Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

‘Survivor: Ghost Island’ Premiere Recap

The castaways of Survivor’s 36th season were given no introduction and no moment to adjust to the humidity of Fiji when Probst forced them to make a major decision. Only minutes after hitting the beaches of Mamanuca Islands, the Malolo and Naviti tribes were forced to choose a leader, with Chris being chosen for Naviti and Brendan for Malolo.

The first challenge is a difficult one, pitting two players from each tribe in a game of mental and physical endurance. With the threat of losing fishing gear looming over him, Naviti tribe leader Chris, decides to forfeit the game, causing a rift between him and Domenick.


Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment ©2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

As the tribe members get to know one another, the heart of Survivor starts to come into play. As Chris tries to win over Sebastian, Domenick, who was quite disapproving of Chris’ decision to forfeit the challenge and lose Naviti building tools, learns of Chris’s attempt at turning Sebastian in his favor.

Back in Malolo, Jacob stirs some feathers as he leaves in search of the coveted immunity idol. The mood at Malolo is certainly lighter, but viewers get a taste of just how sneaky Jacob will be when he stays behind as the tribe searches for food. While ostensibly searching for the idol, he empties half of the tribe’s rice into his sock. To no avail.

With alliances starting to come together in Naviti and Malolo, the tribes are summoned for the first immunity challenge.

Welcome to Ghost Island

Despite having an advantage going into the immunity challenge, Malolo misses an opportunity to beat Naviti again. The punishment? A trip to a tribal council and the loss of a tribe member. Things get interesting when Probst prompts Naviti to pick a Malolo member to be sent to Ghost Island and have immunity.

Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment ©2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

The first to make the trip to the lonely island is Jacob, who dodges a bullet as Malolo was prepped and ready to vote him off. In the wake of his absence, Malolo struggles to pick a sacrifice, landing on either the kind-hearted but small Donathan or Gonzalez.

While the tribe bounces ideas off of one another, Jacob is off exploring the mysterious island. There, he finds relics from Survivors’ past and a chance to earn an advantage, the Legacy Advantage from Survivor: Game Changers. He does succeed in obtaining the advantage, but will it do him any good? Safe from the first tribal council, this two-hour premiere puts two castaways at risk.

The first to go isn’t him, however, and Malolo’s decision to choose Gonzalez over Donathan is revealed at the council. For fans of Donathan, seeing Gonzalez’s name pulled out was likely refreshing considering her attempt at squaring away votes immediately before the vote.

The Second Tribal Council

The thrill of Ghost Island continues under cover of night, as a paranoid Domenick scours the island in search of a hidden idol. In his search, he uncovers the same immunity that Andrea Boehlke failed to use to her advantage during Survivor: Caramoan. As the New York construction worker revels in his find, Jacob schemes a means of tricking his tribe into thinking he found an immunity idol on Ghost Island and will play it at the next council. Malolo, however, doesn’t buy it as there’s no note accompanying his find.

Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment ©2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

In Naviti, Domenick pulls some Jacob-level deception on Chris by showing a fake idol he created. Once again, viewers are treated to the reality of Survivor and the schemes that either get people to the end or immediately voted off.

Domenick has nothing to worry about, however, as Naviti once again dominates Malolo at the next immunity challenge after James and Donathan struggle during the water challenge. You can almost hear Jacob’s heart hit the floor when Naviti sends Donathan to Ghost Island, guaranteeing him immunity. Donathan's time on Ghost Island allows him to reflect on how to move forward, but as he immediately finds, he isn't given the opportunity to play for an advantage.

In the leadup to the tribal council, Jacob reveals the truth of the fake idol to Stephanie, who passes the information around. At the end of the second tribal council, Jacob’s flame is extinguished despite James's shortcomings at the immunity challenge. Down two tribe members, Malolo enters into the second episode of Survivor needing to rethink its strategy and pinpoint its weaknesses.

More from News

Jenna Bush Hager
TODAY/YouTube

Jenna Bush Hager Gets Emotional Speaking About Camp Mystic, Where Mom Laura Was A Counselor

Central Texas faced tragedy over the weekend when flash floods overtook the central part of the state, with at least 110 people killed and 160 still missing.

One impacted location was Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for young girls, and 27 of the lost victims were either girls attending or young women counselors at that camp.

Keep ReadingShow less
School Principal Goes Viral After Cameras Catch His Sweet Interactions With Students
@zbauermaster/Instagram

School Principal Goes Viral After Cameras Catch His Sweet Interactions With Students

A Pennsylvania school teacher has had a video of him at work go viral, for positive reasons only.

Zac Bauermster, an elementary school principal in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, shared a video to his Instagram that was a montage of hallway security footage moments of him high-fiving, hip-bumping, hugging, and otherwise celebrating the children under his care with enthusiasm for each one.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sarah Jessica Parker
Marc Piasecki/WireImage

Sarah Jessica Parker Claps Back At Conservative Critics Who Want Her To 'Shut Up' About Politics And 'Act'

Nothing seems to get conservatives' goats quite like celebrities having political opinions—well, liberal and leftist celebrities, anyway.

They seem to love it when weird right-wing celebs like Kevin Sorbo get on the internet and say bizarre, usually counterfactual nonsense, or when JK Rowling does her darnedest to make her legacy not about Harry Potter but about her weird obsession with trans people.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ann Coulter
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Ann Coulter Faces Fierce Backlash After Saying 'We Didn't Kill Enough Indians' In Deleted Post

Far-right provocateur Ann Coulter is facing fierce criticism after she made a genocidal remark in a now-deleted post on X in response to University of Minnesota professor and Navajo Nation member Melanie Yazzie's speech about colonization.

Yazzie, in a speech at last year's annual Socialism Conference, said "decolonization is the only thing that is going to save us as a species" during a panel hosted by Red Nation, a Native American nonprofit that advocates for Palestinian and Native American rights. She also said that the United States is the "greatest predator empire that has ever existed" and said it should be dismantled.

Keep ReadingShow less
James Gunn
Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage

James Gunn Bluntly Fires Back At 'Jerks' Who Criticize Superman's Pro-Immigrant Themes

Superman director James Gunn issued a response to the "jerks" who criticize the political themes inherent to the superhero's story, expressing his hope that seeing the movie will "make people a little nicer."

Speaking with The Times of London, Gunn stressed that the story of Superman is more relevant than ever considering the ongoing political turmoil in the United States largely centered around the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Keep ReadingShow less