This season of Australian Survivor is officially one for the books. While the ending is not yet here, this has been one of the most unpredictable, gratifying, and exciting seasons we’ve ever seen across the worlds, and it’s truly a masterclass on how Survivor should be played. With extraordinary players, never-ending chaos, this first, and hopefully not last, international Survivor season will be forever remembered as the one that reminded us all why we became fans in the first place of this wonderfully cutthroat game.
The episode begins on day 14 at the Moorditj camp, where the final five celebrate getting there. While Parvati, Cirie, Janine, and Luke solidify their plan to be in the final four, Parvati still has reservations regarding Luke, as she knows he has an idol and was the reason Parvati previously ripped her “Knowledge is Power” advantage to gain favour and trust from him.
Later, Parvati and Cirie reminisce about their Survivor journey together, which started all the way back in 2008. As Parvati retells, in Survivor: Micronesia, Parvati and Cirie played the season together alongside Amanda Kimmel, forming the iconic Black Widow Brigade alliance. Due to a twist, there were only two final seats that season as opposed to three, and Cirie missed out on being at the end. As Parvati says, both women want to rewrite history and reach the end of the game together.
For their part, Luke and Janine also solidify their endgame plans. While they want to honour their final four plan with the Americans, they also agree to vote out Cirie in case Shonee wins immunity. However, Janine starts planning for any eventuality by going to Parvati and declares that while she wants to reach the end with Luke, she would consider voting him out if it would save her in the process.
Shonee isn’t giving up either, as even though she doesn’t have a duo like the others, she will do what’s necessary to get to the end as well. Sneakily, Shonee later leads a conversation between her, Parvati, and Janine to highlight Janine’s success in Australia, not to mention her success in Survivor. For instance, Janine excels in public speaking, and Shonee reveals this is one of her biggest fears, prompting Parvati to see both with a keener eye.
The final five then head to the next immunity challenge, where they must face several obstacles to earn the coveted necklace. Throughout the challenge, Luke and Shonee battle for the lead, but it’s ultimately Luke who snags the win, despite the wind and Shonee’s inner monologue being against him the whole time.
Back at camp, the majority alliance agree to vote out Shonee as they had previously agreed. Parvati later realises Janine doesn’t know about Luke’s idol, which raises a red flag, as Janine is supposedly Luke’s number one ally. Parvati prompts Janine to ask Luke if he has one and gives it off as if she has a “Survivor vibe” about these things. Janine heeds Parvati’s advice and asks Luke if he has an idol, which he fiercely denies.
Luke’s reasoning behind lying to Janine is that he wants to keep his idol a secret. Though he did previously tell Parvati about it, Luke says in a confessional that he could get away with the lie even if Parvati exposes him, as she technically didn’t see the idol with her own eyes. His defence then would be that he was bluffing all along. Janine tells Luke that Shonee needs to vote for Cirie as a guarantee of safety for them.
Shonee is fuming that she didn’t win immunity and now needs to rally her former Aussie allies to vote for Cirie if she wants to stay in the game. While Luke and Janine agree in front of Shonee to go with her Cirie plan, Shonee senses they’re not really “buying what she’s selling.” Shonee then asks Luke if he has an idol, and if he does, to consider giving it to her to ensure their “Aussies strong” plan. Luke once again denies having an idol.
Cirie notices the Aussies scrambling together and admits that she would consider a blindside at this point if the tables were reversed. Parvati mentions to Cirie that Luke indeed has an idol, and Cirie gives us the meme of the century by grimacing at the news. Cirie becomes anxious about Luke giving his idol to Shonee, which could result in her being voted out instead.
Shonee pitches to Parvati and Cirie about becoming their third wheel, and once again highlights how dangerous Janine would be in front of a jury, while also reinforcing to Luke that his best bet to get to the FTC is to sit with her and Janine. Parvati and Cirie ultimately agree to work with Janine in the long term and agree that Shonee is too dangerous to keep.
However, the biggest mystery for the American duo is regarding Luke’s idol and why he told Parvati about it, but not Janine. When Parvati confronts Luke about the matter, Luke lies, telling her he was bluffing and that he doesn’t have an idol after all. Privately, Parvati agrees that Cirie was right about being suspicious of Luke and struggles to decide whom to use the idol on: herself or her bestie. Before heading to Tribal Council, Luke concedes it’s down to him on whether to stick to the plan in voting out Shonee, or to cause mayhem by using his idol to vote out Cirie.
At Tribal, the jury surprises the final five by walking in with matching flowers on their heads. JLP proceeds to ask Cirie if she’s startled to see such a stacked group at the end, to which Cirie cleverly quips back that she isn’t when faced with such a high-calibre group of players and adds that if there were any goats among them, they would’ve probably eaten it by now. Parvati proves this statement by once again pulling out her idol and publicly placing it around her neck.
As JLP asks Luke how the others perceive his game, Luke stands up and pulls Janine into a private chat. Luke pleads to Janine that if he makes it to the final four, she will allow him to make fire. As she agrees, Luke places the immunity necklace around her neck, and amidst the jury’s shock, he then places his idol around his neck as well. Parvati mutters to Janine that she was right about Luke having an idol, as Luke also tells Parvati this move was about taking him and Janine to the final four.
Cirie and Shonee are the only ones left vulnerable, giving Cirie Survivor: Game Changers flashbacks, having also shared earlier at camp that she was voted out that season when she was the only one left without any advantages to protect herself at the final six. Parvati intercedes, explaining that her idol is for both of them, as she is willing to play it for either Cirie or herself. To fire back, Luke says he’s also willing to go down swinging as he’s considering playing his idol for Shonee.
As Parvati and Luke go back and forth to see everyone’s actual plans, Shonee throws a last plea to consider her as an asset rather than a hindrance. Cirie declares that this season’s ending is panning out to be different from other seasons, as though Survivor is a game of deceit; they’re trying to prove that loyalty can also be a winning strategy. Luke summarises that this vote will come down to who will work with him to get to the end together.
Before JLP reads the votes, Parvati and Luke stand up and hand over their idols, and amidst a highly awkward exchange of not giving up a name first, they finally decide to play their idols for each other in an ultimate sign of trust. With only a 50/50 shot of being voted out, Shonee and Cirie are the last two vulnerable players of the night.
Eventually, it is revealed the vote was a unanimous 4-1 against Shonee, sending the legendary Aussie player to the jury once more, but not before she jokingly says in her exit interview she’s hanging up her iconic red dress for good, and that she’s now after JLP’s job next… too soon, Shon. Too soon.
With the endgame upon us, it all comes down to the last two Aussies and two Americans standing for one of the most unbelievably epic endings Survivor has seen across the globe. Who will win the ultimate worldwide Survivor crown against their fellow competitors, and who will crown themselves to be the one who beats the best of the Survivor world? Tune in next Sunday for the ultimate throwdown Survivor has yet to see in its history.
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Catching up late, got a question – Luke tells Parvati he lied & doesn’t have an idol. WHY didn’t Parv then demand the other half of the steal-an-advantage parchment back?!? If Luke truly doesn’t have an idol, and he’s really working with Parvati, then there’s no reason for him to keep the half he tricked out of Parv. If he refuses to return it, then that’s a big red flag for Parv that Luke actually does have an idol & that he’s lying to her face right now