On last week's episode of "Survivor: Second Chance" we saw a blindside that will go down in history. As one of the most memorable moments of this already intense season so far, Andrew Savage went home thanks to Kelley Wentworth's hidden immunity idol, and she knew there was no better time than that Tribal Council to use it. With Savage and Kass McQuillen as the first members of the jury, and 11 contestants fighting for that ultimate survivor title, the rest of the game is bound to keep us on our toes.
In the sneak peek for tonight's episode, we see the remaining castaways, Ciera Eastin, Kelly Wiglesworth, Spencer Bledsoe, Abi-Maria Gomes, Jeremy Collins, Kimmi Kappenberg, Stephen Fishbach, Joe Anglim, Keith Nale, Tasha Fox and Wentworth all searching for the next hidden idol. Prior to Savage's blindside, it seemed as though Wentworth, Eastin, Fishbach and Gomes were next to go home, but Wentworth's strategy paid off, and now it really is anybody's game. Fishbach is still set on getting Anglim, who is by far the biggest challenge out of the game, but others want to see him stick around longer. With Savage being Anglim's biggest alliance, it'll be interesting to see if Fishbach's plan to get rid of him will finally go as planned. Eastin, Gomes and Wentworth are still in danger, according to the other contestants, but Wentworth may have just proved she's a much bigger threat than anyone thought, and this could make or break her game. Hopefully, Anglim can continue to dominate in the individual immunity challenge once again so we won't have to say goodbye to the best player just yet.
What looks like it will be the most interesting aspect of the game, though, is the individual immunity challenge. As the contestants are standing in the pouring rain on the triangular blocks floating in the water, you can see as host Jeff Probst is about to make things much more interesting as he gives them an opportunity to fight for what they all need at this point. "First one to touch their buoy earns an advantage in the game," you can hear Probst say in the preview for episode 9. This advantage will most likely be exactly what they need to stay in the game, and you can only imagine how intense the challenge is going to be once they realize they have to literally swim for their lives to survive. Offering an advantage in the middle of a challenge is not something we see often on "Survivor," but that's what "Second Chances" is all about-trying to throw these experienced players off.
"That was a really fun idea that fell under the dome of 'let them play," Probst told Entertainment Weekly of tonight's challenge. "It's a big advantage. Question is: Will anybody go for it? And if they do, will it help them?" Leaving their blocks to swim for an advantage will take them out of the actual challenge, it's just a matter of who thinks they're fast enough to get there first that will make the risk worth it.
Alliances during this game continue to change, and that's what has been making "Second Chance" one of the most interesting and exciting seasons we've seen in a while. These contestants think they know what they're doing, but as always, it's "Survivor" and anything can happen at any moment. It's anyone's game at this point.
After the most shocking elimination yet, Savage still can't believe that's how it all went down. "It was unbelievably frustrating, but at the same time, it was the most exhilarating experiences of my life," he told People. "One of the best things about 'Survivor' are the twists, the unexpected, the blindsides."
As someone who had blindsided Peih Gee earlier in the season, it's hard to be mad when the same thing happens to you. "Being on 'Survivor' and being sleep deprived and hungry, and uncomfortable and frustrated, it led to a double standard on my part," he said of calling their gameplay despicable. "It was very raw. It's not disgusting; it's part of 'Survivor.'"
Savage may have been saved if they had decided to split last week's vote between Wentworth and Eastin so he didn't have Wentworth's nine votes go completely to waste, sending him home on only three, and Anglim shockingly had something to do with this decision.
"It's a risky strategy, because if a couple of people vote wrong, it can go the wrong way. It's absolutely exhausting to do...Everyone said that there was no way that Wentworth had an idol, so let's take her out now," he continued to explain. "So we decided to load her up with votes, make a statement and save ourselves the mental energy and risk. It was a colossal blunder. It would've been perfect if she hadn't been tipped off that she was going home."
He then revealed that Wentworth was only tipped off because of Anglim. "I know it was just an error. It was just a mistake. I've spoken to him and he feels bad," Savage said. "He feels horribly about it. It wasn't a strategic play, it was just a mistake. He's friends with Wentworth, and he said, 'here's a heads up. You're going home.' He had no inclination that she had an idol. It really sucks that I was the collateral damage, but it is what it is."
Knowing that Anglim is the reason Wentworth knew to play it safe and use her idol could change a lot of the game. Could Wentworth now continue to fight for Anglim to keep him in the game for giving her the heads up? Or could she continue on with her sneaky strategy and want to get the biggest threat out and keep her true female allies around?
That's just how "Survivor" works, though. Anything can happen at any moment, and Savage was just lucky to have been able to have this experience again, and he can't be mad at Anglim for what he didn't know. "I can honestly say that I have no ill towards anybody. There's a big difference between being good with everyone, and whether I want to have them in my life...Let me tell you who I want in my life: Joe, Jeremy Terry Dietz, Tasha, Keith and Kimmi," he admitted. "But that being said, I wish everybody the best, and I'm glad that I got to have this adventure once again. I wouldn't trade it for anything."
See what happens on "Survivor: Second Chance" tonight on CBS at 8/7c and watch the sneak peek of the immunity challenge below!
