Recapping ‘Survivor 51’ Episode 6 With Aubry!

this episode is brought to you by nas energy introducing new nas energy grand prix guava for those that want to be fueled up and fired up with a hundred mile an hour tropical tasting power ignite your taste start your engine shift your flavor to high gear with new nas energy grand prix guava hit the street grab a can and get after it observe the north american dad 50s great polo collection he enters his vehicle information on carvana an offer appears in minutes remarkable he squints reads it again smiles and says dang that's a good offer the highest form of approval no haggling no hassle no one called him boss he's still on the couch you 're astonishing sell your car today on carvana.com pickup fees may apply all right welcome back to the pod has spoken episode six of survivor historically i think it's a merge-ish episode i said that last week and rightly disagreed i still stand by that that episode six has generally been the merge-ish episode throughout the new era era this emerge-ish episode this is episode six no this wasn't a merge-ish episode but that's like they're switching it up on us okay okay and we are here with a very special guest we're going to be talking about a podcast uh four-time player one-time winner uh second person to win two million dollars instead of the classic one million dollars but i stand by that winning a million dollars 15 years ago still more valuable than the two million last year uh we have someone i have tried to get on the podcast for a while aubrey season 50 champion aubrey how are you i'm great thanks for having me i i'm i'm stoked to be here it's been a long time we're stoked to have you yeah it has been a long time coming and i wanted to address that right now let's do it i've messaged you a couple times over the years to invite you on the podcast sure you've said i like what you're doing keep doing it you're a real one it's true but i'm not coming on the podcast yeah if you had lost on season 50 would you be here right now um would i be here right now you know what if i'd gone out pre-merge probably not i mean you're like i would have invited you but would you have accepted the invitation pre-merge um you know probably not my the way things were going it would have been like uh haunting from the edge of extinction and i would have been like get me away from this get me away from survivor so that's possible i see the reason i ask is because i honestly see a lot of my reactions to the show in the akin to yours if i'm and maybe i'm reading it wrong where i had wanted to step away from survivor it was just like too painful i didn't really want to be part of it i didn't even want to watch the show and uh i can imagine like i feel like you were the same like step away from the community take a breath and collect yourself yeah i mean it's true you saw you saw me at after the edge of extinction that was rough for me and i took my time away and i would be lying if i said that that was all gone when i went on 50 i was having like full body what am i doing here again holy shit it's gonna happen again reaction to the whole thing uh but then i like i was able to ground myself a little more quickly and pull it together but i have that all the time i i am very at peace now like okay i'm at peace i can step away when i want i can step away when i want i can step away when i want and i have a whole other life but it's harder when you're not feeling so good about it to plug back in so yeah i totally hear what you're saying i mean honest truth if i've been on vatu and we lost they're going through my bag i would have been like this sucks and i probably would have just gone into hiding and had my other life okay well we're happy you're here and that it worked out the other way because we've been trying to get you on here for a while um let's step into this this episode episode we got the three tribes people complaining about the three tribes like everybody was so happy to see the two tribe at the start of this episode with the breakdown i kind of was like i could see any of these tribes going to tribal council i'd be very excited to see what fireworks they bring um we'll start with savu three left three left of the helicopter alliance one of them will have to exit if they go to tribal which they did um where did ori go wrong here did he did he not have the foresight that that uh kilby had last week in in understanding that if they go to tribal again it's probably him did he not think it was him yeah you know what i was thinking that like oh man ori really probably wishes he had a lexus right now but you know what i felt i see why the helicopter alliance stuck together i mean i'm started this episode i'm like there's no way they go to tribal i'm like there's no way they go to tribal i'm like there's no way they go to tribal i'm like there's no way they go to tribal there's no way they're like they love each other they're perfect they're vibing it's like they've been through hard shit and they forged it together like there's no way they're going so i mean ori had to make a decision i think i probably would have made the one that he did last week uh gosh where he went wrong i mean he that was rough i don't know what else he could have done i would have stuck with them too how do you think would you have i mean now that we're having this conversation they failed so miserably at the puzzle like all of them had to have known like maybe we're not good at puzzles maybe we need is alexis good at puzzles i don't know if alexis is good at puzzles but i like that's like you've got to look at other things than loyalty if you don't want to just get demolished uh in these tribal phases it's why uh last week they got rid of linea and kept the super buff guys like christian and eric and kill b and lewis because you can't lose a physical powerhouse like christian you know you got to get rid of linea in that instance because like these muscle guys you never know when you're going to have to carry a well like 400 pound well yeah it makes me wonder like are people in the open era playing more less to like will i win the immediate next challenge and more to am i keeping all my options open or as many open as i can like am i optimizing the number of people willing to work with me with this decision or am i shutting out people i don't want to shut out and piss off like it doesn't feel as much like we're playing to like win the next challenge yeah it's not to win the next challenge i think ori last week probably did make the right decision because yeah he's burning someone there plus jelly has a hidden immunity idol evan has an extra vote so even if he gets through he doesn't know all that but even if he gets through like now he has these two enemies he's probably going home this week anyways if it's him and alexis because somebody's using an idol or an extra vote um and so i think yeah i do i think he probably made the right decision it's just like with three people where do you hide um it's so hard there's probably we're going to talk more about sorry what isn't it like denise was it denise and malcolm or what's a tribe that went and whittled all the way down i do think that there's this knowledge it's like survivor lore but it's also kind of true that like if you go in and you're like in bad shape at the merge even like sophie blue sophie sophie balerity and 49 like sometimes if you're like in bad shape and like dwindling down it's almost easier when there's a big amorphous group to come in and hide so they probably are like hell yeah three of us strong threes do really well i think uh was it mike said that too kristin let's let's just get into that merge and fly i wonder if they thought that it was going to be a merge too because i think if i've counted right they were at 14 and that's in survivor 50 you know that was like the big first vote was at 14 as well so they probably had that fresh in their minds yes and they were like and plus we're down to a tribe of three will they really make us compete as a tribe of three or will we merge we're probably merging i think you always have to consider that when you get to that area you're like okay do i make a move here because it's probably merge i'll probably get a little bit of a reset on my gameplay maybe not like you're hopeful i'm sure ori was just like fingers crossed let's just merge instead of do what we had to do and it didn't work out uh we will talk more about ori at the end here as we get into the tribal council segment but uh toka we finally start seeing mike come to life a little bit yeah what do you think you see him does he does he truly come to life in the eyes of everyone else you see him talking yeah yes there's a pulse yes he's trying he's got to read he's read correctly yeah yeah i think i think mike i mean mike's works for the yankees right he's like wheeling and dealing all the time like that's what you think but then says that she wants a good negotiator at the at the summit and chooses kristin over mike how insulting is that if that's what your business is is negotiation and somebody's like no somebody else they just don't like him i think he's done that thing where they just like don't feel comfortable like it i always say in survivor like you feel comfortable with certain people in silence and that ain't mike for them so i think even if he was like rainbows butterflies shooting out of his eyes they wouldn't at at negotiating they like wouldn't care right now because his like failed the first impression test he's i like him he's done nothing but maybe he's like hung back too much into the wallpaper for them and made them uncomfortable because when you're giving people nothing you're assuming that he's giving somebody else something and all of the nothing is making everyone feel like something's going on beneath the surface yeah i thought i thought it was good that he recognized like oh i'm not good with this group that i thought i was good with and now i need because before he was like last week he just like was trying to sell everybody on being his number one and everybody came back together and was like did mike try to sell you on something and then i feel like he recalibrated it's you say he's a sleeper but with last week's episode like you don't usually see a winner edit with someone making a mistake like that but it's not he can overcome that it's not so big of a like you don't see a winner edit making a huge mistake generally unless you're me what was your mistake um what was it uh telling them i was gonna play the idol and not playing it the billy eilish oh yeah but that was not so many people do that so like i don't know that that's that looked like a mistake because they everybody for some reason was upset at you for not playing your idol while they let other people do that was that true or do you think that they just were trying to pick at something to make you the target i don't know there was something about me in that season pre-merge everyone was just like nothing she does is right so hey there's still hope for mike there's still hope for mike and i thought he corrected nicely i think uh he's got some upside to him now uh and he had some great reads uh anything else on mike riley well i mean i guess i felt uh i had like a different vibe here from him because i kind of felt like his reads like one of his biggest ones was as he goes to kristen and he's like she's like the linchpin for everything i have to have her to get past this and then it cuts to kristen confessional being like i don't know what mike is thinking thinking that i'd ever work with him he's just like there's no way i'll like keep this line of communication open but i'm never gonna align with this guy so i was a little more like lukewarm at best on mike this episode well because he's and i don't dislike him i mean i like him too like you're saying aubrey but it was more just like it felt like everything kept getting like brady doesn't like him carter doesn't like him kristen doesn't like him it was like i don't know like i don't know where he's gonna go to but do they not like him with the same heat this this is what that's it's so interesting to me because i there's this balance of like how likable do you want to be and i think there's like part of the social game is like sometimes not being too likable i'm not saying he's trying to like that mike's trying to modulate that per se but is there naturally unlikable or i mean i get it i get it just comes naturally to him sometimes you know i you you're but you're actually you're right like carry on with your thought i just uh and mike's i think he's likable enough but yes to your point but so like if brady's like i don't really like this guy is that more so than brady's acute annoyance with maggie like that's a different kind of annoyance going on like i think the i don't love mike is kind of like it's kind of like a dull ache i don't think i like him but like maggie's like cutting off your thumb he's so annoyed about it right now and it's interesting because if you're like the dull ache i kind of don't like you i feel like sometimes that can linger and you don't do anything about it for a longer period of time like if brady if brady has a chance to get out maggie i'm like is he gonna take a shot at her right now yeah i think so i think throwing the hammock in the ocean and not producing fish like you gotta get rid of that person you gotta get like i remember yule on winners at war was like i'm gonna go fishing he went fishing for like 10 hours straight didn't bring a single fish back and broke the spear and we're like you're not allowed to have that anymore you all sorry and also stop uh and i think that like you can't take a thing that's a communal thing and do with it what you want when no one else wants that for that thing how big is the hammock out there because i i get the sense watching that it's like kind of coveted like it feels like people are on it all the time like lounging and relaxing it's the only soft place to sit so to take it and throw it in the ocean and catch no fish is like i mean is that as insane as it seems to me yeah it is like if you if she like brought like a 80 pound tuna with it you'd be like okay that's a trade i'm willing to take but anything less than that you're like what are you doing uh yeah it's unforgivable i mean honestly for context jonathan would sleep in that every night comfortably so that was like his bed like and you could do you guys were all just okay with that no one else was like wait i actually want the hammock tonight you do everybody wants it you're like as soon as he gets voted out i have to be the first back to camp to just lay in it so that it's now mine piss all over it whatever you got to do to mark your territory but like you mark your territory out there and that's your territory and like he got the hammock first or was the loudest about it or the most like what's the loudest about it i don't know i don't know i don't know i don't know but even where you're sleeping at night like sometimes there's a flatter spot that's your spot my hip fits in perfectly on this bamboo i'm gonna don't nobody else take it like that's the reason to get annoyed with somebody for sure so how many times does it take for maggie's plan like catching the fish with the hammock climbing up a banana tree almost killing people like falling out of the tree didn't climb the tree she just no she told people why would you get to the heart where you go no thanks maggie i'm not gonna do that no you can't have that do you just always go along with it because you're on a tribe with her or when does the no come when you have the majority and you understand you have the majority and somebody that is bold enough to speak out does it and everybody celebrates okay yeah monica tina on blood versus water uh kept playing high low where you'd be like what's your low of the day and what's your high of the day and nobody wanted to play it really and you're just like what's the saddest part of the day and everybody be like the time we voted that last person out and they're like what's your high of the day it's like spending it with everybody else here because we're all like friends and you're just like none of it's real and it's just so cheesy and you know it's like people praying or doing yoga like you have to participate until you understand that person's on the bottom that's trying to make you do it and the second that we had the majority and tina was like let's play high low and monica's like i'm sick of playing your stupid game and i'm not going to do it anymore and you can have fun without me and i was like fuck yeah me too there you go it's a thing it's such a thing i you've aubrey whatever tell us tell us what's uh what's the most annoying group thing you had to participate in on survivor i mean and the joke is on me because i was the target survivor 38 that comma tribe the kool-aid comma kumbaya dancing everybody loved each other and i'm sitting there like it's a matter of time before you gotta turn on each other and i mean they turned on me no problem of course but i i was just oh faking it oh i am that i am not that is not the easiest thing for me to do like the beginning fakes like post merge fakes fine doing what i gotta do but the like group i'm like i would have died on south pacific i would have i don't know how sophie did it i would have died or yeah it wouldn't have worked out she didn't always look like she was having a great time out there either i like i feel her i watch it i'm like yep yep yep can't do this so yeah i'm not even just the little tunnels they're doing on this on this season i'm like oh man you're really gonna do that i hate the tunnels i'm sorry i i can't deal no no spirit finger tunnels or whatever no hell no but yeah all of it yeah you just have to go along with it till you have the majority and it's also like a tricky thing because like you're pulling somebody aside you're like do you like when they do that thing and if they're like yeah i'm like yeah i do too it's awesome and if they're like not really then you're like okay let's see if we can get a few more people and then we can stand up to it but until then like you just you have to go along with it but it's like even like a prayer circle i'm sure to open my eyes and look at the nearest camera the whole time so that people at home don't think that i'm into this bullshit too you know i'm like it's so true yeah you gotta be as irreverent as possible during the prayer it's so true like people say like we don't like the bill we didn't like the villains on co wrong like scott and jason you know what i kind of love that they were there because it was just like it's on the table let's go and i i get that impression when i watch heroes villains i love it because i'm just like well you're a hero you're a villain you gotta be a villain just do your thing there's no bs like was there any faking it there with sandra and russell probably not coach made us do uh yoga once and russell was just like i don't believe in that but also i was like cool i wish i could not do this right now but i don't want to alienate everybody yeah totally but yeah it was funny because i think i think he really was just like i'm a christian i don't do yoga you and you're like uh i don't understand you're understanding a belief oh my god so um yeah so it mike i think i think mike combined with reading it i think the kristen read out uh reach out is fine because now she knows that she can go to him and use him if she needs and if he's floating in that middle where people don't love him but they hate other people and they hate him more he's gonna be totally fine because like they'll look at him like why don't you like mike and they're like uh because uh it's like you don't have a real hard reason that everybody can really rally behind whereas maggie you're like she ruined our net she's bossing us around yeah she's like that's conviction he's he's okay and i think kristen i i predict that him and kristen will come together in some capacity and and vote together for a while so i think it's gonna be yes 100 um let's go to dina where another voice we haven't heard christian just i guess they just barely dropped him off on the island this week uh he decides he wants to play chaotic and understands that the savu alliance is maybe not going to be as strong now that they've gotten rid of some people and he's willing to make the jump to kill b and lewis do you like this yeah i like it he's alive he's got a pulse he's going he's thinking ahead i it's it's nice to see him kind of perk up and realize that like stuff's about to get real like it was chaotic last time but when this big group goes in together he's trying to open doors i like how he did it like he wasn't overly i just liked kind of the way in which he approached it it wasn't like it was like hey this is how i want to play not desperate not it was like the right time to kind of see if that door was open for what's to come i loved it i am with you aubrey i think very very smart to look at that and be like i'm a swing vote in this moment if i choose to be and savu is already imploding or exploding or whatever you want to say like let's create something else instead of that and if they don't go to tribal whatever he has it in the merge he can go either direction at that point so i i think very smart i think great read uh looking into the future good timing and yeah uh anything else from that dina tribe uh kilby and lewis the the backlash eric is saying he loves to cry which yeah yeah i love to make people cry as a famous quote from me so me and eric i would get no satisfaction and he would have the upper hand if i'm gonna make him cry he's like i like to cry it's like fuck well oh i like i like eric but i'm like oh my god no don't tell people that right now i like i really i like how he wears his heart in his sleeve it was also interesting hearing the like the brands of chaos from lewis and kilby there's something about lewis that's very like it's like this is fun and i great attitude kilby too but i'm like oh my god kilby is just gonna take out anyone anything there's like a wrecking ball energy to him but lewis is more of this like bubbly kind of where's he gonna do next so it's just like i always love just and it's hard to even put into words when there's chaotic people i love how they're like different brands of chaos you got like the bubbly chaos you got like the debbie who i played with who you're like the ship's going down you gotta get away and then there's like the rick devins funds i think there are different kinds of chaos and i think there's like a lot of different kinds of chaos and i think different energies and it was fun to see there's the purposeful playful chaos and then there's the spiraling out of control can't control it chaos well said like debbie philip those are just like the brandon hands where you're just like how do i can i put this on a leash if not like when do i go against it because if i don't if i miss my target yes now it's just going to be a headache it's not scary it's just like i'm gonna have to deal with this fucking bullshit for three days and then you've got uh yeah i think lewis like even if you're on the wrong end of that you're like that was kind of fun we're both still here like whatever that was crazy like there's a playfulness to it with devins too where you're just like okay i forgive you yes for making my game a little bit harder yeah so i think part of is that i get the impression that kilby is making really strong emotional bonds really quickly which it's it's also a skill to know when you've gotten so close that it hurts too much when you do those chaotic things yes yes which he didn't measure correctly with eric there um but i think he did okay at damage control told eric he was still his number one he trusted him more than anybody um should he have last week brought eric in and just told him like this is the way it's going we have two extra votes like come with us right now it's i'm telling you because i trust you or is it better to do damage control i thought he was gonna do that when that tribal went live i'm like oh he's gonna get like eric over with him right now right yeah and if i'm feeling it then maybe that would have been the move but hey he seemed to do okay with it now yeah i think he did great with the damage control i think uh you know he's gonna just end up breaking eric's heart even worse in the future which can't be good like they're going to the merge the jury's gonna be soon kilby's gonna pull eric back in and pull it all his heartstrings and then cut him again is gonna like that's gonna be unhealthy for eric if that happens yeah so um yeah that's uh that's tricky um could if that happened would eric still vote for kilby to win i think he could come around could kill me then have been like i had to vote for you eric because i loved you too much it was out of love maybe yeah i do i do think that the the good news for kilby is that eric is like so in touch with his emotions that i feel like he might be able to like warp speed process it and maybe get there way faster than most people do on survivor because even when people think they can process their emotions quickly anything that happens right before the merge or right when it starts i think it's like stinging at the end so i but i think that eric eric's like whole life is processing all the stuff quickly so yeah yeah and feeling all the stings he likes to feel the stings guys loves to cry yeah he does um do you want to talk more on that no i think i want to see him on a season with you we got to get him on here with you yeah you better bring that up when you talk to him whenever that is your quote about you like to make people cry and he likes to cry it's a good face off it's a good face off it is a good face off who would win uh probably him uh we get the tree mail about the summit and a couple things happened here uh we get the dina tribe with christian taking everyone shot in the dark only to purposely hold back to i like that we'll move yes villains we did a drawing like this for teams okay and one of the drawing things they were i think they were balls or ornaments or something one of them was a gold colored so it had a different texture on the outside and so i could tell which one that was and i drew that on purpose but there are ways to do this like in these drawing moments like yeah like smart like do that like why haven't more people been doing this smart yeah so and i do believe that like we will see this happen more often and more often and more often and more often and more often and more with people purposely rigging yes these shot in the dark drawings so and christian did it not because he wanted to block kilby and lewis is because he wanted more time with him to build that relationship with those two he's a detail-oriented guy i love he's like the jewelry and the blood ring it's like that christian is like the ultra like detail investigator so i got a message from lewis okay that said his description of christian is like the ultra like detail investigator so the description of his wedding ring is similar to the ring that he showed on the show but the ring on the show was not his wedding ring so christian got it right but got it wrong like in a sense that wasn't the actual ring that christian thought he was talking about but it was similar enough with the color and the metal and stuff that christian accidentally fell upon lewis's lie and got it right um wow so you know so we don't lewis you're a little bit less of an idiot i guess in that moment if you're telling the truth but you know it's a game of lies who can we who can we trust um and sharonda goes uh and then ori goes which was also a was that a drawing too yeah and then kristin who they just blocked mike like at least let him think he you're he's with he's with you like this is more tell for mike to be like oh they don't yeah they don't like him they trust kristin who i thought was on the bottom more than they trust me to negotiate they're mismanaging him they are mismanaging them aren't they they are i felt that way on 50 i was like can you at least pretend that you remotely like me right now because i don't give a shit about you come merge so but yeah kristin are you pretending to like them on 50 yeah um in the first time i was like oh my god i'm not gonna like you i'm not gonna like you i'm not gonna like you absolutely um in the second drive there are a couple people i genuinely liked um but i was just trying to keep my mouth shut as much as i could i was trying to let other people tank themselves yeah and it is hard sometimes like i don't i'm not out there right now but like there's some people that you just understand yeah that you don't like each other and no matter what you do and there's no use tippy-toeing around it because you're just like i know that they know that i know that they know and so why even doesn't even matter it's more of an insult to try to fake it yeah yeah you don't have to be a dick but you can just like both acknowledge and just give like the head nod like we hate each other it's like yeah exactly yeah what up we hate each other but yeah we do yeah there's nothing we could do in real life or anything ever that we would would bond us in any way yep um and maybe that's how it is with mike and some of these people i just i don't get it i don't understand why they like totally ignore him his first like oh i'd like to go and they like pretend like he doesn't even talk and then he says it again and to non's like we need a good negotiator so kristen it is you're bad at negotiating mike you're bad at everything um who's gonna get the best of each other here is to not gonna come out victorious over a bike like i feel like this is a little bit of a battle brewing like she has kind of been thrown him under the bus a little bit here it's all gonna depend on how the dynamics fall at the merge i think it's just gonna be because he's he's making an exit plan he's ready to go i think she's gonna probably stick with carter and the people she's with right now so but is she with maggie because maggie's a big number there for them if that's the way she wants to go but if brady is not feeling maggie then that's where the crack is like he's talking about looking for cracks at the merge that's a it's a big cracker and he's just biding his time yeah all they have to do the merge is gonna come brady's just gonna be like maggie threw our hammock in the ocean and then everybody's gonna be like what yeah she do she tried to catch fish with her like how many fish did she catch zero but then also who cares because he's gonna be a big dude at the merge and they're gonna want to get his ass out the door immediately so yeah it's just a matter of time with him i think probably fine actually because she'll be with lewis kilby she's gonna just chaos maggie brady could brady could also he's the type of personality that could blow up way too hard at maggie publicly oh yeah and then everybody's just like that was uncalled for everyone vote brady out like if he can bite his tongue and let her sink her own ship a little bit let her keep being bossy let her keep doing her thing like that he is probably okay past maggie but the second he gets aggro on her done like you get yeah it's you're like that's uncalled for yep you're you're done um and then maggie would go right after that which is for being too bossy after he pointed it out but too aggressively um and then we have this moment where all three of them come together they're like oh my god i'm gonna die i'm gonna die i'm gonna die i'm gonna die all know each other they all have a working relationship already which is crazy you're like that those three got chosen somehow they all end up on uh at the summit do you like it being called the summit uh like i don't know what else to call it but it feels like yeah they moved away from calling it a journey i mean they had to talk about some stuff but like a summit it really feels like they're gonna go negotiate a bunch of deals for us we're gonna talk about tariffs we're gonna talk about taxes we're gonna talk about if we are going to attack we're going to talk about what peacetime looks like and instead they just go and look at a plate of ribs um it's true because the internal marketing to the other players is this is more significant than any other journey so yeah they're talking they're dealing and dealing heck yeah like could you come back with a lie and been like guys guess what i got i mean like that's hard they did all lie a little bit they all had the same story to like hey we're not going to mention the tether idol did they talk about that before they left like here's our story or you think they all just they must have they had to there's no way they didn't yeah yeah that is interesting because sometimes too when something is named something and survivor you then meet the moment by like it has a lore with it and it's like oh my god i'm gonna die i'm gonna die i'm gonna die within the game with the players so it is interesting having to deal with that kind of lore of it all these three players are going to go to the super idol summit um we'll just let them tell the tale when they get back right exactly so uh they should start doing that like hey pick pick a player to go to advantage island and then you get there and there's nothing i love it i do too like just take the guesswork out of it we know there's some type of advantagey things somewhere like just call it what it is and make it make people's imaginations run wild so okay so they they're at advantage island here and i love sharonda's approach to this me too she's amazing so good here yes yeah i'll just stand here and let kristin come to terms with the fact that she is going to decide for herself to stay here she gets people like she gets people on such a deep like wise almost not psychic like she's done it from like watching but she gets the individuals she's working with she understands like the the one-on-one dynamic the small group dynamic the big dynamic i was like you go that was amazing you can tell she's been through some stuff and like isn't she an ob she is wonderful worked you can tell that she has done some hard stuff and she just like the restraint we need to talk more in survivor about restraint like i think that it is so underrated it was impeccable yeah you if you pause long enough someone will say too much out of discomfort for uh the silence yes and i need to be better at that even on this podcast i like just sit here in silence tell somebody says something stupid it'll happen like that's close to the camera uh so i love it i think like it just was like it worked out perfectly it was just like a chef's kiss uh in that moment kristin so happy to be on exile she loves it she's uh studied her whole life for this moment which it does give you that little throwback like we see clips of her submission videos from 10 15 20 years ago and uh you know that gives hope to everybody who's applied every year it does and also extra devastation for those who still apply every year and never get it yeah so you know it can go either way like just be hopeful um and uh she gets this note about it being a real idol if she gets rid of these other two because initially she's like this is safe for me they're gonna want to keep me in the game she gets this what is she gonna do yeah i think she's just not gonna protect them i think she's not gonna well she gets she gets a freebie this episode so it's only shiranda left now okay yeah or he's out so now she just has shiranda to deal with which shiranda has she kristin i think has said shiranda is her number one at some point in this season uh she was bonded with shiranda i believe they're still bonded um i think it will just come down to numbers like kristin's gonna be smart enough to know whether she needs to play it on Sharonda or for herself, they might be separate enough that Kristen will get wind of anybody targeting Sharonda if that happens and which I think if I'm Kristen and I have that idol you have a better chance of playing it correctly for Sharonda than playing it for yourself because you usually don't get wind especially with the shot in the darks in play nobody's coming and telling you you're getting voted out next right yep so it looks like the Billie Eilish but a different twist on it a little bit do you like it better do you think it's going to work do you think Billie Eilish invented this hell no I think no I think it's more interesting because it like requires both people know about it so there's some degree of who has leverage when in the game you know they have it so you're holding it over their head but like there's many ways that this can be used and I like that it reminds me more like of a super idol kind of thing different but like inverse super idol but it's interesting it's interesting we don't want super idols they're too powerful but that's my best move ever I neutralize that thing that's my proudest moment on Survivor if you can get rid of a super idol and get everyone on board with just like okay this is we're just going to split the votes and just get them to have to play the super idol then that's great but like getting all those people who are scared in case it doesn't work out can be a challenge it's overpowered yeah so I did want to talk about this tether idol so let's say they go to tribal Kristen doesn't play it on Sharonda how come nobody's had the wherewithal on their exit to be like Kristen has an idol so and so has this this guy's not with you peace like I would love to blow someone's game out someone's game up on my exit but there's just something too emotional about like the moment of getting voted out where I my brain shuts off yeah I'm just like partly enraged partly dumbfounded partly embarrassed yeah and you're just like well what you don't even think about it are you like told not to do that because it feels like that's really until your fires out you're in the game and even walking down that thing when they're like we love you yeah so and so has this I need to see that I don't know why we haven't seen that more yeah it does feel to me like that's a little bit like out of bounds it's not out of bounds until they say it's out of bounds once somebody does it I don't know I don't know it feels kind of messed up to me like you no longer have any skin in the game because you're already out so then to reveal people's secrets until your fire is extinguished once the votes are read you know you're done no the fire extinguishing is your life no not even necessarily on the edge of extinction you didn't know you were still in that game so technically where does it end yeah it only ends when they separate you from within voice distance of the other players or when you walk in that little sad shed at the end of the path after you've just been voted out hopeful that somebody comes to you and is like this isn't really the end guys we got a secret thing going on and you got one person one intern there sitting there trying not to make eye contact with you because you're fucking raging and you're like you want my fucking shit I don't want any of this you can have my canteen sell it on ebay I don't give a shit and he's like I can't talk to you it's like you can do whatever you want like I'm doing they're like no I can't hang it and then he has to leave because you're trying to talk to him and makes him uncomfortable and then you're in there by yourself sounds like this may have happened in this exact way before and then one of the producers walks in and is like thanks for playing uh and you're like and then you leave and then they're like can you do some interviews it'll only take like an hour you're like can I eat first they're like no like I'm out of the game let me have an oreo they're like after your interview sir uh this is all hypothetical this could happen that way we don't know um you okay Tyson I think I'm okay I'm okay do you want to cry sometimes it feels good I don't want to cry I hate crying it does I do love crying no uh but that is like the experience like you're enraged you're out there like you're lonely because nobody's in that shed with you for a little bit of time like all of that is real um so uh they all get back they all kind of share the same story they all share the same story uh Kilby and Lewis not buying it they're not buying it from Sharonda mm-hmm you're going somewhere but there's nothing at stake they do bring back these were these reheated ribs and corn or was it the same ribs and corn we saw on the island that did travel on the boat to be presented to the tribe I don't know because that is definitely weird if you're just walking up with a plate yeah that's the thing I do not do like you drop a plate of homemade food off on my doorstep it's straight in the trash like I'm not eating that but on Survivor you're like it's probably safe who knows wait if somebody brings homemade food over you're just throwing it away immediately if you're my neighbor and you leave homemade cookies on my doorstep for the holidays I'm not eating those I assume you're trying to poison me but that's a me problem probably yeah or that you have a cat oh that's on your cookie that's on your counter while you're mixing the dough or whatever like there's so many or like you got little kids like snot-nosed kids just like like there's so many reasons Riley I don't okay you don't care I won't ever make you I won't ever make you any food okay all right understood repackaged or nothing just like the public schools I was gonna maybe mail you some cookies for the holiday but I won't now or I'll buy I'll just buy some thank you prepackaged thank you I'll give them to my kids I'll be like listen these came from these came from a strange kitchen I don't have control over that if you want to try them you can okay wow yeah but I have reasons for not eating them it would be strange though like if they just showed up with those plates because usually like if you win a reward it's waiting for you back at camp yeah like I or it's waiting for you on the beach and you carry it up and you get to be a part of that so someone just rolls up with a plate I'm like when I am not buying what you're selling like overall yeah because they also were on the beach like part of me suspects that like production was sitting there with a fresh plate like they were like right on the boat with this plate we'll exchange it for a fresh plate when you walk up but maybe not because that sequence seems seamless it would be weird if the players saw that and then maybe make them more suspicious or less suspicious I think it would interfere with the reads a little bit so I don't know somebody will DM us and I will not share your name if you DM me and tell me how it happened and if you got a fresh plate or not a fresh plate we'll ask Ori tomorrow actually um so uh it was a little it was a small portion too it was like I'm thinking I'm thinking they had a feast together and they brought us the fucking scraps yeah like that's immediately what I'm thinking yeah then that makes it yeah that's weird it's weird it's weird it's so freaking weird like what a disadvantage to get an open plate of food yeah no it's strange on a boat it's strange from island to island what if you just like you came with the plate and you just say oh this is just for me guys I want it so that you don't have to share with anybody they wouldn't know part of my punishment is I have to eat this in front of you because I lost the challenge I lost the challenge on the journey and now they said I have to bring it back without a note they said yeah to eat it in front of you yeah uh Maggie come over here I have to eat this in front of you like you have to make a big production of it the whole tribe has to be there the note said the whole tribe has to be within three feet of me while I'm eating this that's what it was like when Christian read the Jimmy Fallon walk of shame so it's possible it's so good like come on guys why didn't anybody do that like that's almost as good as going on a reward by yourself when Jeff asks you to choose people and you're like none um that's my name that's my new goal now now I have to go back go on one of these journeys bring the plate of food back and eat it by myself in front of everybody yeah yeah uh somebody please do that why didn't maybe we'll get another one I think Lewis would be willing to do something like that oh yeah um Sharonda could she have done like is there a better story like cause as you're coming back and saying this there's part of you that has to because even Kilby was like so hold up there was no advantage or anything they're like no maybe there is an exile but there wasn't like it may have had to be like you share more details and give a little bit more of a blow by blow I forget there's someone on this season who went and shared it was when Lewis came back he did a really good job of being like and then this and then this and then this like but I don't know even if she did that they probably wouldn't believe her you can't do anything you really can't I just think people are suspicious yeah no matter what yeah because every single time we've ever seen this play out as viewers, someone's lied about some detail of it. It's very rare that everybody. And so then the few times when people do come back, you're like, okay, that's so few and far between that 80% chance they're lying based off of what we've seen on the show. So I think like you can't do anything. Like you honestly should not volunteer to go on the summit, probably if you have any amount of target on you whatsoever, unless you're going as a blocker for your alliance, but even then make somebody else go. Yeah, I never wanted to go on journeys. That was a pact I made with myself when I went on 50. There did get to a point where I was like kind of in dire straits. Like when we had the, when we were duo'd up, like I put my shot in the dark in for that one. I actually wanted to go on the one Christian went on. Thank God that didn't work out and he was better at rock, paper, scissor. But at the beginning I was like, hell no, because people will always think I'm lying when I'm telling like the dead truth. Like I have often, more often than not in Survivor, I'm telling the truth and people are like, you're lying. And I'm like, I would never get through that unscathed. There's no possible way. So. Could you lie the other way? Just be like, I got four idols. That's a good idea. I mean, maybe, maybe, or you should have tried that. Yeah, got a half dozen idols. They call it like the, the Survivor dozen. It's only six. Yeah, right. That's funny. Yeah, I, I mean, I don't know. Like you can't, there's no way to win in this situation. If you go on a thing, you're going to be labeled a liar no matter what. So you may as well. Lie. When the sun goes down, the appetizers come out. Yeah. You heard that right. Late night. Half price appetizers are here at Applebee's saucy, sweet, and spicy boneless wings, crispy, cheesy, mozzarella sticks, creamy spinach, and artichoke dip your favorite apps, half price available every single night, because why should appetizers have curfews tap the banner to learn more. Dining only for a limited time at participating locations, restrictions apply copyright 2026 Applebee's restaurant LLC. This episode is brought to you by NOS energy. Every ounce of dirt, sweat, and gears, every checkered flag and trophy raised every lap, every race, every hard fought place. They're all jammed inside every can of NASA energy, high performance energy for burning the midnight oil in the garage and pedal to the metal human horsepower for the streets. Go ahead. Crack open a can of NASA. Energy and get after it. This episode is brought to you by Panda express telling someone you love them, it isn't always easy, but showing them through food, sometimes that's better than words, especially when that food's walk cooked at Panda express a Joe has favorite pick from delicious classics like orange chicken, honey, walnut, shrimp, Kung Pao chicken, and black pepper sirloin steak, perfect for when you're watching the team you love or eating with the person you love. Have you eaten yet? Click or tap the banner. To order or visit a Panda express near you. The challenge three versus three versus three, the other tribes got to sit out a bunch of people and, uh, Savu is really bad at puzzles. Like really bad, like really, really bad. Yeah. Did it paint, does it pain you Aubrey at how bad they are at puzzles? Yeah. I mean, I, I feel for them. I feel for them because there's a misconception because I was cast for the brains tribe and I have glasses, there's a misconception that I'm good at puzzles. I'm terrible at them. I was good at the first one I did. Thank gosh on that season. It was otherwise I was going home, but it was colors and it was, it was like a crab shape. I can't do puzzles. My heart just breaks for them. Like, cause it sucks. It's so hard. It's like, if you are not in that space, you just can't do it. And there's like nothing you can do. You're like flailing. There was, um, oh, on survivor 50, Jonathan would joke with me about this. There's this ladder puzzle in the final five challenge where you have like the funny pieces and you have to make the ladder. I was so bad at it. Jeff was like, Aubrey, there are two pieces left. Then he'd be like 15 minutes later, Aubrey, there are still two pieces left. Like I could not do it. So when people just like choke on puzzles or like D on big brother, like poor D, like that vampire puzzle she did with all the faces. She couldn't do that. I know that feeling. It sucks. I just, I didn't want them to go to tribal. I didn't want them to have to turn. I wanted him to. You did. Sicko. Of course you did. I mean, looking at the dynamics of all three, the way they presented it to us, um, I would have been all three would have been great. Like Mike versus Maggie would have been amazing. Christian flipping and going with Kilby and Lewis would have been amazing. The Savu three haven't. Eat themselves, uh, in this moment also, uh, could have made for a very compelling TV and did until tribal council. Um, but, or he, could he have done anything else in this moment? Like I thought, kind of thought he had it. It made me feel like he had it like telling Devin to separate himself from jelly and Devin kind of like, I do have to play for myself. I should play for myself when, when will I play for myself? Um, and I'm sure they made it. I don't know if it's going to seem more convincing than it actually was, but, uh, any other play he had here. Well, I gotta say, I think that's a good play that are you playing for yourself play. And I think that can be a really good play on a season of all new players and all returning players too. Like returning players are coming in with baggage about, am I playing for myself? That was Joe Hunter. That was his whole thing is that he had played and he was tethered to Eva for the entire game. And then when it's new. New players are like, you're going to go into the merge with, in a game like the open era, when you want to keep options open, you're going to go in. This is like the same as a showmance. It's like you're two for one. Like that's dangerous. Like they should, Devin and jelly should probably go into the merge, assuming that whenever there's a chance to split them, people are going to take it, especially now that they've forged it with Ori. So that they've forged their Alliance together with Ori. So if he's saying you're going to vote me out, they're really going to know you two are sticking together, no matter what. Like you're unstoppable. I thought he did make the pitch. He had to make, yeah, I thought so too. I thought so too. And I was pretty impressed with him. I've been pretty impressed. Like he knows how to keep his mouth shut. He knows how to be direct. He knows how to say the thing that people need to hear to have him like further his game. And I thought that pitch was really strong. Jelly just was like, no, I'm not taking it. But it did at least make Devin think, and then, uh, we go to tribal council, the sad music starts to queue up and Jeff asked the question that I hate more than anything in the new era. What does survivor mean to you and, or sum up your survivor experience or whatever it is. And Ori says, he feels like a failure. He was going to pay his mom's mortgage. Uh, retire his mom, whatever. And Jeff says, wrong, those feelings are wrong. You're not a failure. Thanks, Jeff. I don't watch survivor to see what the experience means to people. And I think this could have been way more powerful, letting us continue to guess if Devin is going to vote with Ori or not, but I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this was, uh, more meaningful to tell Ori, his feelings are stupid and he got it wrong and he's really actually got a lot to gain from his survivor experience and it's not a failure. It is interesting when it's who gets that kind of ending and who doesn't, because I can put myself in moments out there when I remember and I, I am like you as when, when I'm playing, especially when I get re I cry a lot on survivor. I cry a lot. After, but when I'm in it post merge, I'm like, I don't want any of this. I remember sitting there being like, okay, you have to let this person have their moment right now. You're just like all business and I don't want to deal with it. But I, it is interesting. Like when it is shown for that person or not. Did you feel it? Did you feel the gravity and the sadness and the heartbreak, uh, on this one? You know what? I got to meet Ori in person in New Jersey for the premiere. Um, what a. It's a warm person instantly. You're like, I love him. I was instantly like, I love this dude. Like, yeah, I felt it. I want him to play again. I think he has a lot in him. So much more gas in the tank. Great, great person. Very warm. Um, so I'm glad his mom got that. It's not, I get very clinical at a certain point, but I'm glad he got that moment. I mean, he already told us earlier this season that that was his goal. Um, and yeah, I don't, I think when it comes more natural to me, it's, it's, it was just the fact that Jeff was like, no, you're not a failure to, here's the reasons that your feelings are not complete or whatever. I was like, no, that's pulls away from what he's feeling right now when he's like, so I, I also think just like let the game materialize. is here in this moment. And also like you spent the whole episode making us question which way Devin was going to go only to tell us before the votes are read which way the votes are going to go. I hear you. I'm just like, thank God we didn't have that conversation the night Ozzy went home with the idol. Though, you know what? I got to tell you, that was the most emotional tribal council I've ever been at. Every single person actually was sharing their story. And I think it like actually lulled Ozzy into a false sense of he was connected with those guys. I was the only one who didn't share a story. Oh, okay. So I do, when I'm thinking about the Ori story in context of the game and then watching it, I want to see the uncut tape on that tribal. I mean, it was pretty clear to Ori he was going home. He played a shot in the dark. It was very clear to him. It was cut and dry. I'm sure the episode was cut and dry in real life. And so Jeff asking that question, was not a red flag to Ori. But in moments where it could be, I'm assuming Jeff asked that question to multiple people. Yeah, I wonder, I bet Jelly and Devin got it too. I doubt that they did this time because it was so obviously Ori. I don't know though, because if there was any chance that it could have been Jelly. I guess if it's shot in the dark hit. If Probst doesn't ask the question or if Ori is just like, no, I'm good. I'll share this next time or whatever. You know, that could prompt Jelly into being like, wait a second. Is Ori not the vote? Do I need to play my idol here actually? Like I'm expecting. I'll share this next time. That's awesome play, dude. What does that actually mean? Yeah, thank you. He's just like, I'll share it next time. I'll tell you at the next tribal council, Jeff. Thank you very much. Oh man, we dream up the craziest scenarios here on The Pod Has Spoken. Everything we want to see. It is fun to think about that moment though too when you're watching tribal and you're trying to like figure out what's going to happen. Like when you're there, you're listening to whose story is matching. Like even if it's the opposite of the outcome that you want to happen, you're like, is this the like story we came up with? Like how, that's got to be really interesting with the small groups. Yeah, yeah. You know, you're listening for everything and then if one thing is off, yeah. Yeah, we didn't get any of that because as a viewer, we didn't. Yeah. I wish. In that moment though, yeah, with the small group, you're definitely like paying attention. There was a moment when Devin did kind of tease like maybe I should get rid of Jelly and like we thought, okay, here we go. This is going to be something. Jelly's going to play her idol. It's going to be whatever. And then it was just all the things we did. Oh, when he said that though, I'm like, there's no way he is. Yeah. Like if you're there, it's obvious he's not. If he's saying it. Yeah, it's too obvious. Yeah, that's true. I do feel like there's a flaw in the shadow of the dark, in the dark here that I, I realized, which is that, you know, there was a lot of like, maybe that shot in the dark will hit. And I kept looking. It was like, well, there's three minutes left in the episode. So I think it's not going to hit. Yeah. I checked the timestamp on the episode when they got to it too. Like when it was time to vote, I was like five minutes. How long are credits? How long is the next time on? How long is the worries confessional? Maybe if you're watching on TV, you're just absorbed in it and people won't notice. And that's just us watching on our laptops. You won't notice. We've got a clock right there too. On top of that, you don't even have to check the timestamp. I don't have a clock worth with my TV. If I was like watching this on actual TV. Now, what do you do? You have your like VCR player still with the clock showing it. I don't have a clock. I might be looking on my phone, I guess. So I probably got your phone. I've got the oven. I've got the microwave oven. I've got the coffee maker's got a clock on it. I've got the air fryer. Probably he's got a clock on it. They all come with a clock in your kitchen. That's where you watch, watch television. It's like a big open, listen, it's an open floor plan. Okay, Riley? And you've got, you, you always know what time it is. He's got a good internal clock. It's 1106 right now. Yeah. You didn't cheat. You didn't look. You just know. You're like those birds that know when it's time to fly south. Yes. Yes. It's instinct. So, yeah, I have that. There's nothing they can do. Yeah. Maybe they should be one of these times when it's one of these votes where it hinges on whether the shot in the dark hits. There should actually be like a seven minute long next time on that throws you off. You're like, oh, it's going to hit because there's still 10 minutes left in the episode. And then, yeah, they should do something like that. Yeah. That's Riley putting his producer hat on. We always come up with the best ideas here. Yeah. I don't hate that, but people would be pissed because they'd be like, the vote. The vote out was near the middle of the episode, not right at the end. They had so much. And then we like, yeah, what do you do? I still propose that on a vote out that is going to be this straightforward. We just forego tribal council and just they walk in and just like, just go straight up one at a time. You guys can talk for a second if you want. Otherwise, just go vote. That doesn't give Jeff his chance, though, to tell, you know, what? Yeah. To tell a contestant that actually their failure is a success. So I don't think it's going to happen. That's true. Anything else from this episode before we get to Riley's reads? Aubrey? I'm ready for, I'm ready for the merge. Let's go. I want to see. I got, I'm ready. Let's, let's do it. I feel like there's a lot of kind of cracks, splinters. This could be very chaotic. It's not clear when they merge what's going to happen. So I thought I did like there were a lot of like one-on-one or like small interpersonal dynamics in this episode. That make me very intrigued for what's to come. Yes. Both either fractures or comings together. Yes. And my thing that I forgot to mention, the Dina Divas. Sharonda, not a fan of the Dina Divas. Did you see her look at Eric when he was like, come on, Dina Divas. He kept saying it. He wants it to be a thing. And Sharonda just like openly rolls her eyes at his face. She's funny. She is. I like her. That was funny. Okay, Riley, what do we got? Okay. Okay. Uh, who, let's go through our categories. Who advanced their game the most this episode? Who wants to start us off? Tyson, you want to start? No, Aubrey does. Ooh, I thought Sharonda had a great episode. I mean, with that idol, she, it was on her terms. I think Sharonda or Christian, I'm a toss up. I also don't hate Mike. I think. I think, uh, he finally figured out that people don't like him and, uh, he's trying to, he's trying to pivot and adjust because of that. Like, uh, he's got enough reading to non, he knows is not with him. He knows Brady's not with him. Like nobody shared information. Nobody wants him to go on this thing. Like he's still kind of keeping quiet to them. Like he hasn't brought it up to them. Like that could be a big mistake as being like, I know you guys don't like me. Like that's. Not, that's a thing that can happen. It didn't. So, uh, yeah, I'll give it to Mike. I like that call because no signal is the worst thing that could happen. I don't care if you love me or hate me. At least I know. So yeah, that's, that's a good one. That's a good one. I feel bad for Mike. What did he do wrong that everyone hates? I get like he is, he's doing that thing that he mentioned he was going to do, uh, preseason where he was going to try to collect a team and put them together instead of trying to connect with people. He's going to collect this person. Collect this person. Yeah. But like they generally just don't like him. And I'm like, damn, he's just sitting there and he's like, Hey guys. And they're like, Oh, it's Mike again. Like, sometimes there's just like a level of inauthenticity because he went in with that mindset of collecting a team instead of like making tight bonds. Yeah. Like that could be it. And then you get to a point where it's too late. You're like, Oh, I already bonded with everybody. So that, that part of the game's over. Like we made our connections. We understand each other. Yeah. We get to know each other. And any, any, any pivot that you make now based off of your first few days is suspect. So we're not going to believe it anyways. Like, Oh, now all of a sudden you want to be friends? Yeah. No. Yeah. Yeah. The, the, the one, like the last episode of the previous episode where he, you know, starts to talk to 10 on and she's just like, well, why didn't you say that to me on our first try? Yeah. Um, that's the type of thing. I just, I think it's like somewhat of a lack of authenticity that's coming across from him for whatever reason. Or in your desire to try to keep the doors open, you don't give comfort to anyone. I've run into this where like Stephanie LaGrosse was like, I wanted to play with you, but like you wouldn't commit. But then I was also told I threw names. So I'm like, which is it that I won't commit or thrown like, like, I hate that it's a mind screw for me at the beginning of the game. Did she tell you this after the season? Uh, you shouldn't tell me like in it a little bit. It was, I was obvious that it wasn't. It was that I didn't make her feel comfortable, but then I was also told I did throw names. So it's like, sometimes you are not great with that balance. Like I remember something came up with Mike a couple of weeks ago where it was like, he just wants to keep everybody as an option or he's just trying to like, see where it goes. When you kind of like float in that middle space, they're like, what the hell, where are you going? So, but I think he has what he needs now. I think he's someone who's going to activate when it's an individual game and be in a much better place. Yeah. to slamming the door in someone's face. Like if your group needs to see you slam a door in somebody's face sometimes you just got to do it yeah and then you're the other option you make yourself the counter to that and that can be that's the only way I've survived like in CoWrong was that I was like I'm not playing with Scott and Jason period so yeah Ashley you got definitely Kristen I really like that she didn't have to work too hard on XL Island like I felt like it was just like she was on an episode of Alone and she just was like I got it I got it going and I do like that the idol play for her is to not do anything she doesn't have to protect Sharonda if Sharonda goes home oh I got an idol if she wants to put it on Sharonda she can if she wants to but she doesn't have to but Sharonda already has that idea that they're connected so then Sharonda is already thinking about their alliance I think that's amazing for her so I think that's the best for her game I agree with you I also have Kristen and I think too like the way that you know we get the confessional from her where she doesn't trust Mike he doesn't want to work with him but she's the one that's like not so open about her that Mike immediately senses that it's like okay the door is actually kind of open there versus like I mean Tenon is like openly against Mike at this point it's obvious to everybody but then even like Brady who he's like you know theoretically working with Brady's still like twisting the screws on him in a way that's like okay that trust is like rapidly dissipating so I thought Kristen played that well the only thing with that exchange though is and it's maybe more a seasoned player if you tell me you have to go think about it I I'm assuming you're not like you have to be able to make a decision and agree on the fly even if you don't agree you have to agree like in that moment in a measured way that they can't weaponize it against you like Mike can't go back and be like Kristen promised me this and that but if she's like that sounds great well just let me know like when when and what we're doing and like I'm down like that's yeah that's not you can't weaponize that and it makes him feel comfortable and locks him in like that's not I'm not saying I have to think about it like I you're my target if you say you have to think about it like I have to get you out yep I caught that too that was the one thing that's why I'm like really focused on like Sharonda and Christian are like making these very smart like a layer deeper like oh this is what I got to do now for then or this is how I'm gonna do nothing to do more I that was the one thing I I love Kristen she's like one of my top on the season I love her um but I did notice that I'm like shoot just tell him you're with him yeah it's a great idea Mike you're awesome great idea I'll let you lead by God whatever Mike's just getting so little from it's like you know okay Brady is like saying uh you know whatever like jumping down my throat about things 10 ons call me a bottom feeder Maggie's calling me like a coattail rider but Kristen said she'd think about it so Kristen's my number one think about anything you can get even the scraps from the summit yeah wow well I hope that's not the case Mike uh but a returning player is gonna read more into that than a new player so it's probably gonna be fine for Kristen but like Kristen if we're on the same season together and you say that to me I will make it over yeah yeah I've done that don't do it it's not good yeah Penner's done it he got voted out immediately next like let me think about this alliance that we're losing I'll think about it like you invited me in maybe who knows you know let me talk it over with my other alliances and then come back to you with an answer uh all right let's uh let's go on to who damaged their game the most do you have one for this or I'm gonna say Maggie Maggie Maggie that's what I have I was gonna say Brady because I think he is letting her get to him in a way that is going to screw him at the moment when he's most vulnerable in the game is like the big alpha dude which is right at the beginning of the merge yeah his lack of self-control yes his he is starting to unhinge right when he needs to keep it together like I mean I'm just like Maggie's you know taking them whatever like sometimes that person they can just like yeah it's annoying but that's like a problem for the beginning of the game whatever when you hit the merge so Brady's my damage the most yeah I can see that I think he could have been way more tactful and still made and made Maggie the bigger target than getting aggro on it because if you get aggro into like confrontation or aggressiveness or perceived as bullying whatever it is like that's bad but if you can like go to the group and be like none of us can use the hammock now like what what happened like you explain to me what happened why we can't use the hammock now like we like whatever like you can you can point out the stuff subtly make people realize it on their own without having to be aggressive about it so I can see that I also think Maggie I like that she's feeling herself like she's like yeah I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I've waited X amount of years to play this yes but you know I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game I'm not gonna do what people tell me about the fact that everybody right now knows her gameplay from last episode for Tribal and that's like the worst thing to happen to her because like if everyone knows then they're all going to think that she is controlling the game and then she's a target but also I think What you guys said about Brady was like on point. I'm excited to see him lose his patience, but I'm also dreading it for everybody else because it's going to suck really bad. And it's going to be uncomfortable. It's going to be so awkward for them. I'm going to love it personally. I'm going to eat it up. But yeah, it's going to be super uncomfortable to be with a crazy angry man on the beach, like hungry and. And yeah, it's just a way to get himself voted out like almost as soon as possible if you start screaming at everybody about a hammock. Wasn't it in the episode or two episodes ago or something? It was like Eric sitting on the bench during the challenge and Brady's not even on his tribe. And it's like, shut up. I'm like, okay, it is a thing. I feel like it's, I feel bad saying it in a way, but it is the stereotype and I've seen it. They're like the big dudes. It's like, who can last the longest before it just all falls apart. And you know, those days when you wake up and you're just like, oh, here it is. Here it is. Somebody's going to crash. Going back to Ori and Jeff's conversation about like, what did you get from Survivor? One of the prizes and one of the things you can look forward to going out on a reality TV show. And when people call and say, you want to go on the show, Tyson, one of my motivating factors is getting a front row seat to watching someone crack. Like, I don't know why that's like, if you can't, if you can't win the prize and you can't make a couple best friends out of your experience, if you can watch someone truly take their mask off and expose who they are in the moment of the, in one of their most difficult moments, like that's like, they should give you popcorn. Like if there's a way to like give popcorn for the people watching that from the sidelines, like I love that moment. And you can feel it. You can feel the tension building. You're like, here it comes. Everybody like don't nobody go anywhere. If you want to see something cool, we all got to stay put. And then just be like, what do you think about this? Like maybe just, you know, jab it a little bit to get it going. But, oh man, it's so much fun. Aubrey, do you like that? Is that, Is that like a third-tier prize, watching somebody crack? I mean, it's definitely, I can think of some entertaining moments. 38, I definitely had my own, too, when I lost the Edge of Extinction and get back in. I was so pissed that someone had squeezed my hand, who's supposed to be the nice person, before they voted me out. And I called them out so hard. And that was my crack moment. I did kind of feel bad. But it's fun to watch when it's not you. Yeah. And in person. I had someone squeeze my hand when they voted me out. Really? And Token Sheen's Erin Lobdell in the vehicle. Yeah. Transport on the way. And it was the first time she'd done it. I'm not gonna do what people tell me this is my game grabbed my hand gave it a big hard squeeze and uh and i was like that's weird but also like she should be voting with us and then uh she didn't and i was like oh that's what gavin did to me and he's like the nicest dude and i actually seemingly do think he's a nice guy and i i was i was like he has squeezed your hand and vote you out and they're like holy shit aubrey's gone and uh i didn't like that i like cracked but i was like so annoyed that you know what though the funny thing is i think i had told anna kate when i played the first time like you're fine no worries and i remember in the exit press she was like aubrey was like way too nice to me and then voted me out like you learn that like it really hurts if you like pour it on thick and then you take somebody out like that is not that if you're playing don't pour it on thick and then vote people out that is the worst thing you can do because that freaking like i feel like i'm like oh my god my heart's pounding just talking about it because it's like what the hell like you're gonna crush my dreams and then you want me to vote for you to win a million dollars like you might as well like what are you doing so anyway there's my little but the opposite of that aubrey is when somebody comes to you it's like am i okay and you're like uh yeah you're okay and then you're like trying not to make eye contact with them like and so it's like there is a balance between my giving them enough that they feel comfortable but not so much that they feel too strongly emotionally invested into what you're selling up yep which is such a hard balance because i just like try to shut down and be like i i don't know what we're doing like i'm still you know trying to figure out what's going on here give me a moment and i'll like get back to you and figure it out but i gotta i don't know uh or you give them the decoy name uh but it's it's a hard balance yep that's that's why i was in 50 when it was me or sari like we had we both knew what was going on we're like calling the other one a threat a rat to the people that we needed and i remember being like oh this is like because we've played before this is the perfect balance of like i really i love you but like this sucks but we're like not putting it out there but we both knew and i was like yeah but it is a balance it's a balance it's true you got to be that right level of open yeah riley where we at all right let's see some winner picks aubrey do you have a winner pick have you had one like this season or he was my winner pick so oh no r.i.p r.i.p well freshly freshly um let me see i'm gonna go with kristen okay okay that's who i've had from day one i'm gonna stay with kristen i think she's sitting fine uh she's got an idol now pretty much an idol although i don't see shiranda going anywhere either and if i'm not mistaken ashley and riley both have shiranda as their one okay i think those are good picks we all have you guys both still feeling confident in the shiranda pick absolutely she's yeah as we saw this episode she's just a master class of just analyzing people she even analyzed eric of all people which you would think yeah you can analyze him really well because he's like so open but at the same time she was able to dig a little bit deeper and see what he how he likes to be talked to she was honest to him being like i don't really like to cry but it didn't upset him or make him like turn off from her because she communicated it well so she's just like she's a master class at this right now so grounded yeah that group being grounded is so important like i don't know if it's important for yourself it's important for your alliance to be able to rely on someone who is grounded it's so true because i i mean i can think back to my first couple seasons and we're talking about like when you get voted out the first thought i was like you go i went out of body every time i struggled to stay in my body and survivor and i think that's the only way i could pull it together in 50. and the people who are naturally like in body in the moment people are the people that other people feel comfortable around and sharonda and kristen both have it yeah they both do that is uh and it's the thing we've said with both of them uh over the season is like you have to be able to have someone who is reliable and that you already know what they're going to do and trust that it's grounded because the way they've all always presented themselves jervis was that for me on blood versus water there were moments i would come to him and be like should i purposely go to redemption island get rid of the people we need to and then win my way back in he's like why would you do that when you're just comfortable here and i was like oh you're right okay yeah no that yeah so uh yeah you need that person if that person is not you you need to find that person and that yeah i can think of those people instantly when you say that's true they're like you're rocking the game sydney for me the first season oh my god i couldn't have done it without her yeah what else riley i mean i have sharonda too uh and and just to you know uh in case anyone doesn't know she was my pre-season pick as well so i'm really really riding high on her all three of us have our pre-season pick only aubrey yeah lost hers and it was this episode wow yeah so it's pretty solid it is pretty solid and i feel like or he was going to go deep too if he had not had his he was he's also ground very grounded person like he was somebody that you could gravitate to and like didn't give up information he didn't need to didn't even question it and i think he's a newer recruit to the show i don't think he student of the game seems like a super fan yeah gets people i want him back like really badly i like him a lot i really like him that's going to be an interesting ponderosa oh because all of the yeah uh we'll talk to him about it tomorrow uh what's next riley all right let's uh let's pick who goes home next episode oh the merge who's going to merge aubrey you got any predictions brady brady you predict he's going to continue on this path of aggression okay overplay yeah tyson who you got um i'm gonna go brady too i think even if maggie is being overly bossy or grading to people i think at the merge that doesn't matter as much and it's like the thing that you can overlook uh and be like well you know the more she is if she's loyal and grading then that's good for my end game if i can get to the end with her uh and so i think that that can that's going to be overlooked uh and it's going to be more dangerous for brady um and yeah i mean there's so many people still left but that's that's it ashley um i'm gonna say brady just because he seems to be the angriest next episode somebody and he has less alliances than the majority of people around him um if he's he's super mad at maggie but she has her alliance is just like spread out right the helicopter alliance is still a thing um brady has carter so i feel like he's a bit in trouble if he decides to go after one person so i'm assuming he's gonna like start doing a war type thing and then go a little too far and make everyone feel weird and then he's gonna get himself eliminated is to non with carter and brady or no i think she's with maggie honestly um from like a few votes ago it's very tight yeah like they might be and i feel like she she said something a little off like side eyeing uh brady a couple episodes uh yeah so i think she doesn't fully like she doesn't fuck with them totally you know yeah but she's around them because he's a big giant man and what do you do there's a big giant man i'm gonna stand right behind him yeah and let him yell at people yeah it'll be his brody so i'll read you started using brody more in your daily life you know it is a little catchy like i played very closely with jonathan jonathan and brady are friends and i see how that would just i would probably just slip into that in that when you got to like enter that world which is what i had to do i was like yeah why not let's drop a brody at the point where i'm like yeah i'm gonna do it post office what up brody what up like i can see how it's like yo got my brodies over for a drink brody yeah take the trash out with my brodies go i don't know yeah you make it sound catchy yeah brody okay riley who you got brody brody uh i'm gonna pick tenon i think to go i think she's gonna go too hard she's kind of like too obvious in who she's gonna pick i'm gonna pick tenon i think to go i think she's gonna go too hard she's targeting i think eventually it often gets flipped back onto that person right like if she targets early yeah and obvious yeah see it it's obvious yeah it's like if she's going really hard after like mike at the merge she names a name she likes to name a name that's what it is it's she she's gonna like be the first person to throw out a name and that's like not a great place to be yeah okay i like that like that kind of out of the box uh pick uh not going off of anything that we saw on the next time on which most of the time the next time ons are decoys and everybody that looks like they're in trouble there is not so Brody Brady is probably safe, but it does look like he gets a little angry next episode. Anything else, Riley? That's it for me. All right. Aubrey, tell the people what you're up to now. You got $2 million in your bank account till tax day. What have you been doing? Investing wisely. I've been back to work. I have my own marketing. Investing wisely. Is that a thing you can do nowadays in today's turmoil? I mean, I don't even know what that means. Doing my best. And just back to work. I got back to work ASAP. I have a marketing consultancy and I've been working, being a mom, enjoying the fall. So just back to it. Good. Should people follow you on Instagram? Follow me on Instagram at Aubrey Bracco. There's no E in my first name, but if you want to vote for me, you can put an E and then it's null and void. Yes, because if they don't spell it right, it doesn't count. That's the new twist. Yeah, right. Yeah. Okay, that'll do it here. The pod has spoken. Aubrey, I'm so glad you won last season so you can finally come on the pod. We've been trying to get you here for a while. Ashley, for those that don't know, we'll now spend the rest of the day editing, putting this whole thing together, and then we'll do it all again tomorrow. So even though Riley gets to now go and take a nap, spend time with his family, kick his feet up, watch his favorite shows, Ashley is going to be knee-deep in editing, making us sound and look amazing. So Ashley, thank you for all the hard work you put in. And Riley, you're working too, but you and I both now, nap time until the kids need our attention. So Ashley. Believe it or not, I have other things I have to do today, but thank you. You do? Yeah, man. I have a bunch. I do more at The Ringer than just this podcast, unfortunately. I wish, the only thing I could do. It's the highlight of my week, but I do have stuff I will be doing this afternoon. Okay. Well, thanks for your limited focus on the podcast here while you delve into all your more important stuff. That'll do it. We will be back tomorrow with exit interviews. And yeah, I think we've got some other special stuff coming up. So just stay tuned. We do have a merge extravaganza where we will predict. What happens after the merge. We're almost always 100% correct. So if you're on Kalshi and need some picks, tune into that episode. We will see you tomorrow. Bye. Bye. Oh, see ya. Your sausage McMuffin with egg didn't change, your receipt did. The sausage McMuffin with egg extra value meal includes a hash brown and a small coffee for just $5. Only at McDonald's for a limited time. Price and participation may vary. Promotion pricing may be lower than meal pricing. Join us. Sam's Club. Annual plan only. Auto renews. TNC apply. Estimate based on average combined Walmart Plus and Sam's Club Plus savings among members of both for one plus year versus non-member or club member pricing slash fees. Excludes membership fees. See Walmart Plus terms and Sam's Club terms for more info.