Drafts all over the Survivor fandom are in tatters today with the departure of fan favourite and putative front-runner Viola. Despite being original Titans strong after the swap, her tribemates, led by Caroline, wasted no time recruiting two of the three minority original Rebels for numbers.
At Tribal Council, there is much talk of ‘timing,’ with many castaways attempting to articulate the age-old Survivor rule of “get them before you get got.” And Caroline gets Viola with a voting confessional for the ages: “I’ve delivered thousands of babies, but tonight I’m delivering my first blindside. And guess what? It’s a baby girl.”
Before the swap, Day 15 dawns with the Rebels eager to extract information on the previous night’s vote and the dynamics within the Titans tribe from Kelli. She confidently informs them she orchestrated a vote-out of Nathan. But further probing reveals that not only was she not present at the vote, but she cannot describe in any way the alliances within the Titans, nor who the strategic players are, nor any shifts or possible cracks or indeed any useful information at all.
Arriving at an expected Reward Challenge, the two tribes find that their ‘reward’ is a swap. They select and reveal their buffs one by one, which leads to an odd dynamic of castaways cheering for new members of a tribe they don’t know if they will be part of yet.
The daggers are coming out… but who will be first to use them? #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/uYjq1QJIWp
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Raymond is a Titan, having drawn the curiously named ’empty buff’ at the swap. He is given the power to choose which tribe to join, but as he draws second, with only Eden drawing Rebel before him, it doesn’t seem like much of a power. He even asks if he can wait until the tribes are formed to choose, a request cruelly denied by JLP.
The random draw is also cruel in separating Vi-leria, with Viola seemingly safe in a majority with ally Mark, while Valeria is adrift in a minority with Charlies and Winna. Valeria feels “the ground shaking beneath her feet” but resolves to be the provider as “you can’t kill the cook – at least for the next few votes.”
Rianna and Kirby are also separated, with Kirby and Feras forming part of the original Rebels majority on New Titans. Scott plays the diplomat (Mark would be proud) and pulls Kirby and Feras together in the water to implore them to work together. Now Titans, in an original Rebel majority of seven, he hopes to hold Rebel strong for at least one vote. Feras and Kirby agree to work together, but if they were on land, they would definitely be shuffling their feet and looking at their shoes.
Whose side are you on? New Titans or New Rebels? #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/luU43iI5Br
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 11, 2024
But there’s no shuffling for Kirby at the Immunity Challenge, which she totally rocks, ensuring the win for New Titans.
The mirroring of tribe to tribe continues after the swap. Both have an original three minority, with an invading six or seven coming from the other side. In both new tribes, the majority is fractured and eager to make a move.
On New Rebels beach, the strat chat is electric. Mark and Viola discuss going for Caroline. Caroline, clocking correctly that her name is out there, plans the Viola vote, first with close ally Kitty, then with fellow Middle-Aged Mafia member Eden. Eden is excited that things are getting spicy but anxious about how they will handle Mark afterward.
You can’t kill the cook… right? #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/22ZhnNr6HO
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 11, 2024
Caroline does some handling of her own, quieting Eden’s anxiety and giving him a task, which is to feel out Jaden on the vote. Caroline also cleverly picks the right two numbers out of the majority three, Rianna and Sarah. Alex has been campaigning hard since they hit the beach with the new tribe formation, flying between groups and carrying tales. And besides, she doesn’t need him.
Meanwhile, Mark and Viola think they have a plan in place, which is men on Sarah and women on Rianna. Even though Viola is itching to make a move, Mark suggests playing safe for one more vote and going after Caroline in the next round. But timing is all.
At Tribal Council, JLP asks Alex why the tribe should keep him, assuming one of the minority three is the target. Despite five of the six castaways already voted out being from the physically strong group, Alex wordlessly shows his biceps in response. Lolz.
Survivor is all about timing ⌚ #SurvivorAU pic.twitter.com/ySfB4jpDlI
— SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU) February 11, 2024
Straining to keep the theme relevant, JLP asks Mark how it feels to wear the pink Rebel buff. Mark replies, “Many of the Titans have a rebellious streak hidden under the surface.” And vice versa, one assumes.
In the end, Mark’s timing was off, as Caroline and co strike, sending Viola home in perhaps the biggest blindside so far. Viola responds to her vote out graciously, saying, “That was impressive guys.” In her post-vote-out confessional, she ties a bow on the episode, noting, “Today the senior citizens won.”
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