After a couple of stumbling blocks due to poorly timed twists and Scott’s unfortunate merge-vote quit, Australian Survivor refound its groove this episode with some of the most dynamic gameplay of the season so far.
This episode opens post-Tribal, where Scott’s exit has everyone feeling a little emotional. But Caroline is upset for an entirely different reason; she’s gutted by Mark’s betrayal (again) and can’t even stomach sleeping next to him. Kitty offers her some comfort and a place next to her in the shelter as the rest of the tribe digests what just happened.
The thing is, Mark hasn’t technically betrayed Caroline and Kitty yet, as Scott’s departure scuppered his and Valeria’s plans. But from the conversations at camp, it seems a safe bet that the numbers were on Kitty last night, and she was right to be paranoid.
We have to agree, Valeria… this is pretty entertaining! #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/I0MTCrLFBz
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 26, 2024
Kitty’s paranoia continues throughout the episode as she and Caroline do their best to gather votes. This involves numerous side conversations with the likes of Kirby and Jaden, but it’s clear the original Titan women are on the outer.
The one person they do still seem to have on their side, other than Eden, is Rianna, who formed a strong relationship with Kitty and Caroline in the post-swap Rebels tribe. Despite having Kirby as her “ride or die,” Rianna wants to keep her promise to Kitty and Caroline, even if it means voting differently from her OG Rebel alliance mate.
It’s a big episode for Rianna, who once again shows off her endurance skills and pulls out an Immunity win in a strenuous-looking rope-hanging challenge. With safety around her neck, Rianna is even more confident to make the moves she wants to make, regardless of what anyone else is planning around her.
As for everyone else, they seem locked on Caroline and Kitty as primary targets. Mark and Valeria are hellbent on revenge for the Viola blindside, with Valeria practically salivating at the prospect of voting out her Titan nemeses. Valeria even goes full Godfather mode and decides to flip the vote onto Caroline, realizing that Kitty is already half-defeated due to her increased paranoia.
The Samoan rain gods are raining down DRAMA! ️☔ #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/GcJNvf3DK4
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 26, 2024
Caroline and Kitty try pushing the votes onto Mark, but they aren’t gaining much traction with their old allies and tribemates. So, they decide to make a bold move and approach Feras and his crew. It’s ballsy gameplay but an astute move from the two women. Feras is closely aligned with Aileen and Raymond, meaning there’s the opportunity to win over a voting bloc of three.
One of the things that makes this such a captivating post-merge is how the tribe can be broken into these separate, smaller alliances. There is the Feras/Aileen/Ray trio, Caroline/Kitty/Eden, Mark/Valeria/Winna, and Kirby/Rianna (and formerly Scott), with Alex and Jaden acting as wildcards. There is no one dominant group, which makes the gameplay much more fluid and ever-changing.
This episode is the perfect example of that. After speaking with Feras and Aileen, Caroline and Kitty offer up Winna as a potential vote-off, recognizing Feras is more keen to vote that way than for Mark. We know Feras has been dying to kick Winna out ever since the Garrick blindside, so this chance at revenge is too juicy for him to pass up.
That’s another thing about this season — all the revenge plots going on. Kirby versus Feras and Caroline & Kitty versus Valeria & Mark have been ongoing plot points throughout the season, both of which add an extra layer to the game dynamics. And, judging by the next episode preview, Jaden is about to go on his own revenge mission next.
Don’t mess with the boss! #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/khuZRmWjLb
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 26, 2024
With all the scrambling going on before tribal, it’s unclear which plan will win out. Caroline knows that one wrong vote could screw up everything. Trust across camp is on such thin ice that Caroline doesn’t even want to risk telling Alex and Rianna the real plan. Instead, Alex is told to vote for Val and Rianna to vote for Mark.
At Tribal, there is talk of strategic speed-dating and alliance match-making, with nobody quite sure whether they’re being catfished, except for Winna, the only calm one among the group. Winna tells JLP he finds “clarity in the chaos,” which will soon become his famous last words.
When the votes are read, five land on Winna, while another five fall on Caroline, with Alex and Rianna following through as planned, voting Val and Mark, respecitively. With just one vote remaining, JLP flips it over to reveal Winna is the latest person eliminated from Titans vs. Rebels.
It’s an expertly plotted move, and credit where it’s due to Caroline and Kitty, who managed to drag themselves from a pitiful position at the start of the episode. Not only did they save their own skin, but they did it in a way that could potentially solidify a new alliance for them going forward.
Perfect matches and broken hearts… all in a day’s work for JLP! #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/A7YG8kuWbQ
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 26, 2024
The potential downside, though, is choosing to leave Alex and Rianna out of the real plan. It’s especially awkward when it comes to Rianna, as this isn’t the first time Caroline and Kitty have told her to vote for Mark despite reneging on that plan before tribal. It shows a lack of trust, and Kirby will surely hammer that point home in the next episode to bring Rianna back into her fold.
However, for Feras, Aileen, and Raymond, this could prove to be a beautifully timed move. Had they stuck to the original plan and voted out Caroline, they would have strengthened Kirby’s alliance with Valeria, Winna, and Mark. With this move, they’ve not only taken away one of Kirby’s pawns but moved up the totem pole while keeping big targets in Caroline and Kitty in the game as shields.
As alliances continue to shift and the thirst for revenge becomes ever more present, the stage is now set for what could be a bloody brutal end-game.
Written by