The second episode of “Survivor 51” saw not one, but two players suffer potentially game-ending injuries. Kristin hurt her foot during a blindfolded challenge, and at least she knows how to treat it thanks to her green thumb. Brady was less lucky. While working with his tribe’s small axe, he lopped off a third of his fingertip. The injury produced a scene that will forever be etched into the “Survivor” record books.
Host Jeff Probst addressed the injury in his “Field Notes” after the episode. Probst wrote that Brady had a great sense of humor as he pleaded with the medical team to wrap the piece of thumb and put it in a cooler to save for him after the show so he could take it home. Probst called it a one-of-a-kind “Survivor” souvenir. Brady also wanted Probst to see it, so Probst went over to Medical. Sure enough, it was the tip of a human thumb.
On Savu, Rob tried and failed to sacrifice himself to save Eric. Rob hyped the moment by saying it would make history and be “groundbreaking.” He literally tried to write his own name down, only to be told by a producer that it was against the rules. Before the vote, he told Eric to play his Shot in the Dark. If the Shot did not hit and win Eric safety, Rob said he would use his idol to save his tribemate from elimination. Then he wrote down Eric’s name anyway. Neither Rob nor Eric was sent packing in Episode 2.
The vote ultimately fell on Ana (6-4), but her exit was really her own undoing. Early in the episode, the voice actress said she wanted to stir things up in her tribe by throwing names around for no reason. Ana seemed close to Alexis, her Persian pal. But Alexis overheard Ana recapping her conversation with Alexis to Carter and Christian. Alexis ran straight to Sharonda and Linnea and spread the word that Ana was slinging names left and right. “So if she’s gunning for us, then I’m gunning for her,” Sharonda said. That left Eric to live on and annoy the Savu tribe for at least another day or two.
