Top 3 moments of ‘Survivor 44’ episode 7: Va Va Doom! Matt bites the dust despite Heidi’s advantage

The seventh episode of “Survivor 44” aired on Wednesday night and concluded with Matt Blankinship getting his torch snuffed out by host Jeff Probst. The 27-year old from San Francisco, California was the latest castaway to go home at this exciting stage of the competition. Did they make the right decision? And what were the dumbest, most shocking and most exciting moments of the seventh episode?

Below, read our “Survivor 44” Episode 7 Top 3 moments. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite castaways on CBS’ reality TV show, who annoys you the most and who you think will ultimately join the “Survivor” winners list and take home the $1 million grand prize.

SEE ‘Survivor 44’: Did Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt use her ‘Control a Vote’ advantage correctly? [POLL]

Top 3 Moments of “Survivor 44” Episode 7:

1. Meet Va Va: The newly minted Va Va tribe, which is my favorite name of any tribe in recent seasons, is captivating for two major reasons. The first is that, as a whole, it is a hot mess in the best way possible. But how is everyone getting along so well? The second reason is that everyone is playing the game and immunity idols are on the minds of them all. More importantly, Danny Massa was completely oblivious to the fact that there was a plan in the works to blindside him and that others know about his immunity idol. What a perfect time for an immunity challenge to occur right?

2. Immunity With a Twist: In the immunity challenge, many people earned the coveted safety as well as a tasty reward. The two teams were pretty evenly matched in terms of front-runners and dark horses. I love nothing more than an even playing field, but a few contestants proved to be really good at balancing. Carson Garrett chose the orange team as his pick to win, which proved to be a smart decision. Frannie Marin won immunity for herself and was the last member of the orange team, but seemed laser focused on winning for her teammates. Brandon Cottom and Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho had a strong showing this week as well. In the end, Frannie won immunity for the entire orange team leaving Brandon, Matt Blankinship, Jaime Lynn Ruiz, “Yam Yam” and Lauren Harpe up for elimination. The losing team was sent to a separate beach as the winners enjoyed their meal.

3. An Unpredictable Tribal Council: This was easily the most excited I’ve been for a tribal council all season. Brandon and his Ratu alum felt safe as Matt tried to talk his way into safety at the old Soka camp. “Yam Yam” and Lauren wanted to break up the alliance of Frannie and Matt, which was music to the former’s ears as it would allow him to survive another week. “Yam Yam” and Matt also concocted a plan to blindside Lauren. Meanwhile, the winners all competed for an advantage in a race akin to an adult egg hunt. Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt won and I loved seeing her open the prize in such a public manner. She received the power to decide one player’s vote at the upcoming tribal council. Many people were in her ear in hopes of saving an alliance member, but Heidi made no promises. Matt attempted to woo his way to safety with a papaya, which was hilarious, before calling out that there were two major targets in the grouping. Both Matt and “Yam Yam” pleaded their case (rather well I might add). Heidi made her choice and told Lauren to vote for “Yam Yam.” Lauren was quick to point out she had two votes, which intensified the mood. In a close vote, Matt was voted off  anyways (with papaya in hand and Frannie in tears). The major lesson learned this week was pretty clear: With moves this strategic, this is truly anyone’s season to win.

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