What a waste of an IDOL  dumb move IMO.

  'Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers' Recap: Time to Merge and Make a Huge Move
Wednesday, November 08, 2017

Kim Stempel
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

Last time on Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, Hustler Ali was eliminated by the Soko Tribe, due largely to her longtime ally, Ryan. On the Levu Tribe, Joe somehow managed to locate another immunity idol. 

This episode of Survivor titled, "Get to Gettin'," celebrates that special time in a contestant's life when they drop their buffs and merge into one large, messy, cut-throat tribe. It is about to get interesting!

Soko Tribe (yellow buff)

Back at the Soko tribe, Chrissy takes a moment to celebrate the fact that she is the queen of the social game, and how happy she is that the three of them sent Ali home. 

Yawa Tribe (red buff)

Cole feels great about how close and united the entire Yawa Tribe has become. If they continue to work together, they would have a powerful position post-merge. But, Ben has some big concerns about how close Cole and Jessica have become. 

Levu Tribe (blue buff)

At the Levu Tribe, Ashley laments the fact that the tribe is split into two sections: Ashley and Devon against Joe and Desi. Worse yet, they have absolutely no food left except for a small amount of sugar. They are all struggling against the physical hunger, and Devon can barely walk due to weakness. 

Reward Challenge

After a few seconds of chat, Jeff says the magic words: "Everybody drop your buffs! You are merged!" There are cheers of joy as the group embraces each other in celebration. The new tribe, called Solewa, will sport trendy purple buffs. This newly-minted tribe is comprised of five Healers, four Heroes, and three Hustlers. All the tribe members immediately start asking about a feast, and Jeff teases them by saying that things will be a little different this time around. 

Just as everyone starts to panic, Jeff announces that they have brought Outback Steakhouse to Fiji! When Ben hears the word "rib-eye" he jumps up in the air and shouts in excitement. The castaways will each have steaks cooked to order, along with salad, baked potatoes, chocolate lava cakes, beer and margaritas. Not too shabby, right?

An Overlooked Advantage

Everyone enjoys the food, but make no mistake, the game has not taken a breather. Chrissy meets Joe for the first time, and promptly wishes that she hadn't because of his obnoxiousness. Ashley believes that the Yawa tribe can sway Joe and Desi over to their side, and they would have the clear majority. Chrissy and Ben are reunited, but Ben bristles when Chrissy wants to talk strategy in front of the group, thereby revealing their secret alliance. 

Did Ryan Ruin His Chances to Win Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers Vs. Hustlers?>>>

Back at camp, the tribe builds an amazing shelter with the tools and nails that they are given. Cole looks around for a secret advantage, and he overlooks the one packed in with the nails. Jessica talks with Desi and is elated to discover that her two Healer friends are still helping each other. That would make five healers, along with Ben and Lauren from the Yawa Tribe. 

And finally, the reunion that I have been waiting for -- Ryan and Devon. Let the bro-mance continue! Devon and Ryan want a Heroes and Hustler alliance. Ryan also notes how important this first post-merge vote is as a launching pad for the rest of the game. Devon fills Lauren in on the plan, but Lauren decides that she wants to stick with Dr. Mike and the rest of the Healers. Mike feels good about his bonds with Ben and Lauren, even though he knows that a big battle is imminent.

Devon continues to tell everyone about the Heroes and Hustler alliance, and Chrissy and Ben immediately zero in on Joe as a target. Ben is torn between sticking with the Heroes or the Yawa Five. For Ben, in the end, the questions boil down to whether Cole is trustworthy and whether they can get him to stop eating everyone else's food. Ben rats Cole out to Jessica, and she acknowledges that Cole has made some errors in judgement regarding eating tons of food. 

Ben goes to Dr. Mike and tells him that Devon is willing to vote for either Joe or Cole. To even consider voting Cole would smash the entire Yawa alliance. Mike tells Cole that his name has been mentioned as the next in danger of going home. 

Immunity Challenge

It is finally time for the first individual immunity challenge. The contestants must stand on a narrow wooden beam while rotating a ball inside a circular track. The players will move down the beam, which increases the difficulty. If a player steps off the beam, or drops their ball, they are out of the challenge. Ryan drops his ball almost immediately, followed by Dr. Mike. (This challenge is much harder than it looks.) Desi and Ashley make it to the final two, but Desi finally triumphs. 

Cole decides to apologize to Ben for his selfish eating habits, and Ben tells Cole that everything is fine between them. Joe approaches Cole to see whose name has been on the chopping block. When Cole replies that they both are in danger, Joe explains what a strong player he is, in case the viewers at home are unaware. 

The Yawa Five discuss what a huge threat Chrissy is in the game, but Ben is missing from the discussion. No one knows which alliance he is going to honor. Ben is still itching to get rid of Cole, and Lauren tries to dissuade him from blowing up their cushy alliance. Ben also is in his super-secret alliance with Chrissy, and now he must decide which group he would like to infuriate. He knows that tribal council will be war, and he is ready for whatever may happen. 

The Heroes and Hustler alliance has a chat about who their target should be. They suspect that Joe may have an idol or give one to Cole, so they settle on Jessica as a back-up. 

Tribal Council

Jeff wonders if the contestants are being loyal to their original groups, or their newer tribes. Cole states that he trusts his alliance and feels safe. Joe points out that long-term loyalty is more important than whether someone is a physical threat. Dr. Mike talks about how, on the first Healer tribe, Joe confronted him about looking for idols. Joe jumps up and shows his newest idol, boasting that he will find an idol at whatever camp he goes to. Cole becomes quite concerned that he is in more danger now that Joe has an idol. Jessica agrees that an idol upends the game and shakes everything up. Ben states ominously that the "battle lines are drawn."

The Vote

Joe presents Jeff with his immunity idol, so any votes for Joe will be excluded. Chrissy and Jessica are the only players to get votes, and in the end, Jessica is the seventh person vote out of Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. Cole looks distraught.

Were you surprised that Jessica was voted out? Was Joe foolish to play his idol?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS. Want more news? Like our Survivor Facebook page.

(Image courtesy of CBS)

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