Iowa City Survivor: Which Dorm is Voted Off Campus?

Welcome back to this week’s episode of Iowa City Survivor! Before the break, the Dorms tribe suffered a total loss to the Apartments tribe, meaning they must now go to tribal council and vote one of their own members off the campus, forever barring students from finding housing there again.

The tribe alliances are split into the West Side and the East Side: the West Side alliance is headed by Hillcrest and contains their tribemates Rienow, Slater, Petersen, and Parklawn, while the East Side alliance is headed by Catlett and includes Burge, Daum, Stanley, Currier and Mayflower. It would appear on the surface that East Side has the numbers to control tonight’s vote, but in Survivor, nothing is ever certain.

Tensions are high as the tribe walks into Tribal Council, which this season is taking place in the Old Capitol courtroom. The eleven weary survivors are seated across from Jeff Probst, our ageless and forever sadistic host, who told the cameras last week he’s still not quite sure why he’s hosting such an unimportant derivative of Survivor, but here we are. Because there is no way the university will let fire in the Old Capitol building ever again, this season’s torches have replaced their flames with hawk feathers, which are ceremonially cut off the top of the stick when a contestant is voted off rather than snuffing out a flame. Once everyone is seated, Jeff turns towards the tribe with an excited grin.

“So, you guys have been out here for almost an entire semester,” he begins. “Surely everyone must feel the pressure of the merging of tribes that comes after winter break. Burge?”

“I mean, I suppose,” Burge says slowly, “but we gotta make it there first. If we keep losing challenges, the merge is going to be all Apartments and no Dorms, and then it won’t matter who made it past this first semester, you’ll be voted off soon anyway.” At this, they look around warily at their fellow tribemates, but everyone seems to agree with them.

“So, for you guys, this vote is still more about surviving right now, rather than the long term?” Jeff asks the group.

“I know for me, that’s the goal,” Petersen pipes up. “You have to look at who is going to get you even one week further before you can start thinking about getting all the way to the end.”

“How do you tell who gets you that one week further?” Jeff responds.

“Well,” Petersen continues, already looking guilty, “I suppose there’s a couple different factors. I mean, they have to be good at the challenges, but also seem like they want to work with you back at camp, and just help out around camp.”

“Would you say there’s somebody who doesn’t help out around camp much?” Jeff raises an eyebrow, clearly seeing if an argument will start.

Petersen gulps, and opens and closes their mouth, but nothing comes out. Then, before they can work up the courage, Slater exclaims, “I would say Mayflower could do more for the tribe.”

Mayflower immediately turns to glare at Slater, while Petersen relaxes. Jeff turns to Slater, “Why is that?”

“Yeah, why is that?” Mayflower repeats, making everyone noticeably more uncomfortable.

“Well, you stay so far away from everybody,” Slater says hesitantly, “And you don’t really seem to talk to anybody all day. You don’t get up to help get food or water unless it’s your own, and it almost feels like we’re all surviving together and then you’re surviving on your own.”

“I talk to plenty of people! I talk to Currier!” Mayflower protests. Currier, seated on the opposite end from Mayflower, pointedly looks at the floor. “Is this what you all think?” Mayflower asks the group as a whole.

No one answers for a long while, and then softly, Daum says, “Well, maybe none of us have the same lifestyle as you. Maybe we just don’t understand what you’re doing to help.” At this, almost everyone in the group nods and “hmms” in assent, while Mayflower sits back in shock.

“Well, with that, it is time to vote,” Jeff announces. “Parklawn, you’re up first.”

A montage flashes of each individual player walking up to the voting podium, secretly writing a name down, and placing it in an urn. We see one player’s vote - Mayflower, who has voted for Parklawn. “I like you, I really do,” they say to the camera, “but you’re the slowest in challenges and right now we need to win more challenges.” 

After all 11 players have voted, Jeff walks up to the podium and retrieves the urn. When he returns, he stands solemnly in front of all the nervous players. “If anybody has a hidden immunity idol and you want to play it, now would be the time to do so,” he says.

Some heads in the East Side alliance swivel towards Stanley, who is suspected to have found the idol last week over in North Hall, but no one moves. “Ok,” Jeff nods. “Once I read the votes the decision is final, the person voted out will be asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately. I’ll read the votes.”

Jeff pulls out the first vote. “First vote,” he reveals. “Mayflower.” Mayflower glowers at Petersen and Slater, assuming it was one of them who did it. “Second vote,” Jeff continues, holding up the paper. “Parklawn.” Parklawn frowns a little, but says nothing. Jeff unfolds another vote. “Mayflower.” Another. “Mayflower.” 

At this point, Mayflower is growing visibly concerned, their anger from earlier changed to a pale fear. “Mayflower,” Jeff announces, before slowly reaching back into the urn and holding the next vote facing him. “Eighth person voted out,” Jeff says, before revealing the paper. “Mayflower. Mayflower, that’s six, that’s enough, you’ll need to bring me your torch.”

Mayflower sits in shocked silence for a moment before standing up and crossing behind the other players to grab their torch. After a moment, Currier stands up to give them a hug. “I did what I could,” they whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“Clearly not enough,” Mayflower bites back, ignoring any other calls of sympathy and goodbyes from the remaining players.

Mayflower approaches Jeff and stands steadfast as the host snips the hawk feathers off the end of the torch, allowing them to fall in gentle circles around them. “Mayflower,” he announces, “the tribe has spoken.”

Mayflower turns back to their former tribe one last time, and everyone looks back guiltily at the partner they just blindsided. “It was a good move,” Mayflower concedes, “but I’ll still be rooting for Apartments from now on.” At that, they turn away and walk into the dramatic darkness, never to be housed in by students again.

That’s it for this week’s episode of Iowa City Survivor! Tune in next week, where best friends Rienow and Slater have their first big argument, and AIC on the Apartments tribe has a bit of a health scare, exclusively on Doily TV!