Survivor 47 Episode 11 Recap — One Player Stacks Wins in a Dominant Episode (2024)

It’s our annual Thanksgiving Survivor episode, and I’m more thankful for Survivor this year than I have been recently. Season 47 has been a mostly strong season, though it’s had its share of downs as well. But let’s keep things positive here, shall we? And this week’s episode was yet another highlight. Survivor 47 delivered another solid episode, and we certainly feel primed for a strong finish.

Beka

Kyle is in a funk after sending Gabe to the jury. He knew he had to do it, but Gabe was still a friend on the island. But I love to see Kyle focused on the game over the friendship.

On the other hand, though, Sue was the only one left out of the Gabe plan. She’s mad about all of it, but she’s especially upset with Kyle (as if she needed another reason). She’s on the warpath now. We’ve seen so little of her, I don’t really care about her story at this point? It’s so late in the game to make a new push in the edit for a player, unless they play a big part in the endgame. But I don’t see Sue being that person. But I suppose we’ll see.

Caroline knows she has to mend some fences with Sue. She tries explaining that she felt she was losing control over her own game, that Gabe had been dictating her movements in the game. She goes on to talk about how this has been her lifelong dream since she was 5 years old. I try not to read too much into the edit, in terms of how it may or may not preview who ultimately wins. That being said, it’s getting to that point in the season where if Survivor wants to give their eventual winner their “winner’s moment,” this is it. And if Caroline does end up winning, this could be that moment.

Rachel, Andy, Teeny, Caroline, and Sue talk at the well about joining together as a supposed underdog alliance. There are only 8 left, so if they can stick together, there’s your final five. Sue once again voices her disdain for Kyle, that he’s the only person she’s focused on getting out right now. She simply refuses to pass up any opportunity to talk about hating Kyle and/or wanting to vote him out. Tunnel vision like this is terrible gameplay, but at least her bad strategy is funny.

On the flip side of camp, Genevieve, Kyle, and Sam are feeling that the other five are forming a coalition against them. Genevieve, hilariously, says there are other people she’s more worried about as jury threats than these two. It’s funny because it’s insulting, but it also means Genevieve would theoretically be willing to go to the end with both.

Andy is *really* feeling himself. He sees himself as the key social cog, having strong relationships with several of the other seven. He’s viewing the game as his personal chess board, able to move the pieces around as he sees fit. He may be correct, but it’s dangerous to feel so confident.

A boat arrives, announcing one player will leave on a journey. If they can’t agree on that one person, they will have to draw rocks. Rachel, Sam, and Genevieve are the only three saying they want to go, Rachel most reluctantly. She doesn’t especially want to go, but she’s playing defense, hoping that neither Sam nor Genevieve get to go. And lo and behold, she draws the purple rock, sending her off on the journey.

That was smart by Rachel, I totally get everyone else not wanting to go on the journey. Since Survivor introduced them, they’ve been a double-edged sword. This late in the game, you don’t want to do anything that will unnecessarily raise your threat level. And with the journey almost surely comes the risk of losing your vote, something else you absolutely don’t want this late. But if the alternative is guaranteeing one of your next three intended targets goes, someone has to step up and try to play some defense. Survivor karma rewards Rachel once, maybe it will reward her again and she at least returns with her vote.

Journey

Rachel arrives at a platform out in the middle of the ocean. She is presented with a puzzle, having to sort balls into columns by color. As time goes by, weights will fall into the ocean. She has to complete it before the last weight falls, pulling the puzzle — and advantage — into the ocean. And *sigh* if she doesn’t complete it, she loses her vote.

As a challenge only, I actually love this. As Rachel points out, the difficulty is not necessarily the actual puzzle. It’s a simple concept, a puzzle that anyone would be able to do with enough time. Having an unknown amount of time to do it, dealing with that tension and pressure, is what makes it exciting.

It’s also hilarious, so over the top and dramatic. Fail and the challenge literally gets pulled to the bottom of the ocean? Incredible stuff. It’s nice to see Survivor still has this kind of thing up its sleeve.

Thankfully, she completes it, earning the advantage, allowing her to secretly block another player’s vote. It can be used through the final six vote.

Except, it probably won’t be so secret, right? Everyone knows she went on this Journey. If a surprise vote block pops up, the safe assumption is Rachel. Unless there’s another Journey with a secret advantage. But that would also depend on Rachel waiting to use it. Yet another flaw in the Journeys and how production designs them.

Beka

Returning to camp, Rachel tells a terrible version of the story. She basically just says she got to the barge, and threw a weight into the ocean, which then pulled the table into the ocean, costing her vote. What?? If you’re going to lie, just explain the actual challenge and say you lost. What are we even doing here? And Sam is immediately suspicious. Granted, he probably would have been either way, but still.

Sam’s reaction shows the Journeys are broken (if it wasn’t already apparent). The players you’re not aligned with never believe you, no matter what. I do think there’s potential for the Journeys to be useful, fun parts of Survivor. But not in their current iteration. Probst and Survivor production need to go back to the drawing board here.

Rachel then goes straight to Sue and Caroline with the truth of what happened. Sue loves it because it shows trust. Caroline loves it because it makes Rachel more of a threat, creating a shield for her.

Rachel next goes to Andy and Teeny, to tell them the news. Teeny has been hurt before in the game by trusting too easily, but she’s feeling good about her current position.

When Genevieve has a chance to talk to Rachel alone, she pitches either Andy or Sue as a target if Kyle loses. She says the consensus around the camp is those two are the easiest to beat at the end. Players like that are dangerous, not because they can win, but because that’s one less spot for you at the end. Rachel obviously says yes.

I think that speaks to Genevieve’s place in the game, and credit to her for recognizing it. If that perception is true, you want to keep those players in the game. But if those players are in the group working against you, you might not have a choice but go after them.

But she goes right to Andy, and they agree Genevieve might be the best one to target first. She’s the one trying to actively stir the pot, not to mention she’s also playing a strong game.

Challenge

Oh baby oh baby, I love this challenge. They use a rope to balance a wobbly table to stack letter tiles, spelling IMMUNITY. A classic for the people. It’s Thanksgiving and I am thankful for Survivor recognizing and using their best challenges. Continuing her domination this episode, Rachel wins.

Pre-Tribal

Kyle is the immediate, easy choice. As any halfway decent Survivor player knows, the easy vote isn’t always the right vote. Knowing that, Rachel at least wants to consider other possibilities. She wants Genevieve and Sam gone too, and doesn’t really care in what order that happens. But with Kyle being this huge challenge threat, it would seemingly make the most sense to go after him now. And everybody knows it.

Sam and Genevieve are racing to come up with alternative plans, but it’s a tough sell. All they’ve talked about is how dangerous Kyle is. But Kyle has maybe found his champion in Andy. His strong preference is sending Genevieve out first.

His pitch is that Kyle winning out is extremely unlikely, and that he is only a one-dimensional player. Genevieve is a more complete Survivor player, and is more dangerous long-term. And he’s completely right. But I understand the concern about leaving Kyle in the game. Even if it’s a remote chance that he wins out, as Caroline says, that chance is still too high of a chance.

Tribal Council

Coming as no real surprise, Kyle is voted out. I honestly don’t think there was a wrong choice between Kyle and Genevieve, though Genevieve probably would have been the better option. She’s way more likely than Kyle to be able to swing things her way, strategically or socially. Or, to simplify it, she’s just a better Survivor player. But once the perceived challenge beast doesn’t win immunity, you kind of have to go after that player.

Things I’m Thankful For

Going to mix things up ever so slightly this week. It is Thanksgiving, after all. So I’m pivoting to what I’m thankful for: Survivor edition.

1. Survivor. Keep it simple. I may rag on the show here and there, but I love it. 47 seasons, mostly good, so many great characters, funny moments, emotional moments, the show has it all.
2. Getting a bit more specific, Survivor 47. The merge is (maybe) back, we just need the full merge feast again. Most of the cast came to *play* play. Let’s keep it up!
3. And specific to this episode, Rachel’s Journey puzzle. A new challenge, with a new timing mechanism, with absurd dramatic flair. More of this please (just without the annoying risk of losing a vote).
4. Now let’s get sappy, I’m thankful for all of you! Anyone who takes the time to read these recaps, it truly means a lot. I’m just a dude who loves Survivor who is lucky enough to have a chance to write about it.

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You can catch new episodes ofSurvivor47 every Wednesday at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS, and it is also available to stream on Paramount+.