Australian Survivor – Mon, Oct 24 – Does she get the Flick?

It’s final four time! We’re down to Flick, that “poor girl” Kristie and power couple-but-it-doesn’t-mean-we’re-in-an-alliance “Leel”.
Before we go any further, can I just boast about this:
jlaptweet

Back at camp, after Flick failed to vote off El, we hardly get any of the fallout chat, which is really annoying as it makes it hard to judge where people really stand. Flick, understandably, feels she’s next.
The next day there’s a bit of awkward chat about what what they are proud about and everyone says stuff like “building a shelter”, “doing well at a challenge”, except El, who digs the knife in a bit about sticking to an alliance (oops – except that one with Magic Matt that was just friends who voted the same).
Everyone’s spirits are lifted by cooking a Samoan lovo but there’s not that much food. Perhaps they didn’t want everyone to get the runs before a challenge.
Lee is more excited about being given tinder for the lovo fire and Flip not at all subtlety asks Lee to teach her how to make the fire. Because Lee is not a Survivor fan he doesn’t twig that Flip’s sudden interest in fire is obviously because she wants to be prepared for a tiebreaker fire challenge and not because she wants to prostrate herself at the feet of the fire guru (which no doubt he is, because he is Lee the almighty).
Kristie, however, has been watching Survivor since she was a kid and knows exactly what Flickety is up to, so she starts paying attention to the fire lesson also. (Side note: Did you know Flick’s partner has a brother who was a Survivor contestant in 2010 this dude )
Flick hopes “Leel” will forgive her planned betrayal and keep her around over Kristie. El tells the camera she did regard Flick as a little sister and in not so many words says she doesn’t really like Kristie: “I think she’s a really nice girl; a strange one, but a lovely girl.” We keep hearing about how Kristie is weird but the camera hasn’t shown it at all, apart from what looked to be an anxiety attack in the game’s early days over what she thought was her missing bag. She’s certainly not weird by US Survivor standards – they’ve had some people on who obviously cheated on the psych exam.
Later, Leel discuss how Flick is weak at challenges and would pick El for final two and they would pick each other, so it would be smart to go with her.
And then we get a cool scene of Kristie, scurrying off in the dark with flint and a coconut husk, trying to make fire while the others sleep. Go Kristie – but, really, what kind of fan goes on Survivor and doesn’t insist on making it at camp once in 51 days. I’m sure all the guys were doing the manly thing and being the fire lords, but who was making the fire when she was on the loser tribe with Sue, Conner and Kate? Kate, I’m guessing (sorry, Conner).

Immunity challenge time
It’s a convoluted one involving bits of previous challenges, including the one where they have to create a long stick to hook a key, walking while rolling on a barrel, and ending on a puzzle. This has Lee written all over it, unless the puzzle is really hard. Flick is off to a poor start and if this was the US show Probst would be yelling: “Flick, falling waaay behind.”
She actually catches up well until it’s the bit where they have to throw something the size of a cricket ball at a specific spot – geez, who’d have thunk a professional cricketer would be good at that?
Lee is first to the final element, the puzzle. Will this be immunity No. 4 for him? El is next, then Flick. JLap isn’t bothering to say what Kristie is up to.
Flick knocks a puzzle piece off the table and by the way the camera keeps lingering on it she hasn’t realised. Is JLap’s next bit of commentary a clue? “She needs to find the pieces; she needs to pick it up.”
El wins, which makes things soooo boring.

Later, Flick tells Kristie she heard Leel whispering about taking each other to final two, which is no surprise. But will Kristie do anything with this info? Flick is scrambling to save herself, reminding El she saved her bacon previously. She asks El to split the vote so she can do a fire challenge with Kristie. But Lee isn’t keen and here we get proof Lee is actually thinking more about strategy than previously shown. “I understand the theory behind it, but that exposes me,” he says, and he’s right. If Flick teams up with Kristie, Lee could well be going home. Flick pinky swears with a cherry on top she won’t even talk to Kristie but Lee’s brow is furrowed. Daddy is not happy with her desperate moves.
“It’s a bit Nick-ish, this,” Lee tells Flick after she makes her pitch. Ah, when will they drop this whole Nick is a snake bizzo. Over it. Flick even pulls out the “I love you”, which could well be true but she forgets her fellow castaways are not following the US Survivor rule book.


Tribal council
Here comes the jury and how skinny does Matt look with the beard shaved! After some chat about alliances, fighting to stay and trust. JLap suggests it’s a good idea to vote off an ally so you can get their jury vote. “I want to win it next to someone I’ve been through the whole time, and someone I can trust,” El says. “So, Lee,” Flip interjects. And El takes the bait: “Okay, Lee. There you go: I’ll be taking Lee to the final,” she says frustratedly. Gotcha! On the jury bench, Nick’s “what the?” hand gestures are a thing of beauty.
Lee tries to distance himself from the declaration but when asked point blank if he promised El a final two spot he can only shrug. You can see the jurors willing Kristie to make a move but all she says is she has to win immunity (despite never having won a challenge before). Nick practically slumps to the ground in frustration and Kylie and JL cover their eyes in horror.


Now, is this all talk or is this how Kristie really thinks? “I can see the jury absolutely cringeing over there, but I’m still in it. I’m going to fight for it.”
Flick responds Kristie has “dug a hole” but still a chance to win the game by ensuring there’s a 2-2 vote between Flick and Lee to ensure a fire challenge. True – or perhaps this is a plan to get Kristie herself out. I can’t see Lee turning on Kristie, though. Hurry up and vote!
The vote: We see Flick vote for “Leeroid”. And it’s Flick going home. It’s hugs all round, apart from a joking “you’re an idiot” to Kristie.

Tomorrow
The finale screens from 7.30pm-9.15pm on Ten. Sadly, Ten is not doing a reunion show straight after, which is modus operandi for the original and is always great fun as there’s none of this “let’s record two endings and make people pretend they’ve won”. Plus, I’d love to see JLap rock up to the Opera House on a jet ski, clutching the urn full of votes. We get a glimpse of the final immunity challenge and it’s fun to see they’ve gone way back to Borneo, the first season of Survivor, for the “standing on a log and touching a pole” challenge. These can go on for hours. (History here)

SO …
I really want to see Kristie take this thing out but her moves have baffled me. If she does freakishly win the final immunity, I’m guessing she will take Lee and that would be her ticket to winning, because she can boast: “I beat this dude – little ole me”.
And for all those Flick’s, Matt’s and Sam’s banging on about how people should have moved against Leel earlier: Where were you guys this whole game? Why didn’t you do something when you had a chance? This is what happens when Survivor goes for 55 days and they don’t mix up the tribes enough – everyone gets too entrenched in their perceived alliances.



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51 Comments

  1. Congrats on that :). I’d imagine that even JLaP would’ve been thinking, “why am I saying these things?” even while he was providing live commentary on the current state of Matt’s balls.

    So tonight. Flick goes home, or else, she wins immunity and Leel (heh) turn on Kristie? Are there any other possible eventualities, ’cause I’m not seeing them if there are.

    • Dalton who does the recaps for the US version has asked Probst about his commentary & he says that he’s so focused on the challenge & doesn’t even think of how it sounds.

  2. So great, Juz. Could “U pls” tweet him & tell him he needs grammar lessons.
    Maybe not. At least tell them about the orchestra.

  3. So the episode begins with Kristie confessing to the camera that Lee and El are “probably” gonna take each other to the final two, and maybe she needs to break away from that alliance to do something about it.

    Excuse me, I’m just gonna go put my fist through my TV screen. Back in a few minutes.

  4. Woohoo for you Juz!

    I just tried to fast forward through to the end – then I remembered I was watching live. It’s all become a tad too boring.

  5. Watching the jury, tonight, was far more interesting than listening to the castaways at Tribal Council. I loved the looks of shocked horror at everybody’s face when Kristie’s plan to make the end basically boiled down to, “Maybe I’ll win immunity tomorrow!” When she’ll be up against Lee (who’s won it three times) and El (who’s won it twice).

    Of course, that gave Flick the best line of the episode.

    “Good luck.” Heh.

    • Flick commented that Kristie hadn’t won any challenges but I can’t remember Flick winning any either. In fact, my recollection is Flick being pretty useless at challenges. I’m not sure why she thought she’d have more chance at winning immunity if she’d stayed.

      • Well be fair. 5 of the individual immunity challenges had gone to at least one of the people that Flick was trying to get rid of. If you take out the best competitors, it will leave the field a little more open for everybody else.

  6. Second best line was after Flick had been eliminated, she turns straight to Kristie, laughs and says, “You’re an idiot.”

    Thanks Flick. Somebody had to actually say it.

  7. 4 or 5 weeks ago I would not have imagined myself barracking for Flick, but Lee’s arrogance and hypocrycy is so annoying and El isn’t much better. Lee is kind of revealing a bit of his bully side too. He has been controlling El.
    I’m off Kristy because she is being a gullible pawn, yet creditting her survival to smart play. I think she got lucky that everyone wanted to keep the fool.
    At this point, I don’t want any of them to win, but my last pick is Lee.

  8. Lee’s true colours are dark grey & black. He’s a bit sick of everyone manipulating Kristie the last few days. He’s all good doing it for 50 days tho. And the shrug or nothing when he’s called out on his game play. Eeeeew makes me wanna barf.

    • Lee is kidding himself if he thinks he has been playing morally. He and Lee are venomous when crossed. Look at how he lashed out at Sam, even though they had agreed (in bed) it was coming to that time in the game when they would have to vote each other out. He probably just meant it was going to be OK when he wrote Sam’s name.
      These Survivors must not have watched Rob and Amber’s season to know never let a pair of lovers remain. Never. They play as one.

      • Yeah, look how they’re jumping on that couple on the current US season. She wouldn’t let him hug her in public last week. The horse has bolted girl.

      • All the jury has to do is remind Lee of his “not in it for the money” comments and hand victory and the cash to the Other Person (sadly, odds on it’s El)

  9. I interpreted the “nick-ish” comment as meaning that she was sounding panicky-desperate like Nick did when he realised that he was in trouble. Grasping at straws, really.

    Even after all these weeks I still can’t decide whether Kristie is a really lucky idiot, or one of the best players I’ve seen. If it all has been a deliberate plan, then she ought to be on the stage because she has absolutely everyone fooled.

    Love that the jury are not hiding their feelings. They will be in a quandary if Kristie does make it, because they obviously think she is dumb, but many of them won;t want to give it to Leel either. It may be a case of who do they dislike least.

    • Kristie winning immunity would be a really neat twist on things that nobody sees coming, but I have my doubts (given the track record of Leel). I’m still backing Leel as the final two, with Lee as the least-disliked option for winning.

    • I think it WILL be a case of who they dislike the least. It is for me. Lee’s hanging Kristie by a string has worked for him and El. I thought it was silly last night when Kristie was shown contemplating making a move on Elllee. Her chance was at either of the last two tribals.
      The ppl I wd have liked for the win were Sue and Kate. I wish there was a viewers vote too.

  10. Thanks for the great recap Juz. How exciting to have Jonathan like your tweet. I was thinking of Probst during that challenge too.
    How satisfying it was to see Flick showing such desperation after being in control for so long. She makes fun of Kristie never winning immunity, well neither has she & Kristie has outlasted her quite a few times. She was so smug & arrogant for so long she didn’t really have to even try.
    Well they had a chance to finally get rid of Lee, but seriously if it had come down to a fire challenge between Flick & Lee, I think Lee would have won unless he got really unlucky.
    I was feeling some deja vu watching that challenge, it was almost a carbon copy of last weeks US version. Throwing a ball, hooking a key & then a puzzle. I was really hoping for Kristie to win that, she started out well but then just fell behind.
    The jury reaction was hilarious. They were falling about. I remember the early seasons when the jury weren’t allowed to make eye contact or acknowledge the contestants in any way. Glad they relaxed that over the years., seeing their reactions is usually funny. Rolling eyes, scowling at people who have betrayed you.
    So unless a miracle happens tonight & Kristie wins immunity, then it will be Lee & El for final 2. I read somewhere it goes for 6 hours.

    • The immunity challenge appears to be a balancing on a post contest near the edge of some rocks amidst the waves and spray, if the promos are to be trusted. I’d trust them more than Lee but that’s not saying much.

  11. Did anyone else find it really weird the way El spoke so casually to Flick about how she wished Flick hadn’t made that move?! Then while they were making the feast, again so casual like we are just filling in time until its time to write your name down…

    I think i wouldn’t mind Lees manipulating of Kristie if he acknowledged in his confessionals what he was doing… but to carry on about Flicks manipulation and not mention his own (i don’t think so mister!).

    Have none of them thought about jury votes and who will vote for them in the jury?!

    The jury reactions in tribal council were funny!

    If Kristie manages to win immunity tonight and then wins the whole game i for one will be really disappointed in the jury! They have been begging for “big moves” and cringing when Kristie said her strategy was to win immunity to get to the final 2, if they then reward her with jury votes, i will be one very annoyed and frustrated viewer!

  12. I thought Flick was petty in her goodbye to Kristie – how’s that for a millenial, I love you I love you. You’re an idiot. No sincerity at all.

    Also Kristie, how would Kristie be sure that Matt and Flick wouldnt vote her out once they voted El or Lee out? How would Kristie be sure that Flick wouldnt pick El, whom she loves so much, over Kristie? I mean , Flick’s idiot comment, assumes that there were no risks with going with her. And that’s not true. With that background, is it any wonder that Kristie would risk her chances on winning an immunity idol? The jury can roll their eyes, BUT they are on the jury. And all of them had chances to move against EL and Lee but didn’t until it was too late.

    Even perpetually grinning Kylie lacked enough emotional intelligence to figure out that her so called women’s alliance was never going to succeed because Flick and Brooke were never with her.

    I’ve watched this season hoping it would be a success and perhaps it has, but the strong focus on Brooke, Flick, El and Lee and then Kristie has really made it difficult to enjoy. I don’t like anyone of them. And Lee was right, the stench coming off of Flick was nauseating.

    • I don’t think Flick gave the ILY to Kristie ever… also the idea was that if Kristie got in on the voting out Leel then her statement of ‘I’ll win immunity’ would then have more merit. Having Flick/Matt/Kristie final 3 would be a more level playing field and she might get through to final 2 but as it stands now she probably won’t…

  13. Lee’s full of $hit. That’s his “cologne”. Yet, he’s behaving as though his cologne has no fragrance.

    I voted for Kristy but am certain that she can’t win , because if she did Lee and El would have split up over their dating show $trategy going ar$e up.

    This is a dating show , right? My first season. Outshag, Outlie, Outbully is how it looks.

    Nevermind the “love you” palaver.

    It was like watching very dumb fish being shot in a barrel , Ch 10. I used captions to avoid that appalling dorkestra effect. Just give me some contestants who can spell and have a shred of decency and let it roll, please.

    Most of these clowns will be on Family Feud this Sunday.

  14. Even though no one is calling it, I think Lee has probably been a charmer with the ladies in his day and he is using that on Kristie. She seems kind of melty around him. Note how when he has to get her into line, he leaves El at home and takes Kristie alone, making her feel a special bond. She is not admitting it but little Kristie is a little bit under his spell and he knows it. That is pretty shitty using his sexual/romantic control, for someone who wasn’t going to play immorally.

    • When I hear lucre lovin’ Lee hissing from his high horse to poor little Kristy,it’s as if:

      “The tripe has spoken”

  15. Congrats Juz – and before the curtain falls, I have enjoyed your amusing recaps.

    At this stage, they resemble a desperate hippy cult, led by a Charles Manson-esque looking guru, ready to slit each other’s throats.

    I was ROFLing along with the Greek Chorus (aka jury) at Kristie’s strategy. For a professed Survivor aficionado, she thinks like a dilettante, with emphasis on the “dill”. Good luck to her if she can win immunity, which just hasn’t happened up to now.

    I thought Flick got the goner-edit last night, with how much commentary and to camera pieces she had, saying she’s a fighter blah blah blah, with Lee’s “nick-ish” comment sealing her fate.

    Watching Flick in the challenge: so she CAN get off her arse and make more than a cursory effort.

  16. I’m not sure what I’m hoping for, tonight, but final tribal council is always interesting. I’d be quite willing to put money (not much money, just some money. I’m broke) on El and Lee being the final two. I don’t see Kristie suddenly becoming a physical powerhouse and taking out the final immunity (but you never know).

    For viewers new to the ‘Survivor’ experience, final tribal council tends to follow a pretty stable (and often quite entertaining) pattern. The jury members will stand up one by one, and either say, “You suck!” or else, “Whoever apologises to me for knifing me better will get my vote to win!” Good lord, Nick’s on the jury, so we’ll probably be getting both of those. At least Flick isn’t in the final two, because I could see Sam, Brooke and/or Matt leaping across the council area and trying to brain her with her own immunity torch …

    Ah, ‘Survivor’.

    What I always want is a nice balance. I’d love to see jury members actually put the spotlight on Lee/El’s gameplay and call them on what they did and didn’t do, while not straying too far into, “How dare you knife *me*?!” territory. I apologise if I’m speaking for anybody else, but I don’t think anyone is too annoyed at Lee and El playing the game (by manipulating to, lying to and cutting deals with people). It’s “Survivor”. The whole point of this is to lie and manipulate to get to the end. It’s what you do. And there’s a very tall pile of money waiting for you, if you do it successfully.

    (particularly during the final 3. The immunity-winner is the only person who votes, because the other two can’t vote for the immunity-winner and their votes against each other only cancel each other out. I kind of want to see Lee win immunity, because he’s going to *have* to knife Kristie or El. He can’t stand back and play victim-of-circumstance anymore, he’s going to have to actively *do* something to get rid of somebody)

    Anyway, I think the most grating thing about Lee and El isn’t that they played the game, but they’re claiming that they didn’t (Lee trying to protect poor Kristie from being manipulated … when he’s been playing her like a fiddle for weeks now. He’s been *nice* about it, certainly, but he’s still benefited greatly from her allegiance). Same with El. Her outrage at Flick’s moves is stupid since she was a core part of the bad girls alliance, that ran the game for a couple of weeks (knifing whoever they wanted to).

    *That’s* what annoys me about Lee and El’s game, and I think that’s what other viewers are finding irksome.

    Apparently channel 10 has already green-lighted a second season? Good lord, let’s get a decent cast next-time. But, see, the American version was really experimental in its first ever season, and I think this version was too. Hopefully the producers learned a few lessons here, and can take that forward to make a far more entertaining season next time. They must’ve.

  17. I think El will win. Like Amber with Boston Rob. He did all the dirty work for both of them. I think El has portrayed herself as good old El. The jury will only vote for Kristie if they dislike the other 2 enough.
    Early jury members might now have seen Lee’s evil doings. In the early weeks he was just playing Sir Gallahad, but The Black Knight started to show toward the end.

  18. Lee has an “I am your friend, but you have to let me win. You may not put your own interests above mine and El’s. That’s forbidden”.
    If Lee wasn’t using subtle seduction on Kristie, he would take El with him to control her. Instead he goes, “You stay here and leave her to me”. El’s trust of Lee is rock solid or she would want to be included. She must know Lee is using his powers on Kristie.

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