If the first two episodes of the merge have taught us anything, it’s that no alliance is solid in this fast-paced endgame. Luke and Janine realise that as they return to camp after Sarah’s blindside, admitting that their “Aussie strong” mindset is useless when others are thinking beyond country lines. It’s an individual game, and they need to get with the programme if they want a chance of surviving the choppy waters.
Janine gets to work on sowing some division among the internationals, first approaching Parvati and telling her that Kass has been floating her name, sort of, charades-style. Parv isn’t sure she can fully trust what Janine is saying, but when she confronts Kass about it, the answer she receives isn’t enough to convince her either way.
Trust is a big issue for Parvati throughout the episode. After making a move with Cirie, Kirby, and Shonee at the previous tribal, there is the potential for their new foursome to run the game. Yet, despite her excitement to work with the Aussies, especially Kirby, there are lingering doubts in the back of her mind. Is it all too good to be true?
Kirby previously turned on her supposed ‘ride or die’ and is a self-confessed blindside lover. Janine pushes this image of Kirby to Cirie later in the episode, further widening the gap between the new foursome. Cirie agrees with her and is willing to take a shot at Kirby, though she knows it’ll require some heavy convincing to get Parv on board.
The scrambling only increases after the immunity challenge, another endurance test that sees Parvati and Kass in a showdown for the second episode in a row. Weirdly, neither of them brings up the deal they struck in the last challenge about how Parv would drop for Kass. Only JLP mentions it, which earns him a “shush” from Parvati. I don’t know if this was Parv not wanting him to remind Kass, or if both of them were trying to keep the deal under wraps. Either way, Parv does ultimately drop.
With Kass immune, another name from the non-American trio is floated as a target: Lisa. Kirby is okay with that and gets assurances from her allies, including Luke and Janine, that the Lisa plan is a go. Yet, it’s not long before the gears start shifting. Shonee doesn’t see long-term potential in this new Aussie/American foursome and suggests to Luke using the three other World players to make a move. Loving the sound of that, Luke scurries off to talk to Lisa and Kass, pitching a Cirie boot.
Meanwhile, Kirby is a hot topic. Janine and Cirie are ready to strike against her, and, like Luke and Shonee, believe they can use the three non-US players to jump aboard. All the while, Kirby continues to convince Parv she wants to ride to the end with her, though she is sensing some apprehension from the Micronesia winner. Kirby admits that her trust issues and need for assurance stem from Feras promising to play an idol to save her and then failing to follow through.
Parvati is torn. She clearly enjoys working with Kirby, and, if she wants to, could make a flashy play by using her idol to save her, becoming the Khaleesi with a fire-breathing dragon at her beck and call. But she’s also close with Cirie in real life, not to mention she’s worked hard on the women’s alliance back on the World camp. Sticking her neck out to save Kirby would be fun, but potentially game-ruining if it burns everyone else on the tribe and makes them not trust her anymore.
In the end, after a tribal focusing on bamboozling, flim-flamming, and hoodwinking, Parvati joins the majority in voting out Kirby, whose trust issues are surely only going to get worse. Kirby is the sole vote for Lisa, while Luke once again is on the outside looking in, this time with Shonee, as both voted for Cirie.
With another major power player gone, all eyes are sure to turn to Parvati and Cirie. But, based on that dramatic preview of the next episode, it appears neither woman will be going down without a fight.
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