Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Survivor 47 Episode 7.

We’re officially past the halfway point of Survivor 47, with this historic season of the Charlie Parsonsreality show providing even more of the intense moments fans love. The last episode was a monumental one for this installment, not only because it initiated the merged portion of this game, but because it eliminated this season’s most prominent villain, Rome Cooney, in a shocking (to him) blindside. It was an intense scenario that saw people begin to play even harder as they got closer to the jury portion of the game, hopeful that even if they didn’t win, they’d last long enough to have a serious impact on who did. The cast held that awareness close as they decided who to go into the next portion of the game with, which led to one of the most devastating vote-offs this CBS franchise has ever seen. Let’s discuss that moment and more as we recap Survivor 47 Episode 7!

A Blindside Is Always Brewing on ‘Survivor’
Image via CBS

The fall of Rome signifies a much more anxious portion of Survivor 47, as the players now have to look at one another for who should be eliminated next. The return from tribal council sees Andy Rueda confront Solomon “Sol” Yi about voting for him, with their discussion revealing something that Andy had sadly suspected: his allies, Sam Phalen and Sierra Wright, agreed to him being a backup in case Cooney had an idol. Rueda officially cuts ties with his former Gata tribe and commits to an alliance with Sol right there. He soon finds himself flushed with allies as, after a night debating which of his former friends he should target, Andy is approached by the quietly strategic Genevieve Mushaluk. Alone now that Rome’s gone, she sees Andy as a great potential partner and the pair decide to become a team, setting the previously floundering Rueda up with multiple paths moving forward.

This episode’s immunity challenge comes with yet another twist: the tribe will be split into two teams of six, with whichever player lasting the longest on an endurance challenge winning their group immunity for the night. The player who lasts longest from the losing team will luckily get individual immunity — but the other five will have to battle it out and vote among themselves who should be eliminated next. The challenge begins, and in a tense competition that sees them move down a narrow beam while balancing a ball on a pole above their head, the winners turn out to be the team of Sam, Sierra, Andy, Genevieve, Sol, and Teeny Chirichillo. This leaves the entire former Tuku tribe of Caroline Vidmar, Kyle Ostwald, Gabe Ortis, Tiyana Hallums, and Sue Smey, having to face elimination… with Rachel LaMont of old Gata tagging along. Being the sole newbie (aka an easy target) of the group leaves her extremely anxious, and as one team goes to reward, while the other goes to their doom, she struggles to think of how to get out of this alive.

Nobody Is Ever Safe on ‘Survivor’
Image via CBS

In a cutthroat game like Survivor, the easy option is rarely the one these competitors choose to take. That’s why as the losing team returns to the beach, Hallums has a plan: to work with Kyle and Caroline to secure Rachel’s vote and get Gabe out once and for all. She’s been eyeing the strategic player for days and convinces LaMont that getting him out now will be the best for all of them in the long run. After Rachel agrees, Tiyanna makes the same pitch to Caroline, though the calculated competitor is a little more hesitant to take out someone she sees as an asset. In the shockingly open and analytical way she’s becoming known for, Vidmar explains how she sees Rachel as more of a target but will consider Gabe, debating whether to turn against him, as the man literally summons each of his teammates (while on a swing) to inform them of their own actions that night. These conflicting plans leave Vidmar in the middle as the woman realizes that someone’s fate lies in her hands — though unbeknownst to her, someone else is going to help her make that tough decision.

The winners are greeted by a dinner of ribs and potato salad when they go back to their new beach. Half-old Lavo and half-old Gata, they get along well, enjoying the food and discussing openly how it’d be smart for their groups to unite against what could easily be a Tuku majority if LaMont goes home. Aware of the series’ tendency to hide advantages at reward locations, Rueda takes advantage of everyone napping to try and search for one… not realizing that they are awake and watching him struggle to find anything. And the worst part is that he doesn’t even find one — if only he’d looked behind Sol. Right behind the older man is a scroll tucked into a tiki torch that he’d quickly snatched up. After getting away from the others, he unfurls it and finds an interesting advantage: Sol gets to bestow an option for power to someone on the other team, giving them the choice between a Block A Vote or a Safety Without Power advantage at that night’s tribal council. He relishes this new ability, and as his team goes to watch the others at tribal council, he debates who would be the perfect recipient for this game-changing move.

Related ‘Survivor’s Quiet Strategist Is Proving To Be the True Power Player While others shout, she proves that real power speaks softly.

‘Survivor 47’ Will Make You Cry

They all head to tribal council, with the winners watching this intense process that will end someone’s Survivor dreams right before they make it to the jury. Most of the time is spent with host Jeff Probst questioning what a conundrum Rachel offers to this losing team, pointing out how while she could be an easy vote, she could also be the key for someone in this group to eliminate a person they’d had their eye on. Tiyanna and Gabe each hope their plan will work, excited to pull off a move that the others won’t expect — though neither could’ve expected Rachel to pull out a Safety Without Power and spare herself at the last minute.

To the shock of all (with Sol pulling off an Oscar-worthy confused performance), the woman walks away, leaving the former tribe shocked and confused as they realize there’s no option but to turn on one another. Tiyanna tearfully tells Probst how important this journey is for her and how gutted she’ll feel if she gets cut off so close to jury, before everyone stands up and begins whispering about who they should get out. Tiyanna makes her pitch for Gabe while the man throws her name out in turn, going to Kyle (Tiyanna’s #1 ally) to assure the man that while Sue will do whatever they tell her to so he should stay with them. They go to vote and, in tearful shock, Tiyanna has to watch as Caroline and Kyle both turn on her, sending the woman out in a vote of 4-1.

Of all the eliminations this season, this is one of the most painful to watch. Seeing anyone’s dream end on Survivor is hard, but Tiyanna’s tears and look of utter betrayal at the people she trusted strike at the kind of wild competition that has made this competition one of reality TV’s most difficult. It’s a perfect ramp-up to what is officially the jury portion of the game, with her elimination spotlighting how absolutely brutal these people are willing to be in the fight for $1,000,000. And, with all the plotting and backstabbing going on in this episode, one thing is clear: this won’t be the last act of utter betrayal audiences will be seeing on Survivor 47.

Survivor is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

A reality show where a group of contestants are stranded in a remote location with little more than the clothes on their back. The lone survivor of this contest takes home a million dollars.Cast Jeff Probst Rating Seasons 45 Studio Release Date May 31, 2000 Story By Jeff Probst Writers Jeff Probst Network CBS Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Netflix Directors Jeff Probst Showrunner Jeff Probst Expand

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