Survivor 47, Episode 13 was a double elimination. Two castaways kissed their dream of Sole Survivor goodbye and one castaway emerged as a frontrunner. It was two hours of beautiful mess filled with deception, broken alliances, Idols (both real and fake), and much more. I believe this is the strongest final six we’ve had in years and it was a joy to watch them fight for their spot in the game.
If you missed tonight’s episode, don’t worry. I’ll bring you up to speed.
What happened on Survivor 47, Episode 13?
Tonight’s episode kicked off with the Underdogs recovering from last week’s blindside. Teeny joined Andy, Genevieve, and Sam on the dark side. Together, they devised a plan to get Rachel out of the game. Genevieve won immunity in the first challenge and chose Teeny and Sue to join her at the Sanctuary.
Rachel tried to get Andy to flip on Sam but was unsuccessful. At Tribal, Rachel used her Idol to nullify the majority of votes cast against her. The Idol ended Andy’s time on the Island. He became the 13th person voted out of Survivor 47.
The final five competed for immunity to secure their place in the finale. Rachel won her third Immunity Challenge of the season. Sam told Teeny that Genevieve’s Idol is fake to get the target off his back. At Tribal, Genevieve received the most votes and became the 7th member of the Jury.
Keep reading for a more detailed recap of tonight’s episode.
The Underdogs alliance regroups after Operation Italy kills one of their own
Episode 13 began with the Underdogs alliance grappling with Caroline’s shocking elimination. Last week, Andy, Genevieve, and Sam orchestrated a masterful coup called “Operation Italy” that kept them safe and blindsided 4/5 of the majority alliance.
Sue was the most affected by the hijinks. She lost her day-one ally, weakening her position in the game. She is now the only remaining Tuku member remaining.
The Underdogs know Andy flipped, but they aren’t sure why. Teeny pulls aside Andy, Sam, and Genevieve to get some answers. Sam says there was no master plan. He tells her Andy flipped his vote to save him, but Genevieve is not involved. Surprisingly, Teeny believes him or at least sees the benefit of working with them and decides not to press further. Teeny leaves the Underdogs alliance in the dust, opting to work with Team Operation Italy to vote out Rachel.
It would be a good move if Rachel weren’t spying on them behind a bush. Yeah, she heard every word. She knows Teeny flipped and that she is the target. Lucky for her, the group doesn’t know she has an Idol.
Rachel tells Sue about Teeny flipping. They only trust each other at this point. She also reveals she has an Idol. Sue is loyal to Rachel but she decides not to disclose that she too has an Idol. I love that Sue kept that to herself. Queen of keeping secrets!
The Survivor 47 castaways compete for safety
Tonight’s challenge is for immunity and reward. The winner will be safe at Tribal Council and enjoy a steak dinner at the Survivor Sanctuary with two friends. The castaways are so excited. Teeny is jumping up and down (haha). It’s a tight race but in the end, Genevieve pulls ahead, securing her spot in the final five. I’m very impressed with her trajectory in the game. I thought her game was toast after the Sol blindside. She chooses Sue and Teeny to come with her to the sanctuary, which I think is the right choice. She needs to earn some brownie points with them.
The Survivor 47 castaways decide on a target
Genevieve, Sue, and Teeny arrive at the Sanctuary. Genevieve says she is voting for Rachel at Tribal Council. Teeny agrees Rachel is the biggest threat and says she cannot beat her in a puzzle or firemaking. Sue says nothing because well, she knows Rachel has an Idol.
Teeny accidentally tells Sue that Genevieve has an Idol. She feels like she made a huge mistake but Genevieve isn’t mad because, you know, the Idol is fake.
Meanwhile, Rachel, Sam, and Andy are chillin’ on the beach back at camp. Aw! It’s a Gata family reunion. It’s giving siblings and it’s adorable. Rachel nags them a bit about Operation Italy and says they can’t beat Genevieve in the end, which is probably true. Once Sam leaves, Rachel tries to get Andy on her side. She wants to flip the vote on Sam, so she can keep her Idol one more week. She tells Andy that he could never win against Sam and that the Jury doesn’t think much of his game. It’s brutal but it’s a good strategy. Andy knows she has a point.
Rachel attends her own funeral on Survivor 47
After thinking it over, Andy decides he needs to vote for Rachel. He approaches her and explains his reasoning. He tells her that he’s made moves she may not know about that will help him win over the Jury. Andy, why would you tell her that? This conversation makes Rachel reconsider her vote. She starts to see Andy as a bigger threat than Sam.
Everyone on the Island (excluding Sue) talks to Rachel like she’s a dead girl walking. They tell her she’s the target and she’s going home. They don’t know she has an Idol in her back pocket.
Who is the 13th person voted out of Survivor 47?
It’s time for the first Tribal Council of the night. The castaways are convinced Rachel will be headed out the door tonight but they are so wrong. We, the viewers, know Rachel and Sue are in control, but who are they targeting? Andy or Sam? We’ll have to see…
Jeff kicks off Tribal by bringing up the previous elimination. Teeny says she believes Caroline’s elimination was a mistake but Rachel calls bullsh*t. She says Caroline went home because Andy flipped. He confesses that he flipped and accepts responsibility for her elimination.
Rachel says she knows it’s her tonight because everyone told her how they are voting. Genevieve, Sam, and Andy lament about how she’s such a big threat and how they have no other choice. They are going to be so shocked. I can’t wait. The castaways cast their votes. Sam cannot contribute because Rachel used her Block a Vote on him.
Jeff comes back with the votes and asks if anyone wants to play an Immunity Idol. Rachel says, “You know Jeff, the only thing better than attending your own funeral is knowing that you’re going to wake up alive the next morning.” She plays her Idol, nullifying the votes cast against her. AHHH! So good. So, so good. She might’ve just won the season with that move.
Everyone but Sue is shocked. Their plan to eliminate Rachel is foiled. Jeff reads the votes and in a shocking twist, Andy becomes the 13th person voted out of Survivor 47. On his way out, he compliments Rachel on an “amazing” move.
Rachel and Genevieve’s egos get the best of them
Back at camp, the castaways are fawning over Rachel’s incredible move. She says she will reveal how she found the Idol if Genevieve shares how she found her advantage. Yikes. Reader, you may remember that Genevieve’s Idol is, well, total bullsh*t. She makes up a story about finding it under a pizza slice during the Italian feast reward. The group seems to believe her…for now.
Genevieve and Rachel have a playful rapport about how they are enemies in the game. This amuses them but pisses off the other castaways, who feel like they are acting as though they are the only two who could win. I do think they are the frontrunners but they should be more chill about it. It is cute watching them play into the frenemies’ storyline. You can tell there is a deep respect for each other hidden under all that animosity. I love it.
Who is the 14th person voted out of Survivor 47?
Rachel wins the second Immunity Challenge of the night, securing her spot in the final four. It’s a huge win for Rachel, who would have been the one to go if she didn’t have immunity. Genevieve suspects she will be the target but is hoping her fake Idol works in her favor. Unfortunately, Sam knows the Idol is fake and shares this information with Teeny, hoping it will convince the group to vote for Genevieve, not him. Teeny tells Rachel and Sue about the Idol but they are skeptical. They are worried that Sam and Genevieve came up with a plan to say the Idol is fake so they can control the vote. If they all vote for Genevieve and she plays an Idol, then it will be Sue or Teeny headed for Ponderosa tonight.
At Tribal, Genevieve does not play the Idol, proving that it was indeed fake. Jeff reads the votes and it turns out, the group took a chance and voted out Genevieve.
Wow. What a thrilling episode of television. Next week, the final four will battle it out for the million-dollar prize.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
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