You might be wondering why everyone on social media was gossiping about Applebee’s on Wednesday evening. No, it’s not because two characters in Challengers go on a dinner date to grab Dollaritas. It’s much more harrowing than that: A player on Survivor threw a full-on temper tantrum over not getting to eat one of Applebee’s (in)famous burgers as part of a reward challenge. Bummer.
Throughout Season 46, marketing strategist Liz Wilcox has become a contestant known for two things, and two things only: She’s a millionaire (billionaire? No one really knows) and she has so many allergies that she hasn’t been able to eat anything since the merge. Following the most recent episode of Survivor, however, Liz will now be known for a third thing—Applebee’s.
Jeff Probst kicks off this week’s reward challenge with a bit of an insult: “You all look noticeably smaller,” Probst says. “Your bodies are shrinking.” Yeah, no duh, Jeff. A couple of weeks into the season without solid food; they’re ravenous! Luckily, Probst is offering the biggest reward of the season to the challenge’s winner. The reward will be a feast from a certain restaurant—you might be able to guess which one I’m talking about.
Burgers, wings, French fries, all of it. Liz is overjoyed. “My Wednesday night ritual!” she shouts. Liz then explains that, every Wednesday, she and her daughter have a Survivor sleepover where they get Applebee’s and watch the new episode. And seeing as she’s one of the only contestants who hasn’t eaten…this reward means a lot.
Survivor fans were quick to ask questions—how come Liz can’t eat anything on the island, but she can eat the grease-fried monstrosities at Applebee’s? I’ll leave that one up to science.
Unfortunately, Liz loses the challenge. Q—who is maligned by most of the tribe—wins instead, opting to take former Yanu teammates Tiff (who hates Q) and Kenzie along for the reward, as well as ally Maria.
Liz. Is. Fuming.
She’s quite possibly the most pissed anyone has ever been. With her back to the camera, Liz starts sobbing. Then, for a minute, she’s silent. Maybe she’ll shrug it off, right? Jeff asks how she’s feeling, and, like she’s in the most dramatic HBO show of all time, Liz slowly turns back to face the camera.
Nope, she’s not going to let this one go—Liz starts screaming. “I AM PISSED!” she yelps. “I see you eat every day. Q, you almost threw off my whole game. You overshadowed everything I have strived to do, and I said, ‘It’s cool.’ I didn’t say nothing!”
Kenzie and Maria drinking Applebee’s margaritas.
CBSLiz continues blubbering, shaking her fists in the air. “I don’t even want to be around y’all,” she bellows.
“Well, Liz,” Q interjects. “You voted for me last night.”
Take note: The wrong move in Survivor will cost you that feast from Applebee’s you’ve been craving.
After all is said and done, Liz thanks everyone for “letting me go off like that” and apologizes. Apparently, she just needed to vent. The allure of Applebee’s will do that to the best of us. Q, Tiff, Kenzie, and Maria enjoy Applebee’s while Liz goes another day without food.
And the advertisement that CBS cut to, following the chaos? Why, it was a commercial for Applebee’s, of course.
