It’s Oscars night, and Australian Survivor got in the mood with some award-worthy performances. Between the head-to-head auction, the pre-tribal scramble, and the vote itself, this might have been the best episode of the season so far.
The action begins at the Bounty tribe, where everyone is feeling pretty good after delivering on the simple Tez vote. But those in power have different visions of the future. Mark would like to keep Caleb around, given their connection from the short-lived Corn Chip Cartel alliance. Keeley, however, has her eyes on Richard. She knows he’s a man without allies on this beach, yet has ins with members of the Barren tribe, which could prove useful to her come the merge.
Keeley and Richard have a heart-to-heart on the beach, where the latter becomes emotional as he reflects on his journey so far. Richard admits to having some dark days; the stress of waking up each day not knowing whether it would be his last in the game has taken its toll. But Keeley assures him she wants to work with him, offering what could be Richard’s first truly solid alliance of the game.
The episode really kicks into gear at the reward challenge. The auction has become such a staple of Australian Survivor, and the show keeps finding new ways to add twists. This might be the best yet. Opposing members of each tribe face off in a “what’s in the box?” game, with one tribe member having to bluff the other. It’s the kind of challenge that is both fun and revealing, with players getting a chance to flex their manipulation skills.
There are many highlights, including Caleb bluffing his rival Jackson into taking a boiled egg, Faith swapping her chicken parma for Ben’s banana (Mark keeps clocking this connection between Faith and Ben), Blanche snagging a clue in her peanut butter sandwich, and Lottie’s disgust at her prize of soursop, a Samoan fruit delicacy.
But the star performer is Brooke, who brings on the fake tears as she fools Sally into believing there is a letter from home inside her box. In reality, all Sally gets is a slice of lime, while Brooke bags herself a big slice of key lime pie. Brooke laughs and apologises, but her acting skills don’t go unnoticed. As a returnee, she already had a huge target on her back, and this masterclass in bluffery only increases her threat level.
Aisha’s performance skills aren’t quite so masterful. She makes an obvious job of throwing the immunity challenge, with Brooke realising what is happening from the sidelines. Brooke’s known for a while that her tribe wants her gone, but she’s not worried because she has an idol and the newly formed Beauty and the Beasts alliance ready to pull off their first blindside.
For now, though, Brooke continues the performance. She returns to camp, down and out, and immediately sets out to search for idols. The others, meanwhile, set the stage for tonight’s tribal. Aisha is gung-ho on finally getting the chance to take Brooke out, and she has Blanche, Camron, and Lottie firmly on board. Aisha is super confident, even more so after Blanche’s note from the peanut butter sandwich led them to find an idol.
But overconfidence is a killer in this game. While Aisha directs a split vote between Brooke and Ben, the Beauty and the Beasts plot their attack on Aisha. Everyone seems on board, including Simon, even if he worries about leaving his supposed ride-or-die Lottie out of the plan. That is everyone but Loz, who is super conflicted, especially after seeing how dangerous Brooke can be at deception. She has a choice. Does she stick with her OG Bounty allies and vote out Brooke? Or does she commit to the Beauty and the Beasts and take the shot at Aisha?
At tribal council, Aisha doesn’t hide her intentions at all. She tells David she’s been following her gut throughout the game, and tonight, it’s telling her Brooke is going home. It’s no surprise to Brooke, who says she’s known this for the past seven days. But something about Brooke’s nonchalance sets off alarm bells for Camron. He doesn’t believe a Survivor veteran like Brooke would roll over and die, so he’s suspicious that something else could be going down.
Camron is right to be suspicious. After the votes are cast, Brooke pulls out her second idol of the season and plays it for herself. There are shocked faces all around, even from her allies. She shows her skill further by throwing a vote on Camron, just in case a second idol is in play (a smart move had Aisha played the one she found with Blanche). The backup vote isn’t needed, however, as the Beauty and the Beasts alliance follows through on its plan, sending a stunned Aisha out of the game.
Aisha takes the blindside in good spirits, with a big smile on her face and a round of applause for her opponents. Unfortunately for Blanche, Aisha is so caught up in the moment that she walks out of tribal with the idol still wrapped in her bag. “Oh, man,” Blanche says as the tribe heads back to camp. Oh, man, indeed.
It’s a shame to lose a promising strategist like Aisha, but she went out in a blaze of glory in a fantastic episode. Now, with the merge fast approaching, who else will show their acting chops and bluff their way to the top?
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