Survivor 35 Scoop – Week 8 Recap: Winners, Losers, Top Moments

Posted By: Global Staff

November 16, 2017

Survivor 35 Scoop – Week 8 Recap: Winners, Losers, Top Moments

John Powell – GobalTV.com

The Survivor jury has begun and so has the war between the Healers and… basically everyone else.

Desiree “Desi” Williams, Cole Medders, Joe Mena and Mike Zahalsky are hoping against all hope that Lady Luck smiles down upon them as they are outnumbered by the hefty margin of seven to four.

The Healers started the Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers season as strong as any tribe has. With success though comes resentment and the Healers have become the biggest targets in the game. Since the tribal swap, half of people voted out were original Soko Tribe members.

Where are the cracks the Healers need to exploit? There really aren’t any if you examine the dynamics. Core Levu Tribe members Ben Driebergen , John “JP” Hilsabeck, Chrissy Hofbeck and Ashley Nolan are not budging. Core Yawa Tribe members Devon Pinto, Lauren Rimmer and Ryan Ulrich are sticking together not only because of their original bonds but also because Levu outnumbers them.

There are also cross-alliances at play too with Ryan and Chrissy, Lauren and Ben, Devon and Ashley. Those pacts, relationships strengthen the bigger partnership between Levu and Yawa which is going to make it infinitely harder for the Healers to pull someone over to their side.

In Survivor nothing is impossible. We have seen what persuasive players like Boston Rob, Sandra Diaz-Twine and others can do. With each passing week and each passing Healer eviction though their chances of surviving grow dimmer and dimmer.

WARNING: Spoilers below this line…

Survivor Scoop – Week 8: Top Moments

This week’s Top Survivor: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers Moments are…

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Moment # 5: Ryan Tosses A Clue To The Idol

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Moment # 4: Things Boil Over At Tribal

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Moment # 3: Lauren Finds a Secret Advantage

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Moment # 2: Hidden Immunity Idol Hunt Causes Chaos

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Moment # 1: Joe Gets Under Ben’s Skin

Next time on Survivor…

Week 8: Game Fail – Desiree “Desi” Williams

Just as we don’t get to choose our family, Survivor players often don’t get to choose their partners. When switched to the new Levu Tribe with Joe, Desi had two choices. She could either cut Joe loose or stick with him. Joe has been many things on Survivor, both good and bad. The good is he is very loyal. It is likely that Desi saw that as her life raft in the game.

Strategic Gameplay

By all accounts Desi was not a student of the game. Therefore, other Survivors have said her strategy was to stick to someone who knew the game well, a strong and confident player. If so, her strategy worked because she has made the merger and the jury. Besides her talks with Joe during their time at the new Levu, we haven’t seen her involved in many strategic conversations though.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Social Gameplay

As we saw when she was teamed up only with Joe, many of the others respected and liked Desi despite her association with him. Some like Alan Ball and Roark Luskin wanted to work with her and move forward with her. Desi made a positive impression with not only her friends by also her foes.

Rating: 3 / 5

Entertainment Value

Although she was not featured a whole lot, she was a hard-hitting competitor. It is difficult though to judge Desi as an overall Survivor personality as we just don’t have enough to go on. She is another player this season whose story wasn’t fully told it seems.

Rating: 3 / 5

Final Castaway Rating: 8.5 / 15

Week 8: Powell’s Picks

Who played it cool and who proved themselves to be a fool? Every week John Powell makes his picks for the worst and best players of the week.

Bronze Amateur: Chrissy Hofbeck and Lauren Rimmer

Chrissy talking strategy with Ryan when they were lying next to the other players was not only reckless, it was arrogant. Lauren revealing her secret power to Ben may backfire on her in the end.

Silver Amateur: Ben Driebergen, Joe Mena and Cole Medders

Their bickering and arguing in front of everyone only served to make them even bigger present, future targets.

Gold Amateur: Desiree “Desi” Williams

She came into Survivor with a solid strategy. It shouldn’t have been her only strategy.

Bronze MVP: The Reward Meal Rules

Survivor has been on the air for 17 years and the producers are still finding ways to add imaginative twists to the game.

Silver MVP: Ryan Ulrich

Like him or hate him, Ryan is showing he will do whatever it takes to win the game including throwing away a clue and digging up a Hidden Immunity Idol in front of everyone.

Gold MVP: Ben Driebergen

Nobody can blame Ben for losing his temper with Joe, especially considering what he was being accused of. That misstep aside, Ben outmanoeuvred the others this episode.

Watch Survivor: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers Wednesdays at 8 et/pt on Global.

CATCH UP NOW: Survivor Season 35, Episode 8: “Playing With the Devil”