Survivor: Island of the Idols, Episode 6 "Suck it Up Buttercup" Analysis

"Shut your face."

-Elaine Stott"

Wow, what an episode.  This was hands down the best episode of the season with great character moments, riveting gameplay, and an incredible Tribal Council.  You couldn't ask for more from an episode of Survivor.  Hats off to the editors.  They did something truly remarkable here, but was the gameplay remarkable?  Let's take a look!

Who Played Well:

Starting on the Lairo tribe, we'll kick things off with Dean.  After Noura approached him with the idea to turn on Jack and Jamal, Dean wisely realized Noura is not an ideal alliance partner and he ratted on her to Jamal.  Great move for Dean.

Speaking of Jamal, I give him major props for the way he handled the situation with Jack.  He took an opportunity to educate and the way he explained how he felt about the word du-rag was very well handled.  I really respect his level of composure and he used the opportunity to cement a bond with Jack.

Jack made a mistake in this episode, but he was willing to learn from it and was open to everything Jamal had to say.  He seems like a genuine guy and I like that he and Jamal were willing to talk things out and create a strong bond.  These characteristics will help Jack in life and in the game.

Over on Vokai, we'll start with Elaine, who had a stellar episode.  She managed to get a Vote Block, got Elizabeth and Missy on her side, had a great Tribal Council performance, got Aaron back on her side somehow, and eliminated Jason.  A lot of luck was involved here, but she took advantage of that luck and made the most of it.

Elizabeth and Missy both did a good job as well.  They realized the opportunity they had with the Vote Block and made the right call in going after Jason.

Who Sucked:

Staying on Vokai, Aaron made the right move in sticking with original Lairo, but did it in the worst possible way.  By continuing to reassure Tommy and Vokai that he was staying with them, he burned them badly and none of them will trust him again.  He's made an enemy of Tommy and that may cost him.

Dan, Lauren, and Tommy really shouldn't have targeted Elaine.  They needed to pull an ol' switcharoo and tell Aaron and Missy to vote for Elaine, while they voted for Elizabeth.  Had there been an Idol in play, they would have been burned.  Ultimately there wasn't much they could do against a Vote Block, but they need to start playing smarter.

Over on Lario, Noura is right to not trust Jamal or Jack, but she needs to be more careful about who she tells what.  She should have focused on building a relationship with Dean.  She tired to do too much too fast and I wouldn't be shocked to see her go next.

We really didn't see enough from Janet, Karishma, or Kellee in this episode for me to have an opinion on their gameplay.

As for Jason, he made the exact same mistakes as Dan, Lauren, and Tommy.

Verdict:

The Best Player of the Episode is hands-down Elaine Stott for getting the Vote Block, using it perfectly, and eliminating Jason.  This is her second time winning this award.

The Worst Player of the Episode is Noura Salman for putting too much trust in Dean and worsening her position.  This is her second time winning this award.

What a great episode.  I can't wait to see the fireworks on Vokai next week and hopefully Noura finds a way out of her present situation.  She needs to make the Final 3!