Share the Wealth Physical Race / Mental

The first challenge of the season is one we should all be familiar with at this point— the Jungle Relay, where tribe members are tethered together in pairs of two and have to work together to complete a series of tasks, relay-style. This is the first time they've done it in tribes of 3, but it's pretty much the same challenge as always. Since each tribe has 6 players, there are 3 legs to complete. Pairs running in the first leg have to race along a path carved into the jungle until they reach an area with a cargo net they can climb. At the top are some paddles which they need to bring back to the start, as they are needed for the second leg. The second leg requires each pair to paddle their boat out into the ocean until they reach some buoys, at which point they must dive down and release a chest. Instead of paddling back to shore, they have to swim the chest back to shore, adding a bit of variety to the leg. Finally, what could be inside the chest? What else, puzzle pieces. The last leg is to complete the puzzle which is in the form of a tower, designed to incorporate a smidge of Filipino culture which I appreciate. Overall, the challenge itself is fine but just feels kind of generic and not as memorable as past renditions of Jungle Relay. However, there is a bit of drama here that adds a bit of humor to the whole thing.

This is one of those rare challenges where Jeff gives the tribes a "minute to strategize" and we actually get to see it, which is always exciting because it's basically a guarantee that some horrible leadership is about to go down. We see a little bit of discussion on the Kalabaw and Tandang tribes about their strategies, but what most people are going to remember here is the talk between the Matsing tribe. Let me just say, this tribe is legendary. Matsing is easily one of my favorite tribes of all time, with nearly every one of its members being either fascinatingly complex, extraordinarily funny (unintentionally), or both. And I find the journey of its tribe members this season to be nothing short of enthralling. I think if you're reading this entry it's fair to assume you already know the fate of Matsing in this season— they can easily be compared to the Ulong tribe back in Palau, what with their complete inability to win any challenges. But whereas Ulong's story was that of a tragedy, I view Matsing's story as one of redemption. We get to see a tribe hit absolute rock bottom, particularly in the masterpiece that is this season's fourth episode, but then we get to see the tribe's last surviving members incredibly navigate their way to the end of the season thanks to great gameplay. (And well, the tribal absorption...) It's such a classic, almost cliché storyline, but the editors told it with perfection. Since we already know what the outcome to these first four Immunity Challenges will be, I'm going to change my approach a bit and try to zero in on the recurring question of "What went wrong for Matsing this time?" And for this first challenge, the editors spell it out for us pretty clearly. Members of the tribe begin to discuss strategies, but master coordinator Russell Swan interrupts them with a commanding gesture—"Everybody, just calm down." He then announces that he is "terrible at puzzles" and is a "physical person," to which his tribemate Angie chimes in, "Me too. I'm the same way." Roxy also makes it clear that she doesn't want to do the puzzle. What happens next is nothing short of peak Survivor comedy, as Russell completely ignores both of them and single-handedly elects, without any self-awareness, Angie and Roxy to do the puzzle. Naturally, the women begin to protest, but they can hardly get a word out before Russell interrupts them again— "Just bear with me..." (Awkward 2 seconds of silence) "... So you two do the puzzle." It's hysterical, Russell has no interest in compromising here. After this segment, it should be painfully obvious that Matsing is going to lose the challenge if you know anything about how the editors operate, but let's talk about what happens anyway. Matsing actually does decently at the start of the challenge, but even before the puzzle stage, they fall pretty far behind on the rowing leg as Denise and Malcolm simply aren't as quick as their competition. Once they finally begin work on the puzzle, the other two tribes are already about halfway done, which would be problematic even if Matsing's puzzle-makers didn't openly state how bad they are at puzzles. So to the surprise of no one, Kalabaw and Tandang claim first and second respectively and Matsing is condemned to their first Tribal Council. Angie angrily snaps "I told you I'm not good at puzzles!" Russell Swan takes some of the blame for the failure but is nonetheless optimistic for the future: "That's the beauty Jeff, there always is a next time." I've always loved Jeff's poignant response, "There's a next time for five of you, there's not a next time for all six of you."

2/5

Manila Folders Physical Race / Mental

Here in Episode 2 we get a pretty solid one-off challenge that reminds me a lot of "A Crate Idea" from seasons past. The objectives are very similar— Tribes must send out pairs one at a time to retrieve puzzle pieces in a grueling test of physicality and teamwork. Once all the puzzle pieces are collected, tribes then can work together to assemble the puzzle. There are some obvious differences— Instead of pushing oversized cubes, pairs of tribe members are required to pull a heavy sled to transport the puzzle pieces, which are in the form of foldable tiles. This puzzle is pretty unique; it has a lot of jigsaw elements, but we've never really seen anything quite like it before on the show. There's also a unique element where tribes got to choose one member to act as a caller, whose sole responsibility was guiding their teammates through the puzzle at the end. Now that we understand how the challenge works, let's get back to our central question— What went wrong for Matsing this time? Well, like the previous episode, we actually get to hear some of the pre-challenge strategy talk. Because there are 3 sets of puzzle pieces to collect but only 4 tribe members eligible to race, at least 2 members of each tribe are needed to make a repeat trip. There is some disagreement on the Matsing tribe about which member should join Russell in pairing up twice. Like it's Groundhog Day, both the younger women on the tribe express opposition to being the ones to take this important role, but Russell doesn't want to hear it. Eventually we find out it's Angie who ends up in this unwanted position, and predictably, it doesn't go super well. I find myself wondering why Malcolm didn't just step up and do it, but we don't really get a proper explanation as to how exactly Angie ended up being chosen. I think the main thing the editors wanted to convey here was simply the continued lack of coordination on Matsing both during and going into the challenge, and this storyline did so effectively. To Matsing's credit, they did come close; the seconds lost due to poor coordination in the sled portion almost certainly is what did them in. Russell is furious at the loss, and to make sure everyone knows it, he slams one of the puzzle pieces down on the ground. And unlike last time, Russell isn't taking any of the blame. "These folks haven't decided that they are unbeatable," he tells Jeff, angered and exhausted. Still, it's pretty common for a tribe to lose back-to-back challenges. Next episode should reveal once and for all if Matsing was just in an unlucky rut, or if they truly are without hope.

3/5

Deep in Thoughts Physical Race / Mental

This has got to be one of Survivor: Philippines' most memorable challenges. It's a really straightforward one too: One at a time, a tribe member plunges into the water, dives down to retrieve a puzzle wheel, then brings it back to the floating platform. Repeat 7 times, then work together to solve the puzzle, which involves rotating the puzzle wheels until they spell a mystery word: TREASURE. It's basically the same as "Dive Masters" from Vanuatu but objective-based instead of timed, and with a puzzle to boot. I also find the location of this challenge to be particularly stunning. If you look closely there appears to be an abandoned wooden shack nestled against the limestone coast, a rare sign of life in the desolate universe of Survivor. Tribes are given a lot of freedom in this challenge in terms of how to divide the work; if they want, they can keep sending out the same person again and again, or if someone's too tired, they can just have them sit out indefinitely. Each puzzle wheel is deeper and harder to access than the previous, so altogether there's a lot of room for strategy in determining the best way to tackle this challenge as a tribe. What makes it really stand out here in Philippines though is just how badly Matsing loses, in spite of valiant efforts by Malcolm and especially Denise. In a way, this juxtaposition in performance between Matsing members perfectly foreshadows the storyline of Survivor: Philippines as a whole, underscoring Malcolm & Denise's willingness to persevere even when confronted with certain doom. This challenge is legitimately enthralling to watch, because by now you're so invested in Matsing's story; Watching Malcolm & Denise give it their absolute best is enough to give you hope, but deep down you know it won't be enough. Up until now, it had always seemed possible that Matsing could, theoretically win an Immunity Challenge, but now the sheer, physical imbalance between the tribes has never been more obvious. No one was surprised to see Angie flounder in the water, but this challenge is also where we begin the downfall of Russell Swan, which mirrors his Samoa collapse so closely it almost feels poetic. Russell Swan, who in the season's early days appeared to be Matsing's greatest physical asset— can now no longer climb a ladder. It looks like Russell Swan forgot he was unbeatable.

But as hope bleeds from the audience for a cathartic Matsing comeback, actual blood bleeds from somewhere else— Mike Skupin's face. Yes, one of my favorite running gags from Survivor: Philippines: God is real and he's trying to kill Skupin. That's right, Skupin, the guy who's best remembered for almost burning his hands off in a fire in The Australian Outback, finally makes a comeback over a decade later only to face a constant barrage of strange and unusual injuries. Stepping on pointy shells, getting whacked in the face by coconuts Abi-Maria may or may not have intentionally aimed, and in this challenge, diving into the water only for his goggles to shatter in his face. Welp, that's a new fear unlocked. But okay let's be serious, how is this even possible?! This feels more like a goofy B-plot in an evening sitcom than something that could actually happen in unscripted television. I sometimes see people ask "Can I still enjoy Survivor: Philippines after knowing what we know about Skupin in 2024?" And if anything... I think the season might be better now than ever.

4/5

Swing Break Physical Race / Skill

Survivor: Philippines' fourth episode, "Create a Little Chaos," has long been one of my favorites in the series. While other great episodes stand out to me for having lots of funny moments or huge, dramatic blindsides, this episode stands out to me for being so exceptionally well-produced. Survivor has always been the crème de la crème of reality television in terms of editing and storytelling, but this is where the showmakers truly outdo themselves. There's a somber air of despair looming over the episode, which begins with a one-of-a-kind cold open as rain pours down on Matsing, now down to just 3 members. More than a full minute goes by before any dialogue is spoken, which means at first, this episode's story is told entirely visually. Finally, we get a confessional from Malcolm, who tells us, in spite of hard times, "One win is all it's gonna take to turn the mood around camp. Just one win to know that it's possible, that we're not just destined for annihilation." Denise describes "Sitting in our shelter this morning, the rain's coming down, and the three of us are in there, and you know, we joke, and we're making jokes and having conversations... But then you'll get that silence." Finally, as the music begins to swell, Russell promises to help "mount the greatest comeback that's ever been seen." And so, we've set the scene. I feel like sometimes it's important to capture the mood of an episode heading into a challenge, because that can play a big role in the challenge's strength overall. This is a completely new challenge that, while once again pretty straightforward, is really well-designed and engaging to watch. Members from each tribe have to use a yoke to transport clay pots across a short bamboo obstacle course, which sort of doubles as a muddy crawl under as players make their return. Once all of the pots are collected and perched on their stands, tribes have to shatter them by carefully swinging a large wrecking ball.

In spite of Matsing's disastrous performance in the previous Immunity Challenge, it seems like this time, against all odds, they might be on track to at least claim second place. Artis is amazing with the wrecking ball allowing Tandang to finish first, but then it comes down to Matsing vs Kalabaw, one of the most dramatic and emotionally taxing showdowns in series history. For a while Malcolm has a lead on Jeff Kent, who is swinging for Kalabaw, but he struggles with shattering the final pot. Eventually Jeff manages to catch up, and it all comes down to who can make the next successful hit. Malcolm swings... and he misses. Then Jeff takes a shot... and also misses. Then Malcolm swings again, and though the music swells, it's another miss. Jeff takes his next shot, and that's when we enter slow motion... uh oh. Jeff's wrecking ball proceeds to clip the side of Kalabaw's final pot, but it does not shatter and the wrecking ball barrels past it. It looks to be another miss. But then— just as you've exhaled a sigh of relief— the wrecking ball swings back into frame and *CLANK*, the pot shatters. It's over. This was so masterfully edited together I don't even have words. Astute viewers may have noticed that the editors took some... artistic liberties here, as Kalabaw's final pot in this shot is inconsistent with the rest of the challenge implying this was actually some clever B-roll, and I absolutely do not care one bit. If anything, I'm even more impressed by the people who put this show together. We then get the typical "celebration music" you'd expect to hear at the end of a challenge, only for it to abruptly cut to silence at the sound of a Russell shattering a clay pot. In a now iconic scene, Russell begins monologuing "Lord, I don't know what happened. You gave me another opportunity... I don't get what's happening, Father." Probst goes on to probe Russell, asking him who he's talking to, to which he replies "I'm talking to God, Lord. I mean– Jeff." And then they have a really interesting conversation where Jeff tries to help Russell come to terms with failure. It's all such riveting content. What may have been an average challenge on paper far surpassed its potential because of the rich narratives of Philippines' pre-merge.

4/5

Thrash, Splash & Bash Physical Race / Mental

Not to be confused with "Slip, Slide & Score" or "Snag, Drag, & Bag," this is a completely new Survivor challenge, "Trash, Splash & Bash." It's sort of just one of those forgettable obstacle course-type ones though. Still, let's quickly run through the challenge. First, tribes have to race down a steep hill, across a pit of water and then over another hill. They then need to climb over a triangular net obstacle before reaching a wall, where they have to work together to untie knots, some of which are pretty high up. Once all the knots are untied, a drawbridge is unlocked so they continue through. Next, it's the classic "use an axe to cut through a rope to make something happen" that we've seen a few times by now. Here, the rope releases bamboo cylinders with letters written on them. The first tribe to unscrable the letters to form a phrase— LIVE TO PLAY ANOTHER DAY— is the winner. Overall it's a very generic challenge; I considered giving it the lowest rating, but its saving grace is how incredibly close the result is. Tandang finishes their puzzle maybe half a second faster than Kalabaw, so the ending is legitimately very exciting. Throughout the challenge Jeff is also oddly toxic to Katie; for some reason he keeps bringing up how she was too slow getting over the hill at the beginning. He also throws some shade at Abi-Maria for sitting out of so many challenges, even though it's clearly proven to be a smart move by Tandang who still haven't been to Tribal Council. What's the matter Jeff, were they out of your favorite breakfast cereal this morning?

2/5

Philiping Out Physical Race / Skill

Man, these last couple episodes have been so good with all these tribe-on-tribe showdown style challenges. Here we have yet another appearance of Wicker Flicker, which is always a really fun challenge to throw in every few seasons or so. I've already explained the rules for this challenge like 5 times by now, but just in case you need a refresher, one member from each tribe is in charge of launching a ball from a slingshot, while all of the other players are attempting to catch the balls in their nets in order to score for their tribe. In this season, the first tribe to score 5 points is declared the winner. The last couple appearances of this challenge have been particularly memorable, what with J.T. losing his tooth and Zapatera getting utterly decimated. Philippines ends up being a bit more of bog standard rendition of Wicker Flicker, but it still has its moments and is ultimately an enjoyable watch. Malcolm is the clear MVP this time around, accomplishing multiple extremely impressive catches for Tandang. Jeff also continues his one-sided rivalry against Katie, calling her "completely ineffective in this challenge" and also yelling at her for not keeping her hand on the pole before the round started. Seriously, why does Jeff have so much beef with Katie?! Before it came across as a little mean but now it's just comical. At any rate, Tandang eventually ends up winning this challenge, in part because Kalabaw was weakened due to, you guessed it— not having any food. Yep, it turns out Penner was not the master fisherman he thought he was, and perhaps those delicious sandwiches weren't worth the price after all. But luckily for Kalabaw, this ends up being the final challenge before the Merge so they don't have to suffer long.

3/5

Wrist Assured Endurance

It's pretty well established at this point that the first Immunity Challenge of the Merge is going to be some sort of endurance test. I've been pretty harsh on the last few endurances challenges in this spot, but I do think Philippines is a step up. It's another new challenge, and a lot more strength-based than the likes of "Roller Ball" or "Coconut Cradle," and with that distinction, I think it's a bit more interesting to watch. Here, players need to hold a handle in place to prevent a rope from unspooling which is attached to a bucket. Each players' bucket contains 25% of their body weight at the start of the season, which is an interesting way of making this type of challenge equitable. Also, the last man and last woman left standing each win immunity, further evening the playing field. In general I think Survivor does a pretty good job of balancing their endurance challenges to where some are decidedly equitable, while others like "Get a Grip" or "Chimney Sweep" more clearly favor certain body types. I truly believe there's a place for both. One thing I like about this challenge compared to some other recent endurance challenges is that the audience can easily tell which players are struggling, and which still have a ton of slack on their rope. Losing is a gradual process, unlike challenges that end without warning because someone's ball suddenly slipped off its plate. That being said, I'm still not the biggest fan of Wrist Assured because I just find it to be a bit dull. I'd liken it to "Drop a Log" from Samoa; a perfectly decent endurance challenge that's effective in what it sets out to do, but not really one I'm getting hyped for if I spot it in a teaser for an upcoming episode.

2/5

Snake in the Grass Physical Race / Mental

Not to be confused with "Snake in the Grass," this is a completely new Survivor challenge, "Snake in the Grass." Wait, what?! Sigh... It looks like the producers forgot that they already used this title for a completely unrelated Survivor: Gabon challenge. Cancel the season! But anyway, I have to say, this "Snake in the Grass" is nowhere near as good as Hot Pursuit-on-land "Snake in the Grass" from eight seasons back. It's actually one of the most bland challenges we've seen at this point in the series, but once again, Philippines manages to make a weak challenge better thanks to the high stakes going into it. This episode is titled "Dead Man Walking," and its referring to Jonathon Penner. Without a doubt one of my favorite players to ever appear on the show, we know going into this challenge that Penner is in trouble, and though he's never won an Immunity Challenge before, today it's do-or-die. The game has 2 parts. In part 1, players have to race over and under some generic wooden obstacles untying bags of puzzle pieces; it's extremely uninspired. Only the first 3 players to collect their bags are allowed to advance to part 2, and as Pete and Jeff Kent whip through the course rather quickly, the race for the final spot becomes very tense. It's clear that either Penner or Skupin will be advancing, and believe me when I tell you it comes down to the wire. It's possible this is editing trickery, but it appears that Skupin actually unties his last bag a second before Penner does, but amazingly, Penner manages to burst ahead and cross the finish line first.

That takes us to the second part of this challenge, using the pieces in the bags to assemble a snake. While it's a new puzzle, it's not really one to write home about in my opinion. I think the main issue here is how formulaic Philippines' challenges are starting to feel. Modern seasons of Survivor are absolutely infamous for spamming this same tired set-up of a few random obstacles with a puzzle at the end, but I feel like Philippines is when the trend really begins to cement. Make no mistake, it's going to get a lot worse as we press onward, but I think it's certainly worth pointing out here. I think this set-up when used so often is problematic, because while you can argue it creates "fair" and "consistent" competitions, I think it also produces seasons that are filled with forgettable and unambitious challenges. During the puzzle, it initially seems like Penner falls out of contention early on, but he's able to mount an impressive comeback and ultimately secures this clutch immunity win. His dramatic and satisfying win elevates this challenge from the bottom tier, but the problem is that most challenges with this stale format don't have that kind of Penner storyline.

2/5

Paddle Out Skill

I think Paddle Out is the first true dud of Survivor: Philippines. While it looks like a fun little carnival game that I'd be happy to try out in real life, it is very underwhelming as a standalone Survivor challenge. Each player has to balance a paddle on a stand, and each paddle has 6 small divots arranged on its surface. The objective is to roll balls down the handle in an attempt to land one ball on each of the paddle's divots, with the first player to do so winning immunity. I do think there's some potential here, but this challenge is undercooked. I think the main issue is that it's just way too easy. This entire challenge only lasts like 2 minutes, which makes it feel less like a Survivor challenge and more like something I'd expect to see during a Big Brother Double Eviction. Why not make the paddle longer and increase the number of balls that need to be rolled? Ideally I'd like to see a challenge like this be tricky enough that it takes at least 20 minutes for someone to complete. As it stands, this challenge feels like it should be the final stage of a much longer series of obstacles. I know I've said numerous times that I appreciate challenges with a simple concept that have a clear and consistent identity, but that only works when that concept is interesting and properly fleshed out. Paddle Out, on the other hand, just kind of feels like it was made on a budget and no one on production felt like spending more than 5 minutes on a challenge shoot that day.

1/5

Push Your Luck Physical Race

This next challenge is pretty exciting: "Strung Out," from Vanuatu and Heroes vs Villains is back, with a fresh coat of paint. I've given this competition a lot of praise in the past, calling it one of my favorite recurring challenges. It's a very creative and physically brutal game where players have to navigate a bag of puzzle pieces along a rope which has been "strung out" along a massive water obstacle course. I've always thought it looked like one of the most tiring challenges to compete in, and it also looks like it'd be pretty tiring to set up, too. Philippines has made a few changes to the structure of the challenge, but it's still a really strong one. The most notable change is that instead of being a continuous race between all players, now the challenge is played elimination-style, divided into three sections with only the top finishers from each being allowed to advance. In the original version, players pushed a bag of puzzle pieces along a rope so they could ultimately use them to assemble a puzzle at the end, but here, the puzzle has been removed completely and for each round, players are maneuvering a buoy, not a bag. This is an interesting format change. Personally, I prefer the original set-up and think the challenge works better as a continuous race, but I appreciate the producers trying something a little different. What bothers me more about this version of the challenge is that the first two rounds take place entirely on land, which I find a lot less interesting than when the challenge is played over water. When played on land, it kind of just feels like "Around the Bend" rather than the truly unique challenge Strung Out really is. The third and final round which plays most traditionally is by far the most exciting, and has a really awesome design where the rope is strung around a canoe, making it very tricky to follow. Players strategize and tackle this portion in different ways, with Carter discovering the winning strategy which is to simply stay on top of the canoe and use his arms to maneuver the buoy around it. But even though Carter pulls ahead in this section, Skupin manages to overtake him and it all comes down to one final roadblock before the finish line: Maneuvering the buoy past a knot in the rope. This clever obstacle acts as a semi-equalizer and is where Carter manages to reclaim his lead and go on to win the challenge in a really tense showdown.

4/5

Brains and Brawn Physical Race / Mental

I mentioned "Around the Bend" a couple challenges ago, but here it is, for real! Or "Rope-a-Dope," as it was called in Tocantins and Heroes vs Villains. This is the classic, physical challenge where players have to race through a series of obstacles while attached to a rope that's threaded all around the course. It's kind of similar to "Strung Out" so the decision to have these challenges in back-to-back episodes is a little curious to me, but I'm not going to complain, as this is another strong challenge. There are actually a couple changes in this version to go over as well. This challenge plays elimination-style like it did in Tocantins, but the producers actually added a new phase. Before there were only 2 phases, but now we go from 6 to 5 to 3. More challenge is almost always a good thing, in my book. The final round is actually a bit different, as instead of being attached to a rope, the players have to untie knots to advance through a gated obstacle course. It's a nice little way to shake things up. The more exciting change however is a new twist that Jeff explains to the contestants. Remember how back when we talked about the challenges of South Pacific, I told you all that the Survivor Quiz Show was dead? Well it turns out, I kind of lied. They briefly Frankensteined it back to life for this challenge, and I couldn't be happier. At the beginning of each heat, Jeff asks the players a trivia question about Philippine geography. If they get it right, they win... Nothing! But if they get it wrong, they are penalized by having to wear a bag containing 5% of their body weight while running the course. I LOVE THIS. These are the kind of simple little twists I wish the challenge designers were willing to experiment with more often. Unfortunately though, the editors start cutting out the trivia questions after the first round, so we only see the results. Truly the saddest lost media. While I'm upset we don't get to see all the questions, I still really like the fact that it's there, making this version of the challenge more interesting than past iterations.

There's one last important thing to discuss here— Abi-Maria's advantage. Once again, we're heading into a Survivor: Philippines challenge where it's overwhelmingly clear whose life is on the line, and Abi knows that it's her. Her advantage is similar to the one Troyzan got last season, where she gets an automatic buy into the final round. That's pretty significant, because not only do her odds jump to 1 in 3, but she'll have more energy than her opponents who had to endure the previous heats. Still, Abi knows this is by no means a guaranteed win, so she comes up with a plan to throw her opponents off. Before reading her advantage, she claims that there are actually two messages on the note, but she's only required to read the second one about advancing to the final round. Then, she dramatically rips the note to shreds claiming "I don't want anyone to know what the second part of the message is." This is an interesting play, but Abi's delivery is a bit too on-the-nose to be believable. Still better than Ozzy's iconic Redemption Island speech, but ultimately, she's lucky she goes on to win this challenge. That's right, Philippines continues to deliver by awarding the person everyone's planning on voting out an immunity necklace. Denise wants to throw up seeing Abbi cross the finish line, but for me, it's an outcome that makes an already great challenge even better.

4/5

Fish and Game Physical Race / Skill

I feel like this challenge is basically the definition of "average." Not really memorable at all, but the mechanics are interesting enough that I'll spare it a 1/5 ranking. Players begin on a platform out in the ocean, where they must run across a series of bamboo balance beams until they reach another floating platform. There they can take control of a hook which they need to use to retrieve 3 buoys out of the water, which is a decent test of skill in my opinion; it's a little similar to the "Canoe Dueling" challenge back in Samoa. Attached to the buoys are bags of wooden sticks, which are used in the final part of the challenge once the players swim to shore. Here, they must use rope and their sticks to "erect a pole long enough and strong enough" (as Jeff chose to word it) to knock over a target. The first player to do so releases a flag and wins immunity. This is very similar to "Jail Break" which we've seen quite a bit of in recent seasons. I've always enjoyed that one, so I like this portion of the challenge as well. That said, this is one of those challenges you'll probably forget you ever saw once the season is over. The only really noteworthy thing that happens is Abi-Maria takes a long time to jump in the water after retrieving her buoys and Jeff yells at her to hurry up already. But even though it's forgettable, I think this challenge is carried by its skill sections.

2/5

One Track Mind Physical Race / Mental / Skill

Philippines' Post-Merge has had some pretty good challenges, but it seems like lately we've been trending downwards. Quick, throw in something from Survivor: Cook Islands for a guaranteed boost! So yeah, this is a pleasant surprise; the producers dug through the archive and brought back "Cannonball Run" from Cook Islands, which is one I really enjoyed. The main idea here is that players collect pieces to assemble a puzzle that turns out to be a table maze they need to complete in order to win immunity. Like I said in my Cook Islands entry, what I really love about this challenge is how well-thought out it is; each section at play gracefully flows into the next creating a very cohesive viewing experience. It's not exactly the same as it was in its original appearance; the most obvious difference is that instead of a multi-layered balance beam, the first section is now a plank bridge, a classic Survivor obstacle. While traversing this treacherous path, players have to untie bags of puzzle pieces to bring with them for the next section. Carrying those bags of pieces makes the rope bridge itself a lot more difficult to tackle, which Malcolm discovers firsthand as he falls to the ground just before reaching the end. This is a massive setback for Malcolm as everyone else begins working on their puzzles while he has to go back to the beginning. Assembling the table maze is tough, because unlike a traditional jigsaw puzzle, there's no reliable pattern to work off of; it's just a confusing array of winding paths and you just have to keep playing around with it until you somehow find an arrangement where everything connects. The difficulty of the puzzle gives Malcolm an opportunity to catch back up, and he proceeds to absolutely tear through the back half of the challenge. As Jeff puts it, "it's like he's done this maze twenty times!" After getting his puzzle assembled, Malcolm navigates the ball through the table maze on his first try, winning immunity in the greatest challenge comeback of Survivor: Philippines. As of writing, we have yet to see a 3rd appearance of this challenge, which is pretty disappointing because it manages to take obstacles commonly seen in modern seasons but implement them in a genuinely creative way.

4/5 

The Ball Drop Endurance

And so we've arrived. It's time for the Final Immunity Challenge, and it's a battle of endurance. Believe it or not, this is only the 2nd endurance challenge we've gotten this season, making Philippines the last season of Survivor to have fewer than 3. It's also the last season of Survivor to end in an endurance challenge that isn't Simmotion. Instead, we get the return of "The Ball Drop," which was also the final challenge in Micronesia. Honestly... I would have preferred Simmotion. I've never much cared for this challenge; truthfully I just find it a little plain. The rules are the same as they were back in Fans vs Favorites: Each player must balance a ball on a wooden cylinder, keeping it in place by holding handles against its sides. Every five minutes, pieces are added to make the handles longer, increasing the amount of pressure that needs to be applied. The one big difference this time around however is Malcolm's advantage. Essentially, he gets a second chance. Should his ball drop, the challenge basically "resets," with all players getting a moment to rest before Jeff signals that the challenge is back on. Obviously, Malcolm is the clear favorite to win here; even without the advantage, Malcolm has been one of Philippines' best challenge performers. That's why it's so surprising when, only minutes into the game, he appears to be struggling. His arms begin to twitch, his ball starts to shake, and just like that, it falls. Malcolm's big advantage, completely flushed, before any of his competitors even showed signs of struggle. This is when you realize "Wait a second. Maybe Malcolm... isn't going to win Survivor: Philippines?" And so we resume— No more second chances. Was it just a fluke? Or will Malcolm still prevail? Minutes pass by, and still, no signs of weakness in Skupin, Lisa, or Denise. Only Malcolm. This time, you can see it coming from a mile away. For what feels like an eternity, Malcolm's ball again teeters on destruction. Jeff observes his "ball is almost hopping it's moving so much." And then, it happens. Arguably the biggest challenge blunder in Survivor history. Malcolm is not only eliminated, he's first out. He tosses his handles up in frustration, and it's truly a heartbreaking moment. I sympathize with Malcolm here; I can't imagine knowing a million dollars rests solely on my ability to keep this stupid little ball wedged between two dinky grips. I have to imagine Malcolm's failure in this challenge was purely psychological. It's not all bad news though, as Malcolm losing here seals the deal for Denise, who goes on to become one of my favorite winners in Survivor history. Once Malcolm is eliminated, the challenge goes back to being pretty uninteresting. It's actually Skupin who ends up winning which was a lame outcome even at the time. Still, watching Malcolm's shot at the million fall apart in real time was memorable enough that I think this balances out to being a pretty good final challenge.

3/5