Both contestants with New York connections remained safe Wednesday after a dramatic second episode of "Survivor 51."
With the competition underway, the castaways are growing increasingly paranoid about who they can trust and which alliances are genuine.
Two medical emergencies also reminded contestants that their time on the island isn't guaranteed just because they avoid tribal council.
Here's what happened in Episode 2 of "Survivor 51."
Who are the two New York contestants on 'Survivor 51'?
"Survivor 51" has two contestants with connections to New York.
Mike Pinsky, 32, is an assistant director of baseball operations for the New York Yankees.
Ori Jean-Charles, 27, is a personal trainer from Spring Valley, New York.
What happened in Episode 2 of 'Survivor'?
Neither Pinsky nor Jean-Charles played a major role in the episode, but their allies were
involved in much of the drama.
After Aaliyah Puglia was voted out in the first episode, Lewis Black returned to the main camp after spending three days on Exile Island and failing to retrieve an idol. He was welcomed back by most of his tribe, but some contestants, including Danny Kilby, began to question whether Black was telling the truth about what happened while he was away.
Savu, meanwhile, was riding high after winning the first immunity challenge. Ana Sani, 34, of Toronto, tried to create "chaos" within the tribe by stirring up conversations about who contestants would want to eliminate if they lost a challenge.
After talking with supposed ally Alexis Levine, Sani told Linnea Capobianco and Sharonda Cox that they were the subject of the conversation and could be targeted because they were "smart and strategic."
Sani then made an awkward remark after Levine walked by, essentially revealing that she had betrayed her ally and putting a target on her own back.
The biggest moments of the episode, however, involved gruesome injuries to Brady Booker and Kristin Flickinger.
While cutting coconuts for his tribe, former WWE NXT wrestler Booker cut part of his thumb off and began bleeding heavily. As Pinsky pointed out, Booker seemed more concerned about whether the injury would force him to leave the game.
Later, Flickinger injured her foot during a challenge and feared she may have broken it. Like Booker, she insisted there was "no way" she was leaving the show, which she said had been a dream of hers since "Survivor" first aired.
Both contestants remained in the game after Booker received medical attention and Flickinger found herbs on the island that she believed would help her recover.
Who was voted off 'Survivor'?
The dramatic elimination in the first episode appeared to rally the Toka tribe, which won both challenges in Episode 2.
The first challenge, won by Angelica "Jelly" Loblack, earned the tribe a hammock and pillows. Loblack used the distraction of the victory to search for an idol and found the second idol of the season.
Later, the two tribes faced off in a challenge during torrential rain, with Toka again winning immunity.
That sent the Savu tribe to tribal council, where Rob Antonson began feeling the pressure of losing and being separated from his family.
Antonson had initially rallied the tribe to vote out Eric Maksoud. But he later changed his plan and tried to get himself voted out instead.
Hoping to use the idol he found in Episode 1, Antonson told Maksoud that he was the person most of the tribe was considering for elimination. Antonson then encouraged Maksoud to use his "Shot in the Dark" advantage. If it failed, Antonson planned to vote himself out and give his idol to Maksoud to save him.
Meanwhile, members of Toka were targeting Sani after her earlier attempt to stir up the tribe. Cox even split from Jean-Charles during the vote, despite their agreement to maintain a close but secret alliance.
At tribal council, Antonson learned that "Survivor" rules prevented him from voting himself out, foiling his plan to save Maksoud and leave the game.
But Antonson didn't need to worry. The tribe split its votes, and Sani was ultimately voted out.
What is new in this season of 'Survivor'?
This season features a new theme called "Open Era," which means advantages and twists from previous seasons can return at any point, creating unpredictable gameplay.
Host Jeff Probst also revealed that the new theme could bring back a coin toss similar to the one featured in Season 50. The twist could increase the show's $1 million prize to $2 million.
Probst said that if a contestant fails to win the coin toss, the prize money would still double but transfer to the following season. For example, contestants on Season 52 could compete for $2 million, while a successful coin toss could increase the final prize to $3 million.
When is the next 'Survivor' episode?
New episodes of "Survivor" air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS and stream on Paramount+ for premium subscribers.
Episodes are also available to stream on Paramount+ after they air.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: ‘Survivor 51’ Episode 2 recap: Injuries, shifting alliances and a surprise vote
