The battle was fought over jackets and eggs during the fifth episode of Survivor: David vs. Goliath. Yes, you heard that right–jackets and eggs. Even the smallest and most insignificant problems can snowball into a big issue that puts the final nail into someone’s game. Natalie was no exception to this rule. After weeks of jabbing her fellow players, the others had enough and voted her off Survivor.
“Napalm Natalie” never had a chance to win Survivor. There is a multitude of factors that could win you the vote and plenty of villains have secured the prize at the end, despite their bumpy roads. However, for the chance at victory, you have to make it to the finals. Mike exposed one of Natalie’s biggest flaws: she was unbearable to work with at camp. If someone was willing to give up the advantage of a majority vote in favor of voting someone out, you have to surmise that the personality conflict was too much to handle. Natalie, by just being herself, didn’t have it in her to win.
There are realities where Natalie could’ve won, albeit in extremely rare scenarios. She would’ve needed more submissive tribemates who would let her control everything and players that trusted her wholeheartedly without any question. Plus, she would need to let down her walls to play behind-the-scenes at times. From her interactions with Jeremy and her debates with Nick and Lyrsa, that option wouldn’t be a possibility. Some players have a harder road in their Survivor strategy/game, Natalie was one of them.
The debacle surrounding the eggs was so laughable to watch because it shouldn’t have escalated to that extreme level. Lyrsa is a trained chef with experience regarding how to preserve and cook the eggs. Her opinion had the most weight to it. Natalie forcing the matter and boiling all the eggs herself caused more tension at camp. During Tribal Council, her recommendation was to have one person make the decision instead of everyone chiming in, but in actuality, she went against her own advice when Lyrsa gave the proper recommendation. In fact, if they had split the eggs (half boiled and then saved the rest for later), that tactic would’ve provided more food to the tribe in the long-run. However, Natalie wasn’t welcoming any ideas to the table.
In the case of the jackets, Angelina can be blamed for this incident, too. She knew she played with fire when she asked Natalie to get a jacket from Nick or Lyrsa and you don’t ask someone determined like Natalie if you’re not expecting fire along the way. Natalie was completely responsible for her “negotiation tactics.” Let’s face it, though, she did threaten and bully Nick with the potential of voting him out if he didn’t give her his jacket. That type of move hurts games and no one wants to work with someone as openly cutthroat as that. In her pursuit to do something good for her Goliaths, she inadvertently cost her vote with Mike.
On the other hand, we should thank Angelina and Natalie for one of the best lines delivered in Survivor history. “Natalie, can I have your jacket?” will go down as a hilariously jaw-dropping moment. What was Angelina thinking? The woman just got blindsided, she was in no state to hand over her clothing to anyone on the tribe. Angelina destroyed her game by sticking by Natalie and trying to secure the jacket and that gamble did not pay off. Plus, Natalie completely ignoring Angelina put the cherry on top of that cold shoulder sundae.
Over at the Vuku tribe, Kara has plenty to worry about Alec’s big mistake. The former Davids have the power and they could easily vote her out, especially since Alec just helped them in the previous Tribal Council. She played smartly by throwing him under the bus, but that tactic won’t get her far. Her only hope will be to stick close to Dave by fostering that relationship and by ensuring her tribe wins the challenges.
The same goes for Gabby at the Tiva tribe. Christian has merged with John and Dave to create a tight alliance and, with Dave now getting his second immunity idol (I love when they’re hidden in challenges!), that trio has all the power. Her best tactic is to bond with Alison since she’s the odd one out with the Goliaths and to keep her relationship with Christian strong just in case. The odds of her surviving are slim, but there’s always a potential the outcome might change. Alison and Christian might be keen to the idea of voting out the strong guys.
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“Jackets and Eggs” was a fun and facepalm-inducing episode of Survivor: David vs. Goliath that delivered on an overdue elimination. Even with the savage weather and the precision-based challenges, the real battle came directly at the camps between the players. Natalie’s elimination would’ve happened eventually, but she went out in fire and glory. Now that’s a great way to end your Survivor story!
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