This week I’m changing things up a bit with my first non-Survivor recap guest! I’m very excited to have a friend and fellow Survivor fan Willow MacDonald from Big Brother Canada on this weeks blog. Willow will be joining me with a Q&A… but first, the recap:
Day 27-29
Maku Maku. F U Brad Culpepper is blindsided! So interesting how your game can come crashing down within a day. The highs and low of this game are crazy. Sarah backs up her decision in voting out Debbie; which apparently Michaela calls a Game Changer. LOLZ. Cirie said it best – taking out one of Brad and Sierra’s alliance doesn’t mean they’re just going to ride it out to the end. Sarah, Zeke and Andrea for sure won’t stick together. Maybe Hannah was right with the whole trust cluster thing!
REWARD CHALLENGE
Wow, I think they left this challenge set up from last season! Michaela and Zeke should kill this challenge. Reward is a chopper flight to a luxury resort with a feast of chicken wraps and cheesecake. But wait, there’s more! It’s an overnight stay.
Michaela obviously got some say this time, she’s competing in a physical challenge! AND SHE’S FIERCE!!!
After an hour of puzzle struggles, Jeff gives them a subtle clue… then Andrea comes up with the 11-letter word as part of the puzzle.
Reward. Nom nom nom. Zeke and Aubry are amazed by the Lazy Susan at the feast. Mind-blowing! Brad starts ‘bonding’ with Zeke talking about football or something. Andrea starts getting suspicious and can never forgive Zeke; he better watch his back!
Maku Maku. Sierra, Tai and Troyzan are feeling down in the dumps. Tai, Troyzan, you have 3 hidden idols amongst you both!
Aubry is also worried about Zeke, and Cirie and Andrea want the man gone too. They think Zeke is way too threatening to move forward with. Sarah tells Cirie that Zeke is not a threat for her and wants to keep him in the game. She then decides to tell Cirie about her secret advantage. Wow, tell one of the most dangerous people in the game! Sarah is flip flopping on egg shells! But, this is great for Cirie. She’ll now want to keep Sarah around to use her extra vote against her! Juicy!
Zeke has realised something’s happened; everyone is a little too calm around camp. Sarah trusts Zeke, and he wants to take her to the final 5. Brad, Troyzan and Michaela are also on his list to make the finals. He just doesn’t trust Aubry and Andrea… and who would? Women are dangerous!! Brad is on board to join Zeke and is prepared to go against his alliance.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Stack boards on a beam while moving through a trippy obstacle… yawnnnn. But yasss Andrea wins her second immunity this season!
Maku Maku. Sierra is ready to throw anyone under the bus at this point and sees where Andrea and Cirie are at. Look at who the new sheriffs are in town now!
Sarah approaches also Andrea and she does the ‘right thing’ to not try and save Zeke… don’t stir the pot when you don’t need to. Aubry is down with Andrea’s plan and wants to strike first against Zeke. On the flip side, Michaela is NOT down with the plan and approaches Sarah about her thoughts on the current 6-4. If they vote out Zeke, then it’s 5-4 and it becomes a bit more of a playing field. It’s between Zeke and Sierra going home and Sarah just doesn’t piss off the girls just yet.
TRIBAL COUNCIL
Sarah tells Jeff to owning up about flipping… Debbie retaliates with her own flipping of the bird.
Sierra feels like she’s going home tonight. Even Tai is vocal about how unsafe he feels, and it’s great how he’s hiding the fact he has TWO idols. Michaela and Zeke make a valid point that 6-4 is not a good time to make a big move. Cirie also makes a valid point that the grid is always moving and that there is never a good time, so it’s like WHY NOT JUST DO IT. Michaela starts talking about turning hearts on and off and Probst eats it up.
The votes are read and Tai’s going to be sooo upset!
And the new sheriffs have pulled it off, Zeke is sent home, with the others being totally blindsided. Emotions are all over the place!
Meanwhile on the jury…
Zeke fell into his own trap, and I feel for the guy. I really do think Zeke can make it to the end of this game, and maybe one day he will! Zeke-5, Tai-3, Sierra-2.
Watch Zeke’s Ponderosa here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N34jtCtyPxk&w=560&h=315]
Episode 11 Q&A w/ WILLOW MACDONALD
Willow MacDonald played HouseGuest Willow MacDonald on the 3rd season of Big Brother Canada! From her goofiness and energetic personality in the house to her close alliance with eventual winner, Sarah Hanlon, Willow played a strategic game knowing where she stood among the different alliances. Unfortunately Willow’s game fell short when she became victim to a triple eviction (not even Survivor has done that!!) and went home in 8th place.
LyndzO: Welcome to Reality Ramblings, Willow! Thanks for joining me on this week’s recap!
Firstly, I know you’re a huge Big Brother super fan, but when did you start watching Survivor? I know you haven’t watched from the start, so I’m keen to know which season you saw first.
WillowM: I actually did start watching Survivor the very first season – it was such a unique concept that I just had to check it out. Around season 7 I couldn’t find the time in my schedule to keep up but after being on Big Brother so many of my housemates conversed about the show and it drew me in again. After that I went back and watched a few seasons that I missed.
LO: I’ve watched some of the recent Big Brother Canada season and I had NO idea there were votes and juries, just like on Survivor. What drew you into watching Big Brother (US/Canada) and eventually applying for the show?
WM: I became a fan of the first season of Big Brother US when I was just 10 years old. I love the whole concept of the show; the social experiment and that you are manipulating and convincing the other players to win money (I thought I would be great at that). I watched every season of BB US and BB CAN multiple times. Once Big Brother came to Canada, it was a dream come true and I knew I had to apply.
LO: Seeing how cut throat contestants can be on BBCAN, how do you think YOU would go on Survivor? I’m waiting for Survivor Canada to air 😉
WM: Ahhhhh…it really depends on the grand prize hahaha. I don’t do very well with so little food, I hate being cold and I actually can’t swim so I don’t know how far I would make it. BUT I’m always up for a new experience and I think it would be life changing whether I won or lost, so never say never!
LO: Are there any BBCAN contestants you think would do well on a Survivor?
WM: My friend Jordan Parhar from BBCAN3 knows Survivor more than Jeff Probst, I swear! I think he would be amazing at the game and probably find all the secret idols. I also think Emmett and Jillian from BBCAN1 would dominate in the physical competitions – those two are beasts!
LO: On to the actual episode… Brad, Sierra and Tai are suddenly at the bottom of the totem pole. How things can change so quickly! What are your thoughts on the two majority alliances so far? And how long do you think Sarah can keep up playing the ‘middle man’ between the two groups? Do you think people will catch on an eventually vote her out?
WM: I’m not really a fan of larger alliances; they never really seem to work and I don’t find them that fun to watch. Sarah is going to have to make a decision in the next episode or two to help her in the long run and for jury votes. One thing I’ve noticed about Survivor is no one likes to be betrayed or lied to when comes down to jury votes. Big Brother on the other hand – the more you lie, the better player you are.
LO: The feud between Andrea and Zeke continue, and he continues to dig a deeper hole for himself by trying to establish a relationship with Brad on reward. This pisses Andrea off. Did you watch Zeke in Millennials v GenX and what do you think about Zeke’s dangerous game play wanting to be at the fore front of every vote?
WM: I did watch Zeke in MvGX, but I do find this season he’s more confident and playing more boldly from his past seasons where I think it took him a while to start making moves. I don’t really understand the rivalry between Andrea and Zeke; both have strengths that the other does not have, I think they should be looking at other targets than each other.
LO: Cirie is making head way in this game and rallies up her troops. Have you been impressed in Cirie’s game so far and how she’s bounced back from being an early target since Day 1?
WM: I’m all aboard the Cirie train! Chooo chooo! She impresses me every episode. I like that she is always making her own moves from behind the scenes. She’s not a big flashy player, but her moves are big.
LO: The tribe end up pulling off the mean feat of voting out Zeke! What do you think of this move? They were talking about how voting out Zeke from the alliance would be too soon, and yet majority ruled. Or is Zeke too much of a threat to keep around?
WM: Voting out anyone from your alliance is never a good move especially when the numbers are so close to being equal to the other majority alliance. This is why large alliances never seem to work out – there are too many people trying to steer the ship. It definitely needed to be done, but not for another few tribal councils – you need to weaken the other side before you start shooting your men.
LO: And going back a couple of weeks, what were your thoughts on the whole Zeke/Varner situation?
WM: I cried like a baby… I am still in disbelief that it happened, and on Survivor??? I think the way Zeke handled it well and everyone else during that tribal council was amazing and so moving for the world to see in so many ways. That was a real situation that happens more than people realize and it needs to end. Zeke is a true inspiration to everyone.
LO: Tai’s face at tribal! He didn’t play any idols and had no idea he was being targeted. I know they are different shows, but in your opinion how similar are the dynamics between Survivor and Big Brother Canada in relation to strategy, building relationships/alliances and ultimately blindsiding people?
WM: With Big Brother and Survivor the environment is completely different and has a great effect on the players. A ‘have-not’ on Big Brother has more luxury than being a Survivor player. The social experiment in a controlled environment is very similar where some are in power/have power and it is constantly changing. Everybody for themselves, whatever you have to do to get to the end. I do feel like there are more special powers/gifts in Survivor to help the players, but ‘Head of Household’ is the most powerful if comparing both shows.
I feel as though in Survivor more people align with each other and new relationships are constantly forming because of the different tribes and merges. Whereas in Big Brother, you’re most likely to work with the same people/your friends the entirety of the game.
FINAL QUESTIONS:
LO: If you were cast on Survivor, what would your approach be to the game? How do you think you would go?
WM: First thing I would do is try to find an idol. I would try to get along with everybody and make tight relationships and lay low for a while. And any time there was a comp that required swimming, I would volunteer to sit out, haha.
LO: Who are your top 5 favourite Survivor contestants and why?
WM: 1. Rudy – How could you not love Rudy? He is the face of Survivor, haha.
2. Boston Rob – I really like the way he played the game. He has a way with talking to others which he is aware of and he used that to his advantage. He was also an entertaining player and fun to root for which I love.
3. Kelly Wentworth – I love her story. We didn’t really get to see her play, but when she was voted back to play she did not take that for granted and beasted out! This girl did it all (with idols, immunity challenges, calling people out at TC, etc). I would love to see her play again.
4. Sandra – Queen stays Queen! I don’t know about you, but winning Survivor is so hard to do. And winning it twice is pretty much impossible, but she was able to do it. She is so good at sniffing out BS and striking first. She’s not scared of anybody.
5. Tina/Colby – I couldn’t choose! Colby was such a nice guy, the boy next door. He wasn’t malicious and was able to get to the end by just being himself. I liked his and Tina’s relationship. Tina is so tiny and little (like me!), but is so strong and no one saw her as a threat which she clearly was!
LO: If you found a hidden immunity idol, would you tell anyone? Some people tell the whole tribe, some tell one or two people, some tell none (team Wentworth!).
WM: I would tell maybe my one ride-or-die if I had one, but if not I would keep it to myself. I truly believe that idol should only be used on yourself.
LO: Which players this season have you been most impressed with and who do you think can make the Final 3?
WM: I am so impressed with Andrea! I did not expect her to win multiple comps. I was very impressed with her in the last reward challenge, she just pulled that phrase out of thin air. I am also impressed with Cirie and Michaela – both of those girls were big targets and I really thought they were going early. My thoughts on final 3: Andrea, Aubry and Tai.
LO: And finally, who do you think will WIN Game Changers?
WM: I THINK Andrea will win.
LO: Thanks for joining me as my first NON-Survivor guest, Willow! Any final words? 🙂
WM: Thanks so much for having me!! The questions were great and I had a lot of fun answering them!!
Follow Willow on Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram. And subscribe to her awesome YouTube page here for fun adventures: Willow Faith
Blog by Lynda Olson
ALL IMAGES USED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE COPYRIGHT CBS. THIS IS A PERSONAL BLOG AND ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN.
