What is the Tethered Idol on Survivor 51?
A hidden immunity idol that its owner cannot play on herself. Kristin got it on Day 11, and she can play it only for the two castaways who were at the Day 11 summit with her. If both are voted out, it becomes a regular idol.
How it works
- On Day 11 each tribe sent one castaway to a summit: Ori from Savu, Sharonda from Dina and Kristin from Toka.
- Two of the three went back to camp with corn and ribs. The third spent the night on Exile Island and got the Tethered Idol.
- The idol is tethered to the other two: while either of them is still in the game, it can be played only for them.
- Once both are voted out it is untethered and becomes a regular hidden immunity idol, which Kristin can play on herself.
- Like every idol in the modern game, it stops working once five players remain.
So far this season
Kristin took the night on Exile and the idol, and Ori and Sharonda went back to camp with the food. Savu lost the next Immunity Challenge and voted Ori out 2–0 after his Shot in the Dark came back not safe, so the idol is now tethered to Sharonda alone. One more vote against Sharonda and it is Kristin’s to play on herself.
The fantasy angle
Ori and Sharonda scored a small bonus for the trip and the food they brought home, and Kristin scored for finding the idol. The idol itself splits the roster math two ways: Sharonda has a protector on another tribe who cannot use the idol on anyone else, and Kristin holds an idol that only becomes hers once Sharonda goes, which gives her a quiet reason to want that to happen.
Scoring it can trigger
- Finds idol/advantage+2
- Successful idol/SITD play+3
- Voted out with idol (replaces all)−8
- Idol/advantage expires−1