Australian Survivor – Merge!

The merge is here! This is going to be fun.
The blurb says: Emotions continue to run high when a particularly difficult reward challenge offers a deeply sentimental prize.
And remember we get three nights of Survivor now: Sun, Mon and Tues.

And the US season is again being fast-tracked on Go (thanks, Nine!). Heroes v Healers v Hustlers (HHH) begins 7.30pm Thursday, September 28.



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Windsong

I like that they’d actually merged the two teams before even the first ad-break. It’s like, they know what we’ve all been waiting for, what we’ve been sitting through the show for weeks now, for, so just get on with it and give us what we want!

Ziggy proves that she’s the biggest threat by taking out a second stamina/endurance-based challenge. Meanwhile, in both challenges, 2 of the first 3 people to fall were Michelle and Tara. Problem is, though, they’re both perfect swing votes and goats, so we’re stuck with them both in the long run.

Interesting that Locky told Henry the plan was to target Luke. I have the feeling that the best way to derail that plan would be just to tell Luke that people are gunning for him. He’d probably burn the damn campsite down. Let’s see what happens.

Henry targeting Jarrad is also a good move, because Henry is smart enough to know he’s got a target on his back. And taking out Jarrad weakens Ziggy, which is the same thing he tried earlier in the season with Mark/Sam and it mostly worked there (which the other tribe did with Locky and Aimee).

Jayblossom

Purely on the numbers they should realise that Michele,Locky and Henry all voted with the 4 from Asaga, it’s the only way they could come up with 7 votes for Jarrad.

Windsong

Forgive the language, but that was a fucking EPIC tribal council. This? This right here is why I like this show so much.

From the credits, Locky and Michelle both flipped (Michelle was even lying through her teeth to Tessa while the tribal council was happening. Locky seemed to take most umbridge with the fact that Jarrad was originally targeting Henry, so I’m guessing those two will be a coherent unit for a while yet) over to the other side to get rid of Jarrad. I think it was probably a good idea. Michelle was on the bottom either way, and we know she’d flip back the second the merge happened. We all said as such last week).

Plus, it does chip into Ziggy’s power-base. And that woman is a challenge-stomping machine, so they’re gonna need all the help they can get to de-throne her, if she doesn’t just go on an immunity rampage until the end (not hurt at all by the super idol in her pocket).

My favourite part was that Jericho kept to his word, and underlined the person he voted for. Unfortunately, he voted for Jarrad. Credit to Jericho, he probably realised that Jarrad’s word meant nothing, and there was no way Jarrad wasn’t going to knife Jericho the second it became convenient. The underline was basically Jericho saying, “screw you pal”, bless him.

But my favourite part about that whole angle was that Jarrad is the only one who knows not to trust Jericho. Jericho actually managed to stick the dagger in, in full view of the entire tribe, but Jarrad is the only person who knows (and can’t tell anyone, because he’s now over on the jury). I actually laughed, that was fantastic.

Bring on tomorrow night.

Usually the old tribal lines stick for a little while. I’d say it’s gonna be a few more episodes of ex-Asaga versus ex-Summer-towel, but after a few councils, those tribal lines begin to deteriorate as everybody realises their position within the hierarchy and tries to change it, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens.

Jayblossom

Love the analysis Windsong. But Jericho may have made an error if he gets to the end because Jarrad is on the jury.
I can’t believe Tara is still hellbent on revenge, she actually benefitted fro being voted off by being sent to the other tribe. If she had stayed in Summertowel, there is no way she would have made it to the merge.

Windsong

Henry’s been playing hard and fast, but it’s working, he’s made it to merge. So while I wouldn’t be surprised if all of his plotting and scheming comes back to bite him, at some point … I think he will shine from the merge onwards, because this is where he really gets to play the game. He’s one of the ones I’d like to see get to the end, actually.

Sarah, too, going by what we’ve seen so far.

Brussellsprout

I think I agree with Juz, JB – Jarrad strikes me as someone who would give credit to the person who took him out – even more credit than necessary in an almost perverse ‘wow – you were so good you managed to blindside ME’ way!
Jericho is looking rather strong now he has abandoned his cookie-empire.

Jayblossom

Yes, I forgot about the respect for people who play the game well.

Brussellsprout

I think you are right about Annaleise dropping out straight away, Juz. I was thinking it was a good idea as you don’t look strong – Tessa looks a big threat now by pulling it off – but I think people like Michelle and Tara are just pretty much useless so I fully expected them to drop out.
Is it that you picked Annaleise as the first of the strategic drop outs?

Carole Morrissey

I thought Tessa was a goner when she sacrificed her 3 course meal to let everyone get their letters. It’s usually a death knell on the US version.
That merge feast was pretty pathetic compared to the US series.
That immunity challenge looked horrific. So painful.

PollyB

Did I hear correctly, they are there for 55 days? They are only about 30 down?

Brussellsprout

I just loved it!! Awesome episode with great scrambling, pure blindside and an actual vote off. I think it was a great move to try to weaken Ziggy’s base – she looks incredibly strong and they know she has a big advantage.
Aghast – why can’t I get over it – that useless Michelle is definitely in play for longer. Bugger.

I love your take Windsong. But you failed to mention the excruciating difficulty Locky has with tasks. Like thinking. Grasping what he has been told. Counting above 7. The really hard stuff. I spose it’s good to see the wheels turning as it helps us keep up.
Cannot wait till tomorrow!

And I’m with you Juz – fabulous challenges indeed.

Fijane

Yes, a good episode, but why two endurance challenges? I much prefer the other type (run/swim/untie ropes/crawl/throw/puzzles). It is expected that there will be endurance ones after the merge because they are now individuals, but there should be equal measure. Otherwise, players like Ziggy and Jericho have an unfair advantage.

I still need nametags for the girls, too, especially the ones from Summertowel, who have been less visible over the past few weeks.

I can’t tell whether the castaways all know that Henry lost his mum just before coming on the show. I had thought it was secret, but last night was ambiguous. I hope it is and continues to be, secret. I would like him to win on his merits and not accused of using emotional blackmail.

Daisy

I just feel producers rippied us off twice already (3 times if you count Ziggy’s super duper immunities); the Tara save, the Pete mutiny instead of the possible Luke/Sarah elimination. I don’t trust that they won’t manipulate the game again. I hope they listen to the many complaints on sm and let the game play out as it was intended, through stamina and strategy. Hell I woyldn’t besurprised to see a tribal where they justbring in a dice. Throw a 1 and you’re out. But it’s actually more annoying when it’s AFTER a person has been voted out.

I have been watching, but with the bitter taste of skepticism. Like watching MKR bulldust.

brain dead dave

Tara: “She’s done so much effort”

Ali-oops

BDD, you read my mind.

Tara: “He’s done so much effort”
Ziggy says: “Hashtag Killing It”
In Tara’s case, that means the English language.

How come Jarrad gets out and Michelle and Tara are still there. I hope that doesn’t mean we’re stuck with the Unlikeables all the way till the end.

brain dead dave

Another pearl from Tara today was : “i need a ****ing drink”

No drinkin’ challenges for A$atau.

This must be like rehab for her. Not for Slim Dusty.

“When I’m far away from home
And there’s no pub I brew my own
Out of vegetables or anything that grows
I drink it till my eyes bulge out
Then I scream and rave and shout
‘Cause my pal alcohol I love you so”

My Pal Alcohol

brain dead dave

From the vote, it appears just one Survivor can spell Jarrad’s name correctly.

Jericho.

Windsong

And he even underlined it, just to show that he could.

Be fair, though. Jarrad is a really odd way is spelling the name. I’ve ever known it to have one ‘a’ and one ‘r’.

Fijane

There’s actually several ways to spell it and all the Jarrad/Jarryd/Jarod/Jarad’s I know spell it differently. There doesn’t seem to be a standard spelling.

brain dead dave

Only reason I know is that I use captions, whick plonk for “Jarrad”.

No`one on this forum, myself included as far as I know spells “Anneleise” as the show does it. I didn’t want to be anal about it…….When I Googled “Anneleise”, I got a real horror/excorcism yarn.

Bogan spellings have always annoyed me.

Jayblossom

I’m with you there BDD. I’ve seen some shockers in my time, the parents are to blame but it’s their poor offspring that have to live with it.

brain dead dave

Dr.Phil’s wife Robyn might already have used that name for one of her spurious skin creams.

Daisy

My grandson is a Jarrad.

Lola

Having worked in a public hospital in a maternity hospital I have seen my fair share of spelling abominations. And to be fair the parents are mostly bogan and uneducated that can’t spell and give their sporn terrible names. Just saying.

Daisy

Does Soldier have one stud earring and a lop-sided haircut?

Daisy

Yes, same with teaching. It makes it much harder to remember made up names, unless they are something like Little Frog.