Survivor 44 Recap: Best Laid Plans Will Go Astray — but Whose Plan Worked and Who Didn’t Go ‘Full Tilt Boogie’?
Chaos Kass would’ve loved this mess.
In Wednesday’s episode of Survivor, Jeff offered up the season’s biggest reward yet: an overnight stay at the Sanctuary, a taco fiesta (with margaritas!) and some highly coveted letters from home (and did I mention margaritas?). With the pressure turned on high, Frannie once again dominated her fellow castaways, pulling out her third individual win and (unfortunately) increasing the size of the already-sizable target on her back. But after a wild immunity challenge which had players squirming and worming their way through the sand with their hands and feet tied together, she couldn’t repeat her victory, as Puzzle Wonder Kid Carson swooped in to take the cake.
And that’s when things got a little nutty. Plans on plans on plans began to unfold, and just when we thought they had figured it out, things changed… then changed again! Alliances shifted, then crumbled as former tribal lines finally began to blur. Let’s ride this rollercoaster together as we unpack the episode’s most pivotal highlights.
JAIME COMES CLEAN | Jamie was smart enough to know she needed to tell the truth regarding her (fake) idol leaving the game. After all, even the mere suspicion of having an idol is often enough for people to want to vote you out. But when she finally gave reward losers Danny, Carson and Yam Yam the official scoop… NO ONE BELIEVED HER!
Is it really too much to fathom that the former Ratus were preparing themselves against a possible Knowledge Is Power play? I guess it sounds rather convenient that Kane walked down that cold and lonesome trail with Jamie’s (fake) idol in his pocket… but it was the truth! How hysterical was it that in a game of lies and deception, no one would believe little ray of sunshine Jamie in her most sincere and honest moment? Luckily for her, she was able to survive this Tribal Council, but how much longer will she be able to evade the vote?
PLAN NO. 1 | While Frannie was away, the mice began to play… and by that I mean they were plotting her timely demise. No one ever thought the twenty-something researcher from Minnesota would’ve turned out to be the challenge beast of the season, but here we are, so it’s no surprise that Danny, Yam Yam, Carson and Jamie want her gone. It’s the easiest pitch to make to the others, too! However, in Survivor, the obvious and easiest path isn’t always the right one.
PLAN NO. 2 | At the Sanctuary, Carolyn posed a big question to former Sokas Frannie and Heidi: “When are you ready to let go of Danny?” It was the right question at the right time. Both women seemed totally game to take out their (former?) alliance member. They knew he’s playing hard and knew it had to be a blindside, but was this Tribal the right time to take the shot? Carolyn’s plan included a split vote on Danny and Jaime, but as we saw just minutes later, not everyone was quite on board.
PLAN NO. 3 | When the tribe reunited at the beach, Carolyn couldn’t get Danny out of her mind. But when she told Lauren, Jamie and Frannie that she thought Heidi was lying about Danny’s escapades, Lauren suggested they vote Heidi instead. Carolyn pitched that curveball to Carson, and while he didn’t want to tarnish his relationship with her and he did want Heidi out, he didn’t seem certain that that was the way to go.
Only the Survivor Gods know just how many other plans didn’t make the edit, but from the looks of it, this strategy sesh’ seemed like one for the books.
THE TRIBE HAS SPOKEN | When Tribal Council began, the vote still seemed up in the air. The Host With the Most turned into an island equivalent of Yoda, telling them that the only way to play Survivor is to go “full tilt boogie” every single second. That statement led to mass confusion, as everyone stared back at Jeff like deer caught in headlights. What was this “full tilt boogie” the wise one spoke of? A new advantage? An upcoming challenge? Nada. Apparently it’s “a state of mind,” according to Jeff, and really, I think we’re just going to have to take his word on this one.
Meanwhile, Jamie repeated her not-fake story about her very-fake idol. Crickets. No one — and I mean no one! — believed her for a millisecond. And that, my friends, is simply precious.
The comical charade came to a close, and when Probst called for idols and advantages, not a single peep was uttered. Heidi, Frannie and Carolyn followed through on Plan No. 37 (I’ve seriously lost track), but we all know what they say about the best laid plans. So who was ousted this time around? Challenge beast Frannie Marin. But hey, at least she was reunited with the super smiley Matt at Ponderosa and isn’t true love the real prize on Survivor? (Read our Q&A with Frannie here.)
Didn’t it seem like the perfect time to blindside Danny or was Frannie the right call? Go full tilt boogie in the comments below and let us know!
Frankie needed to go.
Frannie, sorry 😁
It was perfect timing to get danny out! 🙄
It was a perfect time to get Frannie out too. Danny managed to out play Frannie, thus she went out.
Heidi was the only one to stick with the Danny vote. Why did anyone listen to Carolyn’s suggestion, esp Frannie. Getting rid of Danny should have remained the focus of the girls. Yam Yam is sly but ultimately a donkey & Carson’s a snake. It’s probably going to be a race between Danny & Carson unless the others can actually make a plan & stick to it.
Yeah I am afraid that it looks like some one unlikeable will win this season. They are not grouping together to make smart moves.
They should have taken out Danny.
Frannie was absolutely the right call & she was getting pretty cocky so had to go!! You can’t get comfortable in this game!’
One of Survivor’s better seasons! Very competitive and I actually like all of the players especially Carolyn and Carson. Too bad there’s no America’s Favorite Player prize!
There’s always the possibility of Sia money happening. I think it’s likely Carolyn will be getting a check, in some way.
Are the remaining contestants gonna wise up and even try to vote Danny out? If not, just give him the money now. Geez.
Danny is a threat but the real threat is Carolyn. She is playing a very sly game and Carson is the only one who really sees it.
No one is realizing Carson will win any immunity challenge involving puzzles. He and Carolyn just keep flying under the radar.
Danny is the biggest snake in the game. I feel he is the least genuine as well. They definitely should have gotten him out. What a waste.
Jamie still not doing enough. To win the game . Yes trading you ( fake) idol for a real extra vote. Is a top 9 for this season move, but using it on someone that stayed anyway not so smart. And to keep the advantage because they thought the still the advantage was going to be use that night. At this point Jaime that girl in basketball that feel like the last basket is all that counts, and shot with one second left near the basket. While being down by 5. Make it lose by 3 and is celebrating because she thinks she won since she scored last.
Oh my gosh tonight episode season 44 episode 11 will be killer. Jaime knows she going home. She knows she wasted her shot in the dark. Worst off she know it came up safe. She going in thinking it could have been her only hope. And now she knows it would had save her. Haha. Shot in the dark. Wasted. ” fake” idol she thought was real wasted, extra votes she swap with not making a difference (wasted kinda) no digoing to fference was made. She get burn for wasing it. Her mistakes cost Maddy, now it will cost her after all. I guess her big mistake was wasting the stuff after all.