Survivor 51 Recap: A Good Old-Fashioned Merge Sets Up A Feisty Struggle For Power

"Survivor 51" is going back to basics: It's merge time, baby — and there's not a single tiny tribe in sight!

As teased in last week's previews, the remaining 13 players finally unite as one, and for the first time in a long time, they are not immediately divided into smaller groups. Rather, the night's Tribal Council goes down as one big (un)happy family, with all 13 castaways at the same elimination, voting one sole soul out of the game. Just as the "Survivor" Gods first intended. So long, "earn the merge!" Buh-bye, "mergatory!"

But they do have to earn the merge... feast.

Everyone is stoked to hear that a hefty meal is just a boat ride away, but Jeff does have a kicker or two up his sleeve. Only 10 people get a seat at the table, and those players will be determined by who can throw back two live grubs the fastest. (The grub challenge harks back to the second episode of the very first season, "Survivor: Borneo," where a tiebreaker between Stacey Stillman and Gervase Peterson led to Pagong's first trip to Tribal. B.B. Andersen was subsequently voted out. Ah, the memories!)

Back to "51." Kristin eliminates herself from the competition by freeing her grubs to the wind. An interesting choice, but if you feel like you're going to lose anyway, why even bother chomping down on those juicy suckers? (Guess that's one thing Kristin didn't prepare for in the last 25 years.) The other two losers: Sharonda and Christian, who both struggle to chew, chew, chew their way to victory. Sorry for you, but hooray for us! The challenge is a nice throwback with a modern-era twist, and very Open Era-coded! We love to see it (even if it is a bit gross.)

Before we get to the absolute chaos that shakes up camp before Tribal, Kristin shares with Sharonda the full details of the Tethered Idol. Not only that, but she lets Sharonda hold on to it, with the goal of having zero secrets between them. This was Kristin double- and tripling-down on her alliance with Sharonda, and the gesture was actually very well-received.

I have a few questions: What happens if Kristin gets voted out before Sharonda? Does that idol power-up to its normal status for Sharonda, too? And what happens if Sharonda is blindsided while holding the Tethered Idol? Does she walk out of Tribal with the advantage in her pocket? Does she slip it to Kristin out in the open? Inquiring minds, Jeff!

Kristin and Sharonda's close ties are great and all, but one thing Kristin doesn't know about is the helicopter alliance, which Jelly and Devin (and Sharonda) are still totally locked in with. Because of that, they want to move forward with the former Savu. Jelly also wants to stay tight with Mike... for some reason.

In the past week or two, I've been having trouble reconciling Mike's place throughout this game. Look no further than Thien An, a woman who has had some complicated thoughts regarding the Yankees executive. She's even gone on camera calling him a "bottom-feeder" (among other names), and honestly, nobody really seems to want to work with the guy. But how did his game go so wrong? What aren't we seeing? Wednesday's episode finally delivered a little snippet of his... oddity. 

When Mike becomes privy to a potential Kristin blindside, he has good intentions of leaking that inform to her. But he does so in a way that sounds more threatening and sketchy than helpful, and Kristin quickly goes in defense-mode. Before he can fully explain himself he... walks away?! Kristin says via interview that Mike entered their huddle like a "mob boss." Maybe Mike's just on the wrong show. Somebody get Parker Posey on the horn, stat!

Listen, we don't know whether all of Mike's communication this season has been this poor, but you can't blame Kristin for reading that situation a certain way. Does this provide insight as to why Mike seems to be struggling socially? Maybe. But we'll definitely find out more after we bank some additional exit interviews.

Things continue to get even messier from there. Kristin confronts Brady about planning to get rid of her (sure, it may have been Maggie who started that whole "white whale" plan, but whatever), which confirms to Brady that Mike is the one leaking the info. But when Brady confronts his brody Mikey Boy, the baseball guy lies, lies, lies. (Mike's lucky he won individual immunity, or his time on the island probably would've been cut short.) Brady tells Mike, "You broke my heart like I was the girl at the prom." Dramatic, much? But I suppose the sentiment stands, seeing as both guys have been on the same tribe since Day 1.

Adding to the chaos is a potential Eric plan. With Brady and Kilby reconnecting and heaps of he-said-she-said whirling about, Sharonda tells Eric that Kilby no longer trusts him. And Eric is still feeling a certain kind of way stemming from the Linnea vote, so I guess that was one bromance that ultimately fizzled. All's fair in love and war, I suppose.

At Tribal Council, Jeff stokes the flames before he snuffs one, despite not being able to follow the narrative of what's going down. A plan was made, a plan was shared, another plan became the plan, after the original shared plan was overplanned. (I'm with ya, Jeff. Luckily for all of us viewers, the editors seem to have a handle on things.) It doesn't take long for a live Tribal to emerge — something that wouldn't have been possible if there were just 2-6 players seated for the vote.

After some talk about wet noodles and being "noodley or whatever," the votes come in and the tribe once again speaks: Brady is sent packing and he becomes the first member of the "Survivor 51" jury.

What did you think about this very messy, very wild episode? Did the right person go home? You know what to do! Go full tilt boogie in that comments section. And be sure to hit TVLine Thursday for our exit interview with everybody's favorite brody, Brady!