Survivor: Blood vs Water - MOMS - 27.10

Holy Mom episode.  Katie is dealing with her Mom's recent exit to Redemption Island, Monica gets away with a calculated move because of the idea that Moms are selfless, & of course, Ciera votes her own Mom, Laura, out of the game.  To top it all of, I watched this episode with my Mom, & then the next morning with my son. MOMS.

Everyone who has been dying to hear strategy talk from the woman who makes LEGO memes about Reality TV, you're in luck!  This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Rob Cesternino about this week's episode, so check out my debut appearance on #RHAP, on the Richard Hatch (!!) podcast.

This pic will make sense once you listen.

Now to recap...

Katie is pretty sure she's doomed after the alliance of 7 just voted her Mom out.

Ciera asks her Mom to *please* avoid conversation about strategy & just continue to let Tyson run things.

But in a confessional, Ciera says:

The Redemption Island duel is a repeat of the grappling hook/table maze challenge from South Pacific, which Ozzy won, sending Cochran home for really reallz.  On RHAP, I mentioned that every single time I see a grappling hook on Survivor, I imagine Coach tucked into bed, weeping into a bearskin blanket, clutching his grappling hook tightly.  He 100% uses a grappling hook more often in his daily life than I use a remote control.

Vytas & Tina finish the challenge, & Aras leaves the game for really reallz.  Probst tries to drag out the bro-drama, but Aras isn't giving up any tears this time.  Vytas gives the Hidden Immunity Idol clue to Katie, after he diplomatically says "I plan on winning a few of these here, so it'll definitely be passed around."  Katie keeps the clue, which is useless as the idol has already been found by Tyson.

Later on, Tyson takes his shirt off.

Ciera sits her Mom down to try to explain to her that at some point, one of them is going to have to go, & it should be Laura.  Ciera says she came into this wanting to sit at the end with her Mom, but now she realizes "It won't happen.  It's not practical."  After the difficult conversation, Laura ends up feeling proud of her daughter.  MOMS.

The next morning, Katie rushes out early to search for the idol that's no longer there.  Laura sprints across the beach to catch up with her, & both start digging for an idol that's not there.

Back at camp, Tyson is realizing that he's seen as "the big bad wolf", & to keep those voted out on TEAM TYSON, he needs to adjust his game.  He wants to get Ciera on board with voting her Mom off.  Laura is like Cool beans & Tyson is like That was easy.

The Immunity Challenge is another iconic Cochran challenge - holding onto a rope while leaning back as long as you're able.  Monica wins Immunity, & with it, a feast of hot dogs, burgers, & pop.  Everyone knows it sucks to win a Reward Challenge after the merge, so when it's combined with an Immunity Challenge, it's really shitty.  The dreaded "Choose one other person to share it with" sucks balls.  Monica is in a lose-lose situation, & tearfully asks if she can forfeit the reward so everyone else can partake.  Now, of course this was a strategic play, but she really doesn't have another option.  This might not help her get further, but by not choosing any one or two people, she's not burning anyone either.  Caleb acknowledges that the move is probably political, but "Monica's a Mom, so I think it comes from the heart."

This is the double-edged sword that Moms in Survivor face.  Monica can get away with a strategic move like this because MOM...but Dawn was seen negatively, also because MOM, as according to all the awful people on the internet, & Malcolm in Caramoan's Final Tribal Council, "You can't be the warm Mother of 6 who stabs people in the back."  YES YOU CAN.  MOMS CAN BE ALL OF THESE THINGS.  So can Dads, but nobody seems to look at Skupin or Penner as duplicitous when they strategize because DAD.  Why is that?  Parenting is parenting, & let's not forget that a good chunk of parenting is lying.  Elaborately.  To your child's face.  Often.  About everything.  Why you can't have that.  Why you can't go there.  What Mom's talking about on the phone & can you please just give me some privacy already.  I mean, just think about the Christmas season alone.  SO MANY LIES.

My own Mom had a different theory.

"People who have bodies like that do not eat hot dogs. She's probably a vegan." - my Mom, re: Monica #Survivor #BloodvsWater
— Lisa Ferreira (@MomOfKai) November 21, 2013

So, who knows?  If Probst had instead offered a veggie feast with all the fixin's - all the kale, green apples & kombucha she could consume - perhaps she would have just said "Tyson, get on over here & share this with me." WE'LL NEVER KNOW.

Back at camp, Ciera tells Katie of Tyson's plan to vote out her Mom.  Katie says she's playing the idol anyway, & Ciera lies, telling her she knows she doesn't have it because she found the idol, & Katie just folds.  As Ciera later told her alliance:

Ciera tries to convince her alliance that since Katie doesn't have the idol, it's no biggie to keep her Mom for one more week.  Tyson knows how dangerous leaving a pair together would be, so he decides to stick with voting out Laura.

At Tribal Council, Aras shows up super-handsome & somehow pulls off a pink tank.

Werk it.

There is a back & forth over whether having your loved one in the game is an asset or a liability at this point, & then it's time to vote.  Probst reads the votes, & one of my favourite Survivor tweets of this season marked the occasion:

did anyone else see the bulge in probst's pants when he saw that ciera wrote "mom" on her parchment? #promotionalgold #survivor
— Ali Lasher (@lashtweets) November 21, 2013

Yes, Ciera voted out her Mom.  I can only imagine that Probst is bummed that Blood vs Water wasn't aired on a Spring season of Survivor, as that finale usually lands on Mother's Day.  WHAT WERE YOU GUYS THINKING?



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Survivor: Blood vs Water - Prayer, Bro - 27.7

After being voted out, Kat makes her way to Redemption Island, proud of herself for not crying.  At least, not too much.   The next morning is a different story, however.

Off to the Redemption Island Duel, & it's a repeat of the final Immunity Challenge puzzle in Caramoan.  You know, this one:

Kat would like Hayden to switch with her, but he's like,

I think I cried every single time Kat cried in this episode (I am hyper-emotional, & also love a good Survivor romance), while my 9 year old rolled his eyes & said things like:
"OMG, so dramatic."
"Now he's crying, too?"
"Are they going to finish talking about this before Tribal Council?"

Babe rocks yet another challenge & finishes first (& gives the clue to Monica, who again burns it), followed by Laura M finishing second.  Kat tearfully leaves for really reallz, still afraid she's disappointed Hayden.

Here is where I say that Day 17 is probably my favourite day out of all 39 days of Survivor.  For it is the day all the beards are like "Hey, there.  I've been growing for 17 days.  Look at me."  Look at you, indeed.

I mean...I promise not to complain about bikini girls in Survivor casts as long as beardly men remain in the mix.

Back at Tadhana, Hayden is agonizing over not swapping for Kat, much to my son's chagrin. "Seriously? More on this?"  Aras is meditating & visualizing re-connecting with Vytas & winning the game.  Meanwhile, Tyson is solidifying a Final Five with Gervase, Caleb, Hayden & Ciera.

At Galang, Tina notices that Vytas & Katie are getting along nicely, & voices every Mother's dream for their daughters.

The women of Galang are falling for Vytas. "In my experience, women love a bad boy.  But what they even like more than a bad boy is a newly reformed bad boy."

From

to

Unbeknownst to our NRBB, his tribe is still resigned to voting him out should they end up at Tribal Council again.

Off to the Immunity Challenge, which involves tribes chained together at the ankles, an obstacle course, & finally a bolo toss.  First tribe to finish wins Immunity & fried chicken.  Tadhana wins, & races across the beach to get to their feast where my second favourite Survivor quote containing the word "bro" is spoken.

Tyson ain't got time for that, though.

At Galang, Laura B decides to tell Vytas he's going home.  The rest of the tribe looks stunned & tight-lipped & that monumental fuck-up pretty much sealed the fact that Laura's going home & yes that's what happened & there's not even much of a point to make this any longer than it has to be, so we'll end it right there.

There may not be recaps for the next 2 weeks, so follow me twitter (@MomofKai) for the very serious business of Survivor live-tweeting LEGO memes, & like this blog's Facebook page! 

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