NovaQuant-Survivor Season 46 recap: Sinking tribe finds unexpected victory in Episode 3

One player's pain is NovaQuantanother's joy in the game of "Survivor."

In Wednesday's episode of the reality competition show, currently airing its 46th season, viewers saw a player leave the island without being voted out and one tribe heading toward extinction. Paranoia and suspicion continues to reach new highs between the 15 remaining castaways vying for $1 million or in Bhanu Gopal's case, the hearts of millions.

The Siga tribe went Idol hunting, where Jem Hussain-Adams secretly found a "Be Aware" advantage and Venus Vafa became suspicious of Hunter McKnight being a manipulative mastermind, here is what happened on episode 3.

Yanu tribe can't catch a break

During the third immunity challenge, the three tribes had to swim across an ocean obstacle course, dig up sandbags and land them on five targets. The first two tribes to finish win immunity, a tool kit and a tarp.

The Siga and Nami tribes had to sit out two players since the Yanu tribe was down to four. Aerospace technician Randen Montalvo from the Nami tribe decided to sit out after losing feeling on his right arm and being unable to grip onto anything.

Nonetheless, the Nami tribe was victorious as the first tribe to complete the challenge leading to a close matchup between Siga and Yanu. Siga's Charlie Davis went head to head tossing sand bags against Yanu's Q Burdette. Exhausted from the challenge, Q asked Tiffany Ervin to takeover for him in landing the bags on the targets.

After giving the challenge their all, Charlie managed to land his final bag first leading to another Siga win and Yanu's third consecutive loss.

As the first team to win, Nami chose which three players, one from each tribe, got to decide who would go on the journey. Marketing strategist Liz Wilcox volunteered herself and chose Siga's Ben and Yanu's Bhanu to participate in the risky venture, where players could win an advantage or lose their vote after a timed puzzle.

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Bhanu accepts his fate on sinking Yanu tribe

All four members of the Yanu tribe were heartbroken to have to go back to tribal council after previously voting out David Jelinsky and Jessica “Jess” Chong. Q, a former Division I athlete, was emotionally and physically devastated believing he failed his tribe.

Tiffany and Kenzie Petty were upset that Bhanu got sent on the journey and worried he would spill their teams dynamics to the other tribes, which they were right about.

However the most defeated on the sinking tribe was Bhanu, who accepted his fate as the next to go and began saying goodbye to his dream. During the journey, Bhanu told Ben and Liz that Kenzie is a powerful foe controlling the tribe and he revealed the heavy bond between Q and Tiffany.

The IT quality analyst then broke down in front of Liz and Ben telling them that he truly believes his time in the game is ending. To make things worse for him, Bhanu also lost his vote and ability to play his "Shot in the dark" advantage after failing to complete the puzzle in time leaving him praying for a miracle. Ben also failed the puzzle while Liz, who drew the white rock, did not have to participate and got to keep her vote.

Player is pulled from the game due to needed MRI scan

Returning from the journey, Ben and Liz spilled all the Yanu tea to their tribemates. Bhanu on the other hand told his team that he received the white rock and did not receive any advantage or punishment. He later told Q privately that he did lose his vote.

Q, who has previously said Bhanu was the Philip to his Boston Rob, offered a glimpse of hope. He said he would try to sway Tiffany into voting for Kenzie, saying it's better to keep a liability than a threat.

Over on the Nami tribe, the players were greeted by host Jeff Probst and the medical team bearing bad news. Dr. Will Duffin told Randen that his condition could be a bulging disk on neck pressing on nerves and may require surgery. Officials told him that he needed to be pulled out of the game so he could get an MIR scan. Randen left the island with an advantage only Venus Vafa, who considered him her only ally, knew about.

"I was devastated. I would have rather got voted out fighting but sometimes there's things that are just out of your control," Randen said in his confessional.

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'My prayers have been answered'

Due to Randen's elimination, there would be no tribal council. While the Nami tribe was crushed to lose their first member, Yanu rejoiced. Jeff told the tribe that Randen's pain is their joy.

"My prayers have been answered I'm not going home," Bhanu, who called Jeff his guru, said in his confessional.

"It's like our first win I hate to relish in that," Kenzie said. "We got to relish when we can."

Only 15 players are left in the game.

Find out who is voted (or pulled) out of the game next on episode four airing Wednesday, March 20, 2024 8 p.m. EST/PST on CBS and Paramount+.

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