‘Survivor’ Castaway Accused of ‘Playing’ Showmance Partner

There’s love in the air on the Survivor island, but there’s a possibility it’s one-sided.

In Wednesday’s all-new episode of the CBS reality show, Dan Rengering’s showmance with fellow Goliath Tribe member Kara Kay put a major target on his back just days into the competitors’ time on the Fiji islands.

They were bonded right off the bat when Dan found an immunity idol and let the news slip to Kara and fellow tribe member Natalia Azoqa. That, plus the S.W.A.T. officer’s attraction to the realtor was pretty obvious to their fellow tribe members, which is something Kara was aware of right off the bat.

“It’s really difficult to be an alliance with Dan, because he’s so obvious about it,” she told the cameras.

Tribe member Jeremy Crawford confided to Alec Merlino that he didn’t think Kara’s intentions with Dan were 100 percent based on her feelings for him. “I think Dan is in a showmance; I think Kara’s in a strategy,” he whispered. “But I think it will be to their demise, because showmances, whether they’re real or not, they don’t work.”

Alec felt similarly, responding, “In my mind, Kara’s playing Dan. She’s been charming him ever since we got on this damn island. I think he’s blinded by her good looks. It’s like bad move brother, bad move.”

And while Kara told the other women in her tribe that she was frustrated with Dan’s obvious gameplay, she did use the word “love” when talking about their relationship. Then again, she also devised a plan with the other women to each exert their womanly influences on three of the men in their tribe, ensuring them at least six votes for as long as they can keep it up. That, plus Natalia and Kara’s knowledge of Dan’s immunity idol, put them in a good position before the first tribal council, they felt.

“Us three girls are clearly in charge and we know it,” Natalia said. “And we have these boys wrapped around our fingers.”

Will their womanly wiles be enough to keep them on top in this year’s challenge? Or will it blow up in their faces?

Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Photo credit: Twitter/Survivor