Survivor Player Has to Leave the ‘Party’ Early After Close Ally Orchestrates an Epic Blindside

Survivor‘s latest exit proves no one is safe on the show’s milestone 50th season.

While the Kalo tribe came out victorious in a grueling challenge, they secured more than their safety with the win. Aubry, Chrissy, Colby, Coach, Genevieve, Joe and Tiffany were taken to the sanctuary, where they were treated to fish caught by none other than country music star Zac Brown.

The lead of Zac Brown Band, who happens to be a self-described “super fan” of Survivor and was the “architect” of the reward, used his spearfishing skills to provide a much-appreciated lunch to the winners.

In addition, the Kalo tribe was treated to a mini concert by Brown, who performed “Colder Weather” and his new song “I Ain’t Worried About It” for them on the guitar.

Colby Donaldson, who is playing for the fourth time after making his Survivor debut in the second season that aired in 2001, said in an interview later, “A reward like this is part of why I came back.”

“If my journey in Survivor ends tomorrow, it’ll have been worth it for that experience with Zac,” he added. “And I’m not trying to go home tomorrow, but that was about as good as it gets.”

While Kalo was being serenaded by Brown, Vatu was back at camp scheming about who to target at tribal council after another loss.

The agreed-upon plan was to vote out Angelina, but Mike White had other thoughts. After all, the pair played all 39 days of their previous David vs. Goliath–themed season together and have developed a close friendship outside the game (Angelina even made a cameo on the second season of Mike’s HBO hit, The White Lotus), so Mike was willing to make a big play to save his friend.

Mike moved the target to Emily, hoping he could count on Christian — another David vs. Goliath alum to return for season 50, who also made a quick cameo on The White Lotus — to vote her out. However, Christian and Emily had been working as allies — something Mike likened to Christian’s close “nerd bond” with Gabby on their original season.

Reminding Christian how Gabby tried to turn on him, Mike told Christian, “You’ve literally lived this already.”

In a confessional, it appears that Mike feels his plan is working, and he calls himself a “puppet master.” But Christian wasn’t a fan of how Mike was trying to manipulate him: “It’s a knife to the heart,” he says to the camera. So Christian decides to try and turn the tables on his two-time castmate.

At tribal council, it seems likely that three people are on the chopping block: Angelina (Ozzy’s choice to go), Emily (following Mike’s plan) and now Mike (after Christian realizes how dangerous he can be).

In the end, Ozzy is left out of the plans and votes for Angelina. Meanwhile, Emily receives votes from Angelina and Mike. However, with just three out of the six votes — from Christian, Emily and Stephenie — Mike is the latest player voted out.

The White Lotus creator is clearly surprised as his name pops up, but he takes the blindside in stride, congratulating the fellow players on successfully tricking him and hugging them on the way out. (Ozzy, on the other hand, makes it known that he isn’t thrilled about being blindsided himself.)

“I get it,” Mike tells Christian as they embrace. “It’s all good.”

As Mike brings his torch over to Probst, the writer says, “Great party, man. Sorry I have to leave so early.”

“Mike, your tribe has spoken,” Probst says as he snuffs the flame. It’s actually Mike’s first time being voted out, as he made it to the final tribal council in his previous season.

Before filming for season 50 began, PEOPLE traveled to Fiji and interviewed the contestants. There, it was clear that Christian was less interested than Angelina and Mike in sticking together, sharing his reservations about going far into the game with either of his David vs. Goliath castmates.

Christian called Mike a “master storyteller” and credited the School of Rock writer and actor with raising Christian’s threat level on David vs. Goliath: “[Mike] said, ‘Christian is the ultimate David. If you let him get to the end, he will slay Goliath and win.’ Very simple story. Everyone bought it. Everyone then immediately started voting for me because he controlled the story.”

“I will work with him,” Christian, who voted for Mike to win their original season, told PEOPLE. “I just don’t trust that he will lay down his life in the game for me to win.”