After weeks of watching a highly entertaining season of exciting gameplay, the endgame of Australia Survivor: Redemption is finally here. This season seemed to be panning out quite differently at various points, but thanks to its thrilling returning players, compelling newbies, and multiple blindsides, AU fans were kept glued to their screens to see how everything would ultimately unfold.
And now, the finale is almost upon us, but not before the Final Four dwindle to that coveted Final Two that will face this season’s jury. I will admit I was heartbroken to have lost Brooke and Keeley back-to-back during the last couple of episodes, as they were the biggest jury threats remaining in the game. However, Jackson is still in this as the last remaining Kaput member, as well as Chaos Caleb giving him a run for his money, almost literally. Sally and Loz are still there too. So, to almost wrap up the show, here’s the latest AU recap covering episodes 22 and 23.
On night 41 and after Keeley’s elimination, the final four celebrate for having reached this milestone. Well, everyone but Jackson, as he knows he will be kaput if he doesn’t win individual immunity. Sally celebrates her non-idol move against Keeley while Caleb feels extremely confident that he would win against anyone left.
The next morning, Caleb confesses to Jackson that he and the women had always planned to vote out Keeley. Jackson is infuriated that the Underdogs alliance still calls itself that, but wants to exploit the cracks between them. While Loz is noncommittal toward him, Jackson and Sally do discuss targeting Caleb, as he would have a strong case with the jury. Caleb, Loz, and Sally state they would be happy if any of them won. Meanwhile, Caleb confesses to Sally that he’s feeling paranoid about being targeted next, especially after Sally articulates Caleb’s resume “too well” for his own liking. Caleb and Loz want to reach the Final Three with Sally, but agree to vote her out if Jackson wins immunity.
Caleb feels conflicted about potentially cutting Sally as they’ve grown close, but feels he can only trust Loz, which is why he wants to get to the end with her. A montage then ensues of Caleb building a raft to ease his anxiety, which he uses to paddle away. As the other three look at him from the beach, the question becomes whether Caleb will either metaphorically sink or swim. While Caleb struggles to get back, an ominous conversation unfolds back at camp where Jackson proposes a Final 3 deal to Loz and Sally. The women look forlorn, knowing they should eliminate Caleb next, but admitting it will be extremely difficult for them to write his name down.
The Final 4 then head to compete for individual immunity. The physicality of the challenge makes it a tough competition among Jackson, Caleb, and Loz, with Sally struggling to catch up. In the end, Jackson wins immunity for the second time in a row. Jackson is ecstatic not only to be safe, but also to have ultimate control over who will go to the jury next, with his preference being Caleb, whom Jackson calls “a rash on his skin he hasn’t been able to scrub off.” Caleb tells Sally he will vote out Loz, but he makes a Final 2 deal with Loz that he wants to uphold.
As Jackson and Caleb tend the fire, they discuss going to the end together, which would be the ultimate showdown between them, as their rivalry has been brewing from the beginning. In private, however, Jackson doesn’t believe Caleb for a second, especially after Caleb tells him he would take him to the end if he ended up winning the next immunity.
Jackson then converses with Loz and reveals to her that Caleb promised the Final 2 deal to both him and Sally, leaving Loz lost about Caleb’s true allegiance. Jackson also makes a Final 2 deal with Loz. Loz doesn’t reveal any of this information to Caleb, which makes it even more probable that Caleb’s downfall is approaching. In the background, Caleb’s confessional is all about the trust and openness between him and Loz.
At Tribal Council, Jackson celebrates not only being safe but also the Underdogs’ implosion. The conversation goes back and forth between the Underdogs being ready to eat one of their own and how to get to the final part of the game. David reminds the players that if a tie occurs, a fire-making challenge will break it. The votes preview shows Caleb writing down Selly’s (aka Sally’s) name, and Sally and Jackson voting against Caleb, leaving Loz’s vote as the decider. The screen frames Caleb’s eyes as Loz’s voiceover is an apology to whoever’s name she wrote down on her parchment. In the end, it turns out Loz did protect Caleb and wrote Sally too, which sends Caleb and Sally to a fire-making challenge.
Caleb quickly makes fire. Jackson tells Loz that if this was going to be her plan all along, they could’ve given her the opportunity to make fire instead. Loz reveals to Jackson that she doesn’t trust him, as Jackson stunningly asks why after he kept his word to her. As Sally can’t even get a fire started, and Caleb’s becomes an all-consuming one, Jackson retorts to Loz that she just gave Caleb a fire-making move.
Unsurprisingly, Caleb wins the challenge, sealing Sally’s fate. Sally hugs him and whispers that she wishes for him to win, and Caleb whispers back that he will do everything in his power to do so. With this, the Final 3 of the season come down to Jackson, Caleb, and Loz, who will battle it out to become Australia’s next Sole Survivor.
The penultimate episode begins with the Final 3 returning to camp. Overjoyed is not enough of a word to describe how Caleb feels after winning the fire challenge and owes Loz for giving him a shot to remain in the game. Loz is equally happy to have her ride-or-ride still with her and hopes it’s the two of them who enjoy the Final 2 breakfast soon. On the other side of the emotional spectrum, a cross Jackson is appalled that his nemesis, Caleb, is still around. He vows to win the next immunity, knowing this is his game to win or lose, depending on the challenge’s outcome.
The next day, the Final 2 head towards their last individual immunity challenge of the season. Caleb’s plan is to win and take Loz with him to the end. Jackson’s plan is to win; otherwise, he will be kaput. The only unknown scenario left is none other than Loz, who says she feels she has a better shot at beating Jackson and wants to win that immunity to decide which man to take with her in front of the jury.
As the trio arrives at the challenge, they are horrified to learn what awaits them, as this endurance challenge is well known to be excruciating for multiple reasons. The challenge, seemingly pulled from medieval times, consists of players hanging from tree branches while balancing barefooted on narrow pegs. At various intervals, they will need to move their feet to narrower pegs, which will make it more difficult to stand. The last person to outlast the others will win safety and power by deciding who to take to the Final 2 with them.
Before the challenge begins, the contestants are greeted by their families, who are there to support them with what’s coming. Caleb is joined by his dad, Steve; Loz is reunited with her lovely daughters, Isabelle and Indigo, and lastly, Jackson’s mum, Jodie, brings up the rear for this emotional Loved Ones reunion. Between tears, I have to highlight that I chortled when Jackson wondered how his mum got to Samoa if she didn’t even have a passport, which she obviously got for her first overseas trip to see him at this pivotal life moment.
The challenge begins with the three players looking immediately uncomfortable. After the one-hour mark, the first transition occurs, and none of them falls. The sun then sets, and I must add that cinematographically, the challenge looks absolutely stunning, almost as if it were taken out of an Indiana Jones film.
After two hours, the second transition transpires, and all three players successfully accomplish it. If they were in pain before, the pure agony is fully demonstrated in their faces at this point. Jackson starts groaning and twitching, and a concerned David approaches him to ask if he’s all right. Jackson is barely able to nod in response and manages to reply that he’s feeling sick. When David asks him if he needs to come off the challenge, Jackson grunts and shakes his head.
Jackson’s yearning for the immunity necklace is evident as, amidst the sweat and tears, he keeps holding on for dear life. Through grit and determination, and with his mum’s encouragement, Jackson remains standing, with David nearby in case he needs to jump in to help. By some miracle, Jackson’s face changes from looking ridden with pain to lethal concentration, stunning all those around him.
As the three amazingly reach the three-hour mark, Caleb begins whistling to psyche Jackson out, just as Jackson starts struggling once more. David runs over to Jackson’s spot as he looks as if he is about to faint. Devastatingly, Jackson is unable to recover, and as Jackson’s mum clings to Loz’s daughter, Jackson finally lets go and falls towards David, who catches him and slowly helps lower him to the floor.
I can’t begin to express the full range of the desolation that comes off from Jackson as he clings to David, especially after he apologises to his mum after she runs to him to hug him. The medical team arrives after Jackson hits the ground and reports that he can’t see. While Jackson is being looked after, Loz and Caleb start talking.
Loz promises Caleb that she’s “got him” if he gives her the necklace. Caleb knows he’s still got energy left, and seems to be considering her offer; meanwhile, Caleb’s dad encourages him to hold on. After Jackson recovers and is sitting down at the bench, David asks him if he’s surprised that Loz and Caleb haven’t made a deal yet.
Jackson replies that perhaps the deal they want to make is with him, not with each other. As Caleb questions Loz about whether she is considering taking Jackson over him, Loz doubles down in promising him that she’s got him if he gives her the necklace, as she needs it for her jury case.
As they put their bodies to the limit, Loz reaches her breaking point at the four-hour mark. Loz breaks down as David helps her to get off the structure, while a stunned Caleb climbs down by himself. Loz is immediately comforted by her daughters, and Caleb, in turn, is congratulated by his dad for winning the season’s last immunity.
The Final 2 then head immediately to Tribal Council, where Caleb must make the most important choice of his Survivor run. The jury is stunned when they see Caleb with his first immunity necklace and when they learn about the massive physical effort put in by all three players. Some jury members even become emotional when Jackson shares what transpired and how his mum was pivotal in his effort.
The critical moment of the episode arrives when Caleb must make his decision between choosing to take his ally Loz to the end and prove his loyalty to her, or to take Jackson, his ultimate rival, who could provide a highly competitive battle to the end for the money. While Loz and Jackson give it their all in their final pitches to him, Caleb ends up choosing Loz as his Final 2 companion, leaving Jackson as the last jury member…
WAIT!!! Scratch that last sentence from the recap!!! I had to rewind to double-check if I saw that correctly. Caleb took Loz out?! Caleb took Jackson to the endgame alongside him?! As the full jury GASPED WITH CAPITAL LETTERS (well, except for Blanche, who still seems lost to be there) about this move, Chaos Caleb chose violence indeed one last time as he sent his bestie, Loz, to the jury and his rival Jackson to the Final 2 seats. I must say… I don’t hate this scenario one bit.
I truly have no more words left, and if you’ve made it this far, then I must release you. I can’t wait for that epic upcoming Final Tribal Council in one of the craziest and most unpredictable seasons in Survivor’s history worldwide. Stay tuned to see who will outwit, outplay, and outlast between Caleb and Jackson, because nothing is written in stone until that final jury vote is read out.
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