Survivor 44 episode 11: Plans come together as easily as they fall apart
When a plan comes together on Survivor before the immunity challenge, it’s almost a certainty it will have to change. Survivor 44 episode 11 is perfect proof of this theory as one person is mentioned as the target and said castaway turns around and wins individual immunity.
The seven remaining castaways enter the underwater challenge where they must try to keep their heads above water as long as possible as they force their heads through a metal grate. Last season fans witnessed history as two players outlasted the challenge to win immunity, but Survivor 44 episode 11 had a single player capture the coveted necklace.
Who was the initial target in Survivor 44 episode 11?
Despite Frannie highlighting the Tika trio’s dominant position in the game two episodes ago, the remaining players bring up this point again and look to target Yam Yam. Several of the players discuss his lovable personality and incredible social game, which makes him a viable threat to win the game in the end.
In the underwater challenge, players lasted as long as they could until it came down to Heidi and Yam Yam. To give fans an idea of how challenging it is to win, Lauren lasted over an hour and was the first person out. Despite cold water temperatures and the fear of water washing over one’s face when trying to breathe, imagine doing that for more than an hour and it still not being enough.
Yam Yam outlasted everyone else and couldn’t hear anyone telling him of his win, so Danny jumped back into the water to give him the good news. The celebratory dance and pure joy from Yam Yam is an emotional moment to watch because it highlights what’s possible for anyone who might question their abilities in the game of Survivor. Even though he references how proud his athletic family members will be of him, his happiness at that moment cannot be understated for how proud he should be in such a difficult challenge.
Pointing out the threats and then maybe not voting for them?
Danny, Lauren, Jaime, and Heidi point out the Tika three in Survivor 44 episode 11 and that they need to vote out Yam Yam. Unfortunately, for them, he wins immunity so they change their target to Carson. The plan makes sense as the Tika three have dismantled previous tribal alliances by staying true to their original group. Despite this being talked about, things begin to shift even though viewers might not be sure of the reasoning.
Lauren and Jaime talk about Carolyn’s plan to put the votes on Danny because again, her gameplay reads are incredibly spot on! She has an uncanny ability to hear a plan being shared with her, but then realize what is happening. She realized they were trying to leave her out of the plan last week to vote Frannie out – and they did. Tonight Danny tried to bluff votes for Lauren and Jaime and instead put them on Carson. She made another correct read and mentioned an alternate plan to try and save the day.
Although viewers don’t see every bit of strategic talk back at camp, it’s not entirely clear why this alternate plan gained any kind of traction with Lauren and Jaime. For viewers (or at least me), it doesn’t appear to add up, but Carolyn’s uncertainty about having the numbers made her tell Carson she had an idol and could play it for him. The big question: Would she need to or could votes bounce her way and send her packing?
Who was voted out in Survivor 44 episode 11 and did Carolyn need to use her idol?
Tribal council in Survivor 44 episode 11 amped up quite a bit compared to others from this season. Discussing the ebbs and flows of the game or how things were happening led to some turmoil. Yes, Carolyn was not agreeing with others and she shared her frustrations, but the tip of the iceberg came when her honesty was directed at host Jeff Probst.
Carolyn mentioned she wasn’t sleeping much and when Jeff later asked if she was annoyed about the disagreements, Jeff referenced how she might see things if she got some rest. The direct look immediately led Jeff to ask: “Are you mad at me now?”
"Carolyn responds, “Yes.”"
Was it possible the host was stating that perception might change if better sleep was achieved, much like getting the rice to eat stimulates a player’s ability to think more clearly? Yes, absolutely. Was it possible Carolyn took the comment to mean perhaps her thoughts would be different if she “got some sleep” and that made it seem like her thoughts weren’t right in that moment? Yes, that’s possible too. Would a writer (like me) love to pick both of their brains to discuss such an honest and incredible sequence on another great episode of Survivor? You betcha!
With the knowledge of the Tika trio running things and the friction at tribal council, Carolyn clearly had reason to believe her read on the initial “vote out Carson” plan was still in play. It makes sense since they have been running the game. Despite this, and using her idol on Carson to protect him against any votes, her idea to put votes on Danny or Heidi made enough sense to Jaime and Lauren for them both to go along – leading to Danny being voted out.
Carolyn didn’t have to use her idol, but the thought process that went into Jaime and Lauren’s decisions must have come down to who they could trust more moving forward. They did reference that earlier, but it did not appear to dominate over top of their perception of Tika leading the game up to this point. With next week’s preview highlighting Yam Yam having to take out Carolyn, perhaps they will finally break up, spelling the end of a player with some of the best reads in all of Survivor.
Were you surprised to see Lauren and Jaime move to vote Danny out rather than a member of the Tika three? Would 90-minute episodes (that start next season) give fans extended conversations to possibly get a better understanding of players’ decisions? Will next week be the end of Carolyn and Tika? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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