Taako From Teevhii shares the best bonus scenes from the previous episode of Survivor: Heroes vs. Honchos vs. Henchmen.

This Week In Secret Scenes

“I Wanna Find A Clue To The Idol”

So this clip raises a very important and pressing question that I just want to jump right into: Did Mike not know to pull up his pants? I mean, sometimes your pants can shift when you’re in one place for two long, but once you’re in motion, air currents build, and it becomes almost impossible to not notice. And he definitely knew there was a camera behind him, so like, wouldn’t you make sure you’re presentable from all angles? Anyway, if you ever get cast on Survivor, make sure you bring clothes that are a few sizes smaller than you normally wear because your waist is guaranteed to shrink.

The other question that I guess we should also discuss is why Mike needs a clue for the idol in the first place. Knowing that he was there when Joe found the idol at Soko beach, we expected that Cole would find Yawa’s idol without much trouble. As we saw in the last two episodes, that didn’t happen. So what’s the story there? Cole shares some extratextual information over at r/Survivor (and none of this is technically a spoiler because we’re narratively past the point where this happens, but avert your eyes if you really want):

Im not sure if I’m supposed to be saying this I had dug a ton at the well for the idol but couldn’t find it. When me and joe found that first idol we had dug for nearly twenty minutes and we knew the actual distance to dig for that idol. The one at yawa ended up being buried on a different side and a different distance. So I told Jess and mike where to look so they could dig too and insure that Lauren and ben didn’t find it. It was also my way to offer an olive branch after breaking their trust. They didn’t tell me but I saw the ground was disturbed at the well so I asked Jess and mike about it and mike said no but Jess hesitated for a second and had this awkward smile so I knew they had it. Jess can’t lie but I love her for it haha but I didn’t press the issue because I knew it was safe with them

The new pieces of information we learn are that apparently Cole told everyone that Joe found the idol but not where or how; that Cole dug for the idol by himself at first but couldn’t find it; that Cole later told Jessica and Mike to look by the well as a way of rebuilding trust between them, even though sharing information to build trust was literally the mistake that caused this rift; and that Jessica now knows better than to share more than she needs to with Cole.

With all that said, it makes sense why this Secret Scene was cut from the final edit as it builds on a lot of prior knowledge that the general audience simply didn’t have.

This Week In Confessionals

“This Is Perfect”

This clip also helps to explain why Jessica was content to fill water bottles while Mike dug, as opposed to digging together where she has an equal chance of finding the idol. Cole had dug around the well to no avail, and Jessica and Mike had dug the previous day and come up short. After all that, digging around the well might feel like buying a scratch-off: you could win big, or it could be a waste of time.

It should also be noted that Jessica sees this as something that solidifies the trust between her and Mike. She claims that this gives her leverage to essentially blackmail Mike, though she doesn’t plan on doing that. My question here is, what makes her think Mike won’t try to bury any witnesses? Sure, he might need you now (though does he really? He could pull in Ben and Lauren), but if he thinks you’ll blab and if he has options? What’s stopping him from getting you before he gets got?

“I’m Trusting Her”

Alright, asked and answered. To me, it seems less like Mike is the third wheel to the Jole power couple and more like both Cole and Mike are aligned with Jessica and are therefore aligned with each other. Yet it is also telling that Mike considered hiding the idol from Jessica and that his decision to share it with her was the first demonstration of trust. This could be a result of Cole, Jessica, and Mike being the three players left who have not yet gone to Tribal Council; as has been repeated by many this past week, you really don’t know if you trust someone until you vote with them.

And for those of you who dabble in reading the edit tea leaves, what does it mean (if anything at all) that Mike’s “I’m going to win Survivor, dammit” portion of this confessional was left on the cutting room floor?

“I Wanna Keep Everybody Around”

Let’s round things out at Soko with the third Healer, Mr. Peanutbutter himself. There are a few things peppered throughout this short confessional that I think could show up again down the road.

First, Cole mentions that he’s always hungry. Not that everyone else is full and merry, but if you’ve seen the NToS or the preview for next week, stick a flag in this one.

Then we have Cole saying that he could see Ben as “one of [his] closer allies.” I wonder what “closer” is in relation to. Would they be closer than Jessica? Closer than Mike? Or would Ben just be an actual ally, since Cole tries to align with anyone and everyone on his tribe? This might also be an indicator of Ben’s personality and social game if Cole’s already considering bridging the Hero-Healer gap and going deep into the game with Ben after just a few days together. Or maybe this means nothing, and it’s just Cole being Cole.

And speaking of Cole being big, sexy, stupid Cole: do you want to keep Mike so you can win all the immunities, or do you want to keep Ben so you don’t win all the immunities? Pick one.

“Right Now I Need Him”

Is Chrissy right to trust Ryan the most on her tribe, even over JP? She says that his gift of the super immunity idol and his approaching her to play together says everything she needs to hear. But, she knows that he had to give it to someone, right? It wasn’t just out of the goodness of his heart? And since he did that, he might as well follow up to see what kind of residuals it brings him. I’m not saying it’s wrong of Chrissy to trust Ryan; as the vote showed, clearly that’s the right call. But to say you trust him the most? I mean, for better or for worse, JP is in her pocket.

It should also be noted that Chrissy tells us twice that she is unsure if Ryan is a long-term partner for her. Ben is still her ride-or-die, and Ryan, well, at least he’s here on this beach with her. What will it look like if/when Chrissy turns on Ryan? How will he look to retaliate? And will he regret not keeping Roark instead?

This Week In Gifable Moments

When you have a gif and you know there’s a sex joke in there somewhere, but you just can’t get it done.

When you hear that Jeff isn’t concerned about putting all the idols in the same spot on each beach.