After pulling off a clutch idol play and flipping the vote onto Richard in the last episode, Mark returns to camp at a loss for words. At least, temporarily. He thanks his returnee-plus-Keeley alliance for having his back, and then debriefs with Ben, the main figurehead behind the attempted blindside. Despite the attack, Mark tells Ben he thinks they can still work together and find a common interest.
Ben chastises himself for not orchestrating a split at the last tribal council. He promises not to make the same mistake twice. Even though the Mark plan failed, Ben still has the power and the numbers, and with that comes a newfound confidence. Or some might call it arrogance. There’s something about Aussie Survivor where the second someone gets a taste of power, they transform into monsters. Makes for good TV, at least.
As far as Ben is concerned, the number one goal remains taking out a returnee. He tells Mark there is a spot for one returnee within his majority alliance, but it would require a sacrifice. For Mark, that means turning on his clique of returnees. Mark’s been with Brooke since Day 1, and so she’s off the table, and honorary returnee Keeley has been a close ally from the start, so he isn’t keen on taking her out either. So that leaves Simon.
Before a trip to scramble city, the tribe is split into two teams for the reward challenge, with sit-out Cameron getting to bet on the winning group. The winners get to enjoy an afternoon of high tea, complete with various finger foods, scones, and iced tea. Well, I say “enjoy,” but it’s hard to luxuriate in the moment when the winners are ordered to enter the makeshift tea room one at a time under the pressure of a rice sandtimer.
Keeley ends up being the last to enter after picking the short stick, but it works to her benefit. Not only does she get the most time to enjoy the feast without someone breathing down her neck, but she also has ample time to search for an idol. And, lo and behold, the idol turns out to be hidden within the rice timer, which Keeley snags after almost ending up inside the thing.
She tells Mark about the idol once back at camp, giving the pair even more confidence about their plans moving forward. They agree that removing Simon could be a good move for their games, letting the “passengers” feel they’ve accomplished something. And those passengers are ready to make that move, with Ben and Jackson, especially, no longer believing a word Simon tells them.
Simon almost saves himself at the immunity challenge, making it down to the final two. But he’s once again pipped at the post by challenge beast Brooke, winning her second necklace of the season. With that, Simon is firmly in the crosshairs, and the stage is set for what should be a relatively simple vote. That is, until Caleb Chaos rears his head.
Caleb has been following orders all season, and he’s sick of it. He sees it happening again at this vote, with Ben and Mark both telling him to vote for Simon. Rather than toe the line, Caleb decides to shake things up by pulling off a double bluff. He tells Ben that Mark wants to change the vote to him, and vice versa; he tells Mark that Ben wants to flip the vote to him.
Suddenly, what should have been a simple vote turns into a mass scramble. Ben and Jackson gather the troops to discuss a new plan, a split vote, with five votes on Mark and two on Keeley. Meanwhile, Mark and the returnees aim their sights at Ben or Jackson. Simon even suggests letting Caleb have the pick of the litter, thereby making him feel wanted and more likely to vote with them.
But this is where Mark’s game comes unstuck. When the returnees ask Caleb who they should target, he says Jackson, mostly because of their previous back-and-forth. However, Mark just can’t let Caleb have it his way, and pulls him aside to push the vote onto Ben instead. Was this the straw that broke the camel’s back? I’m not sure, but it certainly must have made Caleb’s ultimate choice that much easier.
With tonight’s vote-off becoming the first jury member, tribal is full of talk about jury management and owning moves. Brooke argues that simply being part of a majority vote does not equate to a big move, and that it makes it difficult to own such a move as your own come final tribal. Cameron fires back, asking, “What’s the alternative? To sit in the minority and just wait for something to happen?”
Simon explains his take on the issue, and for him, it’s all about being able to “differentiate” your game from everyone else. How can you stand out and claim a move for yourself, even when it aligns with the interests of multiple tribemates? Well, if anyone can claim that in this episode, it’s Caleb.
When it comes down to it, the votes are split at four for Mark, four for Ben, and two for Keeley, with just one vote left. And it’s Caleb’s vote that sends Mark to the Jury Villa. By enacting his double bluff plan, Caleb went from an order follower to a crucial swing vote, putting himself in a position where he can claim the biggest trophy of the season so far.
With the biggest player (and biggest screentime hog!) of the season now gone, I expect the endgame to break wide open. But who will step up and take the wheel? And who will be left behind as a passenger?
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