It’s Day 21 and both tribes are an entertaining shamble. On New Titans, Feras was blindsided by the Garrick vote out. Kirby is surprised that he was blindsided because she thought he knew. Does Feras have an idol? Why didn’t he play it for Garrick? Does Kelli have an idol? And who voted for her? Aileen says, “I did”. Kelli is not happy. Kirby is giddy at how well things are going for her. Feras has revenge in his heart and his sights on the original Titans in the New Titan tribe, Valeria, Charles, and Winna.
On New Rebels, Rianna doesn’t know where she sits (now that she doesn’t sit with Kirby). She doesn’t know what Alex is doing. (Same, RiRi). Caroline asks her what she would do next. Rianna says she would go for Mark. Caroline is keeping Rianna close but doesn’t fully trust her. She is considering sticking with Mark.
As always, the Australian Survivor editors walk us through the chaos with a narrative clarity that is a testament to their fine work.
Even Kirby doesn’t know how well she’s playing #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/iMgfaySrB8
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 18, 2024
The New Rebels win the Immunity Challenge, and that’s the last we see of them for this episode. On New Titans beach, there is now scrambling amid the shambles. Aileen is doing the most. She pitches her worth to Valeria, admitting she is worried. Valeria tells us in confessional that she should be. Aileen promises the original Titan three that she will find out if Feras really has an idol. She’ll put her hair down if he has and keep it up if he hasn’t.
Kirby is happy to let the original Titans drive this one as long as she can get control back afterward. Feras tries to find a crack in the majority. Winna remembers he has the banana idol and predicts it will be smooth sailing for him up to the merge. Valeria proposes a 3/3 split on Feras and Aileen. Winna asks Kelli if she knows how to spell Aileen. Kelli does not.
At Tribal Council, there is little to no ambiguity as castaways point out each other’s flaws, demand that they be allowed to finish what they are saying without interruption, and all but declare who they are voting for. Aileen makes a last appeal for the Original Rebels to hold strong and is howled down by the Original Titans.
Jaden only hits THREES! #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/HcoI5F9kk4
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 18, 2024
But wait! What’s this? Yes, it’s the twist heard around the world. JLP announces that someone WILL be voted out tonight. But not everyone will get to vote. The mechanic is simple. There is a challenge right here, right now, at Tribal Council, and only the first three to finish it will have a vote and, in addition, will be immune from the vote themselves.
Aileen finishes first, followed by Kirby, followed by Feras. The reassembled Tribal Council is a lot quieter than before. Winna whispers to Charles and Valeria that he wants to draw the votes onto himself so he can play his idol. Feras invites the original Titans to pitch for themselves to stay. Winna baldly declares that he will never work with Feras.
Just before voting, Aileen whispers to Feras. JLP asks for idols, and Winna plays his for himself. And the votes come down, one for Raymond from Kirby, one for Winna from Feras, and one for Charles from Aileen. Her plan has worked to perfection. At the revote, with Winna immune and only two to choose from, Aileen and Feras both vote for Charles, and he is gone. This may solve the mystery of the small amount of focus Charles has received thus far. Perhaps we were not allowed to form an attachment to him so that this twist would be more palatable.
#SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/BEM9WFLuSH
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 18, 2024
And that’s the problem with this twist. Despite the exciting outcome – the plucky underdogs win over the smug majority – it seems grossly unfair. Your vote is your currency and your worth. It should be guaranteed at any Tribal Council unless you have willingly given it away in exchange for something else of value.
Australian Survivor must perforce have non-elimination rounds. If this vote out had instead been a vote off to Redemption Rock (as seen in Brains v Brawn) to play in a battle-back with the next eliminated castaway, that would have drawn the sting somewhat, although it would still have interrupted pure gameplay.
Up until this episode, Titans v Rebels has been not just an incredible Australian Survivor season, but top-notch in all iterations. Great casting and hands-off production have led to fascinating unfolding storylines, gameplay, good and bad, and character match-ups that are super fun to watch. This twist, divorced from its outcome, feels like the heavy hand of outside interference, not needed to ginger up the game nor fulfilling a practical purpose of incorporating a non-elimination. May this be the last we see of it in its current form.
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This was another example of an alliance not targeting the actual playing they want to get, but rather their “sidekick”. It’s happened for so many votes this season, it’s almost more of a theme than Titans V Rebels at this stage There really wasn’t anything shown to us in this episode to explain why Feras and Aileen would target Charles over Valeria with the vote-splitting they did, especially after what Valeria had to say about Feras during Tribal Council.