Season 50, Episode 12: We gotta stop meeting like this

The second to last episode of the season! This is who we have left: Jonathan, Aubry, Cirie, Rizo, Joe, Devens, and Tiffany

What a journey.

It doesn't hurt any less to lose anyone, does it? It's hard to see the legends go. Gosh, it would be sad to lose Rizo, even (although I couldn't root for a Rizo win, not with this group). Rizo, I believe, has played a good and important part in this season. As a confidant to Cirie. As a sort of avatar for the super fans watching. As the individual who told Coach to chill. And if one were to go back and dissect the way the game played out, Rizo would surely have been a major player in a lot of moves. He's not good at challenges. He's not into the survival aspect. But he's really good at maneuvering. If there was ever a true middle it was Rizo. Rizo has been the very middle of the middle. And he's once again carried an immunity idol (known to all) for most of the game!

Anyway, what I was saying was, every loss hurts this season. Even if they (whoever they are for you) weren't your favorite player, everyone invited certainly had something interesting to offer to the game. Coach and his Coach-isms! Cirie's social wizardry. Joe's frustration with anyone lying and leaving him out of plans. Christian's eccentric professor vibe. I could go on.

So, yeah, we hate to see them go, especially as it gets closer to the end and we have to empathize with their frustration with how close they came.

This episode we lose two.

And they are big ones.

And not one of them is Rizo. Despite Tiffany's campaign against him.

First to go is Devens. His name has been bandied about for a few tribals and he's been able to stave off getting snuffed via a fake idol, a coin flip, and real idol. He sees the writing on the wall. Tiffany makes a gallant effort to save him. Or rather, she makes an effort to go after Rizo instead, but Cirie keeps his name on the parchment. She can't lose Rizo because Rizo is her ally and an important number. I wonder, though, if she could have stayed safer for longer if she pushed to keep Devens, as he would be a shield. But she's probably thinking about how Rizo might potentially be bitter if she was behind him going home. And there's the risk of keeping a player that might have a chance against her in the final three. But Rizo's role as a number is probably her biggest consideration in wanting him to stay. What I don't get is why she's not pitching anyone else. I suppose Cirie's never been the player to outright pitch. She doesn't want to look like she's controlling any votes, perhaps. But, still, she doesn't seem to be working any angles to get out Jonathan or Joe. I'm curious as to why.

So Devens spends the morning looking for an idol. I'm doubtful there's any to be found. At the challenge, he doesn't come close. There goes immunity. He has a touching moment with Joe when talking about how he wants to stay. "I don't want to admit defeat." And an even more touching moment at tribal council when he shares about his time on season 50 and on Fiji and how he loves to see all the stars in the sky. How he thinks of a falling star as a message from home. He's a good sport about being voted off. I, for one, loved all the Rick Devens' shenanigans. Despite Joe's distaste, they were joyful. Goddman joyful, I tell you!

It seems like everyone wants Tiffany to be the next person to go. Not Cirie, but everyone else. And Tiffany– at least in the edit--seems oblivious. She's pitching Rizo some more. Again, does no one see Jonathan or Joe or, at this point, by golly, even Aubry, as big threats? Tiff may be sticking to her handshake alliance with Joe– after the two of them shared that spaghetti dinner. And perhaps she sees Joe and Jonathan as a tight pair. But, still, there could be numbers to vote out Jonathan. I'm wondering why no one talks about it. At all.

Everyone, at this point, is strongly considering who they should be sitting next to at final tribal council. I would think that even with strong alliances (like Rizo and Cirie), there's still the weighing of pros and cons. I can't imagine anyone wants to be next to Cirie. Perhaps Tiffany, although we don't get any insight into her thinking--only know that she tends to be solid in her loyalties. Let's just take a moment to try to get in their heads about how they might see each other at this final six.

Rizo: Aubry tells us that she sees Rizo has a good choice for being at final three with her. "Some of the old timers might not want to give the win to a kid who drives them nuts." It's possible that everyone else there might be thinking the same thing. Cirie has him as her current number one ally. He seems to be friendly with Joe and Jonathan. It's only Tiff that seems to see him (and his idol) as a threat to go after. One has to assume that he's just too easy to keep around. They don't know how good he's been playing. They don't care about his idol because they all assume he's with them and isn't anyone to worry about to win immunity or, likely, the game. Who on the jury would go for him? If I were in Aubry's position, I'd think the same thing. He's the least threatening of who is left.

Cirie: I'm surprised she's still here, to be honest. Everyone has to know what a threat she is, but they must figure they can get her out when it's closer to the end. Everyone seems to trust to her and depend on her strategizing skills. She has Rizo and Tiff as allies. Cirie probably most wants to keep Rizo and Tiffany as she knows they are players who are numbers for her. And I wouldn't be surprised if Cirie was aware how difficult it would be for anyone left to beat her. So perhaps all the remaining players aren't any more threatening than anyone else. Might as well go with numbers.

Jonathan: I'm honestly baffled that we don't see any discussion of Jonathan as a threat. He's good at challenges. He could easily take an immunity run. He definitely has his cheerleaders on the jury (Coach, Chrissy, Stephenie), and given his position the previous tribal council, he definitely has moves he can brag about. I'm guessing he wants to keep Rizo because he sees him as easily beatable. He wants to keep Joe because he's made more moves than Joe. And he's not threatened by Aubry because he sees Aubry as under his thumb. He likes having Cirie around to use her strategy brain, but knows others will see her as enough of a threat to take out when necessary.

Joe: Well, he's obviously pretty great at challenges. But I think he's too well connected to be considered. He's allied with everyone but Aubry it feels like. And maybe we just haven't seen their connection played out and it's there, hidden. Again, I have to think he's not considered enough of a threat. Despite his solid connections to jury members and his many challenge wins, he hasn't driven any of the game. He's just survived. He's had a lot of opinions, but I'm not sure they drove anything. And, look, I personally have nothing against seeing surviving as a winning strategy, especially when you COULD be perceived as such a big threat, but no one playing ever expects the jury to see it that way. As for who he wants to stay and who he wants to go, outside of gunning for Devens, it feels like he's happy to default to whoever makes the most compelling pitch.

Aubry: She can't be perceived as a big threat challenge-wise (although I think she certainly can be, depending on the challenge). I also assume her moves have been more under the radar. They might think she'll be perceived as a flip flopper, which isn't respected unless you can sell it at as something else, like adaptability. It's clear they see her as dangerous. Jonathan has told us that he doesn't trust her "as far as he can throw her" (which has to be the most overused line on all 50 seasons). It's not a secret to anyone that has watched her seasons that Aubry is adept at going far. All I can think is that everyone left thinks they can sell their game as better than hers. Probably, more importantly, they see Tiffany and Cirie as more dangerous and better to be voted out sooner.

Tiffany: She's a great underdog story, especially as she lost alliance members early on and had her name written down a few times. Plus, she's been great at challenges and has won immunity a few times. She hasn't really pissed off anyone on the jury. And everyone seems to really like and respect her. Finally, Dee might be on her side and Dee's the mayor. But she doesn't have a lot of moves on her resume. I certainly think Tiffany could sell the hell out of her game at a final tribal council, but her fellow castaways haven't seen what we have. But they must see her as a big enough of a threat to want her to go at this point. So perhaps they are very aware of her awesome game. This is how Aubry describes her: "Golden girl, underdog. She has that X factor."

So the plan in the morning is Tiffany. But then the immunity challenge happens.

Aubry, Rizo, Joe, and Jonathan--once through the more physical aspects of the challenge--are all all try to help each other with the arch word puzzle. To anyone watching, it's clear they are working together because they don't want Tiffany to win. But as fast as Joe and Jonathan are at figuring out the word and getting their blocks up, they can't get it spelled right on on both sides in time to beat Tiff. Inconceivable is the word. I think under that kind of pressure, I'd struggle too.

Jeff asks Tiffany if she could hear the other people talking and working together. He's trying to ask a pointed question. What do you make of that? They don't want you to win, Tiff. Did you happen to notice? But she answers about her ability to hyper focus because of her ADHD. She tuned out any chatter, she says. Yes, good, but Tiffany, there's meaning in that question. THEY DIDN'T WANT YOU TO WIN! ASK YOURSELF WHY.

So, yeah, uh oh. Here it comes. The biggest gut punch. Rizo says he plans to play his idol. So the spotlight goes on Cirie. Who knows if it would have been on Rizo anyway. Probably not.

It feels like her life is in Rizo's hands. And will he want to keep going with her?

No. He sees the opportunity this is. No one is winning against Cirie if she's at the end. What's interesting to me, is his belief that he has a chance. And look, he should have that belief if he's playing the game. What's the point, otherwise? Despite what Jeff tells us about the journey being the real reward, people still want to win the two million dollars and wear the crown. Rizo should fight for it. But I'm also wondering if there's any part of him that recognizes that his best chance at sitting at final three– and winning SOME amount of money--might be to save Cirie. The two of them together could maybe fight their way there and he'd be guaranteed a seat next to her if one of them were to win the final immunity challenge. At this point, no one knows if fire making will be a thing. Although we can guess what the fans might want. I don't know, if I were Rizo, I might weigh my odds. I might not take away 2 million, but I could potentially get a good chunk of change and the glory that comes with sitting there at final three. Plus, imagine how good you look if you saved Cirie!

Cirie knows she is in trouble. We see it on her face before she even breaks the news to Tiff, who seems genuinely surprised by her thinking it will be on her.

"Girl."

Cirie puts out her best shot. She has good info and she got it from Rizo, but she's trying to pin it on Aubry, frame her as a rat. It's a good move. Really, the only move. And it seems like it might be working. Jonathan goes to Joe to talk to him about it. Joe confronts Aubry. Aubry says no. She knows what Cirie is doing. Rizo knows what she's doing. I think if it weren't for Rizo and Aubry keeping the ship steered in her direction, the vote might have changed. See, once again, Rizo is more powerful than anyone realizes. Aubry, too.

We don't get the conversation that happened, but we do get Cirie and Aubry on the hammock together before anyone leaves for tribal council. They both know it's between the two of them. "We gotta stop meeting like this," Cirie says to Aubry. They smile.

Goodbye, Cirie. It's a lovely exit, full of warmth and praise from everyone, including Aubry calling her the GOAT as she votes. It's true. Cirie is the best Survivor player there ever was. I'd send her all the falling stars I could.