A friendship bracelet may lead to the downfall of Eagan native Eva Erickson on “Survivor 48.”
At the top of the third episode, Erickson’s trusted ally Joe Hunter made the observation that while the Lagi tribe has been dominating challenges, “our tribe is a little broken. We’re tired, we’re exhausted, morale is low.”
So Hunter, a fire chief from California, built a massive bonfire on the beach to help raise the spirits of his tired and hungry teammates.
Erickson responded by telling Hunter his kids are going to be so proud of him. She also told him “half the reason they picked me to be on the team is because I can do 20 pull ups,” presumably in reference to her position as the only woman on the hockey teams at Georgia Institute of Technology and her current home at Brown University School of Engineering.
The bonfire also triggered fond memories of family for Erickson.
“I’m from Minnesota and we have a cabin that’s in Chippewa National Forest,” she told the camera. “And so me and my dad always build these huge fires that are so big people come across the lake thinking that our cabin’s on fire. And so Joe making this massive bonfire makes me feel super close to my family. And I’ve made such a tight connection with him in this game that I wanted to give him something to show my gratitude.”
Using some beads from her water bottle, she crafted a friendship bracelet and presented it to Hunter in front of the entire Lagi tribe. “I know you’re not a big bracelet person,” she said. “But I figured your daughter would love to have a little memento of your time here.”
What a sweet thing to do, right? Not in the eyes of music exec Thomas Krottinger.
“I’m nervous about Joe and Eva,” Krottinger said. “I don’t like that she is Joe’s little sidekick.” He added that when she handed over the bracelet, debate professor Shauhin Davari looked Krottinger right in the eyes: “In that moment, it was, like, yeah we’ve got to cut her. Like, this is troublesome. Sorry, Eva.”
The next day, Erickson decided to test the honesty of her tribemate, sales expert Star Toomey. Relations between the two soured in last week’s episode after Erickson suggested — in a seemingly innocent manner — that Toomey was the weak link on their tribe. Toomey also has a beware advantage that will award her with an immunity idol if she can solve a puzzle, which she has yet to do. Toomey told everyone on the tribe except for Erickson about it, but Hunter later filled her in.
“I’ve really not talked strategy with Star this entire game and so I need to have a conversation with her to try to open up, not because I really want to work with her, but because I don’t want her to work against me,” Erickson said. “I want to gauge how she is at lying or if she’s going to tell me the truth. But having autism, I’m very bad at recognizing social cues, such as I don’t know when someone’s lying to me. But the thing is I know that Star has the clue to an immunity idol. And so that gives me an advantage because she doesn’t know that I’m in on this.”
So Erickson asked Toomey point blank if she had found anything. Toomey said she hadn’t and then told the camera: “Eva’s never talked game with me. She never gave me a vibe that she wanted to work with me. We’re not friends. She’s not on my side and I know I’m not on her side.”
Still, in an attempt to win Toomey over, Erickson suggested the tribe target one of the two people adept at puzzles, Krottinger and public relations consultant Bianca Roses. Toomey immediately went and told Krottinger and Roses the news, leaving Krottinger to ponder helping Toomey solve the puzzle, get the idol and vote Erickson out of the game.
But Krottinger didn’t get the chance this week, as Lagi once again won the combined reward/immunity challenge.
The preview for next week’s episode revealed that they would be switching tribes, which could throw a wrench in everyone’s alliances and plans. “I don’t deal with change well,” Erickson said. “This is a complete flip.”
“Survivor 48” airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on CBS and streams the next day on Paramount+.
