Monday night Australian Survivor chat.
The Jury Villa is filling up fast… Watch the full JURY VILLA series on tenplay >> https://t.co/XpY7XgnI8D #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/mvnQEbPLM9
— Australian Survivor (@Survivor_AU) 15 October 2016
If you haven’t heard already, the Survivor finale screens Tuesday, October 25 (yes – it’s back to a Tuesday timeslot). Channel 10 doesn’t seem to be doing a reunion show (despite a campaign by fans on Twitter), which is a real shame. No doubt there will be the odd contestant pop up on The Project or Have You Been Paying Attention, but it’s not the same as getting to see what everyone looks like in the real world compared to their island style.
Cheers to reward / new alliances? #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/psLV4BSHoO
— Australian Survivor (@Survivor_AU) 17 October 2016
The episode starts with the morning after the spa night – we don’t even get to see Flick, Kristie and Matt discussing forming an alliance to vote out Lee and El. What the hell happened – did Channel 10 lose the footage? Does this mean we also won’t see Exile Beach footage?
After a decent night’s sleep at the spa reward and wearing almost-matching black satin nighties, Kristie and Flick pledge their loyalty to each other. Neither one really trusts the other, though.
It’s also morning on Exile Beach and everyone is shitty because they can’t get the fire to light and they are hungry. There’s no talk of idols. Disappointing!
It’s challenge time already!
Lee skips the greeting and opens with: “Not happy with you, Jonathon.” JLap rubs it in my getting the reward winners to extol the virtues of real beds, before revealing the other three went to Exile and got neither food nor sleep. So now everyone feels bad.
It’s another reward challenge and they are competing in teams of three. It’s a twist on a Survivor classic of carrying water over an obstacle course but instead of the usual buckets they are tipping water from a cracked coconut into someone’s mouth. That someone then has to sprint across a balance beam, mouth full of coconut water, and spit it into a tube. It’s Team Spa versus Team Exile Beach. Winner gets an advantage in the immunity challenge. “I will put it in my mouth – I’ve got a big mouth,” Kristie volunteers. Lee and Flick are selected as the spitters proves but Kristie – with her shorter reach and having trouble with the wind – has trouble directing the flow into Flick’s mouth (yes, I really just typed that). Unsurprisingly, despite Sam being on the outs, Exile Beach team wins. Team Spa had better hope the immunity challenge tomorrow involves a puzzle or they’re stuffed.
Back at camp, after 27 hours without food, Team Exile Beach can’t wait to dig in to their black and white glop. But then, for the first time, we get footage of what we’ve known for a while back in the real world: Lee and El are a thing.
“Lee and I have spooned since day one,” says El, saying it was because they were cold to start with and then became something more. Unlike the current season of US Survivor, however, there is no pashing or even hand holding. It’s just sitting on a beach, gazing at the waves and chatting – not even touching. That’s Survivor romance, Aussie style.
Alliance or something more?#SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/epRQnCqxuQ
— Australian Survivor (@Survivor_AU) 17 October 2016
Meanwhile, Magic Matt and Sam cement their alliance and are hopeful Kristie and Flick are on board. But then Matt tells the camera something that’s the kiss of death on Survivor: “I have a chance at winning this game, and I’m coming for it.” Noooooo!
It’s Day 49 – that’s 10 days longer than a normal Survivor. Kristie is tossing up between siding with Flick, a known backstabber, and Lee, who she believes has been loyal to her. She has a mini meltdown – which we haven’t seen back since the show started and she thought someone had moved her bag (and it was El who calmed her down then). “You are doing so well – I’ve said that from day dot,” says Daddy Lee.
Flick is a bot worried this sign of emotion means Kristie is going to crack and spill the beans to Mum and Dad.
Immunity challenge
JLap reminds us that Sam has yet to win individual immunity. That’s because he’s no good at puzzles of hanging off/on to stuff. The challenge is a Survior classic: balancing on a triangular pontoon, with no hands allowed. It usually favours girls with smaller feet and good balance, although the last person to win it was Joey Amazing in Second Chances. Here’s a history of who’s won it. This could be El’s challenge if there’s not a guest of wind.
And the advantage is: The Exile Beach three get to start the challenge 10 minutes after everyone else. That is a huge advantage. Someone could fall before the three even start.
And, yes, Flick falls just before the 10-minute ark.
After 90 minutes it’s just Lee, El and Sam and they have to transition to the top for a surfer-style pose. In the past contestants have stood here for quite a while but the Samoan sea is choppy today and Lee hangs on just a few seconds longer than El and Sam to win.
Back at camp the alleged alliance of Lee, El, Kristie and Flick aims to split the vote between Matt and Sam. But, later, Flick tells Kristie that El is the target of the other alliance. Kristie is conflicted and goes for a stroll with Lee, where she confesses all. Daddy Lee looks down at Kristie with his sad, frownie face as she pours her heart out. And then tells her not to worry about the fact he and El are close. Yes, do worry about that fact, Kristie! And it just gets more shambolic from here, with Lee telling El, who tells Flick, who pretends it’s all cool but is inwardly freaking out. Interestingly Lee and El dismiss the notion that Flick has turned against them, when just days ago she flipped on her BFF to join them.
Tribal Council
Matt talks about making moves. Lee talks about how people should not make moves. Sam decides it’s time to throw a few tribal truth bombs a la JL – how his tune has changed. Talk turns to how El and Lee are running the show and over on the jury Nick is loving this.
We now cross live to the jury for Nick's thoughts. #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/gsgUYNIOld
— Australian Survivor (@Survivor_AU) 17 October 2016
When they are on to your not-so-secret connection. #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/1n6vj99JH5
— Australian Survivor (@Survivor_AU) 17 October 2016
It’s time to vote but first Lee announces he’d like to use his advantage. Hooray – some actual gameplay. He gets to cancel someone’s vote and, logically he should pick Matt or Sam as they’re definite votes for El.
And he picks Sam.
I’d be tempted to vote El out on the basis of her wearing short pink overalls.
The votes are: Sam, Matt, Matt, El and Sam. Time for the revote (and Matt and Sam can’t vote). Matt looks sick.
Sam’s gone. At least he can reunite with Brooke back at Ponderosa. “All the best, eh,” he tells his fellow tribemates, making the “rock on” sign with his hand.
Lee uses his advantage, and Sam becomes the 19th person voted out of #SurvivorAU and the 6th member of the jury. pic.twitter.com/rCe18d2uoP
— Australian Survivor (@Survivor_AU) 17 October 2016