Survivor: David vs. Goliath recap: A momentous vote before the merge

On Survivor: David vs. Goliath, episode 6, Gabby, fearing she’s the next to go, reaches out to Alison. Mike worries his decision to get rid of Natalie will have repercussions moving forward in the game.

Mike has Second Thoughts

On Survivor, Angelina sums up Natalie’s departure as “bittersweet.” It was bitter for Natalie, but  it’s sweet for everyone else because now they can enjoy some peace. But it’s not all rosy for the Jabeni tribe. Angelina’s decision to throw a vote Lyrsa’s way (even though she knew Natalie was going) just to get her hands on Natalie’s jacket has left the rest of the tribe with a bad taste in their mouths.

The three tribes gather for a Reward Challenge. One person is attached to a bag of coconuts. Each tribe has to get the bag to the beach. They must lift the bag, allowing the shackled player to get over an obstacle and retrieve four rings which they toss onto a target. The first two teams to accomplish this task win a reward — kabobs.

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Natalie may be gone, but Lyrsa proves to be dead weight during the comp. They manage to rally, and along with Tiva, win some much-needed sustenance.

Mike is happy for the win, but he notices that some Goliaths from the other tribes didn’t look pleased to learn Natalie was voted out (they didn’t have to live with her).

Mike may have been flirting with the idea of getting rid of Angelina but thinks it might be wiser not to take out two Goliaths prior to the merge.

Hope Isn’t a Strategy

The mood is light at the Tiva camp. Dan misses Kara, but he can’t conceive how he could be playing the game any better. He’s got two idols, and he’s embraced Christian as a fellow Brochacho. Dan trusts Christian far more than Gabby when it comes to having his back.

Christian is loving life at the cool kids’ table. One of his biggest fears, both in the game and in the outside world, is being ostracized.

Christian feels good regarding his standing with the tribe, but Gabby can’t ignore the fact that the Goliath guys would much rather “bro down” with Christian and leave her out. She decides it’s time to find a way to take her game into her own hands.

Gabby knows she’s at the bottom of the heap, and she just can’t keep hoping they win: hope is not a strategy. She has nobody else to turn to except for Alison. Gabby confides in Alison that she can’t work with people who won’t even talk to her. Alison is really empathetic. As a doctor, her first instinct when seeing someone in pain is to alleviate their suffering. Alison knows Gabby is putting a lot of trust in her and feels like Gabby is someone she can work with long-term.

Tribal lines continue to dissolve. Alison views Dan as a threat and is willing to align with Christian and Gabby. But will Christian turn on his fellow Brochacho? For Alison, it’s less of a question of whether or not to betray Dan but when.

Elizabeth Needs a Time Out

On the Vuku beach, Elizabeth is suffering from back problems that are exacerbated by the sleeping arrangements. She takes it upon herself to try to even out the bamboo.

With nightfall quickly approaching, Davie thinks the timing isn’t great for starting this project. Carl agrees they should wait until they have more time, but Elizabeth is sick of waiting. Elizabeth grows increasingly irritated and is unable to hide her annoyance.

She reveals to her tribemates that four weeks before coming on Survivor, she was bedridden because of her back. Elizabeth is a tough woman, but she’s been dealing with a lot of pain because of the rustic sleeping conditions.

Elizabeth hasn’t said one word other than throwing out ideas on how to make things more comfortable. She’s tired of being patient, waiting for anyone to help her out.

Carl and Davie aren’t particularly sympathetic since Elizabeth just started tearing apart their bed without consulting the group. This is good for Kara because this kind of conflict takes the target off her back. She may capitalize off the fact that Carl and Elizabeth clash.

“Well,” That Could Have Gone Better

Going into the Immunity Challenge, Lyrsa, Angelina, Elizabeth, Gabby and Dan are all in possible trouble, even if they don’t know it.

For this Immunity Challenge, each tribe carries a large saucer to a water tower, fills it, makes their way through a series of obstacles and empty what’s left into a well. They repeat this until the well is full which, in turn, releases a bog of puzzle pieces. The first two tribes to solve their puzzles win immunity.

Elizabeth and Gabby sit out of the competition.

Tiva releases their puzzle pieces on the first try while Vuku and Jabeni make another trip to the start. As Vuku starts to solve their puzzle, Jabeni head back to start for a third time. It becomes obvious Jabeni has no chance. They keep going, but they can’t pull it out.

Mike was hopeful the whole tribe could make it to the merge, but now he’s looking at a momentous vote. The sum total of Davids and Goliaths is dead even at seven each. The Jabeni tribe is composed of two Davids and two Goliaths. Whatever happens at this Tribal Council will impact everyone’s game moving forward.

Another Goliath Blindside?

Lyrsa has zero interest in working with Angelina after the jacket debacle and would prefer to stick with Nick. This would mean a tie. Angelina and Mike are certain they can get Nick on their side because nobody wants to leave things up to chance by picking rocks.

Lyrsa and Nick hope to get Mike to vote out Angelina. No matter what, Angelina is not getting Lyrsa’s jacket.

It really comes down to the Rockstar alliance. Nick wants Angelina out, but Mike views voting out Lyrsa as the safer move. She’s just not a threat to anyone, and he won’t piss off any Goliaths. But he just doesn’t trust Angelina, knowing she would turn on him in a minute.

At Tribal Council, Jeff asks Mike what the criteria is for the vote. Mike responds it’s mostly about who’s going to be able to navigate them through the next part of the game.

Everyone admits they’ve got a plan, the question is whether or not those plans come to fruition.

Angelina has tons of great things to say about Nick at Tribal Council which doesn’t go unnoticed by Lyrsa. She believes Angelina is just trying to “buy” his vote. All Lyrsa can say is she’s true to her word.

One person is going home, and all the other three can do is hope they are all as loyal as they say they are.

Lyrsa is voted out 3-1.

Survivor: David vs. Goliath airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS. Tune in to see what happens when all of the tribes merge.

Will it be David vs. Goliath again after the merge? Who is currently the biggest threat? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.