* “Survivor 51” spoilers ahead! *
“Survivor 51” has delivered quite a bit of action, and Brady Booker found himself involved in quite a bit of it before and after being voted out during the Episode 7 drama. Along with discovering that he was the target of a “brutal blindside” at Tribal Council, he’s now revealed suspicions about fellow competitor Devin Way and defended himself from what other players are saying.
On top of that, it was announced that Brady made a surprising decision that has never happened before and will totally change the outcome of the game. As Parade points out, he has “[made] Survivor history as the first person to get voted out, make the jury, and then subsequently leave the game.” So, what really happened to lead to this point?
‘Honored To Be a First for Big Brodie’
As viewers will know, when Brady made his exit after being voted out, host Jeff Probst mentioned that the former player would become the first member of the jury as the game moved ahead. This meant that he would have a say when it came to who wins (or loses) when the action finally comes to a head. Now, things have changed and, as a result, the outcome will also be different than what it might have been.
During Episode 8, Probst informed the remaining castaways, “First, a little business. Last night, immediately following Tribal Council, Brady asked to go home to tend to his injured thumb. So Brady is out of the game. He’s gone, and will not be a member of the jury.”
If you missed the injury that put Brady on the path to relinquishing his spot on the “Survivor 51” jury, it was seen during Episode 2, which aired on September 30, although the incident took place earlier this year while the show was filming in Fiji.
“During a scene showing the Toka tribe working around their camp,” Brady “accidentally hit himself with the machete while chopping wood,” according to People. He then heads over to where his tribe is and while dealing with a bloody hand, tells them, “I’m missing a quarter of my thumb.”
After being checked out by the doctor and being assured that he could stay in the game, Brady asked for the piece of his thumb to be sent to Probst, who later wrote in his Instagram “Field Notes” that he visited the medical area — “Sure enough. That’s the tip of a human thumb. Another Survivor first.”
Brady left a comment on the post, telling Probst, “Honored to be a first for big brodie @jeffprobst 😂”
Has Anyone Ever Left the ‘Survivor’ Jury Before?
When it comes to whether or not any past castaways have ditched their role on the “Survivor” jury, Parade says, “Yes…and no!”
“We have certainly had people make the jury stage on Survivor, yet not cast a vote at the Final Tribal Council,” Parade explains, while pointing to Season 32, which involved Michele Fitzgerald using an advantage to remove Neal Gottlieb from the jury. On top of that, “In Season 39, Dan Spilo was removed from the cast, following a series of instances involving inappropriate touching both on and off-camera. Despite finishing in sixth place, his disqualification forbade him from sitting on the jury.”
Finally, during Winners at War, Sandra Diaz-Twine had the chance to sit on the jury after a trip to the Edge of Extinction, but decided to head home instead.
Never-Before-Seen ‘Survivor’ Decision Will Change This Season’s Outcome