The Survivor tribes have officially merged! Now they’re called Lavita, which sounds like either a conditioner or a feminine product. The merge is good for many of our players, but somewhat bad for Dom and Chris. They’re still at war, even after some time apart. Speaking of Chris, he ended up getting lucky. Hidden in his new buff was a secret clue to immunity. Something will be waiting for him at Ghost Island if he manages to find his way over there.

It might be good that (current male model) Chris found the clue, as he’s got a lot of people gunning for him. Dom, of course. And at one point, Wendell mentions how he was willing to work with Chris, but now the gloves are off.

But, hey. They all ended up at the merge, which is what every Survivor contestant only hopes for. “To season 36!” they all cheer, with their celebratory merge beverages.

Chris decides to make his great getaway to Ghost Island when everyone is asleep. He tries hard to leave at night “in a stealthy fashion,” even though I’m pretty sure I saw some eyes on him. “I like to say I’m pretty clutch, actually,” Chris says. He’s been to Ghost Island but has never been there at night. What he finds is J.T.’s authentic  Immunity Idol. He left it back at camp by mistake while he was blindsided. It’s good only at the next tribal council. But if Chris wages his vote at the next tribal council by playing the game, it’ll gain more potency. He needs to play the game. He decides to go for it and make that boat ride worth his time. He guesses correctly the first time, meaning it’s good for two tribals. But the third time he gets the “no vote” message. That means we’re seeing Chris again next week.

It seems like the players didn’t know about the midnight trip. Dom is still trying hard to get Chris out of there. Dom, as a reminder, has a real idol but a fake idol. And Chris believes the fake one is real. “I tried blindsiding him twice,” Chris says.

Laurel thinks it’s pretty intense. They talk about each other all the time. Maybe they’re in love. “Chris has to show the world how great he is,” Dom says. “It’s just getting old.”

Jenna and Libby think that the feud gives them a lot of power in the game, which is quite true.

The Immunity Challenge

Now it’s time for the very first individual Immunity Challenge. And it’s all about balance. The Survivor gang is balancing on a pole, while also balancing a beam with a statue on it. Woof. Donathan and Jenna get out quick. The wind causes Desiree and Angela to drop out too, leaving nine.

Those nine need to transition and keep balance while moving farther down the beam to more of a narrow space. Everyone does it flawlessly, which is shocking. Sebastian is out soon after. Dom stays in, even after a bug lands on his pole. But he’s out soon after the next transition, and Michael and Chris follow soon after.

Laurel drops next, and Wendell also fails to make the transition. We’re down to three — Kellyn, Chelsea, and Libby. Yay ladies!

After Chelsea drops, Kellyn and Libby have a lot of extra stress on their shoulders. Both start getting a little wobbly, and the wind picks up some more. It’s Libby who drops first and Kellyn can’t believe herself. She’s one of my faves, so I’m excited she was able to prove herself. She gets to wear the necklace, and as you know, she’s safe at tribal council tonight. “I cannot even believe it,” she says. She’s still nervous about the vote since lines will really be drawn in the sand.

According to Michael, Dom and Wendell are a dangerous pair. He’s not sure if Chris stating about Dom having an idol is accurate. But, the truth will come out at tribal. “In the event things go crazy tonight, I’m more than willing to play my idol,” he says.

Wendell is pretty pissed that Chris brought everyone together except for him and Dom, and Wendell is pissed. He doesn’t think Chris can get enough people to convincingly vote Wendell out, but it’s good that he has an idol just in case. “There’s a war going on tonight,” Libby says. She thinks people need to choose between Dom and Chris. She’s just glad that she’s safe tonight. But she might not be, since a ton of idols are going to be in play.

Funny enough, Libby is the first name that Desiree brings to the table. She’s thinking smart here. With everyone against Dom and Chris, and the two of them being obvious targets, it makes sense to throw another name in the mix. Especially someone Desiree isn’t super fond of. You guys, this tribal council is going to be good.

While I thought that Chris’s idol was good for both this week and next, he still isn’t sure he’s going to play it — and while under normal circumstances I’d say “I must have been confused back there,” this is Chris we’re talking about.

Tribal Council

Chris grabs the one unlit torch. Is he really the only person who’s never been to Tribal Council so far?! He says that being at Tribal makes him feel more alive than ever. It takes the game to a whole new level.

The Dom and Chris war is out in the open, and Dom openly wears his fake dumb shell around his neck after Chris doubts the idol. And, uh. Rehash of the last bunch of episodes. Naviti and Malolo history is brought up. “Now that you and I are finally here together, I’m cool with it being a showdown,” Chris says. Dom mentions how he was left with Wendell, who claims they were “in the living room, chillin’.” I like Wendell and that dude better not be blindsided tonight.

Kellyn, the only real safe one tonight, notes how the first merge vote is always the craziest in Survivor history. I just want them to vote, since this is the first vote I’ve been nervous about in a while. Even though Chris holds up the “No Vote” banner he got from Ghost Island, he talks about how he’s voting for Dom. It was a very confusing few seconds, let me tell you. Wendell votes for Chris, since he doesn’t listen to people. Also, he tells him to “stop rapping.” “Put the mic down, bro. Put the pen down, bro. Use an eraser,” Wendell says.

Just watch it. Really.

Ladies and gentlemen, the best Tribal Council vote casting in the history of #Survivor, courtesy of @wendellholland. pic.twitter.com/LtMqqS9wPx

— Dalton Ross (@DaltonRoss) April 12, 2018

Jeff goes to tally the votes and then asks if anyone wants to play their idol. “Jeff, Jeff, Jeff… I have a better idea,” he says. He doesn’t pull off his shell, but he pulls out the legacy advantage. It allows him to play at 13 or 6, and he decides to play it tonight. Smart move. Plus, he gets to keep the shell!

And with that, he reads the votes. Chris gets two votes, but then Libby gets two as well. And, uh. The Chris votes keep coming. He’s the eighth person voted out, and the first in the jury. Thank the heavens!

He forgets his torch as he walks out. Even without a torch, the tribe has spoken. So, wait — did he actually not play his immunity? HE DIDN’T.

At his final confessional, Chris admits he’ll be having nightmares about his haunted idol for some time. I have a feeling this isn’t the last we’ll see of Chris on Survivor.