Survivor: Island of the Idols Reveals How the New Twist Works

Survivor: Island of the Idols truly wasted no time getting started. 

With no greeting or explanation from Jeff Probst, the castaways were just thrown on their beaches to figure out things for themselves, and that meant it took no time whatsoever for some somewhat chaotic strategy to start. Away from camp for five minutes? You’re searching for an idol, you’re going home. The girls seem nice, let’s build an alliance. I’m gonna make people like me by having one-on-one conversations with them!

Names were thrown around all over the place fairly immediately, but the reasoning was just as all over the place as the names, and it felt like there was just a little bit of desperation that went along with the lack of info from Probst, who the castaways didn’t see until the immunity challenge. 

The Lairo tribe ended up losing, which sent the whole tribe to tribal council and one lucky member to the Island of the Idols. 

Elizabeth arrived with no idea of what she was in for, but was thrilled to find she was about to hang out with Sandra and Boston Rob, who taught her how to make fire with flint. They tested her on her fire-making capabilities, and then Rob offered her a challenge. If she could beat him in a fire-making challenge, she could get an immunity idol. If she lost, she lost her vote at tribal. 

While Rob was hoping she’d ask for a better deal or negotiate in some way or just not take that bad deal at all, she took it, and lost her vote, learning a valuable lesson along the way, at least. 

She fully lied to her tribe when she returned to camp, telling them it was basically just Ghost Island from a few seasons ago, and she had to hit an urn and lost a game. She did not tell them she had lost her vote, but tried to pay close attention to what was happening. Most people seemed to want either Vince or Elaine out, and a few people were talking about Ronnie. 

At tribal, Elaine was absolutely sure she was gone and she even cried, but she ended up not receiving any votes, and it was Ronnie who got most of them in a total blindside. We weren’t all that sad to see Ronnie go, but we would have been sad for Elaine or Vince, so clearly Elaine in particular is doing her job. 

Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.