Survivor: Island of the Idols

Episode 4: Plan Z

By Kim Hollis & David Mumpower

October 19, 2019

Couple curse

New at BOP:
Share & Save
Digg Button  
Print this column
Previously on Survivor, Vince tried everything he could to impress Sandra and Boston Rob. His plan failed miserably when he got voted off Survivor… with an idol in his pocket. Did we mention that the idol was only good for that Tribal Council or the next one? Yeah, Vince wasn’t very good at this game.

It’s gonna be one of those seasons.

At Lairo, the tribe asks Karishma if she understands what just happened. While she tells her teammates that she gets it and that she’s fine with having been Plan B, she’s a little freaked out. Meanwhile, Aaron acknowledges that Karishma is an easy target, he’s noticed that Dean and Chelsea seems to be a couple. He figures that they really ought to split that up, and fast.

Elaine has also noticed the connection between Dean and Chelsea. She asks each of them how old they are, and when their ages match up, she points out that they’d make a cute couple. Missy overhears this conversation, and she’s willing to join up with Aaron to send Dean home and reunite the sisterhood.

Over at Vokai, Jamal worries about his status in the tribe. With the understanding that he’s one of two people on the outs with the tribe (the other is Jack), he decides that he had better go out and search for an idol. He patiently pokes through branches and trees, with the eventual result being that he uncovers the very hidden Immunity Idol that he desires.

Boat time! Someone from Vokai is going over to the Island of the Idols. This time, the instructions say that they MUST unanimously choose someone to visit the island. If they can’t agree, they’ll have to draw a name. Most of them are trying to lower their profile, so they don’t want to be the choice. Noura volunteers, and everyone lets her. Kellee acknowledges that this could either blow up her game or enhance it, since she’ll have to hope that Noura will join forces with her.

Now we have to watch a freaking Noura segment. Rob offers her watermelon, and she shrieks. Birds fly away in panic.

To Noura’s credit, she actually listens to Rob and Sandra. Today’s lesson centers around persuasion. Rob advises that she can use ego, fear, rumors, or quid pro quo.

Noura says, “I’m very intellectual.” Ummm. Then she uses finger guns at Rob.

For her “test,” Rob tells Noura that the next challenge will involve the tribes being blindfolded while one person, a caller, will give them instructions. If she can persuade her tribe to have her be the caller, she’ll get an advantage that allows her to block anyone’s vote. If she loses, she loses her vote.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she accepts. Sandra tries to slow her down and convince her to think it over, but no. Noura’s doing this.

“She’s living in Noura world,” says Rob, and notes that she would be the WORST possible person to have as a caller during one of these challenges.

On the plus side, at least the segment is short.

She tells her tribe that she was given an advantage for the next challenge. She can tell them what it is as long as they unanimously agree to give her a role without knowing what the challenge is first.

They stupidly agree.




Advertisement



She tells them the challenge details, and everyone is just… nonplussed. They question why they would want to choose her to be the caller for the challenge, and she flat out tells them they’ve already decided.

Kellee is delighted, because she knows Noura is lying. The pressure is off.

When Noura does a practice session and they try to give her some constructive criticism, she reacts, shall we say, poorly.

As she calls to Dan, he runs into things, misunderstands her, and generally proves that she’s an awful person for the caller role. She’s on the chopping block if she ruins this. She’s starting to realize she might have made a terrible decision back on the Island of the Idols.

So, Probst describes the challenge, and tells Vokai that they have to sit someone out. “Noura,” they unanimously say. HILARIOUS.

Jason is their choice instead, with Elizabeth filling the role for Lairo.

At one point, Tommy runs into a post at… groin level. Probst points it out gleefully.

Vokai has a huge lead, with all three of their keys retrieved before Lairo can even get one. In fact, the two groups meet in the middle, which thoroughly confuses Lairo.

While calling instructions for the blind puzzle solve, Jason is exceptionally calm. However, they seem to have misplaced one of the pieces, which has allowed ELizabeth and Aaron to get back in the game. It’s close, and they think they’ve solved it, but it’s wrong.

Instead, Jason stays completely calm, allowing Vokai to get the win.

Now it’s time to play “It’s Anyone But Karishma,” but there is at least a tiny bit of intrigue. Aaron and Missy have designs on splitting Dean and Chelsea, but if they’re all honest with themselves, Karishma is a pretty huge drag on the team. She’s terrible in challenges, she’s kind of miserable to be around, and she hates everyone else.

Still, Aaron argues the Dean vote. He brings up the fact that Dean didn’t listen during the challenge, but Elizabeth is a bit skeptical. She’s learned to consider all angles thanks to her visit with Rob and Sandra. She doesn’t think Karishma deserves to stay, and she makes sure to tell Elaine.

Oddly, she then goes and tells Missy and Aaron that Elaine won’t join them for a vote. Aaron is aggravated that he can’t control the game, but Missy decides to swap the target to the Chelsea portion of the Chelsea/Dean pairing.

Frankly, we don’t understand why they don’t just vote out either Aaron or Missy. They’ve got the numbers, and there’s no reason to be loyal to Aaron. Alternately, Missy is proving to already be double dealing against her alliance, so she’s a dangerous threat.

At Tribal Council, Karishma complains that no one will talk to her, but the honest evaluation is just that she’s unpleasant. Maybe her unhappiness is just endemic to her Survivor experience.

However, people like Dean and Elizabeth note that perhaps the chaos around camp means that Karishma isn’t the target tonight. The team does call her out for saying she was great at puzzles, but emphasizes the craziness around camp again.

“Chaos is a ladder,” Karishma says, quoting Game of Thrones villain Littlefinger aka Petyr Baelish.

And indeed it is, as Chelsea is voted out, making her the second person in a row to be eliminated with an idol in her pocket.

“Look around you. We’re all liars here - and every one of us is better than you.” We’ll close out with our own Littlefinger quote.


     


 
 

Need to contact us? E-mail a Box Office Prophet.
Monday, March 18, 2024
© 2024 Box Office Prophets, a division of One Of Us, Inc.