol with him so one of the “Strong Six” is guaranteed to go home tonight. He says that both Tyler and Dan should be worried tonight instead of him.

Dan is still surprised that he got two votes at the last vote. He says it’s tough to see your name written down, especially since it paints a clear picture of him being on the bottom of his alliance.

Tyler knows he’s on the chopping block as well, but he tries to deflect that by bringing up Dan’s advantage. He then admits to Jeff that it’s time everyone starts thinking about the top three and who they can or can’t beat. Unfortunately for Tyler, I don’t think there’s many people left, (save for Mike who the whole jury loves), who could beat him.

Mike plays his idol and Tyler seals his own fate by saying he’d be surprised if it were him going home tonight. Because after four votes go to Mike, it only takes two to go to Tyler to send him home. While I’m disappointed while yet another likable person is voted out while so many trolls remain, I understand that Carolyn needed to turn on him to get rid of a threat.

We’ve only got one episode left before the finale. And here’s the link to vote for next season’s cast, in case you missed it: https://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/

(Image courtesy of CBS)

Gina Pusateri

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV