A new day dawns on Rebels beach, and we can hear Kelli before we see her. She is chivvying the reluctant Rebels into playing Twister. “I’m sure the Titans would want to play,” she says to her tribemates. Who are not toddlers turning their faces away from broccoli.
And at last, the moment we have been longing for: a confessional from Aileen. She thought she was going to be the leader and run the tribe. She is ready to make a move. “I’m a force to be reckoned with,” she says. (Spoiler: Feras says exactly this is episode 5).
At Titans Beach, where they are not playing Twister, Middle Aged Mafia member Caroline ‘senses’ that Mark is closer to Viola and Valeria than the Mafia. She has to keep a close eye on them and proceeds to horn in on any moment the Vs try to have together. When she once again approaches them in the water and asks how they are, Valeria tells her, “We’re just trying to live a life. ” Message not received.
It’s day 8 on Rebels beach and Alex is having a moment of retrospection. “Looking back at it now, throwing that challenge was potentially a dumb move.” Potentially. But luckily for Alex, “there’s no chance this is happening to me two times in a row.” I just love the Australian Survivor editors. As with every season, they have come correct.
Although Kirby is happy with how tribal council went, Garrick confronts her and says he cried when he figured out she didn’t do what she said she’d do. Feras is also worried about Kirby going against their agreement. He needs to be “extra sneaky.” Rummaging around in the bushes, he finds “the door to Narnia” aka a locked box buried in the ground.
Aileen is literally us ♀️ #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/Izk8Vu7guQ
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 4, 2024
Despite a little prickliness within the ranks, the Rebels win the Reward Challenge and get a grazing plate. On their table is not just salami, cheese, and bikkies but three intriguing keys. They break into three groups to run through the bush and find what the keys will unlock.
Feras leads Garrick and Raymond to the buried box; he trusts them fully. Inside the box is an idol and another key to give to the Titans. As they are reading the parchment, they are sprung by Alex, then Sarah, and then Kelli. “The worst people” to find them. Kelli screeches for the tribe to gather.
Feras explains he only found a key. As the Rebels eye him suspiciously, he offers to empty his bag and pockets. But Tobias turns down his offer, saying they are finally united, and they don’t need to be “un-united” now.
Alex takes Feras off to gather sticks but really to ask what else he found. Feras tells him nothing but knows that Alex knows he is lying. “Alex is onto me and I can’t have that.”
At the mat chat before the Immunity Challenge, Feras asks the Titans if they’ve found their treasure chest yet. Taking a moment in the water with Mark, he confirms that the box is real.
This season really is high school: the Challenge is dodgeball. And the overdogs win, sending the Rebels back to Tribal Council.
So all of the Rebels are going to go into strat chat mode, no? No. Tobias hunkers down by the shelter and says, “Anyone go and have their chats, I’m making a fire.” He tells us he’s not worried because everyone likes him.
Is anyone else getting Brad Pitt vibes from Feras? #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/CNBckluQgS
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 4, 2024
Aileen tells us that the “strong” players are naive, and the oddballs are more strategic. We got that, but happy to have her point it out. Her elegant plan is to put the four women’s votes on Alex (herself, Kelli, Kirby, and Rianna) and the four men’s votes on Tobias (Feras, Garrick, Raymond, and Scott). At the re-vote, they will force Sarah to choose which of them goes home.
One potential flaw in her plan is Kelli. Aileen works hard to manage her: “A is for Alex, B is for Blindside.” Meanwhile, Alex is marshalling his troops (Tobias, Sarah, Kirby, Rianna, and Kelli) to vote for Feras. Alex tells us he is sitting pretty at tribal council. Bring out the popcorn. When Sarah asks Tobias if she should be stressed about the vote, he responds that they are liked by everyone… very well-liked.
Despite Aileen and Garrick’s assurances, Feras is concerned that Kirby and Rianna will swing. Unlike last time, when their votes didn’t change the outcome, this time, it could be him getting his torch snuffed. Feras asks Rianna what the others are doing, and she is unconvincing in her tentative response that she thinks they are a little bit on Kelli.
So we see Aileen and Feras and their ‘oddball’ side continuing to think, be aware of shifting sands, and check in with their alliance, while the Cuddle Crew has decided what’s going to happen, so it’s “set and forget.” Where have we heard that before?
At Tribal Council, Alex says, “I love my mum, I love my mum so much, but we butt heads. Kelli is not my mum”. JLP asks if Alex and Kellie are in the love or hate part of their relationship, and Alex says they are “dealing with each other.” Alex also says his first tribal council hurt him, but “lesson learned.” You might need to do some revision there, Alex. Tobias says he cooked dinner and let everyone else ‘panic.’ Not so much panicking, Tobias, as having strat chat, the way the game is played.
Not sure if everyone’s buying it Feras… #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/5hT1V2xMzD
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 4, 2024
It’s time to vote, and Aileen votes for Alex, saying she really, really, really, really, really hopes her plan works. As Kelli votes, the ghost of Aileen’s instruction floats on the air: “Girls on Alex, boys on Toby”.
As JLP goes to collect the votes, Feras asks if it’s hot in here or is it just him?He takes off his top, revealing his idol. “I guess it’s just me.” No, Feras, it just got several hundred degrees hotter.
JLP returns to a shirtless Feras festooned with an idol. “Do I even have to ask the question?” Feras plays the idol for himself. An idol which, if not public, was at least strongly suspected, and a vote where he is relying on two numbers who didn’t stick to the plan last time, one of whom lied (badly) to his face. A good move, I say. Also, he can always find another. He found the box without a clue, after all.
The Rebels are rebelling! #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/km4Jsj0Ur0
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 4, 2024
There are three votes for Feras (Alex, Tobias, & Sarah), three for Alex (Aileen, Kirby, & Rianna), and five people vote for Tobias: Feras, Garrick, Raymond, Scott, and… Kelli.
There is a lot of mental arithmetic from the Feras camp as they try to work out what happened to the elegant plan. What happened to the plan was Kelli. As she votes for Tobias, she says, “I think I can work with Alex, but I can’t work with you,” so we know she cooked the vote intentionally. But the problem, Kelli, is that Alex doesn’t like you and won’t work with you. And you were part of an eight-person plan which you single-handedly cooked. And so now seven people are mad at you.
As JLP says, “Why do I get the feeling every time the rebels come to tribal something unexpected happens?” I can’t wait to see how this turns out.
Correction 03/06/24: A previous version of this article said that Garrick also found an idol in the treasure box. But it appears there was only one idol, and Garrick was just asking if there was “one each.”
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