‘Survivor: Edge of Extinction’: Veteran Player Voted Out After ‘Epic’ Blindside

For the first time in Survivor: Edge of Extinction, castaways other than the (now) Lesu tribe had to shake things up at tribal council.

In Wednesday’s all-new episode of the CBS reality show, the struggling tribe made up of former Manus won the right to sit out a tribal council for the first time all season.

After Kama and Manu walked away with a PB&J reward during the first physical challenge, leaving the fumbling Lesu in the dust yet again, David Right lamented to Jeff Probst that his tribe couldn’t seem to get things right.

“It’s almost like we’re cursed or something,” he said. “We have to think positive. We keep saying that, but we have to keep positive. It’s the only way out of this.”

As each tribe focused on their strategy ahead of the immunity challenge, back on Extinction Island, eliminated castaways Rick Devens, Chris Underwood, Keith Sowell and Reem Daly got their first sign that they would really be able to fight for a chance back into the game. After Rick figured out the secret to a cryptic map pointing them to a spot on the island, the castaways decided to make the trek together — at least at first.

“I was like, what?” Keith confessed to the cameras, grabbing his shoes and map before heading off on his own in secret. “That’s not gonna happen.”

It wasn’t long before the other Extinction Island castaways realized Keith had betrayed them, and scurried up the mountain, knocking him aside at the last minute to claim the prize — three bamboo sticks with the word “practice,” and an extra vote to play in secret at the next tribal council.

“It was a wake up call that we’re on the edge of extinction, but we’re not out of the game,” Rick told the camera after the scuffle. “So I’m playing now.”

Far away from the cryptic Extinction Island, Lesu pulled out what Probst thought could be the biggest comeback in Survivor history, managing to come in second place to Kama after falling so far behind it initially seemed like they were headed to tribal once again.

With Manu headed to tribal council for the first time, alliances began to form messily, with Victoria Baamonde, Gavin Whitson and Eric Hafemann planning to take out Aubry Bracco ahead of the merge, blindsiding her with a plan to take out Wendy Diaz.

To further complicate things, Victoria was working with Aubry to possibly take out one of the guys with the help Wendy, which appeared to stall out after the chicken-freeing castaway refused to commit to any game plan.

Aubry’s fellow tribe members might have been ready to throw her under the bus, but they also didn’t know that the extra secret vote from Extinction Island had been gifted to her, adding to the hidden immunity idol the returning player had also been hiding.

Unfortunately for the experienced player, she didn’t see her tribe’s betrayal coming, playing neither advantage and getting voted out.

“I truly was blindsided in epic fashion with an idol and an extra vote in my pocket,” she told the cameras, deciding right away to head to Extinction Island. Will she be able to make an equally epic return?

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

Photo credit: CBS