Survivor: Myanmar

Tribal Council • Night 6

Shin Maw had avoided the first tribal council, but was not able to do so twice in a row, and as a result, late into the sixth night in the game, the ten members of Shin Maw walked into their very first tribal council. 

Each of them had a torch behind them, which some instinctively grabbed and went to dip in the firepit in the middle of the main area of the tribal council. "Behind each of you is a torch," Jeff began, indicating those ten torches. "Grab a torch, dip it in the flame, and get fire," he said, as everyone did exactly that. "Fire represents your life in this game. Once your fire is out, so are you," he finished, as people began to sit down and set their belongings on the floor.

"So Jonah," Jeff began. "You start off this game on a tribe that wins the first three challenges in a row."

"Yeah," Jonah agreed. "It's kind of crazy, actually, that it took us four challenges to lose once. I think it's definitely a testament to how good of a tribe we are, for sure."

"Alex, why do you think this tribe is so good at challenges?" Jeff asked. "There has to be some sort of factor that comes into play when it comes to a dominant tribe."

"I'd say that it could be because we get along very well," Alex explained. "We are all just genuinely good people, and I think the fact that we all like each other gives us a better ability to work as a team when we need to."

"So, essentially, this tribe is one big happy family," Jeff exclaimed.

"Well, sort of, yeah," Alex agreed.

"Lauren, does that change at all when faced with the prospect of heading to tribal council?" Jeff asked. "Because somebody's gotta go tonight."

"I think it's definitely very easy to say that you have a big happy family as a tribe when you've had no hardships to face until now," Lauren said. "There's no point in denying that this tribe is going to be somewhat fractured after this vote, even if we all still like each other after this."

"John, how much of an effect on this tribe do you think this vote will have after the matter?" Jeff continued.

"Well, that probably depends on each person," John exclaimed. "Everyone here has some sort of plan that they thing is going to be the right plan heading into tonight, and some people will leave tribal council happy that their plan worked out, and others will be upset that theirs didn't."

"So, Emmanuel, could that mean this tribe's cohesion might fall apart after this vote, leading to worse performance in challenges?" Jeff asked.

"I mean, maybe, but I don't want to think about that right now," Emmanuel admitted. The others laughed. "No, but actually! This vote might divide the tribe up strategically, but we'll always like each other as people, and nothing is going to change that."

"Liam," Jeff continued, "It's hard to go into this vote tonight without at least bringing up this tribe's performance on the slingshot, which you were a part of. You guys had a massive lead, and then you totally blew it. What happened there?"

"The rope kept getting caught on the side of the slingshot, and it was like it just wouldn't go farther," Liam said. "Like something was pulling it back."

"Actually, can I say something?" Jonah interjected.

"Yeah, go ahead," Liam said.

"I noticed that when Pyin Sa put down their log, the rope was wrapped up on the end they put closer to the slingshot. And when we put ours down, it was on the farther end," Jonah explained.

"So you think that was what caused the slingshots to miss each time?" Jeff exclaimed.

"Yeah, basically," Jonah said.