Surv!vor: Millennials vs. Gen X

 is the twenty-eighth season of the Surv!vor series. This season had the 16 contestants divided into two tribes defined by their generation: "Millennial" or "Gen X".

In the beginning of the game, the Gen Xers dominated the challenges, although their inner tribe dynamics showed some splintering. At the merge, the remaining castaways were stunned to find that those who were voted out premerge were participating in a secret Redempt!on Island, where Aubry Bracco / Brendan earned her way back into the game. She ended up joining up with the Gen X majority to take out nearly all of the other Millennials. In the end, Brenda Lowe / killersped 's dominance of the game from a physical and strategic perspective earned her nearly all the jury votes, leaving alliance jumper Ken McNickle / Red Velvet in second and Linda Spencer / TimmyTAR in third.

Contestants
Much like Surv!vor: Nicaragua, the contestants were divided into two tribes by age. Those who were aged 29 and below were part of the Millennial (Vanua) tribe, while those 33 and older were part of the Gen X (Takali) tribe. On Day 13, the contestants were re-shuffled into three tribes based on their "mental age" from a previous challenge.

Future appearances
Dirk, Jay, Michaela, Shane, Zeke returned in Surv!vor: Redemption Island. Adam, Aubry, Ken, Mark and Shane returned in Surv!vor: The Commemorative Seasons (Surv!vor: Kaoh Rong and Surv!vor: Cambodia).

Season Summary
As MVP of the !mmunity Challenge, Ken got to decide whether to give second-place finishing tribe Tikali !mmunity, or to send both them and Ikabula to Tr!bal Council. He chose the former. The three Ambassadors (Brenda, Jay, and Ken) and the three Redempt!on Islanders (Aubry, Jon, and Zeke) competed in a challenge against each other at the merge. There would be two winners: if an Ambassador won, they received !mmunity; if a Redempt!ion Islander won, they would return to the game. At Tr!bal Council, Aubry chose to give her !mmunity to Brenda.
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Episodes
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center" ! style="background-color: #192023; color: white" | Episode # ! style="background-color: #192023; color: white" | Title ! style="background-color: #192023; color: white" | Episode days
 * 1
 * Douchebag of the Year
 * November 16-20, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" |In the beautiful islands of Fiji, sixteen people engaged in a Surv!vor culture war. They were divided into two tribes based on age: Millennials (29 and below) and Gen X (33 and above). While the majority of players were excited about being able to represent their generation, Zeke and Jon were less than enthused, and Shane was worried about whether their tribe could stack up. Jeff Probst also introduced that every round of the game would feature an important decision between two options: the Millennial way or the Gen X way. The first decision had to be made right there, right then: receive a clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol hidden at their camp, or give their tribe a lead in the next !mmunity Challenge. When the results came in, everyone elected for the challenge lead except for Linda, Ken, Zeke, and Alecia. As soon as the tribes hit their beaches, the strategy began. While Dirk irked some of his Gen X tribe members with his general demeanor, Zeke and Aubry formed an immediate alliance. Other alliances formed between Adam, Jay, and Julia, and Michaela, Julia, Alecia, and Jon. The next day, Dirk continued to get on his tribe's nerves and further alienated himself. Nina and Mark formed a strong bond, and it seemed that Dirk and Shane were on the outs of the tribe, the latter for his general shadiness and the suspicion that he took an idol clue.
 * colspan="3" align="left" |In the beautiful islands of Fiji, sixteen people engaged in a Surv!vor culture war. They were divided into two tribes based on age: Millennials (29 and below) and Gen X (33 and above). While the majority of players were excited about being able to represent their generation, Zeke and Jon were less than enthused, and Shane was worried about whether their tribe could stack up. Jeff Probst also introduced that every round of the game would feature an important decision between two options: the Millennial way or the Gen X way. The first decision had to be made right there, right then: receive a clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol hidden at their camp, or give their tribe a lead in the next !mmunity Challenge. When the results came in, everyone elected for the challenge lead except for Linda, Ken, Zeke, and Alecia. As soon as the tribes hit their beaches, the strategy began. While Dirk irked some of his Gen X tribe members with his general demeanor, Zeke and Aubry formed an immediate alliance. Other alliances formed between Adam, Jay, and Julia, and Michaela, Julia, Alecia, and Jon. The next day, Dirk continued to get on his tribe's nerves and further alienated himself. Nina and Mark formed a strong bond, and it seemed that Dirk and Shane were on the outs of the tribe, the latter for his general shadiness and the suspicion that he took an idol clue.
 * colspan="3" align="left" |In the beautiful islands of Fiji, sixteen people engaged in a Surv!vor culture war. They were divided into two tribes based on age: Millennials (29 and below) and Gen X (33 and above). While the majority of players were excited about being able to represent their generation, Zeke and Jon were less than enthused, and Shane was worried about whether their tribe could stack up. Jeff Probst also introduced that every round of the game would feature an important decision between two options: the Millennial way or the Gen X way. The first decision had to be made right there, right then: receive a clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol hidden at their camp, or give their tribe a lead in the next !mmunity Challenge. When the results came in, everyone elected for the challenge lead except for Linda, Ken, Zeke, and Alecia. As soon as the tribes hit their beaches, the strategy began. While Dirk irked some of his Gen X tribe members with his general demeanor, Zeke and Aubry formed an immediate alliance. Other alliances formed between Adam, Jay, and Julia, and Michaela, Julia, Alecia, and Jon. The next day, Dirk continued to get on his tribe's nerves and further alienated himself. Nina and Mark formed a strong bond, and it seemed that Dirk and Shane were on the outs of the tribe, the latter for his general shadiness and the suspicion that he took an idol clue.

In their first !mmunity Challenge, the Takali tribe got off to an early lead on the rope course, but they fell behind in the puzzle until Brenda started flying through it. Meanwhile, Zeke and most prominently Alecia cost Vanua any catch-up time on the puzzle, giving the first win to the Gen Xers. Facing their first vote, none of the Millennials were willing to put any names on the table, until Adam suggested targeting Jon or Alecia for their performances in the challenge. Aubry tried to protect Jon and talked the majority into going after Alecia, though in the background Michaela was debating organizing a blindside against a sneaky Zeke. At Tr!bal Council, the Millennials banded together and unanimously voted out the person whom they saw as their biggest liability moving forward, making Alecia the first person eliminated from the season. Michaela and Jon were not too happy about Julia switching allegiances against their ally Alecia, so Michaela began to seek a new connection with Jay. On Day 4, Shane began to move from an outsider to an insider with his main ally Teresa, though his tribemates were still hesitant to completely trust him after his maneuvering the past few days. Meanwhile, Mark formed an alliance between himself, Ken, Brenda, and Teresa, though he was also purposely keeping himself in the middle by talking with Teresa, Linda, and Shane. Tree Ma!l brought each castaway an individual questionnaire with silly questions that would determine each person's inner "mental age," which caused the streams of the generations to cross. The tribes' first Reward Challenge involved each person giving the best guess as to the average mental age of their tribe. As being to the closest to the actual average, Michaela and Linda won reward and a clue to the hidden !mmunity Idol. They were also given this round's choice: "Everyone's a Winner" (everyone receives a clue and the winner receives an additional clue) or "Winner Takes All" (only the winner receives a clue). Both selected "Everyone's a Winner," giving everyone a clue and jumpstarting a search for the idol. Michaela chose to share her clue with her closest allies Jay and Jon, while Linda chose to keep her clue to herself. Both of these moves paid off in spades, as Linda and Jay found their tribe's respective idols. Paranoia spread at Takali when Ken accused Brenda of finding the idol, while Brenda was alerted by Shane's sudden closeness with Nina. Despite getting the clue from Michaela, Jay chose not to tell her, keeping his secret close to his chest. On Day 5, Linda chose to share her idol find with Brenda; while the former cheerleader was relieved, she was a bit wary of Linda moving forward. Shane and Nina's bond continued to strengthen, while at the Millennial camp, a new alliance called "JAJ" was formed between Jon, Julia, and Adam. Meanwhile, Zeke continued to draw a distrust and target onto himself with his constant scheming and brusque confrontations. At the !mmunity Challenge, Takali let a few high point blocks slide off at the beginning, but recovered well and maximized their bonuses throughout the rest of the challenge. Vanua was very consistent and did their best not to waste high point blocks, but didn't claim as many later bonuses as Takali did. When the totals came in, the Millennials pulled off a close victory, sending Gen X to their first Tr!bal Council. Blame for the loss immediately fell onto Shane and Dirk, who had cost the tribe time with their lack of strategic choices. Between that blame and his constant talking, Dirk very quickly became the target. But behind the scenes, Linda spoke with Ken about possibly keeping Dirk, since he was not a threat, and going after Shane instead. Shane did not help his image when he proposed a seven-person alliance, strengthening his reputation as a schemer. But at Tr!bal Council, the Gen X-ers made a unified decision and got rid of Dirk. After a united vote, Takali seemed like they were ready to move forward and conquer, though Ken began building his antagonism towards Shane. Unbeknownst to the other castaways, Dirk was not sent home but to Redempt!on Island instead, where he would await his cahnce to battle his way back into the game. The Reward Challenge featured the Millennials and Gen Xers facing off in group heats against each other. Ken, Mark, Jon, and Julia won their match-ups to secure idol clues, while a stalemate in the final match had the Millennials give Teresa, Linda, and Shane clues. After the challenge, the tribes received their third decision: Communication Without Borders (both tribes are given a map to common waterfall and are allowed to interact) or Communication Within Borders (the tribes will only be allowed to communicate with people within their own tribe). The vast majority chose Communication Within Borders, finding no need to build ties with the other tribe, which miffed those who prided open communication like Jay, Shane, and Ken. On Day 8, Jon became a target once again for his silence, but Michaela and Jay decided to go after Aubry for her own lack of communication. At Takali, Mark, Teresa, and Brenda found themselves between two pairings: Nina/Shane and Ken/Linda. The trio in power grew closer together as a group, and officially deemed themselves the "Lobster Alliance". At the !mmunity Challenge, Vanua got off to an early lead, and they only needed Adam to cross to the safe zone. But Takali ended up defeating the odds and getting 3 members across in the final round, narrowly winning themselves a victory. Facing the vote, Michaela continued to double down on Aubry, and Aubry in turn went after Michaela for her shadiness. Even though Aubry tried to get her friends Adam and Zeke to rally votes for her, at Tr!bal Council, they decided that self-preservation came first, and she left unanimously. While Jay was stunned he was able to get everyone to turn against Aubry, Adam and Zeke were not happy to see one of their closest allies go. On Redempt!on Island, Aubry herself was stewing, and vowed to get revenge on both her friends and enemies. At Takali, alliances continued to solidify, but Ken and Nina began to make a connection, and he became wary of Brenda's constant campaigning to get rid of her. On Day 10, the tribes did not participate in a Reward Challenge, but were given yet another decision: Switch Things Up (shuffle the tribes up immediately) or Status Quo (keep the tribes as they are). Even though nearly everyone was tempted by the idea of shaking things up, the contestants decided unanimously to maintain the status quo. The !mmunity Challenge was not a close competition, with Takali running away with another victory. Facing the vote yet again, the JAJ alliance decided to target Zeke. But seeing an advantage, Jay brought Zeke into the fold, using his anger to turn it towards the trio. Jay decided to orchestrate another blindside against Jon, feeling that he was of no use to him. He decided to do this by spreading idol paranoia to the rest of his tribe, causing them to come up with a plan to split the votes between Jon and Zeke. He then secretly encouraged Michaela to flip her vote to send Jon home, though she was hesitant about doing so considering Jon had done nothing to her to warrant her vote (in addition to Jay revealing that he found the idol using her clue). At Tr!bal Council, Jay's plan came to fruition, as he manipulated the votes to blindside Jon and stun Adam and Julia in the process. After the vote, Jeff warned the castaways about an impending cyclone, and that they would be evacuated for emergency precautions. Adam and Julia were floored to see Jay and Michaela take advantage of the split vote to send their ally Jon home. Meanwhile, on Redempt!on Island, Jon and Aubry made up over her blindside, and agreed to work together to get back in the game. The tribes returned to their proper side of the beach post-cyclone, and faced more change when they faced a tribe shuffle. Based on the results of their "mental age" questionnaires from a few days back, they were separated into three new tribes of four. Vanua contained the four "youngest" (Julia, Ken, Michaela, and Shane), Takali had the four "oldest" (Adam, Jay, Mark, and Nina), and Ikabula had everyone in between (Brenda, Linda, Teresa, and Zeke). While the majority of the new Vanua and Takali members were sad to be separated from their allies, the Ikabula tribe was actually happy to see some new faces. At Takali, the Millennials and Gen Xers made pleasantries with each other, but the 2-2 divide was still very clear. At Vanua, Michaela started to flirt with Ken, and told him and Shane that she was willing to work with them after lying that she was at the bottom of her previosu tribe. Ken also made some inter-tribal bonds with Adam, telling him that Brenda has the Idol. Going into the challenge, the Gen X members of Ikabula planned to throw it and get rid of Zeke. But the three women had a change of heart in the !mmunity Challenge, and rallied to crush the rest of the competition. As MVP, Brenda got to choose whether one or two tribes would attend Tr!bal Council. She chose the latter, sending Vanua and Takali into elimination together, in attempt to get more room to flush an Idol. After the tribes filed out, the three competitors from Redempt!on Island competed in an individual version of the challenge the others jut faced. Jon got off to an early lead and quickly scored all of his points, while Aubry was next to earn herself safety, eliminating Dirk from the game. Back at Ikabula, Brenda found a clue that was hidden in plain sight and accessible to everyone, and straightaway went in search of the Idol back at camp, succeeding in her find. Word got back to the rest of the tribes, and her target continued to increase, in spite of her not even voting. With 8 people facing the vote, it looked to be split 4-4 down old tribal lines. Jay tried to purposely distance himself from the Gen Xers so he could nullify their votes with his Idol, while Adam tried to use Ken's long-seeded hatred of Shane to get him to vote against Shane. But it was Michaela who was drawing a lot of Gen Xers attention, particularly for her shadiness. They tried to turn her and Julia against each other, to avoid a tie and blindside Jay 4-3-1, and Shane was relishing at the idea of his successful plan. At Tr!bal Council, Jay decided to play his Idol, but the 3 votes against him didn't matter, because Ken had flipped to the Millennials to vote his long-time nemesis out. The Gen Xers from all tribes were stunned at Ken's flip, and it seemed clear that things would not be so cut and dry from here on out. Feeling less safe, Mark decided to strengthen his alliance with Nina by revealing he had found an Idol. Meanwhile, Zeke felt that, despite not being offered an alliance, everyone demanded to know what side he was on. The Reward Challenge gave each tribe an opportunity to go for Idol clues, gain advantages in the next challenge, or penalize another tribe. While Linda, Michaela and Ken got Idol clues, Vanua and Takali ganged up to give their penalties to Ikabula, who gave Vanua their penalty. The plan for Takali was all Jay's doing, but it backfired on him when Zeke found out about him throwing Ikabula under the bus. Back at camp, Michaela shared her Idol clue with Jay, who then found his old friend, the re-hidden Vanua Idol, in record time. Meanwhile, Brenda went into hardcore game mode, promising Mark she would give him the Idol if Takali went to Tr!bal, talking up Zeke with no intention of actually working with him, and asking Ken to throw the next challenge. Jay initially promised Zeke he would give him his Idol, but began to have second thoughts when he saw the paranoid Zeke of old emerge. Vanua finished in first in the !mmunity Challenge, as Mark, Teresa, and Brenda all screwed up for their various tribes. As MVP, Ken got to choose whether one or two tribes would attend Tr!bal Council. He chose the former, sending last-place finishers Ikabula to elimination solely. Once again, the Redempt!on Duel took place after the !mmunity Challenge, and Jon and Aubry's near-perfect times clinched them wins once again, eliminating Shane. Facing their first vote as a tribe, Brenda came up with a complicated plan: try to "blindside" Linda with Teresa and Zeke, then have Linda play the Idol to take Zeke out. That would cause the illusion of a crack in the Gen X alliance, which would hopefully let the Millennials reveal more information about their own workings that could be exploited. Jay and Michaela unintentionally helped propel this plan forward when they threatened the other Ikabula members to give an Idol to Zeke. At Tr!bal Council, Brenda's plan worked like a charm; Linda played her Idol to void the unanimous vote against her, and Zeke found himself out of the game. The Reward Challenge ended up being an individual challenge, with the top finishers from each tribe receiving the right to be an "Ambassador." The Gen Xers came in with a plan to use their numbers to ensure they were the Ambassadors, but Teresa's weakness in the challenge led to Jay joining Brenda and Ken as the Takali representative. While enjoying their feast, the Ambassadors were given yet another choice, while being told there would be a "big event" coming up: "Que Sera Sera" (allow the event to transpire) or "Avoid Any Repercussions" (delay the event, but give up a chance for !mmunity). The Ambassadors chose Que Sera Sera, and the "big event" was likely to be more than they bargained for. Little did the Ambassadors know, they were feasting right on Redempt!on Island. Aubry, Jon, and Zeke came out to meet them, and Jeff said the six of them would compete in a challenge together. There would be two winners; if an Ambassador won, they would receive !mmunity, if a Redempt!on Islander won, they would return to the game. In the challenge, Ken's alcohol consumption got the best of him, while Jon only fared so-so. Aubry was by far the most consistent performer across all the tasks, and won her way back into the game. Brenda was then able to beat out Jay and Zeke, earning herself !mmunity. The three Ambassadors plus Aubry made their way into camp with a basket of food, drinks, and new black buffs, and the merge was officially announced. While the merge was a festive occasion, Tr!bal Council looms almost immediately. Ken had originally debated hopping over to the Millennials, considering his strong bond with Adam, but Aubry's return made him question severing ties. Aubry being back in the game also re-unified the Gen Xers, since they now had someone angry at the Millennials in their pocket. The Millennial foursome of Adam, Jay, Michaela, and Julia decided to target Teresa, who they considered was Brenda's closest ally. The Gen Xers and Aubry initially went after Adam, but when Ken was outed for playing both sides, they debated changing targets without telling him. At Tr!bal Council, the myriad of allegiances and voting plans were put to the test. The votes were close. Although Ken was led to believe that the vote was for Michaela, the remaining Gen X-ers piled their votes onto Jay, who didn't play his Idol. The Millennials voted for Teresa, but even with Aubry failing to vote, it wasn't enough. The Reward Challenge had the castaways divided into pairs, and the majority alliance worked together to give the pair of Linda and Nina the win. They also got to decide whether one or two necklaces would be given out at the next !mmunity Challenge, ultimately choosing the latter. Nina decided to share her Idol clue reward with Brenda, but then gave up soon after. Brenda, however, was able to figure out the clue fairly quickly, and she found her second Idol in the game. Aubry decided to ingrain herself with the Gen X group further by making a sub-alliance with Brenda, Teresa, and Linda, leaving Mark and Nina on the outs. With their backs against the wall, the remaining Millennials tried their own ways to further their safety in the game. Adam began to bond and subsequently flirt with Teresa, while Michaela gave her undying loyalty to Nina. Adam also started to make roads with Mark, who was becoming wary of how close Aubry and Linda were getting. At the !mmunity Challenge, players started to fall one by one until only Aubry and Teresa remained, with Teresa pulling out a win in the end. The majority alliance decided to target Julia, as she was the Millennial left least likely to have an Idol. Seeing the writing on the wall, Adam decided to sell his alliance down the river, while Michaela used her new relationship with Nina to pitch getting rid of Brenda. At Tr!bal Council, the Millennials and Ken attempted to gun for Brenda; feeling the noose tighten around her neck, she played one of her Idols. This canceled out their votes and, despite Teresa voting for Michaela in case of another Idol play, Julia was the next one sent to the jury. The Reward Challenge involved secret teams of three people each, and the group of Ken, Nina, and Teresa emerged victorious with an Idol clue in their hands. Nina put the clue to use and searched for the Idol, only to discover that it had been excavated before. The truth came out through Mark that Brenda had found the Idol previously, leading to some distrust between the two Gen X women. As a result, Nina began to formulate a plan to have the Gen X alliance split their votes, only to have her jump on with the minority and vote out Aubry, who she felt would put the least amount of blood on her hands. Further cracks in the Gen X alliance began to show when Mark found out that Aubry and Linda wanted an alliance with Brenda and Teresa, leaving him on the outs. At the !mmunity Challenge, the castaways were presented with this round's choice: "Living for Right Now" and playing in the challenge, or "Saving for Tomorrow" and choosing to skip the challenge and feast in exchange for an advantage in the next two challenges. Nina decided to feast, feeling confident in her safety, while Mark decided to join her in an effort to make strategic inroads. The rest competed in the challenge, which Aubry crushed and guaranteed herself safety in the game. The majority alliance decided to split their votes between Michaela and Ken, with Michaela being the main target for her calling out of Brenda and Teresa as threats. With Aubry safe, Nina and the minority alliance decided to turn their attention to Brenda, and Aubry began to spy the target on the pregnant cheerleader growing larger. At Tr!bal Council, she surprised everyone by giving the !mmunity Necklace to Brenda, sending everyone into a tail spin. In the end, the tribe decided to play it safe; Michaela and Linda voted for Ken, while everyone else went for Michaela. On Day 28, the castaways were joined by their loved ones: Adam's brother Evan, Aubry's sister Kerry, Brenda's father Raymond, Ken's brother William, Linda's husband Jim, Mark's daughter "Baby Bear", Nina's husband Daniel, and Teresa's husband Brian. After meeting her husband and getting news from him, Teresa shared that because of things in her real life, it would be difficult for her to focus on the game. Upon consideration, she decided to lay down her torch and leave the game, though she would return as a jury member. Her departure had a resounding effect on the rest of the tribe, especially her "flirtmance" partner Adam and her closest allies Mark and Brenda. The challenge came down to a tight race between Adam, Linda, Mark and Nina. Adam decided to throw the final part of the challenge to keep up the image of vulnerability, and in a deadlock tiebreaker, Mark managed to eke out a win. Mark was then given a choice: "Rely on Your Family" and take his daughter back to camp until the next Tr!bal Council, earning himself an extra vote in doing so; or "Be Independent" and choose to forgo the loved one's visit in exchange for the !mmunity Necklace. Mark chose the former, which raised some eyebrows and made the rest of the tribe concerned that he was going to make a big move. As a result, Brenda abandoned her Gen X ways and formally joined up with Adam, with the hopes of using him as a shield. The duo of Adam and Ken discussed possibly throwing the !mmunity Challenge to avoid any talk about giving it up. But after deciding against it, they finished in the top two, with Ken walking away safe. Nina and Mark made a plan to split the votes between Aubry and Brenda to get the latter to play her Idol, with Mark's extra vote and presumably the votes of Adam, Ken, and Linda. Despite being comfortably in the middle, Adam continued to make new relationships when he spoke with Linda, and the two of them promised to not target each other in the immediate future. Brenda initially wanted to target Mark for his scheming against her, but Adam attempted to protect his alliance with him and instead turned the target towards Nina. However, their new connection started to strain when Adam had heard that Brenda called him a "snake." At Tr!bal Council, everyone was geared up for a big blindside that they each believed was about to happen. Brenda played her second Idol for safe keeping, negating Nina's vote against her. While Mark and Baby Bear voted against Aubry, Adam and Ken successfully swung over with Brenda, Linda, and Aubry to take out Nina. On her way out, a blindsided Nina cursed out her new and former allies for turning on her. The !mmunity Challenge was a close race between Adam and Brenda, but the pregnant cheerleader was able to pull out another challenge win, skirting many people's plans. Brenda's idol play last round meant that there were now two !mmunity Idols at camp that were waiting to be found. Once getting back to camp, it was an all-out hunt, with Adam and Brenda both emerging successful. Even though Adam lied to Brenda that he didn't have one, Brenda still concocted a plan to split the votes between him and Mark, and Ken debated going along with it and possibly getting rid of one of his closest allies to get himself further in the game. But he decided against it, and tried to use his information to convince the majority to throw their votes onto Mark, while Adam would use his recently-found Idol to save Mark. At Tr!bal Council, the group faced this round's decision that determined the tiebreaker: "Billboard Hot 100" (fire-starting duel) or "Hard Rock & the Rolling Stones" (rock draw). While the majority of voted for Billboard Hot 100, it didn't matter. Adam was about to put his and Ken's "dick move" into motion to nullify the four votes against Mark. Mark and Adam's votes against Aubry, who they perceived as Brenda's closest ally, were all that mattered, and Aubry found herself voted out for the second time. At the !mmunity Challenge, the castaways were given a choice to either participate or sit out and receive an Idol clue. Ken and Mark both opted for the clue, and Brenda eked out Adam to win !mmunity once more. Mark and Ken each decided to share their clues with their closest ally Adam, but Mark was the one with the more successful search, finally earning himself an Idol. Adam was furious, as Mark's guaranteed safety now turned the target firmly on him, and tried to make his pitch to anyone who would listen as a challenge threat to take down Brenda and to eliminate Linda as an "undeserving" contestant. Ken began to see the writing on the wall and, bemoaning his closest ally leaving, tried to convince Mark to either play his Idol on Adam or vote for Linda. At Tr!bal Council, Mark and Brenda both played their Idols, and the rules stated that they therefore negated each other. Adam tried one last gambit when he played a fake Legacy Advantage, but both it and Adam's game amounted to cinders when Mark and Ken betrayed their closest ally and sent the last Millennial to the jury. In a tight race in the final challenge between Brenda and Linda, Brenda once again pulled off a victory and a spot in the Final 3. After winning, Brenda was given a choice: Minimize Gains and strike a member off the jury in exchange for giving away !mmunity to Linda, or Minimize Risk and keep !mmunity in exchange for giving runner-up Linda the chance to rank the Final 3 castaways in the case of a tiebreaker at the Final Tr!bal Council. She chose the latter, and Linda was happy to have "won" at least some power. Facing the vote, Mark hoped that Ken would able to assist him and give him a chance of forcing a tie. But Mark had no such luck when Ken locked in a Final 3 alliance with Linda and Brenda, making the rogue "Papa Bear" the final jury member. On Day 39, the Final 3 celebrated, and ruminated on the games behind them and the jury ahead of them. At the Final Tr!bal Council, they gave their pitches for the title, and answered questions from the jury members. The Jury applauded Brenda for being a dominant player throughout the game, and for winning challenges and Idols. But they questioned if she had relied solely on that aspect of the game to keep her safe, and whether she was too paranoid. The Jury sought explanations from Ken about the big moves he made in the game, and why he chose to take some threats out over others. Some Jurors however began to wonder if he was overselling the strategic force in his game decisions. The Jury was receptive to Linda admitting her weaker social game, and appreciated that she did not try to give herself undue credit. But some of the Jurors were quick to rule her out as an option for having played a background game. In the end, Adam gave a vote to his longtime ally and friend Ken, but everyone else felt Brenda's dominance in the game should be acknowledged, and the pregnant cheerleader was officially crowned the Sole Surv!vor.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Got to Choose): The tribes make their way through two obstacles and a puzzle, all timed. The tribe with the lowest total "challenge time" wins.
 * The first obstacle is a rope course; each tribe must post "50 minus 3n" times to complete the course, where "n" refers to the number of challenge leads for each tribe. For every hour that elapsed, 1 minute will be added to the "challenge time." For every minute that elapsed, 1 second will be added to the "challenge time".
 * The second obstacle is the balance beam; each tribe must post 15 times, with each individual being able to post after "7 minus n" other tribe members have posted. For every hour that elapsed, 1 minute will be added to the "challenge time." For every minute that elapsed, 1 second will be added to the "challenge time".
 * For the puzzle, each tribe attempts to solve a jigsaw puzzle together. Their time will be added in whole to the "challenge time."
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 * 2
 * I Don't Want to Be Awkward
 * November 20-23, 2016
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 * November 20-23, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
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 * Reward Challenge (The Ocean): Each castaway must make an individual guess as to the average age of their tribe. The person who comes the closest to the correct number on each tribe receives reward.
 * Reward: A choice between "Everyone's a Winner" (Everyone on your tribe will receive an Idol clue. The winner will receive 2 clues) or "Winner Takes All" (The winner will receive 1 clue, and everyone will receive nothing).
 * !mmunity Challenge (Going Coconuts): The castaways throw coconuts at a wall to tear down. Each tribe can post up to twice an hour, posting two coordinates of blocks to hit with a coconut. Removing a dark block is worth 3 points, medium-tinted 2 points, and light blocks 1 point. A block can fall if the other two blocks directly underneath it are removed, but the tribe only receives 1 point for blocks that automatically fall out. If they manage to remove 3 or more blocks with a single post, they will get a +1 point bonus. The tribe that manages to take out all the blocks in their wall will receive a +5 point advantage to their score. The tribe with the most points at the end of 24 hours wins.
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 * 3
 * Queen of the Lobsters
 * November 23-27, 2016
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 * November 23-27, 2016
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 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * Reward Challenge (Water Slaughter): The castaways are divided into groupings and matchups by tribe. Each match-up involves the groups grabbing a ring and bringing it back to their tribe's post, and comprises of several decisions:
 * First, they will decide which person they wish to send out to try to grab the ring. At the same time, they will try to guess who the other team picked to try to grab the ring.  If they are correct, they will successfully stop them from grabbing the ring, and they will get 1 point.
 * Second, they must pick between "Reckless attack," "Average attack," or "Cautious attack," which works in a "rock-paper-scissors"-like way with the other group's choice.
 * Third, they will choose whether to play offensively or defensively. If their team is currently beating or tied with the other team based on the previous two selections, they will instantly solidify your win if they play offensively. If both sides are tied and pick the same option, then there will still be a tie. If their team is currently losing to the other team based on the previous two selections, they will get 1.2 points if they play defensively.
 * Reward: The winning group for each match-up receives a clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol. If there is a tie in a match-up, then each group decides whether or not the other group receives a clue.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Angry Chair): At five points during the challenge, Sudoku puzzles will be released, with two or three blank squares colored in. The castaways try to guess the number that goes in those blank squares. If they are correct, they proceed to the "safe zone," where they may not post for the rest of the challenge, but can help their tribe. The first tribe to get all their members through the safe zone wins.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 4
 * Minions
 * November 27-December 1, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * November 27-December 1, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * !mmunity Challenge (Holy Diver): Each tribe completes a Flash game involving shooting a ball into a net in the water. The tribe with the highest total score wins.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 5
 * This is No Puppet Show
 * December 1-4, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * December 1-4, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * !mmunity Challenge (Blind Faith): Each tribe will take turns competing as a caller for their tribe for each window of the challenge. At any point in time during a window, the Caller will receive a message with instructions that they must relay to their tribe. The first tribe to execute those instructions wins 1 point. The individual who was able to get the most points as Caller will be determined "MVP" of the challenge and win an additional prize.
 * Redempt!on Duel: The Duelists complete tasks while being blindfolded to earn points. The first two people to three points move on in the competition.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 6
 * We Came Out with Payless
 * December 5-9, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * December 5-9, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * colspan="3" align="left" |
 * Reward Challenge (In the Bag): A ball will roll from the top to the bottom of a designated board. Each person can choose to tilt the ball left or right between 1 to 5 degrees to make the ball go a certain way. The ball will ultimately roll according to the average of choices of all tribemates. There are also colored squares that can nab rewards for a tribe should the ball pass through: orange gives the tribe an advantage in the next !mmunity Challenge, green gives another tribe a penalty in the next !mmunity Challenge, and purple gives a clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol to a select group of people.
 * Reward: Depending on the finish, an advantage in the next !mmunity Challenge, a penalty for another tribe in the next !mmunity Challenge, or a clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Matt Finish): Castaways will shoot balls and try to land all three nicely on top of an overhead rack. To do so, they must post at a timestamp that ends with the digit 0, which results in landing a ball. After 15 minutes have passed, the individual will be penalized 5 minutes per remaining ball that they have not landed. Each tribe's total time will be added together, and the tribe with the shortest total time will win !mmunity. The player with the shortest time in the winning tribe will be given the title of MVP and win an additional prize.
 * Redempt!ion Duel (Matt Finish): The Duelists competed in an individual version of the !mmunity Challenge. The last person to get three balls up on their rack would be eliminated.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 7
 * Back with a Vengeance
 * December 9-13, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" | Even though Brenda's plan work successfully, she, Linda, and Teresa regretted getting rid of an Idol. Meanwhile, the Millennials were buying their plan hook like and sinker, and believed there were some cracks in the Gen X alliance. Brenda was already looking ahead to the next vote, planning to send Takali to the next Tr!bal Council and give Mark an Idol to play to get out Jay. But Mark was trying to ensure his own safety in the game, making a secret alliance with Adam.
 * Reward Challenge (Bail Out): Each person must distribute sets of 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 coconuts to the other players in the game. They can give coconuts to members of their own tribe or other tribes. If they receive 31 or more coconuts in total, they will be eliminated from the challenge. Otherwise, the player in each tribe with the highest number of coconuts (without going over 30) will win Reward.
 * Reward: The title of being their tribe's "Ambassador," where they will get to make an important game decision, and compete for a chance at Individual !mmunity for the next Tr!bal Council.
 * colspan="3" align="left" | Even though Brenda's plan work successfully, she, Linda, and Teresa regretted getting rid of an Idol. Meanwhile, the Millennials were buying their plan hook like and sinker, and believed there were some cracks in the Gen X alliance. Brenda was already looking ahead to the next vote, planning to send Takali to the next Tr!bal Council and give Mark an Idol to play to get out Jay. But Mark was trying to ensure his own safety in the game, making a secret alliance with Adam.
 * Reward Challenge (Bail Out): Each person must distribute sets of 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 coconuts to the other players in the game. They can give coconuts to members of their own tribe or other tribes. If they receive 31 or more coconuts in total, they will be eliminated from the challenge. Otherwise, the player in each tribe with the highest number of coconuts (without going over 30) will win Reward.
 * Reward: The title of being their tribe's "Ambassador," where they will get to make an important game decision, and compete for a chance at Individual !mmunity for the next Tr!bal Council.
 * !mmunity Challenge/Redempt!on Duel (Fools in the Rain): The competitors must complete a series of mini-tasks based on past challenges while holding their hand in the air to prevent a bucket of water from pouring on them. The person who does the best in the tasks while remaining dry will win.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 8
 * I Wish I Spoke Idiot
 * December 13-16, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" |Ken was furious at being betrayed by the other Gen Xers, and realized he was out on his own. The next day, Michaela confronted Aubry about self-voting and accused her of trying to play both sides. Still hurt, Ken lashed out at Mark for being left out of the loop, and Adam attempted to comfort him to possibly get him back on the Millennials' side.
 * Reward Challenge (Ferryman): The castaways are randomly divided into pairs, with each pair given four blocks. Two blocks have four colors each (red, yellow, blue, and green), while two have three colors each (red, yellow and blue). Each pair picks a color for each block, and if a pair has a unique color for a block, they earn a point. The pair with the most points wins.
 * Reward: A clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol, as well as a choice between "There's No Shame in Second Place" (the top 2 players at the next challenge will win Individual !mmunity) or "Second Place Is Just the First Loser" (only the top layer at the next challenge will win Individual !mmunity).
 * colspan="3" align="left" |Ken was furious at being betrayed by the other Gen Xers, and realized he was out on his own. The next day, Michaela confronted Aubry about self-voting and accused her of trying to play both sides. Still hurt, Ken lashed out at Mark for being left out of the loop, and Adam attempted to comfort him to possibly get him back on the Millennials' side.
 * Reward Challenge (Ferryman): The castaways are randomly divided into pairs, with each pair given four blocks. Two blocks have four colors each (red, yellow, blue, and green), while two have three colors each (red, yellow and blue). Each pair picks a color for each block, and if a pair has a unique color for a block, they earn a point. The pair with the most points wins.
 * Reward: A clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol, as well as a choice between "There's No Shame in Second Place" (the top 2 players at the next challenge will win Individual !mmunity) or "Second Place Is Just the First Loser" (only the top layer at the next challenge will win Individual !mmunity).
 * !mmunity Challenge (With a Ten Foot Pole): Each castaway has a long pole and must use it to keep a statue steady. At any given time in the challenge, they can shake the base-board on which everyone is standing. Everyone must then quickly steady their statue. The last two people to steady themselves each time the floor shakes are eliminated from the challenge. Once there are 6 or fewer people left in the challenge, only 1 person will be eliminated each time. Once there are 3 or fewer people left in the challenge, Jeff Probst will shake the floor. The last person left standing wins.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 9
 * She Stole My Idol
 * December 16-20, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" | Even though Adam, Michaela, and Ken were left on the wrong side of the vote once again, Mark was starting to have thoughts about changing up the game. Meanwhile, Adam apologized to his new ally Teresa about not voting with her the previous round, and Ken and Michaela decided to patch things up after he voted against her at the merge.
 * Reward Challenge (Slither Me Timbers): The castaways are divided into 3 secret teams, so they do not know who their team-mates are. They must guess the number of snakes on a pile using only a picture. The team with the closest overall guess wins.
 * Reward: A clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol
 * colspan="3" align="left" | Even though Adam, Michaela, and Ken were left on the wrong side of the vote once again, Mark was starting to have thoughts about changing up the game. Meanwhile, Adam apologized to his new ally Teresa about not voting with her the previous round, and Ken and Michaela decided to patch things up after he voted against her at the merge.
 * Reward Challenge (Slither Me Timbers): The castaways are divided into 3 secret teams, so they do not know who their team-mates are. They must guess the number of snakes on a pile using only a picture. The team with the closest overall guess wins.
 * Reward: A clue to the Hidden !mmunity Idol
 * !mmunity Challenge (Rusty Cage): The players are presented with a maze with numbers in them. When they trace a path from start to finish, they will bypass a series of numbers which they must recite in order. If they are correct, they will break free from their cage and their time will stop. The castaway with the shortest elapsed time will win.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 10
 * I'm Gonna Have to Become Her Brutus
 * December 20-28, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" | With another Millennial gone, Brenda theoretically should have been riding high. However, she began to feel more paranoid than ever, and she was right to think so, as Mark attempted to rally Nina, Ken, and Adam to overthrow her. Ken and Adam had plans of their own, though, telling Brenda separately that Mark and Nina were turning against her. Ken also revealed that Nina was the one who had suggested initially voting for Brenda the previous round, allowing the former adversaries to find some common ground.
 * Reward Challenge (Rope a Dope): The castaways must make their way through a rope obstacle course, making sure to wait exactly 3 minutes between posts. If they do not, they will get tangled up and must restart the current obstacle, with 1 hour being added to their mandatory 2 hour minimum wait between obstacles. The person with the most obstacles completed in 24 hours wins.
 * Reward: The chance to bring their loved one back to camp until the end of the next Tr!bal Council. Their loved one will also participate in Tr!bal Council and cast an extra vote.
 * colspan="3" align="left" | With another Millennial gone, Brenda theoretically should have been riding high. However, she began to feel more paranoid than ever, and she was right to think so, as Mark attempted to rally Nina, Ken, and Adam to overthrow her. Ken and Adam had plans of their own, though, telling Brenda separately that Mark and Nina were turning against her. Ken also revealed that Nina was the one who had suggested initially voting for Brenda the previous round, allowing the former adversaries to find some common ground.
 * Reward Challenge (Rope a Dope): The castaways must make their way through a rope obstacle course, making sure to wait exactly 3 minutes between posts. If they do not, they will get tangled up and must restart the current obstacle, with 1 hour being added to their mandatory 2 hour minimum wait between obstacles. The person with the most obstacles completed in 24 hours wins.
 * Reward: The chance to bring their loved one back to camp until the end of the next Tr!bal Council. Their loved one will also participate in Tr!bal Council and cast an extra vote.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Pinball Wizard): The castaways play a winter-themed pinball game and submit their best score. The highest scorer wins.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 11
 * A Venomous Snake is Gonna Bite Them
 * December 29-31, 2016
 * colspan="3" align="left" | While most of the people left in the game ruminated over Nina's harsh words towards them, Mark suddenly found himself in a very vulnerable position with his closest ally gone. With the Final 3 within sight, everyone began to think about who had the best of chance of sitting next to. Knowing they were viewed as a close pair, Adam and Ken staged a fake fight in front of the rest of the group, though they were privately appealing to Mark once more to go against Brenda.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Tower of Power): The castaways are given a grid of colored boxes, and they must trace their way from any square at the bottom of the tower to any square at the top of the tower. Each box they pass on their route will add "time" to their total time required to scale the tower. The number of seconds they take in real time will also be added to their total time. There is also a red "C" square which, if passed through, will provide the castaway with a clue to the hidden !mmunity Idol; however, it will also add 9 seconds to their time. The player with the fastest time wins.
 * colspan="3" align="left" | While most of the people left in the game ruminated over Nina's harsh words towards them, Mark suddenly found himself in a very vulnerable position with his closest ally gone. With the Final 3 within sight, everyone began to think about who had the best of chance of sitting next to. Knowing they were viewed as a close pair, Adam and Ken staged a fake fight in front of the rest of the group, though they were privately appealing to Mark once more to go against Brenda.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Tower of Power): The castaways are given a grid of colored boxes, and they must trace their way from any square at the bottom of the tower to any square at the top of the tower. Each box they pass on their route will add "time" to their total time required to scale the tower. The number of seconds they take in real time will also be added to their total time. There is also a red "C" square which, if passed through, will provide the castaway with a clue to the hidden !mmunity Idol; however, it will also add 9 seconds to their time. The player with the fastest time wins.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Tower of Power): The castaways are given a grid of colored boxes, and they must trace their way from any square at the bottom of the tower to any square at the top of the tower. Each box they pass on their route will add "time" to their total time required to scale the tower. The number of seconds they take in real time will also be added to their total time. There is also a red "C" square which, if passed through, will provide the castaway with a clue to the hidden !mmunity Idol; however, it will also add 9 seconds to their time. The player with the fastest time wins.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 12
 * This Brings Out My Bitchy Villain Side
 * December 31, 2016 - January 12, 2017
 * colspan="3" align="left" | Ken was elated to see his plan work, with Aubry now out of the game and Adam's Idol flushed. As the end of the game began to materialize, it was clear that Adam and Brenda had their heads on the immediate chopping block, even though Adam, Ken, and Mark had a firm coalition to get Brenda out.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Draw the Line): The castaways are given a phrase with spaces representing each letter, and they must guess what that phrase is. Depending on the letter, a number of points will be added to their score. They will have 10 seconds to decide on a letter to reveal; if they take more than 10 seconds, 1 point will be added.
 * colspan="3" align="left" | Ken was elated to see his plan work, with Aubry now out of the game and Adam's Idol flushed. As the end of the game began to materialize, it was clear that Adam and Brenda had their heads on the immediate chopping block, even though Adam, Ken, and Mark had a firm coalition to get Brenda out.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Draw the Line): The castaways are given a phrase with spaces representing each letter, and they must guess what that phrase is. Depending on the letter, a number of points will be added to their score. They will have 10 seconds to decide on a letter to reveal; if they take more than 10 seconds, 1 point will be added.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Draw the Line): The castaways are given a phrase with spaces representing each letter, and they must guess what that phrase is. Depending on the letter, a number of points will be added to their score. They will have 10 seconds to decide on a letter to reveal; if they take more than 10 seconds, 1 point will be added.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * 13
 * I Gotta Do What I Gotta Do
 * December 31, 2016 - January 12, 2017 March 25, 2017 (Vote Reveal & Reunion)
 * colspan="3" align="left" |When the morning came, the Final 4 embarked on their Retrospective Torch Walks to commemorate the fallen castaways, and headed to the Final !mmunity Challenge. Going into the challenge, Mark and Brenda continued to target each other, but Linda was looking to finally gain some power in the game.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Operation Balance Build): Jeff Probst provides a series of simple mazes. For each maze, the castaways must trace a path from entrance to exit without touching the black lines/walls of the maze. They will upload their mazes into the Redempt!on Island forum, which counts as having gotten a bowl through the metal structure once and stacked on top. HOwever, if they post on a second that ends with 3, 6, or 9, they will knock over their entire stack of bowls and their count resets to 0, though they must continue with the maze they left off on. The person with the most bowls stacked by the end wins.
 * colspan="3" align="left" |When the morning came, the Final 4 embarked on their Retrospective Torch Walks to commemorate the fallen castaways, and headed to the Final !mmunity Challenge. Going into the challenge, Mark and Brenda continued to target each other, but Linda was looking to finally gain some power in the game.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Operation Balance Build): Jeff Probst provides a series of simple mazes. For each maze, the castaways must trace a path from entrance to exit without touching the black lines/walls of the maze. They will upload their mazes into the Redempt!on Island forum, which counts as having gotten a bowl through the metal structure once and stacked on top. HOwever, if they post on a second that ends with 3, 6, or 9, they will knock over their entire stack of bowls and their count resets to 0, though they must continue with the maze they left off on. The person with the most bowls stacked by the end wins.
 * !mmunity Challenge (Operation Balance Build): Jeff Probst provides a series of simple mazes. For each maze, the castaways must trace a path from entrance to exit without touching the black lines/walls of the maze. They will upload their mazes into the Redempt!on Island forum, which counts as having gotten a bowl through the metal structure once and stacked on top. HOwever, if they post on a second that ends with 3, 6, or 9, they will knock over their entire stack of bowls and their count resets to 0, though they must continue with the maze they left off on. The person with the most bowls stacked by the end wins.
 * colspan="3" style="background-color: #192023; color: white" scope="col" |
 * -}
 * -}

Voting History
On Day 15, a joint Tr!bal Council was held where two tribes voted together to eliminate one castaway. Jay played a hidden !mmunity idol, therefore three votes against him were not counted. Linda played a hidden !mmunity idol, therefore three votes against her were not counted. Brenda played a hidden !mmunity idol, therefore four votes against her were not counted. No vote; Teresa chose to quit the game. Mark's daughter voted as a result of him winning the Reward Challenge, therefore eight votes were cast in total. Brenda played a hidden !mmunity idol, therefore one vote against her was not counted. Adam played a hidden !mmunity Idol on Mark, therefore four votes against him were not counted.