One thing left to do... Win

We're here! The finale of season of 41. Ricard seems to have the game on lock if he can get to final tribal, but no one's going to let him get there - After a ..word scramble twist? It's off to the races. Erika finds an advantage for the upcoming reward and immunity challenge (+5), and snowballs this lead into an important win. She makes a smart choice in choosing Heather to come with her for reward, to try and smooth things over from Deshawns 'truth bomb' at the last tribal.

Ricard throws everything he can at the wall, but unfortunately nothing sticks, and he places fifth. A very strong tactical player that I hope we'll see again!

Xander pulls off the final immunity win, securing his spot at final tribal. He ...

Xander picks up a quick immunity point because somehow, someway, he still has an idol in his pocket at the start of the episode. Spoiler: That won't change next episode either. Great long term investment Xander drafters!

This episode has a *huge* Deshawn focus in confessionals, given the last tribal, his feelings on the reward challenge, being one of two players at risk, etc. Xander picks up yet another episode title though with 'Truth Kamikaze', pretty accurately describing Deshawn's latest strategy with the jury, and remaining players.

Some much needed food won in a tribal reward challenge by Erika, Deshawn, and Xander, but that isn't enough juice to stop them from preventing a solo Ricard immunity win. It's no secret he's the frontrunn...

Game Theory 101, as taught by Jeff

Feeling under the weather, so a brief gamelog this week!

Danny pulls off an emotional immunity challenge win this week, netting him 7 points. Xander being the only idol holder standing, earns himself 1 point.

Everyone gets 3 or 4 confessionals this episode, except for Heather with 0. She does close out tribal with a directed question at least!

Deshawn being saved by the do or die twist is being scored as if he had won an individual immunity challenge. While the scoring says its 10 points if saved by an advantage, the difference here is, that no votes were cast prior to the twist, so we can't be sure if Deshawn would have needed the immunity.

No episode title points this week, as Jeff was the first to s...

I wish I knew more gangster movies for a clever title here

Erika kicks off the episode with the episode title, 'Baby with a machinegun', in an analogy I'm still not sure I fully understand. We're down to the final 8, and with what seems like a tight alliance of 4-5 players, people are getting antsy about their odds of getting to the end, and want to make some moves.

You can really tell the players are having a rough go in the reward challenge from lack of food, Jeff is really making them work for it this season. Ricard pulls off the big W to win some classic Survivor Pizza, that remains suspiciously off screen. (+5 reward). He picks Shan, Heather, and Xander (+2 pts) to join him - Some smart choices, reward your closest ally, work on your...

Who's who in the Zoo

Camp is a mess after another live tribal - Deshawn wants to feel heard in discussions, and Naseer calls out Heather for campaigning against him. While it's true she did, it was Xander that voted for Naseer, though he keeps that to himself. Heather calls for an ambulance in Evie, but instead Evie brings a bus to throw Heather under, setting up the dynamic for the first tribal of the evening.

The double tribal twist is revealed at the joint immunity/reward challenge - which Xander and Erika take down, foiling a lot of plans. Half the tribe wins reward (Xander, Liana, Danny, Deshawn, Evie). This is going to be scored as if it was a *tribal* reward challenge win. While technically they were competing against each other, t...

She's not under the radar, she BEAT the radar

Xander is flying high after that crazy confessional last week, and gets a good chunk of confessionals this episode for it (6). Given the scrambling from the former Yase tribe though, he also manages to slip in the episode title portmanteau Betraydar (Just following Mergeatory, this guy). Shan, Naseer, and Tiffany all start the episode with the idol in their pocket, and get one extra point there. Tiff playing for the viewers at home here.

Reward is another weird merged but split but one sitout situation, but Xander lets Erika have a chance at grilled cheese - And good for her, her team pulls off the win! Tribal reward points for Danny, Deshawn, Erika, Evvie, and Ricard. Xander misses the advant...

Let's do the time warp again

The episode starts off with the cast gathered at the challenge - Lucky for Erika, as she gets a few points here from Jeff asking her questions about her time on the island, how the advantage worked, and her ultimate choice - Good on you Erika for taking immunity!

The challenge is a nailbiter, with Ricard ultimately coming out ahead, for our first individual immunity win of the season (7 points).

Now we're off to a fresh scramble for votes, as tribal is that night, and everyone who used to be safe, now isn't, and vice versa. Don't forget that Shan, Naseer, and Xander all started the episode with an idol in their pockets (+1).

Liana makes a move with her Knowledge is Power advantage, trying to steal Xander's i...

A surprise two part episode, makes for a 'quieter' episode score wise.

The episode starts off with 3 activated idols in pockets, so that's a point for Naseer, Shan, and Xander.

Confessionals wise, the episode was fairly balanced - everyone got *some* screen time, except for Heather unfortunately. Erika gets the +3 point episode title bonus after saying she's ready to play like a lion. Erika and Liana were also each asked questions while on the challenge mats, so an extra point to each of them.

The first tribe mixup challenge of the season sees the team with the most blue team players win, even with King Naseer on the bench. Given that only winners were made safe, *and* had the merge feast, this will be scored as if it were a combined rew...

And Then There Were Two

Last episode was a breath of fresh air, but here we are right back in advantageddon. Genie and Naseer both find a beware advantage (+5), Liana a new Knowledge Is Power advantage (+5), and the three idols are now activated. This will be scored similarly to week 3, where you score points for *finding* the beware advantage, and again for succeeding on the opportunity given. This is especially important this week, since Genie found the advantage, but it's Shan that activated and possesses the idol. That means another 5 points in the immunity/advantages column for Shan, Naseer, and Xander. (Welcome to the game Xander!)

Note: If you have not seen last week's updated gamelog, it was brought up that I had missed that direc...

At least JD's hair looked cool

Our first formal reward challenge of the season! Finally, is it Heather's time to shine?

...Maybe not.

But at least she gets a couple of direct questions from Jeff, giving her some much needed confessional points!

Blue tribe learning they aren't unbeatable, the thought of throwing the next challenge to target Erika comes to mind.. but they didn't account for challenge beast Naseer taking charge. Ozzy who?

Genie finally lands a vote, and poor JD left his extra vote advantage in Shan's hands - She earns full points for finding an advantage, as it now seems to be formally hers. An indirect legacy advantage of sorts.

--UPDATE--
It was brought up that we had missed some confessional points, as Jeff questions ...

Beware Advantagegeddon

If you forgot there was a blue tribe by now, I don't think anyone could blame you - cruising through challenges, with nothing but the occasional reminder of 'How do we feel about Naseer this week?' At least Sydney gets a bit of spotlight, finding her camp's latest beware advantage, as did Tiffany and Brad (+5). In fact, Brad found two! On Bear Beware Island, only Brad makes the play to get the steal a vote. For scoring, this will count as finding another advantage - The beware advantage scores 5 for the *opportunity* of an advantage, and making the find. Gaining the steal a vote advantage where the other players did not warrant another 5 points for Brad. Check out the big brains on Brad!

Anyone else expecting yellow...

Well, at least the yellow tribe got in the water this time.

The episode kicks off with Brad sprinting down the beach to his own water-well-front spy shack, and with Naseer being the Prometheus of the tribe, gifting them with fire - That about wraps up the story this time for these two tribes this episode, as they've got no problem winning a reward + immunity challenge, easily sending the yellow tribe back to tribal council tonight.

Deshawn and Evvie are whisked away to exile redemption ghost Nameless Island, where they're presented the same choice - Protect, or Risk your vote. Evvie knows she's going to tribal tonight as a swing vote, and needs her vote, opening the door for Deshawn to pick up an extra vote advantage (+5).

Xander finds the...

Welcome back to Fiji - Survivor 41 starts off with a bang on Jeff's favourite barge, and we jump straight into a reward challenge. With the blue tribe never unclipping the back of their boat, and the yellow tribe never finding their last oar to begin even trying to paddle, green tribe handily wins the first challenge of the new season. (+3 for all members of the green tribe)

Thanks to the 2 hour premiere, and an editing emphasis on backstory of the players, everyone got at least one moment in the spotlight, with no confessional shutouts this episode. The big stars of the episode though are JD (11 confs), Evvie (9), and Danny (8).

Danny, JD, and Xander are chosen to go off on their own, to make a secret decision - Risk their vote, or prote...