Ep 1. I Vote You Out And That's It

The first episode of Survivor season 39 is titled "I Vote You Out And That's It". The episode begins with 20 new castaways arriving in Fiji, ready to compete for the $1 million prize and the title of Sole Survivor. Host Jeff Probst meets them on the beach and lays down the rules of the game. The castaways are divided into two tribes, Lairo and Vokai, and are each given a bag full of supplies to help them survive in the wilderness.

The Lairo tribe consists of Ronnie Bardah, Aaron Meredith, Elizabeth Beisel, Missy Byrd, Tom Laidlaw, Vince Moua, Chelsea Walker, Karishma Patel, Elaine Stott, and Dan Spilo. The Vokai tribe is made up of Jack Nichting, Jamal Shipman, Janet Carbin, Kellee Kim, Lauren Beck, Molly Byman, Noura Salman, Jason Linden, Tommy Sheehan, and Kellyn Bechtold.

The castaways quickly get to work building their shelter and collecting firewood. They also start strategizing and forming alliances. Ronnie, a professional poker player, bonds with Aaron over their shared background in gambling. Lauren and Molly also hit it off and discuss forming an all-girl alliance.

In the first challenge of the season, the two tribes compete in a series of obstacle courses, culminating in a puzzle. The first tribe to complete the puzzle wins immunity, while the losing tribe must vote someone out at tribal council.

The challenge is intense and both tribes are neck-and-neck throughout most of it. It comes down to the puzzle, which Vokai manages to solve first, giving them immunity.

Back at Lairo, the tribe members scramble to figure out who to vote out. Aaron suggests targeting Karishma, who he perceives as weak and lazy. Ronnie agrees, but some of the other tribe members push back, not wanting to vote someone out so early in the game. Dan, who has formed an alliance with Karishma, considers flipping his vote to save her.

At tribal council, tensions are high as the castaways face their first vote. In the end, Karishma is voted out, with six votes against her. She takes it in stride, saying that being voted out is part of the game and that she's proud of how hard she worked while she was in the game.

The episode ends with the survivors bracing themselves for the next challenge and wondering how they'll navigate the cutthroat game of Survivor.