By Andy Sloan

 

If you saw the latest episode of Survivor: Worlds Apart, you can go ahead and stop reading if you don't think last night's episode was the best you've seen in recent seasons. It was an episode that pushed boundaries, drew lines of alliances and personal character and at some points was so cringe-worthy to watch, I found myself rewinding in disbelief. Welcome back to your favorite Survivor Recap site, where like Mike, this season is definitely driving me crazy.

 

It was one hell of an episode, so instead of doing the TOP 5 moments of the day, lets break it down peace by peace.

 

You knew this would be an episode to remember when the Survivor auction started not even 3 minutes into the hour. #TraderJeffs kicked off with a covered item in which Will bids $100. The reward underneath: getting kicked out and sent back to camp.

 

Meanwhile, we've got half the remaining contestants bidding on food items and the other half waiting on an advantage. Shirin, Jenn, Sierra, Rodney and Tyler all go for food, while Dan, Carolyn and Mike hold out for the advantage. However, Jeff tempts the castaways with letters from home in the last bid before the advantage. They all agree to buy the letters for $20 and let Dan, Carolyn and Mike duke it out for the reward. Seems simple.

 

HERE'S THE KICKER. Mike returns to his seat before buying his letter throwing everyone, even Jeff, into awe. Carolyn refuses to take her letter and goes to give it back to Jeff, which surprisingly he might've taken. However, Mike has a revelation and sacrifices the $20 to keep from a complete auction meltdown. When the advantage comes up, Dan, Carolyn and Mike all offer their remaining $480 to draw rocks. While Mike walks away with a huge target on his back from earlier, Dan walks away with the mystery advantage.

 

Back at camp, Will stumbles upon a clue leading to some buried treasure. Inside the chest are a bunch of snacks that he could either keep to himself for the season, or share with his tribe. He shares and starts to finally get a storyline this season.

 

Now lets kick it into overdrive. Upon returning from the auction Mike ruins the sentimental mood as everyone anticipates opening their letters from home. Instead, he calls out Rodney, Carolyn, Tyler and Will for wanting to flip on him. THE WORST TIMING MIKE.

 

Although it made for some great television, this moment gave Rodney an out, bashing Mike for ruining the moment. Then in his interview sessions, Rodney is his normal self, saying if this was home he'd just take Mike outside and show him what's up. As someone who lives in Boston, I can vouch for the rest of us that we're not all like Rodney.

 

Then, in a NEVER BEFORE SEEN advantage, Dan opens his box to find he's been given an extra vote at an upcoming tribal council. Of course Dan, the person who continues to go with the flow, gets this advantage. The power in the hands of Mike, Shirin or Jenn might be more impactful.

 

The drama at camp escalates even further when Mike, Shirin and Jenn question if Will really shared all his food. They hadn't seen the chest where the food came from and with paranoia prevalent around camp, it's a fair thought. However, Shirin gets the brunt of Will's wrath as the guy takes the fight to an unneeded level:

 

"What else could fit in there Ms Greedy ass. All you've been doing is running your damn mouth."

"No one even likes you. I guarantee there is no one at home at the United States right now that is even missing you."

"We all have loved ones that love and care for us. You have nothing."

"You have no family. You have nothing."

"God don't like ugly and I'm exposing ugly to him right now."

Rodney even jumped in on the Shirin bashing saying, "Why don't you just keep your mouth shut, ride with us and then you can stay here longer."

Regardless of gender, race, situation, etc., on a human level, to see a person berate another on this level, while a handful of people watch, says something about everyone's character.

 

At the immunity challenge, Will asks not to participate in the immunity challenge to instead receive his letter. Jeff states that if everyone on the tribe agrees to this, then he can sit out. HOWEVER, Shirin refuses Will's offer to which I legit started clapping from my seat. Let the game begin!

 

Using tongs, contestants must carry 6 balls over 2 seesaws. Mike's significant lead solidifies himself immunity and a spot in the top 8.

Back at camp it's Mike, Shirin and Jenn versus the rest of the tribe, with Dan sitting somewhere in the middle.

 

Rodney approaches Will about getting Shirin out, to which he responds, "No. Make her life miserable. Jenn's a bigger threat."

Meanwhile Mike tries to persuade Dan to vote out Carolyn, offering him every logical explanation in the book. But in the world of Survivor, emotions run high and logical goes out the window when paranoia sets in.

 

"What upsets me the most tonight is that I'm the swing vote tonight. Which is my worst nightmare," says Dan. As a Survivor super fan, this is his time to shine and make a big move, whichever way he swings. Instead he fears the decision, reflecting the game he's played thus far.

 

At tribal it's yet again Survivor warfare as Shirin and Will go head-to-head.

 

Shirin: "He said two things about the actual incident and then he personally attacked me"

Will: "I didn't personally attack you."

Shirin: "He started talking about how I have no family. How I'm a loser. How more people in this game like him than have liked me in my entire life."

Will: "That's true though."

Shirin: "That I have no soul. That he needs to pray for me."

Will: "That's true though."

The conversation then escalated when Shirin brought up that her biological father verbally assaulted her, to which Will says she's playing "the victim." Everyone else remained silent.

 

When it came time to vote, it was Jenn that got the boot, sending her to Jury with her fellow No Collars Joe and Hali.

 

Do you think the tribe handled Shirin and Will's situation well? Did Dan make the right move? Drop a comment below!

 

Photo credit: CBS