Survivor David vs. Goliath: Nick is the Sole Survivor

Week 13 - Finale

Everyone goes idol hunting after the double play last week. Angelina finds then loses a clue to the Hidden Immunity idol, but she at least successfully found the ladder to climb up and get the idol. To avoid being caught meandering around the well, Angelina lies and fake cries that she fell nearby. Good news for Angelina: Nick invites her and Mike on his Immunity/Reward combo meal which happens to be setup right by the well. What a convenient location! Angelina proposes a final 3 deal between then and then confides about her idol dilemma and drunk Mike with a wine glass in hand re-finds the clue on the beach. The trio secures the idol from its wall hiding spot and she's gleeful to help up the percentage of women finding immunity idols.

As usual, everyone wants to get Alison out and Alison mopes about being hungry and targeted. The group consensus, however, is that Angelina is obsessed with getting out Alison and that Davie is the bigger threat to go after (because he's delightful and pals with Nick). Mike begins persuading Angelina to vote with him and Kara to break up the David-bonded-bros. Tribal Council time! Alison says not everyone is being discussed and it's her and Davie on the chopping block. Angelina and Alison discuss their complicated relationship in the game. Davie explains that as the numbers dwindle, the bonds get stronger and betrayal is what can lose you the game. And so it hurts even more when Davie is eliminated from the game and Nick denies his involvement (true fact). Longtime superfan Davie, who wasn't initially meant to be a part of this cast, is a great sport though and promises whoever led his ouster will receive his vote in the finale unless someone else makes a bigger move. "I orchestrated it," Mike laughs. I mean, he did!

Nick is furious that Angelina and Mike broke their word and voted off Davie, leaving Nick as the last David in the game for easy pick-off. Good news for Nick is he wins immunity again so even if he was the target, he can't go home at this vote. It's time for Alison's inevitable vote off that has basically been spoken about for five Tribals now, but Angelina has a grand plan of playing an idol correctly at a "pivotal" point in the game to impress the jury but also rub salt in Alison's wounds. Alison discovers the fake idol, Angelina fakes sadness that she's going home due to Alison and Kara's votes against her, then plans to surprise everyone at Tribal Council with the real idol. This is wonderful TV but horrendous gameplay. Mike doesn't really like Angelina's master plan and tells Kara what's going down, then Kara and Alison wonder if they should blindside Mike because he's their only option. Tribal Council is theatric but less so because of Angelina. Alison acknowledges her spot as pretty much the only target, but throws out Mike's "clever game" and he calls her out and says there's a way to leave the game with a "shred of dignity." Oof. Alison plays her fake idol cause why not and it's declined, then Angelina plays her Hidden Immunity Idol with the level of hubris you'd expect (none). But it's unsuccessful because Kara and Alison don't give her any votes to allow her the satisfaction of successful idol play. Alison finally gets sent to the jury.

Nick wins immunity yet again, but this is the final Immunity Challenge of the season which guarantees him a spot at Final Tribal Council and lets him choose who joins him and who will be sent to a fire battle. Angelina, Mike, and Kara plead their cases to be taken to the end, but Nick announces the least surprising announcement ever: he's bringing Angelina to the end because she's clearly the easiest one to beat. Kara begins practicing her fire-making skills to show she deserves a spot at the end and could win, while Mike is full of nerves as he attempts to practice (eventually he succeeds). At Tribal Council, Nick talks about the weighty responsibility he holds from winning that final immunity challenge and explains he has the least probability to win against Kara and Mike, so he's taking a grateful Angelina. Mike and Kara take their seats at their fire-making stations and get to work. Mike gets a spark that takes off and he builds on it with a gleeful look as it burns the rope and sets his victory flag high. Kara has some successful fire attempts but ultimately can't get it to last and becomes the last member of the jury.

The final three bask in their final day glory: take in the sunset, making day 39 breakfast, and telling their tale of personal triumph and why they deserve to win. Well, it's time to convince the jury of that and as the final three take a seat on their stumps, the freshly cleaned jury is here to question them on their outwit, outplay, outlast on their different gameplay. Nick's explains his strong social game with named alliances, sharing idols/advantages, and winning challenges with his puzzle acumen. He also brings up his backstory of family with drug addiction and compares that to being the lowkey David that had to fight his way to the end. Mike's social game included working with anyone who had a final two deal with him and eliminating those who didn't want to work with him. He played hard and as one of the oldest and physically weakest Goliaths, he found his niche and made his way ahead in the game. He didn't play for the pot of gold at the end, but the rainbow and the fun and adventure of the game. Angelina bounced back after her Elizabeth-jury-pandering move and made connections with newer people. She brings up the rice yet again, and Davie points out by constantly talking about the rice it wasn't in fact the selfless act she claims to have done. Gabby gives Angelina props from Gabby for being last woman standing and women get treated differently in this game, which Angelina is thankful to hear and explains she had to dig deep to succeed at challenges/camp and eventually found an idol (which is a rare occurence for women in the game). Her theatrics are praised but also challenged, as it felt her fake idol was meant to humiliate Alison - which Angelina denies, but Nick nods yes. The jury gets a moment to think of their choice and then heads to vote.

Mike receives 3 votes to win, Angelina receives none, and with 7 votes Nick is crowned the Sole Survivor. At the reunion, Nick says now that he's won this show and money isn't his sole purpose in life, he intends to use his law degree to follow his passion to help those in need rather than chase a paycheck. Mike is similar in that he turned down a job to be on Survivor and have the adventure of a lifetime (besides 2 times on The Amazing Race). Angelina is proud of her game and being a strong woman, though admits maybe she didn't see in the moment how it came off to others (the rice, the "50 foot" ladder climb, Natalie's jacket). Speaking of Natalie, Probst pretty much shames her for her saying she got a bad edit. Probst is smitten with fan-favorite Christian whose analogy for playing Survivor is "first day of school" and you don't know what's going on, you might make new friends, and you can spread your wings. Also he and Gabby are still besties despite betrayal. Oh and Lyrsa has a tattoo of her famous teal jacket like a baller. All in all, this was one fantastic season and I enjoyed it all.

The evening ends with a preview of Survivor: Edge of Extinction where 14 newbies will take on 4 veterans. See you all in February for another season!

Now guys, not to get all Angelina on you here, but this is a BIG moment for me. I've been doing winner predictions since Survivor: Nicaragua and I've been wrong every season. 16 times I've chosen and while very close at times (Aubry, Woo, Sabrina, Chase, to name a few), I've never gotten it right... UNTIL NOW. Yes, 17th time is the charm and I finally got a Pre-Show Winner Prediction correct! And congratulations also to the 3 others who correctly predicted Nick would win this season: @jessicanfrey, @joshua_, and @sunnyjac0b (who BTW is one of the top winner predictors of all-time here).

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs. Goliath: Idol Hour

Week 12

Best friends are fun in the game... until the end. Nick fakes finding a Hidden Immunity Idols to throw others off the hunting scent, but his bestie Davie does find the latest idol via an advantage clue. The idol is good for one-night-only unless he plays a game to up its power, but a sign from god tells him not to try. This isn't Davie's only shining moment in the episode, as he wins the Reward Challenge and brings along Nick and Kara - much to the chagrin of a literally begging Angelina. On the reward, Davie suggests to Kara the idea of blindsiding Nick because he may have two idols in his possession.

But then Nick confides in Davie about his fake idol move and Davie wants to undo his plan. That seems to be OK with the Davids who plan to target physical threat Alison, but Mike White wins Individual Immunity and wants to make a bold move. He's very insistent (and correct) that Christian would easily win this entire game and they need to strike, but there's resistance to the idea. Mike uses any leverage he has to whip the votes in his favor and lets Nick know that Davie was ready to turn on him. Nick's pretty upset his buddy turned on him, not to mention while they were on a reward together, and wants to vote off Davie now. Can this group ever get on the same page? Nope, and that's why it's so good.

Tribal Council time! Probst asks if there's any change in the pace of the game, but of course, there's nonstop scrambling and flipping (great TV for us). Angelina points out the nature of Survivor is trust no one, yet to get to the end you have to trust people. Christian points out that he has to work with whoever is willing to work with him since pretty much everyone has tried to vote him out at some point (15 points, closet to beating the all-time record of 19). Davie and Alison both feel this is a season of voting blocks rather than alliances, with Mike piping in that each vote off is a new day and not a grudge-holding-vendetta. Well, some hold grudges as Nick tries to take a shot at Davie. BUT A-HA! Davie plays his one-night-only Hidden Immunity Idol to protect himself, so nice try Nick! Also, nice try at attempting to play a fake idol to get everyone's reactions, then mis-play your actual idol on yourself to avoid a possible blindside. It's a good call, but unfortunately, Nick wastes his idol when no votes are cast against him. Instead the votes come to finally vote out the most likable threat to win the game, Christian the master of slide puzzles and future Comptroller of Slamtown. He shall be missed but, honestly, does anyone think Christian isn't getting invited back to play 4 times?

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs. Goliath: Family, Friends, and Betrayal

Week 11

It's Survivor family visit time which gives loved ones a chance to see how smelly and emaciated their loved ones are and get probed by Probst with real softball questions. Competiting in partners, Angelina and Nick win a boat trip and grub with their parents and choose to bring Davie and his mom and Mike and his boyfriend along. The reward group agrees this is their ideal final four, but Davie feels like the outside given he's the only non-Jabeni member of the four. 

Meanwhile back at camp, Gabby is tired of Christian getting credit for all the moves because he's lovable and wears glasses. She begins the campaign to target her BFF and has Alison and Kara to back her up; they just need two more. Well the good news is, Nick is pretty pissed that Christian was part of the Carl blindside and is ready for revenge. Kara beats out Christian for Immunity, which means the door is open for the attack. Only one problem: Christian has an idol. Nick and his group are down to attempt the Christian blindside, and suggest throwing a couple votes Gabby's way in case an idol is played. Pretty diabolical. But Davie doesn't love this move even if Christian burned them, so he tips Christian off that his BFF Gabby is coming for him and a scorned Nick is OK with it. Christian tries mending fences with Nick, but the damage is done in Nick's eyes.

Tribal Council time! Nick expresses feeling burned by the blindside at the last vote, and there's a discussion of the ramifications amongst the tribe and within relationships. Gabby is feeling much more confident and says going forward she's not going to need reassurance to make the moves she needs to make. Alison compares Probst to the Grim Reaper, and not because he beats a topic to death, but because she was nearly axed at the last vote and that big move to get out Carl saved her. Alison believes she is still a big target as is everyone, but Angelina is basically like nah the threats aren't equal and at this point, she's eliminating people who she doesn't see being with her until the end. Mike points out this is a game of deception, and while the tribe thinks maybe they can dupe Christian, it doesn't work. Maybe it's theatrics, maybe actual uneasiness, but Christian takes a minute to verbally ponder playing his Hidden Immunity Idol and goes through with it. All the votes against Christian are null and out comes an Alison vote. Gabby turns to apologize to the ally she expects to go, but it's a little premature because two votes come out of the turn that send Gabby off to the jury.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs Goliath: Don't Drink and Confide

Week 10

Alec helps his reward challenge team come from behind and win a picnic, letters from home, and the physical anguish of puking and pooping from the overeating. It's a great distraction for Nick, who sneaks off to find the Hidden Immunity Idol he found a clue to the night before. At the next Immunity Challenge, Probst gives everyone to the opportunity to overindulge on nachos and margaritas, but most forgo immunity. Carl is starving (and loves a good, cold beer) so he opts out of the challenge, as do Angelina and Nick. Alec is very aware that he's the biggest physical threat left in the game so he needs this immunity and is confident he'll win. However, never underestimate Christian's willingness to hold on in an endurance challenge if it means he can converse with Jeff Probst about anything and everything in the universe. With Christian rocking the immunity necklace, Alec begins hustling to gain Christian's trust again and try to change his fate in the game because he's heartbroken to know he's likely ending up a unanimous vote-out. Alec's possible saving grace: Carl "The Godfather" who is calling all the shots, and also starting to irritate Gabby when he talks game plans in front of non-alliance members.

Tribal Council time! Probst kicks off the night asking about the almost-six-hour Immunity Challenge and Christian said he plays his hardest because he only has this one time (dude, you'll be invited back for the rest of time). Alec really wanted it but couldn't last as his body basically gave out on him. Alec brings up that it shows position in the game and character if you opt out of a challenge, and Carl reminds Alec that's he had literally no reward food and has been living on rice. Kara agrees with Alec that ultimately Carl felt safe enough to eat instead of guaranteeing safety, which gives Christian the chance to talk about calculated risks. Angelina agrees about the risks and uses this as leverage to talk about the Goliaths betraying her at the last vote. There's no risk-taking in this vote and the tribe unanimously votes Alec out. Who will become the next big target?

The second hour is all about "The Godfather" himself: Carl. Our man Carl finally gets to go on a reward meal and along with fried chicken and cheesecake - and there's beer! Carl loves his beer and it makes him a little loose and he tells Kara the plan is to vote off Alison (her ally) next. Back at camp, Gabby is tired of being bossed around by "The Godfather" and him getting all the credit for the moves her and Christian are making. Not to mention, she knows she's being pushed out of the David alliance in favor of them replacing her with Angelina. Gabby begins her scheming to blindside Carl with the help of the three remaining Goliaths, while Carl tells Christian the plan to vote off Alison but purposely exclude Gabby from the plan. Let the David battle begin.

But first, let's actually survive the game. The tribe is pretty much out of rice and they're probably going to starve so Angelina takes on the role of negotiator to get some rations out of Probst. Ultimately, they give up a lot of gear and Angelina sits out of the Immunity Challenge for the sake of sustenance (and winning jury votes with her selflessness and willingness to make big moves). Davie wins Individual Immunity and it's quite the night of challenge beast-ness for the self-described "blerd". The tribe arrives back to camp with their new ration of rice, and Carl hopes to celebrate with extra servings when they vote off Alison. Dude, what about rationing to last until the end are you not getting? Ultimately the swing vote between Carl and Alison is Mike, torn between voting off the bossy one around camp or the big physical threat. Mike uses his skills as an actor to play it cool while listening to all the arguments to vote a certain way.

Tribal Council time... again! Kara said last week's vote was essentially a sacrifice to try to work with the Davids and hopes this show of good faith by Kara and Alison will save them. Nick says camp is less chaotic now that the Davids are in control, and Angelina says camp is "jovial" but Tribal Council is the coliseum where they come to fight it out. There's also a lot of breakfast metaphors. Probst asks if the vote is as simple as picking off another Goliath and Mike says no, plus reward celebrations together help to build new bonds. Angelina brings up that the reason she made the negotiation move was because she's backed by strong allies that will stay by her side. Davie makes the best point that yes there are a couple plans for the night, but every person has their own plans to make it to the end. The move is made and David blood is drawn when Carl is eliminated from the game. I'd say pour one out for Carl but I don't think he'd want you to waste the beer.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs. Goliath: Nullify and Blindside

Week 9

Davie celebrates the massive blindside of John the Mayor of Slamtown by whipping out the jacket he now possesses, which in this jacket-obsessed season is the ultimate coup. The Davids correctly surmise that a played idol means a new idol is hidden, and eventually Christian finds that bad boy. While the Davids are bonded, the Goliaths are falling apart and looking to make big moves, while Mike is imploring the gang on a burger reward to just stick together. Dan is upset he misplayed his idol and lost a close ally, and his downer 'tude is making his Goliath pals consider maybe cutting him loose - even his flirtmance Kara, who confides to Alec and Alison that Dan has a second idol. Operation Goliath big move: blindside Dan.

Alec wins Immunity, leaving Dan vulnerable and open to the big plan. Kara and Alison approach Gabby and Nick with the plan to split the vote between Dan and Angelina and they're onboard with anything. But Alison quickly backtracks worried that the Davids are "too onboard" with the plan and it's this bigger move for the Davids to usurp the power. Umm, they're the minority alliance and you want to pick off a Goliath so methinks they'd be very onboard. Alison and Alec return to the original idea of simply voting off Christian again, and the Davids can seeing the Goliaths reconvening and changing their mind. Tired of getting screwed over again, the Davids share all their advantage and idol information, laugh at how much power they actually have, and put their heads together to seize control.

Tribal Council time! Alison says John's blindside was the wake-up call to finally play the game. Gabby said it wasn't joy she felt at John's blindside but relief that they felt the underdog position. Probst asks if it's back to David vs. Goliath and some Goliaths (Dan and Mike) express that it still is, while Gabby encourages the Goliath bottom-feeders to join the Davids for a move. There's discussion that basically then you're the bottom of both groups, but ever-the-optimist-Carl says the game is always changing. And boy does the game change at this vote. Nick plays his vote steal advantage and steals Alison's vote, allowing him to vote twice. The Goliaths are distraught and Dan whisper-asks Kara if he should play his idol for Alison (looks like Kara might have whispered "Play the idol on you"??). Dan opts to play his second Hidden Immunity Idol to cover his butt... except Carl plays his Idol Nullifier advantage and sends shockwaves through Tribal Council. The Idol Nullifer is played on Dan and all votes cast against him are valid. 3 votes for Christian, 2 votes for Angelina, and 6 wonderful David votes against Dan. Talk about amazing use of advantages. If people played them this well all the time, maybe I'd actually like them!

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs. Goliath: Brochacho Blindside

Week 8

The Goliaths are pretty much ready to sacrifice their numbers advantage to get rid of Angelina after catching her red-handed trying to manage the jury with the Elizabeth boot. The Davids get an even bigger opportunity to make this happen: they find an advantage! Yes there was a clue at the merge feast but no one noticed it, so it got re-hidden. Davie and Nick find the clue, Davie provides the dancing diversion, and Nick and Carl search around the palm tree until they find a steal-a-vote advantage. Carl opens up to his allies that he has the Idol Nullifier. And Davie, well he's still keeping his idol secret. But it's Advantageddon for the David tribe!

But their obstacle for surviving the game comes from an unlikely source: Mike. Despite being a part of the "Strike Force" cross-tribe alliance, he's beginning to fear a David-uprising against him and sees Christian's threat level from both a strategic and fan lovability level. Oh hey, remember when Angelina said this same point a couple days ago? Unlike the usual Survivor story-telling, this is not the moment Christian wins immunity to protect himself. Nope, two-idol Dan wins immunity and the plan becomes more concrete to blindside the slide puzzle master. Angelina is the decoy plan and she's freaking out it could go wrong. Alec doesn't love the plan to oust Christian as it will ruin the relationship he's established with Nick, so he tips Nick off. Nick takes that info along to warn the others what's happening and ponder using their new advantage to save a fellow David. Davie knows the advantage helps, but his secret idol would guarantee his safety. What's a guy to do?

Tribal Council time! Angelina hopes she's back in the Goliath's good graces and while the Davids think she's a good target, they know it's a numbers game. Mike hints that Davids were involved in Elizabeth's vote and likely tonight's vote. There's talk about trust and the relationships needed to establish genuine trust and allies. Threats are targets and Angelina basically says Christian is a threat for having relationships and they have a little back-and-forth. The tribe casts their votes and Probst touts out the urn and does his Immunity Idol speech. Davie gets up and plays his super secret Immunity Idol on a mind-boggled Christian. Angelina begins to freak out and begs Dan to play his idol on her. It's so reminiscent of the "Natalie, can I have your jacket?" incident and it's so glorious. This time, the request is answered and Dan plays his immunity idol on Angelina. 7 votes for Christian are null. 2 votes for Angelina are null. But surprise! The Davids outwitted them all and cast 3 votes to blindside John AKA the Mayor of Slamtown.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs. Goliath: It's a Merge Party

Week 7

Pack up your bags and drop your buffs: it's merge time! Donning some beautiful sky blue buffs (a welcome reprieve from season after season of black merge buffs), the Davids and Goliaths come together for a wonderful merge feast. Laughs and gossip are shared (Alec orchestrated the blindside against a Goliath! Drunk Carl is tired of Elizabeth!), and the tribe is officially named Kalokalo, which Elizabeth Googled and found is the Fijian word for stars. As Alec perfectly explains, the merge is the big party and everything else before this point is pre-gaming. Let the real game begin!

Sure they're one big happy tribe, but the reunion of 7 Goliaths means constant reiteration of the term "Goliath Strong" with a plan to pick off the 6 remaining Davids. But Goliath Alec, once already a turncoat, is thinking past tribal lines and forms hybrid alliance of Davids (Gabby, Nick, Christian) and Goliaths (himself, Alison, Mike). The Davids are all fairly willing to sacrifice Elizabeth for the big picture, and that's good because she's on the top of Dan's shitlist. Elizabeth hears Dan and Kara whispering all night and starts talks to get rid of Dan, which gets back to him via Alec - the epicenter of this episode. Dan's mind is boggled that anyone would dare consider voting for him, despite being a brawny guy with a flirtmance and two idols. 

The survivors compete in their first Individual Immunity Challenge and Alison succeeds is swinging her pendulum the longest, bringing her joyful tears and giving Probst a smelly hug. The Goliaths convene to make a decision who to target, and Angelina steamrolls the group with military terms she learned from her husband to blindside Christian. The other Goliaths are reluctant to follow Angelina's demands and Dan creates a mini insurgence to return the target back to Elizabeth. Angelina gets upset at her loss of control and in a moment of true emotion (or jury strategy), she tells Elizabeth she's getting voted out at Tribal Council. Elizabeth tells Gabby what went down and decides Tribal Council will be a great time to blow up Angelina's spot.

Tribal Council time! We learn there are many "factorials" in managing a post-merge game, a delightful moment of comedy via the Brochachos. Angelina voices that for this first merge vote, Goliath plans to stay together and this is Elizabeth's window to open. Or smash. Elizabeth insists there is a fracture in the Goliaths and tells everyone that Angelina spilled the beans earlier about the vote. Everyone assumes Angelina is already trying to set herself up nicely with jurors for her eventual Final Tribal Council speech. Gabby gets emotional (pretty on-brand for her) about Elizabeth defending herself for wanting to stay, and Angelina defends herself and apologizes for her emotional decision. Elizabeth has hopes maybe a couple Goliaths will see there's a fracture and swap over, but in fact no one makes the leap: Elizabeth is unanimously voted out and becomes this season's first juror.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs Goliath: Kebabs and Choices

Week 6

With Mother Nature taking a few days off, all the drama this week is generated by human interactions. After a cutthroat move to blindside Angelina and get her jacket, the Jebani tribe doesn't trust Angelina. The Brochachos continue to bond and feed each other, with Christian the center of this David-becoming-a-Goliath storyline. Gabby is extremely nervous about her position in the tribe, so she pulls Alison aside to try to make inroads to protect herself. Vuku is the sole losing tribe of the ring toss for kebabs Reward Challenge, then have a spat at camp after Elizabeth tries to fix the bamboo on the shelter to help her bad back and snaps on her tribemates.

Jebani loses Immunity in an embarrassing fashion, totally unable to successfully carry a giant saucer of water without spilling. Mike has it in his head that all the Goliaths are mad they voted out Natalie and to keep himself safe he has to stay Goliath strong with the numbers. Lysra not willing to work with Angelina, and Angelina is surprised but c'mon, she wrote Lysra's name down to try and dupe Natalie into giving her a jacket. No one wants a 2-2 tie, so the secret partnership of Mike and Nick AKA the Rockstars hold the power.

Tribal Council time! Probst starts the night bringing up the bond this tribe of four has, despite being challenge flops. It's less about David and Goliath now and more about trust and loyalty. There's loose talk about following through on plans, but since everyone has plans they're just hoping the one they chose is the victorious path. Lyrsa stresses she's honest and loyal, but that's not enough: ultimately the tribe chooses to vote her out of the game.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs. Goliath: Jackets and Eggs

Week 5

Another massive storm hits Fiji, but this time the cyclone is so strong it requires everyone to be evacuated from the game for 24 hours. We haven't seen this happen since Millennials vs. Gen X and methinks maybe the tax break from Fiji isn't worth the hassle. The next day everyone returns to completely decimated camps but they're all alive, so that's a plus.

Vuku wins the grand prize of chickens in a Reward Challenge, which is a great way to form bonds after blindsiding one member of the tribe by voting out her bestie. Kara tries to make in-roads with everyone, but Elizabeth in particular feels like Alec would stay by her side while Kara would go back to the Goliaths. Over at Tika beach AKA Slamtown, Christian is inducted into the Brochachos with John and Dan. Dan continues his Immunity Idol dominance by finding another clue for an idol, hidden at the next challenge (which he successfully retrieves).

But this week's episode is all about Natalie Napalm and her impact on the Jabeni tribe. After the tribe wins a dozen eggs at the Reward Challenge, Natalie irritates the tribe with her insistence to cook all the eggs now. Culinary school graduate Lyrsa tries to make her point, but this is Natalie's camp and you're all living there. Natalie seems in a pretty good spot with the Goliath majority, so when Jabeni narrowly loses immunity in a very cool snake-ball-balancing-game it seems like a David will go. To really put a cherry on top of this debacle, Angelina mentions she wants Lyrsa's jacket (she's freezing) and Natalie uses this as a "negotiation tactic" to try to sorta blackmail Nick or Lyrsa. This is the biggest fight over a jacket since Grease 2. But Goliath Mike is pretty tired of his whole Survivor experience being Adventures in Babysitting Natalie and would like to flip.

Tribal Council time! Angelina talks about the importance of keeping the Goliath numbers with a merge impending. Despite being the epicenter of pretty much all drama this season, Natalie insists back home she's laid back and drama-free. Talk turns to the eggs and the jackets, so Angelina defends Natalie a bit about the jacket plan. Natalie interjects a lot which throws Probst for a loop, which gives him the epiphany that Natalie has to have the last word. The tribe votes out Natalie in a 3-2 vote, and while Natalie doesn't have the last word she has one last laugh: as Angelina begs Natalie for her jacket, Natalie gets her torch snuffed and leaves the game with her beautiful, warm jacket in tow.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs. Goliath: Charmpocalypse

Week 4

The David and Goliath tribes come together and Jeff Probst's big news is pre-empted by Bi choosing to quit the game due to her injured MCL. With Bi out, Probst can move along to his announcement: drop your buffs! The tribes are divided into three new tribes, all with Goliath majorities. Odd-man-out Carl destined for a couple of days on Exile Island until he joins the losing tribe. But cry not for Carl as he finds a secret advantage during his exile: an Idol Nullifier, which can block the use of an idol by another player.

Kara, Natalie, Alec, Davie, and Elizabeth make up the new Vuku (orange tribe), and Elizabeth works to bond with Kara quickly (both love horses!). Natalie is at the forefront of the new Jebani tribe (purple), as Nick and Lyrsa get to see what Angelina and Mike have lived with since day one. The Tiva tribe (green) has to start completely from scratch and bond while building their new shelter. Mots importantly, Christian gets to ask John all about Slamtown and it's as magical as you dreamt it could be.

The first Immunity Challenge as the new tribes is a blindfolded maze and puzzle challenge. It's a pretty close race, but Vuku loses and has to face their first shuffled Tribal Council. Given the 3-2 count in favor of the Goliaths, things look grim for Davie and Elizabeth. Elizabeth wants to vote out Natalia and tries to get Alec on her side, but both Elizabeth and Davie are willing to write each other's name down to save themselves. But the Goliaths aren't us united, as Natalia's demanding ways appears to be rubbing Alec the wrong way. However, if Alec flips his vote then the Davids have the majority when Carl joins the tribe. Is it time for a true David defeating Goliath moment?

Tribal Council time! Carl gets to watch from the sidelines to hear the dynamics of his future tribemates. Probst asks if it was obviously an easy vote, and Natalia says yes. Elizabeth hopes she'll be kept around for her character, while Davie is already saying Elizabeth is an end-game threat that needs to go. Elizabeth isn't too mad and she's willing to go out in a blaze of glory if need be, encouraging resume building. Then Alec gets up to whisper to Elizabeth, dropping the tribe's jaws. Natalia can't believe it, while Kara still is trusting Alec who whispers her some sort of plan. Well, it wasn't the right one as Alec, Davie, and Elizabeth blindside a furious Natalia out of the game.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs Goliath: All About Natalie

Week 3

The blindsided members of the David tribe take Jessica's elimination hard, while Nick and Christian excitedly celebrate and find a way to pin the blindside on Gabby. Gabby is potentially the next target of the tribe, which would be sad for her as her and Christian have big dreams about meeting the Mayor of Slamtown, John. John over on the Goliath tribe is having a real learning moment on the island as he discovers a nice side to him that enjoys building relationships. In particular, he likes working with Natalie but knows it'll take a lot of work to safe her. Well good news for him, because Jeremy starts painting his own target pretty big. He bickers with Natalie, gets paranoid about game talk, and outs Dan's idol to anyone who will listen.

The rain of Fiji doesn't like to take a day off and drenches the survivors in their obstacle course/puzzle immunity challenge. Bi injures her knee at some point, but the David tribe is able to ace the four-piece pyramid puzzle and finally evade Tribal Council. Natalie blew the puzzle and is difficult to live with, but Jeremy's social game and desire to scheme makes him Angelina's prime target. Her alliance isn't as sure and wants to keep their tribe strong, but also everyone is really tired of Jeremy and Natalie's bickering.

Rainy Tribal Council time! Probst asks about the harsh weather conditions, which is usually a way to make idle small talk but in this season the rain is its own character - sort of like the city of New York in any movie. Tribal Council eventually becomes a Natalie pile-on about her behavior around camp, but she says she's open to constructive criticism. It's a pretty good ruse of a venting session as the Goliath tribe unites to vote Jeremy out of the game.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs Goliath: No Exhilaration Without Risk

Week 2

The weather is completely miserable, so bad that the tribes are gifted fire making kits and temporary tarps to withstand the cyclone. When the weather does calm down a bit, the game is most definitely on.

After a close-call with being the main target on the David tribe, Nick and Christian solidify a partnership as the "Mason Dixon" alliance. Davie finds the Hidden Immunity Idol after noticing a tree with a bright orange string. Carl throws out Lyrsa's name as weakest on the tribe to sacrifice if they lose, and she's pretty pissed. Over on Goliath beach, Dan's game is getting sloppy. Jeremy finds the idol in Dan's hanging laundry, and everyone is very aware he's smitten with Kara. Angelina, Kara, and Natalia make a girls alliance and plan to drag along three other guys to get the majority. But Natalie's target is only getting bigger with her strong personality and lack of self awareness that others aren't liking her vibe.

The Goliath tribe completely dominates the Immunity Challenge that requires paddling a boat, then very delicately balancing and assembling a puzzle. While the Davids got to avoid voting their first time around, the game has officially gotten real. Jessica, Bi, and Carl intend to vote our Lyrsa for being weak, but Gabby is concerned is strength is a priority then she could also be a target. Elizabeth and Lyrsa flip all the plans around and choose to target Jessica, to knock out two different pairings with Bi and Carl. Gabby awkwardly asks Christian if he wants to play with her ("In the sand?"), but really she wants Christian to vote on her side. Mason Dixon are the deciding votes this week, and I guess naming your alliance after a line would lead to something like this at some point.

Tribal Council Time! The tribe addresses the horrendous weather they'd endured in such a short span of time, while also developing bonds. Lyrsa vocalizes she knows she's been dubbed the weakest link and is on the chopping block. Jessica says if you want to play the game until Tribal Council, then that's too late. Gabby's polite about it but is basically like uhhh, we're all playing girl. Everyone agrees they have a play tonight which means someone, or some group, isn't fully in the know. Nerves are high, and it all comes to a head in a big ol' blindside when Jessica is voted out of the game.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David vs. Goliath: King of the Slide Puzzle

Week 1

Welcome back to Survivor! Jeff Probst greets the 20 new castaways on a boat in Fiji where they learn they've been divided into tribes based on adversity and advantages: David vs. Goliath. Sure! To make sure Probst hammers home the theme, he has castaways share their stories of hardship and privilege. The tribal rivalry begins with a challenge featuring the two weakest Davids (Christian and Lyrsa, chosen by the Goliaths) and the two strongest Goliaths (John and Alison, chosen by the Davids). The challenge gets even more complicated by allowing the Davids to choose which tribe does which obstacles. Anyways, the Davids take home the shelter supply prize after Christian masters the slide puzzle - a skill he's all too happy to boast. The tribes are unleashed upon the ocean and off to their rainy camps.

As soon as the Goliath tribe hits the beach, everyone recognizes Mike from his two stints on The Amazing Race and being a writer/actor. Superfan Mike really wants to find the Hidden Immunity Idol because it's a Survivor Bucket List item, but when he's caught looking it only puts a bigger target on him. The whole Goliath tribe becomes obsessed with finding the Idol, and in what might be the first ever flashback, it's revealed that Dan the SWAT Cop found the idol. He also might be finding love as he's smitten with Kara. Every season there's a bossy person at camp and that appears to potentially be Natalie, but maybe she's super-irking Natalia for having a similar name.

Pat is the bossy, brash guy on the David tribe, but the dude knows how to make a killer shelter. Social media savvy "blerd" Davie catches an octopus and is able to feed the tribe, which is a pretty cool accomplishment for like day two. The whole tribe is putting in a lot of effort to make camp liveable, except public defender Nick who is saving his energy to make alliances. He also wants to name all his alliances which is such a Big Brother thing. But his scheming and lack of camp work is apparent and bumps him up the target list, but earns back a little bit of love after sharing his sad backstory with the tribe. Nothing like a lot of rain and sad life stories to bring about some tribal bonding.

The first challenge of the season is an obstacle course followed by a giant puzzle to put numbers in order. It's a pretty close race but the Goliath tribe takes the win and avoids Tribal Council. The David tribe heads back to camp in the torrential rain, but the stormy seas take their toll. Apparently, in the boat ride back to camp, Pat was bounced extremely hard and suffers a serious back injury. A heartbroken Pat is medevaced from the game and this seems like maybe the first of Mother Nature wreaking havoc on Survivor David vs. Goliath.

[All images credited to CBS]

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Survivor David Vs. Goliath Pre-Show Winner Prediction

While many people believe Pumpkin Spice Lattes are the beginning of fall, I believe that fall begins when Survivor premieres. In its 37th outing, it's a battle of adversity vs. basically privilege in Survivor: David Vs. Goliath. Twenty new castaways will be dropped in Fiji yet again to battle for the million dollar prize.

I've done my usual research of reading player bios, watching the sparse amount of cast videos available, and a little bit of podcasting listening to figure out my latest prediction of who will be the Sole Survivor.

MEL PREDICTS...

Nick will win Survivor: David Vs. Goliath

Alright, here we go again and I'm following a gut instinct this time - mostly because the research material is lacking. My immediate reactions upon reading and seeing Nick is a combo of previous winners JT and Adam. A sweet southern accent will get you far in this game (shout-out to Donathan!). Nick touts himself as a redneck lawyer and despite choosing a similar sounding stereotype previously, this time I think my pick is better suited. He seems to be there to play the game to win and have the adventure of a lifetime. So instead of overthinking this, I'm pulling a Kellyn and trusting my gut. Will this finally be my season to get a winner prediction right?

Now it's your turn! Time for YOU to cast your pre-show winner prediction. Who do you think will be the winner of Survivor: David Vs. Goliath? VOTE BELOW - voting closes right when the east coast premiere begins!

[All images credited  CBS]

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