What happened to Jaime's fake idol? Survivor fans have questions

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Jaime gave her fake idol to a fellow player for safe keeping...but what happened when that person got voted off the island?

Pictured (L-R): Jeff Probst, Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt, Jaime Lynn Ruiz, and Lauren Harpe
(Image credit: Photo: Robert Voets/CBS)

Survivor season 44 has been a treasure trove of idols, fake and otherwise, and Jaime's fake idol ended up causing quite the commotion during this Wednesday's episode. 

Unbeknownst to the former Ratu tribe member, the hidden immunity idol that she found in episode three was a false one created and planted as a decoy by Survivor season 44 castmate Matthew, who had secretly found the real one. “Can you believe that I still have my idol?” Jaime said in a confessional this week, still believing in the validity of her fake idol. “How do I still have my idol? I’m so happy I still have my idol!” 

To protect the "immunity" idol, especially given that several tribe members know of its existence, Jaime and Kane strategize a way to get around a potential Knowledge Is Power advantage, which allows it user to ask another player at Tribal Council if they have a hidden immunity idol or an advantage. The player has to fess up and if they are in possession of one of the two, the user is able to steal it. To ensure that Jaime's unplayed idol doesn't fall into the wrong hands, she gives it to Kane. "This is the debut of Kane Fritzler, strategist," Kane jokes of the move. 

The problem is, after much back-and-forth strategizing between the former members of Tika, Soka and Ratu, Kane's name is brought up as a potential target. “Kane just seems so low priority right now,” Carolyn tells Carson, and says that she wants to go for a bigger name like Danny.

However, in the end, it's Kane who gets voted out and leaves...with Jaime's idol in his pocket. So why didn't he give it back before his departure? As Jeff Probst explained in Entertainment Weekly: “Once the reading of the votes begins, that’s it. That’s why I say, ‘If anyone has an idol or an advantage and you want to play it, now would be the time to do so.’ That’s your window. After that, you are basically handcuffed from doing anything other than hoping it’s not you.”

As for potentially giving the idol back now that Kane is on the jury? “Once you’re voted out, you’re out of the game and any advantage or idols in your possession lose all their power," Probst added. "You must turn all unplayed idols or advantages over to us. You are not allowed to even sneak an advantage to a player so they could try to bluff with it."

Fans react to Jaime's fake idol on Survivor:

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Christina Izzo
Christina Izzo

Christina Izzo is the Deputy Editor of My Imperfect Life. More generally, she is a writer-editor covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle and culture in New York City. She was previously the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. 

When she’s not doing all that, she can probably be found eating cheese somewhere.