'Survivor' recap: Sierra Wright gets blindsided after Andy Rueda steps up his game

Survivor's Beka Tribe blindsided and voted out Sierra Wright after Andy Rueda decided to betray his allies and show his power during the Season 47 episode that aired Wednesday night on CBS.


At Tribal Council on Night 15 of the game, the first vote was a 4-4 tie between Sierra, a 27-year-old nurse from Wilmington, DE, who currently resides in Phoenixville, PA, and Sam Phalen, a 24-year-old sports reporter from Schaumburg, IL, who currently resides in Nashville, TN.

RELATED LINK: 'SURVIVOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO'S STILL TOGETHER?! WHICH SHOWMANCES SPLIT UP? (PHOTOS) 

Gabe Ortis, a 26-year-old radio show host from Baltimore, MD, had only received one vote.

There was a re-vote as a result, and the tribe unanimously chose to send Sierra home.


"I couldn't tell you what happened. I'm completely blindsided," Sierra said in her final words.

"I'm typically somebody who picks up on cues, and there were no signs. I'm out here with some really great liars. I gave it my all and I had a blast out here. But I do have a big job ahead of me, being the first member of the jury, and I'm going to be a pretty freaking tough judge now!"

The Survivor broadcast began on Night 13 at Beka's camp, where Rachel LaMont, a 34-year-old graphic designer from Dexter, MI, who currently resides in Southfield, MI, was feeling a little uneasy since she had saved herself and forced the Tuku Tribe to take out one of their own at Tribal Council.

Rachel wasn't sure if she had pissed anyone off.

Gabe admitted he had wanted Rachel gone, but Solomon "Sol" Yi, a 43-year-old in medical device sales from Del City, OK, who currently resides in Norwalk, CT, was looking out for Rachel.


Sol shared with Rachel how he had given her the advantage, and Rachel determined that she loved Sol and could definitely trust him in the days ahead. She had a feeling that Sol had helped her out to begin with.

On Day 14, the castaways were instructed to look for cash in the jungle for the upcoming Survivor auction.

Once all the money packs had been found, Sierra came out on top with Andy, a 31-year-old AI research assistant from Buffalo, NY, who currently resides in Brooklyn, NY, in dead last.

There were 15 items, but only five of those items were guaranteed. Survivor host Jeff Probst picked a number out of a bag to determine how many items there would be, and he was the only person with that information.

The Survivor auction was going to end without warning, and the person holding onto the most money at the end of the auction would lose their vote at the next Tribal Council session.


Items included macaroni and cheese that went to Teeny Chirichillo, a 24-year-old freelance writer from Manahawkin, NJ, and buffalo wings that went to Kyle Ostwald, a 31-year-old construction worker from Cheboygan, MI, who doesn't eat meat but decided to take a bite.

Gabe unknowingly spent $660 on a coconut filled with water, and Rachel spent all of her money on a burger, fries and a beer, and she ended up seeing a little piece of paper in her fries.

While Genevieve Mushaluk, a 33-year-old corporate lawyer from Winnipeg, Manitoba, was munching on a dessert tray, Rachel slyly stuffed the scroll into her bra underneath her shirt.

Sam; Caroline Vidmar, a 27-year-old strategy consultant from Palos Verdes, CA, who currently resides in Chicago, IL; and Sue Smey, a 59-year-old flight school owner from Kirkwood, NY, who currently resides in Putnam Valley, NY, raced to eat two grubs in order to win a giant breakfast.

Sam ultimately won the delicious breakfast, but Caroline unfortunately spent her money on fish eyes.


The Survivor auction ended after 12 items with Sam losing his vote at the next Tribal Council.

RELATED LINK: 'BIG BROTHER' SHOWMANCES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHICH COUPLES HAVE SPLIT UP?? (PHOTOS)

Once the Survivor castaways returned to camp, Rachel found her advantage under one of the tarps but she was afraid to grab it in front of other people.

The women of Lavo and Gata then discussed how they should knock out Tuku one by one and their first target should be Kyle because he had won the past two Individual Immunity Challenges.

Genevieve, who was working with Sue and Caroline, then told the Survivor cameras how Teeny was trying to work with the former Gata members, who were charismatic, strong and "dangerous." Genevieve therefore wanted to take out one of the former Gata members.


Caroline had wanted to go after a Gata member as well, and so she and Genevieve discussed voting for Rachel or Sam.

"Sam is an obvious choice, but Rachel is the sneaky dangerous one," Caroline told the Survivor cameras.

Rachel, however, managed to grab her hidden Immunity Idol with no one noticing, and she applauded herself for a big Survivor turnaround.

On Day 15, the merged tribe met Jeff again for the next Individual Immunity Challenge of the season.

Jeff instructed each Survivor castaway to hold onto a handle connected to a bucket containing 25% of his or her pre-game body weight. As their hands fatigued, the bucket would lower. Once a bucket dropped and broke a tile, that person would be out.

Jeff announced that one woman and one man would win immunity, guaranteeing them both a spot in the Final 10. The losers would have to vote someone out at the next Tribal Council.


Sam was the first person out, and he was soon followed by Genevieve and Teeny less than one minute into the challenge.

Gabe dropped his bucket next, and then the following Survivor castaways were out one by one: Caroline, Sol, and Rachel.

Sue therefore won Individual Immunity for the women, and she cried about her ability to defeat a bunch of "warriors," and then Kyle and Andy were left duking it out for safety.

In the end, Kyle won his third Individual Immunity.

Since Kyle was no longer an option for the vote, Teeny suggested voting for the two non-safe Tuku members.

Former Tuku was comprised of Gabe, Caroline, Sue and Kyle. The two non-safe people were therefore Gabe and Caroline.


Sam said he viewed Gabe as "a bigger threat" than Caroline at this point in the game, and so he told Rachel, Sol, Genevieve and Teeny to "keep it clean" and not split the vote.

RELATED LINK: 'THE AMAZING RACE' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)

Sierra told Andy that the vote was going to be Gabe, but Andy could tell that Sam and Sierra thought they owned him and viewed him as a really weak player. Andy said their behavior was enough to make him want to cut loose from them and show them up.

Andy therefore gave himself a "She's All That" makeover and planned to become a "pivotal player" post-merge. Andy tried to team up with Caroline as a result, and he said Rachel, Sam and Sierra were never going to see it coming.

"I feel like I'm a Lavo," Andy said, adding how he'd love to split up Sam and Sierra.

Gabe said Andy's change of heart definitely worked for him, and so Kyle, Gabe and Sue discussed whether they should take out Sierra or Sam first. Genevieve and Sol appeared to be onboard.


"If there are eight people strong -- the four Tukus, the three Lavos, and Andy -- Sierra will be out of the game," Gabe boasted in a Survivor confessional.

But Teeny found herself in a pickle because she had become very good friends with Sierra. Teeny told Genevieve and Sol that she wasn't tight with Sam, and so she hoped to convince everyone to put their votes on the "charming" and funny Sam instead.

Caroline and Genevieve, however, wanted Rachel out, and Rachel could tell that something was up and a lot of conversations were being had.

Rachel noted the "pressure was on" and she may have to play her idol that night.

At Tribal Council that night, Gabe teased how the Survivor castaways were at war and bullets were going to fly, and Teeny told Jeff that there was a whole new level of gameplay happening.

After the castaways voted, Rachel decided to play her "Shot in the Dark" because she had a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.


Rachel's scroll read, "Not Safe," and so any votes cast against her were going to count.

Jeff proceeded to read the votes in the following order: Sam, Gabe, Sam, Sierra, Sam, Sierra, Sam, Sierra, and Sierra.

The vote was therefore a 4-4 tie, and so there was a re-vote.

Jeff explained that since Sam didn't have a vote, Sierra would be able to vote. Rachel also couldn't cast a vote because she had played her "Shot in the Dark." All the castaways with an eligible vote had to vote for either Sierra or Sam.

On the re-vote, Jeff read the votes as follows: Sam, Sierra, Sierra, Sierra, Sierra, and Sierra.

"Well done, guys," Sierra told her tribe on her way out of Survivor.


RELATED LINK: 'SURVIVOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO'S STILL TOGETHER?! WHICH SHOWMANCES SPLIT UP? (PHOTOS) 

The episode's closing credits later showed that everyone voted for Sierra on the re-vote except for Sierra, who voted for Sam.







About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski