'Survivor: Game Changers' Maku Maku tribe blindsides Debbie Wanner after Sarah Lacina flips

Survivor: Game Changers' merged Maku Maku tribe voted out Debbie Wanner during Wednesday night's episode of Season 34 on CBS.


Maku Maku tribe sent Debbie, a 51-year-old from Reading, PA, packing at Tribal Council on Night 26 with 6 out of 11 votes because Sarah Lacina, a 32-year-old from Marion, IA, made a big move and flipped on the tribe's majority alliance in order to escape being on the bottom of her original alliance.

"That was absolutely a blindside. That one I did not see coming. I thought I had a lock, stock and barrel solid six. Twenty minutes ago, I would have told you that six was not going to break, but what surprises me is that anyone would flip and now is going to probably be in a worse position. I'm stunned," Debbie said following her ouster. 

Debbie -- who previously competed on Survivor: Kaoh Rong -- Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty and finished in ninth place -- received votes from Sarah, Andrea Boehlke, Cirie Fields, Zeke Smith, Michaela Bradshaw, and Aubry Bracco. Everyone else voted to oust Andrea from Survivor: Game Changers.

The episode began on Night 24 of the game following Ozzy Lusth's elimination, and the tribe assumed a line had been "drawn in concrete." Maku Maku was split down the middle -- Debbie, Sarah, Sierra Dawn Thomas, Troy "Troyzan" Robertson, Brad Culpepper and Tai Trang were the majority alliance against the minority alliance comprised of Zeke, Andrea, Cirie, Aubry, and Michaela.


Not only were the five outsiders in trouble, but they weren't even getting along, as Andrea called Zeke "shady" after he had betrayed her. Zeke no longer wanted to work with Andrea, especially because of their new conflict, and felt the need to vote the way the majority alliance wanted him to in order to stick around as long as possible.
 
Sarah, who had seemed tight with Andrea up until last night's episode, told Zeke that Andrea needed to go next since she was a strategic, social and physical threat. Sarah apologized to Zeke for leaving him out of the Ozzy vote and insisted she wanted to continue working with him going forward.

On Day 25, the tribe was split up into two groups for a Reward Challenge that resulted in a helicopter ride and picnic. After a schoolyard pick, Michaela was left out of the Reward Challenge entirely, which really frustrated her since she believed the castaways created their teams based on alliances rather than strength or physical ability.

"It makes no damn sense," Michaela muttered after swearing about the tribe's ridiculous decisions.

During the challenge, Cirie's body pretty much gave out on her and she couldn't pull herself up out of the water. Sarah decided to jump into the ocean and help her despite her anger over losing the challenge, and Cirie slowly but surely finished the job. Everyone was proud Cirie accomplished the task. 

A "secret advantage" was placed on the isolated dock where Michaela was sitting and watching the challenge, but she didn't notice it.


Once Brad, Andrea, Sierra, Debbie and Aubry won the challenge and were about to take off in the helicopter, Sarah spotted the advantage and shoved it into her bag. Sarah couldn't believe that Michaela didn't have her eyes open since Survivor is all about being observant and alert.

Back at camp after the challenge, Sarah read her advantage and discovered she'd be able to steal a vote from someone else at an upcoming Tribal Council session. She could use the advantage until five people remain in the game, and the advantage could not be transferred to another castaway or stolen by another player.

While on Reward, Brad bragged about how his alliance members Sarah and Troyzan could be his eyes and ears back at camp. Sarah, however, talked with Cirie about how Sierra and Brad were running the show.

Cirie told Sarah that she'd never win the game if she made it to the Final 3 with Brad or Sierra, so Sarah considered joining forces with Michaela, Cirie, Aubry, maybe Zeke, and potentially Andrea if they could repair things with her.

Sarah was ready and willing to make a big move as long as it wouldn't hurt her game.


On Day 26, after Troyzan won the Individual Immunity Challenge in which the castaways had to stack wooden blocks on a wobbly table, Sierra told the cameras that Andrea needed to go next, and she was happy that one of her six alliance members won the challenge.

Once Maku Maku returned to camp, everyone was venting about how they were annoyed with Michaela or couldn't stand her at all. However, Brad's alliance members agreed with one another that a bigger threat needed to go first, and the plan was Andrea.

Sarah, however, felt people were telling her what to do and making the decisions, so she realized right then and there that she was probably on the bottom.

Sarah therefore spoke to Zeke about making a big move with Andrea, who was looking for anybody to play with her at this point. But Sarah became confused once Sierra promised her a Final 3 with Debbie. Sarah had to think about whether making a big move truly would benefit her game in the long run.

Debbie told Aubry to vote for Michaela in case Andrea pulled a hidden Immunity Idol out, and Aubry felt Debbie was acting condescendingly towards her.


Aubry wished she could tell Debbie to "go f-ck yourself," adding that when Debbie gets cocky, she tends to make mistakes. Aubry warned Sarah that Debbie was "a Grade A liar." Debbie had insisted to Aubry that Sarah didn't trust her, and Aubry let Sarah know that. 

Sarah acknowledged to Aubry that Debbie was spreading lies about her and she wasn't okay with that.

Sarah intended to make her mind up at Tribal Council, and Andrea and Michaela knew Sarah was the key to their survival.

At Tribal Council that night, Andrea announced she was on the bottom and very vulnerable. Andrea knew that although she was told Michaela was the vote, there were clues that revealed she was actually the one in trouble.

Debbie told Survivor host Jeff Probst that it was hard to imagine her six not remaining solid, and even Sarah pointed out it was "wishful thinking" that the tribe would reshuffle after this vote.


Michaela was ready to "march out swinging," but advised her tribemates not to sit around like fools and watch other people play the game.

Jeff then revealed the votes in the following order: Andrea, Debbie, Andrea, Debbie, Andrea, Debbie, Andrea, Debbie, Andrea, Debbie, and Debbie. 






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski