The game is only a few days in, but already two of the four returning castaways are getting itchy trigger fingers. This started in the second episode when Mark heard the spirits of dead allies whisper in his ear and decided to blow up tribal council to take out Traitors alum Cat. And it continues in the third episode with Dirty Harry struggling to resist the pull of a blindside.
Mark’s tribal takeover is the talk of the Barren camp the next morning, and it’s not all positive. Making such a bold play early on has alerted others to how dangerous Mark is as a player. Johnson even nicknames him the tribe’s Prime Minister as he goes around coralling numbers for a potential Mark blindside should they find themselves at tribal again.
But it’s not just Mark’s enemies who have him on their radar. Faith and Keeley, Mark’s two closest allies, sneak into the jungle for a post-tribal chat. While happy to work alongside him for now, the pair realise Mark is a huge target, and neither wants to be collateral damage should an attack be mounted against him. And so, they affirm to each other that they need to keep numbers on their side, for if (and when?) Mark is eventually cut loose.
And that’s the issue with coming on too strong, too soon. We saw it with Cat in the previous episode, who came in guns blazing to tribal for no real reason other than boredom. Now, Mark recognises he’s made himself the biggest target on the beach, and we’ve seen bold players bulldoze through the game in the past. But with so many days ahead of him, can Mark maintain this frenetic pace?
Over on the Bounty tribe, Harry is also feeling the itch. He’s been playing it cool so far, working on his social relationships, building bonds, and trying to keep everyone happy. But his sneaky side is begging to come out and play. He satisfies those cravings with some late-night papaya theft, roping Jackson and Paula along for the secret midnight feast. But what he really wants to taste is a blindside.
Lottie is the player on Harry’s mind. She has already proven her influence over the tribe, as evidenced by how easily she got everyone on board with the Daniel plan. And she’s one of the few who isn’t simply following the lead of the returning players. Harry is more right than he knows about Lottie, seeing as she has clocked his game and is ready to cut him when the opportunity arises.
However, to take a swing like that, you need solid numbers, and Harry isn’t sure he has them. It doesn’t help that the Bounty tribe is so, well, nice, and everyone appears to get along. This becomes even clearer after they win a great barrel bashing showdown for a reward of donuts and coffee, complete with mugs emblazoned with photos from home. Getting to share their personal stories only strengthens the bond between this group of players.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t cracks in the Bounty tribe. No matter how much they get along, at least one or two people have to be on the outs. It turns out those people are Eliza, Richard, and Lyndl, at least based on Harry’s assessment when he proposes an eight-person alliance. The issue is that, with an eight-person group, not everyone will agree on targets, and that’s the case with Jackson.
The pro-wrestler forms a sibling-style bond with Eliza, who is so gung-ho with him that she compares him to her dog (the highest compliment) and pens a plot for their potential friendship biopic. But not everyone is vibing with Eliza. She’s quirky and makes people laugh (her mug only having photos of herself on it is a great bit), but she isn’t someone most consider ally-worthy. And she only makes things worse for herself after Jackson tells her that she and Lyndl are potential targets.
Eliza wakes Lyndl in the middle of the night to pass along this information, which isn’t exactly well-received. Even though it’s the truth, Lyndl doesn’t buy it, maybe because she’s annoyed by the premature wake-up call and the paranoia it caused heading into an immunity challenge.
Things are stressful enough for Lyndl with an idol burning a hole in her pocket, though she and Brooke do manage to pull off the swap in the most awkward idol exchange ever. It’s honestly surprising nobody else caught them in the act, given the stop-start nature of the whole thing.
Anyway, Lyndl brings her Eliza frustrations to the group, and the target shifts from what’s proposed as an easy Loz vote. With the alliance of eight never solidifying, there is no real consensus, and there are concerns about upsetting Jackson by taking out Eliza. Cameron and Aisha also worry that blindsiding Jackson could push him right into the arms of Harry and Simon.
However, when it comes down to it, Harry gets his blindside, as the majority sends Eliza packing, though Harry himself votes for Loz (A split vote? Or a way to keep Jackson on side? Time will tell).
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