'Survivor' 48, Episode 9 recap: Paranoia sets in for an alliance. Who goes home?
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Although they tried to retain a united front, the strong majority alliance began to let infighting break them apart during the latest episode of "Survivor" Season 48.
The ninth episode, titled "Welcome to the Party," saw the majority alliance of six members begin to turn on each other as paranoia crept in. Even after the majority group promised to play the game of "Survivor" with integrity and honor, deception and lies remained the real name of the game as allies turned on one another to vote out a castaway.
At the start of the episode, there were nine players left and two members on the jury who will help cast votes for the $1 million winner and "sole survivor" of Season 48 of the long-running reality competition show. After this episode, only eight remain in the game, with three on the jury.
Here's who was voted off this week.
Who went home on 'Survivor' Season 48, Episode 9?
The majority alliance, consisting of David Kinne, Kyle Fraser, Joe Hunter, Shauhin Davari, Eva Erickson and Mary Zheng, valued their physical strength and promised each other to play with honesty and integrity.
But all is not as it seems, as Kyle has a secret alliance with Kamilla Karthigesu and was forming a side alliance with Shauhin, as both players distrust David.
Eva was also holding onto her own secret after finding an advantage clue in the last episode. She snuck away from camp at night and earned a very useful safety-without-power advantage, allowing her to leave a future tribal council before votes are read, therefore saving herself from being voted out.
At the immunity and reward challenge, players had to stand on a small platform holding onto a bar holding a ball up on a metal chute. Should they step off the platform or move their arms, therefore moving the ball, they would be out of the challenge.
As has often been the case this season, the challenge became a showdown between the physically stronger players, and David and Joe battled it out for immunity. David eventually dropped out unexpectedly, letting Joe win and allowing him to take three others on a food reward.
Joe chose Eva, Shauhin and Mitch Guerra, who had not yet been on a reward challenge and was very hungry after days with low to no food.
Two names emerged as possibilities to go home as tribal council approached: David and Mitch. Feeling suspicious of fellow alliance members Shauhin and Kyle and a possible immunity idol that could be played on Kamilla, David urged players to vote for Mitch. Frustrated by David's gameplay and possible knowledge of his secret alliance with Kamilla, Kyle urged players to vote for David.
It was a fairly close vote at tribal council between David and Mitch, but in the end, David, a 39-year-old stunt performer living in Buena Park, California, became the latest person voted out and the third member of the jury.
'Survivor' Season 48 cast: Meet the 18 castaways hoping to win $1 million in Fiji
Who went home last week on 'Survivor' Season 48?
During the challenge, five pairs worked as a team, moving through several stages of an obstacle course. Only three teams would make it to the second stage, and only two teams would make it to the third and final stage, where they would compete for individual immunity.
The first two teams eliminated didn't get the reward of tacos and had to take a "journey," where they stood to lose their vote in the night's immunity challenge.
Immunity came in a survivor classic challenge: "Get a Grip," where players must hold onto a narrow, tall pole for as long as possible.
Eva Erickson, Joe Hunter, Mary Zheng and David Kinne competed in the immunity challenge, with Eva taking home her first individual immunity of the season.
Going on the journey were Kamilla Karthigesu, Shauhin Davari, Star Toomey and Mitch Guerra. They had to compete in their own challenge that involved strategically picking up red and grey balls from a chute. The first player with three red balls lost their vote, and after a secret strategy between Mitch and Kamilla, Star was unable to cast a vote in the night's tribal council.
Luckily for Star, her name wasn't on the chopping block. Players quickly honed in on sending either Kamilla, Shauhin or Chrissy Sarnowsky home. Panicked at the thought of Kamilla, his closest (and secret) ally leaving the game, Kyle desperately tried to convince others to vote for Chrissy instead, raising David's eyebrows and planting suspicion of an undercover alliance.
But at tribal council, Chrissy expressed her frustration at the so-called strong player alliance between David, Eva, Joe and Shauhin, calling out Eva and Joe's close alliance and pleading for other players to recognize their gameplay.
Her outburst was enough for a near-unanimous vote against Chrissy, and the 55-year-old fire lieutenant from Chicago became the latest person voted out of Season 48 and the second member of the jury.
How to watch 'Survivor' Season 48
Season 48 of "Survivor" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET / PT on CBS and streams on Paramount+ for subscribers of the Paramount+ with Showtime plan.
Episodes can be streamed the next day for subscribers of any Paramount+ plan.
The previous 47 seasons of the show are all available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.
Watch every season of Survivor on Paramount+
Who is the host of 'Survivor'?
Jeff Probst has hosted all 48 seasons of the show, which has been on the air since 2000. He also serves as an executive producer.
'Survivor' 50: Jeff Probst talks casting all-stars season, whether he'd play 'Traitors'
Who won 'Survivor' Season 47?
Rachel Lamont won Season 47 of "Survivor," in a 7-1-0 vote against Sam Phalen, who got one vote, and Sue Smey.
Lamont, a 34-year-old graphic designer from Southfield, Michigan, was originally on the Gata tribe and became the fifth woman ever to win four individual Immunity Challenges in a season.
Where is 'Survivor' filmed?
While "Survivor" previously took contestants to remote locations around the world, from the Pearl Islands to the Philippines and Guatemala, the show has been filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji for the past 15 seasons.
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