Heading into the 11th episode of Survivor 50, the winner’s purse had just increased to $2 million thanks to the lucky execution of MrBeast’s Super Beware Advantage by Rick Devens. In correctly calling the risky coin flip that could have eliminated him, Devens not only doubled the pot for the eventual winner but also saved himself that night and secured an individual immunity idol. With their target Devens safe, the group pivoted to unanimously vote for Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick to join the jury, leaving Jonathan Young and Joe Hunter one more ally down just as the game heats up.
This week, the three idols still active in the game became too threatening to ignore, causing some players to design plans that were not in the best interests of their own allies. And at the Immunity Challenge, Jeff Probst warned of an “unknown advantage and unknown twist” that played out in full at the next Tribal Council. Read on for our recap of Survivor Season 50, Episode 11, titled “Everyone Will Be Shooketh,” which aired Wednesday, May 6 on CBS, to find out what Jeff had in store for the players this time.
The nine players still in the game at the start of the episode were: Aubry Bracco, Cirie Fields, Emily Flippen, Joe Hunter, Jonathan Young, Ozzy Lusth, Rick Devens, Rizo “Rizgod” Velovic, and Tiffany Ervin. And on the jury is: Dee Valladares, Chrissy Hofbeck, Benjamin “Coach” Wade, Christian Hubicki, and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick.
“They think that I will let them know if they need to play they idol.” — Cirie Fields
Following the “epic day” of the prize pot increase, Joe and Jonathan were the only players struggling to celebrate, in large part because they were now on the bottom of the tribe but also because of Joe’s ongoing personal distaste for Devens. In an interview, Joe referred to Devens’ behavior so far in the game as “extremely poor taste,” but when he took that campaign to others around camp, players like Cirie couldn’t help but point out that he “lives in 500 Hypocrisy Hill in Fiji” and failing to understand why he can’t look on the bright side. Tiffany at least was willing to deal with his “emotional turmoil” because there were “bigger fish to fry” in Devens, Ozzy, and Rizo still having idols. Despite working with Ozzy and Rizo, Cirie was reaching the point where she’d have to entertain the idea of getting them out in order to avoid what happened to her in Game Changers when she was eliminated simply because everyone else was safe from an idol. Her plan? Use their secret code word to communicate that they need to play their idols, not because they’re in danger but to flush the advantages out of the game.
Emily also wanted to flush the idols out of the game, but her bigger concern that she shared with Devens was the amount of power that certain players in the game were wielding. Out of everyone, Cirie was the one Emily perceived as running the show and so she wanted Devens to use his idol in the most advantageous way by getting either her or Joe out with it.
“I would like to credit myself with not being entirely dumb.” — Emily Flippen
For the day 21 Immunity Challenge, the players competed to be the last balancing on a triangular platform in the sea. In addition to earning safety from the vote, Jeff offered the winner “an advantage that will play out and impact a twist that will be happening… at Tribal Council.” Everyone except Cirie, Aubry and Devens made it to the final stage of the challenge where they were asked to balance on a single leg from the top perch of the platform. At that point, everyone quickly lost their balance and Tiffany was the one to outlast them all, but her win was rescinded after a review from the off-screen judges. As described by Jeff, Tiffany still had two feet on the platform after his countdown and while other players were already falling into the water, disqualifying her. For that reason, Jonathan became the winner of immunity and recipient of the advantage.
Instead of the tribe going to Tribal Council together, Jeff announced that they’d be randomly divided into two groups of four to vote a player out in two distinct Tribal Councils, both of which Jonathan would be attend and vote at with immunity. The two groups were Tiffany, Emily, Cirie, and Devens and Joe, Ozzy, Rizo, and Aubry. In addition, the two groups immediately departed for different parts of the island where they would be isolated from the other group while only Jonathan had the freedom to journey back and forth between the two.
“There might be one little ember there that I can light into a fire and burn this whole game down.” — Aubry Bracco
With most of the power concentrated in Jonathan’s grasp, he was the one everyone needed to have a conversation with. He and Cirie were on the same page about wanting to target Devens, but because of his idol they’d have to split votes between him and Emily to ensure that at least one of them leaves the game. Knowing her number was probably up, Emily concocted a convoluted and risky plan that required her convincing Tiffany, Cirie, and Jonathan that she’d be able to talk Devens into playing his idol on her so that they could blindside him when in reality she wanted Devens to play his idol on himself so that they could put their two votes on Cirie instead.
Before leaving one beach, Jonathan touched base with Tiffany about their shared goal of an Ozzy blindside. That eventually aligned with what was already in the works at the second beach before he even arrived. Thinking that Aubry was a sure bet elimination, Ozzy disclosed all of his secrets to her which she immediately took to Joe and Rizo. Jonathan’s plan hit its first major hurdle when he brought it to his ally Joe who wanted to stick to his gut feeling that now was not the right time to trust Aubry. Later when Jonathan returned to Cirie, she was able to convince him that the way to get Joe on board was to have him bring Rizo in to the plan, but Cirie’s ulterior motive there was a hope that Rizo would use that information to warn Ozzy that now would be the right time to play his idol.
At the first Tribal Council, Devens played up the ruse that he’d definitely be playing his idol in the hopes that Emily’s plan would save them both. As planned, he played the idol for himself but Cirie’s use of her Extra Vote forced a 2-2 tie between her and Emily. In the revote, Cirie, Tiffany, and Jonathan all voted to eliminate Emily.
At the second Tribal Council and with Emily now on the jury, Rizo and Ozzy were at a point where their decision to play or not play their idols could have a huge impact on their longevity in the game. Trusting their gut, neither of them played their idols ahead of the vote that went 4-1 against Ozzy, sending him home with an idol in his pocket for the second time.
Next time on Survivor…
With only seven left, everyone’s name becomes a target and Rizo’s idol gets “heavier by the day.”
