‘Survivor’ 45 Recap: Main Titles Return, 90-Minute Format Soars, Good Strategy Wins

Kelli Boyle
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Emily Flippen in 'Survivor' - Season 45, Episode 2 - 'Brought a Bazooka to a Tea Party'
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Robert Voets/CBS

Survivor

Brought a Bazooka to a Tea Party

Season 45 • Episode 2

rating: 4.0 stars
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[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Survivor Season 45 Episode 2, “Brought a Bazooka to a Tea Party.”]

Survivor 45 learned a valuable lesson from Survivor 44: let the cast be the stars. The second episode of Season 45 did just that, allowing viewers to get to know every player in a way that previously took several episodes. What’s more: the original Survivor main title sequence returned after a hiatus, delighting viewers. Whatever recipe CBS was following with this episode, we ask that they keep using it.

Last week ended with Hannah’s shocking self-elimination. She realized the old Survivor adage was true: the game looks much easier when you’re watching from your couch. That theme continued this week as Brandon struggled to pull out a win during any challenge, both group and individual.

The majority of the episode delightfully focused on the goings on at the beaches for the three teams, Reba, Belo, and Lulu. Much of the Lulu focus was on Emily, who was in hot water with Sabiyah and Kaleb after her aggressive Tribal Council approach in the premiere. Her attempts to make amends with Sabiyah started out tense, but she realized the importance of emotional connection in the game with every new conversation. By putting heavy screen-time focus on her social game, viewers got to see Emily slowly and effectively build trust with her teammates, making for captivating scenes.

This episode was also all about advantages. Bruce from Belo, Drew from Reba, and Brandon from Lulu went on a journey that had individual puzzles waiting for them at the end. If they played the puzzle and won, they got an advantage. If they played and lost, they lost their vote at the next Tribal. They could choose not to play and walk away with no changes. Bruce chose to protect his vote, whereas Drew and Brandon (who told his teammates puzzles were his “thing”) chose to play. Drew was successful, and Brandon unfortunately realized puzzles maybe weren’t his strong suit. That made him question everything, as he already realized the physical challenges weren’t his area of expertise either.

Drew won a Safety without Power advantage, which “allows you to leave Tribal Council just before the votes are cast and return to camp.” You can’t vote, but you also can’t be voted out. The last time this can be played is when there are 10 people left in the game. Over at Lulu, Brandon had given Sabiyah the Beware advantage he didn’t want to open. It took her some time and teamwork to find the hidden immunity idol teased in the advantage, but it was eventually found. The only problem was that it was encased in wax that had to be melted off, and Lulu has no flint. Sabiyah is without a vote until she unlocks that hidden immunity idol.

Sabiyah and Brandon competing in 'Survivor' Season 45 Episode 2 immunity challenge

Sabiyah and Brandon competing in ‘Survivor’ Season 45 Episode 2 immunity challenge (Credit: Robert Voets/CBS)

The immunity challenge was a reward challenge as well, the prize being the typical fishing gear sets for the first and second place winners. Host Jeff Probst announced the return of another missing Survivor feature at the beginning of the challenge: No player can sit out of back-to-back challenges. In Survivor 44, Probst questioned Claire Rafson for sitting out of three consecutive challenges, a move that led to her elimination. The return of this rule seems directly inspired by Claire.

'Survivor' 45: Jeff Probst Reveals Changes Made for Supersized Episodes
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'Survivor' 45: Jeff Probst Reveals Changes Made for Supersized Episodes

Another new feature was a brand new puzzle at the end of the challenge, one with a coral design. This could be in response to Survivor 44’s Carson Garrett, who spent hours upon hours memorizing every single Survivor puzzle before going on the show, making him nearly unbeatable on that front.

Emily helped pull out an early lead for Lulu, but they eventually fell far behind. Self-proclaimed puzzle guy Brandon worked on the final task with Sabiyah, but admitted halfway through solving that he wasn’t good at it. He slowed the pair down, and Sabiyah expressed frequent frustration that he was looking for instruction. Reba won first in the end, with Belo in second and Lulu in last, once again barring them from getting flint and sending them back to Tribal Council.

Fans will recall that Brandon struggled to complete the first challenge of the season in the premiere. With two team losses that he helped secure, a lost personal advantage challenge that his tribe knew all about, and no vote to his name, Brandon’s only move was to lean on his social game and beg to be saved from elimination. Emily, on the chopping block for her bluntness, made a smart move by giving Sabiyah her Shot In the Dark so they knew she wouldn’t play it at Tribal.

Emily’s strategy won out over Brandon’s. It only took two votes to make Brandon the second person eliminated from Survivor 45. If every supersized episode is going to spend this much time focusing on player connection, we’re in for one fun season. Check out the fan reactions to the episode below, including some from former cast members.

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