An Immensely Satisfying 'Survivor' Turns Borderline Cruel

The reward and immunity challenge in this week’s episode of Survivor wrapped up around 8:40 EST, leaving a full 50 minutes for some last-minute scheming and the Tribal Council. Rachel, a member of the Gata tribe, was facing off against five Tatu tribe members heading into Tribal Council — a lot of airtime for what looked like an easy elimination. In fact, I began to wonder if Survivor might throw in a second Tribal Council, given how much time remained.

Surprisingly, the tension didn’t immediately ramp up after the immunity challenge. Tiyana attempted to rally an alliance with Kyle and Rachel to oust her longtime rival, Gabe, but without Caroline as the crucial fourth vote, her plan fizzled out. Meanwhile, Gabe, trying to keep Rachel from using her Shot in the Dark, attempted to mislead her into thinking he’d organized an alliance targeting Caroline. Rachel wasn’t buying it, and judging by his not-so-convincing villainous expression, neither were we.

As the tribe headed toward Tribal Council, the outcome seemed predictable. Rachel was on her way out. But why was there still nearly half an hour left? Despite ten minutes of chatter, the plan seemed unchanged: the Tatu five would rally and vote out Rachel, a socially skilled and likable player.

Then, just before the vote, Rachel dropped a bombshell. Sol, who had snagged a secret advantage during the reward challenge earlier (unknown to the other contestants), had slipped it into Rachel’s bag just 20 minutes before Tribal. This advantage, valid only for that night, allowed her to excuse herself from Tribal Council, rendering her immune but also forfeiting her vote.

Sol and Rachel have been my favorites this season, and after Sol narrowly avoided elimination earlier, his advantage secured Rachel’s survival in this episode, though he remained tight-lipped. No one, not even Rachel, knew who had given her the advantage, and Sol played innocent.

The twist was massive. With Rachel safe, the five Tatu members had to scramble and turn against each other, forming a plan on the fly. There was a flurry of whispers, and I assumed Tiyana’s earlier alliance attempt with Kyle and Caroline might finally come together, targeting Gabe.

But Caroline, the quiet but lethal strategist, had her own plans. I’m not sure what figures she was using, but she did the math and made a lightning calculation to sell out both her friend Tiyana and the women’s alliance that Teeny had hyped earlier. This elusive all-female alliance, often mentioned but not realized since the Black Widow Brigade over 30 seasons ago, vanished yet again. Perhaps Kyle, sensing Caroline’s play, also joined in to avoid backlash from Sue, who may have been steering the vote from behind the scenes.

The blindsided Tiyana was visibly crushed. I usually appreciate when blindsided players acknowledge the strategic play of their opponents with a tip of the cap, even in defeat. Alternatively, I’m OK with anger, like the fury Anika displayed earlier this season, but Tiyana’s devastation was tough to watch. She’d openly dreamed of making it to the jury, even tearing up about it earlier that very night. Survivor robbed her of that dream, leaving Tiyana visibly betrayed and heartbroken as she tearfully exited. It was stellar TV, but the cruelty of that moment felt almost unbearable.