Tag: Kate

Australian Survivor, Mon, Sept 26

The promo for tonight shows Kate talking strategy with Spidey Sam and BFF Lee. Hooray – people talking strategy who aren’t already in the pretty girl alliance! Don’t think it will save Kate but good on her for having a go.
Now, if we get a scene where Jenna Louise gets to talk I’ll be even more delighted.

Back at camp after the Conner vote out the usually chipper Kate is feeling dispirited – knowing she’s next in line – but Sue tells her to buck up: “Don’t get mad; get even.” Please do, Kate – we’d love to see you take out Brooke or Flick.
Her first port of call is to go for a walk with firefighter Kylie, because no-one on the former blue tribe cares what Kylie does. They want a “Good Guys” alliance that draws in Sam.
And the “Bad Girls” (Flick, El and Brooke) want Kate gone just as bad.
Kate sketches out in the sand the tribal pyramid of power showing Sam and Lee where they stand in the game and they discuss blindsiding Nick to flush the idol. They reckon they can get Kristie, Kylie and Sue on board. Lee worries me because, here at home, we’re led to believe he’s very tight with El, and in the game we’ve seen they are friends but they don’t strategise together. Lee could well turn Kate in to the Bad Girls which won’t make much difference to Kate’s chances but it could send Sam home earlier than expected. And relying on Kylie for anything strategic seems shaky.

On the beach Brooke is squeezing Flick’s blackheads – gross! They are unmatting each other’s hair and attempting to pluck eyebrows. Aren’t these people starving? Is no-one trying to catch crabs or fish? While the beauty salon is open, Lee and Sam have a chat with Kristie about voting for Nick, interestingly, we see Lee tell the camera how much he admires Kristie for her quirkiness and resilience.
Ooh – there’s Jenna Louise being part of a strategy convo with Nick and Flick but again she’s not saying anything! And the editors cut another shot of her just standing there with Nick talking about how people are flying under the radar.
Kate fills Sue in on the plan to blindside Nick but Sue is rightly sceptical of Lee and Sam’s motives.

Immunity challenge time
And – phew – we get a “Come on in, guys” from JLap. I think it’s time the drops this mini interrogation before each challenge and just let them get on with it.
The challenge is one that didn’t stretch their budget but I don’t remember seeing it before. They have to spin a ball inside a wide wooden hoop – last person to drop the ball loses. Sue is out after only a minute. Kate is about the fifth to lose it and is devastated. The final four are El, Sam, Lee and Kristie and there’s a bit of chatter going on which seems designed to irritate Kristie, who’s struggling.


After an hour it’s Lee versus El and it must be hot as the other contestants are trying to take shelter in the skerrick of shade provided by their platforms. Five minutes later El wins in a top effort to outlast professional cricketer Lee.

Bad Girl alliance wants to split the vote so the girls vote for Kate and boys vote for Sue.
The Good Guy alliance needs Kylie’s vote but she’s worried about the backlash from the Bad Girls. So she spills the beans to Brooke and pitches it as a way to get rid of Nick’s idol – aargh! Kylie!
Meanwhile, Nick seems to have no idea he’s in trouble but we get a confessional of him saying he’s considering playing the idol to get a target off his back. That horse has bolted, my friend.
Brooke and Flick are ropable at Sam and now it’s all about how Sam is a snake. Bad Girl alliance (minus Nick) calls Sam to order and Magic Matt can’t believe how everything is crumbling just before tribal. “I’m over this shit,” says Flick.
I think Sam will flip again and go back to the majority. And if we get one of those tribals where JLap tells the players what their enemies’ strategy is, Nick could get antsy and play the idol.



Tribal council
There’s a lot of chat about playing with honour and then Kate goes all out with a call for action for people on the bottom of the alliance to realise where they are in the hierarchy. Nick says he considers Kate a friend (at which she rolls her eyes).


And then Sam sticks the knife in to Nick, calling him a snake. Not a smart move, Sam, when you don’t want to spook Nick into playing his idol. “Everyone has a little bit of blood on their hands,” Nick responds and I feel quite sorry for him – how dare he try and play the game, because people like Flick and Brooke aren’t playing the game and no-one else has ever voted anyone out … “I’m bored of all this chat .. I’m over this BS,” say Lee flatly.
Brooke and Flick are obviously worried Lee won’t be their puppet tonight – they could well vote for Nick after all. “It’s your game. Have the balls to vote for who you want to vote for,” Kate tells everyone. Does Kate do public speaking? She’s quite good.

The votes
We see Flick vote for Kate and Sam for Nick. JLap asks if anyone wants to play an idol and everyone looks at Nick – and he plays it! Yes – this makes things interesting. Sam looks panicked.
Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, Kate, Sue, Kate, Sue, Kate, Kate, Kate and we don’t see the last vote.
Sue starts crying and whispers to her “I love you, Kate.” Aww – lovely.

Next time: We don’t see much, other than Nick being worried about his future in the game.
The votes: Voting for Nick were Kate, Sue, Kristie and Sam. We hear Lee say he had to vote for Kate because he gave his word.
“I hope the can of worms I’ve opened is creating chaos back at camp,” Kate tells the camera.



Facebooktwitterredditmail

Australian Survivor – Sun, Sept 25

Finally – a real merge – not just a shuffle. The fallout from this is going to be fun.

It’s Day 32 already – the days just fly by when Survivor is on three nights a week.
At yellow, Conner, Kristie and Kate are wasting away. They are going to go nuts and get so sick when they finally get that merge feast.
Everyone heads in to what they think is a challenge and the fans quickly realise the seating indicates it’s the Survivor auction – yay!
There are gasps as blue realise that Phoebe is gone.
The editors play sad music as Kate speaks about how many players their tribe lost and the camera cuts to Conner and Kristie.
JLap starts talking about how hard it’s been, laying down the adjectives and the contestants get restless as some of them twig he’s about to announce the merge. Except Spidey Sam, who says: “What’s going on here?”
Meanwhile, Nick is happily chanting: “Say it! Say it!”
Yes, it’s the merge (the real one) and they are now all competing as individuals, with new black buffs.


They get $500 to spend and can bid in $20 increments. There’s no sharing of money or food, which I know is standard in US Survivor these days but it would have been kind of interesting to let the Aussies do it to see where the alliances lie. Usually with the auction, the people who are playing hard will save all their pennies as the final item is usually an advantage or clue to an idol – or occasionally letters from loved ones. This makes me think Nick and Magic Matt won’t be buying any food and we’ll see who else is in it to win it. Plus with a merge they usually get a feast, so hanging out a few more hours won’t hurt the former blues, who have enjoyed many helpings of Hungry Jack’s and a Samoan feast.

The auction begins
First up is salt and vinegar chips and a cola. El makes first bid but Conner is the only other bidder – poor kid – he must be starving. JLap reveals Conner gets and extra three softies, which go to Kristie and Kate and his old tribemate Sue. Aww, he’s a good kid.
Next is chocolate cake and choc milk. El bids $60 but is immediately outbid by Conner with $440!! That’s his whole stash gone. Fair enough, kid – he knew he didn’t have enough money for a clue so made sure he got some food. That cake is going to make him so crook.
Next it’s the old secret item trick. It’s going to be a bowl of rice. Sam bids $240 (after Nick drives up the price in what looks like a deliberate move). JLap does the old “but do you want it or this other covered item?”. He sticks with the original and it’s nachos and a margherita. But we don’t even see what was under the other hessian cloche.
The following item is also covered and the keen players sense it’s something special. Nick, Brooke, Lee and Sue all place bids. Sue for $220 gets steak and chips.
Up next is a hot bath with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Brooke gets it for $20 and has to hop in in front of everyone.
Next is what they’ve been waiting for: an advantage. El and Lee bid for it. Magic Matt stays quiet, knowing these advantages can come back to bite you.
Kate for $500 buys spag bol and a red wine, so expect to see her topple of the bench.
The final item is covered and Nick outbids Lee for $440. He has won an advantage and he doesn’t look too happy. “I didn’t want this … I didn’t want a big, fat target on my back – that’s what that is.”


Too right, Nick. The advantage holders will open their scrolls back at camp. If I was Nick I’d do it in front of everyone and read it aloud. Lee may get away with doing it secretly as everyone trusts him.

They all return to their new home beach and everyone’s sad to learn they are at the crappy yellow camp, with the comforts of blue camp left behind. Chester the chook has at least made it over. It seems there’s no merge feast so I feel sorry for poor Kristie, who didn’t get anything at the auction.
Everyone gets to work expanding the shelter but really they are dying to cement alliances.
Conner is worried he’ll be targeted and rightly so – Flick wants him gone after his perceived earlier betrayal (because she’s the only one allowed to play the game) and Brooke and El are on board.
Sue lays it out to the camera: “They’re all ra ra ra over there like a university sorority house. Full of their own arrogance.”
Sue warns Kristie and Kate that Conner is in trouble. Conner takes Kylie off for a super casual walk to show her the well and she seems to be on board. I hope she is, as she has’t shown herself to be good at strategy or the social game. Conner is keen to turn Sam back to his alliance, but I don’t know that Sam would break up with his new BFF Lee. Interestingly they aren’t talking about approaching Jenna Louise, a former yellow. Is that because she’s in the pretty girl alliance and we don’t know it?
Really, the old blues should target the unsuspecting Kylie and get that idol out of the game.

Lee reads his advantage in secret – he gets to stop someone from voting at a future tribal council, up until final five – and says he’ll tell his alliance.
Nick, meanwhile, talks about burning his but he just can’t help himself – he unwraps it. It’s an immunity idol clue and it sounds like it’s up a tree. He monkeys all over the place and is immediately spotted by Lee. At least when he knows he’s busted he shows Lee the clue and ropes him in to the search. Lee is suss but plays along. Nick finds it and tells Lee he will also only tell his alliance of six.
Sam finds some pink fabric washed up on the shore and the pretty girl alliance rip it up for friendship bracelets. The core alliance all get one – and Kristie. Way to stir the pot.


I wish we’d seen whose idea that was. Brooke’s?
And, still, no-one seems to be talking to JL. What does this mean?

Immunity challenge time
We don’t even get a welcome from JLap. Sam tells JLap the new tribe name is Fiafia, which is “happy” in Samoan.
The challenge is a Survivor classic: hanging upside down with your arms and legs wrapped around a poll. Girls often do well at this – and those who meditate – I’m guessing El and Kylie. If Kristie had had any food I’d guess her. In Survivor: Panama in 2006, it was won by Terry Deitz at around the 45-minute mark. In 2011, Andrea won the challenge on Redemption Island. The US usually holds this challenge above water for more drama, but this time we just have it above the sand – a cheaper option, no doubt.
Magic Matt is first out, then Sam. They know they’re not in danger. Conner, who knows how much he needs it, goes next. Next are Sue and FLick. Kate and Kristie are doing some awesome full body dangles. El and JL do a deal to drop out together and Lee is next, leaving Nick the last bloke. Kylie is encouraging Nick to hang on to the 60-minute mark and he just makes it.
Kate looks amazingly relaxed and in control and at 75 minutes JLap tells them they can only use one hand.
Poor Kristie is stunned: “I thought you were going to give me food.” (True – this often happens). Poor Kristie is destined to go hungry. She is the next one out – a great effort with no sustenance. Then Kate, who has been so strong, drops. It’s Kylie V upside down Brooke and Kylie makes the mistake of swapping arms, which is not allowed. Brooke wins the necklace.

Back at camp Nick wants Conner out, too, but he wants a vote split in case Conner has an island. He wants five for Conner, four Kate and they know Kylie may flip.
Matt, Sam and Lee go for a wander and Lee is wearing sneakers – so he must have had a second pair that survived the fire – and they chat about Nick’s general untrustworthiness, although, secretly, Matt doesn’t mind him. Lee asks Matt to explain why they need to do a split. Aaargh – come on, Lee! Get with the program. Sam and Lee aren’t happy that this seems to be all Nick’s plan.
Sam is not happy that his old tribemate, Conner, is the target, nor that Kate is the second option. He tells the camera: “He’s a good kid – baby bruvva.”
Sue sends Kate to talk to Kristie while Conner will work on Sam but the old blues have taken a leaf out of the Boston Rob playbook and don’t want to leave Sam alone. Brooke follows them as they try to chat. Kristie is also torn between proving loyalty to former and more recent tribemates because she could be the next target.
They head off to tribal and it seems either Conner or Kate will go home.


Tribal council
JLap chats to the final 13 and no-one says anything much, other than Lee echoing back to JLap that he’s playing based on mateship. Flick pretends she doesn’t know who’s in charge but then JLap brings up the pink wristbands. “Is that the alliance,” asks JLap. Brooke replies: “Definitely not.” JLap notes they must be friendship bands: “Friendship, in Survivor, means alliance.”
JLap tries to get Kate to plead for her life. “I’m not going to get down on my knees and beg,” says Kate. “I’m just going to be my own self.” (Soooo, Kate’s going home, then.)

Time to vote
We see Sue vote for Matt and Flick for Conner. “I’ll count the votes,” says JLap (I read an interview with him today in which he said some fans are upset he does not say “I’ll tally the votes”, Probst style.)
It’s Matt, Nick, Conner, Kylie, Kate, Conner, Kate, Conner, Kate, Conner, Kate, Conner and … it’s Conner.
He gives a gracious speech about everyone being great competitors while inside his heart is breaking. Ah, Conner – you were a likeable lad who made some mistakes along the way that came back to bite you but I wanted you to make it a little further.

Next time: Pretty girl alliance is talking about how awesome they are. Please, please let them come a cropper.
Who voted for whom: JL, Magic Matt, Kylie, Brooke – voted for Kate; Sam (how could you!), Kristie, Flick, Nick, El and Lee voted for Conner; Conner vote for Nick; Kate for Kylie and Sue for Matt. So the underdog alliance couldn’t even agree to vote for the same person!



Facebooktwitterredditmail

Australian Survivor – Sun, Sept 18


The way Channel 10 are promoting it the poor ole yellow tribe will be back at tribal council tomorrow night (Sunday). I would say the whole “Phoebe makes a move” thing is a misdirect, but up until now there promos have not tried to trick us at all.
In other Survivor news, I’ve heard a disturbing rumour that Channel 9 is going to air the upcoming season of US Survivor (Millennials V Gen X) – yeah, it IS a silly name) not on GO, as per usual. It will reportedly air on the flagship Nine channel but A WHOLE WEEK AFTER it screens in the US and at about 10.30pm at night. Yesterday I tweeted and posted a query about this on Facebook but Channel 9 has not responded.
I am hoping it’s all a terrible mistake.

It’s day 26 and everyone is looking gaunt, scruffy and exhausted.
At blue everyone is knackered because Firey Kylie did not want to make room in the shelter or something-or-other. It apparently escalated and it looks like no-one got any sleep. She tries to apologise the next morning but it turns into one of those “I’m sorry but it’s actually everyone else’s fault” moments. Oh, Kylie. You’ve upset Magic Matt, which is not good. Strangely we don’t get a to-camera piece from Nick about this. He’s not the narrator this episode.
At yellow Conner is worried about being out of the loop on the Andrew blindside, and whether Kate is still loyal to the core yellow alliance as she flipped to join Phoebe and Kristie (as well as Craig) in the voteout.
They go for a swim and Kate has a little breakdown. With anyone else you’d be worried she was bunging it on but Coma Kate just has that innate honesty about her.


Conner awkwardly pats her arm. They discuss targeting Phoebe next and the everyone – well, everyone who is not Phoebe and Kristie – at least seems cool with it.
Poor Craig is still looking for the hidden immunity idol, which is actually in Phoebe’s bag. Phoebs knows she is still in trouble, so tries buddying up to Conner. Conner, supposedly a huge Survivor fan, outright tells her that he has sworn loyalty to the others but, if she lasts, they could work together in the future. CONNER! You just smile and say yes, then rush back and tell your alliance so they know who aren’t doing deals. And when she asks to be told if she’s being voted out, just say yes. You can lie!

At blue Lee and Spidey Sam continue their bromance, bonding over their ineptitude with a fishing spear. The girls are sunbaking, admiring the view of Lee fishing.
(And here’s a shot for you, Windong


Magic Matt tells Brooke in not so many words she’s a flibbertyjibbet whose head is easily turned. Brooke is not happy and reckons he’s just jealous now he’s not the “man” of the tribe. It could be, or it could be the fact you guys are lying on the beach while there is no firewood and there are jobs to do around camp. Plus Matt is so pasty he could burst into flames if the sunlight touches his skin, so he can’t just loll on the beach.
Brooke starts thinking she needs a new alliance with non-ghost white people, and likes the look of Lee and Army Corporal El.
Things we still need an update on: Kate’s armpit puss and what wild animal has killed those released chickens.

Challenge time
Come on through, says JLap, mixing it up from Jeff’s come on in, guys. Blue team is surprised to see Andrew was voted out.
Kate says yellow, which has been on such as losing streak, is bringing the fire – a whole bonfire. She needs to be on a Brawn tribe with Lee, Kylie and Spidey Sam – she’d fit right in.
The challenge is a variation on the use a catapult to toss a bag challenge, but it’s more of a heptathlon using coloured coconuts. There’s a bit of volleyball action in there, dodgeball and balance beam work. The end section is a giant Connect Four type board – but with five.
Yet again blues are guns at the challenge while scrappy lil Conner tries hardest up against them but falls in the mud a coupla times. But then he doesn’t listen to Sue calling where to place the coconut, so that will cause angst. Yellow should have had Craig throwing rather than defending so they could get more coconuts over the “net”.

Back at yellow camp Conner is devo, blaming himself for the loss. The core alliance decides Phoebe should go home. They don’t even discuss a split. And then Conner goes and tells Phoebe it’s her. Nooooo! He tells the others what he’s done and they all agree it’s unlikely Phoebe has an idol. Why are they so sure? Then they tell Kristie they are all voting for Phoebe and she herself is safe. Kristie tears up a bit – awesome acting job, Kristie! And then she pretends to go and console Phoebe on the beach when actually they are both grinning like maniacs. So, who will the target? Craig’s the obvious threat but they need him for challenges.
They even have a chat about how to spell Phoebe’s name – a conversation which must happen a lot but we don’t really see it. I know they still won’t get it right, though.
Will Phoebe triumph is is this all just a misdirect by the editors and they are splitting the vote after all?
Australian Survivor isn’t sticking to the US rulebook but, let’s say the core – thinking that Phoebe didn’t have an idol – put two votes on Phoebe and two on Kristie, and the girls put two on Sue in turn. If the tie is deadlocked, those voted for can no longer vote. This would leave Craig, Conner and Kate in charge of the vote and they could vote out who they want. If they used the same 2-2-2 strategy and Phoebe played the idol, they could use their greater numbers to vote out Kristie on the revote. Just thinking on the fly here as I watch and type, so I may be wrong. I hope we at least get to see a fire-starter tiebreaker at some stage this season, because they are such fun.


At tribal council
They chat with JLap about how losing sucks and how they all are fairly sure who’s going home, which sucks because they are all friends yadda yadda … No one mentions how Kristie is rocking a side braid and looks like one of the lost children from Mad Max 3 in her brown shapeless outfit.
Craig writes “Pheobe” and so now I kinda hope it’s him the girls target because he cannot spell. We don’t see who the girls vote for – maybe it’s Conner, because he’s had a lot of airtime.
JLap is about to read the votes but Phoebe does the “umm, Jonathon …” and hands over the idol. Craig is a shattered man and Phoebe is grinning with delight – as she should be.
Only one of the four of them spells Phoebe correctly – they all deserve to go. And it’s Craig going home!
Well played, Phoebe and Kristie. Sad to see Craig go, though – he’s been great TV. He gives everyone a hug – even those who voted them out. He tell yellow one of them has to win the whole shebang. Bye, Craig!


Next time: Sue wants Phoebe gone but then we see footage of Phoebe (or Pheb’s, as Sue writes her name – urgh – kill me now over that apostrophe) telling Sue that Kristie knew all along she had an idol. Not cool, Pheb’s. We don’t see footage of yellow losing yet another challenge.

And Craig is calm and philosophical in his final to camera piece: “Bitch stole my idol, but, hey …”



Facebooktwitterredditmail

Australian Survivor – Tues, Sept 13

I still can’t get used to having three episodes of Survivor each week. When the US Version returns later this month with Gen X versus Millennials (yeah, I don’t know why they didn’t use Gen Y either) a mere 40 minutes of Survivor a week will pass in the blink of an eye. I am looking forward to seeing how the show covers the contestants being evacuated on day 2 due to a cyclone in Fiji – hopefully we get to see a little behind-the-scenes stuff.

After the Kat vote out we learn that Conner tipped off the core yellow alliance that Andrew was being targeted. And that Craig told Kristie the alliance was targeting Kat. Andrew is none too pleased and vows to have his revenge.
At yellow, Coma Kate wakes everyone by banging on a pan with a stick, just so the producers can get some comedic footage of Andrew attempting to do yoga. Kate says the yoga will prepare them to win the next challenge by lighting a fire in their bellies. Andrew bags it out off camera but has a bit of a go.
Over at blue everyone is sick of eating beans so the talk turns to whether they should eat the chickens, which apparently are not laying eggs.
Nick is pragmatic and says straight up they should eat the chook to give them energy. Most of the others agree, including Flick.
But Magic Matt, who used to work in a poultry shop, wants to let them roam free and says he wouldn’t eat the chicken anyway.
Cue a Nick confessional (we’ve missed you, Nick!) about Matt putting on a nice guy facade because he once had 62kg of chicken nuggets in his freezer.
Then Sam says they could all get food poisoning because they don’t know how to prepare a chook, Lee jumps on board with his new best bro and the backflips spread from there.
It seems no-one wants to be known as the Survivor chook killer. Last US season Mark the Chicken was a key character, but Chester and her friend haven’t been that fun to watch. Kill ’em, I say. Nick notes how much influence Matt has with the tribe.


[EDIT: Australian Survivor has since tweeted the blue still has Chester the Chicken – they let go two other chooks.)

It’s challenge time
Her former tribemates are delighted to see Kat was voted out. Brooke and El rock up carrying the chooks and they try to wheedle JLap into swapping the chooks for other food. He tells them to suck it up and learn how to fish.


We see the challenge is a Survivor classic, Hot Pursuit, where contestants weighed down with sandbags must chase each other through thigh-deep water (this is the one where eventual winner, firefighter Tom Westman, proved a challenge beast in Palau – more here). As people drop out, they pass their sandbags to stronger team members. Lee and Sam should do well here and, yes, blue team starts out at a fair trot. Matt drops out and passes his 6kg bag to Firey Kylie, while Sue is first to go on yellow, handing over to Kate. This must be strategy to not give the bags to the big guys. Andrew flakes out then offers the helpful advice from the sidelines to “pace yourself”. Kylie suggests to blue that she and Nick should detach so that Lee and Sam can sprint to a win. Seems smart. Sam is carrying 24kg by himself. Kristie falls over and Spidey Sam sprints to tag yellow, almost strangling Lee in the process. He finally manages to tag Conner and blue wins a chocolate feast reward.
Coma Kate, who did a great job in the challenge, is sick of losing. “We can’t keep on using the same formula to lose,” she tells the camera. Ooh, please tell me Kat is going to start talking to Phoebe.

Blue team gets to dig into brownies, doughnuts and chocolate milk and, boy, they are going to have such huge sugar crashes a few hours later, not to mention they’ll be rushing into the bushes.
Magic Matt skols a one-litre bottle of chocolate milk to impress the crowd. After the feast the chicken release takes place and poor Nick and Flick are sad to see so much food walking away.
Loser yellow is sad to miss out on chocolate. Kate goes sea cucumber hunting with Phoebe and Kristie but it’s just an excuse to talk strategy.
“I don’t know about you guys but he missed me off at tribal,” Kate tells them, referring to Andrew. This is Kate, who at the start of the season looked like she was too nice to form alliances and would just play a physical game. Yay!
“I’m sick of dragging dead meat along for the ride,” Kate tells the camera.

It’s immunity challenge time
It’s another holding things up challenge. Contestants must hold up a net into which their rivals toss coconuts to make it heavier.
Sue and Craig hold the ropes for yellow while Sam and Flick do it for blue. For yellow the girls prove to be the best coconut chuckers. Blue targets the net of Craig, who performed so well at the challenge where they had to hoist up a tribe member. There is not a single coconut in Sue’s net. After a massive effort Craig’s rope slips through his fingers. What a champion.
Yellow is targeting Sam but now there are quite a few coconuts in Sue’s net and JLap gives her props for doing so well. Craig is cheering her on from the sidelines and she outlasts Sam. We see Andrew struggling just to walk back to pick up a coconut, to add to the “Andrew doesn’t try” edit. Despite her valiant effort Sue can’t outlast Flick, who is only just now getting weight in her net. Blue wins immunity so yellow is back at tribal yet again.

Back at camp, Sue wants to stay loyal to the alliance and, since Andrew wants Kristie gone, they are voting Kristie. Kate tells Andrew she’s going with the flow and we learn that Andrew in fact hates Kate. Kristie and Phoebe sound out Craig about ditching the dead wood that is Andrew and, while he knows where they’re coming from, he’s non-committal.
Eventually Kate broaches the subject of Andy’s loserishness with Craig. They are struggling with their desire to win versus loyalty guaranteeing safety. Andrew knows he’s in trouble and all of a sudden is best buds with Conner, talking about how Kate may flip.
In the shelter Andrew whispers to Kristie that they should do a deal to save each other and he’ll guarantee she and Phoebe safety.
And [this is where my four-year-old wakes up crying because of the heavy rain here in SA and I miss the next five minutes of scheming – aargh! I shall have to catch it on TenPlay]. I can’t see Kristie trusting Andrew, though. It would be a shame if Kate is voted out as she’s a physical force, but she is a huge threat to win the final prize.


At tribal council
JLap starts with much praise for Craig and Sue’s rope-holding prowess before they get into the “who’s in the majority?” speculation. Kate says she’ll be voting with her head, heart and guts. There’s a lot of drawn-out questioning about alliances but no exciting answers.
We only see Andrew write down a K and they are trying to make us think he’s voting for Kate, but surely it’s Kristie.
The votes are Andrew, Kristie, Andy, Kristy, Andrew (so he knows someone flipped), Kristie and Andrew. So I’m guessing Craig joined the girls to vote out Andrew.
Andrew is cheerful enough as his torch is snuffed but as he walks off, mutters: “I didn’t see that coming. Jesus.”

Next time
Craig is still looking for the idol that Phoebe found a few days ago. They really don’t like to give much away with their previews.

The vote reveal
Yes, we see Craig did indeed vote with Kate, Phoebe and Kristie. Andrew tells the camera he has no regrets and recognises he was too cocky.
“What better way to go out of Survivor then to be blindsided,” he says.

Thoughts
Well, I’m glad Kate finally decided to play the game. Craig should be able to talk Sue round and smooth over any talk of broken loyalty as they seem tight. It will be interesting to see where Conner falls in all of this, and what Phoebe does with her idol.



Facebooktwitterredditmail

Australian Survivor – Mon, Sept 5

So, I reckon the ads about Kate and a possible medevac will prove to be a total beat-up. Who’s with me?
Over at his new tribe Nick is trying to do an Ozzy, fishing and crabbing to keep the tribe well fed.
But Brooke is not fooled and thinks he’s a snake. The pretty girl alliance is working on Teigan and seems to have won her over. Urgh. I just wish Teigan would team up with Nick, Matt and Kylie.
Over at yellow Andrew is keen to put newbies Spidey Sam and Conner to use for whatever it is he’s planning – presumably booting out Craig.
Sam must be missing the gym, because he’s doing chin-ups on a tree branch. Save your energy, Sam! They must be feeding them too well. Coma Kate is feeling on the bottom of her tribe (which is true) and decides to reach out to Sam and Conner, also, even though she’s one of these “I don’t like alliances” people. Kate is a naturally fit for them but she’s not strategic enough and Andrew is playing the game hard – as he should.
Nick’s brain is still working overtime and he raises the idea of a split vote with Matt, trying to either vote out Kylie or at the very least flush out the idol and target Teigan.
Magic Matt likes the idea but, as Brooke tells him, Nick is “a sneaky bugger”. They like the idea but want to target Nick instead of Teigan.
Over at yellow, everyone is checking out Kate’s armpit and her gross lump. It would be hard for her, not having a mirror in which to look.

It’s challenge time …
And everyone goes nuts when they realise the winner gets a Hungry Jack’s feast.
For the runner-up, each tribe member gets a Whopper junior.
For yellow, Andrew is sitting out AGAIN. What’s that about?
The challenge involves balancing on a barrel and slowly pulling on a rope to travel about 20 metres. Firey Kylie, as expected, is a gun at the walking on the barrel bit. I bet she days triathlon and Tough Mudder all the time.
After a spate of successes, red is once again sucking at challenges and this time Lee and Kate are looking on helplessly as their teammates dither. Again, they’ve put Lee last as the final element of the challenge involves chucking stuff.
Blue team wins the challenge and Kate and Sue are desperately trying to not let red erode their lead. “And Sue throws it backwards!” yells JLap. Uh oh.
Kat actually lands one of the beanbags – good for her, proving she can do well in a physical challenge! Luckily for yellow, Kate knows how to throw forwards, and she nabs second place for her team.
(Side note: During this, Mr Juz is faffing around on his iPad. “You’re not watching?” I ask. “Nah, I’ll watch them when they eat their hamburgers. That’s the only bit I want to see.” He’s a simple man …”
It looks like there are no vegetarians in this season, as everyone rips into their burgers. Poor reds are stuck with beans and rice and Lee is particularly down about their string of losses. The former professional cricketer is just not used to being around people who suck at some things. And he’s missing his kids. But it’s ok, he soon recovers and is eating rice clad only in his undies, so again all is right with the world.

Immunity challenge
This is a challenge I don’t recall seeing before on Survivor. One member from each tribe is hoisted up above the water. They are anchored by one person at a time holding a rope while standing in the shallows.
Wisely, the teams send up the light girls to be hoisted. Blue team goes through anchors fairly quickly, although Nick does last 25 minutes. They don’t have any bulky, tall guys and must not be allowed to wrap the rope around themselves for support. For yellow, Craig is a total gun, lasting 52 minutes before handing over to Sam.


(Anyone else think Craig probably usually has less body fat but ate more calories than usual in preparation for the Survivor diet?)
Blue loses while the other teams are still on their second (muscular) person.
Just as everyone heads off JLap yells out to Kate he noticed something under her arm. Oh, right, it was totally JLap who spotted it. The medic takes a look at the potential Vesuvius and tells JLap it looks infected. JLap pushes hard for a “yes” to the “could Kate be pulled from the game?”. I’m a bit disappointed we don’t know the name of this doctor, as in their appearances in US Survivor they get much more camera time and become characters in their own right.
And here we go: Kate is lying down and the doc is hovering near the pustule with a large syringe. Aagh! This is worse than that worm crawling out of Jen’s ear last season. Look away!
JLap just looms over her … hold her hand, JLap! He’s wearing latex gloves but his bedside manner leaves something to be desired. Even if she’s used to being prodded from her coma days, no-one wants to be operated on lying on a beach.
For the viewer’s benefit, he says: “You’re going to put a wick inside to help the pus drain out.” Ewww! The doc says she’s fine to continue in the game as long as she heals well.

At the blue beach, Nick is trying to work out how to save his skin and tries to put his vote Kylie or Teigan plan into action. Teigan isn’t feeling the love as much as Nick is, but says she won’t write his name down.
The pretty girl alliance tells Firey Kylie (with the idol) they need to vote out sneaky Nick – they lay it on pretty thick how much they love Kylie. I wish Kylie would just go try to form an alliance with someone – anyone.
Flick tells Magic Matt that Nick needs to go but Matt wants to keep him around to help in challenges even though “I don’t trust him from a bar of soap [sic]”. “Right now, we kind of need the snake,” he says. (And not that he mentions it, but Teigan has a dodgy tatt of some Asian scribble on her neck that looks dreadful.)


At tribal council
Teigan says it’s all puppies and roses at her new tribe, while Nick goes in hard on how good he is at puzzles, and reminds everyone he did well in the physical challenge today (and he gets JLap’s approval for standing against the bigger units of the cast).
Kylie isn’t wearing her idol this time but will she actually play it? Nick pitches that he’s also good to keep around as his nemesis, the yellow tribe, will be gunning for him in the future and he’s a “meat shield”.
Kylie decides to play the idol, because she doesn’t want to go home having sucked at a challenge (hey, Kylie, you weigh less than half of those guys and are about half as tall).
I’m thinking Teigan is going home, as she got a fair bit of camera time tonight. The votes are split between Kylie, Nick and Teigan, so it’s time for a revote, removing Kylie from the mix.
On the revote, JLap only reads votes for Teigan (and we see at the end that every tribe member did indeed vote for her). Nick is going to need to change his undies, but he probably only has one pair. I’m glad he’s still in it as Teigan didn’t seem too fussed about playing the game.
[And we see later that for the first round of voting, pretty girl alliance voted Nick, Teigan and Nick voted Kylie, Kylie and Magic Matt voted Teigan.]

Next time
The tribes are merging from three into two. Yay! We should see some scrambling … and get an update on Kate’s armpit.



Facebooktwitterredditmail

Australian Survivor – Mon, Aug 29 – It’s all about chests

How long will it be before a tribe shake-up? Hard to know with such a huge cast. Chat here for Australian Survivor.

I just added some thoughts about last night’s (Sunday’s) episode to the previous Survivor post http://talkingtv.net/2016/08/australian-survivor-episode-3/

Monday Survivor
1. Doesn’t Phoebe know people who talk about how well they are positioned in the game always get their comeuppance?
2. When the yellow team credits rolled there was a blonde woman with a double barelled name who I swear must have just been helicoptered in to Samoa.
3. Nick is in trouble unless there is a tribe shakeup soon.
4. How frustrating was it when Kylie and Pete were wandering past the mud wall that so obviously is where the idol is hidden. What are they expecting: a brick wall? At least Pete has the excuse he’s unwell.
4a. Will Kate’s decision to be so frank with her tribe about her dreadful accident bite her down the track? She could be seen as a big threat to win due to her overcoming such adversity.
5. OMG – JLap is wearing a cap at the challenge, but it’s not a Probst-style two toner.
6. It’s another similar challenge of running, climbing, hauling and puzzling. I look forward to them whittling down the numbers so we can get to the more interesting balance and endurance challenges.
7. Even JLap calls Pete “Fiegsy”. Awesome.
8. JLap notes yellow are “half swimming, half running – like dolphins.” Hmm, running dolphins, JLap?
9. Lee was showing some Andrew Savage-like qualities with his super strength in the challenge.
10. It was a challenge of chests, both made of wood and muscle.
11. As long as every challenge ends in a puzzle, blue needs to keep magician Matt and yellow Nick.
12. Glad they changed the rules so the puzzlers can tap out. But it still doesn’t help red. Kate must be relieved they can’t point the finger at her
13. I like yellow asking JLap to make a deal so they can get flint, and thus fire (their flint broke). He must have been clued up before as, unlike Probst, he doesn’t get narky about it, but just says it’s a deal if they return all their comfort items and fishing gear. I wish he’d thrown in “and you’ll also be going to tribal council”, just to mix things up.
14. We haven’t seen much of formerly crazy Pigtails Kristy.
15. Lee comes across as not a big fan of the show. He’s not into strategy at all.
16. The girls need to blindside Rohan now while he would be reluctant to play the idol so early. Losing a physical player isn’t such a consideration with a tribe shakeup no doubt just around the corner; the loyalty of an alliance is more important. Being the underdog tribe going into a merge is actually an advantage, as you can become the swing vote for the stronger tribes.
17. But before we get to tribal, it’s over to blue beach, presumably for Pete to request a medevac. And here comes JLap on a speedboat. Please, please put your doctorin’ past to good use, JLap. Fiegsy says he’s barely eaten for 12 days, after picking up a bug before filming began. He’s quitting – and no physical from JLap.
18. “He’s a ripper bloke,” says Magician Matt – words you’d never here in US Survivor. So Pete is gone and we still don’t know why he was rocking a red suit.
19. The Aussies need to learn to be more circumspect at tribal. They should have studied Boston Rob tribal footage.
20. So no-one’s going home tonight from red because of Fiegsy quitting. I can’t recall US Survivor every waiting til another team got to the ready to vote stage before telling them they had a reprieve.
21. Looks like things are pretty awkward at red next week with Kat justifiably angry she was on the chopping block. They’d better hope they don’t merge before they can lose again and ditch her, or she’ll be throwing bombs at them.



Facebooktwitterredditmail