Though it was heartbreaking to see Hayley leave the game, it was only a matter of time before the camp was ruled by only one royal. With the end in sight, everyone wants to be the one that now takes the king out, but George’s control of the game is so tight that only the bravest with the perfect timing could accomplish such a quest. George returned to Survivor for either death or glory, and so far, it’s panning out to be the latter for him.
It’s day 40 at the Fa’amolemole camp, and the final six enjoy the sunrise as there’s only a week left until the end of the game. After taking out his dear friend and former foe, Queen Hayley, King George says his conquest isn’t over yet. George reveals he has two final three deals, one with Gerry and Matt, the other with Liz and Nina, apparently guaranteeing him a final three position either way. However, George’s nemesis Simon is still alive and has been on a winning streak, so George is laser-focused on eliminating Simon once and for all.
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Simon, for his part, is doing everything and anything to get numbers on his side, which keeps falling on deaf ears. While still debating between being unaware or unfazed, Simon is thrilled to be in the game and considers that even though he’s been fumbling through the post-merge, he’s still been writing a narrative that could potentially earn him the win.
With subtlety out the window, Simon tells Liz, Nina, Gerry, and Matt that they’re all George’s pawns, and while George privately agrees, he continues to make everyone around him feel as if they’re leading the game instead of him. Everyone confronts Simon for instilling chaos in the “kingdom,” Liz reiterates to Simon that he’s alone because he keeps betraying his alliances.
Afterwards, Matt feels emotional about believing what Simon is saying, as he knows he still doesn’t have a “big move” under his belt. Feeling pressured to build up his résumé, Matt talks to Gerry, Nina, and Simon about finally eliminating George. To his delight, Simon immediately agrees with Matt’s potential plan, which would cement his wish to be the kingslayer. Matt also asks Simon and Nina not to betray him by throwing George’s name out.
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At the immunity challenge, George becomes the first to fall, followed by Nina. At the next transition, Liz slips first, and Simon also falls after a lapse in concentration. To which Matt agrees, Gerry suggests battling the rest of the challenge with just one foot on the pegs. The battle culminates with Matt winning immunity after Gerry loses his balance.
Back at camp, George remarks that Simon is still in the game out of sheer luck, which has run its course, while also saying that Simon’s torch will get “snuff’d,” just as Simon’s hat says. George knows he needs to tread as carefully as he can from now on, so as long as his two alliances battle each other out, their focus won’t be on him.
George wants to split the vote, so he tells Matt and Gerry that it’ll be between Simon and Nina and tells Liz and Nina that the split vote will be between Simon and Gerry. When Nina walks away, George tells Liz to vote for Simon, and in case an idol is played, then Nina would be the one to go home.
Will the results of this challenge shift the balance of the tribe? ⚖ #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/vjo5GayzYn
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) March 13, 2023
Simon’s only silver lining is Matt, and as the latter won immunity, he hopes Matt is willing to make a move against George. While Matt says he’s on board, Simon still wants to protect himself in case it’s another fake plan. Nina and Simon agree that they don’t trust Matt to uphold his word, but this could be their last shot to slay the king. When George confronts Nina about her conversation with Simon, she slips in front of Matt, saying she told Simon she’s voting for Gerry.
As Gerry is Matt’s final two, Matt is worried about who to vote for and is still debating whether to make his big move. This is all pointing out to be another Sue’s Big Move 2.0, but only Matt can decide whether that becomes true.
At tribal council, JLP asks Simon if he’s in danger without immunity, and Simon says he is. When asked how his vote is going, George says that the upcoming vote will be the “parting of the seas which will uncover the road to the Holy Land.” JLP presses further into this metaphor, so Simon replies he doesn’t even know about the path, Nina says it’s foggy for her ahead, and Matt hopes that he hopes he knows what path is ahead of them.
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Simon whispers to Nina that the split vote will be between them, to which Nina shakes his hand “may the best person win.” Simon pledges to Matt one last time to vote with him and Nina, and George tells Liz that he thinks Matt has switched sides. At the last minute, George decides to change the votes towards Nina to protect himself, with him, Liz, and Gerry voting the same way.
In an ultimate twist of the Survivor gods, JLP announces that no one is going home tonight, but rather the two people with the most votes will be sent to “Survivor Isolation.” For the next 24 hours, those two will have to rely on the rest of the tribe for food, water, and even information, as they’ll still be at camp but in total isolation from the rest. JLP also says those two won’t be able to perform at the next immunity challenge and will only leave isolation to attend the next tribal. It is then revealed that by a vote of 5-1, Nina and Gerry were voted into Survivor Isolation.
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With this new twist, everyone’s plans are left exposed and out in the open. In the preview, we see that Nina and Gerry exchange info about George’s plans, probably hinting that this could be what ends George’s conquest. On the other hand, the other four players left could create so much chaos that a new target could emerge or ultimately land on either of those left in isolation.
As the remaining players edit their résumés for the win, it’s still anyone’s opportunity to take the ultimate big shot. Still, as we’ve repeatedly seen, anyone can talk about doing it, but it only takes one brave enough to do it.
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