‘Survivor 51’: Extra Votes Cause Deadlock Tie — Jeff Probst Reacts to Double Elimination

Survivor 51 Episode 5 delivered extra votes, a rock draw, and two tribal councils, and the rock draw was coordinated by someone who wasn’t even on that tribe. Jeff Probst reacts to the big moves and the double elimination in his Field Notes from the episode that aired on Wednesday, October 21. Survivor 51 Episode 5 spoilers ahead!

Maggie Nestor had two extra votes and the chance to go over to the Dina tribe camp to have an impact on tribal council. She quickly deduced that the remaining Savu members were not going to break rank, and that left Lewis Kelly on the chopping block and Danny Kilby willing to be a swing vote.

After getting a taste of the tribe dynamics, Maggie offered Lewis and Kilby a boon: she would give them not one extra vote, but two. She had one condition: Vote out Linnea Capobianco, whom Maggie has seen as a threat from the beginning. Maggie asked them if they would be willing to go to rocks (a tie). Lewis had nothing to lose, and Kilby liked the idea of wielding some real power. He not only used it; he advertised it at tribal, but he didn’t tell the full truth.

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There were six players on Dina. The two extra votes meant eight votes would be cast, so long as no one played their Shot in the Dark. Kilby told the group at tribal that he had one extra vote and downplayed the power of the numbers that gave him. In reality, he and Lewis had 50% control of the vote, and it was a four-four split between him and Linnea.  The remaining players — Sharonda Cox, Cristian Chavez, Eric Macksoud, and Linnea — were dumbfounded.

In the revote, votes could only be cast for Lewis and Linnea, and the split was the same a second time. The deadlock meant that Eric, Kilby, Sharonda, and Cristian had to try to reach a unanimous decision about who to send home between Lewis and Linnea. If they could not reach a unanimous agreement, Lewis and Linnea would be safe, and the foursome would draw rocks to see who would go home. The odd rock out goes home.

Kilby said the rock draw was an “insurance policy” to make sure he wasn’t getting voted out. Kilby essentially gave an ultimatum: They either unanimously decide to vote out Linnea, or they go to rocks. Lewis said that he was willing to do the same for Kilby had the roles been switched.

Scott Duncan/CBS

They were a united front against the larger group, and Cristian, Sharonda, and Eric were brought to tears when they confessed that they weren’t willing to go to rocks. They agreed to send Linnea out. She said she had “a lot left in the tank” but was at least proud to make “Survivor history.”

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In the previous tribal council, Devin Way, Jelly Loblack, and Ori-Jean Charles voted out Alexis Levine, with whom they bonded closely over the three days prior. So far, every person voted out of Survivor 51 has been a woman. One man, Rob Antonson, quit in Episode 3.

Probst is sharing his thoughts from the filming of each Survivor 51 episode in his “Field Notes” series on Instagram. Each installment reacts to the biggest moments of the episodes and shares his casting notes about the eliminated players.

“As brutal as the first tribal was, this one was historic,” Probst said of the Dina tie in his Field Notes. “This is a great example of what playing to win looks like. Kilby and Lewis made a big move that certainly could have backfired… but if you play to not lose, you’re doomed. You must play to win. Sometimes that means a risky, go-for-broke, big move. That’s what tonight was.”

Scott Duncan/CBS

“Anytime you are truly willing to go to rocks, you have a massive advantage,” Probst continued. “Kilby’s willingness to draw rocks put all the burden on Eric, Sharonda, and Cristian. Would they really risk the thought of one of them drawing the wrong rock to save Linnea?”

“Given the shock of what went down, I thought Linnea handled it really well,” Probst added. His notes about her casting process said she “could win” and that she is a “great storyteller” who “can sit in the pocket.” Alexis, meanwhile, was described by Probst as his “favorite” of the season. “LOVE HER! FAVORITE!” he wrote in all caps, adding, “Took NO notes because I was so engaged.”

Stay tuned for our exit interviews with Linnea and Alexis tomorrow.

Survivor, Wednesdays, 8/7c, CBS