Survivor: Ghost Island Recap
Always Be Moving
By Kim Hollis and David Mumpower
May 23, 2018
BoxOfficeProphets.com

Now with superfluous n!

Previously on Survivor, all the women hated Wendell. We were confused because we didn’t know anyone hated Wendell. We knew people disliked Dom, but the Wendell dislike was new. The two men seem to be perceived as a matched set, with Wendell the one actually running the show.

With the women theoretically taking on the men, the idea would have been to send a dude home. However, Laurel and Donathan held strong with the two ringleaders to send home Chelsea, who we’re still not sure ever said ten words.

That leaves Kellyn as a woman without a country, and she’s fully aware that she’s the top target. She tries to work with Sebastian, though he doesn’t seem sincere about such an alliance. Laurel and Donathan, the second tightest alliance after Dom and Wendell, are thinking that perhaps it’s time to make a move against the guys. Laurel is wishy-washy as always, which frustrates Donathan. He wants to make a move, but knows that he doesn’t have a great option without her buy in.

Even so, Donathan approaches Kellyn about a possible alliance with him, Laurel, and Angela. Obviously, Kellyn is thrilled since she’s on the chopping block. Donathan just wants to make a move so he’s not perceived as someone who was dragged along.

PROBST! MY MAN!

It’s reward challenge. The Survivors will be split into three teams. They’ll send some spools down some sort of contraption. The winners get to be ambassadors to schoolchildren and eat some yummy cake and whatnot. Teams are Kellyn and Sebastian, Dom and Wendell, and Laurel and Donathan.

As has been the case all season, Dom and Wendell are a fantastic team. Their communication is stellar. Otherwise, it’s not the most exciting challenge to recap. All teams put forward maximum effort, though. Probst loves it when that happens. It’s pretty close, but Wendell and Dom win. They’re allowed to pick someone to take with them, and they choose Laurel. Donathan squints, recognizing that he’s bottom of the pack. They also send Sebastian to Ghost Island, which also pisses Donathan off. Understandable.

Sebastian goes to Ghost Island and talks about remora fish and I think he believes there’s some metaphor there (he’s the remora?), but I don’t think Dom and Wendell see him as much of anything other than someone they’ll vote out later.

Sebastian does get to play the reindeer games, and wins the authentic steal-a-vote that Kellyn used poorly. He will be able to use it as a secret extra vote. Sea-bass says it’s the best thing ever, which… maybe? Probably not.

A bunch of cheering children greet Dom, Laurel, and Wendell. They give the kids school supplies, and Dom is quite wonderful with the children. Wendell, on the other hand, just wonders whether Laurel is really loyal. He invited her on the reward to make sure that she knows she is special to them.

“I’m here to cut their throats,” she says. (She won’t cut their throats.)

Donathan, on the other hand, is ready to stir the pot. Wendell tells him that they’re solid, but Donathan tries to get in Wendell’s head a bit. He tells Wendell that he’d vote for Dom in a final vote that comes to Dom versus Wendell. Then, Wendell tells Dom what Donathan said.

“I don’t know where this place is at in this game,” Donathan says.

Dom and Wendell simply can’t believe that someone doesn’t just want to willingly help them get to the end!

By the way, Angela hasn’t said the first word this episode.

Probst returns. The Probstening. The Immunity Challenge involves putting planks on a platform, building a ladder, climbing it, and eventually doing a slide puzzle.

“Survivor is full of do or die moments and for one of you, that moment is right now,” Probst preaches.

Wendell and Sebastian jump out to an early lead, but eventually Wendell finishes… or not. Laurel calls out that she has finished, and Jeff awards it to her. Wendell realizes that he was supposed to call Probst’s name in order to get the necklace.

It doesn’t really matter, though, because it’s time to play It’s Anyone But Kellyn. Dom and Wendell will want to eliminate their strongest competitor, and they’ll perceive it to be her.

“I’m going with the safe mood rather than the big move tonight,” says Laurel, who is running out of time to make big moves.

Rather than accept their story, Donathan asks Dom/Laurel if they plan on blindsiding him. How dare he not trust them when he’s clearly at the bottom of their alliance!

Wendell wants to build a fake idol so that he has “two” as far as people know. He asks Dom for some paperwork to put with it, and Dom goes to get some out of his backpack. Donathan sees it happen and asks them about it. Dom tells Donathan that “it was something I was holding for [Wendell].”

Donathan decides to shake things up prior to Tribal Council. He’s sure that he is about to be blindsided. Dom tells everyone that Donathan is freaking out. The problem with anyone wanting to work with him is that Donathan tends to just drop bombs all of a sudden that might shake up the game. Wendell, Dom, Angela, and Sebastian discuss a potential Donathan vote.

Cute, but we know it will be Kellyn.

At Tribal Council, Jeff wants to talk about the Immunity Challenge and brain freeze. Dom and Wendell both admit that they are significantly less sharp than they would usually be.

Dom and Wendell try to feel out Donathan’s sentiments regarding their shady behavior earlier, and he tells them that he’s frustrated. He’s sure that he will be voted out tonight.

“Donathan, can I say something? Dom asks.

“No,” Donathan replies.

There’s some talk about sticking with the “hammock plan,” and Laurel mentions Plan B and Plan C, but she doesn’t have a Plan B or a Plan C.

After the vote, it’s a tie. Kellyn and Donathan both receive three votes. So, Kellyn and Donathan are unable to vote and a new tally is taken. Donathan grabs his bag after his name is read for the first vote, but the only one he receives is Kellyn’s. Donathan stays; Kellyn goes. She’s gracious in defeat, and we’re headed for a boring, boring, boring Dom versus Wendell finale. At least the Pagonging stopped.