​Survivor Season 39: Island Of The Idols Episode Recaps: The Sole Survivor Is Announced
Don't miss a single moment of one of Survivor's most surprising seasons.
Posted on Dec 19, 2019 | 10:00am
Survivor is back for its epic 39th season, Island of the Idols, wherein 20 brand new castaways will compete for the coveted title of Sole Survivor—as well as the whopping $1 million prize.
But they're not alone in their quest! This season, the castaways will be mentored by Survivor legends "Boston" Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine as they try to outwit, outplay, and outlast one another.
READ: Meet The Castaways Of Survivor: Island Of The Idols
With so much at stake and so many players, we're tracking every major event, episode-by-episode, in this one-stop recap. After each episode airs, return here for the latest action to take place on Island of the Idols.
Of course, that means there are spoilers within! Survivors ready?
STREAM: Full Episodes Of Survivor: Island Of The Idols On CBS All Access
"Mama Look At Me Now" (Episode 13) / Island Of The Idols: Tommy, Dean, Lauren, Noura, Janet / Voted Off: Janet, Lauren / Season 39 Winner: Tommy
On the Island of the Idols, Sandra and Rob reflect on their time in Survivor and the ways this season, in particular, was designed to create better Survivor players through mentorship. They remark that in two days the final five will become the final three, though only one will be Sole Survivor.
Meanwhile, the final five get a note to pack up, they are moving to the Island of the Idols. As the only one having not yet visited the island, Tommy was especially excited to finally meet Rob and Sandra.
Rob and Sandra gave the five the good news that they were moving into the home Rob and Sandra built and gave them special commemorative final five buffs.
Janet celebrated her immunity and fire skills, feeling reassured she could make it to final three while Noura wondered if Dean might be the best next target to vote out.
Tommy knew there was no way Rob and Sandra left without leaving a challenge and realized there was a machete in the design on the buff that wasn’t usually there. Searching through the Island’s machetes, he found one in an empty coconut, painted pink inside.
Fearing his color blindness might be a deterrent in solving this puzzle, Tommy clued Dean into his scavenger hunt. Dean agreed to help Tommy.
When Tommy found another clue, an “H” carved into a board on the walkway painted pink, he told Dean. Little did he know Dean would figure out the “H” represented the swing, and near the swing was a false panel with a hidden Immunity Idol and a note from Rob and Sandra congratulating him.
The five headed to their next Immunity Challenge where they were tasked with grabbing hanging ropes to make a ladder to get to the top of a platform where a balancing puzzle required them to maneuver balls into two holes.
The competition was close, with all five arriving at the balancing board game around the same time. Tommy took the lead early, sinking his first ball with Janet close on his heels. Dean managed to sink the furthest and hardest hole, making his second that much easier.
Dean won Immunity and a guaranteed spot in the final four. He also won a meal to share with one of his Tribe members.
Despite the pleas of the others, Dean decided to share his meal with Noura, though he may have regretted it when she started to behave as though they were on a date.
Feeling confident in her safety, Janet told Tommy, Dean, and Noura to vote her out while she would, in turn, vote for Lauren. Tommy knew that as much as he loved her, Janet was the biggest threat to his game.
Lauren and Tommy told Dean about Janet’s plan and her Immunity Idol, asking him to use his Idol Nullifier on her.
In Tribal Council the votes were cast exactly as Janet had wanted, however, immediately after playing her Immunity Idol, Jeff revealed that an Idol Nullifier had been played in her name, meaning Janet was the 16th player voted out.​
Tommy convinced Noura he couldn’t make fire before the four headed to their final challenge.
The challenge was to spell “Island of the Idols” with letter blocks while balancing a very wobbly platform. Noura won the challenge, her third Individual Immunity. She would need to decide which two of the remaining three would compete to make fire.
After talking circles around her decision, Noura finally told the others that Lauren and Dean would compete. Lauren was distraught knowing her fire-making skills weren’t great.
Tommy, acting against his friendship with Lauren, gave Dean some tips on building fire. Lauren and Noura had it out about Noura’s decision.
At Tribal, the Jury watched as Lauren and Dean faced off. It was close, but Dean was able to build the higher flame, winning the challenge.
Lauren became the final member of the Jury.
Back at camp, the final three popped champagne and made a hearty breakfast. Both Dean and Tommy believed they were each other’s toughest competition to win. Noura came to Tommy for advice on her pitch to the Jury.
The three of them headed out to make their cases to the Jury for why they should win the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million prize.
The Jury asked their questions.
Kellee wanted to know about the strategy each had coming into the game. Dean argued that he wanted to lay low and never be the biggest threat. Noura claimed she did her best to read others, but Elaine argued she played an emotional, not strategic game.
Tommy said he made big moves and made himself indispensable as a person others came to. Janet wanted to know when Tommy decided to betray her and he explained his thinking and his continued affection for her.
Jamal wanted to know about each of their ethical lines. Noura didn’t want to look back and regret anything, Tommy admitted he allowed himself to lie and do what he needed to do so long as he was never a bully, and Dean said he didn’t really have any ethical lines established beforehand.
The three made their final pitches to the Jury and then the Jury went to vote.
At the live finale, Jeff read off the votes revealing that Tommy had won Survivor: Island of the Idols.
"Just Go For It!" (Episode 12) / Island Of The Idols: Dean / Voted Off: Elaine
Tommy was mad at Noura for how the previous Tribal Council played out. Noura was annoyed with Dean and so she hid his favorite sneakers.
Having used her Idol when she didn't need to, Elanie went hunting for another one. Tommy, Janet, and Dean also went searching, and it was Janet who found one. She told Tommy about it in secret but was unknowingly overseen by Dean and Elaine.
Lauren became concerned about her place in her alliance with Tommy, so she confronted Tommy about it. Tommy lied to her face and said he wanted her in the Final 3, but told the camera it wasn't true.
Later, Tommy, Dean, and Dan talked about their Final 3 alliance. But then, the Tribe learned they had to choose another castaway to go to the Island of the Idols. By random draw, Dean was chosen.
Dean arrived to meet Rob and Sandra and caught them up on his game, revealing the fake Legacy Advantage Jamal had given him, about which Sandra struggled to keep a straight face.
Dean suggested he might tell people to put votes on himself so he could use the Legacy Advantage.
Rob revealed the lesson would be about Jury management. The test came down to a coin flip, which could either win Dean an Idol Nullifier and bragging rights, or lose him his vote. Dean chose to play and won.
When he arrived back at camp, Dean lied to the group and said he lost his vote, but in private told Tommy, Dan, and Lauren what really happened.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways competed in a course that was equal parts physical and mental. Dean was the first to finish and won Immunity.
After the competition, Tommy's group was telling Noura that they were going to vote for Elaine but Dan would put a single vote on Noura. Meanwhile, Lauren was worried that the boys would flip.
At Tribal Council, Elaine expressed her concern for the upcoming vote and tried to deflect the vote to Noura, and got her Tribemates to consider the long game of who gets to sit in the Final 3. Elaine got emotional when a question prompted her to reflect on her mother's recent passing.
The castaways voted, but nobody played an Idol. Jeff read the votes and revealed that Elaine would indeed be going home.
"A Very Simple Plan" (Episode 11) / Voted Off: Karishma
Right off the bat, Jeff revealed to the castaways that their loved ones had arrived—and it was time to compete for a visit with them.
Tommy and Janet won the challenge and then chose to bring Dan and Lauren on the loved ones visit with them. The castaways enjoyed their time with their family members and were motivated to continue the game, but also talked strategy about possibly targeting Elaine or Karishma.
Back at camp, Noura vented and made a plea to the other Tribe members about teaming up. Elaine found a hidden Immunity Idol.
At the Immunity Challenge, a competition of endurance began. It came down to Lauren and Elaine, but it was Lauren who was able to outlast her opponent.
Janet and Dan filled Noura in on the plan that was discussed at the loved ones reward, which sent her into an overthinking spiral.
At Tribal Council, the whispering began almost immediately, which raised the tension until Noura spoke up about how Dean, Elaine, and Karishma were plotting to vote against Tommy.
She also spilled the beans about Elaine having an Idol. Tribal descended into chaos as the two sides tried to figure out their respective moves.
Once the dust settled, the Tribe voted. Elaine played her Idol, but it didn't matter. The votes came down between Noura and Karishma, but it was Karishma who was finally voted out of the game.
"Bring On The Bacon" (Episode 10) / Island Of The Idols: Lauren / Voted Off: Elizabeth
The Tribe reacted to the surprising eliminations.
Dean, Tommy, and Lauren talked about finally going after Karishma.
A boat showed up and one person had to be sent to the Island of the Idols by unanimous vote. Karishma wanted to go, but it was Lauren who wound up meeting Rob and Sandra.
The mentors offered Lauren a chance to predict who would win the next Immunity Challenge. If she turned out to be right, she'd win an Idol. If she was wrong, she'd lose her vote at Tribal. After some negotiation, and the reveal that the challenge would include an "eat or play" component, Rob doubled her odds and Lauren chose Noura and Elizabeth.
Dean tried to figure out if the Legacy Advantage given to him by Jamal was real or not. Dean then decided to create a copy of the advantage as a potential fake out, not knowing that the original one was, indeed, a fake.
Lauren enlisted Tommy to talk about food around camp to convince people to eat the food at the challenge instead of playing. When it came time to choose, only three people decided to compete: Karishma, Elizabeth, and Noura.
Karishma was the first one to be eliminated, which guaranteed Lauren her Idol. In the end, it was Noura who won the Immunity Challenge.
Back at camp, the Tribe started to discuss eliminating Elizabeth instead of Karishma. Elaine wasn't totally on board for it, but decided she'd go with whatever her alliance wanted.
Karishma felt light-headed and took a rest, and Noura took advantage to dig through Karishma's bag to see if she had an Idol, but didn't find one.
Lauren was reading lips while Karishma and Elizabeth were discussing their plans, and heard Dan's name come up, so Dan confronted them about it but they lied. This confirmed Dan's intent to vote for Karishma.
At Tribal Council, the Tribe seemed as though they'd be sending Karishma home based on the conversation. After the votes, Dean tried to play his Legacy Advantage, but was told it was a fake. Then, Karishma played her Immunity Idol, which shocked the Tribe. And then, Lauren played the Idol she'd won from the Island of the Idols.
As a result, the majority of votes were cast for Karishma but didn't count. The vote was tied between Janet and Elizabeth by default. This caused a revote, and in the end, it was Elizabeth who was eliminated.
"Two For The Price Of One" (Episode 9) / Voted Off: Aaron and Missy
Janet struggled with what went down at Tribal and considered leaving the game. Karishma got spooked by a rat while she was sleeping.
A downpour began, drenching the castaways, and Elizabeth was particularly affected. The Tribe was annoyed with Karishma for not contributing around camp or being a team player. But then Karishma was sent looking for coconuts and found a Hidden Immunity Idol, which lifted her spirits.
Noura, Tommy, and Lauren were suspicious of Karishma being gone so long, who feigned feeling ill.
At the Immunity Challenge, Jeff revealed that the Tribe would be divided into groups for the challenge—two castaways would win Immunity, but both groups would go to Tribal Council, meaning two castaways would be leaving the game.
At the conclusion of the challenge, it was Elaine and Noura who won Immunity. The two groups were split up, with Noura, Dan, Janet, Aaron, Lauren, and Dean sent back to the old Lairo camp and then to Tribal.
Elizabeth, Tommy, Elaine, Missy, and Karishma going back to their regular camp (with PB&Js waiting for them) and going to Tribal second, so they'd know what happened in the first Tribal of the night.
With his two targets on different groups, Aaron saw an opportunity to take out both Janet and Karishma. Meanwhile, Noura rallied the rest of her group to vote out Aaron, but Dean didn't think that was best for his game.
While Aaron's group plotted at old Lairo, the other group enjoyed PB&Js and strategized. Missy tried to talk with Karishma about voting for Tommy, but Karishma got irritated by Missy's brash approach. Karishma vented to Elaine about it, and then Elaine told Tommy that Missy was targeting him. Tommy decided he was going to rally votes for Missy.
Missy and Elizabeth presented their plan to Karishma, which meant Karishma would be the deciding vote.
At the first Tribal Council of the night, Aaron was surprised by being the next member of the Tribe voted out.
At the second Tribal, Missy was shocked to see Aaron sitting on the Jury. The group had a conversation about bullying and Missy discussed the importance of representation. After the voting, Jeff revealed that Missy would be going home.
"We Made It To The Merge!" (Episode 8) / Island of the Idols: Jamal / Voted Off: Kellee and Jamal
At Lairo, the Tribe reeled from the latest blindside.
Noura revealed that she voted for Jack, which upset Jamal because he had used his Idol on her. But Noura threw Kellee under the bus for telling her to vote for Jack.
The next morning, most of Lairo went hunting for Idols, and Kellee found one.
A piece of treemail revealed that the Merge was happening. The two Tribes came together for a feast, and used the opportunity to start strategizing.
Kellee and Missy talked on the beach and appeared to bond over their discomfort in Dan's behavior.
Lauren told Missy that Kellee planned to vote her out.
At the first Individual Immunity Challenge, the castaways had to tackle an endurance challenge, and Aaron wound up winning.
Lauren and Tommy started pitching the Tribe on voting out Kellee. Meanwhile, Kellee found another Immunity Idol.
Jamal and Noura discussed voting out Dan, which Janet was on board with. Elizabeth told Janet she was on board as well, but then told Elaine that they are sticking with their plan to get out Kellee.
Tribal Council focused on Tribal lines and trust versus deception. The Tribe voted but Kellee decided not to use either of her Idols. Jeff read the votes and revealed that Kellee had been voted off.
Janet felt betrayed because she felt she jeopardized her game to stand up for the women, and they flipped. Janet talked with Dan about the accusations and said all of the women had complaints about him, but Elizabeth and Missy said that wasn't true.
Dan brought it back to Janet, who insisted that all of the women brought their concerns to her.
Aaron and Missy went hunting for an Idol in the early morning and Janet tried to follow them.
Out in the woods, Janet found a Hidden Immunity Idol.
Jamal was sent to the Island of the Idols after finding a note in the woods, where he met Rob and Sandra. Upon arrival, he discovered the note actually meant he would lose his vote at the next Tribal.
However, Rob and Sandra gave him a blank piece of parchment and a pencil, telling him to use "the art of sabotage" so he created a fake legacy advantage and gave it to Dean.
At the next Immunity Challenge, the castaways had another physical endurance challenge where the last male and female standing would each win. In the end, it was Missy and Aaron.
Later, Janet and Jamal wandered off to discuss the coming vote. Back at camp, Aaron suggested they split the vote between Karishma and Jamal.
At Tribal, Janet brought up what happened at the last Tribal and the situation with Dan, which spawned a larger discussion with Jeff about everything that had happened.
After the voting, Janet played her Hidden Immunity Idol. When Jeff tallied the votes, it was revealed that Jamal was voted out.
"I Was Born At Night, But Not Last Night" (Episode 7) / Island Of The Idols: Janet / Voted Off: Jack
Lauren felt betrayed by Missy regarding the Jason vote.
On Night 16, there was a torrential downpour and Lairo struggled to restart their fire, which led to some conflict between Jamal and Kellee.
Noura also got frustrated with Jamal when he made a comment about her eating too much of the rice. Janet, Karishma, and Noura talked about voting for Dean.
Janet was sent to the Island of the Idols, but was worried that it would put a target on her back. Rob and Sandra tried to teach her a lesson about calculated risk.
The reward for taking on Rob and Sandra's challenge would be an advantage that would allow Janet to leave one Tribal Council—thus having safety—that would be valid up until seven players remain in the game.
However, Janet declined the offer, which made Rob and Sandra proud because she actually thought through the scenario and made a smart, calculated decision.
Janet lied about her experience on the Island of the Idols to her Tribe, remaining consistent with Kellee's story from earlier in the season.
At Vokai, Lauren and Tommy tried to strategize about getting back on top and throwing Dan under the bus. They then started spreading a rumor that Dan was trying to get Aaron out, but Missy saw through the lie.
At the Immunity Challenge, the rain poured as the castaways had to compete. Vokai thought they finished their puzzle first, but Jeff determined it was incorrect. In a very tight showdown, they managed to fix it seconds before Lairo completed theirs.
At Lairo, Jamal, Jack, Janet, Kellee, Noura, and Karishma talked about voting out Dean. Jamal felt confident in his position. Dean presented his concerns to Jack and Jamal, who told him that Noura was the vote.
Kellee considered giving her Hidden Immunity Idol to Dean, since she felt safe and the Idol was only good for one more Tribal, while trying to blindside Jamal or Jack.
Kellee told Dean he was the next vote, but then told him she wanted to give him her Idol and make a big move.
Noura spoke freely about her opinions and motives at Tribal. Jamal expressed his concern over a women's alliance, which Kellee found to be sexist, and that led to a larger conversation about gender in Survivor.
The Tribe voted, but before Jeff read the votes, Dean unveiled the Immunity Idol he was given from Kellee. But then, Jamal also played his own hidden Immunity Idol... for Noura.
Jeff read the votes, but most were for Dean and did not count. In the end, it was Jack who was voted off with only two votes.
"Suck It Up Buttercup" (Episode 6) / Island Of The Idols: Elaine / Voted Off: Jason
After Tribal, Noura approached Dean, who was feeling blindsided once more, about aligning. Dean was skeptical and told Jamal about Noura's plan.
At Vokai, Elizabeth freaked out about a tarantula. Elaine became concerned about how Tribal would go if the Tribe lost Immunity, and Aaron seemed to be targeting her.
At the Reward Challenge, the two Tribes found out they were competing for chickens. Elaine was chosen to sit out for Vokai—which also meant she was being sent to Island of the Idols. Vokai wound up winning the Reward Challenge.
At Island of the Idols, Rob and Sandra were using their free time to build the ultimate Survivor shelter. Elaine arrived, and immediately accepted the challenge of the mentors without knowing what it was.
Rob revealed that during the Immunity Challenge, she would have to grab a Secret Advantage hidden in the course that would allow her to block a vote at Tribal. And if she failed to do so, she would lose her vote at Tribal.
Jamal and Jack had a meaningful conversation about race after Jack made a comment he regretted.
Elizabeth and Elaine talked about the Island of the Idols, and Elaine told her about the mission. At the Immunity Challenge, Elaine was able to find the Secret Advantage. Even though she almost dropped it, she managed to recover. In a close contest, Lairo squeaked out a victory and finally won Immunity.
Elaine told Missy and Aaron about her block the vote advantage, but Aaron continued plotting against her. Elizabeth was convinced it was going to be a huge battle between old Tribal lines.
Tribal was heated, with old Vokai declaring they were prepared to go to rocks if the vote was a draw. However, Elaine revealed her block vote advantage, which she used on Jason.
The Vokai members started whispering to one another that the vote would still go to Elaine. Lauren got emotional.
Jeff read the votes and revealed that Jason was the latest person to be voted off. Before he left, he told his former Tribe not to trust Aaron, who everyone knew had flipped his vote.
“Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You” (Episode 5) / Voted Off: Tom
Dean felt blindsided by Chelsea’s exit and started to investigate who was responsible.
At the Reward Challenge, Jeff told the Tribes to drop their buffs—it was time for a Tribe Swap.
After the buff draw, Vokai was evenly split with four Vokai—Dan, Jason, Tommy, and Lauren—and four former Lairo: Aaron, Missy, Elizabeth, and Elaine.
However, the new Lairo was stacked in Vokai’s favor, with former Vokai Noura, Kellee, Jamal, Jack, and Janet joining original Lairo members Tom, Dean, and Karishma.
Jeff revealed the Reward Challenge would be for an Applebee’s lunch. The new Tribes had to work together to crawl through sand and solve a puzzle, and in the end, it was Vokai who would be eating good in the neighborhood.
The new Vokai enjoyed their reward as they got to know one another.
Meanwhile, Karishma was excited to be a part of a new Tribe, but didn’t feel good about her performance in the challenge. Dean and Kellee hit it off after realizing they had a mutual friend.
Karishma opened up to her new Tribe about her personal life. At Vokai, Tommy and Aaron made a bond.
At the Immunity Challenge, the new Tribes competed in an extremely physical competition, and it was Vokai who came out on top, winning Immunity.
Morale was low at Lairo, who was sent to Tribal for the fourth time. Karishma tried to pitch herself to the Tribe, offering to flip from her former Tribemates.
Noura was a little nervous because she lost her vote after her failure at the Island of the Idols, but felt the former Vokai still had the numbers.
At Tribal, Dean and Karishma were put in the hot seat as tensions of the new Tribe started heating up. In a surprising vote, it was Tom who was voted out of the game.
"Plan Z" (Episode 4) / Island Of The Idols: Noura / Voted Off: Chelsea
Karishma felt targeted after the surprising Tribal.
Elaine tried shipping Dean and Chelsea, but Chelsea declared she wasn't interested in a showmance. Missy was concerned that Chelsea's potential relationship Dean was jeopardizing the women's alliance.
At Vokai, Jamal decided to go look for an Idol instead of going fishing with the rest of the group, feeling like he was on the outside after being left out of the Molly vote. Luckily, he was able to find one.
Soon after, Vokai was tasked with sending someone to the Island of the Idols. Noura wound up volunteering and went to meet Sandra and Rob.
The mentors revealed that Noura's lesson would be about the art of persuasion.
As a test, Noura had to persuade her Tribe to make her the caller in their upcoming Immunity Challenge where they would be blindfolded. If she succeeded, she'd be given the ability to block one vote at Tribal Council. As always, her failure would result in her loss of voting power.
When Noura returned to camp, she limited the amount of information she revealed in order to secure her role as caller, which the Tribe found suspicious.
Vokai tried to practice for the challenge and struggled with Noura as the caller. As a result, at the actual challenge they made her sit out completely, thereby secretly causing her to lose her vote at Tribal. It ultimately worked out for them, however, as they took home Immunity.
With Lairo headed to Tribal, conversations began around camp, with Karishma once again concerned about her safety. Meanwhile, Aaron took aim at Dean, which surprised Elizabeth and Elaine.
Missy recognized that no one was super into Dean or Karishma as an option, so threw Chelsea's name out instead.
Tribal Council was pretty contentious, with most of the Tribe agreeing that Karishma hadn't been pulling her weight in the game.
But when Jeff read the votes, it was revealed that Chelsea was the next person voted out of the game in another stunning blindside.
"Honesty Would Be Chill" (Episode 3) / Island Of The Idols: Vince / Voted Off: Vince
Jason celebrated still being in the game, but Jamal and Jack struggled to deal with the blindside. Tommy tried to patch things up with Jamal, who said he would forgive—but never forget.
The women of Lairo bonded in the water, while the men began to grow suspicious of the clear women's alliance.
At Vokai, Dan decided to lead the campaign against Noura, which most of the other Tribe members were on board with. However, Jamal was uncomfortable with Dan's pitch and talked with Elaine about targeting Dan instead of Noura. Tommy and Elaine considered voting out Jamal.
At Lairo, Karishma accidentally cut herself while husking a coconut and was upset when nobody on the Tribe tried to help her. She took it as a sign that nobody wanted to play the game with her.
But then a visitor showed up at Lairo and revealed that Vince would be going to the Island of the Idols. After Vince left, Dean blurted out, "Let's split the vote," which rubbed people the wrong way and made Karishma worry that she' be the one to leave if Vince returned with an Idol.
Vince met Rob and Sandra on the Island of the Idols and got emotional about meeting some of his heroes. Rob told Vince that his lesson would be about staying calm under pressure—by sneaking into the Vokai camp and stealing fire. If he succeeded, he'd take home an Idol. Vince agreed to the task.
Sandra used her military training and taught Vince how to low crawl and be stealthy. Vince attempted to sneak into the Vokai camp despite the pitch black and rain—which meant there was no fire to steal! Instead, Vince collected ash from the firepit as proof of mission accomplished.
Rob and Sandra were impressed by his success and ability to adapt, and rewarded him with an Idol.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways had to compete in a physical competition to unlock puzzle pieces that they'd have to solve. The winners would also receive some comfort items to take back to camp. In the end, it was Vokai who won.
At Lairo, the men tried to target Karishma, but the women's alliance had other ideas, weighing the options of voting out Tom or Vince.
At Tribal Council, Tom and Aaron placed the blame for their loss on Karishma's failure to complete the puzzle, which spawned a lager discussion about how a Tribe member can display their value.
Before voting began, Karishma got up to whisper in Elizabeth's ear, but Tom voiced that he thought it was a ruse to make people nervous.
Jeff tallied the votes and revealed that Vince had been voted out. Unbeknownst to his former Tribemates, Vince left the game with an Idol in his pocket.
"YOLO, Let's Play!" (Episode 2) / Island Of The Idols: Kellee / Voted Off: Molly
Lairo talked with Aaron about the vote, who was pretty upset about being left out of the decision making.
Noura was rubbing Vokai the wrong way with her complaints about others not contributing to camp life, particularly targeting Molly. Jason tried to talk her down a bit and they bonded over feeling like the underdogs versus the "popular kids" Molly, Jamal, and Jack.
Molly and Jamal talked about trying to take out Noura if they wound up at Tribal Council.
Lairo was struggling to make fire until Chelsea stepped in and did it with ease. And then when Chelsea was out collecting firewood, she stumbled across a Hidden Immunity Idol.
Back at Vokai, Noura tried to lead the Tribe in yoga exercises. A boat showed up at their camp and gave the Tribe a piece of parchment, declaring that Kellee had to board and head to the Island of the Idols.
Kellee showed up at the Island of the Idols and met Boston Rob and Sandra, who bombarded her with seemingly pointless questions and personal details. The point was to teach her about how listening and social skills can be applied to her game on Survivor.
The mentors offered her a test in exchange for an Immunity Idol, but if she lost, she'd lose her vote at Tribal. Kellee managed to answer Rob's questions correctly and won herself an Idol.
Kellee returned to camp and lied about what the Island of the Idols was, hiding the Immunity Idol in her hair in case her Tribemates wanted to search her belongings.
At the Immunity Challenge, Jeff revealed that the castaways would also be playing for spices as a reward. The two Tribes had to swim underwater to untie knots that would release a ladder, which they'd climb to release a bag of balls, that they'd then use to compete in a game of skill.
Lairo was the first Tribe to finish, winning Immunity and reward, sending Vokai to Tribal.
Back at Vokai camp, Noura tried to avoid talking strategy with Jamal and Jack, who were trying to get votes against Noura and Jason.
Meanwhile, Lauren floated the idea of voting out Molly to Kellee and Janet, and they presented the idea to Jason, Noura, and Tommy.
Tommy was conflicted about making a movie like that so early.
At Tribal Council, Jason spoke up about feeling targeted for allegedly having a Hidden Idol, while Noura and Molly talked about butting heads a bit. Jamal was confident in his position in the game, which Lauren clearly disagreed with.
The Tribe voted, revealing that Lauren's plan worked—Molly was the first member of Vokai sent home.
"I Vote You Out And That's It" (Episode 1) / Island Of The Idols: Elizabeth / Voted Off: Ronnie
Host Jeff Probst introduced "Boston" Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine, who would both serve as mentors during Survivor: Island of the Idols.
The 20 castaways were divided into two Tribes, Lairo and Vokai. The Tribes arrived in confusion, wondering where the traditional Survivor elements were and why there was no introduction from Jeff or even a marooning.
Lairo got to building shelter and getting to know one another. Missy revealed she survived a brain tumor and quickly bonded with Elizabeth.
Vokai also got started getting to know one another and putting their camp together. Janet tried to display her value by making fire with bamboo.
At Lairo, Tom, Elaine, and Vince formed bonds based on their work ethic, but the seven other members decided to team up against them.
Meanwhile, at Vokai, Tommy and Jack hit it off, while Jason went off in search of an Idol, leaving the other Tribe members suspicious and rallying against him. However, Noura felt for Jason and told him about the bad impression he made on the rest of the Tribe.
Missy pitched a women's alliance to Lairo, telling Elaine about the rest of the Tribe's suspicions around her closeness with Tom and Vince.
Back at camp Vokai, some tensions started to form between Dan and Kellee.
Ronnie secretly targeted Elaine and lied to her face about an alliance, but she didn't fall for it.
At the first challenge of the season, the castaways finally met Jeff. The challenge was not only for the Immunity Idol but also for flint. The challenge was neck and neck until the end where the Tribes were tasked with a puzzle, at which point Vokai took a huge lead and went on to win.
After the challenge, Jeff revealed to Lairo that one of their members would be going to the Island of the Idols. By random draw, Elizabeth was chosen to go.
Upon her arrival, she was shocked to find massive statues of Boston Rob and Sandra—and even more surprised to see the legendary players themselves, who revealed they'd be offering the castaways leadership.
Rob and Sandra taught Elizabeth how to make fire with flint. They offered her a test: a fire-making competition. If she won, she'd receive an Immunity Idol good for two Tribal Councils, but if she lost, she'd lose her vote for that night's Tribal.
She weighed her options and hesitantly decided to accept the challenge, only to lose quickly. The lesson learned: always trust your gut. Before she left, Elizabeth chose the name of the opposing Tribe member who would visit Rob and Sandra, to be revealed to us later.
Back at Lairo camp, Vince, Tom, Chelsea, and Elaine talked about getting rid of Ronnie. Meanwhile, Ronnie tried to campaign against Elaine. She confronted Ronnie and his allies and tried to convince them otherwise. Aaron told her that they were planning on voting out Vince.
Elizabeth returned to camp and lied about what she encountered on the Island of the Idols. She kept it secret that she lost her vote and listened as both sides of the Tribe pitched to her on how she should vote at Tribal.
Tribal was emotional as Lairo's castaways told their personal stories and of their journeys to be on Survivor. Rob and Sandra watched from behind the scenes.
The Tribe then voted and, much to his surprise, Ronnie was the first player voted off the island.
Don't miss all-new episodes of Survivor: Island of the Idols at 8/7c on CBS and CBS All Access.
But they're not alone in their quest! This season, the castaways will be mentored by Survivor legends "Boston" Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine as they try to outwit, outplay, and outlast one another.
READ: Meet The Castaways Of Survivor: Island Of The Idols
With so much at stake and so many players, we're tracking every major event, episode-by-episode, in this one-stop recap. After each episode airs, return here for the latest action to take place on Island of the Idols.
Of course, that means there are spoilers within! Survivors ready?
STREAM: Full Episodes Of Survivor: Island Of The Idols On CBS All Access
"Mama Look At Me Now" (Episode 13) / Island Of The Idols: Tommy, Dean, Lauren, Noura, Janet / Voted Off: Janet, Lauren / Season 39 Winner: Tommy
On the Island of the Idols, Sandra and Rob reflect on their time in Survivor and the ways this season, in particular, was designed to create better Survivor players through mentorship. They remark that in two days the final five will become the final three, though only one will be Sole Survivor.
Meanwhile, the final five get a note to pack up, they are moving to the Island of the Idols. As the only one having not yet visited the island, Tommy was especially excited to finally meet Rob and Sandra.
Rob and Sandra gave the five the good news that they were moving into the home Rob and Sandra built and gave them special commemorative final five buffs.
Janet celebrated her immunity and fire skills, feeling reassured she could make it to final three while Noura wondered if Dean might be the best next target to vote out.
Tommy knew there was no way Rob and Sandra left without leaving a challenge and realized there was a machete in the design on the buff that wasn’t usually there. Searching through the Island’s machetes, he found one in an empty coconut, painted pink inside.
Fearing his color blindness might be a deterrent in solving this puzzle, Tommy clued Dean into his scavenger hunt. Dean agreed to help Tommy.
When Tommy found another clue, an “H” carved into a board on the walkway painted pink, he told Dean. Little did he know Dean would figure out the “H” represented the swing, and near the swing was a false panel with a hidden Immunity Idol and a note from Rob and Sandra congratulating him.
The five headed to their next Immunity Challenge where they were tasked with grabbing hanging ropes to make a ladder to get to the top of a platform where a balancing puzzle required them to maneuver balls into two holes.
The competition was close, with all five arriving at the balancing board game around the same time. Tommy took the lead early, sinking his first ball with Janet close on his heels. Dean managed to sink the furthest and hardest hole, making his second that much easier.
Dean won Immunity and a guaranteed spot in the final four. He also won a meal to share with one of his Tribe members.
Despite the pleas of the others, Dean decided to share his meal with Noura, though he may have regretted it when she started to behave as though they were on a date.
Feeling confident in her safety, Janet told Tommy, Dean, and Noura to vote her out while she would, in turn, vote for Lauren. Tommy knew that as much as he loved her, Janet was the biggest threat to his game.
Lauren and Tommy told Dean about Janet’s plan and her Immunity Idol, asking him to use his Idol Nullifier on her.
In Tribal Council the votes were cast exactly as Janet had wanted, however, immediately after playing her Immunity Idol, Jeff revealed that an Idol Nullifier had been played in her name, meaning Janet was the 16th player voted out.​
Tommy convinced Noura he couldn’t make fire before the four headed to their final challenge.
The challenge was to spell “Island of the Idols” with letter blocks while balancing a very wobbly platform. Noura won the challenge, her third Individual Immunity. She would need to decide which two of the remaining three would compete to make fire.
After talking circles around her decision, Noura finally told the others that Lauren and Dean would compete. Lauren was distraught knowing her fire-making skills weren’t great.
Tommy, acting against his friendship with Lauren, gave Dean some tips on building fire. Lauren and Noura had it out about Noura’s decision.
At Tribal, the Jury watched as Lauren and Dean faced off. It was close, but Dean was able to build the higher flame, winning the challenge.
Lauren became the final member of the Jury.
Back at camp, the final three popped champagne and made a hearty breakfast. Both Dean and Tommy believed they were each other’s toughest competition to win. Noura came to Tommy for advice on her pitch to the Jury.
The three of them headed out to make their cases to the Jury for why they should win the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million prize.
The Jury asked their questions.
Kellee wanted to know about the strategy each had coming into the game. Dean argued that he wanted to lay low and never be the biggest threat. Noura claimed she did her best to read others, but Elaine argued she played an emotional, not strategic game.
Tommy said he made big moves and made himself indispensable as a person others came to. Janet wanted to know when Tommy decided to betray her and he explained his thinking and his continued affection for her.
Jamal wanted to know about each of their ethical lines. Noura didn’t want to look back and regret anything, Tommy admitted he allowed himself to lie and do what he needed to do so long as he was never a bully, and Dean said he didn’t really have any ethical lines established beforehand.
The three made their final pitches to the Jury and then the Jury went to vote.
At the live finale, Jeff read off the votes revealing that Tommy had won Survivor: Island of the Idols.
"Just Go For It!" (Episode 12) / Island Of The Idols: Dean / Voted Off: Elaine
Tommy was mad at Noura for how the previous Tribal Council played out. Noura was annoyed with Dean and so she hid his favorite sneakers.
Having used her Idol when she didn't need to, Elanie went hunting for another one. Tommy, Janet, and Dean also went searching, and it was Janet who found one. She told Tommy about it in secret but was unknowingly overseen by Dean and Elaine.
Lauren became concerned about her place in her alliance with Tommy, so she confronted Tommy about it. Tommy lied to her face and said he wanted her in the Final 3, but told the camera it wasn't true.
Later, Tommy, Dean, and Dan talked about their Final 3 alliance. But then, the Tribe learned they had to choose another castaway to go to the Island of the Idols. By random draw, Dean was chosen.
Dean arrived to meet Rob and Sandra and caught them up on his game, revealing the fake Legacy Advantage Jamal had given him, about which Sandra struggled to keep a straight face.
Dean suggested he might tell people to put votes on himself so he could use the Legacy Advantage.
Rob revealed the lesson would be about Jury management. The test came down to a coin flip, which could either win Dean an Idol Nullifier and bragging rights, or lose him his vote. Dean chose to play and won.
When he arrived back at camp, Dean lied to the group and said he lost his vote, but in private told Tommy, Dan, and Lauren what really happened.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways competed in a course that was equal parts physical and mental. Dean was the first to finish and won Immunity.
After the competition, Tommy's group was telling Noura that they were going to vote for Elaine but Dan would put a single vote on Noura. Meanwhile, Lauren was worried that the boys would flip.
At Tribal Council, Elaine expressed her concern for the upcoming vote and tried to deflect the vote to Noura, and got her Tribemates to consider the long game of who gets to sit in the Final 3. Elaine got emotional when a question prompted her to reflect on her mother's recent passing.
The castaways voted, but nobody played an Idol. Jeff read the votes and revealed that Elaine would indeed be going home.
"A Very Simple Plan" (Episode 11) / Voted Off: Karishma
Right off the bat, Jeff revealed to the castaways that their loved ones had arrived—and it was time to compete for a visit with them.
Tommy and Janet won the challenge and then chose to bring Dan and Lauren on the loved ones visit with them. The castaways enjoyed their time with their family members and were motivated to continue the game, but also talked strategy about possibly targeting Elaine or Karishma.
Back at camp, Noura vented and made a plea to the other Tribe members about teaming up. Elaine found a hidden Immunity Idol.
At the Immunity Challenge, a competition of endurance began. It came down to Lauren and Elaine, but it was Lauren who was able to outlast her opponent.
Janet and Dan filled Noura in on the plan that was discussed at the loved ones reward, which sent her into an overthinking spiral.
At Tribal Council, the whispering began almost immediately, which raised the tension until Noura spoke up about how Dean, Elaine, and Karishma were plotting to vote against Tommy.
She also spilled the beans about Elaine having an Idol. Tribal descended into chaos as the two sides tried to figure out their respective moves.
Once the dust settled, the Tribe voted. Elaine played her Idol, but it didn't matter. The votes came down between Noura and Karishma, but it was Karishma who was finally voted out of the game.
"Bring On The Bacon" (Episode 10) / Island Of The Idols: Lauren / Voted Off: Elizabeth
The Tribe reacted to the surprising eliminations.
Dean, Tommy, and Lauren talked about finally going after Karishma.
A boat showed up and one person had to be sent to the Island of the Idols by unanimous vote. Karishma wanted to go, but it was Lauren who wound up meeting Rob and Sandra.
The mentors offered Lauren a chance to predict who would win the next Immunity Challenge. If she turned out to be right, she'd win an Idol. If she was wrong, she'd lose her vote at Tribal. After some negotiation, and the reveal that the challenge would include an "eat or play" component, Rob doubled her odds and Lauren chose Noura and Elizabeth.
Dean tried to figure out if the Legacy Advantage given to him by Jamal was real or not. Dean then decided to create a copy of the advantage as a potential fake out, not knowing that the original one was, indeed, a fake.
Lauren enlisted Tommy to talk about food around camp to convince people to eat the food at the challenge instead of playing. When it came time to choose, only three people decided to compete: Karishma, Elizabeth, and Noura.
Karishma was the first one to be eliminated, which guaranteed Lauren her Idol. In the end, it was Noura who won the Immunity Challenge.
Back at camp, the Tribe started to discuss eliminating Elizabeth instead of Karishma. Elaine wasn't totally on board for it, but decided she'd go with whatever her alliance wanted.
Karishma felt light-headed and took a rest, and Noura took advantage to dig through Karishma's bag to see if she had an Idol, but didn't find one.
Lauren was reading lips while Karishma and Elizabeth were discussing their plans, and heard Dan's name come up, so Dan confronted them about it but they lied. This confirmed Dan's intent to vote for Karishma.
At Tribal Council, the Tribe seemed as though they'd be sending Karishma home based on the conversation. After the votes, Dean tried to play his Legacy Advantage, but was told it was a fake. Then, Karishma played her Immunity Idol, which shocked the Tribe. And then, Lauren played the Idol she'd won from the Island of the Idols.
As a result, the majority of votes were cast for Karishma but didn't count. The vote was tied between Janet and Elizabeth by default. This caused a revote, and in the end, it was Elizabeth who was eliminated.
"Two For The Price Of One" (Episode 9) / Voted Off: Aaron and Missy
Janet struggled with what went down at Tribal and considered leaving the game. Karishma got spooked by a rat while she was sleeping.
A downpour began, drenching the castaways, and Elizabeth was particularly affected. The Tribe was annoyed with Karishma for not contributing around camp or being a team player. But then Karishma was sent looking for coconuts and found a Hidden Immunity Idol, which lifted her spirits.
Noura, Tommy, and Lauren were suspicious of Karishma being gone so long, who feigned feeling ill.
At the Immunity Challenge, Jeff revealed that the Tribe would be divided into groups for the challenge—two castaways would win Immunity, but both groups would go to Tribal Council, meaning two castaways would be leaving the game.
At the conclusion of the challenge, it was Elaine and Noura who won Immunity. The two groups were split up, with Noura, Dan, Janet, Aaron, Lauren, and Dean sent back to the old Lairo camp and then to Tribal.
Elizabeth, Tommy, Elaine, Missy, and Karishma going back to their regular camp (with PB&Js waiting for them) and going to Tribal second, so they'd know what happened in the first Tribal of the night.
With his two targets on different groups, Aaron saw an opportunity to take out both Janet and Karishma. Meanwhile, Noura rallied the rest of her group to vote out Aaron, but Dean didn't think that was best for his game.
While Aaron's group plotted at old Lairo, the other group enjoyed PB&Js and strategized. Missy tried to talk with Karishma about voting for Tommy, but Karishma got irritated by Missy's brash approach. Karishma vented to Elaine about it, and then Elaine told Tommy that Missy was targeting him. Tommy decided he was going to rally votes for Missy.
Missy and Elizabeth presented their plan to Karishma, which meant Karishma would be the deciding vote.
At the first Tribal Council of the night, Aaron was surprised by being the next member of the Tribe voted out.
At the second Tribal, Missy was shocked to see Aaron sitting on the Jury. The group had a conversation about bullying and Missy discussed the importance of representation. After the voting, Jeff revealed that Missy would be going home.
"We Made It To The Merge!" (Episode 8) / Island of the Idols: Jamal / Voted Off: Kellee and Jamal
At Lairo, the Tribe reeled from the latest blindside.
Noura revealed that she voted for Jack, which upset Jamal because he had used his Idol on her. But Noura threw Kellee under the bus for telling her to vote for Jack.
The next morning, most of Lairo went hunting for Idols, and Kellee found one.
A piece of treemail revealed that the Merge was happening. The two Tribes came together for a feast, and used the opportunity to start strategizing.
Kellee and Missy talked on the beach and appeared to bond over their discomfort in Dan's behavior.
Lauren told Missy that Kellee planned to vote her out.
At the first Individual Immunity Challenge, the castaways had to tackle an endurance challenge, and Aaron wound up winning.
Lauren and Tommy started pitching the Tribe on voting out Kellee. Meanwhile, Kellee found another Immunity Idol.
Jamal and Noura discussed voting out Dan, which Janet was on board with. Elizabeth told Janet she was on board as well, but then told Elaine that they are sticking with their plan to get out Kellee.
Tribal Council focused on Tribal lines and trust versus deception. The Tribe voted but Kellee decided not to use either of her Idols. Jeff read the votes and revealed that Kellee had been voted off.
Janet felt betrayed because she felt she jeopardized her game to stand up for the women, and they flipped. Janet talked with Dan about the accusations and said all of the women had complaints about him, but Elizabeth and Missy said that wasn't true.
Dan brought it back to Janet, who insisted that all of the women brought their concerns to her.
Aaron and Missy went hunting for an Idol in the early morning and Janet tried to follow them.
Out in the woods, Janet found a Hidden Immunity Idol.
Jamal was sent to the Island of the Idols after finding a note in the woods, where he met Rob and Sandra. Upon arrival, he discovered the note actually meant he would lose his vote at the next Tribal.
However, Rob and Sandra gave him a blank piece of parchment and a pencil, telling him to use "the art of sabotage" so he created a fake legacy advantage and gave it to Dean.
At the next Immunity Challenge, the castaways had another physical endurance challenge where the last male and female standing would each win. In the end, it was Missy and Aaron.
Later, Janet and Jamal wandered off to discuss the coming vote. Back at camp, Aaron suggested they split the vote between Karishma and Jamal.
At Tribal, Janet brought up what happened at the last Tribal and the situation with Dan, which spawned a larger discussion with Jeff about everything that had happened.
After the voting, Janet played her Hidden Immunity Idol. When Jeff tallied the votes, it was revealed that Jamal was voted out.
"I Was Born At Night, But Not Last Night" (Episode 7) / Island Of The Idols: Janet / Voted Off: Jack
Lauren felt betrayed by Missy regarding the Jason vote.
On Night 16, there was a torrential downpour and Lairo struggled to restart their fire, which led to some conflict between Jamal and Kellee.
Noura also got frustrated with Jamal when he made a comment about her eating too much of the rice. Janet, Karishma, and Noura talked about voting for Dean.
Janet was sent to the Island of the Idols, but was worried that it would put a target on her back. Rob and Sandra tried to teach her a lesson about calculated risk.
The reward for taking on Rob and Sandra's challenge would be an advantage that would allow Janet to leave one Tribal Council—thus having safety—that would be valid up until seven players remain in the game.
However, Janet declined the offer, which made Rob and Sandra proud because she actually thought through the scenario and made a smart, calculated decision.
Janet lied about her experience on the Island of the Idols to her Tribe, remaining consistent with Kellee's story from earlier in the season.
At Vokai, Lauren and Tommy tried to strategize about getting back on top and throwing Dan under the bus. They then started spreading a rumor that Dan was trying to get Aaron out, but Missy saw through the lie.
At the Immunity Challenge, the rain poured as the castaways had to compete. Vokai thought they finished their puzzle first, but Jeff determined it was incorrect. In a very tight showdown, they managed to fix it seconds before Lairo completed theirs.
At Lairo, Jamal, Jack, Janet, Kellee, Noura, and Karishma talked about voting out Dean. Jamal felt confident in his position. Dean presented his concerns to Jack and Jamal, who told him that Noura was the vote.
Kellee considered giving her Hidden Immunity Idol to Dean, since she felt safe and the Idol was only good for one more Tribal, while trying to blindside Jamal or Jack.
Kellee told Dean he was the next vote, but then told him she wanted to give him her Idol and make a big move.
Noura spoke freely about her opinions and motives at Tribal. Jamal expressed his concern over a women's alliance, which Kellee found to be sexist, and that led to a larger conversation about gender in Survivor.
The Tribe voted, but before Jeff read the votes, Dean unveiled the Immunity Idol he was given from Kellee. But then, Jamal also played his own hidden Immunity Idol... for Noura.
Jeff read the votes, but most were for Dean and did not count. In the end, it was Jack who was voted off with only two votes.
"Suck It Up Buttercup" (Episode 6) / Island Of The Idols: Elaine / Voted Off: Jason
After Tribal, Noura approached Dean, who was feeling blindsided once more, about aligning. Dean was skeptical and told Jamal about Noura's plan.
At Vokai, Elizabeth freaked out about a tarantula. Elaine became concerned about how Tribal would go if the Tribe lost Immunity, and Aaron seemed to be targeting her.
At the Reward Challenge, the two Tribes found out they were competing for chickens. Elaine was chosen to sit out for Vokai—which also meant she was being sent to Island of the Idols. Vokai wound up winning the Reward Challenge.
At Island of the Idols, Rob and Sandra were using their free time to build the ultimate Survivor shelter. Elaine arrived, and immediately accepted the challenge of the mentors without knowing what it was.
Rob revealed that during the Immunity Challenge, she would have to grab a Secret Advantage hidden in the course that would allow her to block a vote at Tribal. And if she failed to do so, she would lose her vote at Tribal.
Jamal and Jack had a meaningful conversation about race after Jack made a comment he regretted.
Elizabeth and Elaine talked about the Island of the Idols, and Elaine told her about the mission. At the Immunity Challenge, Elaine was able to find the Secret Advantage. Even though she almost dropped it, she managed to recover. In a close contest, Lairo squeaked out a victory and finally won Immunity.
Elaine told Missy and Aaron about her block the vote advantage, but Aaron continued plotting against her. Elizabeth was convinced it was going to be a huge battle between old Tribal lines.
Tribal was heated, with old Vokai declaring they were prepared to go to rocks if the vote was a draw. However, Elaine revealed her block vote advantage, which she used on Jason.
The Vokai members started whispering to one another that the vote would still go to Elaine. Lauren got emotional.
Jeff read the votes and revealed that Jason was the latest person to be voted off. Before he left, he told his former Tribe not to trust Aaron, who everyone knew had flipped his vote.
“Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You” (Episode 5) / Voted Off: Tom
Dean felt blindsided by Chelsea’s exit and started to investigate who was responsible.
At the Reward Challenge, Jeff told the Tribes to drop their buffs—it was time for a Tribe Swap.
After the buff draw, Vokai was evenly split with four Vokai—Dan, Jason, Tommy, and Lauren—and four former Lairo: Aaron, Missy, Elizabeth, and Elaine.
However, the new Lairo was stacked in Vokai’s favor, with former Vokai Noura, Kellee, Jamal, Jack, and Janet joining original Lairo members Tom, Dean, and Karishma.
Jeff revealed the Reward Challenge would be for an Applebee’s lunch. The new Tribes had to work together to crawl through sand and solve a puzzle, and in the end, it was Vokai who would be eating good in the neighborhood.
The new Vokai enjoyed their reward as they got to know one another.
Meanwhile, Karishma was excited to be a part of a new Tribe, but didn’t feel good about her performance in the challenge. Dean and Kellee hit it off after realizing they had a mutual friend.
Karishma opened up to her new Tribe about her personal life. At Vokai, Tommy and Aaron made a bond.
At the Immunity Challenge, the new Tribes competed in an extremely physical competition, and it was Vokai who came out on top, winning Immunity.
Morale was low at Lairo, who was sent to Tribal for the fourth time. Karishma tried to pitch herself to the Tribe, offering to flip from her former Tribemates.
Noura was a little nervous because she lost her vote after her failure at the Island of the Idols, but felt the former Vokai still had the numbers.
At Tribal, Dean and Karishma were put in the hot seat as tensions of the new Tribe started heating up. In a surprising vote, it was Tom who was voted out of the game.
"Plan Z" (Episode 4) / Island Of The Idols: Noura / Voted Off: Chelsea
Karishma felt targeted after the surprising Tribal.
Elaine tried shipping Dean and Chelsea, but Chelsea declared she wasn't interested in a showmance. Missy was concerned that Chelsea's potential relationship Dean was jeopardizing the women's alliance.
At Vokai, Jamal decided to go look for an Idol instead of going fishing with the rest of the group, feeling like he was on the outside after being left out of the Molly vote. Luckily, he was able to find one.
Soon after, Vokai was tasked with sending someone to the Island of the Idols. Noura wound up volunteering and went to meet Sandra and Rob.
The mentors revealed that Noura's lesson would be about the art of persuasion.
As a test, Noura had to persuade her Tribe to make her the caller in their upcoming Immunity Challenge where they would be blindfolded. If she succeeded, she'd be given the ability to block one vote at Tribal Council. As always, her failure would result in her loss of voting power.
When Noura returned to camp, she limited the amount of information she revealed in order to secure her role as caller, which the Tribe found suspicious.
Vokai tried to practice for the challenge and struggled with Noura as the caller. As a result, at the actual challenge they made her sit out completely, thereby secretly causing her to lose her vote at Tribal. It ultimately worked out for them, however, as they took home Immunity.
With Lairo headed to Tribal, conversations began around camp, with Karishma once again concerned about her safety. Meanwhile, Aaron took aim at Dean, which surprised Elizabeth and Elaine.
Missy recognized that no one was super into Dean or Karishma as an option, so threw Chelsea's name out instead.
Tribal Council was pretty contentious, with most of the Tribe agreeing that Karishma hadn't been pulling her weight in the game.
But when Jeff read the votes, it was revealed that Chelsea was the next person voted out of the game in another stunning blindside.
"Honesty Would Be Chill" (Episode 3) / Island Of The Idols: Vince / Voted Off: Vince
Jason celebrated still being in the game, but Jamal and Jack struggled to deal with the blindside. Tommy tried to patch things up with Jamal, who said he would forgive—but never forget.
The women of Lairo bonded in the water, while the men began to grow suspicious of the clear women's alliance.
At Vokai, Dan decided to lead the campaign against Noura, which most of the other Tribe members were on board with. However, Jamal was uncomfortable with Dan's pitch and talked with Elaine about targeting Dan instead of Noura. Tommy and Elaine considered voting out Jamal.
At Lairo, Karishma accidentally cut herself while husking a coconut and was upset when nobody on the Tribe tried to help her. She took it as a sign that nobody wanted to play the game with her.
But then a visitor showed up at Lairo and revealed that Vince would be going to the Island of the Idols. After Vince left, Dean blurted out, "Let's split the vote," which rubbed people the wrong way and made Karishma worry that she' be the one to leave if Vince returned with an Idol.
Vince met Rob and Sandra on the Island of the Idols and got emotional about meeting some of his heroes. Rob told Vince that his lesson would be about staying calm under pressure—by sneaking into the Vokai camp and stealing fire. If he succeeded, he'd take home an Idol. Vince agreed to the task.
Sandra used her military training and taught Vince how to low crawl and be stealthy. Vince attempted to sneak into the Vokai camp despite the pitch black and rain—which meant there was no fire to steal! Instead, Vince collected ash from the firepit as proof of mission accomplished.
Rob and Sandra were impressed by his success and ability to adapt, and rewarded him with an Idol.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways had to compete in a physical competition to unlock puzzle pieces that they'd have to solve. The winners would also receive some comfort items to take back to camp. In the end, it was Vokai who won.
At Lairo, the men tried to target Karishma, but the women's alliance had other ideas, weighing the options of voting out Tom or Vince.
At Tribal Council, Tom and Aaron placed the blame for their loss on Karishma's failure to complete the puzzle, which spawned a lager discussion about how a Tribe member can display their value.
Before voting began, Karishma got up to whisper in Elizabeth's ear, but Tom voiced that he thought it was a ruse to make people nervous.
Jeff tallied the votes and revealed that Vince had been voted out. Unbeknownst to his former Tribemates, Vince left the game with an Idol in his pocket.
"YOLO, Let's Play!" (Episode 2) / Island Of The Idols: Kellee / Voted Off: Molly
Lairo talked with Aaron about the vote, who was pretty upset about being left out of the decision making.
Noura was rubbing Vokai the wrong way with her complaints about others not contributing to camp life, particularly targeting Molly. Jason tried to talk her down a bit and they bonded over feeling like the underdogs versus the "popular kids" Molly, Jamal, and Jack.
Molly and Jamal talked about trying to take out Noura if they wound up at Tribal Council.
Lairo was struggling to make fire until Chelsea stepped in and did it with ease. And then when Chelsea was out collecting firewood, she stumbled across a Hidden Immunity Idol.
Back at Vokai, Noura tried to lead the Tribe in yoga exercises. A boat showed up at their camp and gave the Tribe a piece of parchment, declaring that Kellee had to board and head to the Island of the Idols.
Kellee showed up at the Island of the Idols and met Boston Rob and Sandra, who bombarded her with seemingly pointless questions and personal details. The point was to teach her about how listening and social skills can be applied to her game on Survivor.
The mentors offered her a test in exchange for an Immunity Idol, but if she lost, she'd lose her vote at Tribal. Kellee managed to answer Rob's questions correctly and won herself an Idol.
Kellee returned to camp and lied about what the Island of the Idols was, hiding the Immunity Idol in her hair in case her Tribemates wanted to search her belongings.
At the Immunity Challenge, Jeff revealed that the castaways would also be playing for spices as a reward. The two Tribes had to swim underwater to untie knots that would release a ladder, which they'd climb to release a bag of balls, that they'd then use to compete in a game of skill.
Lairo was the first Tribe to finish, winning Immunity and reward, sending Vokai to Tribal.
Back at Vokai camp, Noura tried to avoid talking strategy with Jamal and Jack, who were trying to get votes against Noura and Jason.
Meanwhile, Lauren floated the idea of voting out Molly to Kellee and Janet, and they presented the idea to Jason, Noura, and Tommy.
Tommy was conflicted about making a movie like that so early.
At Tribal Council, Jason spoke up about feeling targeted for allegedly having a Hidden Idol, while Noura and Molly talked about butting heads a bit. Jamal was confident in his position in the game, which Lauren clearly disagreed with.
The Tribe voted, revealing that Lauren's plan worked—Molly was the first member of Vokai sent home.
"I Vote You Out And That's It" (Episode 1) / Island Of The Idols: Elizabeth / Voted Off: Ronnie
Host Jeff Probst introduced "Boston" Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine, who would both serve as mentors during Survivor: Island of the Idols.
The 20 castaways were divided into two Tribes, Lairo and Vokai. The Tribes arrived in confusion, wondering where the traditional Survivor elements were and why there was no introduction from Jeff or even a marooning.
Lairo got to building shelter and getting to know one another. Missy revealed she survived a brain tumor and quickly bonded with Elizabeth.
Vokai also got started getting to know one another and putting their camp together. Janet tried to display her value by making fire with bamboo.
At Lairo, Tom, Elaine, and Vince formed bonds based on their work ethic, but the seven other members decided to team up against them.
Meanwhile, at Vokai, Tommy and Jack hit it off, while Jason went off in search of an Idol, leaving the other Tribe members suspicious and rallying against him. However, Noura felt for Jason and told him about the bad impression he made on the rest of the Tribe.
Missy pitched a women's alliance to Lairo, telling Elaine about the rest of the Tribe's suspicions around her closeness with Tom and Vince.
Back at camp Vokai, some tensions started to form between Dan and Kellee.
Ronnie secretly targeted Elaine and lied to her face about an alliance, but she didn't fall for it.
At the first challenge of the season, the castaways finally met Jeff. The challenge was not only for the Immunity Idol but also for flint. The challenge was neck and neck until the end where the Tribes were tasked with a puzzle, at which point Vokai took a huge lead and went on to win.
After the challenge, Jeff revealed to Lairo that one of their members would be going to the Island of the Idols. By random draw, Elizabeth was chosen to go.
Upon her arrival, she was shocked to find massive statues of Boston Rob and Sandra—and even more surprised to see the legendary players themselves, who revealed they'd be offering the castaways leadership.
Rob and Sandra taught Elizabeth how to make fire with flint. They offered her a test: a fire-making competition. If she won, she'd receive an Immunity Idol good for two Tribal Councils, but if she lost, she'd lose her vote for that night's Tribal.
She weighed her options and hesitantly decided to accept the challenge, only to lose quickly. The lesson learned: always trust your gut. Before she left, Elizabeth chose the name of the opposing Tribe member who would visit Rob and Sandra, to be revealed to us later.
Back at Lairo camp, Vince, Tom, Chelsea, and Elaine talked about getting rid of Ronnie. Meanwhile, Ronnie tried to campaign against Elaine. She confronted Ronnie and his allies and tried to convince them otherwise. Aaron told her that they were planning on voting out Vince.
Elizabeth returned to camp and lied about what she encountered on the Island of the Idols. She kept it secret that she lost her vote and listened as both sides of the Tribe pitched to her on how she should vote at Tribal.
Tribal was emotional as Lairo's castaways told their personal stories and of their journeys to be on Survivor. Rob and Sandra watched from behind the scenes.
The Tribe then voted and, much to his surprise, Ronnie was the first player voted off the island.
Don't miss all-new episodes of Survivor: Island of the Idols at 8/7c on CBS and CBS All Access.