You Get Immunity! You Get Immunity! You All Get Immunity! Survivor 47 Episode 7 Recap and Power Rankings

This episode felt like when you have fun on a trip, but you did all the planning so everything is both predictable and feels overly manufactured. There were points of intrigue, particularly at the very end and the game development at the beginning, but it was all very forced by production’s twists, immunities, and advantages. 

I don’t enjoy when production takes away the players’ choice — whether that is lost votes, half the merge immune, or a late surprise save at tribal that the player that played it didn’t even earn causing a scramble. But fortunately, the cast is good enough I stayed entertained.

Andy Stark

Sam, Sierra, Rachel, Ilyn Payne, the Mountain…

Andy has a new hit list.

Andy felt targeted and disposable for being the backup vote at the last tribal council and immediately started talking to Sol after getting back to camp. Andy was fairly heated and confronted Sol very directly and deliberately. Sol made Andy aware he was told to vote him as the backup because Gata put him up as the choice, specifically Sam. This made Andy contemplate all his bonds with the Gata tribe and begin plotting to form new alliances and devise schemes against his former tribe. Sol, the first of his new agreed upon alliance (sealed by the worst handshake I’ve ever seen).

While the rest of the tribe remained asleep, Andy was writing names in the sand on the beach, either thinking or doing the math on who he needed out and pulled to his side.

Genevieve came up and both discussed their search and need for a true number one. They basically agree to be each other’s new number ones. 

Earn the merge?

So, they got rid of the “earn the merge” concept by doing individual immunity last episode. It was great. And now they went back to the exact same concept that is tired and broken, but they have buffs now? When half the tribe earns immunity through the effort of one person, and they don’t vote, and someone from the losing team earns immunity, over 50% of the choice is taken out of the game through this one challenge. It’s a strategy game about choice, and this defeats the purpose.

As far as results, Genevieve and Teeny outlast Kyle to give their tribe immunity. Kyle wins individual immunity by being the last from his tribe with the pole. “Challenge beast” title may affix itself to Kyle, likely to his detriment.

The most notable thing was the random rock draw for teams that led to putting all five Tuku on one tribe with the sitting duck Rachel.

Tuku together strong

There’s a scramble to put together a vote, where the Tuku members — notably Tiyana — doing the math that going back to the original tribe with five Tuku against a six-member Lavo and Gata coalition will lead to a virtual Pagonging with Tuku being picked off.

This is floated, and it seems like Tiyana, Kyle, and Rachel may vote Gabe, but they need a fourth. Tiyana brings it to Caroline, who shuts it down with grace and forcefulness. She is clearly a strong social player and I like what I saw from her here.

Gabe uses the same explanation to try to convince Rachel not to use her shot in the dark, but he names Caroline as the target.

It’s left ambiguous going into tribal what the plan is, but it becomes clear Tuku came together ready to vote off Rachel.

Guardian Ange-Sol

Rachel is saved by some sort of gift from the heavens, with Sol leaving the advantage in her bag that he found at the award — allegedly anonymously. 

This lets her choose to block a vote or have “safety without power.” The person clearly in the worst position she could possibly be in chooses to give up her vote in return for immunity. This causes Tuku to scramble, and it seems like everyone is voting both Gabe and Tiyana at the same time. Ultimately, Tiyana goes home after a long heartfelt answer during tribal council. She leaves in tears, missing the jury, and with contempt for her tribe.

I’m noticing

Here’s some random things I noticed, either for fun or things that may be foreshadowing what’s to come.

• Sam and Sierra seem very comfortable still with no interaction with Andy making the edit after the tribal where they threw him under the bus as the backup

• Andy is still viewed as an idiot and likely will appear to be a good goat to bring to the end. Is he, actually? I don’t know, but it will be enticing

• Not a single mention of Sue’s idol

• The women’s alliance that lasted for literally one conversation (but I guess could have legs in the future?)

Power Rankings

1. GENEVIEVE (+1)

2. Caroline (+1)

3. Sierra (-2)

4. Sue (+1)

5. Sam (-1)

6. Andy

7. Sol (+3)

8. Rachel (+3)

9. Kyle (-2)

10. Teeny (-1)

11. Gabe (-3)

X - Tiyana

Biggest Winners:

Let’s start with the top two. Genevieve’s ruthless ability to move on from her number one, find a possible new one in Andy by helping him like a wounded animal while he’s down was perfect — she may just have gained control of the game and secured her goat at the end in one move. Caroline is seeing the board, too. She weaves in and out of conversations with lethal, diffusing, encouraging, and leading language. She’s got her allies in her pocket and is seen as the decider without being a clear target. Sol and Rachel are my other two big movers. Sol making connections with Andy and then of course saving Rachel for a potential future ally earns him two big social moves. Rachel seems to be favored by the former Gata while having the free agent ability and social game to form new bonds quickly. I like her positioning heading into the next stage of the game. Sol and Rachel could become a strong one-two bond forming a loose, semi-secret voting bloc with Andy and Genevieve

Biggest Losers:

Perhaps my most surprising faller is Gabe, landing in the dreaded last spot of the power rankings. He convinced his tribe to stick with him and vote out Tiyana, 4-1, so how could he possibly be last? I think he is the obvious shield the rest of Tuku are going to sacrifice. He’s a strong guy, good at challenges, and playing the game hard — an easy target if he doesn’t win immunity. Kyle winning immunity again may label him a “challenge threat,” and without being able to manufacture moves on his own, I’m worried about his game. Sierra didn’t fall for her own faults, but rather the prowess of Genevieve and Caroline. Sam fell as a result and for being seemingly complacent.