Just getting to Final Tribal Council is obviously the main objective of the eight players still left in the game, but deciding who the ideal person to plead your case against is starting to weigh on them all. There are predictable patterns in Survivor when choosing who a player brings to the end. Often, the goal is to bring a sacrificial goat to the altar of Probst, one that will receive no votes to win. There are two ends of the goat spectrum: someone who essentially acts as an extra vote for the dominant player, plied with promises of a spot at FTC (i.e., Natalie from Redemption Island or Sherri from Caramoan). Or it’s someone so ruthless and hated who played a game filled with such overt betrayals and lies that the jury simply doesn’t respect them or their gameplay (Russell in Heroes vs. Villains and Sash from Nicaragua). Either way you look at it, a goat will always be the safest option to argue against.
There’s another pattern in terms of FTC, too. If you’re deemed as having the “saddest” or most “compelling” personal life story, you’re targeted as someone impossible to beat. Basically, being targeted for things beyond your control, I’m sure getting voted out this way is as frustrating as it is understandable. Unfortunately for future fan-favorite Noelle, this is exactly why she never had much chance of making it to the end. There have been other players with disabilities throughout the past 42 seasons, including Nina on Worlds Apart, who was explicitly voted out due to her use of cochlear implants. While Nina was voted out because her tribemates falsely perceived her disability as a weakness, Noelle was voted out this week for the opposite reason. Noelle has kicked so much ass this season that if she’s given a chance to argue at FTC, no one else sees a chance to beat her. And while I’m against the idea of using disability as inspiration porn, Noelle has indeed been bringing viewers nearly to tears almost every week. She’s a Paralympian and a former D1 lacrosse player, so her athleticism has never been questioned, but her ability to persevere through challenges that were clearly not designed with someone who uses a prosthetic leg in mind has been extremely impressive. In fact, her performance in the reward challenge was so incredible it all but sealed her fate.
So far, most of the challenges have been no more difficult for Noelle than her competitors (minus that god-awful-looking rope tunnel). But by the third leg of this week’s reward challenge, she was in tears. Everyone had to cross a narrow balance beam and untie a bag along the way, but no one else was sporting a prosthetic leg with no knee joint. The balance beam was hard enough but bending down to untie the bag was what made Noelle fall off repeatedly. All of her competitors were on the final stage for what seemed like hours, attempting to toss the bag onto a tall post over and over. But all of their attempts were in vain because Noelle finally made it across and landed it in just two throws. As a panic crier myself, her ability to get out of that mindset and win the challenge was amazing to watch.
But high highs often lead to low lows, and this win led to Noelle’s torch promptly getting snuffed. Respected until the very end, she was given the honorable death of a blindside. Just like James said last week, getting blindsided is ultimately a compliment — if someone taking away your chance to be a millionaire can ever really be a compliment. Additionally, Noelle joins the ranks of players who have been voted out after winning the family reward. Although no family members get flown out anymore, this was the season’s biggest reward, and Noelle got to choose three people to bring to the Sanctuary for an overnight stay, a feast of pizza and beer, and most importantly, letters from their loved ones. This is such a coveted reward that throughout the show’s history, over 20 percent of the players who have won the loved ones’ reward have gone home that very episode. It’s much easier to pretend you didn’t really want to eat that pizza, but by this stage in the game, any bit of love from someone who supports you unconditionally is a priceless morale booster. And for Jesse, bursting into tears while reading letters from his wife and kids gave him the clarity he needed to vote off someone as successful and likable as Noelle. She was a good ally while it lasted, but this was a heart-wrenching reminder of why he’s really there.
Only seven players remain, and from where I’m seated, it’s still looking like either Karla or Jesse will clinch the million in a few weeks. Both have played strategically and physically impressive games. Cody is Jesse’s day one ally, too, giving him the security of knowing he can scheme and vote with at least one person he fully trusts. But Cody is more openly threatening; he also blocks Jesse from being voted out first. As we get down to it, Karla, Cass, and Jesse continue to pull ahead of their competitors.
Burning Thoughts
• Survivor has been a staple in my family since Borneo, but this week was the first time we’ve all watched together in so many years. Planning the loved ones’ letters for the week of Thanksgiving when many of us were home for the holiday? Big-brained decision on the producer’s end.
• Shout-out to Cass for that Immunity win! She said from day one that she was going to play it cool until she unleashed her true self, and between the challenge win and last week’s move against Ryan, it seems like it’s finally time.
• Next week promises the return of my all-time favorite challenge, Last Gasp. An utterly terrifying challenge, it hasn’t been played since Caramoan and I cannot WAIT to see how it plays out. Hanging out under a grate while the tide rolls in over your face? Yeah, I think I’m good on the couch …
