Survivor Millennials vs Gen X - Oct 26/16 Episode Recap

The Truth Works Well

Last week there was a shake up that split the tribes into three.  Millennials were the majority on Ikabula (green) and Takali (purple) with Vanua (orange) the only Gen X 3 to 2.  So when Vanua was the tribe to go do tribal council, did the Gen X'ers stick together? Nope. Chris was stuck with David and CeCe (who he dislikes) so he seized his chance to side with Zeke & Michelle and CeCe went home.

Vanua - Night 15
The new tribe of four: Chris, David, Zeke & Michelle - they all seem to be happy with the decision, especially Zeke, who can't quite believe that the silly Gen Xer's gave up the numbers in the one tribe where they had the majority.  Zeke feels like he is the power player with Chris and it's a whole new world for him.

Ikabula - Day 16
-We learn a little bit more about Jay, as he tells us he never had a dad around so he had to protect his mom and sister, he's not a selfish millennial, he's going to win this thing for his mom.  And then we see Jay and Will looking for a hidden idol and Jay finding it.  Of course, right at the moment that Jay was swearing Will to secrecy, here comes Michaela, "Whatcha got there?" And she sucks all the joy of the moment right out of the boys.  Jay, "Freaking Michaela."
-Michaela tells the camera she's not going to tell anyone that Jay has the idol for now, but if she catches wind of things going down, she's snitching. (Freaking Michaela is right.)

REWARD CHALLENGE
When Vanua walks in and Figgy sees that Michelle is still there she gives a little victory "yes" cry and it doesn't go unnoticed by Jeff who calls her on it.  Figgy says she loves Michelle... oh, and Zeke too, and she was worried.  (Figgy is not very good at this game, but she thinks she can do no wrong.)  Michelle says Figgy's openness doesn't bother her, "The truth works well in this game." And Jeff laughs at her, you just may be the first person who has ever uttered that phrase.

So the challenge - one caller and three blindfolded players that the caller has to direct to retrieve 4 sets of puzzle pieces from obstacles.  Once all the puzzle pieces are back on their table, the caller has to direct one, still blind-folded player to put the puzzle together (it was a simple-ish picture of a bat).  First team to complete the puzzle won apple pie, brownies, cookies, milk, iced tea - Second place team got chocolate chip cookies only and Third place, nothing.

Takali/purple sat out Jess.  Ikabula/green sat out Bret and Hannah.

Off they went and Purple went quickly through gathering the puzzle pieces with Figgy as the caller and Ken took her direction very well.  Ikabula was right behind them with Jay as the caller and everyone listening well.  Vanua brought up the rear with Michelle as the caller and David, apparently deaf to her voice having to have Chris re-yell everything to him.  Takali had a big lead starting on the puzzle with Figgy directing Ken.  Jay and Michaela were working well on the puzzle for Ikabula and finally Vanua had a lot of time to make up with Michelle directing Zeke on putting the puzzle together.  Apparently Michelle is good at puzzles and Zeke can take direction because they were able to pull out an epic come-from-behind win of the big reward.  Michaela and Jay won second place for Ikabula and those cookies were Michaela's apparently... and the golden girl, Figgy, was devastated at her failure (I'm sure she's not used to not getting what she wants, waah) they got nothing.

There was also a bit of drama from the sidelines at the end of the challenge, Hannah, who had sat out the challenge, started feeling faint and then, when moved into the shade, started feeling numb and panicky - they had medical look at her and it was a panic attack, which we find out Hannah is prone to have, as she does suffer from anxiety. Jeff gives her kudos for going out there despite the anxiety... I guess facing things that make you anxious will help you cope better the next time... but Hannah is now facing her worst fear, that she will appear weak and they'll try to get rid of her. (I'm sorry to say but that may end up happening.)

Vanua - Day 16
They are gorging themselves on the spoils of their win, they are super content and bonding sort of. Michelle brought it up and everyone was laughing about Figgy's slip up declaring how she loves Michelle and not as much Zeke and Zeke tells the camera that Michelle is a very dangerous player in this game and Figgy just proved he's still on the bottom with his old tribe - in order for Zeke to go forward, he may have to turn against the Millennial tribe.

Takali - Day 16
Figgy & Taylor "Figtails" decide that they are no longer going to hide their romance and practice telling Jess & Ken they have a thing (I really am old, cause these two... I can't even).  Figgy goes to Jess first, "I want to talk to you about something, Taylor and I have a thing," all serious and Jess is like, "Ya think?" (Yeah, no news to her.)  And Figgy is shocked. Next she tries her news on Ken and he hits her with a totally sarcastic, "No, you don't say."  Figgy has the deluded world view of the completely entitled Millennial, proving the stereotype to a certain degree.  Ken sees them as treating this like a fun vacation, but Taylor and Figgy are not as cool as they think they are (and I like Ken a little bit more for sharing my view) Ken's not going to sit on his ass and hope things go his way, he's going to make moves to make sure he's okay.

Day 18 - IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Two tribe members start out on a platform in the water, on Jeff's go, one at a time they must go through a series of obstacles and climb a tower to release three large bags of coconuts each.  Once they have all 6 bags of coconuts on their mat, those two tribe members must hang them on hooks then the next two tribe members come out and untie the bottoms of the bags to release all the coconuts and retrieve three small white balls.  Those two tribe members then have to work together, manoeuvering the balls one at a time through a table maze.  First and second team to get all three balls seated in the holes on the maze win immunity - third place is going to tribal council.

News on this one is that David (Vanua) actually did a great job retrieving the bags of coconuts, it was Ken (Takali) that slipped off the balance beam and having to start again put that team behind (Taylor made up the time later) and Michaela was the beast of the puzzle, barking at Hannah to just stand there, shut up and do what she's told as Michaela got all their balls in the holes bringing Ikabula the first place immunity (Michaela is so hyper focused she doesn't have time to worry about feelings.) Now it was down to Takali with Figgy & Jess working the puzzle maze and Vanua with Michelle & Zeke working together again.  Michelle & Zeke had to come from behind again until they got some no nonsense coaching from the sidelines by Michaela which really seemed to calm them down and help them eke out the win over Figgy & Jess (Ouch, Figgy was instrumental in both the losing challenges this episode, maybe that will wake her up? Who am I kidding.) Takali is heading to Tribal Council. 

Jeff asks Michaela why she helped Michelle & Zeke and she said that they want to keep as many Millennials as they can and the Vanua tribe is down to two and two.  Taylor pipes up that there are Millennials on Takali too and she snaps, "There are three of you, if you can't figure out how to work together, you deserve to go home." Oh haha... don't be messing with Michaela when her adrenaline is high, there is no filter, you're going to get some unvarnished truth right there.

Takali - Day 18
Adam is the only one with worries it seems, he's in the hot seat between the voting pairs and no matter what he does someone is coming back from Tribal mad at him.
-Figgy is the first confirming her position with Adam, that the Millennials have to stick together and they decide they have to go Ken.  Adam has shown no reason for Figgy or Taylor to doubt he's still Millennial strong to them, he's a much better actor than they are... Taylor does speculate that Adam may be playing them, but it's unlikely... but maybe. (I'm surprised they even considered it, they're so self absorbed.)
-Jess also makes a play for Adam's vote saying that she and Ken are with him if he wants to take out one of the couple... Adam is still wishy-washy and Jess tells Ken he has to go talk to Adam and reassure him that Ken & Jess are 150% with him, will never write his name down and they will run this game (throw every Survivor trope at him and see if they stick.)
-Ken is not one to go down without a fight so he does go talk to Adam, tells him that he and Jess respect him and they don't want to move forward with two conniving kids, so they are voting Figgy.  He says he would have a place with him and Jess and David in a merge or he could be at the bottom of the Millennials.  When Adam says how can he trust in people he's never met, Ken pulls out the big guns, telling him he has his back to the end and Ken will never write Adam's name down. (And you know Ken will stick to his word.)  Adam isn't sure if going against the Millennials makes sense for him right now.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
-Ken agrees that it looks like the Millennials will be sticking together.
-Taylor says why would they screw up a bond like that.  Figgy admits not everything is great between the Millennials, for instance Adam voted for her at the first tribal council but she's forgiven him. (She really is kind of tone deaf in this game... sheesh.)
-Jeff says that Figgy is basically saying that she looks at Adam the same way she looks at Taylor which brought a good laugh to the group.  Adam, "She certainly does NOT look at me like she looks at Taylor." and they fill Jeff in on the showmance/romance between "Figtails".  Jeff is an ordained minister, he offers to marry Figgy & Taylor right there and she says, "Survivor first, let's go" and Taylor kind of stops, "Are you serious? I can't tell if you're serious right now."  If he had said, "Hell, yeah!" I think they might actually have gone for it in that moment... but it passes.
-Figgy is not worried that the romance is out in the open, they may have their thing but in the end it is just two people voting together.  Like Jess & Ken are two people voting together.
-But Jeff points out that Jess & Ken are a strategic pair and Taylor & Figgy vote together because they like each other - she acts like that is the craziest thing she's ever heard - they didn't come out there for romance, it just happened, they are still being very strategic in everything they do (and the sad part is, that she believes that is true.)
-Taylor said having the numbers also makes it easier to be open with the relationship - if you don't like it we'll vote your ass out.  When Jeff points out that Adam then is kind of in the drivers seat with how to vote, Taylor also threatens him that if he does flip on the Millennials they could boot his ass out in the merge. (The most laid back bully ever.)
-Adam knows what is at stake, he is looking at the future and hopes whatever four remains after tonight can actually be a four going forward.  The person he is voting for he genuinely likes so it's going to be difficult - someone is going home upset tonight and someone is going back to camp upset tonight.

Time to Vote:
They don't show us how anyone votes.

Hidden Immunity idol? - Adam has no reason to even consider using his.

Votes:
 Ken - 1
Figgy - 1
Ken - 2
Figgy - 2...
Final vote is for FIGGY! (Yes! Yes! Yes! I am not sad to see her go.)  Adam whispers that he'll explain to Taylor if he can.  Taylor for the first time looks angry and Figgy walks off crying into the night (B-bye!)
-And with Figgy leaving us, that takes Kevin R. and Susan N. are out of the pool.

Next week: Taylor seeks vengeance on Adam and David shares the fact that he has a hidden immunity idol with Zeke (new power couple in the making?)

Figgy's final thoughts: She came in there guns blazing and was a force to be reckoned with (seriously?) so it's a compliment to be taken out so early because otherwise she would have taken out every single one of them. (Ugh. Get over yourself already.)

Have a great rest of your week,

Coleen




 

Survivor Millennials vs Gen X - Oct 19/16 Episode Recap

Idol Search Party

Last week Lucy overplayed her hand being bossy with Ken & David and it cost her when David played his hidden immunity idol to save Jessica.  Good-bye Lucy.

Gen X - Night 12
-They return to camp and David seems to be regretting his actions.  He saved someone that nobody really wants to work with and now, without his idol, he's incredibly vulnerable.  No one seems mad at him for it, just confused why he did it.
-Jessica, for her part, is extremely grateful and she singles out Ken to apologize to for not believing him... and she also decides to share the fact that she found a legacy advantage that she'll either get when she makes it to day 36 or she'll pass on to him.  Ken forgives her and trusts Jessica again (he's so easy.)

Gen X - Day 13
-Ain't no shame looking for the immunity idol today.  Since David played the idol last night, it is back up for grabs hidden somewhere around camp today.  Everyone is openly on the hunt for it.  David, of course, is the only one who knows to look for something that has their tribal symbol on it and he spots a small log with the symbol on it, while Sunday and CeCe are also close by.  He bides his time, the girls don't find it, get bored and go back to camp.  So, David re-finds his hidden immunity idol (well, wasn't that fortuitous?)

Challenge... or is it?
Jeff tells them to drop their buffs, and they are splitting into three tribes (what?) There is Orange (Vanua), Purple (Tikali), Green (Ikabula?) - if they draw a green buff they will be going to a new beach and starting from scratch, and that tribe will have one extra person to offset that work (I guess) but no one wants to be on Green.  Figgy & Taylor just don't want to be separated (ugh, they're starting to gross me out.)
-The pick is done and Mikaela pulls green and she is p!ssed! She throws the buff in the dirt and if looks could kill Jeff would be six feet under.  He can't help but notice and kind of needle her about it, as he smirks at her with those dimples.
Here are the new tribes:
Purple: Ken, Jessica, Taylor, Figgy and Adam (so the love birds stay together, Adam should start working the Gen X'ers.
Orange: Chris, CeCe, David, Michelle and Zeke (this is the only tribe with a majority of Gen X'ers but Chris doesn't like David or CeCe.)
Green: Mikaela, Hannah, Jay, Will, Bret and Sunday (and Mikaela's huge attitude is sucking all the oxygen out of that tribe immediately.)

Ikabula - Day 13
-They introduce themselves to each other and get to building a shelter - well Jay seems to be the only one that knows what he's doing, Bret is trying to show he's useful but really, Jay sees both Bret and Sunday as pretty useless.  He's okay with that though because the Millennials have the numbers, so it'll be easy to pick off the Gen X'ers.

Takali - Day 13
-The Millennials get the tour of their new home from Ken and Jessica.  Ken is digging the young people's energy.  He's got Figgy & Taylor just giddy to still be together - but Figgy is putting a kibosh on any physical demonstrations (no hugging or touching) and Adam is following their lead by not outing them to the Gen X'ers.  Taylor is not happy about this, and pouts that it's not a big deal but Figgy is smarter than him, he's going to listen.
-Poor Adam, he's living his worst nightmare by being shuffled into a tribe with Taylor & Figgy... and he starts talking to Ken but he's still guarded (go for it dude) he does let Ken know that he did vote against Figgy previously.  Ken likes Adam, he feels like they won the jackpot getting him in the shuffle.  Adam is smart, he knows he has bonded couples on either side of him and he could be the one to decide how things go on Takali.

Vanua - Day 14
Michelle is not happy with how her game blew up - she's on the only tribe that has minority Millennials and she's scared.
Zeke and Chris discover they are both from Oklahoma and that Chris used to play for Zeke's favourite University football team and those two are thick as thieves immediately.  Things are looking up for Zeke.  Chris is also happy as he does not trust David or CeCe, he feels like on this new tribe he has a bit more control over how he's going to play his game.  Chris tells Zeke not to worry, things are not what they seem, that he's not necessarily with the other Gen X'ers - and Zeke wants to play with the big ginger-haired football player (of course he does) it's like the heaven's opened and the light shone done. Finally something his going Zeke's way.

Ikabula - Day 14
Neither Jay or Bret can get the fire going and they are cranky and frustrated - queue determined Mikaela who is a monster when she sets her mind to something - she works the flint like a fiend, and there you go - fire.  Then she totally breaks down and has to go hide in the woods to have herself a cry. (Don't fall apart now!)  It proved to her that when she really really needs something or wants something, she is able to put the work in and make it happen, like what she is trying to do out there.  When she gathers herself, she returns the conquering hero - everyone appreciates what she did for them and appreciate how emotional it was for her.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - Day 15
They are out on the water - on Jeff's go, one person from each tribe will jump in the water and retrieve a buoy, then swim it over to the next platform and put the buoy in the basket - then the next person can go.  When they have all five buoys in the basket, they can either begin throwing the buoys towards the goal/basket or they can try and hook the basket platform and pull it closer, thus making it easier to land the buoys in the basket. 
I'm not even going to do a play by play, suffice it to say the team with David & CeCe (Orange Vanua) was so far behind it was embarrassing, especially to Chris - David couldn't get out of the water with the buoy, then he kicked it off the other side of the platform and had to go back in to get it and again almost lost it... Zeke wondered allowed, "Is he throwing this?" (and David is so skinny, he's starting to look a little like Gollum.)
Green, Ikabula won on the strength of Jay's swimming and Mikaela's basketball skills.
Purple, Tikali came in second with Ken bringing home the baskets.
Orange, Vanua, was dead last, with only one basket, maybe... I think CeCe and David are in deep trouble tonight.

Vanua - Day 15
They return to camp all dejected but CeCe sees the one bright spot for her is that for once she's not on the bottom, because they are 3 Gen X to the 2 Millennials, she's sure it's either Michelle or Zeke going home tonight.  The Gen X'ers talk and decide they are going to vote for Michelle tonight.  But Chris has other plans.  He talks to David on his own and tells him that they have to make a smarter decision if they want this tribe to survive, he's thinking CeCe tonight and, while this makes David extremely nervous, he goes along.  He tells Chris he'll stay true to his word and prove he can trust him.
-Chris and Dave go and tell Michelle & Zeke that it's Christmas, neither of them are going home tonight, they are going to vote CeCe.  Michelle doesn't trust it though and goes to talk to CeCe, see if there is any room for them to make a deal but CeCe isn't good at this game, she thinks they have the numbers, Michelle is just desperate... and she seals her fate, Michelle's only option is to vote with the guys and take CeCe out.
-David is thinking he has another immunity idol, he could play it for CeCe and take Michelle out tonight thus preserving the Gen X numbers... but he's starting to think that he should probably keep this hidden immunity idol for himself this time. He plays a lot of chess so he's used to looking moves ahead of his opponent, if that means betraying an alliance, he's gonna do it.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
-Zeke & Michelle know they are on the bottom in this new tribe and it's likely one of them going tonight.
-David is towing the line, telling Jeff that the Gen X three is very strong and he doesn't see them turning on each other tonight. (But he already told the other two, no matter what they hear at tribal, the vote is CeCe tonight.)
-Zeke makes his pitch, that they are not going to move forward in this game without connections to Millennials and he's ready to make a move with the Gen X'ers if that's what he needs to do.
-Chris knows what Zeke is saying is true - he admits that he and Zeke made a connection being Oklahoma boys.
-CeCe is concerned about this connection, going forward Chris may be willing to vote one of them out to save Zeke.
-Chris says in previous tribals he's been blindsided, so this vote will be a test of whether or not he can trust his tribe mates going forward.
-David understands Chris' distrust of him and he keeps putting himself in the position of having to proof his trustworthiness, and tonight he plans on doing that.
-Michelle doesn't understand why you would want to work with someone who blindsided you twice, she would vote out David tonight.
-David says again that if the Gen X three are truly united, they have nothing to worry about. (Read between the lines there.)

Time to Vote:
They don't show how anyone voted.

Anyone want to play a hidden immunity idol?  And David doesn't even flinch - no saving CeCe tonight.

Reading the Votes:
Michelle - 1
CeCe - 1, 2, 3 - and it's CECE voted out.  She just says, "Wow." Yup, she's not happy.
With CeCe leaving, Drew C. and Scott M. are out of the pool.

Next week: Figgy lets her guard down and reveals her "thing" with Taylor to Ken & Jessica (I think it doesn't come as a surprise).  And the challenge is a blindfold and scream directions one, with the added wrinkle of making them dizzy first (great) and we have medical called for Hannah?

CeCe's final thoughts: "Well, I got blindsided." she thinks going forward her fellow Gen X'ers are going to lose, this was the dumbest mistake they could have made.  She played they hardest she could and she thinks her kids will be proud. (yawn.)

Have a great almost weekend,

Coleen



 

Survivor Millennials vs Gen X - Oct 12/16 Episode Recap

Who's the Sucker at the Table?

Last week the ladies in his alliance took out Paul from the Gen X tribe which ruffled the feathers of the other men they blindsided with that vote.

Gen X - Night 10
Chris & Brett have their knickers in a twist, well mostly Chris, he refuses to talk to Jessica and the rest of them at first but when they continue to talk without him, he has no choice.  Jessica tells them that Paul had told her if the guys wanted to do an all guy thing the girls were on their own, and both of the guys immediately said that he never promised them anything. (That's not the point, he told her she was on the bottom.)

Gen X - Day 11
The next morning, Lucy sees her opportunity and approaches Chris & Brett about voting off Jessica, making it sound like Jessica was power hunger and had to get rid of Paul... when it's Lucy who is proving to be quite the opportunist.  Chris and Brett eat it up with a spoon - Jessica is now the enemy and they are totally on board to take her out.  Lucy also tells them that David & Ken are with her (since when?)

Millennials - Day 11
The kids are hungry and decide that they are going to go hunting for a pig... but they see a goat, oooh!
-Adam, left behind, decides to do some hunting of his own, for a hidden immunity idol.  He finds a clue to the idol hidden in a tree and he's in tears, he's so excited... until he realizes he's got to keep looking for it - but he's one step closer.

Reward Challenge
-Millennials were genuinely surprised to see that Paul was gone.

This challenge, two people from each tribe will head out in the shallows of the water to retrieve a life ring and then bring it back to their flagpole while the other tribe tries attempts to stop them anyway they can. First tribe to get a hand on their flagpole with the ring gets a point, first tribe to three points wins Reward of: FOOD - steak, sausages, veggies, spices, grill pan - it's huge.
Millennials sits out Michelle.

First round: Chris & David vs Jay & Adam - Chris is a huge dude, Jay slowed him down enough for Adam to get the ring but then Chris ties up both Jay & Adam long enough for David to get the first point for Gen X.
Second round: Sunday & CeCe vs Figgy & Michaela - Gen X ladies hang back and let the younger girls retrieve the ring, and it proves Michaela is the force to be reckoned with - she gets the first point for Millennials.
Third round: Brett & Ken vs Taylor & Will - there was a lot of back and forth with these guys - but it was Gen X getting a second point.
Next round: Jessica & Lucy vs Michaela & Hannah - Jessica gets the ring and Lucy tries to hold off the younger girls but Michaela will not be denied, she slips her top off to get away from Lucy and ends up battling the tying point to Millennials.
Game Point: David & Chris vs Jay & Zeke - Jay gets the ring, Zeke is keeping Chris occupied, David gets in there to hold up Jay from the flag pole and Chris gets in there and by sheer size and power he drags everything over to the Gen X pole to take the challenge and the Reward! 

Millennials - Day 11
Back at camp they are going over the challenge and Michaela really is one of my favourites for the greatest lines - she tells the camera she just likes to win.  You can either lose or you let your top get ripped off and win - so I was like, "they're about to see some ta-ta's today." (LOL I love it.)
-Adam is off looking for the hidden idol and he finds it... almost gets busted by Hannah, but I don't think she saw him with it.  Adam also opens up to the camera that his mother was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer 7 months ago and it was really tough for him to make the decision to go out there.  More understandable tears from Adam - she's an ultimate superfan and he hopes he can bring her some joy by being out there (and winning!)

Gen X - Day 12
Lucy talks to David & Ken and tells them they have nothing to worry about, they want to take Jessica out - and she[Lucy] better not see those two [Ken & David] talking to anybody else or she's going to get upset.  She points at Ken, are you comfortable with this?  Are you going to go tell her?  (Oh yeah, she read his face right, he is not happy to be dictated to - again.) He says he's going along and she even threatens him, if he doesn't do what she says, everyone's going to be against him (wow, really lady?  Lucy is my person in the pool and I liked it better when we didn't see her at all - what was she thinking?)
-Ken is not happy - she gave him a list of rules and regulations, they went from one dictator to another and it doesn't fly with him.

Immunity Challenge
This is a new one.  One on one tribe members will race through a series of obstacles to a chair which is kind of like a window washing rig - once on the chair the rest of the tribe will pull the ropes, raise the chair and the person on it will have to retrieve 10 numbered bags from the rows of bags on the vertical apparatus (I don't know how else to describe it).  Then the next person goes.  Once they have all 30 bags, they have to take the letter tiles out of the bags and arrange them to spell out the sentence: Somebody loses their flame tonight.
-Millennials sit Adam.
-I could do a play by play of retrieving the bags but the real story is the word puzzle here - it takes a long time to try and work out the sentence because there were so many letters and so many possible combinations.  Gen X had David working mostly on the puzzle, he's the writer and the word guy - but the Millennials proved to work better together again and with Michelle, Figgy & Michaela working the letters (with some help from Zeke) they got the sentence - Millennials won Immunity (again.)

Gen X - Day 12
-Chris is counting on Lucy to make this blindside of Jessica happen.  Lucy tells Chris that she has David & Ken on board - Lucy tells the camera that she is a Tiger Mom, her husband and kids dislike her a lot of times because she's making all the decisions (oh dang it, that's not good).
-David asks Ken what he's thinking and Ken tells him that when they were scolded by Lucy this morning he was done.  Ken thinks what needs to happen is he, David, CeCe and Jess vote for Lucy and Jess needs to bring in Sunday.  David thinks it sounds like a really great idea.
-David does a drive by with CeCe, they can't be seen talking but it's Lucy, Lucy, Lucy... CeCe got it (huh, that was easy.  Is she even playing this game?)
-Ken goes and tells Jessica, starting with "Sweety, Lucy wants you out." (Sweety would have gotten my back up, but Ken is being so sincere...) Ken tells her she has to talk to Sunday to vote Lucy or she's done and Jessica is just stunned. Jess doesn't trust what he's telling her and runs right over to Lucy to find out if she did approach Ken to take her out (for a lawyer, Jessica doesn't seem so SMRT... not trusting anyone at their word though, yeah, that makes sense.) 
-Lucy acts surprised to Jess but then vents to David and Chris that Ken told Jess, "That was the stupidest move in the world." David tells her that he's not shocked but Lucy's not listening.
-David then runs and tells Ken that Jessica told Lucy what he said (oh yeah, it was high school for sure) and Ken is shocked that Jessica didn't trust him. He thought he had a genuine connection with her and now he feels betrayed.
-Lucy asked Ken who he was voting for and they get into it, he tells her she came at him and told him what he could and could not do and that doesn't fly.  She tells the camera looking back she could have been nicer but he reacted all emotionally like a girl (oh man, she's horrible) why get all emotional about voting someone out, at least he's in the game still, right?
-Now no one knows what's going on now - Lucy asks David if he's voting for her and he says no, he's voting Jessica - but then David tells the camera if he votes Jessica he's just right back on the bottom - his other option is to play his hidden immunity idol FOR Jessica and really upset the apple cart.  He's not planning on playing the idol but he's going to take it for security... he has a lot to think about.

Tribal Council
Jeff asks if last tribal helped bring the tribe together and David says while he still thinks it was the right move, it definitely did not bring the tribe together.
-Chris says that he and Brett were upset with the rest of the alliance and it divided them.
-Lucy said it is chaos because nobody knows who is voting for who.  She thought she was okay until Jessica told her that Ken was interested in voting her out.
-Ken admits he did talk about voting out Lucy because instead of asking or discussing she just tells him you're going to do this... and Lucy jumps in, "Yeah, but that's just how I talk." She says she can be blunt but most of the time when she talks to men she thinks they can handle bluntness (is she mansplaining herself?) She says if she was him she'd realize that she was trying to help him move forward in the game - and Jeff calls her on it, "You realize you're kind of doing it again?" (No, she doesn't get it at all. She just totally lacks the finesse to win this game.)
-Ken says he's been wavering all day because someone he was loyal with wasn't loyal to him... and huge eyed Jessica makes it obvious he was talking about her.
-She asks Ken if she's supposed to trust 100% what he tells her other people are saying about her and he just looks her directly in the huge bug-eyes and simply says, "yeah."  That shut her right down.  No getting around how earnest that guy is, I don't think they know how to take Ken.
-David says, "It's a live tribal." meaning it's not set in stone.  Everything is still fluid here.
-Jess says she may be second guessing her vote tonight.  Chris says he knows how he's voting, he's not second guessing anything but who knows what everyone else is doing, "Who's the sucker at the table?"

Time to Vote:
Chris votes for Jess (saying it's for Paul - ugh!)
They didn't show how anyone else voted - though Lucy looks like someone is holding a turd under her nose.

Anyone want to play a hidden immunity idol?  And David stand up (WHAT?) he says he's really enjoyed playing with everybody but the part that may upset some people, "I'm playing this for Jessica." (And her eyes bugged out even more, I was waiting for them to just fall right out of her head, holy pop-eyes.)

Reading the votes:
Jessica - 1 - does not count
Jessica - 2, 3, 4, 5
CeCe - 1 (huh?)
Lucy - 1 - one vote left... and its LUCY voted out! (Wow, that was quite the move by David, we'll see if he and Jessica survive another vote after that move.) 

With Lucy leaving, that takes Katie L., and Coleen T. out of the pool. (Sigh, and again, I will not be winning the pool this season, but I can't say I'm sorry to see Lucy go.)

Next week: The Gen X idol is back up for grabs and everyone is out looking for it unabashedly... and Jeff tells them to drop their buffs for a surprise switch...  Which threatens to tear two lovers apart (Oh no, will Figgy and Taylor's love survive?)  I can tell you this is good news for David and Jessica.

Lucy's final thoughts: She almost controlled the whole situation and it almost worked - she just went full force and probably should have went a little slower (ya think?)

Jessica voted CeCe.  David & CeCe voted for Lucy and everyone else (including Ken) voted for Jessica.  So after all of that, Ken did what Lucy told him to do in the first place, but on his own terms I guess after Jessica betrayed his trust (sigh, he's lucky they need him for challenges or Ken would be gone soon too.)

Have a great coming weekend everyone,

Coleen




 

Survivor Millennials vs Gen X - Oct 5/16 Episode Recap

Your Mission Is Recon

Last week the self appointed leader of the Gen X majority alliance, Paul, had a medical incident but he ended up to be fine and Millennials went to tribal council where Michelle was able to sway Hannah into voting to save Figgy, which resulted in the pro-gamer, Mari, going home.

Millennials - Night 7
-They return from Tribal Council and Zeke & Adam know they are on the bottom, and they're not happy about it.  Hannah tries to talk to them to plead her case for switching her vote and in essence betraying them but Zeke just doesn't want to talk to her - he plainly tells her that and asks if they can talk later but she just won't stop talking, she won't go away (I wanted to smack her so bad... I would have walked away from her.)
-Hannah doesn't quite understand what she's done I think - she switched her vote because she didn't want to vote in the bottom but she still wants to work with Adam & Zeke, she hopes they'll use her going forward (Uh, honey, they're never going to trust you again.) She doesn't like anyone in the majority alliance.
-Adam is the other player on the bottom but as a lifelong super-fan he doesn't think anyone should count him out, he's got a lot of work to do but he's determined to turn things around.

Gen X - Day 8
-CeCe and David are talking about their bottom positions in the tribe and CeCe has prayed on it, so it's in God's hands for her. David, he's found a hidden idol and he's working to stay there.
-Then we see Paul who would have us believe he feels better than ever today and seeing as he lives in the Florida Keys and he can catch fish easily at home, he's taking the spear out fishing to provide for the tribe...because he thinks he's really good.  But he is not. He comes back with nothing but a long list of excuses and the tribe goes hungry.  Ken can't believe that people are following this guy - he is nothing but a big windbag - he makes all these claims of greatness but never follows them up.  Ken is baffled why he is on the bottom. (Because he has no personality, while Paul is only personality, they'll learn.)

Millennials - Day 8
-Adam goes for tree mail and walks right past the marked hidden immunity idol - but he comes back with a note that they are sending four members of each tribe on a summit/recon mission.  They all have to pick rocks for the chance to go - and it's: Taylor, Figgy, Will and Jay (wow, they are all in the power couple alliance, that sucks.)

Summit
-Joining the Millennials from Gen X is: Paul, ginger lawyer Chris, David and CeCe (see they were more evenly distributed, two from the main alliance and two from the outsiders).
-From what they showed us the Millennials seem to be better at this.  When directly asked if anyone was pairing off they all denied it.  Paul acted like he was performing, telling them he was the lead singer of a rock band and then backhandedly complimenting David on being so open he even screams when bugs land on him (what a jerk.)
-Paul, Chris, Jay and Will go off to swim and David & CeCe let Taylor & Figgy know Paul is trying to be the leader.  The girls go off and David makes his move with Taylor, telling him he is willing to throw in with them in a heartbeat if there is a shake up or merge, he's their guy.

Gen X - Day 8
-They return to camp and share a little of what happened. We learn mostly that Ken doesn't like being referred to as Ken Doll - he's gotten that all his life and the last thing he wants to be referred to as is a plastic doll with no penis. (Aw, poor Ken - he also has no sense of humour this guy - I think Ken is not the sharpest tool in the shed.) He does go out fishing and actually catches fish for everyone.  Ken does what he says he's going to and continues to campaign to take Paul out.  He talks to Jessica who feels bad that Ken is on the outs but she is committed to the six alliance and she is sticking with it to get her to day 36 so she can read her legacy advantage (Oh Yeah! I forgot about that.) So, no luck for Ken there.  He's just got a sad sack, why doesn't anybody like me attitude, and that is not going to get him very far in this game but I don't think he has it in him to outwit anyone (sorry to say.)

Millennials - Day 10
-Taylor & Figgy are still going strong and getting cocky with their position in the majority alliance.  Taylor, Figgy, Michelle, Jay and Will are talking about who they'll vote off next and they all agree Zeke (not the moustache!) needs to go because he'll kick all their butts in the end.
-Adam is trying to work Michaela and Hannah to get Figgy out next so he can hopefully shift the tribe and get some power - both of them don't like Figgy but they don't want to go against the alliance.  They seem to be content to just hang back for now. (Adam seems to have his work cut out for him.)

IMMUNITY/REWARD CHALLENGE
They have to carry heavy bags over and under an obstacle and then over a balance beam.  When all the bags and people have gone across the balance beam, they can open the bags and separate the beanbags from the coconuts. Then they must throw the beanbags at a stacked wall of blocks to knock them off the table - once all the blocks have hit the ground the last two tribe members must reassemble the blocks on the table to win Immunity and the Reward of luxury items - blankets, pillows, hammock and two chairs.
Off they go and it's pretty even until we get to the balance beam where Jeff tells them not every person has to carry the heavy bag across but everyone has to cross.  So the Millennials quickly have Taylor go three times carrying the bags across and then Will and Adam could just cross easier.
-Gen X had CeCe crossing super slowly, determined that she was going to get across with her bag and I don't know if she didn't hear Jeff or was tuning everyone out, but she put them way behind.  Once she finally crossed Chris took up the slack and carried Paul and Lucy's bags across so they could at least start throwing beanbags.
-Ken got Gen X somewhat back in it, clearing the table and David and Sunday did well assembling the puzzle but they were just too far behind to make it up and the Millennials won Immunity.

-When Jeff was about to send them on their way, Jay asked for the Millennials if they could please switch the comfort items for fishing gear... and they all started begging.  Jeff said the other tribe would have to agree... and Gen X was like, "uhhhhh... no." (Rightly so.)  Michaela even said it to the camera: if they were their parents they would have let us switch but we are already beating them so they don't want to make us any stronger. (Exactly!)

Gen X - Day 10
-The power six are all on board to take out CeCe tonight, it seems like a no-brainer.
-David, CeCe and Ken are going to vote Paul, they're already on the bottom what do they have to lose? (David has retrieved his hidden idol to take to Tribal, just in case.)

-Paul is confirming with Jessica, Lucy and Sunday that they are still staying the course and voting CeCe tonight.  Jessica says as long as they [the men] aren't doing a boys thing. And Paul says, (I sh!t you not)"I'm not.  You have my word I would tell you if that were the case.  I'd say, 'Ladies, you're on your own.'" (WHAT??) Oh yeah, you better believe that did not go over well.
-Jessica right away goes and tells Lucy & Sunday what Paul said to her and lets them know that they are on the bottom of this six alliance - maybe they should vote Paul tonight with the Outsiders. (Oh Yeah!)

TRIBAL COUNCIL
David tells Jeff that meeting with some of the Millennials made him see them more as peers and opened his eyes in some ways.  David also seems calmer, not because he's less anxious but he's able to deal with it better the longer he's there.
-CeCe is in no way comfortable, she fills Jeff in on the six alliance and that she, David and Ken are on the bottom.
-Chris discounts that anyone in their six will be thinking they are on the bottom and try to make anything happen with the outsiders, he says it's way too early to be making those assumptions (you should have told Paul to shut his pie-hole.)
-Jeff brings up the challenge and how the Millennials all worked together quickly to get the bags across and Gen X was very clearly a bunch of individuals (I guess maybe a participation ribbon for everyone may foster a better teamwork attitude...) The Gen X'ers agree that they may be too prideful or set in the right or wrong way instead of open to many different ways.
-Jeff does the old person test asking if they text and if they do, do they type out the word 'you' or use just the letter 'u'.  They are all full word and then clueless Ken goes on a beauty of language tangent which has Brett shaking his head. (The cop is having none of the hippy model, interesting.)  Ken prefers vinyl records too, and they all have a laugh at that.
-Paul says they are not there to go camping, they are there to play the game.
-Ken says he's trying to be an asset and hopes his work ethic will make the difference.
-CeCe gives herself 10% [chance of staying].
-Jessica hopes this vote tonight will help them move forward as a tribe.

Time To Vote:
David votes Paul
Paul votes CeCe

Tallying the votes: (No one played a hidden immunity idol, though the camera did linger on David fidgeting for a bit.)

Votes:
Paul - 1
CeCe - 1
Paul - 2
CeCe - 2
Paul - 3
CeCe - 3
Paul - 4 (that was surprising) and the third person voted out is PAUL! Chris and Brett do not look happy and the ladies have pretty good stone faces.  David is the only one who looks just delighted!

So with Paul leaving us, that takes Robert L. and Shelley A. out of the pool.

Next week: Lucy looks like she's now trying to be the dictator of the Gen X tribe (oh man, that's my girl) and in a physical challenge in the water, Gen X seems to have the size advantage and Michaela loses her top.

Paul's final words: Blindsided 150% (uh, that's not possible) - apparently someone played better than I did but I'm still in shock, trying to figure out who voted for me and what happened. (All the girls voted Paul out because he's an idiot).  When he was sick it was pretty scary but Survivor has been a great experience for him ranking right up there at the top.

Have a great long weekend everybody!

Coleen
 

Survivor Millennials vs Gen X - Sept 28/16 Episode Recap

Love Goggles

Last week we got our first look at Millennials vs Gen X and it was the older tribe that ended up at the first Tribal Council where the bossy Rachel was voted out.

Gen X - Day 5
They are still trying to make fire and are pretty frustrated with it.  Oldest player, the boat mechanic with the long silver locks - Paul, is pretty much running the place and tells us that CeCe and David are on the outs, CeCe because she aligned with Rachel and David because he just can't handle it out here... and then David offers to take a shot at making fire, and he is successful! (Who can't make it out there?)
-Chris is the ginger trial attorney with the southern accent who was just as shocked as everyone else that it was David who got the fire going... but he's still going to be the next one out.  He's the weakest challenge player so they are going to keep treating him like the tribe puppy, petting and making him happy - so they can vote him out.
-David decides he's going to gather big rocks to place as seats around his fire... and while he's out gathering rocks, might as well look for a hidden immunity idol.  Oh, I thought he said big rocks... ha! Of course scrawny David does need to be able to carry them back to camp I guess.
-In the course of gathering 9 rocks throughout the day, wouldn't you know it, he finds the idol in a marked coconut at the base of a tree.  He's just got to split it open... so maybe he doesn't have an idol (ha! But yes, he does find an idol - which is huge for him.)

Millennials - Day 5
And over on the Vanua tribe love is in the air - Figgy and Taylor are all googly eyed for each other - he's wearing love-goggles and she's mesmerized by his super blue eyes.  It would almost be cute if it wasn't so stomach turning and stupid in a game for a million dollars.
-Michaela catches them making out in the middle of the night and she's disgusted, "You stink, your mouth is nasty, you got sand in your drawers, and you're kissing somebody.  That's Disgustin!"  She is not shy about outing them to the rest of the tribe the next day too.
-Jay is worried, Taylor and Figs are in his alliance and a power couple is a huge target right out of the gate - he pulls Taylor aside for a bro-talk (after he has a chauvinistic rant to the camera about getting stuck with a girl and bailing on your boys - oof, 20 year olds) but I don't think Taylor really cares - those are some mighty strong love-goggles.

Gen X - Day 6
Loner model Ken is out spear fishing and he gets them a big old octopus and returns the provider.  The funny thing is, Ken relates most with David.  Ken sees himself as the shy, awkward kid with the speech impediment that was never really accepted and he gravitates to David more than the alpha males on the tribe.  Ken knows alliances are key in this game and he and David team up.  They see "Paul's posse" and know they need to try and make a move and break up that group.
-David realizes that he and Ken look like opposites but he really likes Ken and decides he is the guy he can trust - so he shows him the hidden immunity idol and begs him not to tell anyone.  Ken seems like a good egg and is sincere when he tells David, they're brothers.  They know in order for them to move forward that Paul has to go.

Millennials - Day 6
Michaela has taken an instant dislike to Figgy and her flirtatiousness - in Michaela's view you are supposed to work your magic behind the scenes, "you have to pull the rabbit out of the hat, you can't just show up with the rabbit." (Michaela has the best lines, but she needs to take her own medicine - she is too blunt and that's also not good in this game.)
-But I digress, while everyone is gathered together for no reason that I can see, Figgy and Michaela kind of passive-aggressively get into it - Figgy wants to know what she did and Michaela basically says you know what you did... (I really don't think she does. Figgy isn't the sharpest tool in the shed.) But she is the queen bee right now and acts the victim which means Michaela has just made herself look like the b!tch.
-Adam, who kind of reminds me of Chris Hardwick, lists off the three huge mistakes that Figgy has made so far - Don't come blazing out of the gates, Don't get into a cat fight, and sure as hell, Don't get yourself into a show-mance.

Gen X - Day 6
-Paul is directing everyone to look for wood and he tells the camera that he has to be in control, that is his regular mode, he breathes control.
-Ken is talking to CeCe about how they have to take out Paul and she is on board with that... and they intersperse their bad mouthing Paul with scenes of him looking unwell.  Really unwell - next thing you know Paul is down.  His hands are numb and he's scared.  The producers step in and they get Dr. Joe out there along with Jeff Probst who has scrambled the chopper).  (Oh man, he is the old guy out there this time but he's by no means the oldest guy that's played this game - and they think he might be having a jammer.  That is scary.)
-Luckily, they check his heart and he hasn't had a heart attack, it's just dehydration and some heat exhaustion - so they get him all squared away and he's good to stay.
-David tells the camera that he hates to say it, because he's glad Paul didn't have a heart attack, but when he went down he thought this could be a good thing for him - if Paul looks weak to the tribe, it'll be easier to get him gone.
-And just an aside - my girl Lucy is wearing black lace tights under her ripped up pants - what the heck is up with that?  Who would ever wear such a thing and you're living on the beach in Fiji, how could you stand to be wearing tights?

Day 7 - IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
They are out on floating platforms and the water is so crystal clear that the rafts look like they are hovering over the water - it was a weird optical illusion.
Anyway - head to head, one person from each tribe will jump off their platform, swim over to another platform, climb a cargo net, jump off the top grabbing a key hanging from a beam, swim with the key to a third platform and hang up the key so the next person can go - once they have all five keys they must find the one to open a box with a face mask inside. Once they have the mask they must dive down and untie five rings - once they have all the rings they have to throw them onto five targets.  First tribe to get all their rings on the targets wins immunity... and a tarp as Reward.
-Off they go and it's pretty much neck and neck until David gets in the water and scrawny TV writer can barely dog paddle... oof.  Millennials all perform relatively well, they are the first to get their mask and start getting their rings but Ken brings Gen X back up so they are neck and neck again.  Finally both tribes are throwing their rings and CeCe is hitting the targets! Millennials are getting rings on targets too but in the end its GEN X that wins this Immunity! (I can't help it, I cheered - I am in no way impartial as I'm Gen X through and through.)

Millennials - Day 7
-They dejectedly return to camp but Zeke tells us he can't help but be a little tickled to be going to Tribal Council tonight.  He came to vote people out and win a million dollars and he wants to get started.
-Figgy is in the hot seat right now, one person is not allowed to have two votes, it goes against the spirit of the game.  Zeke, Mari, Adam and Hannah are talking about voting Figgy out and Mari wants to know what are the odds she'll see a blindside coming? They all say they don't think she will (what? Are you kidding me?)  Michaela, Hannah and Will are also talking and Michaela assumes it's a no-brainer that they're voting Figgy, who else could it be?
-Zeke and Adam talk to Jay and tell him that they have to break up the twosome (why did you need to talk to him at all, you know how close he is with them?  Is it me or are they all stupid?) Jay is smart enough to play along but he's freaking out, Figgy and Taylor were in his trifecta, and he was riding that pony to the end. 
-Zeke goes on to say to Jay that he hopes taking Figgy out will bring Michaela into the group but if it doesn't, she will be the next to go.
-Jay goes and tells Michelle right away what he's learned and Michelle outright refuses to even entertain getting rid of Figgy right now - "We have to switch the vote."  And they are going to target Mari (what? The professional gamer girl?  I like her.)  So first they have to try and get Figgy and Michaela to kiss and make up.  Jay talks to Figgy and Michaela and tells them that Zeke told him Figgy was first to go and Michaela would be next so it's in Michaela's best interest to vote with them and take out Mari.
-Meanwhile Michelle is working on Will, he likens Figgy to Parvati and John Cochrane (Whhaaat? Parvati I could see but Cochrane, he's not a pretty, flirty girl) Will just means you give her momentum she can make it all the way to the end.  Michelle thinks Figgy isn't fooling anyone so they can take her out later, Mari is the bigger threat being a strategic and physically strong player.  Will doesn't like changing plans at this late hour.
-Michelle thinks she may have to pull some strings at Tribal Council to ensure they have the numbers and she gets what she wants.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
Everyone is giddy - they feel like they are inside the TV, being in front of Jeff Probst at Tribal Council - it's a terrible thing but Adam for one, can't stop smiling.
-Jeff asks Mari if Millennials are better or less prepared for this type of game having been brought up with texting instead of calling, etc.  She says her world is a 2D world playing games on her monitor but being there, looking into the eyes of real people, it's a very different thing. (Okay, didn't answer his question at all.)
-Zeke is having the adventure of a lifetime, he feels like he's the best version of himself out there because he wants to give 100% of himself out there.
-Michaela is not feeling that at all - she's not feeling the love.
-Adam says Michaela is straight shooter which is a hard thing on day one and Michaela starts defending herself but the real story is the side whispering of Michelle to awkward Hannah - telling her that she is voting Mari and asking her to switch her vote.  Hannah whispers back that she wants to know why but Michelle just says she promises to tell her later. 
-Jeff asks Hannah if people have been bonding and she throws it out there that Figgy and Taylor have been 'very' friendly.  Zeke, "If the shelter is a rocking, don't bother knocking."
-So Jeff is distracted talking to Taylor and Figgy about their, for lack of a better term, hooking up and Michelle is right back to whispering with Hannah - Even Jay gets in on the side whispers and confirms for Hannah that he's voting Mari too... and Jeff is wondering what the heck is going on.
-Hannah is too flummoxed to come up with a coherent response - she's all flustered and trying to laugh it off but she has no idea what's happening either.
-Oh and while Figgy and Taylor are trying to laugh off their coupledom and say it shouldn't matter to anyone else, Michaela makes it well known to Jeff that she openly dislikes Figgy and her treating everyone like they're stupid for not just doing what she wants.  Figgy for her part, acts the dismissive mean girl,"Oh, are we doing this again?" and I really hope she goes home.
-Everyone else wants to know what Michelle and Hannah are still whispering about but Mari comes to Hannah's rescue saying she's sure it's just Hannah being Hannah and they shouldn't be paranoid, she's probably talking about puppies or butts or something. (Oh Mari, I think you really need to be a little more paranoid.)

Time to Vote:
Zeke votes Figgy
Figgy votes Mari
Hannah takes forever to cast her vote... I thought Jeff was going to go force her to make a decision - but finally she dramatically places her vote.

No hidden idol
Tallying the votes:
Figgy - 1
Mari - 1
Figgy - 2
Mari - 2 (hmm, she's not too happy)
Figgy - 3
Mari - 3, 4, 5 and 6... MARI is the first Millennial voted out (And that really sucks! Why do mean girls prosper?)  The only thing Mari says as she leaves is, "Salty." (I think she was too open about her job as a gamer, strategic players are dangerous.)

Next week: Zeke and Adam feel betrayed by Hannah and there is a twist where the Millennials are all drawing from a bag for the opportunity to go visit the Gen X camp (I think.)

Mari's final thoughts: I got snagged from a mile away and I never saw it coming.  Survivor is the hardest game I've ever played because it pulls on the heartstrings and playing with human emotion is totally different than playing on a TV screen and... it hurts, man. (Aw, I feel bad for Mari... and also for Bob L. and Sunnie C. who are also out of the pool.)

Have a great weekend everyone,

Coleen
 

Survivor Millennials vs Gen X - Sept 21/16 Premiere Episode Recap

May the Best Generation Win

Last night the 33rd Season of Survivor began on the beautiful islands of Fiji.
20 castaways came in on boats and Jeff tells us that they don't know it yet but they are going to be divided into generations - Millennials vs Gen X.

-Millennials (ranging in age from 18 to 31) 
Taylor - Snow Board instructor with the floppy hair says his generation is all about doing what you want to do... he's a Peter Pan type (great) with a great big bug bite on his neck (that looks painful).
Mari - Professional Gamer - she makes her living playing video games on line and Survivor is the game of games and she is going to win.
Zeke - is an anomaly - bright Hawaiian shirt, scraggly 70's pornstache... he thinks Twitter is the worst thing ever invented - he's on it, but thinks it's horrendous.

Gen X (range from 33 to 52)
Chris is the ginger attorney - he says the older generation listens and uses their life experiences - if they get knocked down they know how to get up and fight.
-Sunday is the mom of 4 and youth pastor - she feels like the younger generation is more que sera sera - if it takes 7 years to go through school, who cares, my parents are paying for it.
-David is the TV writer - it took him 15 years as an associate to make it as a writer and he doesn't think any of the younger generation would put that much time into achieving their dreams, they'd just look for a new dream.

Once they reach the beach, Jeff has them all choose their buff bindle with their name on it and when they reveal orange or purple, Jeff tells them that this year it is Millennials vs Gen X - they all seem pretty psyched by that, "May the best generation win!" (Says the 18 year old.)
Jeff says, Gen X born between 1963 and 1982 - someone says "Old dudes",(I think it was the 18yr old) - and Millennials born between 1984 and 1997.  This is test to see which philosophy of life is better suited to winning Survivor.
-Will eagerly admits to being the millennial born in 1997 - he's 18 and actually left high school to play this game - the young black girl on the tribe (Michaela) is funny, "Oh, somebody's getting his GED."
-Paul can't really hide that he's the oldest, born in 1963 - he says his generation didn't get a trophy just for participating, they didn't have iPods and apps for everything, they actually had to walk to the store, nothing was delivered by a drone... the Millennials are mostly just laughing at this, except Michaela who doesn't seem amused.
-Cece was nodding along to everything Paul said and takes it a step further saying they [the Millennials] don't work for anything, everything is handed to them - oh, Michaela is having none of that...
-Adam, over on Millennials, doesn't agree with the Gen X's opinion of them - he's a smart-alec calling Jeff "Probst" and he says - wait until they win the first immunity challenge and see who has to work to win. (Oh, and they are cocky as well.)

First challenge is forage through the trees to pick up as much of the items scattered around (fruit, nuts, fish, etc.) in two minutes - and there are two stations where they will only be allowed to pick one item from a choice of two - either fishing gear or live chickens at one, and pots and pans or a hammer at the other. 
-Off they went - with only 2 minutes it was a mad scramble to get as much of the stuff as they could to their mats.  At one location someone (I think it was my girl Lucy) totally missed a clue when grabbing fruit - Jessica, the district attorney, didn't miss it though, she scooped that clue up and shoved it in her back pocket to read later (SMRT that one.)
-Gen X chose the pots and utensils over the hammer as did the Millennials but the Millennials chose the chickens while the Gen X chose the fishing gear.
-When Jeff asked the Millennials why the chickens (to bring me joy Jeff, I love a good chasing the chickens scene) they say it was because the chickens lay eggs...(uh huh, and it's food you don't have to work for.)  Gen X chose the fishing gear looking at the long term, to be able to catch food for 39 days.

Before Jeff sends them off to their beaches he tells them that they are in the Cyclone season in Fiji and it's been rough - they have to get to camp and start building a shelter quickly, this is no joke.  (But I don't think anyone was really listening judging by what came next.)

Millennials - Vanua - Day 1
They do a bit of getting to know you - Figgy is the pretty bartender chick that likes to flirt with the boys.  Mari is the professional gamer that thinks their eclectic tribe sees things in a different way and that is their advantage.  Michelle is a missionary - bible translator - recruiter with the long hippy hair she is accepted by the pretty people quickly.  The Bro Taylor with the floppy hair finds a kindred spirit in Jay "who has gnarly hair.  I can tell he's a bro." (Yeah, I almost hurt myself rolling my eyes at this guy.)  Taylor also gets along with Figs cause she's cute... yup, the young pretty people are drawn together like magnets already.
-Zeke (Hawaiian shirt/moustache) thinks he's an 80 year old man at heart - he's on a tribe with children, none of these kids have ever had a real job, they can't do anything. 
-But they are working on building a shelter - sort of - there is bamboo being put together in a platform-y kind of way.

Gen - X - Takali - Day 1
There are hugs all around and then Paul wants to make a speech about how he was happy to learn that they were divided by generation, he thinks they have better odds now, with people who know how to build... and then Model Ken jumps in to cut him off, saying our parents taught us humidity (I think he meant humility but it sure sounded like humidity) but he cautions that they don't underestimate the younger generation because while [the Gen-Xers] were working with their hands, the Millennials were using their minds... (whoa dude, really) - Ken goes on to say that he's been living off the grid in the jungle of Maui (really? How lost can you get on Maui) but he's familiar with setting up camp, how to get food, etc and he wants to help with that.  Okay, trial attorney Chris gets them moving to start on the shelter and they are looking to Zen-master Ken for guidance.
-District Attorney Jessica with the buggy eyes - takes this opportunity "while gathering bamboo" to hide from the group and read the clue she found - it says it's the Legacy Advantage - if she is in possession of it on day 36, she will receive an advantage in the game.  If she is voted off before day 36, she must will the advantage to another player. (Oooh, that's new... interesting.)

Millennials - Day 1
So, pretty people - Figgy, Jay, Taylor and Michelle already seem to be bonding.  Michelle is also the bible girl so Hannah who is awkward also makes friendly overtures to her... lots of feeling each other out still.

Gen X - Day 1
Rachel is annoyingly passive-aggressive with Paul while trying to build the shelter and her confrontive (is that a word, Sunday used it but I don't think it is) attitude does not go unnoticed by the group.  Chris says to policeman Bret that they should just get to building this shelter, with TV writer David there, who fully admits to them that he has never built anything and he's all high strung like a Chihuahua... this guy is not doing himself any favours. David tells the camera he doesn't like sleeping outside, he doesn't like bugs, he doesn't like sun, he doesn't like the ocean...(yeah, he was built for this, hahaha.) but he loves the gameplay and that's why he's there.
-David then just starts letting paranoia take over, he's telling Chris and Bret he thinks Paul and Ken are looking for an idol... he's just trying too hard and it's annoying to the guys that are just trying to get the shelter built.

Millennials - Day 1
Oh, sugar cane break... the wind has picked up enough to knock their tribe flag over - and then they take a swim (did you not hear... cyclone season...) but then it starts to get dark and they realize, huh, we still don't have our shelter built and here comes the storm... Yeah, the platform collapses under their weight and they end up huddled under palm fronds freezing and soaking wet.  Welcome to Survivor!

Gen X - Day 2
They didn't fare much better through the miserable night - they are all soaked and freezing as well.  They are trying to get back to work on their shelter in the rain the next morning when they get tree mail with a tarp from Jeff - the note says the weather is not expected to get better and he knows they haven't had time to build their shelters but they will have to return the tarps when things get better 'or else'.  They are thankful for the tarp but it's also worrying because nothing like that has ever happened in Survivor that they can remember.

Millennials - Day 2
Michaela says you know it's bad when Jeff gives you a tarp.  They get to work trying to rebuild their shelter in the pouring rain, Zeke says he doesn't know how things could get much worse than they were last night... when we see Jeff coming in to their beach on a boat  (Uh oh.)

For the first time in Survivor history - the cyclone has been upgraded to the point where it is unsafe and they are going to evacuate!  The youngins, and their chickens go first.  By the time Jeff gets to the Gen X evacuation, it's scary how windy and treacherous the surf has become. The time lapse footage of the lightening in the clouds was spectacular, but I would not have wanted to be camping out in that, that's for sure.

Gen X - Day 3
They get back to camp and their shelter has completely collapsed, a tree came down on it in the storm. Crap!  They jump right in and get moving on the shelter, again.
-David knows that he's not physically an asset to the tribe, he's also neurotic, worries about death every day (and he's telling them this) but he's decided he's going to turn the game around for himself by getting out there and looking for an immunity idol - right out in the open, where everyone can see him and knows what he's doing...(David is not so SMRT.) He's now put a target on his back.

Millennials - Day 3
They get back to camp and Zeke takes control, getting everyone organized to rebuild the shelter.  He's from Brooklyn, what does he know... but he got them together and he also made fire!  Way to go Pornstache! He never thought in a million years that he would be the one to make fire without flint, he's a changed man out there, it's already changed him in a positive way.
-Jay, Taylor and Figgy are the Tri-force, dude!  (Ugh!)
-Hannah wants to squash the pretty bully Millennials from taking over and she approaches Mari and talks about wanting the geeks to band together as well.  Mari is talking to everyone else, Adam, Michaela, Hannah - that the four pretty people are isolating themselves and Figgy is running the show and that is dangerous.  While they have the numbers, they have to strike to split up the pretty four.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
-First, both tribes returned their tarps and avoided any Jeff berating and penalty.

The challenge was pretty cool - they had to run an obstacle course then finish a puzzle at the end but this was different because they had the option to choose to make the obstacles easier/take a short cut and add pieces to the puzzle - or run the course as is and do a smaller, simpler puzzle.
-The Gen X tribe decided to take both short cuts, increasing the final puzzle from 50 to 70pcs and the Millennials only used one short cut (making the balance beam just a raised platform) and they only had to do a 60pc puzzle.
-At the end, Rachel and David over-sold their puzzle abilities and lost a lot of time for Gen X - allowing the Millennials to win the first Immunity challenge.

Gen X - Day 4
Police Officer Bret was shocked they didn't win against the Millennials today - he blames Rachel for screwing up the puzzle.  He talks to Sunday and Jessica who agree that they are good with voting out Rachel.  David, meanwhile, is being left out of discussion so he's convinced they are all against him and he's going home.  Jessica is worried he has an idol and Bret is sure that David has an idol, but David swears he doesn't and to prove he can be trusted he says he will vote however they tell him to.  The rest of the group decides they are going to split their votes to ensure if an idol is played that one of the people they vote for will be going home and it sounds like it's Rachel and David on the block... Bret, Chris, Jessica, Sunday, Paul, and Lucy are in on this plan - leaving Rachel, CeCe, David and Ken on the outside.
-Rachel and CeCe look pretty chummy and they also both look very worried. Rachel is trying to find out what's going on but they are stonewalling her... yeah, she's in trouble. (And honestly, she's my pick to go - confrontational and annoying does not make for happy camp-life.)

TRIBAL COUNCIL
-Jessica's eyes look horrible - during the evacuation, the sand was being flung around in the wind and scratched one of her eyes which got infected and has now spread to her other eye - they look awful! (Hopefully that won't take her out of the game, I like Jessica so far.)
-Jeff calls on David and he says, "Oh Crap."  Jeff asks why he said that and everyone, almost in unison, says, "Because he's afraid of everything."  Ha!  David says he's his own worst enemy out there, he's grateful for the experience and he really doesn't want to go home.
-Of the ten of them Jeff asks who has felt they could be going home - and everyone raises their hands except Lucy (that's my girl with the serious RBF [resting bitch face] - I don't think we've heard her say anything yet... I don't know if that's good or bad.)
-Rachel has felt the paranoia today with everyone pairing off and not talking to her - why she thinks it could be her - because she's been very up front and says what's on her mind... she doesn't mean to be mean or hurt people's feelings (but it sounds like she knows she has) -she apologizes to everyone if "I've made you feel a certain way." (what? ... Ugh, b-bye)
-Jeff asks if they think there are idols, if there has been talk - Jessica says there has been talk and that's why things go back to David... "Ain't it great?" he says - also he wants to prove he can be trusted and knows this is a test.

Time to Vote:
They didn't show how anyone voted.
Tallying the Votes:
No one plays a hidden immunity idol (though Bret must not be a very good cop because he's convinced David had an idol and is disappointed when he doesn't play the idol he doesn't have.)
Votes:
Dave - 1
Rachel - 1
Sunday - 1
CeCe - 1
Rachel - 2
CeCe - 2 (really, when did her name even come up?)
Rachel - 3
CeCe - 3
Rachel - 4 & 5 - RACHEL is the first person voted out of Survivor Millennials vs Gen X - she doesn't say a word or look at her tribe again.

So, with Rachel leaving first, Andria S. and Kim B. get their pool money back (well at least there is that.)

Next week: Romance is blooming between Taylor and Figgy - Jay cautions Tay that power couples don't last but will the Bro listen?  And on Gen X, someone may be having a heart attack... is it Paul? David says this may be a good thing for him (oof.)

Rachel's final thoughts: Survivor is one of the most difficult and brutal social games on the planet, however I am grateful for the experience and I'm hoping to utilize it to grow as a person.  (Wow, that was a very pageant-y and buzz wordy speech - Hasta La Vista, Rachel.)

It was an auspicious beginning, I have high hopes for this season and should probably apologize to any Millennials reading the recap since I am of Gen X and pretty predisposed to agree with the sentiments expressed this episode - but I'll try to stay open minded :)

Have a great almost weekend,

Coleen



 

Survivor Millennials vs Gen X - POOL PICKS

Survivor Millennials vs Gen X - Premiere Wednesday Sept 21, 2016
Tribe: Vanua	Millennials	Tribe: Takali	Gen X
Michaela Bradshaw	1. Bryon L.	Rachel Ako	1.  Andria S.   FIRST OUT
Age: 25	2. Kevin C.	Age: 37	2.  Kim B.
Jessica "Figgy" Figueroa	1. Kevin R.	Sunday Burquest	1. Shane B.
Age: 23	2. Susan N.	Age: 45	2. Lynne B.
Adam Klein	1. Sharon R.	Chris Hammons	1. Elaine R.
Age: 25  WINNER	2. Cindy M.	Age: 38	2. Bernice R.
Michelle Schubert	1. Alexis G.	Lucy Huang	1. Coleen T.
Age: 28	2. Terry B.	Age: 42	2. Katie L.
Hannah Shapiro	1. Trish W.	Bret LaBelle	1. Lee B.
Age: 24	2. Jeff T.	Age: 42	2. Lindsay J.
Zeke Smith	1. Trish J.	Jessica Lewis	1. Mike L.
Age: 28	2. Emily H.	Age: 37	2. Kim A.
Justin "Jay" Starret	1. Gillian H.	Ken McNickle	1. Shira C.
Age: 27	2. Melissa G.	Age: 33	2. Roxanne S.
Taylor Lee Stocker	1. Tori K.	Ciandre "Cece" Taylor	1. Scott M.
Age: 24	2. Brandon L.	Age: 39	2. Drew C.
Mari Takahashi	1. Bob L.	Paul Wachter	1. Robert L.
Age: 31	2. Sunnie C.	Age: 52	2. Shelley A.
Will Wahl	1. Lois & Dave L.	David Wright	1. Cara & Alex L.
Age: 18	2. Carol-Anne D.	Age: 42	2. Cindi C.