Survivor 43: Season Premiere Blog Party

 

Good evening! Here we are, after more than twenty years (yikes) to Season 43. I'm glad that they're using season numbers now. I guess it's due to the more or less forever home in Fiji. But still ... the numbers are easier on me!

Jeff Probst has already let us know that it's once again a shortened season for the castaways themselves. I believe they are still making them quarantine ahead of the filming for Covid reasons. Thankfully, the rather failed twist of hourglass smashing will be gone. Only those castaways who used it liked it -- not the show fans, nor the other castaways.

Tonight's show will be two hours followed by the season premiere of The Amazing Race 34. I will be live-blogging both shows. So, once Survivor ends, head to the next post which should magically appear a few minutes before TAR starts. No BB24 tonight!

Since we are skipping the first boots, the Survivor and The Amazing Race blog pools are both still open for sign-up until Friday. But don't wait! The Survivor blog pool sign-up is this here link. The Amazing Race blog pool sign-up is this link.

I will be live-blogging tonight's show the best I can. I can't promise perfection, mind you. I am not all that familiar with the cast and won't really know them for a few weeks. But I should get all the major happenings down. Refresh the page to get the latest update. As always, the real party is in the comments area. I hope to see you there!

We get briefs on the castaways as they boat into the Fijian Islands. One woman is indeed there to make friends ... and win. Oh my gosh, it IS the COCO tribe, not KOKA (or however I was spelling it). At least one castaway hadn't even been born before the first season -- Borneo -- aired.

Jeff greets the three tribe groups - Coco, Baka, Vesi. We get more introduction to some of them as Jeff asks his Probsting questions. What exactly is Survivor? A game. An adventure. Red - Vesi, Blue - Coco, Yellow - Baka.

It's a Reward challenge to get the pot, machete and flint. The two losing teams do not get flint. Have to race to get two heavy wooden crates, bring them back. then retrieve one from the water, pull the boat with it back to the shore. Then bring those crates in. Puzzle with the crates to build cube to stand on and retrieve the flint from above.

VESI wins Reward!

The tribes are off to their respective campsites. No one on the Reward winning tribe knows how to build a shelter, nor even how to use a machete. They will learn!

On Baka, the oldest person -- Mike is a bit worried. Message from Jeff - Savvy or Sweat. To earn supplies. Four hours to complete either task. Flip over the timer, the challenge has started. Two members have to do the task. They choose Savvy. Move two bones to form the largest whole number. You can only move two bones at one time. Hmm. 

The Coco tribe chooses Sweat which has them digging for their supplies. Ryan ends up digging it up within a half-hour. We get his cerebral palsy background. On Baka, Sami solves the puzzle. He is telling people he is 22, not 19. 

On Vesi they are already trying to get alliances going. To me, just in observation, Cody is coming across as a snake oil salesman type. He might sell elevators in real life, but snake oil on the island. Jesse seems popular with two different groups.

On Baka they are trying to build a shelter. Owen thinks no one seems to be scheming, all are working hard and guarded. We get Elie's sad sister passing away background. Jeanine and Morriah hug her and the three form a bond.

On Coco, it appears the genders are also bonding into groups. Lindsay and Carla want to work with James.

Over on Baka, Sami might be making a mistake and putting a target on his back for the merge -- he solved the puzzle and now has made fire. Mike, at 51, feels he is not doing well. Okay, Elie and Mike have a heavy metal music love.

On Coco LGBTQ folks Geo and Karla have a rather built-in bond. They already trust each other. They also have Ryan with them. Karla is also in another group and is surprised that she seems to be so in with the others.

On Vesi, we get the gang background on Jesse. He's telling the others about tattoos he has had removed. He tells us that he went to juvie, passed the GED with the highest score they had ever seen and is now a PHD student. Justine thinks she can build a fire, but nope.

A boat shows up on Vesi. A commercial shows up for us!

A boat arrives for each tribe, separate boats of course. They each get a note. One person must get on the boat, return in the afternoon.

Karla goes for Coco. Mike (Gabler) goes for Baka and Dwight for Vesi. A hike to a giant rock, get to know each other. We get Karla's educational background of firsts. Risk or not Risk, like in previous season. Choose secretly to risk or not risk vote. One has an advantage, the rest lose their vote. Karla did not risk, the other two did. Dwight and Gabler have to draw for the win. They can't open until back at their camps.

Vesi still hasn't made fire even with the flint they earned. Justine finally did it! Woot! Dwight tells them about the island trip. He told them he doesn't know what he got and won't know until later. Cody (snake oil!) tells Jesse he doesn't trust him.

Gabler tells his Baka people roughly the same thing. He opens his risk and WON. He lets his tribe know. He technically has an idol. Dwight opens his and now they know Gabler has an idol.

Time for the Immunity Challenge! Race squirming through mud, over obstacles collecting three balls, one person from each dig under log, climb up almost vertical wall to balance beam to finish. First tribe picks what table game, the others then choose. First two tribes safe. Last tribe loses flint and goes to Tribal.

Coco chooses the table maze first. Vesi chooses the straight shot game. Baka has the obstacle game.

COCO wins Immunity! VESI wins Immunity! Baka will lose their flint and someone will go home.

Gabler thinks because he (and Sami) did the game, he will be a target. He plans on taking his shot in the dark instead of playing his idol because he feels the loss was at least in part his fault. His tribemates tell him they have no thought of voting him out -- he gets along with everyone and he's a workhorse. The target attention turns to Morriah. Sami tells Morriah that she's safe with him. Morriah thinks that Dwight is a possible target. Elie wants to vote out the weakest. Jeanine doesn't want the women to then be picked off. Sheesh, they're all over the place. It only seems that neither Sami nor Gabler will go home.

Tribal Council time. Jeff asks his questions. Sami says it was all Kumbaya and they are the final six. They feel good about their efforts to win. Will they vote for strength or effort to get to know each other? Now Jeff feels the tension in the tribe.

Time to vote. Gabler does not play his idol.

The vote: Morriah, Owen, Morriah, Morriah, Morriah ... four is enough. The first person voted out is Morriah.

For The Amazing Race, move on to the next blog post!