Australian Survivor – Sun, Oct 9

Sun night Survivor chat. A reminder Australian Survivor is now on only two nights a week: Sun and Monday.

Back at camp after the Sue vote out everyone is thinking about Sue’s blunt talk and Jennah Louise’s call for big moves.

“Sorry about all that shit,” Magic Matt tells JL. “That was pretty rubbish.”
Australian Survivor loves to let the word “shit” make the edit, just to prove how Aussie everyone is. A minute later we get Kristie telling the camera that being the “other vote” was a wake-up call for her: “I’m not putting up with that shit… it wasn’t time to play before but now it is.” Much as I am willing you to succeed, Kristie, as the underdog, I think it could easily have been time to play while Conner, Kate and Sue were in the game but no-one seemed able to get an alliance together.
It’s Day 42 – in “real” Survivor everyone would have been home by now. Lee is having a bit of crisis of conscience because he wrote Kristie’s name down when he told her he’d looks after her. “That’s why I’m feeling a prick today,” he tells her. There’s another word you won’t hear on US Survivor. Lee tells Kristie she needs to watch out for Matt and take his place if she can.
JL tells the camera she would be a good person to take to final three because there aren’t enough people on the jury to vote for her. She could well be right, as the votes on this Survivor are likely to be cast for friendship rather than respect for having played the game even if someone is a rival.
JL and Kristie start whispering about how they can widen any cracks in the alliance and my the camera just loves to linger on Flick looking sulky whenever it can – nice selective editing.

Meanwhile, our castaways still suck at catching fish. Please, producers, can’t you send in a Samoan fisherman to show them how to use a net properly.
“I know – they’re just being dicks,” says Matt to Lee, as the fish easily escape. Another word you’d only hear in Aussie Survivor.
The core alliance is finally chatting about stabbing each other in the back.
Sam tells Brooke that Lee and El will be the hardest people to beat. Oooh – who’s the “snake” now, Sam? He wants final four to be him, Brooke, Matt and Flick. Strange to hear Sam talking strategy all of a sudden and bossing Brooke around. Well, there have been rumours of a romance there …
The next strategic convo is conducted while Flick squeezes Brooke’s blackheads – either that or she’s plucking eyebrows – equally gross.

Challenge time
JLap does his usual exposition by questioning contestants, reminding viewers JL needs an immunity necklace hat trick to be safe. The challenge involves a seesaw, balance beam and memory challenge. It looks like there will be no real gender advantage as the memory test at the end will be where the challenge is won, although the boys will be able to carry more blocks in a go.
Lee and Sam are the first ones to reach the memory board. But Kristie is the first one to put up her hand and … she’s wrong. dammit – that would have been fun. Quite a few people call out, unsuccessfully, that they have it and it looks like most of them don’t even have the top row right.
Finally we know Brooke has won it because the crescendoing music couldn’t be more obvious.

Back at camp, JL thinks she’s on the chopping block but vows to fight until the end. Over a hair braiding session (I don’t recall seeing this much personal grooming in US Survivor), Kristie and JL talk about how the majority alliance is getting paranoid.
Later, JL reminds the girls that Matt tricks people for a living, trying to widen a few cracks. And finally we see El and Lee talking strategy. It only took 42 days. El says she’s finally twigged to the fact there’s plotting going on that she’s not involved with. But we don’t see them actually come up with any kind of plan.


Tribal council
We get more of JL trying to throw a few bombs to stir things up. Lee says there’s more to the game than winning the $500,000. “Lee, if you win, you can give me the money,” she jokes.
Remember the first 38 days of Survivor, when JL barely made the edit. And now Nick’s gone she’s pretty much narrating the show. She mentions she thinks Flick is in trouble and in response Flick says something unwise: “Let’s be honest, there is a smaller alliance in how many people are actually here … there’s always going to be a couple of people that are on the outside.”
This tribal council is going on forever … there’d better be an alliance blindside after all this yapping about big moves.

The vote
JLap reads the votes: Kristie, Kristie, Kristie, JL, JL, JL, JL and it’s JL.
Urgh .. boring. This is what happens when you don’t mix up the tribes long enough and have so many people left at Day 43 of the game. Hopefully if we get a second seasons the producers will do things differently.


Next time: Kristie is getting excited about the alliance eating itself alive. “This is the door exploding,” she says delightedly. Go, Kristie!
Meanwhile, JL is all smiles in her exit speech and is proud of how she played the game. Bye, JL – wish you’d made the edit sooner but hopefully you and Nick will ask jury questions that stir things up a bit.



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60 Comments

  1. Lee was a little more frustrating than usual at tribal council tonight. He actually says that he laughed when Jenna talked about the money. “There’s other things I’m going to be leaving this experience with.” Yeah, that’s great Lee, but if you’re not here to win, then why are you here? To whimper into fourth place and leave when you’re told to? I loved Jenna immediately shooting back to him, “If you win, Lee, then you can give me the money.” Hell, if Lee doesn’t want it that badly, I’m for that.

    Tribal council seemed to be edited really weirdly tonight. They kept cutting back to one-liners from Jenna that didn’t quite fit the conversation. I imagine there was a lot of important stuff talked about that channel 10 could only show us the cliff-notes.

    The end result was a given, so all that bullshit plotting and cross-plotting back at the beach was all just padding. That’s the thing that annoys me. And you know what’s gonna happen tomorrow night? We’ll spend twenty talking about alliances and who’s gonna stab who in the back … and then Kristie goes home.

    What was weird was the voting. Jenna just voted for Kristie, while Kristie voted for Jenna. I mean, for all this talk, and for all the monologues at tribal council, the bad girls alliance is still running the show, and picking off people one-by-one in the exact order everyone predicted weeks ago … and everyone’s content to just sit back and let it happen.

    At this point, I hope none of them win. The jury can give JLap the money, the end.

    • Ditto Windsong – Lee’s “it’s not about the money” speech was totally irksome. What else does he want to take out of the experience? El? Herpes? Lifelong enemies?
      Seriously,you look great with the abs and all, but I’m not buying your rhetoric.

      • “What else does he want to take out of the experience? El? Herpes? Lifelong enemies?”

        I feel like he’s picked up at least two of those things, but I won’t hazard a guess as to which two … 😉

        • I almost felt some sympathy for El and that unsightly zit on her face that looked ready to explode and blindside everyone at TC.

          As for Lee and that “it’s not about the money” whimpering he was doing,that was a massive fail. What a weak unit he is. Totally insipid.

          • Well, he could have , Fijane but you’d be crediting him with levels of intelligence that he doesn’t come within a bull’s roar of. He’s a gorilla that really could use some grooming.

            I was going to say lame Lee wouldn’t have to act at all to present himself as a non threat. He’s too busy following orders.

  2. I’m off this show big time 🙁
    I really like JL for calling out what is happening. I think JLap is actually
    frustrated by the direction it is taking too and is giving out leading questions to try to make it interesting. . . But it’s not enough.

    • To be fair, there’s only 8 of the idiots left, and with two in the finale, there can’t be that many episodes left to go.

      And at the very least, I’m still looking forward to Matt’s light-bulb moment as he removes the knife from his ribs. “Hey, those four hundred people who tried to tell me how the girls were using me … maybe they were onto something!” Sigh.

  3. Recap is up. Agree with you guys. It would be nice to have someone win this thing who can admit at final tribal that they’ve played the game hard AND wants the $500,000. The way the show has been structured – and the casting – has allowed too many friendships to form. Not that friendships are bad but I’d rather see strategy on Survivor.

    • Thanks for the recap 🙂
      Yep the fact that it has gone on for so long isn’t helping. They are at day 43. Usually they would be finished by now… I’ve been listening to Rob Has a Podcast and they have said the same thing, its gets harder the more time you spend with people to then boot them off.

    • I feel like death threats on social media get thrown around too lightly. Like, unless you dress up like a clown and ominously stand in front of somebody’s house? Then it shouldn’t count.

    • I did like the moment where JL sees a tray full of cheese, crackers, mint slices and tim tams, and she remarks, “I hope Brooke is thinking about me while she’s having a bowl of rice.”

    • Thanks for the link.
      I am a little over the format of ‘The Jury Villa’ after 4 episodes of the same routine from each of them. They need to change it up a bit, would be great to see them interacting with the other jurors the next day etc…

  4. I wish they included some reward challenges where there’s one winner and they take 1 or 2 other people (like in the US version), that way people can get paranoid about their alliance; especially so that the episodes in oz are longer…..
    I think Matt was right to think he’s not at the bottom of the alliance, seeing that he’s now in the ‘foursies’
    I think the boot order seems quite predictable to me, but happy to be proven wrong–> i see Kristie, Lee/Elee. Matt, Sam, leaving Flick and Brooke as final 2

    • Good pickup, Q10 – those rewards always spark jealousy. I’m still holding out hope for a gross food challenge.

      • Oh yes a food challenge would be awesome!! Although maybe the producers want to avoid any animal welfare issues or to be too similar to I’m a celebrity

  5. Thanks for the great recap Juz.
    So it’s on twice a week from now on. I wondered if it was just for this week.
    For fuck’s sake Lee, if you’re not there for the money what the hell are you there for? Why would anyone put themselves through all that for if not the money. They used to say the same thing on Big Brother. I’m not here for the money I’m here for the experience. What bullshit. Of course they’re there for the money.
    Really disappointed Kristie & Jenna voted for each other. Yeah really annoying all that talk on the beach about voting for Lee or El was for nothing. And now they’ve suddenly decided they want Matt in their alliance.
    There was an article over the weekend on Brooke, Flick & El saying their not mean girls & how sexist everyone is & if they were guys they would be praised for being strategic. They are even getting death threats which is a bit extreme. I don’t like them but they don’t deserve that. It’s a game.

  6. Survivor has really hit a snag lately. The game has become predictable and the narrative has been fairly obvious ever since shortly after the merge, and almost all of the players left are idiotic and unlikeable. I get that Survivor is different to your run of the mill popularity contest reality show, but geez. I would have liked to have swapped many of the remaining players for that of the eliminated, and the jury so far is of wasted individuals. I would have preferred the likes of Phoebe, Andrew, Craig, Nick and Kate to have made it further in the game and make up the jury rather than do-nothings like Sue, Matt and Kylie. JL was a little too late with her game plan. And my thoughts on El and Lee have shifted from indifference to plain disdain. So far they have just wasted the game. Lee is there for a laugh surely! And El wouldn’t have lasted half this long without coasting along with him. They can get off the island as far as I’m concerned.
    Also sick of the promos each week. Phoebe vs Andrew? The winner was no one. Sue’s big move? The villa. Alliance starts to crack? Everyone votes JL. Rarrrrr.

    Side note – phrases that should be banned from Survivor from this point onwards:
    “Sitting ducks”
    “Thrown under the bus”
    “Biggest blindside EVER”
    “Since day one”
    “100%”
    “Moving forward”
    “You never know what will happen”
    *add “in this game” to all of the above overused phrases and that’s this seasons dialogue almost word for word.

  7. That was a disappointing episode. JL very nearly won immunity again – pity she didn’t, although it probably would have just brought Kristie to the top of the list.

    Presumably Lee is in no need of money, or he is trying to imply he is no threat and would be good to take to the end. I was a little impressed that El managed to pick up on the scheming behind her back. Is she just picking her time to turn? She would need to be careful because she is running out of people for a vote.

    Watching Flick and Brooke pick over each other like gorillas picking nits is making me want to chuck.

  8. They really are all unlikable.

    Once the rhetoric started up again about making moves, blindsides etc I switched channels -because, let’s face it, it’s just padding out the episode.

    Brook and Flick permanently on my shit list for their insistence on mimicking chimpanzees and picking things off each other’s bodies. I HATE PEOPLE WHO DO THAT>

    • “Once the rhetoric started up again about making moves, blindsides etc I switched channels -because, let’s face it, it’s just padding out the episode.”

      Pretty much.

      You know what’s gonna happen tonight? Someone in the alliance will win immunity, we’ll spend 20 minutes talking about blind-sides and alliances and making moves … and then Kristie goes home, in the order that even the castaways themselves predicted weeks ago.

      Channel 10 tried, they really did here. But like Richie on the Bachelor, the show isn’t working at the moment because it’s boring and entirely predictable. Even the castaways themselves are pointing this out. I feel like we’re past the point of no return.

      The “babe” thing is annoying too.

  9. I am echoing others in saying, it was a disappointing episode, with an inevitable vote. Ever since the episode where Sanapu got to cherry pick their own tribe, the show has been on a slide down hill with Flick & Brook calling the shots.
    And again with the orchestra crescendo letting us know “wait for it…wait for the big surprise….wait for the surprise”. Idiots. It’s not a surprise when one more vote and the person is out, or one more coconut and immunity is won.
    I hope the producers take note of where the show fails if they plan on another series.
    1. Kill the orchestra.
    2. No tribe gets too much advantage over others thus ensuring their walk to the end.
    3. No more high school groups. Mix the ages more. But make sure the oldies can last more than a few days.
    4. Help the host with his narration. It was OK for a first go, but incorrect grammar, stating the bleeding obvious during challenges, and lame interrogations at tribal were my low lights for him. 6/10. It’s still a pass.

    • I keep thinking back to the cherry-pick ep. At the time it didn’t seem too bad, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. But we have to acknowledge that if there had been any players in Sanaapu with some…um..balls, we probably would have seen a different outcome. It was the combination of the cherry-pick and the non-playing players that has created the perfect storm.

  10. You betta believe the $urvivor promos , cos’ tonight is the greatest blindside eva, just like Donald has just tried to blindside Hillary…..

    La Paglia’s grammar is unacceptable. Bad role model. He’s not in Underbelly now, so why talk like a gangster? I liked my own comment by mistake, sorry .

  11. What did occur to me last night was the health of the castaways. You can see that Lee’s physique has visibly loss some mass. The muscle structure is still there, but he’s lost a significant amount of weight, and it looks it, too. Even El. There were a couple of shots of her on the beach, and you could see how skinny she’d become, particularly around her stomach. Not that I’ve made a habit of staring at people’s stomachs, but it was hard not to notice. El reminded me of a famine victim from Ethiopia or something.

    The length of this season is taking a physical toll on the castaways, moreso than the typical American season (which, as Juz has mentioned a couple of times, is usually over by now). And they’ve got a good week and a half to go, or so. I feel like, someone get these people some food. I don’t like many of them, but I don’t want them to actually starve or anything.

    • It must be because I’m used to watching Bear Grylls’ The Island, but last night I was thinking the exact opposite. Apart from Lee, where the change is clear, I think they are not hungry enough. Lying around on beaches picking at each other, or half-hearted attempts to catch 3mm fish in the stream (instead of the ocean), just tells me they are too well-fed. There’s been no sign in challenges that lack of food is playing a part – just remember gorgeous Joe in a couple of the past US seasons.

      • This is not a spoiler I hope but I did meet someone who had interacted with Sam after he was home and pursuing his charity cause. And was told Sam looked spent. I am not a Sam fan. Anyone who anoints themselves a good guy is generally not.

        • Oh ,yes, agree. How many times has Donald Trump trumpeted “I’m a nice guy?”

          He’s not. It’s a red alert.

          Today he said ” No one respects women more than me “

        • I reckon they are getting more food than US Survivor because no-one has lost a huge amount of weight, as seen in the Jury Villa videos. That said, most of the girls on this season were tiny to start with so not much to lose.

      • It’s interesting your observation was different.

        I full agree that this tribe is a very well-fed tribe (given back when it was blue versus yellow, they won every single reward challenge). But yeah, I thought the change has been really noticable with Lee. His beautiful chest at the start of the season, versus how it looks right now, to me, like you said, the difference is clear.

        Or maybe I’m just paying too much attention to Lee’s chest ;). Sorry, I’m being too objectification-y again.

        Something that really annoyed me about channel 10 last week? The opening segment of “The Wrong Girl” had the characters mentioning Rob (the absurdly handsome chef) had strong ideas about being objectified, and didn’t want to be renowned just for his attractiveness. Fair enough, another heavy-handed lesson on social values from a channel 10 production … but the thing that made me go, “eh?” was that five minutes before this segment? Was the “Bachelorette” promo where Georgia tells the boys to take their shirts off and oil up. “I did this for the women of Australia. You’re welcome,” she added with a giggle.

        It’s just like, make up your damn mind, channel 10.

          • Since he doesn’t care about money, if I see him on the street, I’ll rob him.

            First I’ll blindside him with a brochure of a holiday in Samoa with no food and awful company.

  12. First on my shit list is “foursies”. I nearly threw up my beans and rice when Brooke said that.

    They took so long to get it right that I wondered, do none of them use mnemonics, but on a second viewing, I think they had to get the blocks right AND ensure that the exact direction each animal was turned was replicated as well. Not that he made that explicitly clear.

    JL was on Studio 10 this morning (in a gorgeous lace dress). Jessica Rowe asked if they felt gross on the island, do people smell, and JL said they were eating really clean and you don’t really realise how your island clothes smell of smoke etc while you’re there. Also, when you go on, you can only tell your parents or your partner and some contestants had to make up really elaborate lies to account for their absence, but JL regularly jets off to do humanitarian work overseas so no-one questioned her going away for 2 months.

    • May the foursie be with you.

      This is Wannabe $tar Wars.

      ” It’s not about the money, it’s about the money” ~ Rock promoter Bill Graham.

  13. Oh ‘foursies’ i forgot about that! Yep, I’ll add that to my list as well!

    On twitter matt said the blocks were double sided, and there was a slightly different image of each creature on each side, you had to have the exact same images in the example used to get it right. Thats why the purple (JL) here is wrong but the green is right (Brooke) – white is the example…

  14. Ch 10 saying that tonight will be biggest blindside of the season. y-a-w-n Regarding the puzzle, magician/mentalist/mind-reader didn’t know any memory tricks to help him win? What’s with the lack of reward challenges? Is it because the season is so much longer than normal?

    Ratings are well down, which is a shame. I read a couple of weeks ago, that Bob Geldof owns one third of Survivor rights worldwide. Who knew? Not me. I always associated Survivor with Mark Burnett.

    • Yes, that fraudulent “biggest blindside” promo was squeezed into the first ad break on Bold And Beautiful.Double yawn.

      I’ve never liked Bob Geldof. I thought he was against people starving. How ironic that he invests in this.

    • It’s a “dope” thing to say…and that’s the dopey dope, not the ‘I want you to think I’m cool for saying dope” dope. 🙂

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