Survivor recap, Episode 1: Yoga, a missing bracelet and what was Vytas wearing?

Survivor Second Chances recap

Survivor: Second Chance recap Season 31, Episode 1 (original airdate Sept. 23) For the first time ever 20 former survivors get the opportunity for a second chance at being named the “sole survivor.” For Survivor: Cambodia: Second Chance — the series’ 31st season — fans definitely took an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality as almost half of the 20 castaways selected come from just the past three seasons. Season 28, Survivor: Cagayan, has the largest pool of alumni and smarts with Woo, Tasha, Spencer and Kass all returning. Here’s a quick refresher on the castaways and a recap of the 90-minute episode.

Survivor Second Chances recapThe Teams

Ta Keo Tribe
Kelly Wiglesworth (Season 1, Borneo)
Jeff Varner (Season 2, Australian Outback)
Terry Deitz (Season 12, Panama)
Peih-Gee Law (Season 15,China)
Abi-Maria Gomes (Season 25, Philippines)
Vytas Baskauskas (Season 27, Blood vs. Water)
Woo Hwang (Season 28, Cagayan)
Spencer Bledsoe (Season 28, Cagayan)
Kelley Wentworth (Season 29, San Juan del Sur)
Shirin Oskooi (Season 30, Worlds Apart)

Bayon Tribe
Kimmi Kappenberg (Season 2, Australian Outback)
Andrew Savage (Season 7, Pearl Islands)
Stephen Fishbach (Season 18, Tocantins)
Monica Padilla (Season 19, Samoa)
Ciera Eastin (Season 27, Blood vs. Water)
Tasha Fox (Season 28, Cagayan)
Kass McQuillen (Season 28, Cagayan)
Keith Nale (Season 29, San Juan del Sur)
Jeremy Collins (Season 29, San Juan del Sur)
Joe Anglim (Season 30, Worlds Apart)

Survivor recapGetting to their camps: The castaways arrived in four separate boats, where host Jeff Probst immediately introduced their first reward challenge and the two tribes. The challenge was to swim to a supply boat and load their designated raft with as much gear (pots, chickens, fruit, baskets, lumber) as they could. The real reward, however, was a hefty bag of rice but that was on a different boat and you had to be first to get it to claim it. The conundrum was how long do you spend gathering supplies on the first boat. To get to the rice the teams had to maneuver their raft and supplies, which wasn’t easy. Wiglesworth immediately decides to try and swim the distance vs. waiting it out on the raft. Joe joins in on the idea and it’s a full-fledge race between the two, until Woo sees Wiglesworth struggling and eventually enters and wins the race. Tae Keo is declared the winner.

Alliances:
Both tribes take little time strategizing on alliances. For Tae Keo it looks like Terry and Spencer are a sure thing. For Bayon the boys got it going on with Joe, Jeremy and Savage all getting buddy buddy.

Survivor recapAlready annoying:
Vytas (pictured above). As much as I like him, I’m not going to be able to tolerate his white-patterned, tight-fitted compression shorts all season. Imagine how dirty those things are going to get. Plus, his sack being so visible in all those yoga moves – no thanks. Shirin finds him smarmy (but come on, at least he wears pants).
Abi took like five seconds (granted this is Survivor editing) to become an annoyance to her teammates as she obsessed about finding her bracelet and bag, while everyone else was trying to build a shelter. Not ideal timing. The bracelet was found in Peih’s bag. OK, that was weird. Props do go to Abi for keeping her mouth closed, as she was so ready to strike with that venom tongue of hers.

Little bit too whiny/needy:
Jeff. We know he hasn’t played for like 15 years and is total old school, but Jeff needs to calm himself. He’ll do just fine. From the looks of the preview, he’s all in next week.

Already has an idol:
Kelley! And it was one ballsy move she pulled off to get it. While gathering food, Kelley forged for the immunity idol but found a clue instead. The clue told her the exact spot of the immunity idol, however, it was hidden in the middle of the immunity challenge. So while the challenge she would need to try and grab it without her teammates seeing. She accomplished just that.

Something to think about …
Vytas’ brother Aras actually beat Terry Dietz in Panama.
Wiglesworth, Woo and Stephen are all runner-ups.

Feeling out of place, again …
Oh Stephen, don’t be getting all down on your luck with us. He’s already complaining about feeling like the odd man out, which is a bit of a déjà vu from his Tocantis beginnings, until his unlikely alliance with J.T. and his own super smarts that took him all the way to the end. He didn’t beat J.T., but he clearly was voted a favorite among the fans. Stephen is actually doing a Survivor blog for People where he shared: “No contestant has ever written about their experience during the actual show, so I am incredibly grateful to CBS and PEOPLE. I’m going to honor their trust in a few ways. First, you will find no spoilers here. Whether I last three days or 39, the opinions presented here will be what I was feeling in the moment and not in any way colored by events in the game not yet broadcast. If I’m eliminated, I will blog about the show from the same perspective as always. He made it to the final tribal council but didn’t receive one vote. Looking for the idol way too early.

Still loving …
Keith. But he doesn’t do yoga or “joega.” In his confessional he mocks Joe a bit saying, “Joe’s down there doing yoga. [laughs] I don’t do yoga. I get up in the morning, I have a cup of coffee and I go to work like 99 percent of Americans do. No one wants to see me bend over and get contoured out there and all that. I think Joe’s a free spirit, pretty boy with the hair. Yeah, great. Great around camp – fields stuff, chops stuff — but yoga, that’s Joe.”

The Immunity Challenge
Who rocked it:
For Ta Keo it was Spencer. He flew through the challenge lighting each torch effortlessly. For Bayon it was Joe (no surprise there).
Who maybe cost their tribe the challenge? Despite a hard-fought effort, Wiglesworth couldn’t tie the sticks together fast enough, and strong enough, to finish the challenge and Ta Keo lost. She took full responsibility and feared she might be first to be voted off.
Who fooled everyone: Kelley. She actually nabbed the immunity idol while Wiglesworth was trying to get the key and no one seemed to notice.
Who won: Bayon won. They took home one awesome fire-starting kit.
New twist: Ta Keo lost but they had to immediately go to Tribal Council.

Tribal Council
Who went home on the first episode of Survivor: Second Chances?

Vytas! Vote was 4 for Abi and 6 for Vytas.

 

 

Images: Credit: Timothy Kuratek/CBS