Survivor Season 40: Winners At War Episode Recaps
Don't miss a single second of the epic 40th season of Survivor on Wednesdays at 8/7c.
Posted on May 14, 2020 | 11:00am
The fight to determine who will be crowned the best Survivor player of all-time—not to mention win a life-altering $2 million—has begun!
In Survivor: Winners at War, 20 previous Sole Survivors face off in the highest-stakes season yet, as they outwit, outplay, and outlast one another in an effort to gain Survivor immortality.
To make sure you don't miss one second of the scheming, blindsides, and strong bonds that are sure to define this landmark 40th season, we'll be keeping track with episodic recaps for easy reference.
Be warned: there are spoilers from here on out.
STREAM: Full Episodes Of Survivor: Winners At War On CBS All Access
"It All Boils Down To This" (Episode 14) / Back In The Game: Natalie / Voted Off: Denise, Ben, Sarah / Sole Survivor: Tony
The Final 5 show up to watch the Edge of Extinction castaways compete in a challenge where the winner will re-enter the game.
With all of the advantages Natalie purchased, she gets a massive head start but gets tripped up early on. In a tight contest, it comes down to Wendell and Natalie, and it's Natalie who wins her way back in.
The rest of the cast-offs adjust to the reality that their game is officially over and tell Jeff what the experience meant to them.
Natalie returns to camp and blows up Tony's spot, telling everyone the jury thinks he's controlling the game. Sarah is concerned her game is getting overshadowed by Tony's.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways have to complete a physical obstacle course to collect puzzle pieces they then have to assemble. Michele makes major progress on her puzzle and the other castaways start looking to her for help. Michele wins Immunity.
Ben and Tony try to agree on where the next vote should go. Natalie tries to communicate that she's open to conversation. Michele and Natalie decide to work together to try and shake up the game by forcing Tony to play his Idol.
Tony freaks out and Sarah tries to calm him down.
At Tribal Council, Koru discusses the impact of Natalie re-entering the game at such a late stage. Sarah expresses her opinions about the perception that Tony is running the game and how gender bias has impacted her life in general.
The Tribe votes, and Natalie plays her hidden Immunity Idol. Following suit, Tony plays his as well. Ben joins the party and plays his Idol too.
The votes would have eliminated Natalie or Ben, but since they both played Idols, the castaways have to revote. However, Denise and Sarah are the only ones eligible to be voted out. After the revote, Denise is eliminated.
Back at camp, Tony goes on an Idol hunt. He doesn't find anything before sunup, and then everyone else joins in. Natalie finds one, which she shows to Michele.
At the Immunity Challenge, the players confront another complex obstacle course. In a tight race between Tony and Ben, Tony ultimately wins.
Tony goes into his spy nest, tasking Sarah with leading Michele and Natalie to the water well to try and discover if they've got an Idol. Natalie pitches Sarah on taking out Ben, and Sarah realizes she's got an Idol, which Tony sees.
Tony and Sarah plan to vote for Michele, guessing that Natalie will play the Idol for herself. Meanwhile, Natalie reveals to Michele that she wanted Sarah to see the Idol. Michele suspects they are targeting her.
Sarah struggles with the next move, but Ben tells her she should vote him out so that she can get to the end and have a big move on her resume.
At Tribal, the group reflects on the experience of the game. The Tribe votes and Natalie plays her Idol. Jeff reads the votes and Ben is voted out.
At the final Immunity Challenge, it comes down to Natalie and Michele, but it's Natalie who takes the final Immunity and guarantees herself a spot at the Final 3.
The castaways return to camp and start practicing their fire-making skills, which Tony struggles with. Natalie tries to decide who she wants to bring to the Final 3 and who she wants to make fire.
At Tribal Council, Natalie chooses to bring Michele to the Final 3, leaving Sarah and Tony to make fire against one another. It's a tight race, but Tony manages to squeak out the win. The Cops R Us alliance embraces one another, both of them very emotional.
The morning of Day 39, the Final 3 wake up to a breakfast feast.
The final Tribal Council is doused in rain as the final castaways make their cases to the jury members about why they should win. When the Q&A is complete, the jury votes for the winner.
Later in Los Angeles, Jeff reads the votes and reveals that Tony wins.
"The Penultimate Step Of The War" (Episode 13) / Voted Off: Jeremy And Nick
Koru returns to camp. Michele is surprised that Jeremy didn't play the advantage she gave him and is concerned that everyone is now targeting her. Jeremy gives her the advantage back.
Tony works on his relationships with Jeremy and Sarah.
Sarah talks with Ben about trying to get rid of Nick.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways compete in an intensely physical contest for safety and two fire tokens. Nick is the first to finish. Michele is frustrated with her performance.
With Nick having safety, Ben starts planting seeds to try and convince Jeremy to get the 50/50 coin back from Michele so they can vote her out. Meanwhile, Jeremy talks to Nick and Tony about voting out Ben.
Other Tribemates discuss going after Denise instead.
Michele tries to navigate between trusting Ben and trusting Jeremy.
Secretly, Ben, Tony, Nick, Jeremy, Denise, and Sarah decide to split the vote between Jeremy and Michele, with the intended target being Jeremy.
Nick realizes he's in a power position to select who actually goes home between Jeremy and Ben.
At Tribal Council, the players open up about the personal tolls Survivor takes on their lives.
After some further discussion, the Tribe votes. Before Jeff reads the votes, Michele decides to play her 50/50 advantage, which lands on "safe," meaning votes against her don't count.
Jeff reads the votes and reveals Jeremy has been voted out. On his way out, Jeremy bequeaths his fire tokens to Michele.
After Tribal, Michele confronts Nick about voting out Jeremy. Michele decides to go for broke and play like she's got nothing to lose.
At Edge of Extinction, Jeremy gets used to his new surroundings. The cast-offs get a new clue and set off running. Natalie, the longest-tenured Extinction player, found the advantage, which allows her to sell it to a player for fire tokens. The advantage lets the owner use it against another player for a disadvantage in the next Immunity Challenge.
Natalie offers the advantage to Nick for eight fire tokens, but he's only got six. He pulls in Michele, who offers him the tokens he needs for the purchase.
At the next Immunity Challenge, the castaways are confronted with a competition to stack blocks along an obstacle-ridden balance beam to make them fall like dominos and ring a gong. The winner will get Immunity and two fire tokens.
Before the challenge begins, Jeff reveals that an advantage is in play, which means a disadvantage of 30 percent more beam and blocks to stack. He doesn't reveal who played the advantage, but Ben is the one given the disadvantage.
The competition begins, and it is Michele who wins.
Back at Koru, Denise makes a show out of saying she thinks she's being voted out and wants to present herself as resigned to her fate while actually conspiring against Nick.
Tony goes into his spy nest while Denise pitches Ben and Sarah on going after Tony, which makes him start campaigning against Denise.
At Tribal, Koru votes and Nick is the next player to go to the Edge of Extinction.
At the Edge, the cast-offs celebrate their last night on Extinction. In the morning, they get a bunch of scrolls that offer some advantages for purchase for the upcoming battle back challenge.
With 14 fire tokens at her disposal, Natalie buys peanut butter and three advantages, and purchases an Idol for Tyson. Plus, she's got the Idol she earned earlier in the game.
"Friendly Fire" (Episode 12) / Voted Off: Kim
After Tribal, Sarah explodes on Tony about the Sophie blindside. Tony is surprised how difficult damage control is becoming.
Tony creates a spy nest near the water well. Ben avoids Jeremy.
Kim starts striking up conversations with Ben, Michele, and Nick about taking out Tony.
At Edge of Extinction, the cast-offs learn about a new challenge to earn fire tokens, requiring them to fetch and stack 20 coconuts.
During the challenge, Rob slips and hurts his elbow, falling behind. Sophie, Natalie, Yul, Tyson, Parvati, and Wendell finish and each earns two fire tokens.
Rob finishes his stack even though he already lost.
Back at camp, Sarah and Tony continue to bicker and Jeremy is confused about why Ben won't talk with him.
The Koru Tribe all goes looking for a hidden Immunity Idol. While Ben and Tony are talking, Ben finds an Idol. He tries to hide it from Tony, who calls him out on it. Ben tries to figure out if he can trust Tony or not.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways must compete in a test of endurance, where both a male and female winner will be crowned with Immunity as well as two fire tokens. After a few people drop, Jeff offers the remaining contestants cookies and milk.
Denise wins for the women, Tony for the men, but not before agreeing to give Nick one of his fire tokens. With Tony having his third Immunity in a row, the majority tries to figure out a new plan.
Jeremy seems to be the next target, though Michele is distraught about it. Ben tells Tony that Kim had been targeting Tony, which he brings up to Nick, who has a hard time lying. Nick tells Kim that Ben told Tony.
Tony tries to convince Ben and Jeremy to flip the vote on Kim. Michele gives Jeremy her 50/50 advantage.
At Tribal Council, a civil discussion turns into another massive whisper session. After the castaways vote, Tony tries to play an Idol for Sarah, but Sarah denies it. Jeremy considers playing the 50/50 advantage but decides not to.
In the end, Kim is voted out. On her way to Extinction, she bequeaths her fire tokens to Michele, Denise, and Sarah.
"This Is Extortion" (Episode 11) / Voted Off: Sophie
Jeremy waits at camp after using his Safety Without Power advantage. When the rest of the Tribe returns, they try to suss out what went down. Ben considers Jeremy to be public enemy number one. Jeremy is concerned that without Tyson, he won't have a meat shield.
Tony sneaks off to look for an Idol after the rest of the Tribe falls asleep. Nick tries to join in but Tony sends him off on a false lead. Finally, Tony finds a package and opens it excitedly to find an Immunity Idol.
Sarah spends some time creating clothes for the Tribemates, who have a brief fashion show.
Jeremy and Tony talk about what went down at Tribal the night before and agree to stick together. Jeremy continues to strategize with Denise, Michele, and Kim, while Tony works to earn that group's trust but is planning on betraying them.
At Edge of Extinction, Natalie and Parvati find a clue to an advantage while looking for firewood. They figure out it's under the bed, so Parvati distracts everyone while Natalie nabs the advantage.
The advantage allows them to extort a current player for as many fire tokens as they want. If the player can't pay up, the player will not be allowed to participate in the Immunity Challenge or vote at Tribal Council.
They decide to extort Tony, demanding six fire tokens. Tony turns to his alliance members to get enough fire tokens to pay up since he's only got three.
He tries to ask Michele, who spent her tokens on the 50/50 advantage, and she makes up a lie about why she doesn't have any.
Jeremy decides to give him one of his tokens, thinking that Tony won't be able to vote with their group if he isn't able to pay. Tony gets additional tokens from Nick and Ben and is able to pay up.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways compete in a contest of balance, which Tony wins—his second Immunity in a row. He also wins two fire tokens. Before Tribal, Kim weighs betraying her alliance with Jeremy to be in the majority.
Denise, Kim, and Jeremy talk about voting for Ben, but Denise doesn't intend on actually doing that. Instead, she and Kim want to blindside Jeremy.
Tony pitches Nick on a plan to get Sophie out instead, which he agrees to. Tony tries to pitch Jeremy on the idea, but he's resistant.
At Tribal Council, the votes fall to Sophie, who is sent home with an Idol in her pocket. Sophie leaves Sarah and Kim her fire tokens.
"The Full Circle" (Episode 10) / Voted Off: Tyson
The castaways show up to the beach and Jeff reveals it's time for a visit from loved ones.
The castaways get emotional as their various family members come out to greet them for a brief respite from the game. Jeff reveals that for the first time, there is no competition to get to spend more time with their loved ones and that everyone will be heading back to camp to enjoy their time.
While the Koru Tribe enjoy their visit, the cast-offs on Edge of Extinction are surprised with a loved ones visit of their own.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways have to compete in a balance-driven challenge for both Immunity and two fire tokens. After a tight competition, Tony wins.
After the challenge, Jeremy starts talking about breaking up Sophie and Sarah, but Tony rejects the idea. Sarah wants to target Kim, but Tony isn't receptive to that either. Ben, Nick, and Tony discuss blindsiding Jeremy.
Meanwhile, Jeremy, Kim, and Tyson feel like they're on the outside and start formulating a plan together. Jeremy considers using his Safety Without Power advantage but is concerned that it will leave his alliance unprotected.
At Tribal Council, whispering begins almost immediately as people try to figure out the plan. Before the voting happens, both Jeremy and Sarah call Jeff's name, but then are hesitant to speak.
Finally, Jeremy gets up and uses his advantage. After he leaves, Ben, Sophie, Sarah, Nick, and Tony huddle to formulate a new plan.
Before voting commences, Sarah uses her Steal a Vote advantage to steal Denise's vote. Before Jeff reads the votes, Kim plays her hidden Immunity Idol for Denise, but in the end it's Tyson who gets the most votes. He heads back to Edge of Extinction for the second time.
"War Is Not Pretty" (Episode 9) / Voted Off: Adam
After the first merged Tribal Council, Michele and Nick are annoyed that they were blindsided with the Wendell vote.
Adam is convinced he saw an Immunity Idol hidden at Tribal Council in Jeff's podium and considers trying to grab it next time.
At Edge of Extinction, the cast-offs get a clue to an advantage and they set off searching.
Parvati and Danni find the advantage, which is a 50/50 coin that a player still in the game can flip at Tribal for a chance at Immunity. They decide to tell the other cast-offs about it.
At the Reward Challenge, the castaways are split into teams to compete for Chinese takeout. Since there's an odd number of players, Denise sits out.
In the end, Kim, Sophie, Sarah, Michele, and Ben win the reward, but Sarah asks Jeff if she can give up her reward to someone else. She chooses to give it to Nick as a birthday present.
Back at camp, Tony tells Sarah he thinks she made a mistake.
Nick is appreciative of the reward but claims he still doesn't trust Sarah. Michele finds the 50/50 coin in her bag and decides to purchase it using four fire tokens.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways compete in a battle of endurance as they have to balance on a precarious floating raft in various positions. It comes down to Kim and Ben, but it is Kim who manages to hang on the longest and win Immunity.
Tony, Ben, Kim, and Denise talk about splitting the vote between Michele and Nick.
Meanwhile, Nick, Adam, and Michele talk about sending Sarah home, which Denise hears and tells to Kim. When Kim relays this to Tyson, he suggests taking out Adam instead and works to convince the others.
Sarah hears that Adam is throwing her name out and is furious. Ben confronts Adam about Adam saying he and Sarah are too close.
The entire Tribe starts going at each other with a variety of different plans and no one seems to be able to agree on anything.
At Tribal Council, Koru discusses the craziness around camp. Nick is outspoken about his position in the game. The whispers and arguing at Tribal begin, primarily between Nick, Adam, and Ben.
The Tribe votes, but before Jeff can read them, Adam takes the opportunity to inspect Jeff's pedestal to see if there's a Hidden Immunity Idol. Jeff doesn't confirm or deny that it's real, so Adam tries to play it and learns it is not an Idol.
Jeff reads the votes and reveals Adam to be the next person voted off. Adam gives his fire token to Denise.
"This Is Where The Battle Begins" (Episode 8) / Back In The Game: Tyson / Voted Off: Wendell
The castaways on Edge of Extinction get a scroll telling them that the battle to get back in the game is coming. They start spending their fire tokens on advantages to help them. Natalie buys one, and Amber gives a token to Rob so he can buy an advantage and an Idol if he should win.
Jeff meets with the Tribes and tells them to drop their buffs, revealing it is time for the merge. All castaways become one Tribe, Koru, but Jeff reveals that a competition is about to take place to bring back one cast-off.
The players must complete an intense obstacle course. Natalie, Danni, Ethan, Tyson, and Rob have advantages for one section of the course thanks to their fire tokens.
The competition kicks off, and ultimately boils down to Tyson and Rob. Tyson wins by a matter of inches and joins the Tribe. The other cast-offs head back to Extinction until another chance to get back in the game.
The new Tribe arrives at camp to find a new fire token menu, and the prices have gone up. The Tribe settles in for the merge feast.
Denise tells the Tribe about how she voted Sandra out, which puts a target on her back. Tyson is concerned about being the only old school player currently in the game. Wendell tries to build a relationship with Jeremy.
The sky opens up and it starts pouring, but players continue strategizing.
At the Immunity Challenge, Sophie is shivering from the cold rain. Jeff tells the castaways they are not only playing for Immunity Idol, but a fire token—and that Immunity will go to both one man and one woman. The challenge is endurance-based, requiring the players to grip a pole for as long as they can.
Michele is the first player to drop, and falls hard. Adam is next, followed by Sarah, Tyson, Wendell, Tony, and Sophie. Kim is the last woman to drop, giving Denise Immunity and a fire token. Jeremy and Nick are the final two men, but it's Nick who drops first.
Back at camp, Tony, Jeremy, and Ben talk about targeting Nick. Meanwhile, Sophie wants to target Wendell. Ben and Jeremy set to work trying to convince the other Tribe members to change their vote to either Adam or Nick. Adam is paranoid about Tribal.
After some chatter at Tribal, Koru votes and Wendell is sent to the Edge of Extinction. Wendell gives his fire tokens to Michele and Nick.
"We're In The Majors" (Episode 7) / Voted Off: Yul
Parvati and Sandra adjust to their new reality on Edge of Extinction, but Sandra surprises everyone by raising the mast and ending her game.
At Sele, Yul tries to hash things out with Wendell after the blow-up at the previous Tribal. Wendell tries to apologize to Michele for Tribal, but they get into a squabble instead.
At Extinction, the castaways struggle to stick it out. Ethan, in particular, has a hard time and opens up to Parvati about it, who conjures some optimism for him. The players get a box full of scrolls, which turn out to be clues to finding four fire tokens hidden on Extinction. Tyson finds one but Rob finds three of the four.
At Dakal, Tony feels secure despite Sandra being gone. Meanwhile, Kim, Jeremy, and Denise talk about sticking together against Tony.
At Yara, the Tribe enjoys leftover PB&J but tensions start to boil up between Ben and Adam as they start wondering where the hidden Immunity Idol is, not knowing that Sophie actually has it.
Adam is convinced that Sarah has the Idol, which Sophie relays to Ben and Sarah. Sarah tells Adam to dig through her bag to prove that she doesn't have the Idol. Adam is confident that his suspicions are correct but doesn't take her up on the offer.
At the Immunity Challenge, the Tribes have to work together to carry a large, heavy saucer filled with water to fill a well and then complete a puzzle. The last Tribe to finish will go to Tribal Council. Yara is the first Tribe to finish, followed by Dakal, sending Sele back to Tribal.
Back at camp, Nick and Yul target Wendell, while Michele tells Wendell that she'll vote with him against Yul. Yul presents a plan to not only vote out Wendell but to vote him out while also getting his fire tokens. The plan worries Nick and considers sending Yul home instead, and Michele agrees.
At Tribal, Jeff points out that all of the old school players are gone except for Yul. Again, Wendell is put on the spot to talk about his relationships with his Tribemates, particularly Michele.
The Tribe votes, and it is Yul who is sent to the Edge of Extinction. Before exiting, Yul gives his fire tokens to Sarah and Sophie.
"Quick On The Draw" (Episode 6) / Voted Off: Parvati And Sandra
Ben celebrates Boston Rob's exit from the game. Adam is hesitant to celebrate, worrying that he's on the outside of the Tribe.
At Edge of Extinction, the cast-offs get a new clue leading them to potential fire tokens. As everyone hunts, Tyson spots something along the coast and snags it while pretending to pee. It turns out to be an Idol Nullifier, which he can sell to someone in the game.
At Sele, Parvati finds the offer for the Nullifier and pays one fire token for it. Tyson spends the fire token on peanut butter, hoping it will boost his energy when it comes time for a potential challenge to re-enter the game.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways compete in an intense physical competition. Jeff reveals that only the first Tribe to finish will receive Immunity, and the two losing Tribes will go to Tribal Council. The winning Tribe will also receive peanut butter and jelly as a reward.
It's a tight competition, but Yara wins Immunity and reward.
After the challenge, the men of Sele start strategizing to take out Parvati, even though Nick is disappointed to vote against his Survivor crush. Meanwhile, Michele suggests to Parvati the idea of trying to turn Nick, while telling the cameras she might just side with the boys to benefit her game.
Michele tries to sell Wendell on putting his name down while everyone else votes for Parvati, so that Parvati will still give Michele her fire token when she leaves. Wendell isn't receptive, and their romantic history bubbles to the surface.
Meanwhile, Wendell tries to trade Parvati's vote for two fire tokens, which Parvati uses against him, telling Nick about it.
At Dakal, Tony tries to build a spy bunker near the water well to eavesdrop on conversations. Denise confronts Sandra about her status in the game, trying to convince them to shift the attention to Jeremy instead of her.
Kim, Sandra, and Jeremy catch on to Tony's bunker, so he reemerges and tries to make an excuse for why he disappeared. The four of them discuss voting for Denise.
Sandra offers Denise her hidden Immunity Idol in exchange for two fire tokens, revealing that the plan is to vote for her. Denise agrees, but stipulates that she'll give Sandra one token before Council, and one after.
The first Tribal Council is for Sele, where Wendell seems to be the target of many frustrations within the Tribe. Parvati reveals Wendell's offer of his vote in exchange for fire tokens, and Jeff makes them address the offer in front of everyone, but it seems like no consensus is reached. The rest of the Tribe is nervous. They vote, and Jeff reveals that Parvati is the next player to be voted out. On her way out, Parvati gives her fire tokens to Michele.
Dakal enters Tribal Council, and Sandra suggests that everyone in their Tribe is a huge threat except for Denise. Alternatively, Jeremy suggests that the original Sele might vote together.
After some more discussion, the Tribe votes. Before Jeff reads the votes, Denise plays the Immunity Idol she got from Sandra for herself--but she also plays her second Idol for Jeremy.
All of the votes are for Denise, except for the name Denise wrote down: Sandra. On her way out, Sandra gives her fire token to Yul.
"The Buddy System On Steroids" (Episode 5) / Voted Off: Rob
Nick finds the fire token that Tyson left for him.
Yul opens up to Sarah and Wendell about his friends Jonathan Penner, a former castaway, and Jonathan's wife Stacy, who is battling ALS (read more about that here).
The castaways meet up with Jeff, who tells them to drop their buffs for a Tribe swap. The castaways realize they are moving from two Tribes to three.
Michele is concerned that she wound up on a Tribe with Wendell, because they used to date.
The new Sele Tribe consists of Parvati, Nick, Yul, Michele, and Wendell.
The new Dakal Tribe consists of Jeremy, Denise, Tony, Sandra, and Kim.
The brand new Tribe, Yara, consists of Rob, Ben, Adam, Sarah, and Sophie.
The castaways head back to their new camps and try to get used to their new Tribes. At Dakal, Denise tries to recruit Kim into an alliance with her and Jeremy.
Tony pitches Sandra and Kim on teaming up together, but Kim feels like she's making progress with Jeremy and Denise.
At the new Sele Tribe, Parvati and Yul hit it off despite their history on Cook Islands, and Nick tells Parvati that she was his high school crush. Wendell and Michele awkwardly talk about the elephant in the room, and Wendell is annoyed that Michele brought it up.
At Yara, Sarah explains to Rob how Amber was voted out. Sarah and Sophie can tell that Rob, Ben, and Adam are butting heads and decide to use it to their advantage to try and get Adam and Ben on their side to take out Rob.
The Tribe starts looking for the hidden Immunity Idol. Rob struggles to adapt to the new school way of finding an Idol. Sophie finds it, having to give half to someone in order for it to be active, and chooses Sarah.
At the Immunity Challenge, the new Tribes have to complete an obstacle course and finish a puzzle, and the last Tribe to finish would head to Tribal Council. In the end, Sele and Dakal win Immunity, sending Yara to Tribal.
The men at Yara agree to remain aligned despite their disagreements and lack of trust, and decide to vote for Sarah.
Rob enacts the "buddy system" so that no one can be separated from the group to strategize. Ben considers flipping and voting Rob.
Sarah and Sophie manage to get away for a few minutes and discuss using Sarah's Steal a Vote advantage to take out Rob.
Tensions are high at Tribal Council as the women express their frustration about the mood around camp thanks to the buddy system.
Yara votes and Rob is blindsided when he's sent home. On his way out, he leaves his fire token to Parvati.
"I Like Revenge" (Episode 4) / Voted Off: Tyson
After Tribal Council, Adam feels betrayed by Rob, but apologizes to everyone for playing all sides.
At Dakal, Yul tries to keep the positivity up, but the isolation of Edge of Extinction looms over camp.
At Extinction, Amber finds a box containing a chance to earn a fire token. It requires the cast-offs to dismantle a pile of wood one piece at a time, making 20 trips up a steep path.
All of the players go for it, and all of them struggle with depletion. Ethan in particular struggles to keep at it, and eventually collapses after 16 trips. A medic comes in and tells him that he's going to faint if he keeps going and doesn't rest. He steels himself and continues.
Natalie, Amber, and Danni all finish, but decide to join Ethan on his final trip in solidarity.
At Sele, Michele and Rob talk about Michele's "controversial" win, but Rob tells her not to sweat it.
Adam does his best to make up for his actions by doing all of the hard work around camp. Rob and Parvati talk with Adam about his agenda, trying to get him to make a mistake. Rob lies to Jeremy and says that Adam was back to playing both sides, which makes Jeremy and Michele consider voting him off.
At Dakal, Sarah and Tyson's friendship blossoms, but the game looms over them. Tyson is concerned that some people are flying under the radar, but Sandra is more concerned with taking out Tyson.
At the Immunity Challenge, the Tribes compete for safety and a reward of chickens. Sele struggles early on, Adam's portion of the challenge proving difficult. Incredibly, Sele has an epic comeback and comes from behind to win.
At Dakal, Tyson starts plotting for Tribal, throwing out Nick's name to Yul, Sarah, Sandra, Tony, Sophie, and Wendell. Tyson blames Nick for losing the challenge. Meanwhile, the Tribe is secretly considering to vote out Tyson.
Tony is conflicted about voting for Tyson, since Tyson could act as a shield. Sarah, Tony, and Kim try to get Sandra on board to keep Tyson.
At Tribal, everyone says they were in on a plan, so nobody knows exactly where the axe is going to fall. After the votes are in, it's revealed that Tyson is the one being cast-off to Extinction. On his way out, Tyson leaves his fire token to Nick.
"Out For Blood" (Episode 3) / Voted Off: Ethan
Denise and Adam are concerned following the Danni vote, and Adam pitches taking out Parvati in order to target "the big dogs."
Adam brings the idea to Ben and Michele, who agree with the plan. Ben expresses the frustrations he has with Rob. Adam pitches Ethan on the plan to vote Parvati, but to the camera, Ethan says Parvati is his number one.
At Dakal, Sandra claims she's retiring from Survivor after this season and wants to prove herself to her Tribe. Tyson pitches Sophie and Yul on taking out Sandra should they go to Tribal.
Sandra manages to catch a shark for breakfast, which turns out to still be alive when Tony picks it up. Sandra catches on to Tyson's plan to vote her out and starts preparing for it.
On the Edge of Extinction, Danni goes spearfishing. The three castaways on Extinction get treemail that includes a clue to a puzzle that they have to solve. Danni and Natalie work to figure it out, but realize that Amber has disappeared to solve it on her own—and failed.
Natalie manages to solve it on her own and receives a Steal a Vote advantage that she can sell for a fire token.
Back at Dakal, Sarah finds a note in her bag about the Steal a Vote advantage, which not only requires one fire token, but also for her to sneak into Sele's camp at night and find it. Tony helps Sarah prepare for the mission by putting ashes on her face for camouflage.
Sarah sneaks into the Sele camp and manages to find the advantage without being caught.
The next morning, the castaways compete in an Immunity Challenge, completing an obstacle course and puzzle to not only win the Immunity Idol, but also a reward of chicken kabobs and grill. The contest is a close call, but ultimately it's Dakal who wins.
Back at camp, Sele gets tense as they start to strategize. Adam tries to convince Rob to vote for Parvati, but Rob doesn't buy into it. He tells Jeremy and Michele that he knows Adam's plan, and they ponder blindsiding Adam instead.
Rob tells Parvati the new plan. Meanwhile, Jeremy and Michele consider breaking up Rob, Ethan, and Parvati by taking out Ethan.
At Tribal Council, the Sele Tribe was shaken up with a vote for Ethan, who bequeathed his fire token to Parvati before heading to Edge of Extinction.
"It's Like A Survivor Economy" (Episode 2) / Voted Off: Danni
Amber copes with being on Edge of Extinction, hopeful for getting back into the game. Meanwhile, Rob receives the fire token he was bequeathed from Amber when she was voted off.
Rob tells Parvati about the fire token and his suspicion that it came from Amber.
At Dakal, Ben tries to work on his social game by showing Denise how to find hidden Idols—which she does. The Idol requires the holder to give half to another player, which she suggests to Adam should be Parvati. Adam outright dismisses the idea and convinces her to give him the other half instead.
Kim reflects on the trajectory of her game so far, feeling like she's at the bottom. She goes hunting for an Idol and finds one identical to the one Denise found and gives Sophie the other half.
At Edge of Extinction, Natalie and Amber receive a clue that might lead them to where they can get an advantage to sell for fire tokens. They explore the island together but don't find anything.
However, Natalie goes to get water and discovers something in the well. It turns out to be a Safety Without Power advantage, which allows a castaway to leave Tribal Council before the vote. Though the player cannot vote, they also cannot be voted out.
Natalie selects Jeremy as the recipient, who agrees to pay one fire token in exchange for the advantage.
Tony tries to occupy himself by building a giant bamboo ladder to pick papayas to mixed success. Sarah and Tony solidify their alliance, despite Sarah having been burned by him in the past.
At the Immunity Challenge, Rob's suspicions of Amber's elimination is confirmed. The two Tribes compete against one another to complete an obstacle course and build a complicated puzzle. Dakal wins and takes home not only the Immunity Idol, but a Survivor spice kit.
Rob blames himself for Sele's loss, but still isn't worried about being a target at Tribal. Danni is concerned about her spot in the game because nobody is talking with her, including Parvati.
She reveals the old school alliance to Ben by mistake while talking to Ethan. Ben pitches Jeremy, Adam, and Ethan to vote for Danni to show that old school/new school isn't going to fly.
Danni pitches Rob on voting Parvati. Rob lies and says that he's in, but then talks with Adam and Ethan that he wants to vote Danni.
Ethan tells Parvati about Danni throwing her name out. Jeremy and Michele discuss their options; they can either go with the vote or turn the game upside down and go for Parvati, which Adam weighs as an option as well.
At Tribal Council, Sele talks about the nature of their relationships within the Tribe and the potential old school/new school divide. Ben stirs things up about paranoia, which spins people out and gets them whispering.
Rob asks point-blank who has the Idol, and when no one responds, he dumps out his bag and gets others to follow suit. Even though Denise and Adam take out their stuff, they manage to hide the Idols they hold.
After the ruckus settles, the Tribe votes and it's Danni who is sent to Edge of Extinction. On her way out, she bequeaths her fire token to Denise.
"Greatest Of The Greats" (Episode 1) / Voted Off: Natalie And Amber
Host Jeff Probst welcomes the returning castaways—all previous winners—to Fiji for Survivor: Winners at War. As the castaways get their bearings, the realization that they're playing the game once more settles in, and Jeff offers up a toast.
Then, the players divide into their two Tribes. Dakal consists of Tony, Wendell, Amber, Kim, Sophie, Nick, Sarah, Yul, Sandra, and Tyson, while Sele features Natalie, Rob, Ethan, Parvati, Ben, Michele, Danni, Denise, Jeremy, and Adam.
Jeff introduces a new Survivor currency called fire tokens, which can be used throughout the game to purchase advantages, food, and other supplies, but must be bequeathed to another player if the holder is voted out of the game.
Players who are cast-off won't go home right away, though. Instead, they'll head to the Edge of Extinction, where they await a chance to get back into the game. Then, the biggest reveal of all comes when Jeff announces the grand prize for Season 40 is doubled to $2 million.
The two Tribes almost immediately compete in their first challenge, with the prize being a fire-making kit as well as Immunity. After a tough physical challenge, Dakal takes home the victory.
Sele is sent away without fire or rice, and they learn that Tribal Council won't happen until the following day, leaving them a full day to strategize.
Dakal begins building shelter and relationships start to form. Sarah, Tyson, and Amber connect while talking about their children. Sandra works hard to keep the target off her back and catches up with Tony to make sure there aren't any hard feelings from when she got him voted out on Game Changers.
Meanwhile, at Sele, Rob is concerned that he's going to be a target right off the bat. Parvati wrestles with how far she's come since her first season playing—from playing as a flirt to playing as a new mom.
Ethan explains how excited he is to be back on Survivor after surviving his battle with cancer. Adam and Denise wander off to find water and strategize, which rubs the rest of the Tribe the wrong way.
At Dakal, Amber is emotional about having to compete against her husband, while Tony does his best to stay under the radar. Yul and Sophie hit it off and start a tentative alliance after Yul reveals that Rob, Tyson, Jeremy, and Kim play poker together.
At Sele, Rob and Parvati decide to work together despite their "checkered past" playing against each other in Heroes vs. Villains. Danni starts trying to rally people to take down Rob, but Ben tells Rob this information and Rob confronts her. In the interest of mutual respect, Rob and Danni agree to an "old school" alliance.
Jeremy and Natalie rekindle their Season 29 alliance and decide to take aim at Denise and Adam. Ben tells Adam that he might be a target, and Adam sets to work trying to convince the others to split the vote between Jeremy and Natalie.
At the first Tribal Council, tensions are high as the castaways reveal their concerns about the alliances that have been forming. The Tribe votes and Natalie is the first person voted out of Survivor: Winners at War. Natalie bequeaths her fire token to Jeremy before she goes on to Edge of Extinction.
The next morning at Dakal, Sandra is annoyed with Rob for lying to her about playing in Season 40 when they mentored together on Island of the Idols.
Yul tries to form an alliance with Wendell, Sophie, and Nick, hoping their lack of apparent connection will work to their advantage.
At Sele, Michele is blindsided by Natalie's dismissal and feels she has a lot to prove. Ben decides that himself, Michele, Jeremy, and Adam should team up as the "new schoolers" on their Tribe. Jeremy discovers that Natalie gave him her fire token.
On Edge of Extinction, Natalie gets a clue leading her to an Immunity Idol, which she can then sell for a fire token.
At the next Immunity Challenge, the Tribes must complete an obstacle course in the water before completing a puzzle. In the end, it is Sele who wins Immunity.
Back at Dakal camp, the castaways scramble to strategize in the lead-up to Tribal Council.
Sandra discovers a hidden Immunity Idol from Natalie and pays the price of one fire token to acquire it. Kim worries she is the target.
Tribal Council is tense as the castaways talk about the names mentioned earlier as potential votes, particularly the members of the non-existent poker player alliance.
The players cast their votes and Amber is voted off. She bequeaths her fire token to Rob before heading to the Edge of Extinction.
Don't miss all-new episodes of Survivor: Winners at War on Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS and CBS All Access.
In Survivor: Winners at War, 20 previous Sole Survivors face off in the highest-stakes season yet, as they outwit, outplay, and outlast one another in an effort to gain Survivor immortality.
To make sure you don't miss one second of the scheming, blindsides, and strong bonds that are sure to define this landmark 40th season, we'll be keeping track with episodic recaps for easy reference.
Be warned: there are spoilers from here on out.
STREAM: Full Episodes Of Survivor: Winners At War On CBS All Access
"It All Boils Down To This" (Episode 14) / Back In The Game: Natalie / Voted Off: Denise, Ben, Sarah / Sole Survivor: Tony
The Final 5 show up to watch the Edge of Extinction castaways compete in a challenge where the winner will re-enter the game.
With all of the advantages Natalie purchased, she gets a massive head start but gets tripped up early on. In a tight contest, it comes down to Wendell and Natalie, and it's Natalie who wins her way back in.
The rest of the cast-offs adjust to the reality that their game is officially over and tell Jeff what the experience meant to them.
Natalie returns to camp and blows up Tony's spot, telling everyone the jury thinks he's controlling the game. Sarah is concerned her game is getting overshadowed by Tony's.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways have to complete a physical obstacle course to collect puzzle pieces they then have to assemble. Michele makes major progress on her puzzle and the other castaways start looking to her for help. Michele wins Immunity.
Ben and Tony try to agree on where the next vote should go. Natalie tries to communicate that she's open to conversation. Michele and Natalie decide to work together to try and shake up the game by forcing Tony to play his Idol.
Tony freaks out and Sarah tries to calm him down.
At Tribal Council, Koru discusses the impact of Natalie re-entering the game at such a late stage. Sarah expresses her opinions about the perception that Tony is running the game and how gender bias has impacted her life in general.
The Tribe votes, and Natalie plays her hidden Immunity Idol. Following suit, Tony plays his as well. Ben joins the party and plays his Idol too.
The votes would have eliminated Natalie or Ben, but since they both played Idols, the castaways have to revote. However, Denise and Sarah are the only ones eligible to be voted out. After the revote, Denise is eliminated.
Back at camp, Tony goes on an Idol hunt. He doesn't find anything before sunup, and then everyone else joins in. Natalie finds one, which she shows to Michele.
At the Immunity Challenge, the players confront another complex obstacle course. In a tight race between Tony and Ben, Tony ultimately wins.
Tony goes into his spy nest, tasking Sarah with leading Michele and Natalie to the water well to try and discover if they've got an Idol. Natalie pitches Sarah on taking out Ben, and Sarah realizes she's got an Idol, which Tony sees.
Tony and Sarah plan to vote for Michele, guessing that Natalie will play the Idol for herself. Meanwhile, Natalie reveals to Michele that she wanted Sarah to see the Idol. Michele suspects they are targeting her.
Sarah struggles with the next move, but Ben tells her she should vote him out so that she can get to the end and have a big move on her resume.
At Tribal, the group reflects on the experience of the game. The Tribe votes and Natalie plays her Idol. Jeff reads the votes and Ben is voted out.
At the final Immunity Challenge, it comes down to Natalie and Michele, but it's Natalie who takes the final Immunity and guarantees herself a spot at the Final 3.
The castaways return to camp and start practicing their fire-making skills, which Tony struggles with. Natalie tries to decide who she wants to bring to the Final 3 and who she wants to make fire.
At Tribal Council, Natalie chooses to bring Michele to the Final 3, leaving Sarah and Tony to make fire against one another. It's a tight race, but Tony manages to squeak out the win. The Cops R Us alliance embraces one another, both of them very emotional.
The morning of Day 39, the Final 3 wake up to a breakfast feast.
The final Tribal Council is doused in rain as the final castaways make their cases to the jury members about why they should win. When the Q&A is complete, the jury votes for the winner.
Later in Los Angeles, Jeff reads the votes and reveals that Tony wins.
"The Penultimate Step Of The War" (Episode 13) / Voted Off: Jeremy And Nick
Koru returns to camp. Michele is surprised that Jeremy didn't play the advantage she gave him and is concerned that everyone is now targeting her. Jeremy gives her the advantage back.
Tony works on his relationships with Jeremy and Sarah.
Sarah talks with Ben about trying to get rid of Nick.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways compete in an intensely physical contest for safety and two fire tokens. Nick is the first to finish. Michele is frustrated with her performance.
With Nick having safety, Ben starts planting seeds to try and convince Jeremy to get the 50/50 coin back from Michele so they can vote her out. Meanwhile, Jeremy talks to Nick and Tony about voting out Ben.
Other Tribemates discuss going after Denise instead.
Michele tries to navigate between trusting Ben and trusting Jeremy.
Secretly, Ben, Tony, Nick, Jeremy, Denise, and Sarah decide to split the vote between Jeremy and Michele, with the intended target being Jeremy.
Nick realizes he's in a power position to select who actually goes home between Jeremy and Ben.
At Tribal Council, the players open up about the personal tolls Survivor takes on their lives.
After some further discussion, the Tribe votes. Before Jeff reads the votes, Michele decides to play her 50/50 advantage, which lands on "safe," meaning votes against her don't count.
Jeff reads the votes and reveals Jeremy has been voted out. On his way out, Jeremy bequeaths his fire tokens to Michele.
After Tribal, Michele confronts Nick about voting out Jeremy. Michele decides to go for broke and play like she's got nothing to lose.
At Edge of Extinction, Jeremy gets used to his new surroundings. The cast-offs get a new clue and set off running. Natalie, the longest-tenured Extinction player, found the advantage, which allows her to sell it to a player for fire tokens. The advantage lets the owner use it against another player for a disadvantage in the next Immunity Challenge.
Natalie offers the advantage to Nick for eight fire tokens, but he's only got six. He pulls in Michele, who offers him the tokens he needs for the purchase.
At the next Immunity Challenge, the castaways are confronted with a competition to stack blocks along an obstacle-ridden balance beam to make them fall like dominos and ring a gong. The winner will get Immunity and two fire tokens.
Before the challenge begins, Jeff reveals that an advantage is in play, which means a disadvantage of 30 percent more beam and blocks to stack. He doesn't reveal who played the advantage, but Ben is the one given the disadvantage.
The competition begins, and it is Michele who wins.
Back at Koru, Denise makes a show out of saying she thinks she's being voted out and wants to present herself as resigned to her fate while actually conspiring against Nick.
Tony goes into his spy nest while Denise pitches Ben and Sarah on going after Tony, which makes him start campaigning against Denise.
At Tribal, Koru votes and Nick is the next player to go to the Edge of Extinction.
At the Edge, the cast-offs celebrate their last night on Extinction. In the morning, they get a bunch of scrolls that offer some advantages for purchase for the upcoming battle back challenge.
With 14 fire tokens at her disposal, Natalie buys peanut butter and three advantages, and purchases an Idol for Tyson. Plus, she's got the Idol she earned earlier in the game.
"Friendly Fire" (Episode 12) / Voted Off: Kim
After Tribal, Sarah explodes on Tony about the Sophie blindside. Tony is surprised how difficult damage control is becoming.
Tony creates a spy nest near the water well. Ben avoids Jeremy.
Kim starts striking up conversations with Ben, Michele, and Nick about taking out Tony.
At Edge of Extinction, the cast-offs learn about a new challenge to earn fire tokens, requiring them to fetch and stack 20 coconuts.
During the challenge, Rob slips and hurts his elbow, falling behind. Sophie, Natalie, Yul, Tyson, Parvati, and Wendell finish and each earns two fire tokens.
Rob finishes his stack even though he already lost.
Back at camp, Sarah and Tony continue to bicker and Jeremy is confused about why Ben won't talk with him.
The Koru Tribe all goes looking for a hidden Immunity Idol. While Ben and Tony are talking, Ben finds an Idol. He tries to hide it from Tony, who calls him out on it. Ben tries to figure out if he can trust Tony or not.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways must compete in a test of endurance, where both a male and female winner will be crowned with Immunity as well as two fire tokens. After a few people drop, Jeff offers the remaining contestants cookies and milk.
Denise wins for the women, Tony for the men, but not before agreeing to give Nick one of his fire tokens. With Tony having his third Immunity in a row, the majority tries to figure out a new plan.
Jeremy seems to be the next target, though Michele is distraught about it. Ben tells Tony that Kim had been targeting Tony, which he brings up to Nick, who has a hard time lying. Nick tells Kim that Ben told Tony.
Tony tries to convince Ben and Jeremy to flip the vote on Kim. Michele gives Jeremy her 50/50 advantage.
At Tribal Council, a civil discussion turns into another massive whisper session. After the castaways vote, Tony tries to play an Idol for Sarah, but Sarah denies it. Jeremy considers playing the 50/50 advantage but decides not to.
In the end, Kim is voted out. On her way to Extinction, she bequeaths her fire tokens to Michele, Denise, and Sarah.
"This Is Extortion" (Episode 11) / Voted Off: Sophie
Jeremy waits at camp after using his Safety Without Power advantage. When the rest of the Tribe returns, they try to suss out what went down. Ben considers Jeremy to be public enemy number one. Jeremy is concerned that without Tyson, he won't have a meat shield.
Tony sneaks off to look for an Idol after the rest of the Tribe falls asleep. Nick tries to join in but Tony sends him off on a false lead. Finally, Tony finds a package and opens it excitedly to find an Immunity Idol.
Sarah spends some time creating clothes for the Tribemates, who have a brief fashion show.
Jeremy and Tony talk about what went down at Tribal the night before and agree to stick together. Jeremy continues to strategize with Denise, Michele, and Kim, while Tony works to earn that group's trust but is planning on betraying them.
At Edge of Extinction, Natalie and Parvati find a clue to an advantage while looking for firewood. They figure out it's under the bed, so Parvati distracts everyone while Natalie nabs the advantage.
The advantage allows them to extort a current player for as many fire tokens as they want. If the player can't pay up, the player will not be allowed to participate in the Immunity Challenge or vote at Tribal Council.
They decide to extort Tony, demanding six fire tokens. Tony turns to his alliance members to get enough fire tokens to pay up since he's only got three.
He tries to ask Michele, who spent her tokens on the 50/50 advantage, and she makes up a lie about why she doesn't have any.
Jeremy decides to give him one of his tokens, thinking that Tony won't be able to vote with their group if he isn't able to pay. Tony gets additional tokens from Nick and Ben and is able to pay up.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways compete in a contest of balance, which Tony wins—his second Immunity in a row. He also wins two fire tokens. Before Tribal, Kim weighs betraying her alliance with Jeremy to be in the majority.
Denise, Kim, and Jeremy talk about voting for Ben, but Denise doesn't intend on actually doing that. Instead, she and Kim want to blindside Jeremy.
Tony pitches Nick on a plan to get Sophie out instead, which he agrees to. Tony tries to pitch Jeremy on the idea, but he's resistant.
At Tribal Council, the votes fall to Sophie, who is sent home with an Idol in her pocket. Sophie leaves Sarah and Kim her fire tokens.
"The Full Circle" (Episode 10) / Voted Off: Tyson
The castaways show up to the beach and Jeff reveals it's time for a visit from loved ones.
The castaways get emotional as their various family members come out to greet them for a brief respite from the game. Jeff reveals that for the first time, there is no competition to get to spend more time with their loved ones and that everyone will be heading back to camp to enjoy their time.
While the Koru Tribe enjoy their visit, the cast-offs on Edge of Extinction are surprised with a loved ones visit of their own.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways have to compete in a balance-driven challenge for both Immunity and two fire tokens. After a tight competition, Tony wins.
After the challenge, Jeremy starts talking about breaking up Sophie and Sarah, but Tony rejects the idea. Sarah wants to target Kim, but Tony isn't receptive to that either. Ben, Nick, and Tony discuss blindsiding Jeremy.
Meanwhile, Jeremy, Kim, and Tyson feel like they're on the outside and start formulating a plan together. Jeremy considers using his Safety Without Power advantage but is concerned that it will leave his alliance unprotected.
At Tribal Council, whispering begins almost immediately as people try to figure out the plan. Before the voting happens, both Jeremy and Sarah call Jeff's name, but then are hesitant to speak.
Finally, Jeremy gets up and uses his advantage. After he leaves, Ben, Sophie, Sarah, Nick, and Tony huddle to formulate a new plan.
Before voting commences, Sarah uses her Steal a Vote advantage to steal Denise's vote. Before Jeff reads the votes, Kim plays her hidden Immunity Idol for Denise, but in the end it's Tyson who gets the most votes. He heads back to Edge of Extinction for the second time.
"War Is Not Pretty" (Episode 9) / Voted Off: Adam
After the first merged Tribal Council, Michele and Nick are annoyed that they were blindsided with the Wendell vote.
Adam is convinced he saw an Immunity Idol hidden at Tribal Council in Jeff's podium and considers trying to grab it next time.
At Edge of Extinction, the cast-offs get a clue to an advantage and they set off searching.
Parvati and Danni find the advantage, which is a 50/50 coin that a player still in the game can flip at Tribal for a chance at Immunity. They decide to tell the other cast-offs about it.
At the Reward Challenge, the castaways are split into teams to compete for Chinese takeout. Since there's an odd number of players, Denise sits out.
In the end, Kim, Sophie, Sarah, Michele, and Ben win the reward, but Sarah asks Jeff if she can give up her reward to someone else. She chooses to give it to Nick as a birthday present.
Back at camp, Tony tells Sarah he thinks she made a mistake.
Nick is appreciative of the reward but claims he still doesn't trust Sarah. Michele finds the 50/50 coin in her bag and decides to purchase it using four fire tokens.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways compete in a battle of endurance as they have to balance on a precarious floating raft in various positions. It comes down to Kim and Ben, but it is Kim who manages to hang on the longest and win Immunity.
Tony, Ben, Kim, and Denise talk about splitting the vote between Michele and Nick.
Meanwhile, Nick, Adam, and Michele talk about sending Sarah home, which Denise hears and tells to Kim. When Kim relays this to Tyson, he suggests taking out Adam instead and works to convince the others.
Sarah hears that Adam is throwing her name out and is furious. Ben confronts Adam about Adam saying he and Sarah are too close.
The entire Tribe starts going at each other with a variety of different plans and no one seems to be able to agree on anything.
At Tribal Council, Koru discusses the craziness around camp. Nick is outspoken about his position in the game. The whispers and arguing at Tribal begin, primarily between Nick, Adam, and Ben.
The Tribe votes, but before Jeff can read them, Adam takes the opportunity to inspect Jeff's pedestal to see if there's a Hidden Immunity Idol. Jeff doesn't confirm or deny that it's real, so Adam tries to play it and learns it is not an Idol.
Jeff reads the votes and reveals Adam to be the next person voted off. Adam gives his fire token to Denise.
"This Is Where The Battle Begins" (Episode 8) / Back In The Game: Tyson / Voted Off: Wendell
The castaways on Edge of Extinction get a scroll telling them that the battle to get back in the game is coming. They start spending their fire tokens on advantages to help them. Natalie buys one, and Amber gives a token to Rob so he can buy an advantage and an Idol if he should win.
Jeff meets with the Tribes and tells them to drop their buffs, revealing it is time for the merge. All castaways become one Tribe, Koru, but Jeff reveals that a competition is about to take place to bring back one cast-off.
The players must complete an intense obstacle course. Natalie, Danni, Ethan, Tyson, and Rob have advantages for one section of the course thanks to their fire tokens.
The competition kicks off, and ultimately boils down to Tyson and Rob. Tyson wins by a matter of inches and joins the Tribe. The other cast-offs head back to Extinction until another chance to get back in the game.
The new Tribe arrives at camp to find a new fire token menu, and the prices have gone up. The Tribe settles in for the merge feast.
Denise tells the Tribe about how she voted Sandra out, which puts a target on her back. Tyson is concerned about being the only old school player currently in the game. Wendell tries to build a relationship with Jeremy.
The sky opens up and it starts pouring, but players continue strategizing.
At the Immunity Challenge, Sophie is shivering from the cold rain. Jeff tells the castaways they are not only playing for Immunity Idol, but a fire token—and that Immunity will go to both one man and one woman. The challenge is endurance-based, requiring the players to grip a pole for as long as they can.
Michele is the first player to drop, and falls hard. Adam is next, followed by Sarah, Tyson, Wendell, Tony, and Sophie. Kim is the last woman to drop, giving Denise Immunity and a fire token. Jeremy and Nick are the final two men, but it's Nick who drops first.
Back at camp, Tony, Jeremy, and Ben talk about targeting Nick. Meanwhile, Sophie wants to target Wendell. Ben and Jeremy set to work trying to convince the other Tribe members to change their vote to either Adam or Nick. Adam is paranoid about Tribal.
After some chatter at Tribal, Koru votes and Wendell is sent to the Edge of Extinction. Wendell gives his fire tokens to Michele and Nick.
"We're In The Majors" (Episode 7) / Voted Off: Yul
Parvati and Sandra adjust to their new reality on Edge of Extinction, but Sandra surprises everyone by raising the mast and ending her game.
At Sele, Yul tries to hash things out with Wendell after the blow-up at the previous Tribal. Wendell tries to apologize to Michele for Tribal, but they get into a squabble instead.
At Extinction, the castaways struggle to stick it out. Ethan, in particular, has a hard time and opens up to Parvati about it, who conjures some optimism for him. The players get a box full of scrolls, which turn out to be clues to finding four fire tokens hidden on Extinction. Tyson finds one but Rob finds three of the four.
At Dakal, Tony feels secure despite Sandra being gone. Meanwhile, Kim, Jeremy, and Denise talk about sticking together against Tony.
At Yara, the Tribe enjoys leftover PB&J but tensions start to boil up between Ben and Adam as they start wondering where the hidden Immunity Idol is, not knowing that Sophie actually has it.
Adam is convinced that Sarah has the Idol, which Sophie relays to Ben and Sarah. Sarah tells Adam to dig through her bag to prove that she doesn't have the Idol. Adam is confident that his suspicions are correct but doesn't take her up on the offer.
At the Immunity Challenge, the Tribes have to work together to carry a large, heavy saucer filled with water to fill a well and then complete a puzzle. The last Tribe to finish will go to Tribal Council. Yara is the first Tribe to finish, followed by Dakal, sending Sele back to Tribal.
Back at camp, Nick and Yul target Wendell, while Michele tells Wendell that she'll vote with him against Yul. Yul presents a plan to not only vote out Wendell but to vote him out while also getting his fire tokens. The plan worries Nick and considers sending Yul home instead, and Michele agrees.
At Tribal, Jeff points out that all of the old school players are gone except for Yul. Again, Wendell is put on the spot to talk about his relationships with his Tribemates, particularly Michele.
The Tribe votes, and it is Yul who is sent to the Edge of Extinction. Before exiting, Yul gives his fire tokens to Sarah and Sophie.
"Quick On The Draw" (Episode 6) / Voted Off: Parvati And Sandra
Ben celebrates Boston Rob's exit from the game. Adam is hesitant to celebrate, worrying that he's on the outside of the Tribe.
At Edge of Extinction, the cast-offs get a new clue leading them to potential fire tokens. As everyone hunts, Tyson spots something along the coast and snags it while pretending to pee. It turns out to be an Idol Nullifier, which he can sell to someone in the game.
At Sele, Parvati finds the offer for the Nullifier and pays one fire token for it. Tyson spends the fire token on peanut butter, hoping it will boost his energy when it comes time for a potential challenge to re-enter the game.
At the Immunity Challenge, the castaways compete in an intense physical competition. Jeff reveals that only the first Tribe to finish will receive Immunity, and the two losing Tribes will go to Tribal Council. The winning Tribe will also receive peanut butter and jelly as a reward.
It's a tight competition, but Yara wins Immunity and reward.
After the challenge, the men of Sele start strategizing to take out Parvati, even though Nick is disappointed to vote against his Survivor crush. Meanwhile, Michele suggests to Parvati the idea of trying to turn Nick, while telling the cameras she might just side with the boys to benefit her game.
Michele tries to sell Wendell on putting his name down while everyone else votes for Parvati, so that Parvati will still give Michele her fire token when she leaves. Wendell isn't receptive, and their romantic history bubbles to the surface.
Meanwhile, Wendell tries to trade Parvati's vote for two fire tokens, which Parvati uses against him, telling Nick about it.
At Dakal, Tony tries to build a spy bunker near the water well to eavesdrop on conversations. Denise confronts Sandra about her status in the game, trying to convince them to shift the attention to Jeremy instead of her.
Kim, Sandra, and Jeremy catch on to Tony's bunker, so he reemerges and tries to make an excuse for why he disappeared. The four of them discuss voting for Denise.
Sandra offers Denise her hidden Immunity Idol in exchange for two fire tokens, revealing that the plan is to vote for her. Denise agrees, but stipulates that she'll give Sandra one token before Council, and one after.
The first Tribal Council is for Sele, where Wendell seems to be the target of many frustrations within the Tribe. Parvati reveals Wendell's offer of his vote in exchange for fire tokens, and Jeff makes them address the offer in front of everyone, but it seems like no consensus is reached. The rest of the Tribe is nervous. They vote, and Jeff reveals that Parvati is the next player to be voted out. On her way out, Parvati gives her fire tokens to Michele.
Dakal enters Tribal Council, and Sandra suggests that everyone in their Tribe is a huge threat except for Denise. Alternatively, Jeremy suggests that the original Sele might vote together.
After some more discussion, the Tribe votes. Before Jeff reads the votes, Denise plays the Immunity Idol she got from Sandra for herself--but she also plays her second Idol for Jeremy.
All of the votes are for Denise, except for the name Denise wrote down: Sandra. On her way out, Sandra gives her fire token to Yul.
"The Buddy System On Steroids" (Episode 5) / Voted Off: Rob
Nick finds the fire token that Tyson left for him.
Yul opens up to Sarah and Wendell about his friends Jonathan Penner, a former castaway, and Jonathan's wife Stacy, who is battling ALS (read more about that here).
The castaways meet up with Jeff, who tells them to drop their buffs for a Tribe swap. The castaways realize they are moving from two Tribes to three.
Michele is concerned that she wound up on a Tribe with Wendell, because they used to date.
The new Sele Tribe consists of Parvati, Nick, Yul, Michele, and Wendell.
The new Dakal Tribe consists of Jeremy, Denise, Tony, Sandra, and Kim.
The brand new Tribe, Yara, consists of Rob, Ben, Adam, Sarah, and Sophie.
The castaways head back to their new camps and try to get used to their new Tribes. At Dakal, Denise tries to recruit Kim into an alliance with her and Jeremy.
Tony pitches Sandra and Kim on teaming up together, but Kim feels like she's making progress with Jeremy and Denise.
At the new Sele Tribe, Parvati and Yul hit it off despite their history on Cook Islands, and Nick tells Parvati that she was his high school crush. Wendell and Michele awkwardly talk about the elephant in the room, and Wendell is annoyed that Michele brought it up.
At Yara, Sarah explains to Rob how Amber was voted out. Sarah and Sophie can tell that Rob, Ben, and Adam are butting heads and decide to use it to their advantage to try and get Adam and Ben on their side to take out Rob.
The Tribe starts looking for the hidden Immunity Idol. Rob struggles to adapt to the new school way of finding an Idol. Sophie finds it, having to give half to someone in order for it to be active, and chooses Sarah.
At the Immunity Challenge, the new Tribes have to complete an obstacle course and finish a puzzle, and the last Tribe to finish would head to Tribal Council. In the end, Sele and Dakal win Immunity, sending Yara to Tribal.
The men at Yara agree to remain aligned despite their disagreements and lack of trust, and decide to vote for Sarah.
Rob enacts the "buddy system" so that no one can be separated from the group to strategize. Ben considers flipping and voting Rob.
Sarah and Sophie manage to get away for a few minutes and discuss using Sarah's Steal a Vote advantage to take out Rob.
Tensions are high at Tribal Council as the women express their frustration about the mood around camp thanks to the buddy system.
Yara votes and Rob is blindsided when he's sent home. On his way out, he leaves his fire token to Parvati.
"I Like Revenge" (Episode 4) / Voted Off: Tyson
After Tribal Council, Adam feels betrayed by Rob, but apologizes to everyone for playing all sides.
At Dakal, Yul tries to keep the positivity up, but the isolation of Edge of Extinction looms over camp.
At Extinction, Amber finds a box containing a chance to earn a fire token. It requires the cast-offs to dismantle a pile of wood one piece at a time, making 20 trips up a steep path.
All of the players go for it, and all of them struggle with depletion. Ethan in particular struggles to keep at it, and eventually collapses after 16 trips. A medic comes in and tells him that he's going to faint if he keeps going and doesn't rest. He steels himself and continues.
Natalie, Amber, and Danni all finish, but decide to join Ethan on his final trip in solidarity.
At Sele, Michele and Rob talk about Michele's "controversial" win, but Rob tells her not to sweat it.
Adam does his best to make up for his actions by doing all of the hard work around camp. Rob and Parvati talk with Adam about his agenda, trying to get him to make a mistake. Rob lies to Jeremy and says that Adam was back to playing both sides, which makes Jeremy and Michele consider voting him off.
At Dakal, Sarah and Tyson's friendship blossoms, but the game looms over them. Tyson is concerned that some people are flying under the radar, but Sandra is more concerned with taking out Tyson.
At the Immunity Challenge, the Tribes compete for safety and a reward of chickens. Sele struggles early on, Adam's portion of the challenge proving difficult. Incredibly, Sele has an epic comeback and comes from behind to win.
At Dakal, Tyson starts plotting for Tribal, throwing out Nick's name to Yul, Sarah, Sandra, Tony, Sophie, and Wendell. Tyson blames Nick for losing the challenge. Meanwhile, the Tribe is secretly considering to vote out Tyson.
Tony is conflicted about voting for Tyson, since Tyson could act as a shield. Sarah, Tony, and Kim try to get Sandra on board to keep Tyson.
At Tribal, everyone says they were in on a plan, so nobody knows exactly where the axe is going to fall. After the votes are in, it's revealed that Tyson is the one being cast-off to Extinction. On his way out, Tyson leaves his fire token to Nick.
"Out For Blood" (Episode 3) / Voted Off: Ethan
Denise and Adam are concerned following the Danni vote, and Adam pitches taking out Parvati in order to target "the big dogs."
Adam brings the idea to Ben and Michele, who agree with the plan. Ben expresses the frustrations he has with Rob. Adam pitches Ethan on the plan to vote Parvati, but to the camera, Ethan says Parvati is his number one.
At Dakal, Sandra claims she's retiring from Survivor after this season and wants to prove herself to her Tribe. Tyson pitches Sophie and Yul on taking out Sandra should they go to Tribal.
Sandra manages to catch a shark for breakfast, which turns out to still be alive when Tony picks it up. Sandra catches on to Tyson's plan to vote her out and starts preparing for it.
On the Edge of Extinction, Danni goes spearfishing. The three castaways on Extinction get treemail that includes a clue to a puzzle that they have to solve. Danni and Natalie work to figure it out, but realize that Amber has disappeared to solve it on her own—and failed.
Natalie manages to solve it on her own and receives a Steal a Vote advantage that she can sell for a fire token.
Back at Dakal, Sarah finds a note in her bag about the Steal a Vote advantage, which not only requires one fire token, but also for her to sneak into Sele's camp at night and find it. Tony helps Sarah prepare for the mission by putting ashes on her face for camouflage.
Sarah sneaks into the Sele camp and manages to find the advantage without being caught.
The next morning, the castaways compete in an Immunity Challenge, completing an obstacle course and puzzle to not only win the Immunity Idol, but also a reward of chicken kabobs and grill. The contest is a close call, but ultimately it's Dakal who wins.
Back at camp, Sele gets tense as they start to strategize. Adam tries to convince Rob to vote for Parvati, but Rob doesn't buy into it. He tells Jeremy and Michele that he knows Adam's plan, and they ponder blindsiding Adam instead.
Rob tells Parvati the new plan. Meanwhile, Jeremy and Michele consider breaking up Rob, Ethan, and Parvati by taking out Ethan.
At Tribal Council, the Sele Tribe was shaken up with a vote for Ethan, who bequeathed his fire token to Parvati before heading to Edge of Extinction.
"It's Like A Survivor Economy" (Episode 2) / Voted Off: Danni
Amber copes with being on Edge of Extinction, hopeful for getting back into the game. Meanwhile, Rob receives the fire token he was bequeathed from Amber when she was voted off.
Rob tells Parvati about the fire token and his suspicion that it came from Amber.
At Dakal, Ben tries to work on his social game by showing Denise how to find hidden Idols—which she does. The Idol requires the holder to give half to another player, which she suggests to Adam should be Parvati. Adam outright dismisses the idea and convinces her to give him the other half instead.
Kim reflects on the trajectory of her game so far, feeling like she's at the bottom. She goes hunting for an Idol and finds one identical to the one Denise found and gives Sophie the other half.
At Edge of Extinction, Natalie and Amber receive a clue that might lead them to where they can get an advantage to sell for fire tokens. They explore the island together but don't find anything.
However, Natalie goes to get water and discovers something in the well. It turns out to be a Safety Without Power advantage, which allows a castaway to leave Tribal Council before the vote. Though the player cannot vote, they also cannot be voted out.
Natalie selects Jeremy as the recipient, who agrees to pay one fire token in exchange for the advantage.
Tony tries to occupy himself by building a giant bamboo ladder to pick papayas to mixed success. Sarah and Tony solidify their alliance, despite Sarah having been burned by him in the past.
At the Immunity Challenge, Rob's suspicions of Amber's elimination is confirmed. The two Tribes compete against one another to complete an obstacle course and build a complicated puzzle. Dakal wins and takes home not only the Immunity Idol, but a Survivor spice kit.
Rob blames himself for Sele's loss, but still isn't worried about being a target at Tribal. Danni is concerned about her spot in the game because nobody is talking with her, including Parvati.
She reveals the old school alliance to Ben by mistake while talking to Ethan. Ben pitches Jeremy, Adam, and Ethan to vote for Danni to show that old school/new school isn't going to fly.
Danni pitches Rob on voting Parvati. Rob lies and says that he's in, but then talks with Adam and Ethan that he wants to vote Danni.
Ethan tells Parvati about Danni throwing her name out. Jeremy and Michele discuss their options; they can either go with the vote or turn the game upside down and go for Parvati, which Adam weighs as an option as well.
At Tribal Council, Sele talks about the nature of their relationships within the Tribe and the potential old school/new school divide. Ben stirs things up about paranoia, which spins people out and gets them whispering.
Rob asks point-blank who has the Idol, and when no one responds, he dumps out his bag and gets others to follow suit. Even though Denise and Adam take out their stuff, they manage to hide the Idols they hold.
After the ruckus settles, the Tribe votes and it's Danni who is sent to Edge of Extinction. On her way out, she bequeaths her fire token to Denise.
"Greatest Of The Greats" (Episode 1) / Voted Off: Natalie And Amber
Host Jeff Probst welcomes the returning castaways—all previous winners—to Fiji for Survivor: Winners at War. As the castaways get their bearings, the realization that they're playing the game once more settles in, and Jeff offers up a toast.
Then, the players divide into their two Tribes. Dakal consists of Tony, Wendell, Amber, Kim, Sophie, Nick, Sarah, Yul, Sandra, and Tyson, while Sele features Natalie, Rob, Ethan, Parvati, Ben, Michele, Danni, Denise, Jeremy, and Adam.
Jeff introduces a new Survivor currency called fire tokens, which can be used throughout the game to purchase advantages, food, and other supplies, but must be bequeathed to another player if the holder is voted out of the game.
Players who are cast-off won't go home right away, though. Instead, they'll head to the Edge of Extinction, where they await a chance to get back into the game. Then, the biggest reveal of all comes when Jeff announces the grand prize for Season 40 is doubled to $2 million.
The two Tribes almost immediately compete in their first challenge, with the prize being a fire-making kit as well as Immunity. After a tough physical challenge, Dakal takes home the victory.
Sele is sent away without fire or rice, and they learn that Tribal Council won't happen until the following day, leaving them a full day to strategize.
Dakal begins building shelter and relationships start to form. Sarah, Tyson, and Amber connect while talking about their children. Sandra works hard to keep the target off her back and catches up with Tony to make sure there aren't any hard feelings from when she got him voted out on Game Changers.
Meanwhile, at Sele, Rob is concerned that he's going to be a target right off the bat. Parvati wrestles with how far she's come since her first season playing—from playing as a flirt to playing as a new mom.
Ethan explains how excited he is to be back on Survivor after surviving his battle with cancer. Adam and Denise wander off to find water and strategize, which rubs the rest of the Tribe the wrong way.
At Dakal, Amber is emotional about having to compete against her husband, while Tony does his best to stay under the radar. Yul and Sophie hit it off and start a tentative alliance after Yul reveals that Rob, Tyson, Jeremy, and Kim play poker together.
At Sele, Rob and Parvati decide to work together despite their "checkered past" playing against each other in Heroes vs. Villains. Danni starts trying to rally people to take down Rob, but Ben tells Rob this information and Rob confronts her. In the interest of mutual respect, Rob and Danni agree to an "old school" alliance.
Jeremy and Natalie rekindle their Season 29 alliance and decide to take aim at Denise and Adam. Ben tells Adam that he might be a target, and Adam sets to work trying to convince the others to split the vote between Jeremy and Natalie.
At the first Tribal Council, tensions are high as the castaways reveal their concerns about the alliances that have been forming. The Tribe votes and Natalie is the first person voted out of Survivor: Winners at War. Natalie bequeaths her fire token to Jeremy before she goes on to Edge of Extinction.
The next morning at Dakal, Sandra is annoyed with Rob for lying to her about playing in Season 40 when they mentored together on Island of the Idols.
Yul tries to form an alliance with Wendell, Sophie, and Nick, hoping their lack of apparent connection will work to their advantage.
At Sele, Michele is blindsided by Natalie's dismissal and feels she has a lot to prove. Ben decides that himself, Michele, Jeremy, and Adam should team up as the "new schoolers" on their Tribe. Jeremy discovers that Natalie gave him her fire token.
On Edge of Extinction, Natalie gets a clue leading her to an Immunity Idol, which she can then sell for a fire token.
At the next Immunity Challenge, the Tribes must complete an obstacle course in the water before completing a puzzle. In the end, it is Sele who wins Immunity.
Back at Dakal camp, the castaways scramble to strategize in the lead-up to Tribal Council.
Sandra discovers a hidden Immunity Idol from Natalie and pays the price of one fire token to acquire it. Kim worries she is the target.
Tribal Council is tense as the castaways talk about the names mentioned earlier as potential votes, particularly the members of the non-existent poker player alliance.
The players cast their votes and Amber is voted off. She bequeaths her fire token to Rob before heading to the Edge of Extinction.
Don't miss all-new episodes of Survivor: Winners at War on Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS and CBS All Access.