This season’s twist will alter the game like it never has before. It’s called the “Trifecta” and it’s an exclusive club you want to be a part of.
This season, every challenge will be INDIVIDUAL but there will still be two tribes.
After each immunity challenge, the three top performers will win immunity and form the “Trifecta.” Whichever tribe holds the majority in the Trifecta will be immune for the round while the other tribe will attend tribal council.
If you are a member of the “Trifecta,” you will participate in a reward challenge due an hour before the vote read. The winner of the “Trifecta” challenge will get to choose between two First Place rewards and the runner-up will get to choose between two Second Place rewards. The third player will exit the Trifecta empty-handed but will still have immunity. Other than the first challenge taking place today, this information will remain anonymous outside of the player receiving the information.
Each round, three new members will enter the Trifecta for a chance to win immunity and a reward in the game. Therefore, you cannot be a member of the Trifecta in back-to-back rounds.
The Trifecta twist will end when there are eight people left in the game.
1️⃣6️⃣ Dana/TotsTrashy - Kosrae - Day 1 (6-1-1)
1️⃣5️⃣ Jana/TheGoodMan - Satawal - Day 1 (8-0)
For the first time in Cutthroat history, the two tribes would be chosen by a schoolyard pick. The top two members of the Trifecta were captains and they got to pick the tribes.
At Kosrae, an alliance formed that left DANA and JAY on the outs. The tribe ultimately stuck by the alliance and sent DANA home on Day 1.
At Satawal, the tribe unanimously voted out their most inactive player in JANA.
1️⃣4️⃣ Andrew/turney1805 - Satawal - Day 2 (5-2)
After the tribe unanimously voted out JANA, a core group formed between ETHAN, JACKSON, JUSTIN and WILL. They pulled in GRACE to target ANDREW, as he went home 5-2, leaving STEVE on the outs and at the bottom of the tribe.
1️⃣3️⃣ Steve/sjsoccer88 - Satawal - Day 3 (4-2)
After Satawal lost another challenge, STEVE appeared to be the target. However, there was a push to vote GRACE out in case STEVE had an idol. However, STEVE had no idol and was voted out in a 4-2 vote.
With the SATAWAL tribe evenly split with 3 original Kosrae and 3 original Satawal, the margin for error was razor thin. Luckily for the Satawal side, ETHAN held an extra vote he won after winning a Trifecta reward. This gave them the numbers advantage to take out ERIK, who held an idol as his torch was snuffed.
1️⃣1️⃣ Josh/sergeant - Kosrae/Kosrae - Day 5 (3-2-1)
After KOSRAE lost its first immunity challenge, they held a 4-2 majority within the tribe. They agreed to split the votes between JUSTIN and WILL in case of an idol play. However, JIVE, who was safe from being part of the Trifecta, had other ideas. In an attempt to make a power play, he flipped and forced a 3-2-1 vote out of JOSH.
At the merge, the tribes were evenly split with 5 members each. BRIAN, JUSTIN and WILL won immunity at the Trifecta Challenge and ETHAN had the power to send BRIAN to Exile Island from a previous Trifecta power.
This gave the original SATAWAL tribe the majority to vote out JAY, the most loyal to the KOSRAE tribe.
0️⃣9️⃣ Cam/boicam77 - Kosrae/Satawal/Piailug - Day 7 (6-2-1)
With the SATAWAL tribe holding majority, they continued to stay strong and pick off the remaining KOSRAE tribe members, beginning with CAM, the least active member.
0️⃣8️⃣ Ethan/Brittney - Satawal/Satawal/Piailug - Day 7 (5-2-1-1)
With the numbers firmly on their side and the Trifecta twist part of the past, the core SATAWAL alliance of JACKSON, JUSTIN and WILL aimed to make a play on ETHAN, the most dangerous of the SATAWAL tribe in individual challenges. They felt it would be best to blindside him at the Fast Forward with little time to adjust.
WILL used his extra vote and the core alliance brought in BRIAN's vote to take ETHAN out in a 5-2-1-1 vote.
0️⃣7️⃣ Brian/cfff - Kosrae/Satawal/Piailug - Day 8 (3-3-1/3-2)
With JACKSON, JUSTIN and WILL firmly in the majority, they attempted to vote BRIAN out after they no longer needed his vote. The KOSRAE side felt that the easiest path to move forward with was to vote for GRACE, knowing how tight JACKSON, JUSTIN and WILL were.
Nonetheless, the vote tied after GRACE threw her vote on JIVE and BRIAN would go home in the revote by a 3-2 vote.
0️⃣6️⃣ Jive/Jive - Kosrae/Kosrae/Piailug - Day 9 (5-2)
The SATAWAL 3 & GRACE kicked off the finale with WILL stealing JIVE's vote and JACKSON using his Vote Borrow, disallowing him from voting in the next tribal.
This devastated the KOSRAE duo, ruining any chances they had of defeating the majority.
0️⃣5️⃣ Jae/PoohSnap - Kosrae/Kosrae/Piailug - Day 9 (Medically Evacuated)
After two straight self-votes, JAE was medevac'd at the Final 5, the latest medevac in Cutthroat history. Nonetheless, he was voted out unanimously, creating a Final 4.
0️⃣4️⃣ Grace/pinkiepie512 - Satawal/Satawal/Piailug - Day 9 (3-1)
After JACKSON won his record fourth-straight immunity, it completed the journey for the SATAWAL 3 after they voted GRACE out.
--- Final 3 ---
0️⃣3️⃣ Will/SurvivorFan37 - Satawal/Kosrae/Piailug - 0 votes to win
0️⃣2️⃣ Justin/BeastBoy - Satawal/Kosrae/Piailug - 3 votes to win
0️⃣1️⃣ Jackson/jacksonjoseph99 - Satawal/Satawal/Piailug - 3 votes & tiebreaker to win
At the Final Tribal Council, the six jury members felt WILL's game was not on the same level as JACKSON or JUSTIN. While JACKSON received kudos for winning five of the final six immunity challenges, JUSTIN received praise for continually dodging the target. After the 3-3 tie, WILL cast the winning vote for JACKSON, giving him the title of Sole Survivor.
The gameplay wasn't strong, but the cast and twist made up for it, making it an entertaining season.
The fall and rise of the SATAWAL tribe, most notably the Final 3 (JACKSON, JUSTIN, WILL) was exciting to watch.
The season is probably most known as JACKSON's debut. He would go on to become a Cutthroat legend and the first to win three total Cutthroat games, including Valley of Victors, the winners-only season.
JACKSON was definitely the favorite going into FTC and he had the game on lock once he went on his immunity run. JUSTIN had a very impressive FTC performance, but I felt that a JUSTIN win would have robbed JACKSON.
Rating: 7/10
Ranking: 11/20
Returnees: Jackson (Flops vs. Tops, Valley of Victors), Justin (Edge of Glory, G2: Lake Natron), Will (Flops vs. Tops), Grace (Henan, Edge of Glory), Jive (Mamanuca), Josh (Mamanuca, G2: Sierra Madre), Dana (Edge of Glory)
