Survivor: David vs. Goliath recap: Forget the idol, information is power

On this episode of Survivor: David vs. Goliath, The Chicken Has Flown the Coop, Natalie’s attitude creates friction in the Goliath camp. Two members of David forge an alliance.

Day three at the David camp on Survivor and the tribe is feeling the loss of Pat. He somehow went from being a possible target to being lamented as the group’s morale booster now that he’s gone. It’s still pouring — filming takes place during a cyclone — which makes getting a fire started an impossibility.

The Goliaths came out on top at the first Immunity Challenge, but the elements are getting to them as well.

Despite the less than stellar living conditions, the game must go on. Nick knows that if the David’s had gone to tribal he was going home because nobody is talking game to him. He does have an ally of sorts in Christian, who is relieved the lack of a Tribal Council vote leaves who is working with whom a bit ambiguous — no lines have yet to be drawn in the sand.

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Nick sees Christian as a possible lifeline and proposes an alliance, “Mason-Dixon Line.”

Things begin to look up when each tribe receives a fire-making kit. Survivor producers know a half-dead cast doesn’t make for good TV.

There is some trouble brewing when it comes to the Dan-Kara alliance. Dan doesn’t know how to play it cool, which concerns not only Kara, but the other Goliath members as well. Alec thinks Kara is playing Dan and has been since the beginning.

Natalie warns Kara the whole power-couple thing needs to stop. Kara finds herself scrambling to let the women know she’s ready to play and is all about loyalty.

Kara, Natalia and Angelina feel confident that together they are running things, since they have the boys (John, Alec and Dan) wrapped around their fingers.  Natalia and Kara also have the advantage of knowing Dan has an idol.

What the girls don’t see coming is Jeremy. He’s playing hard and has no reservations about going through anyone’s things if it benefits his game. So, it doesn’t take him long to find Dan’s idol in his jacket pocket (Kara warned Dan it might be a wise idea to bury it, but he blew her off). Jeremy isn’t surprised Dan’s idol was so easy to find because the guy is playing with his heart and has no strategy.

Jeremy trusts Mike enough to use him as his lookout. This is good for Mike, who has been feeling like the odd-man-out since he got caught looking for the idol right out of the gate.

Over at the David camp, Davie has taken on the role of provider. He spends a lot of time looking for food, and his foraging pays off. Davie comes across the idol. It’s not entirely serendipitous — he’s been surveying the premises “ninja style.”

While Carl initially wanted to vote out Nick, after losing Pat, he’s changed his mind. The tribe is down one strong player, so now it’s about weeding out the weak. The odds are already against them because the Goliath tribe is stacked with some serious physical threats.

Carl sets his sights on Lyrsa. He makes the mistake of including Elizabeth in on the conversation who just happens to be Lyrsa’s bestie in the game. So, of course, Elizabeith immediately lets Lyrsa know her name is being thrown around. Lyrsa definitely doesn’t consider herself the weak link, especially since she won the first challenge. A lack of athleticism doesn’t always translate into a liability.

Lyrsa’s first instinct is to pop off at Carl, but she knows that’s not a wise move. But she does want to turn the tables and see Carl go home.

The Goliath tribe has one party pooper in their midst, Natalie. She thinks her tribemates are immature. She’s all business, all the time. Her strategy may be to lay low and get along with everyone, but it isn’t working. Natalie doesn’t exactly give the rest of the group the warm and fuzzies. The only person who really seems to appreciate what Natalie could bring to the table is John. He figures nobody would suspect them to align.

In order to gain Natalie’s trust, John lets her know that Dan isn’t her number one fan. Natalie doesn’t understand the logic behind taking out the “old lady,” and she has no intention of going out quietly.

Natalie immediately begins confronting everyone. She doesn’t get why they would waste their time targeting a “senior citizen who doesn’t have a snowball’s chance of winning.” An odd argument to be sure. “Hey, I’m super lame, so keep me.” Is she going to ride that bus until the wheels fall off? No wonder Survivor is rife with sexism and ageism when players use these types of arguments.

Natalie just comes out hot, making everyone in the camp uncomfortable and that much more eager to see her go. Jeremy gives Natalie some advice, attempting to explain to Natalie there’s a lack of self-awareness regarding the way she talks to people. It doesn’t go well.

The Davids and Goliaths meet for their second Immunity Challenge. The competition involves physicality as well as cognitive skills. Teams must build a ladder in order to retrieve a key, paddle out to get their puzzle pieces, make their way back and balance a wobbly table while attempting to solve the puzzle.

In addition to immunity, the tribes are playing for fishing gear.

Goliath has an extra player, so Natalie sits out.

The Davids fall so far behind, the Goliaths are assembling their puzzle as the Davids struggle to retrieve their pieces. The Davids fight their way back, but after an hour battling in the grueling heat, the Goliaths emerge victorious.

And so the scrambling among the David tribe members begins. The plan appears to be to vote out Lyrsa. Gabby gets a bad taste in her mouth after discussing the upcoming vote with Bi and Jessica. She gets the impression they’re blowing her off, talking in general clichés and avoiding a real conversation. This gives Gabby weird vibes. Gabby’s uneasy people are going entirely on strength because she’s not much better than Lyrsa when it comes to challenges.

Lyrsa and Elizabeth decide to go after Jessica, seeing her as having a lot of influence over certain members of the tribe (Carl and Bi). Elizabeth recruits Gabby. Gabby does her best to sway Christian who she believes will be bring along Nick. Christian says he’s with her all the way but isn’t convinced this coup is the best way to go.

Nick isn’t down with the plan. He wants to keep the team strong by eliminating Lyrsa. Nick isn’t exactly in a strong enough position to go against the perceived majority. Whatever happens, Christian feels he and Nick are in the power position, and, ultimately, the vote will go how they want it to.

At the season’s first Tribal Council, the Davids discuss their grueling first few days. Elizabeth discusses how the crisis has brought the tribe together. They may be a family, but somebody still has to go.

Lyrsa doesn’t call anyone out but makes it clear she knows what’s been going on. She knows she’s on the chopping block but disagrees with the reason why.

Jessica chimes in that it’s a waste to wait and play the game until you get to Tribal Council. Gabby agrees with Jessica’s take, but Gabby also argues that they’re all pretty smart and have been playing from the start.

For Bi, who to vote out is simple. It comes down to who is performing both at camp and in the challenges.

Christian says everyone has their own motivations, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t able to put them aside to come to a consensus when it comes to voting. Lyrsa receives four votes, and Jessica receives five. Jessica is eliminated.

Survivor: David vs. Goliath airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS. Tune in to see if the David tribe can turn their luck around.

Was getting rid of Jessica the right move? Does the Mason-Dixon alliance have staying power? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.