There are reality competition shows, and then there's CBS' Survivor. The social experiment was a groundbreaker in the genre, and has managed to outlast its competitors, producing two seasons per year. We're currently in the midst of its whopping 35th season on the network, titled Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. There have been a fair amount of blindsides this season, but this past week's episode was a doozy. Fan favorite Lauren Rimmer went home from just one vote, after allowing Dr. Mike to burn half of her idol and Ben used his own to protect himself. Lauren's many fans were disappointed with how she went out, and apparently so was her sister. She recently revealed this, saying:
[My sister has] cussed me out two or three times. She's called me a dummy and a few other things.
It looks like Lauren won't be letting down her epic fail this past episode. Because in addition to fans being disappointed about her sudden fall from grace, she's going to hear about it from her family as well.
Lauren's sister Sunny made a brief appearance on Survivor in her boot episode. She got to visit her sister in Fiji as part of the loved one's visit, where it was revealed that the duo actually auditioned for the show together during an open call. Lauren ended up being the more dynamic character, eventually winning a slot on Season 35. Since Survivor is such a part of both of their lives, Sunny will no doubt make her feel guilty until Lauren inevitably is asked back for a returning player season.
Before the final moments of last week's episode, Lauren was in a very good position in the game. She had a strong alliance, as well as a ton of advantages. In addition to the immunity idol she procured during the episode, she also had an advantage that allowed her to vote twice in the tribal council of her choice. Considering how few castaways are still in game, this should have been enough for her to cruise to the final four. But she gave Mike half of her idol, and he burned her game up when he tossed it into the flames at tribal.
Lauren has since tried to explain her thoughts in this game ending move. She told ET:
When I gave it to him, I was trying to keep him close. I wanted him to feel like he was included, and I was trying to secure that vote, along with Ashley and Devon, and obviously he had better plans for it.
Dr. Mike's move was absolutely savage, and put the nail in Lauren's survivor coffin. And with the core alliance shaken up, there's no telling how the rest of the game will go.
Survivor airs Wednesdays on CBS. Be sure to check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch, and our cancellation list to see if your favorite show got the chop.
