EPISODE 22
Australian Survivor: Lollies, Lockies, Rockies, and Immunity Follies
Previously on Aussie Survivor: Tara and Locky have been close allies since day one. But Tara decided it was time for a break-up. It wasn’t the only moral dilemma Tara faced. Tara sweet-talked the tribe into voting for Locky with her. But come the immunity challenge, there was just one problem–it was Locky’s second straight challenge win. And it left the tribe scrambling for an alternative. Come Tribal Council, it was between physical threat Ziggy and loose canon Luke. And Luke had fired his last shot.
Six are left; who will be voted out tonight?
NIGHT 46
Jericho is devastated. I am too. Jericho talks about fighting battles with his older brother.
JERICHO: With an older brother gone, I am pretty gutted.
Take a drink.
Jericho knows he is the easy target, but will play HIS game now and is going to create chaos. Again.
Jericho pulls everyone aside except Tara. He tells Locky that everyone he has been saying to Tara has been leaked.
LOCKY: Really?
Yes, really.
Locky cannot believe the beans were spilled. Jericho answers when said beans were spilled. Clarence Black huddles with him and scoops up the spilled beans and feeds them to Diane.
Locky has a private chat with Tara. She denies his interrogation.
TARA: You are believing one person? . . . I’m not going to come clean to something I didn’t say or didn’t do. I don’t like being called a liar!
LOCKY: Don’t get angry with me!
Tara is livid that Jericho has completely blown up her game.
TARA (massaging her cheeks): Oh grrreat!
Tara The Tiger needs some frosted flakes.
Intro time.
ASASOHCOHTOA
DAY 47
It’s a casual morning.
JERICHO: How does it feel to wake up and the rice is cooking?
TARA: It’s lovely. Like Mother’s Day.
Ziggy says she is addicted to sugar after being withheld from sugar for so long. Tara’s jar of lollies is completely on her mind. I think Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” needs to be played, and Ziggy and Tara could be Weezy’s video girls.
Before Tara and Ziggy can finish a conversation in the jungle, Ziggy has to walk to the lolly stash AGAIN.
Tara reconfirms the plan to eliminate Locky is still on with all of the other players. She wants her bestie out.
Locky, Michelle, and Jericho talk about Luke being eliminated and how amazing of a person he was. Locky confesses to us that he is terrified of being voted out.
LOCKY: I’ve been making big moves, everyone knows I win all the challenges, I work hard around camp, and I tickle all of the boxes.
- a) So has everyone else.
- b) You haven’t even won the most challenges.
- c) OK, that might be true.
- d) That’s harassment.
Locky is crossing his fingers that neither Ziggy nor Tara flip on him because he thinks the other three are. . . well, a three.
Locky and Ziggy chat in the jungle. He thinks Jericho was telling the truth because it makes sense for this to be the time to flip on him. He thinks she is smart enough to realize that going to the end with Michelle and Petey is the only way to win.
TARA: I need to keep Locky calm. I might need a shrink after this.
Locky and Ziggy whistle Tara over. Tara is stubborn with her denial. Wise move.
LOCKY: It’s best for all of our resumes if we stick together.
After Locky walks away, Ziggy and Tara talk to each other about not going to the Final Three with Locky. If Locky wins immunity, they will agree to whatever Locky wants.
DAY 47
Long day.
Locky repeats who the three are. He wants a floater to make it through the next Tribal Council. He pulls Jericho aside.
LOCKY: I’ve been on the bottom a lot and I haven’t gone home. It depends how you use it.
Jericho silently nods as Locky tells him he has options now because people need him.
JERICHO: Locky is really really really worried, and you know what? It’s hilarious.
Jericho eventually mocks Locky to his face.
JERICHO: Why are you giving me motivation? Don’t you want to win?
JERICHO: I am going to mess with his head.
Hopefully not with a machete.
Jericho meditates as Locky talks to him. He tells him he wants to make a big move, and Locky jumps in hoping the big move is not to take him out.
Locky tells him what his plan is while Jericho answers what his plan is.
JERICHO: A-B-C-D. And I’ll pick one.
I think the options for A, B,C, and D are as follows:
- a) Vote Locky
- b) Vote Locky
- c) Vote Locky
- d) Locky wins immunity; vote against him next time.
Locky talks to Michelle. He is not very compromising because he wants Michelle to join -him-. Michelle insists Locky should vote -with her-.
LOCKY: Then I’ll be on the bottom of you guys.
MICHELLE: Then if I join you then I’ll be on the bottom of you guys.
LOCKY: You’re contradicting yourself, Mich!
Locky does everything in this conversation except call Michelle an idiot. Locky is frustrated by Michelle.
Dude. Michelle is not going to sacrifice her game just to hand you the title, Locky. If you want an enemy to join your side, you have to give away some power. Too bad the amount of power you have is none.
Petey and Jericho strategize. Their backup plan is to talk Tara into voting Ziggy in the even that Locky wins immunity. However, they really don’t want it to come to that.
INDIVIDUAL IMMUNITY #7
JLP asks Petey how camp is after Tribal Council. Petey says things were a bit messy. Jericho is sad his best friend is gone. JLP asks Ziggy how it would feel if she won her third individual immunity. Then poses the same question to Locky.
Whatever. Give back the talisman.
LOCKY: It feels like you just gave it to me.
For today’s challenge, they will spin a ball around a track using centrifugal force. Last person to keep their ball spinning wins immunity. Also known as the El Challenge.
Everyone grabs their circular track. JLP counts everyone into the challenge. This is going to be a quick game, I think. Well, presumably for Michelle anyway.
Yeah, Michelle’s technique is really awkward.
Sure enough, Michelle is out of the challenge. I saw that coming.
A HUGE roar of thunder can be heard. Tara is now out.
TARA: Oi, he looks good.
Yeah, Tara is worried how this will play out.
JLP: One lapse and you are out.
Yet many laps is the only thing that keeps you in.
As JLP finishes his sentence, Zigs is out.
You spin me right round baby, right round, like a record baby, right round round round. . .
Jericho is out.
Does it rain really hard in every challenge? It’s like the sprinklers from BB USA follow them everywhere.
It’s just Petey and Locky. The track is wet, says JLP. No kidding.
The rain picks up even more. It’s like that level of Donkey Kong Country where it snows harder and harder as you progress.
Locky’s ball is moving REALLY fast. Noticeably faster than Petey’s. Locky glances at Petey.
TARA (voiceover): C’mon Pete!
Petey is out after an unspecified amount of time. Locky wins immunity for the third time in a row!
TARA: Ah, s-it.
LOCKY: I had that for an hour. I had that forever.
We jump from an hour to forever. Way to exaggerate, Locky.
So far Locky has won three challenges in a row which involve either power and/or agility. He hasn’t won anything else.
Locky knew he needed immunity badly.
STILL DAY 47
Tara lets out a sarcastic yay in a confessional. She accepts Locky could keep winning to the end of the game.
Petey is annoyed another new plan is in place. He wants to eliminate Ziggy. Sure enough Tara sits with Petey and Jericho.
When I was falling asleep before this episode aired, I was thinking the next two eliminations have to be Ziggy and Locky. They have enough opponents to take them both out before the end.
Tara reports back to Locky and Ziggy that Ziggy is the target. Locky wants Tara to sway somebody.
TARA: But who should I sway?
Two white rocks.
Locky wants Tara to intimidate Petey into voting for Michelle or else it comes to rocks. Of course, it doesn’t matter to him because he doesn’t have to draw a rock.
Jericho walks over to the other three.
LOCKY: You want to side with us? Would you side with them over us and take the risk?
JERICHO: Yeah, I love risks.
LOCKY: OK. Happy days.
Hahaha, pwned. Jericho loves risks so much that he would buy Kamchatka if he could.
If Tara knew about Jericho’s cookie stash, she should know that a jar of lollies would be enough to sway Jericho’s vote tonight.
Locky, Tara, and Ziggy go up to Petey.
PETEY: I’ll draw rocks.
Locky works the Samatau angle.
PETEY: Sometimes you got to take risks.
Petey walks away.
TARA: What the f-ck is wrong with these people?
LOCKY: They’re bluffing.
I don’t think they are, Lock. Just brutal honesty.
I should note that the other three are so keen on drawing rocks that you think they are going to be reaching into a bag of lollies rather than a bag of rocks if it’s a deadlock. The cherry lolly sends you home, and a copy of a Three Six hit single to go along with it.
Petey is alone with Tara in the jungle. He says none of them are budging. He pitches the reason why Ziggy should be voted out, and have everyone avoid rocks.
Tara asks Petey what happens if Locky wins again. Petey says he won’t, and they WILL stop him. It’s not Mike Tyson; it’s Locky.
Tara is worried if she flips and Locky wins next immunity then she could be done. Perhaps
So rocks or Ziggy? Tara has a huge freakin’ dilemma.
TRIBAL COUNCIL #23
(JOAN)-(ADAM)-(KATE)-(MARK H)-(AIMEE)-(SAMANTHA)-(MARK W)-(tara)-(anneliese)-(JACQUI)-(KENT)-(AK)-(BEN)-(ODETTE)-(JARRAD)-(ANNELIESE)-(HENRY)-(TESSA)-(SARAH)-(LUKE)
X
(JERICHO)-(*LOCKY*)-(MICHELLE)-(PETEY)-(TARA)-(ZIGGY)
Luke does a weird dance move approaching the bench. Somebody does a really weird laugh (I can’t figure out who) while everyone else either laughs at the dance move or the weird laugh.
JLP wants to acknowledge Locky’s dance move. Therefore, he acknowledges it.
Locky has done well in challenges. Jericho launches into his one millionth battle analogy and how Tribal Council is the real arena.
Petey is now asked about Locky’s immunity win. Locky is aware he was guaranteed to be voted out tonight.
JLP: Was Locky in trouble?
PETEY: Yes.
JLP: Jericho?
JERICHO: Yes.
JLP: Tara?
TARA: What?
JLP: Was Locky in trouble if he didn’t win immunity today?
TARA: By the sounds of things that I have heard, yes.
C’mon Tara. Those sounds were from your own voice.
Michelle brings the deadlock out in the open. She is voting for Ziggy.
LOCKY: Why would you give that way?
MICHELLE: It was obvious.
LOCKY: But you knew-you knew–
MICHELLE: Just let me speak.
It’s a great analogy for Locky’s game from day one. Let somebody else speak and listen, and maybe your position would improve.
JLP confirms the deadlock follows the US Survivor post-Africa tiebreaker rules. I personally prefer the Australian Outback and Africa way of breaking ties, but whatever. That was sixteen years ago.
Michelle and Petey work on Tara really hard. Locky and Ziggy immediately jump in that the same logic can be used from their side. Petey and Michelle insist they will keep Tara beyond the next vote.
It’s true. If she sticks with Locky and Ziggy, and Michelle or Jericho pull the rock, yeah, Tara is guaranteed Final Three. However, she is bound to lose.
If she votes out Ziggy, Locky will automatically go home if he loses immunity and Tara will go to Final Four. At four, the target will probably shift to Jericho because we all know how well-liked Jericho is in this game.
If anybody from the other three were to join Locky/Tara/Ziggy and vote out Michelle, that person is probably guaranteed to go out next should the person who didn’t choose to flip win immunity.
This is why Tara is the only person truly in the middle. She is the only person who has multiple rounds of safety no matter how she votes tonight. And if she decides to go to rocks, she has a one-in-three chance of going home tonight.
Petey says you play UNDER Locky rather than WITH Locky. Many single ladies at home would agree.
JLP: Tara, do you have a headache?
This would be a perfect time for JLP to pull out some Tylenol for the show to make a quick 10k.
It’s time to vote.
Ziggy votes.
ZIGGY: You are the worst in challenges. We need strong people here who can get Locky out next, and you’re not going to be one of those people who can knock Locky off. So yeah, let’s hope we draw rocks today.
This game is full of surprises, Zigg.
Everyone looks miserable as the other five vote. Ziggy wasted her idol so there is none to be played.
FIRST VOTE: ZIGGY
SECOND VOTE: Mich
THIRD VOTE: ZIGGY
FOURTH VOTE: MICHELLE
Tied. Tessa is bored.
FIFTH VOTE: ZIGGY
LAST VOTE: Ziggy
No lolly draw. Locky’s chances of winning immunity supposedly go up.
Jericho compliments her sportsmanship. I should hope so. Since she’s an Olympian.
This time Ziggy walks out of Tribal Council without her torch. Locky is stressed while Michelle is visibly relieved.
Eight days left with only five people? Either it is the Survivor: Exile Island Modified Final format to get a Final Two or we are going to have a series of insane twists that will forever piss off the Survivor purists such as myself.
Next Time on Aussie Survivor: It’s Locky versus the tribe. And his days seem numbered, but in this game, nothing is certain.
Ziggy says she was already preparing her final speech. She claims she could see Tara was not knowing who to vote for all the way until she entered TC.
TARA: I like to cause a bit of drama at Tribal and you were always going to go.
So much for that theory.
Ziggy wants to be remembered as an Immunity Master. OK, you and Locky’s combined immunity wins total is tied with nearly a dozen people’s single-season wins total, but whatever. I’m not going to kick her while she was down.
***
Ziggy’s legacy might not be as grand as she was probably hoping for it to be after her exit in this game. She claimed the Super Idol, she was part of some big alliances, and threw her hat into a couple of secret alliances.
The only problem?
Her Super Idol screwed over her own ally and later screwed over herself, all of her big alliances failed once AK was forced to switch tribes, and her secret alliances constantly schemed to find a way to eliminate her. That whole trio with her, Henry, and Locky was probably not a fun experience for her to watch.
I am willing to label her as the strongest person in challenges overall this season. There were about three or four challenges pre-merge where all of Asaga said, “Well, Ziggy is going to win this for Samatau,” and sure enough it wouldn’t even be close.
I am curious how Ziggy would have been perceived at Final Tribal Council. Were the jurors thinking she was as clueless as to what was really going on as the episodes made it out to be? Would she have easily won over Tara? Would the vote have been competitive between her and Locky because they were both “challenge beasts”? Did people think Locky was more aware of what was going on than she was?
Clearly Ziggy had to be fairly social with everyone in the game because she was constantly in the middle of all of the alliances. If she hadn’t won the first individual immunity challenge, she was going home in 13th with a Super Idol in her pocket. Jarrad was voted out just because Ziggy would be weakened. But then it seemed like nobody cared about targeting Ziggy that much until there was no other option left for Michelle.
Ziggy was viewed as such a central member of Samatau that she was picked to chase down the Super Idol. Was that because she was non-threatening or people had that good of a read on everything she would do?
And Ziggy was the only one without a tight day 55 ally. Everyone else had that person or duo whom they absolutely trusted to the very end of the game. After 47 days, nobody used that description for Ziggy. I mean, the only other person who didn’t have that was maybe Adam or Joan. Everyone else either had that at one point in the game or certainly post-merge.
Short story is that Ziggy’s journey throughout the season zigged and zagged. Sometimes you would forget she was ever there, and other times she would be in the spotlight. Then she faded. Now she’s out right before the endgame in perhaps the most uneventful Tribal Council post-merge.
***
People find Michelle annoying either because of her tone or because she sucks in challenges. It’s too bad because she has absolutely ruled at everything else in this game. People like Locky get frustrated with Michelle because Michelle has a really really good read on people and knows exactly where you stand with her. You can’t BS Michelle. She sniffs it from a mile away.
Michelle and Petey would be an ideal F2 in this game because I guarantee you that jury will have a ton of questions, the audience would be upset, but we would get a lot of interesting conversations as Petey and Michelle will have to bring everything they did into the light.
I know Petey wants a F2 with Michelle, but I don’t think he is estimating her properly. Michelle is going to own up to everything on day 55, and nobody will see it coming.
***
Tara targeting Locky is the smartest thing she has done in this game. Showing she can separate from Locky may cancel out the fact that she was supposed to be eliminated permanently from this game about thirty days ago.
It has taken 47 days in this game, but I think everyone is starting to respect her. Survivor is a steep learning curve, and clearly it was just a tad bit steeper for Tara.
***
If Locky loses next immunity and goes home, Jericho might be in trouble. The guy has a huge amount of charm and everyone knows it.
He probably doesn’t even have to do anything until day 55 in the form of #bigmovez. People are just going to want to hand him the victory.
There are some people in Survivor whose gameplay is irrelevant. You just need people who like you and think you did everything properly to earn their kudos. And Jericho is earning a big ass amount of kudos.
Plus everyone might have to go into the Witness Relocation Program if they don’t vote for Jericho to win at the end.
***
Locky is going to win three more immunity challenges? Yeah, right. That guy is not breaking the all-time individual immunity consecutive streak. Who does he think he is? The Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson of Survivor? No, he’s going to get Chris Weidman’d at some point and be out on his ass as Tara smacks it again on the way out.
***
If Locky wins immunity again, Jericho is screwed. Yes?
P.S. Eight days left with five players? I believe the only season to go to such an extreme was Survivor: Exile Island where they had five players left on day 31, voted out 5th place on day 33, had a Final Four reward challenge, voted out somebody on day 36, a final reward challenge on day 37, and voted out somebody on day 38. Then the game ended on day 39.
And it was slow as hell. Especially when 4th place was gone ten minutes into the finale, and your three dullest characters outside of Ruth-Marie were all that remained for the remainder of the one hour and fifty-minute episode.
