Survivor 42 episode 5 highlights a down-to-the-wire challenge
Survivor 42 aired its fifth episode this week on CBS, and much like the previous four episodes, it was exciting to watch. This season has brought us three tribes and they’ve had to compete without rice, while also having to continually earn their flint. If a team loses an immunity challenge, their flint gets taken away.
In a season where each team has been sent to tribal council, it’s been back-and-forth with regards to wondering who is getting voted out each week. One of the most standout cast members in Survivor 42 goes to Jonathan Young. Even in the episode, he described himself as 6-foot-4 and 250lbs. Despite being a massive target for being dominant in the challenges so far, he’s also presented himself as quite a likable person.
The very same lovable personality could be said about Maryanne Oketch, so when these two had a bit of a spat at the beginning of the show, viewers might’ve wondered if this was foreshadowing some doom later in the episode. It certainly felt this way during the immunity challenge as each team competed in a series of obstacles to earn themselves one of the two immunity idols, and be safe from elimination.
Survivor 42 episode 5 has a nail-biter of an immunity challenge
The start of this obstacle course required each tribe member to reach up, grab a net and then get each member up and over. The blue Ika tribe was the first through this obstacle, with their team also cruising through the second part of the obstacle where they had to unwind ropes to release a key. Once the key was unwound, they used it to unlock a machete, cut another rope and then a pile of sandbags were released, which were used in a slingshot to knock over two targets.
The blue tribe finished first, and the team that was next behind them was the green Vati tribe. Wait, what? Are you telling me the immunity challenge beast is sitting in last place in this challenge? It was such a surprising sequence as the orange Taku tribe found themselves stuck on the braided ropes as Omar slowly untied the ropes.
I wondered during the challenge, if he was throwing the challenge, but it’s safe to say I’m not the only one who felt this way. Entertainment Weekly’s Dalton Ross wrote in his recap, “First off, was Omar throwing that challenge?” We didn’t find an answer in tonight’s episode, so perhaps this comes up down the road.
Visions of going to tribal council flashed in front of my eyes as Taku continued to be stuck. Finally, the key dropped, Jonathan grabbed the machete and swiped through the rope in one swing. He then tossed the machete aside in such a way that I’m assuming it didn’t hit anyone. Fortunately for the Taku tribe, Vati could not hit both of their targets. It’s not clear how many attempts Jonathan took to do it, but he came through to help win another team immunity challenge.
Survivor 42 continues to excel during the pre-merge. Another tightly contested immunity challenge highlights the possibility where anything is possible, and ultimately, anyone is vulnerable in this game. If Taku goes to tribal council again, will Jonathan survive? That’s the allure of this game, and when you have a cast of so many likeable players, it’s hard to know who is going home and it can break your heart when they do.
What did you think of Survivor 42 episode 5? Who are you cheering for this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below! For more Survivor coverage, make sure to follow Hidden Remote Reality TV page.