Survivor 41: Season Premiere Blog Party

 

Are y'all ready? Tonight's show is two hours (leading into Big Brother). Since it is so long and I will probably have a lot to write about, the blog pool match-ups as well as images/names of the new castaways are at THIS LINKED POST. That post can be used as a cheat sheet until we get used to the names!

I will try to keep updating the best I can through tonight's show as it airs here on the East Coast -- it's always hard until I get the names down and I won't really have the luxury of checking out my own cast cheat sheet while updating! Refresh this page to get the latest news. As always, the real party is in the comments area. Please feel free to join in on the fun!

It sounds like we're in for some changes according to Jeff. And, I'm not just talking the 26 instead of 39. They're running clips of the new castaways. Tiffany was an alternate. Except for her, all the others were in a holding pattern during the pandemic. The tribes are being boated to a barge already wearing the color buffs. Naseer learned English by watching Survivor from season 21 on.

Jeff asks them if calling them all "guys" is okay. No one objects. I don't object either. As long as he doesn't call them all "dudes." He tells them it's a shorter season, very meager supplies -- one machete, one flint, no rice. Gameplay has never been more dangerous.

They have to find their color-coded six paddles, get in tribe boat, go retrieve flint. Only one tribe gets the machete and flint. The others get nothing. Yase (yellow) can't even find their paddles! Ua (green) pulled out in front of Luvu (blue) who didn't release one of their anchors. Oops! Ua wins the machete and flint!

Ua is pulling together nicely. Jairus, one of the child castaways (born 2001) even made fire. Yase has to choose between two tasks. If they complete one they can earn supplies. The physical challenge has them filling barrels with ocean water, only two in there. David who wanted the savvy challenge (solving a triangle riddle) rather than sweat got drafted. He's not happy. On Luvu, they also go for the water hauling.

Genie has been married to her wife for 25 years. Ricard is married to his transgender pregnant husband and they have a daughter. On Luvu, Danny and Deshawn carry the water AND search for idols! Uh-oh ... Naseer sees them and tells the others! Nothing like putting targets on their backs on the first day!

Liana and Evvie are bonding. Yase's Abraham is already pointing out what he perceives as weaknesses on his tribe. Heck, they were ALL weak if they missed that paddle!

Jairus is called JD. He is working with Brad already. JD seems to be rubbing many the wrong way and Ricard and the women already have him on their radar.

Both tribes finished the water challenge. One of the women tell Danny and Deshawn that Naseer told them they were looking for idols so now they decide that Naseer needs to go first.

Luvu has a visitor which needs one of them to go with him. Danny volunteers. Xander goes for Yase. JD pulls rocks with his tribe and ends up getting the odd rock.

The three see a sign telling them to go to the summit and get to know each other. JD tells us he was picked on while growing up. His Survivor "heroes" like Ozzy and Woo gave him inspiration.

At the top of the summit, a sign directs them to separate and make a decision. They can protect their vote, risk their vote. If all choose the first all stays the same. Risk has them risk to get an extra vote. Danny wants Protect. It doesn't show what the other two decided.

Danny tells his tribe the truth. Xander risked it and told his tribe. He said he did it for the team. JD tells them he protected his vote. They all think he's lying.

First Immunity Challenge is at hand. The game must be afoot. Ricard brings up that he doesn't like "guys." Jeff is happy. He won't say it again. He tells them of a new twist at Tribal. Shot in the Dark. Don't vote, reach in for a 1 in 6 shot for safety in the voting booth.

Over and under obstacles to sled, load puzzle pieces, clear track, pull up track and two members solve puzzle. Two losing tribes go to Tribal, two going home. Both losing tribes lose their flint.

LUVU wins Immunity! Ua and Yase have to give Jeff their flints.

Tiffany and Liana want to target Abraham while Abraham wants David and Xander to target Tiffany. They bring in Evvie who acts like she agrees. Evvie works on David to switch the target to Abraham. Tiffany knows her name is out there. She goes looking for an idol. Jeff shows us where he hid it and she goes right by it.

Sara is crying on her tribe. Ricard is pushing for JD to go. He talks to the others and they all seem to be on board. Brad comes along and says JD is strong and the weak players are Shantel and Sara.

Yase and Ua head off to Tribal Council to face Jeff's Probsting questions. First up is Yase. In answer Abraham talks about moving on with the strengths. Tiffany says he talks around in circles. Jeff starts asking and talking about the Shot in the Dark. Xander collects his extra vote at the booth. 

Jeff goes to tally the votes. Tiffany, Abraham, Abraham, Abraham, Abraham. That's four, enough. Abraham is the first out. He didn't see it coming at all but it's all his fault.

Ua goes in. Jeff congratulates them on the first win they had from the vote. JD again says he protected his vote. Hmm. Jeff brings up to Sara about the puzzle piece she accidentally left in the bag which cost them the challenge. Uh-oh ... whispering while JD is talking. Sara and Shan were the names out there. Whoa! Ricard just whispered to JD to vote Brad! They all bring their dice for Shot in the Dark. YES! JD was lying! He has the extra vote!

Jeff tallies the votes. Ricard, Sara, Brad, Sara, Sara. Sara is voted out.