It proved again that there is no such thing as a “winning formula” in Survivor. In the previous season, Survivor SA: Philippines, the first castaway to get the boot was deemed to be too fast out of the blocks. In Samoa, Lee-Anne chose a slower approach, which was then used against her when tribe Sa’ula lost the first immunity challenge and was sent to Tribal Council.
Soon after the physically powerful Sa’ula arrived on their island, four of the sexy castaways – Nicole, Steffi, Rob and Nathan – formed a friendship and alliance, calling themselves the “Amigos". When estate agent Paul, their chosen “leader” returned from the Island of Secrets, generously sharing the clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol he got there, he was also drawn into the alliance. So, staying in the game became a two-way contest between life-coach Lee-Anne and self-proclaimed biker queen Seipei. Lee-Anne lost her focus at the outset when she discovered – to her dismay – that one of her fellow tribe members is her nemesis Nicole, who was crowned Mrs South Africa in 2018 in the same year had only made it to the top 25.
When the two ladies realised that the numbers were against them, they started fighting tooth and nail to stay on the island. What counted against Seipei was her bossiness around camp, while Lee-Anne, who could be a bigger asset at challenges than Seipei, had to explain to the others why she didn’t reach out to them earlier. Their pleas to stay in the game continued into the tumultuous Tribal Council. While Lee-Anne and Seipei were sitting in the front row with Paul, the four Amigos, who seemingly hadn’t made up their minds yet, were whispering behind their backs, with the injured Nathan telling his mates that it should be Lee-Anne. When host Nico called them out, asking what all the talk was about, some of the Amigos confirmed that they were indecisive. Steffi then suggested that they should just vote according to their own feelings.
During her exit interview, a disappointed Lee-Anne said that she couldn’t believe that they voted her out while she still had so much to contribute. “Now they sit with somebody who is not as fast and agile and an injured person who doesn’t know when his foot will heal. I still think they made the biggest mistake ever.”
How Sa’ula lost the immunity challenge:
It came as something of a surprise that Sa’ula, a band of powerhouse warrior-types, didn’t breeze to victory. But that’s Survivor for you. Each tribe had to take up positions on a platform in the ocean where they dissembled an intricate puzzle. Thereafter, they had to carry the individual puzzle pieces across an obstacle course in the water to shore, where they had to rebuild the puzzle. The first two tribes to successfully re-build the puzzle then won Tribal Immunity. Laumei took the early lead, followed by Ta’alo, with Sa’ula bringing up the rear. Laumei slipped back when the show’s oldest castaway to date, Laetitia, struggled on the balancing beam, but soon caught up with Ta’alo in the puzzle-building section. This is where Sa’ula lost the plot – to the point where Nathan, who injured his foot during the challenge, tried to sneak a peek at their rivals’ efforts. It was all in vain. Ta’alo took the honours, followed by Laumei. So, Sa’ula was summoned to Tribal Council.
What else went down in this episode?
Besides the dramatic Tribal Council, the first visit to The Island of Secrets, created some interesting tribe dynamics. At the first reward challenge, host Nico asked each tribe to choose a leader. Sa’ula picked Paul, the oldest in the tribe; muscle-man and Olympian athlete Rocco was Laumei’s choice; and Ta’alo thought that architect Cobus would represent them well. To the chosen leaders’ surprise, they were sent off overnight to The Island of Secrets, where they were given the option to choose between a clue to a Hidden Immunity Idol or flint. Paul and Cobus took the clue, while Rocco thought his tribe would appreciate the flint. Luckily he saw that Paul left the clue in his trousers – and who would be able to resist secretly reading the clue!
At Laumei, everyone was delighted to welcome back Rocco and his flint. It didn’t take him long, though, to share his secret with the other guys. Laetitia also correctly sensed that she might be seen as a weak link, and vowed to prove her strength and won Rocco’s respect. At Ta’alo, wacky Tania showed that she can talk a good game, making all kinds of alliances. She also put a gender spin on proceedings, saying the women should close ranks and ditch either Jacques of Felix when they end up at Tribal Council. She later changed her mind, telling Ting-Ting they needed two of the stronger guys in their alliance, at Meryl’s expense. Super fan Jacques may be someone to watch this season! At the first reward challenge he found an advantage in the bag of rice.
It is early days. Allies may become sworn enemies, and vice versa. Trust will yet become the island’s most valuable commodity.
Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets is screened on M-Net every Thursday at 19:00. Fans can follow all the breaking news and conversations around the show on Twitter @SurvivorSA and on the official Survivor South Africa Facebook page.