Another episode comes and goes, and this season of Australian Survivor is getting kookier by the second. The OG Brains and Brawn are no more, but with AJ’s latest scheme, both tribes suffer the repercussions of having a loose cannon in their midst. It seems it’s only a matter of time before AJ loses his control on the game or everyone loses theirs to him.
It’s day 19 on the Brawn’s beach, and even though the battle between Noonan and Ursula is over, the struggle between the OG Brains is still ongoing. The word subtlety means nothing to several people this season, and AJ is the current king of playing offensively and indefensibly. Though AJ’s hostage plan might sound good on paper, it completely alienates people left and right and on a short-term and long-term future. True to form, Logan is fed up with AJ and talks with Kristin about neither wanting to work with him.
Over at the Brain’s camp, a desperate Myles can be seen trying unsuccessfully to socialise with the OG Brawns. The rest of the OG Brains aren’t a great help to ease Myles’ anxiety, especially Max, who feels highly comfortable due to having a hidden immunity idol.
Prior to the immunity challenge, AJ goes ahead with his hostage plan as he proudly declares he will send all OG Brawns to the plank if the Brawn 2.0 tribe doesn’t throw challenges. The OG Brains, now Brawn, are rightfully offended that AJ has practically given their heads on a silver platter to the five OG Brawns.
It’s clear AJ’s threats worked, as the OG Brawns undoubtedly throw the challenge. With an idol up for grabs in the sandbags, practically the entire tribe gives up on the challenge and goes idol searching while Myles pleads for them to come back. Kristin finds the idol on Brawn 2.0, while, hilariously, Myles finds the Brains 2.0 idol floating in the water as he comes to yell at his tribe and call them a bunch of pricks. As the tribes leave, Logan mutters to Myles for the OG Brains to stick together.
At the Brains beach, Ben confesses the OG Brawns threw the challenge to protect their numbers at the upcoming merge and admits Myles having an idol threw a wrench in his plans. The five OG Brawns decide to split the vote between Myles and Max to flush Myles’ idol. To avoid Myles playing his idol for anyone else and placing one of their numbers in danger, the OG Brawns continuously mention random targets to the OG Brains to confuse them about who the real target is.
Meanwhile, Laura organises the OG Brains to stick together and use Myles’ idol to get an OG Brawn out. In honour of their name, the OG Brains correctly read the OG Brawns’ gameplan as Myles declares he will use his idol on the split vote’s recipient to get an OG Brawns out, even if it means playing it on Max. They ultimately decide to vote for Kate as she’s a social and physical threat (even though the audience doesn’t even know who Kate is, to be honest) and warn Max not to flip on them as he’s at risk of getting voted out.
In Max’s true fashion, he rats the OG Brains’ plan to the enemy, telling them he doesn’t trust Myles and Zara as they are trying to manipulate him. In Max’s mind, his vendetta against Myles is bigger than his self-preservation and he doesn’t take kindly to Zara telling him that she will off him if he flips. Max ultimately seals his fate by joining the OG Brawns tribe to split the vote between Zara and Myles without knowing he’s the real secondary target.
Max then decides to be honest with Laura and tells her he wants to join forces with the OG Brawns. Laura frustratedly tries to explain he will be expendable to that side, but as she realises Max won’t side with the OG Brains, she decides to flip as well and fills her OG Coven sister, Zara, in on the news. Despite not feeling good about it, Laura and Zara tell Myles to play his idol for Zara to save their skin, and Myles agrees.
At tribal council, the OG Brawns declare that they will stick together no matter what, even with Myles’ idol hindering their plans. Once again, Max is open about his true intentions and says he will be a swing vote, surprising no one but JLP. Unfortunately for Max, the jungle rat comes ahead once more as Myles plays his idol for himself, cancelling four votes against him, and Max ends up with the majority, with his torch getting snuffed and an unused idol in his pocket.
It seems the hostages’ plan will continue to cause chaos in the upcoming episode as both tribes try to throw the next immunity challenge, probably causing JLP and the audience an ulcer in the process. Who knows who will triumph and who will crash and burn next, but we’ll have to wait until next week to find out. Stay tuned, folks!
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