This week the girl who was all about ‘big moves’ on Australian Survivor, Flick Egginton, gives us her thoughts on episode 12 and the season so far! But first, the recap…
Day 31-33
Post tribal. The aftermath of the rock draw almost gives Hannah another panic attack. She tells Sunday and David that she can’t believe Jess sacrificed her game for her, and the two Gen Xers are like, hello, we drew rocks too! Over on #TeamZeke, the guys solidify their bond and swear to vote David out next. Zeke is over the moon about how the tribal council panned out and so he should, if David had played his idol correctly, the flamboyant New Yorker would’ve gone home!
The Zeke army is in full force! [Image credit: CBS]
Next morning and Ken wakes up to a lovely gift, the Legacy Advantage, and says some lovely words on how wonderful and amazing Jess is…
He also talks about being authentic and having genuine relationships in this game = MATESHIP. Normally I would cringe, but it’s Ken. Ken is allowed to say these things…
Beautiful Ken Doll. [Image credit: CBS]
REWARD CHALLENGE
This was probably one of the most emotionally charged loved ones visit to date! Everybody cried. The contestants cried, Jeff cried, I cried! We see Adam’s reaction and you just want to give him a massive hug, as we all know about his mum, but the others don’t.
SO MANY FEELS. [Image credit: CBS]
We first see Sunday’s husband run out of the bushes… Are they told to run all manky or is this legit? Let’s be honest, I’d run out like a lunatic too! Bret’s dad runs out, and he makes his son cry… aww! Jay’s sister Melanie runs out and there’s so much love between them. She lets him cry just this once. So beautiful.
Hannah’s mum appears and it’s her comforting her mum instead. This girl is a rock star. Adam gets his turn and he gets to hug his brother Evan. He then reveals to everyone, bawling his eyes out, that he has an advantage to steal a reward, but that he can’t and won’t use it. David’s hero is his father and he is so proud! Ken’s big brother comes out and Hannah and Zeke ogle over the two guys…
Zeke’s dad comes out and he’s so adorable. He admits that Zeke is HIS hero and the strong one in the family. Absolutely brilliant. Last of all is Will’s mum who is so proud of her young man.
Whilst attached to a rope that is woven through a series of obstacles, race through said obstacles and first place wins a reward with their loved one back at camp with a good ol’ American BBQ feast!
Jay, Ken and Zeke are just ahead of the pack and I never understood why people go face forward under the beam. I’m looking at you, Ken!
Ma boy Jay wins reward!! He’s allowed to bring a few people along with him and since he previously promised these two people, he sticks to his word with Will and Sunday. His third pick in Adam ended up being a very smart move, personally and strategically on his behalf. Even though Ken desperately wanted the reward, it’s hard not to warrant the choice in Adam. You can’t be mad with that.
The next scenes are mainly focused on Adam and his brother talking about their mum and how she’s doing back home. Unfortunately, her body had rejected treatment while he had been away, and if anyone doesn’t know already, she sadly passed away soon after filming wrapped for the season. Adam’s doing you proud, Susie!!
Brotherly love. [Image credit: CBS]
Now out of compassion, or strategy, Adam gives Jay his reward-stealing advantage as a thank you for taking him on reward. Either way I think this was the best move he could make with this advantage. Who wants to keep something like that? Adam really has bounced back from a couple of weeks ago and his bonds with people have just gotten stronger.
Back at camp, Will and David start talking. Oh no. Will wants to play, and play hard! He wants to leave #TeamZeke and David is all for it. Will doesn’t want to be a goat which is fair enough, but is this move a little premature for the young boy to pull off? And I don’t mean just voting Zeke out, but moving forward. He would be at the bottom of David’s alliance, unless he can wrangle people like Bret and Sunday back on his side… And this secret scene between Will and Hannah is pretty interesting as he talks about his “Pendulum Strategy” (secret scene). Oh, Millennials.
Settle down, big boy. [Image credit: CBS]
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Hold two handles to keep tension on a steel bar, drop the bar, your tile breaks and you lose. Last person standing wins immunity.
Clearly the producers wanted a short challenge day. Within 30 seconds David’s bar drops, but the tile doesn’t break. Does that count? It’s only been 5 minutes and it’s game on between Jay and Adam. Eventually Jay drops and Adam is on a winning streak this episode!
Vinaka Beach. Will has put his big boy pants on and is rearing to play. Blindside imminent. David and co are excited to have Will on side, but Zeke has caught on to David’s calmness. Dayum, this guy is so good at reading signals in the game. He thinks David may have an idol and they target Ken as a backup.
Zeke is always watching. ALWAYS. [Image credit: CBS]
And now for one of, if not the most, cringe-worthy moments of the season, Ken takes a fatherly walk with Will. He wants to know Will’s core, integrity and looks into his soul! And if that wasn’t bad enough, Will, knowing that Ken is talking shite, lets him know the others are voting for him tonight. Keep your mouth shut, Will, maybe tell David first. Ken looks genuinely upset about this news, then interrogates Jay and blows up Will’s game to the whole alliance. Ken tells Will that he was “testing” him and then Will comes out and airs his feelings about how he wants to make moves, but no one will listen to him. At this moment I find it hilarious that Ken just walks away, like it’s not his problem anymore. Stir shit up, man!
Ken creates then leaves the drama. [Image credit: CBS]
Jay gets annoyed with Will about him wanting to “build a resume” and lets him know they all want to work with him and need his vote. Will gets MAD and wants Ken gone and he has a point. It’s like Australian Survivor where Nick is rolling his eyes at Sam and Lee for preaching about honesty and integrity and you just want to rip your eyes out!!! I’m done! (But, I love Ken, so fortunately he gets away with it).
Team David are now freaking out over what Ken did, and Hannah thinks they will be gunning for her tonight. Good instincts.
TRIBAL COUNCIL
Will ends up being the swing vote tonight, and Sunday tells Jeff that she thinks he just wants to play with the big kids now and was swayed by the others on Team David. Will tells her to back up because no, HE decided on his own that he wanted to go against Team Zeke. Good on him for making sure his point got across; it just doesn’t seem anyone is buying it though. Both alliances state their case in why Will should vote with them and it just goes back and forth. The boy just wants respect!
Time to vote and everyone is in shock when Adam pulls a crotch idol! Jeff has no qualms about touching the idol either.
Almost taking “flipping the bird” to the next level. [Image credit: CBS]
Eliza Eyes from Lewis. [Image credit: CBS]
Adam plays the idol correctly for Hannah and because of this play, Will’s flip on voting Zeke is completely left out. Adam’s idol play, I feel, was warranted as they really didn’t know which way Will’s vote was going. So after all the talk about building a resume, Will doesn’t even get the credit, even if he did vote for Zeke. A little bit funny… As for Zeke, I really think the end of his game was coming after he turned on Chris. I still feel like that move was too early, and although he was very good at reading and bonding with people, he came off too aggressive at times and this was evident with losing Hannah’s trust. He has so much more game in him though and [SPOILER] I’m really looking forward to seeing him play in Season 34! Bring your A-game, #Zekevivor!!
NEXT TIME ON… SURVIVOR: Will steps up to be the head honcho, but Adam doesn’t want a bar of it!
Episode 12 Q&A w/ FLICK EGGINTON
Felicity “Flick” Egginton started her game strong on the returning season of Australian Survivor, forming lasting alliances early on in Saanapu. After surviving THAT crazy double tribal council she seemed to cruise her way to the merge. Flick’s biggest move of the season was when she voted out her main ally, Brooke, causing a stir among viewers. Towards the end, Flick was unable to crack the Lee/El bond, and was sent to the jury in 4th place. And P.S. she is NOT a mean girl at all!
Welcome to Reality Ramblings, Flick! Thanks for joining me for this week’s episode recap.
LyndzO: So, we are getting to the nitty gritty end of Survivor, how much are you enjoying this season so far?
FlickE: I’m absolutely loving this season! It just keeps getting better and better! There’s so many idols, it’s gone to rocks, and there’s people flipping left, right and centre. I’m LOVING it!
LO: I’ve asked Kat and Nick in previous recaps, but have your views also changed watching Survivor now that you have experienced the game yourself? Has it given you any flashbacks to your time in Samoa?
FE: When I watch Survivor now it definitely makes me miss being out there in Samoa. I feel like I have a better understanding of everything now. So I feel like I can relate to each player out there and why they might make the moves that they do.
LO: Jumping back to last week – poor Jessica. What was your reaction to the whole rock draw fiasco?
FE: I was so shocked. She obviously didn’t want to go to rocks, but still did. If it were me I would try to convince the other side and tell them ‘do you really want this to jeopardise your whole game?’ and if no one wanted to flip on that side I would have. There is no way I would EVER go to rocks! You’re better off staying in the game and trying to work with people on the other side if you’re in the minority then drawing a rock and possibly going home. I felt so bad for Jessica. I think she could have gone far.
Flick would never pull a PinkEye! [Image credit: CBS]
LO: Jess gave her Legacy Advantage to Ken, what do you think this advantage will be?
FE: That’s a really good question. It’s got to be either an advantage in a challenge or maybe he gets an advantage at tribal and can send someone home or be safe from the vote.
LO: I just quickly want to touch on Hannah. She has been shown to be a bundle of nerves on TV with her panic attacks and anxiety. You on the other hand, Flick, have recently come out with your own stories of battling depression and anxiety. I think this came as a surprise to many viewers as you exuded confidence on our screens. What helped you get through the game knowing you went into it with these issues, and how well do you think Hannah has coped as she’s grown in confidence herself each episode?
FE: When Hannah opened up on the show about her anxiety I felt like I could relate to her. Living with anxiety is bad enough, but to put yourself on an island, with limited resources and people you’ve never met before is a massive challenge. But that’s why I wanted to do it because I knew that Survivor would be a life-changing experience for me, and I needed it. And I’m sure that is the same for Hannah, she will continue to grow because that’s what Survivor does to you. It makes you grow as a person and you learn so much more about yourself, and how strong you really are. At the start of the game it was hard, but as the game went on I grew more and more confidence and I have the other contestants to thank for that. I think I just knew that I had to stay strong, because even if I wanted to breakdown or have an anxiety attack it just wasn’t an option for me out there. I became a whole new person, a better person.
Flick knows exactly what Hannah is going through. [Image credit: CBS & Channel 10]
LO: Back to the episode, the Reward Challenge brought out everyone’s loved ones. Did you cry as much as I did? Because that was pretty emotional. Can you tell us who your loved one was if you made final 3 in Australian Survivor and how much more of a boost that would’ve given you in the game?
FE: I was absolutely bawling!!! I think this is one of my favourite episodes only because I know how hard it is being put out there and wanting to add your family so badly. Unfortunately, I just missed out on that and I’ll always probably dwell on that because that’s the one thing I wanted to share with my family besides winning. My family was actually flown out to Samoa, but I couldn’t see them. My boyfriend would have been there and it literally would have changed everything. He knows all about my battles in life and I know if I had of seen him there it would of given me so much more strength. Like Kristie with her dad, I think her dad gave her that extra bit of encouragement and that’s why she won!
LO: What did you think of Adam not playing his advantage and Jay choosing him to go on reward? It was a pretty special moment, and Adam even gave Jay his advantage as a thank you. To be honest, I feel like Adam took a target off his back by getting rid of it.
FE: I think this was a great move by both Jay and Adam. It’s given Jay an opportunity to get on Adam’s good side and vice versa; Adam respected what Jay did and gave him the advantage. I feel like these two could play pretty well together if they allowed themselves to!
LO: Will talks about flipping the vote because he wants to create a Survivor resume by being a power player and not be a goat that’s dragged to the end. We all know you love big moves Flick, do you think Will is on the right path by flipping his vote on Zeke?
FE: I absolutely love big moves. The thing with Will is he is on the bottom either way. So he’s better off making a big move and getting rid of Zeke so if he does make it to the final 3 he can use that in his speech. I think Will could go far in this game if he starts working with people on the bottom.
Flashback to Flick’s big move. [Image credit: Channel Ten]
LO: With Will voting with David and co, Zeke picks up on David’s calmness in the game, when he should be the one scrambling to save his ass. Zeke is a savvy player and reads people pretty well. How easy is it out there to pick up on cues like that? Do you think David could have covered up his confidence a little more/do you even think of what others are thinking about you?
FE: This is a good question! My whole game consisted of watching everyone else’s actions and what they would say. I was very, very clued in to everything that was going on around me and knew what everyone was doing. I think if you’re on the bottom and someone’s playing an idol or you have someone from the other side flipping you need to make sure it looks like you or someone in your alliance is going home. So Dave probably shouldn’t have played it so cool, but hey, worked out for him in the end anyway.
LO: Ken approaches Will and “tests” him on his word that Zeke and the others wants to vote him out. What do you think of this “move” of Ken going to Jay and telling him everything Will said? Do you think this is the first time we’ve seen Ken’s paranoia?
FE: I wouldn’t say it’s paranoia so much. I think Ken is the type of person who wants to show honesty etc, like Lee. And he probably went and told Jay because he wanted to see if Will was lying. It wasn’t a very strategic move, but I think Ken was more worried about morals.
Ken and Lee would probably be great mates! [Image credit: CBS]
LO: Tribal council. Sunday pretty much talks down to Will pretty much saying he’s still a little kid who wants to put his big boy pants on now. Is Will making too much of a big deal about how he’s been treated?
FE: There’s a lot we probably don’t see, because we do only get shown an hours footage from a few days of filming. I do think Will needs to take a step back and stop putting a target on himself, because I feel like if he keeps going on the way he is he could be the next one gone.
LO: Adam plays his crotch idol for Hannah, but at the same time Will votes for Zeke so it’s a 5-4 vote. How much further do you think Will can flip his way through the game?
FE: I mean it’s Survivor so he could end up flip flopping all the way to the end, but it’s all about making the right moves. I think if Will starts making a smaller alliance and working with 2 people on the bottom he could go a long way.
LO: Zeke was a popular power player this season, are you sad to see him go?
FE: Yes, I was so sad to see Zeke go! He was definitely one of my favourites and [SPOILER] I look forward to seeing him on Season 34.
FINAL QUESTIONS:
LO: If you were cast on a season of US Survivor and had to choose to be in an alliance with ONE season 33 player, who would it be and why?
FE: I would definitely align myself with Ken, he seems like an honest, loyal person and I could use that to my advantage and know he’s not going to flip on me.
LO: Is there any Survivor from your season who you think would steal someone’s loved one’s reward?
FE: I don’t think anyone from my season would do that because it’s a really bad game move!
LO: What has been your favourite moment of S33 so far?
FE: There’s too many! I’m just loving all the game play, big moves and idols being played. I think it’s only going to continue to get better too!
LO: Who are your top 3 favourite contestants so far, and why?
FE: My favourite 3 contestants so far are Dave, Adam and Jay. I feel like Dave has played a pretty good game aligning himself with the right people. Adam is just such an amazing person and I love watching his story knowing he’s doing it for his family. He played the game he always wanted to play and did it while his mum was sick. I mean, that is just incredible, so I just respect him so much for that. And last but not least, Jay. I am absolutely loving everything about his game!!! He’s a big player and I hope he makes it to the end!
LO: Who do you think will go home next?
FE: I think Will is going to be going home next, I feel like he’s playing both sides way too hard right now.
LO: Who do you think will be in the final 3? (Only 2 weeks until finale!)
FE: Dave, Ken and Jay. I just feel like if Dave doesn’t go anytime soon he’s going to make it to the end. Ken is such a likeable guy and no one sees him as a threat. And Jay, I mean well c’mon Jay is absolutely crushing this game, if he’s sitting there at the final 3 he is going to win!
LO: Any final words, Flick?
FE: I wish I could play on Season 33 with all the big players because I feel like everyone is making moves and not just floating along. So hopefully one day I can play on the American Survivor!
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ALL IMAGES USED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE COPYRIGHT CBS AND CHANNEL TEN. THIS IS A PERSONAL BLOG AND ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN.
