Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets Episode 16 Recap: “Beauty Queen, Beauty Queen, and Granny”

Pop quiz: What do the following things have in common?: Survivor South Africa season 7, Community season 4, True Detective season 2, Arrested Development season 4, The X-Files season 8, Heroes season 2, The Office season 8. 

Episode 16

  • Finally somebody, anybody turns on Rob. I don’t think Steffi is the one I’d choose to stealthily organize a blindside, but whatever.
  • Yup, Jacques fell one day short of the loved ones visit. Rob and his mom win immunity and a braai. Oh interesting: Rob can take two on reward but the other three go to IoS. 
  • Jesus, Rob basically says he’s choosing Laetitia because she doesn’t have long to live. He also chooses Steffi for nonsense reasons but he’d be a fool to take anybody else.
  • OH LAETITIA NO!!! Why did you tell Rob and Steffi about your idol????
  • No competition or advantage on IoS. So what was the point of sending them there? Mike enumerates to Nicole and Durao all the times Rob has deceived his supposed allies. Given that he’s talking to Rob’s lackeys, he’s just gluing the target on himself more tightly. 
  • Laetitia tells Steffi that she blabbed about her idol so that the next time Rob doesn’t have immunity, Steffi can organize a blindside against her, then she’ll idol out Rob. Steffi’s mind is blown. My mind is blown that Steffi doesn’t remember that Rob has an idol that he’s sure to play at final 5, so Laetitia can’t idol him out.
  • Nicole: “Falling in line is actually sticking up for my own game plan.” What does this even mean???? “I’m not a puppet. I am a collaborator (duck lips).” Mmmm, nah, you’re a puppet.
  • The jury is hilariously disgusted by everybody left in the game except Laetitia. I’ve been saying for a couple weeks that she can beat at least Steffi and Durao, and I’m edging toward thinking that she beats anybody, including Rob. 
  • Durao and Nicole complain about not being taken on reward, and possibly to keep them in line, or to just change the subject entirely, Rob basically tells Mike he’s going home as punishment for trying to blindside him. 
  • Durao just now realizes that if Mike goes home, he’ll be at the bottom of the pecking order. I swear, watching Durao trying to think is like watching a newborn foal trying to take its first steps.
  • Mike is voted out 4-1-1, with Mike voting for Nicole and Durao voting for Steffi. Down to the very last gasp, Mike and Durao failed to get on the same page.