'Survivor: Island of the Islands' Episode 4

Wow! What an amazing episode of Survivor tonight! First off, nice move to Lairo on blindsiding Vince. Unfortunately, Karishma now feels on-the-outs like before, so if you want her on your side, you need to do some work. Also, Dean and Chelsea, showmances often don't work in Survivor. The only time it did was Boston Rob and Amber, and ever since, showmances in Survivor only lead to trouble. You should know that. Sleeping next to people tells a lot about you and them. Beware of causing a showmance. Meanwhile at Vokai, the tribe made a big mistake. They left Jamal alone, and as a result, he got the idol. One big lesson in Survivor: DO NOT LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE, EVER! That is something that is proven to be a mistake, again and again. And, because you all left him alone, now he has the idol. Good job, now Jamal, who has little-to-no trust in any of you, has the idol, giving him the power to save himself and take out anyone he wants.

Next, the Island of the Idols. The tribe had to choose, either by a rock draw or volunteering, who would go. Most people know that going for an advantage publicly leads to a big target on your back. Look at Vince last week. Anyway, Noura decided that she would take the risk and go. Ok, it's not like she didn't have a target for her personality, anyway. Go ahead, Noura. So, she met Rob and Sandra, was fed watermelon, and then, she was told about her lesson. This lesson is about the power of persuasion. To persuade people is a strong trait to have, in Survivor. We're even show examples of it. The Black Widow Brigade to Erik, in Micronesia. Or Parvati, in Cook Islands. Or Yul to Penner, in Cook Islands. Rob even mentioned his persuasion to Lex in All-Stars, that saved Amber (but ultimately cost Rob the jury vote of Lex, and the win that season). And of course, Sandra and her past with persuasion, such as persuading Russell that Coach was targeting him back in Heroes vs. Villains. But anyway, Noura's test was to convince her tribe to let her be the caller in the upcoming challenge, which she immediately jumped toward. Even despite losing it would cause her to lose her next vote, she didn't care. She said she'd go for the test, and Rob and Sandra knew she'd likely fail. They knew that she had a loud personality that could cost her.

Back at camp, Noura attempted to get her tribe to let her be the caller by telling them a lie, that the tribe obviously knew was a huge lie, but they went with it. But basically, she said that she could tell them what the challenge is if they let her pick her role in it, which they initially accepted, despite questioning it. So, she explained it and her tribe rightfully didn't have a lot of faith in her for it, so they practiced it. And humorously, disastrously, Noura failed—so spectacularly. She didn't know how to direct, just how to talk and tell people where to go, but not necessarily in a way that would make the tribe listen. So, it became obvious that she was likely to lose her vote, and she put a bigger target on her back.

At the immunity challenge, Vokai did just as I predicted. They not only chose Jason over Noura for caller, but they sat Noura out completely. And it worked. The tribe lead for such a long time, with Lairo making big mistakes like Dean going over an under obstacle, tribe members not listening, etc. Lairo did eventually catch up with Elizabeth's help though. They were even close to taking the win, but one misplaced puzzle piece gave Jason more time. And that time helped, as it gave Vokai the win, sending Lairo to another tribal council.

Back at the Lairo camp, the tribe all seemed to pretty much know that it was Karishma, even Karishma knew and she was upset. Yet, I'm sure if she worked a bit harder and done a bit better in challenges, things would be different. But Karishma didn't want to go home just yet. She even mentioned that she'd go all out at Tribal, which she was encouraged to. And Aaron and Missy noticed how close Chelsea and Dean are. So, they considered taking out Dean, which Elizabeth and Elaine did not want, at all. So then, after they got word of that, Missy considered Chelsea. Since Dean still has some strength and Chelsea is with Dean, it could be a bit easier—plus, the women still have the numbers. But, it was also an unsure thing.

At Tribal Council, Karishma tried to fight for her life. Some even told her to prove herself more. But, she kept fighting, and it seemed like she was giving in to, yep, "I'm gone." Even I was convinced she was going home. It seemed blatantly obvious. But then, more happened. And wow, was I surprised. The tribe managed to pull off a big move, and Plan Z emerged with Chelsea, who by the way had found a hidden immunity idol, was voted out—with it in her pocket. Wow, back to back episodes with people getting blindsided, while having idols. That is one of the many reasons I love Survivor: the unpredictability of it all, and how some people are just so unaware that they are targets that they don't even use the advantages given to them. This season is getting really good. Overall, I loved tonight's episode, and I can't wait to see what happens next week, when Missy explains Chelsea's blindside and the tribes get shaken up, with Karishma even wanting to flip on her old tribe. #Survivor #SurvivorIslandoftheIdols #IslandoftheIdols #Blindside #PlanZ #ElaineRules #NoVoteNoura #BigMoves #AmazingSeason #SorryThanksForPlaying #WorkOnYourPersuasion