Survivor 51 Recap: Jenna was voted out in Episode 4 after the tribe swap.

Wasn’t it the late, great Whitney Houston who sang “Don’t we just have it all?” And on “Survivor 51,” it actually almost did.

Wednesday’s episode took a step back when Jeff announced that it was time to gather the castaways at a new beach and (say it with me now) say: your! buff! And while I’m generally totally excited about the old transition (I even talked to “Survivor: Africa” ​​winner Ethan Zohn about the show’s first tribe swap), bringing the game back to a three-tribe format is… just not that exciting. To make matters worse, the three tribes are starting with odd numbers (6, 6, 5) since Rob decided to quit the game last week. Do you want to go from a Tribal Council of 11 players to a Tribal Council of 5 or 6 players? It’s a disappointing development in what has been a great season (so far).

Alas, here’s how the swap works:

* Savu now only has 5 players: Devin, Jelly, Ori, Alexis, and Jenna. Three former Tokas and two former Savus.

* Toka has Mike, Carter, Brady, Thien An, Maggie and Kristin. It doesn’t look good for Kristin, a former Savu player (although she’s known Carter since before Savu’s rebellion).

* The name of the new Red Buff race is Dinah. guard the new fortress (and building The new strongholds are Kilby, Lewis, Sharonda, Eric, Linnea and Christian (since they start from scratch). Four former Savus and two former Tokas.

From the jump, interesting social developments take place on all three beaches. Let’s start with Dina. Eric is so excited to finally meet Kilby and officially start the bromance he’s always dreamed of. And while the two nerds seem like instant friends, Eric’s Kilby connection not only seems to former Savus, but also makes Sharonda particularly nervous. We only see one scene of Eric trying to appease Sharonda and convince her that he’s still with them, but we don’t know how many alliance stunts he actually had to perform after the swap. And in a game where having a little chill could go a long way, Eric doesn’t seem to get any. zero. zipper.

On the other hand, Kristin from Toka is full of chills despite having several broken bones in her foot! (Yes, “foot bone” is the technical medical term for her condition.) She knows she’s at rock bottom, so she sets about helping her tribe, using the impressive reserve of jungle knowledge she’s learned over her 26 years on the show. Most of the tribe seems grateful to have her by their side, but Carter doesn’t accept it. Christine talks to her former tribemate and attempts to extend an olive branch, but based on her on-camera interview, it seems like that ship has sailed. He has a close relationship with Thien An, who also has a close relationship with Maggie. His game has done a complete 180 since he last left Savu. You can’t blame him. In the game “Survivor” you have to stay fluid and keep swimming. Luckily for Kristin, Toka (and Dina) won immunity, so she’s safe to kill another day.

Dear readers, please forgive me for burying the main cast in the Episode 4 recap, because JELLY and ORI are finally reunited! If you’re craving the return of some steamy “Survivor” showmanship, look no further. These two new best friends from Helicopter Alliance can now bond over lasagna, test pick-up lines, and find heart-shaped shells to give each other gifts. Because both of them are now officially Team Savu. But before romance can truly blossom, the tribe must figure out WTF, when a little game of Toss the Bucket loses its chance at safety and someone has to leave. (Indeed, if a lasagna luncheon isn’t a reward at some point in “Survivor 51,” then what the hell are we doing, Probst?!)

Ori and Alexis may be a minority in numbers, but what are the chances that the tribe will chase away the biggest and strongest male? Not slim for anyone. Alexis knows she’s in trouble and offers a “Revenge of the Nerds” alliance to Jenna, who seems to accept what Alexis puts down. But she’s working from multiple angles, and elsewhere Jenna is trying to pave a broken path with Devin and Jelly. If you’ll kindly remember, Devin didn’t just vote for her in episode one. He was devastated by the poor woman! The dude swung for the fence and sniffed hard. At least I understand why he would want to do that. try hard There to solve the problem. The first vote after a tribe swap is a scary one, and since the old Tokas have the numbers, why not “go for a layup,” as Ori once said.

However, if Tribal Council is a success (which leaves a lot to be desired with only five players participating), it’s clear that there are only two real options for voting: Jenna or Alexis. And with a 4-1 vote, Jenna became the fifth person to exit season 51.

What do you think about the tribe swap in Episode 4? We want to hear that. Enjoy full tilt boogie in the comments!