Combustion

Combustion is the seventh episode of Survivor: The Australian Outback.

Day 18 (Night)
Ogakor return to camp having just voted out Georgia, who caused her own demise by accidentally informing the rival Kucha tribe that she had at least two votes against her, meaning that she would have been an easy target at the merge, allowing Kucha to take the numbers advantage. Victor stops and thanks the tribe, having overcome the odds by making it to the final ten despite being in the minority from day 3.

"ogakor"

- Tonight I feel things went well. I controlled what went down and my alliance followed. Farrell thinks he's the leader and that's just hilarious because he answers to ME. Victor is with us now, I can feel it... Clarity and Ned are being their miserable old selves but that's to be expected. I now cant wait to merge this game, because that's where the game can really begin.

"ogakor"

- My emotions right now are all over the place. I'm feeling great because I managed to overcome the vote and stick around... But at the same time I'm seriously nervous because I don't know what's around the corner. Clarity has this vendetta against me, Curt is just a loose cannon, Farrell isn't trustworthy... Ned and I barely exchange looks let alone words. I have no true bond with this group... I said to them I'd stick by their side, and I'd like to show that I meant it. But when you've lived in the mad house for eighteen days you cant be sure yourself what you're going to do...

Kucha
Kucha awaken in anticipation of receiving tree mail informing them that the merge has finally arrived. Alia and Carlson go off to collect the tree mail, whilst Chelsie, Reniero and Neil prepare breakfast, waiting to hear the news. As Carlson and Alia open the message, they begin to read it aloud, pointing out that Kucha's women must travel to Ogakor for a night away. Both Carlson and Alia stand in silence after reading the note, confused as to what it means.

"kucha"

- When I read the message informing us to send our women to Kucha, the first thing I thought was... That this was the merge. My mind went back to that dinner trip that Razzy and Danni had last series, and that this would be something similar. It was a getting to know you activity and the men would be wooing the women from the opposite tribe for an evening.

Alia reads the note aloud to the tribe, with Reniero and Neil both disappointed to hear that they'll be remaining at Kucha. Chelsie and Alia begin to pack an overnight bag, feeling nervous as to what the men of Ogakor will be like around them. Alia jokes that she hopes the men can resist her, and that they don't feel the need to flirt with her immediately upon arrival.

The girls hug their fellow tribe members, before departing for Ogakor's camp. The three men sit and begin preparing a meal for the Ogakor women, who they expect will be arriving within the next few hours.

Ogakor
Ogakor awaken expecting to hear news about the merger. Farrell walks off alone to collect tree mail, before returning to his tribe mates in order to read the message aloud. The note informs Ogakor that they must send their men to Kucha's camp, while the single remaining girl should prepare a meal for representatives of Kucha, who will be arriving shortly. Curt laughs at the message, finding it amusing that Clarity must stay behind and prepare a meal for the three remaining Kucha mails (as he expects the Kucha girls will be cooking for the men of Ogakor). "ogakor"

- This tells me that the merge is coming, or maybe its here, and this is our first night meeting the enemy. I love that the women are being made to stay behind to cook for the men of the other tribe, that's oddly fitting.

"ogakor"

- I don't find it the slightest bit funny that I'm being asked to stay and cook a meal for three guys I don't know. I don't want to sit alone at my camp just because I'm the only girl left here... It's in no way fair to make me do this. So when the guys arrive they can go and get themselves dinner, and I'll eat Ogakor's supplies...

Farrell, Ned, Curt and Victor pack their overnight bags, and head off to Kucha's camp, excited to meet the girls awaiting them. Clarity sits alone in the shelter, folded up and looking blankly into the distance.

Kucha
The boys at Kucha sit together cooking a meal of fish and rice, using certain spices to give the food a better flavor. Reniero suggests they try to get information out of the girls, as it should be somewhat easy considering they're freely given out information in the past. The men hear footsteps approaching, and all look up with smiles on their faces, only to have them completely wiped off upon realizing that they will be wining and dining men as opposed to Ogakor's girls. "kucha"

- I think all three of us were excited to have more female company around camp, and we had this little mock-romantic display of food out for them upon their arrival. It was uh... a little disappointing to see four hairy sweaty guys walking towards us instead.

The seven men laugh at how they had all expected to meet the opposite sex, but instead have ended up with their own gender. Neil makes a joke that "Mitchell would have loved this", which the Ogakor men fail to laugh at, having not been aware that Mitchell was gay. After the comment, Victor immediately attempts to get strategic information out of Neil, asking whether he and Mitchell didn't get on (trying to figure out whether Mitchell would have cast a vote against him at the first tribal council). Neil however realizes this, and responds by telling Victor that he and Mitchell got along fine, and that the only person Mitchell had clashed with was Rose. "kucha"

- Immediatly after making a joke about Mitchell being a... uh, homosexual... I had Victor right on the ball trying to figure out if I had a vote against me, and that freaked me out. The fact Mitchell had written my name down made me vulnerable, so I tried to pass it off that Rose was the only person he clashed with, hoping that would get him off my case. It did open my eyes though, realizing that these guys are really on the strategic side of things... It's not something I particularly appreciate but I commend them for it...

"ogakor"

- Victor was quite good at questioning the other tribe on every little thing they mentioned, trying to work out who got along and who didn't get along. Maybe it was the right choice keeping Victor around, he's playing the game and he puts the target on himself by doing so, which in the long run takes the target off me.

While eating dinner, the men all appear to get on well. With Farrell and Reniero bonding particularly well, whilst Carlson stays somewhat quiet, he is able to get involved in the laughter, spending a majority of his time talking with Victor and Ned. Reniero asks what happened at their last tribal council, at which point Ned admits that they voted out Georgia, for revealing that she had past votes. The Kucha men laugh at this, stating that they were pleased to see someone give up information so willingly, and that they would have voted for her had she been present at the merge. As the conversation progresses on Ogakor's tribal councils, Curt openly tells Ogakor to "shut up", and that they should "be careful". Carlson, Reniero and Neil are stunned into silence at Curt's behavior, with Ned unknowingly rolling his eyes in response to Curt's aggression. "kucha"

- During dinner the only person who gave off any indication that they were an unlikeable person was Curt. He made a comment like "shut up, be careful what you say" or something... After this Ogakor reacted as though this was normal, although Ned did roll his eyes. This made me think that Curt was the resident a**hole at Ogakor, and that would almost certainly mean he had votes against him. If he has got this far without one I'd be genuinely shocked... So all in all the dinner was a success. I think we found who our first vote will be...

The seven men eventually head to sleep, all struggling to fit inside the shelter that had only been built to fit four men, and three smaller girls. The men barely get any sleep, and instead stay up thinking about the next step in the game, which they believe will undoubtedly be the merger.

Ogakor
Alia and Chelsie reluctantly walk into the silent Ogakor camp, concerned as to why there is no one visible. "kucha"

- Myself and Chelsie were walking up to this deserted camp, holding onto each other because we didn't know what to expect. There was so much going through my head... Were we dinner? Will we find them all mauled to death by a... a... tiger... Or something. They don't have tigers out here but still, it was a scenario that I somehow thought of.

"ogakor"

- I was lying in the foetal position, dreading everything about these men turning up at our camp and demanding dinner. But I suddenly heard these two soft voices, at which point it dawned on me... The women had come together, and the men had come together.

"kucha"

- We found Clarity... alone... Lying there... It was like she had been quarantined for years because she looked a mess. Chelsie was hugging her, y'know "how are you!"... and I'm just standing looking around wondering where the hell my food was... (laughs)

"ogakor"

- Alia made this snide comment that the dinner smelt good upon realizing there was none. In order to save myself I made up this lie that I needed the men to come and help me catch fish... They both bought into it which was good.

The girls get together and attempt to catch some fish, with Chelsie being the only one managing to catch anything. The three sit together and prepare their small fish, with Clarity insisting that the tribe has no more rice, and therefore they'll have to eat the fish on its own. Although both Chelsie and Alia state that this is fine, they begin to believe that Clarity is hiding the food from them, not wishing to share her tribes supply. The group get talking about Georgia, who Clarity (like Ned) admits did have past votes, and therefore she needed to go home. Alia mentions her disappointment in seeing five women leave the game before the jury, jokingly suggesting that the three of them make sure a man goes home at the first merged tribal council. Clarity quickly agrees with Alia, asking which of the men on Kucha are "annoying", only to have Chelsie step in by saying that all the men on Kucha are kind and likeable, before asking the same question to Clarity, who simply shrugs in response. "kucha"

- Dinner was somewhat awkward. Myself and Alia found it difficult to find a common ground with Clarity, who came across as a bit... distant? She doesn't seem like the kind of girl I'd normally hang out with, and that could make it difficult to play the game with her... She just seems shady, and her behavior concerning the food, the men on her tribe ... and her general body language... it was all just... off.

The three girls head to bed, with Alia and Chelsie unable to sleep due to hunger pains, missing the comforts that Kucha's own camp brought them.

Kucha
Neil arises from the shelter early, having failed to get any sleep due to the lack of space caused by seven men attempting to all fit inside. Reniero gets up shortly after, questioning Neil if he believes that they will merge today. Neil states that he believes they will, before suggesting the two of them go off to collect the tree mail. As Neil and Reniero wake up, the other men begin to exit the shelter. Carlson stands in silence, not sure whether he should offer the men any breakfast. Farrell begins to mention that he's hungry, hoping that Carlson will pick up on this, although Carlson simply ignores him, waiting for Neil and Reniero to return. "ogakor"

- I did want to get as much food out of Kucha as possible. I tried to hint that I wanted some more rice this morning but the young guy just ignored me... At least I tried.

"ogakor"

- The five of us sat around quietly waiting for Neil and Reniero to return, all praying that this would be the merge... As much as I like this all guys thing we've got here, I do want to get back with the other three girls because sleeping next to six other guys isn't the most comfortable setting.

The five men begin talking about which tribe they will be picking to live in, with all of them agreeing Kucha. However, they soon realize that they will not be staying at this camp, as Reniero and Neil read out the tree mail, which informs the group that they will be moving to an entirely new camp. Despite their disappointment at having to move, the men are overcome with joy at the fact they have made it to the merge, quickly packing up any essential items that they wish to take with them to their new location. "kucha"

- As soon as we heard that we were merging everyone went into macho mode, apart from myself. I could literally hear each guy grunting as he attempted to carrying the biggest load... Reniero and Farrell seemed to be getting off on it because I've never seen them smile this much in twenty days. It was sad to be leaving our camp because this has been our home... We have memories here and its where I felt comfortable. The rain started to come down while we were packing up, which gave off this bad vibe that maybe the merge wasn't going to be a pleasant experience... Hopefully that was aimed at Ogakor... and not the Kucha members.

The men depart the camp, carrying their vital supplies with them, leaving Kucha behind for good.

Ogakor
The three girls go to collect the tree mail together, all entering a screaming frenzy after seeing the words "Congratulations, the tribes have merged." Alia, Chelsie and Clarity quickly run back to the camp to grab all the vital supplies, with Clarity failing to discreetly pull out Ogakor's food supplies. In anger, Chelsie questions Clarity on the food, but Clarity ignores her, too embarrassed to admit that she had lied. After collecting what they wish to keep, the girls set off for their new home, excited to be reunited with the boys. "kucha"

- It was pretty s**tty for Clarity to hide food from myself and Alia. Had we been the ones preparing the food we'd definitely have given up our own supplies to feed her because at the end of the day we're becoming one tribe. It's fine though, all she's done is set herself up as an irritating individual who is happy to deceive others in ways which are just plain nasty... That's not strategy... Hiding food is in no way good gameplay, it's just being a b**ch.

Merged Tribe
The ten individuals meet up at their new location, hugging one another upon arrival. They find a large crate awaiting them, which Reniero breaks open, finding food, wine and ten brand new orange-buffs within. Victor distributes the orange buffs, whilst Neil and Curt take over laying the food out, trying to make sure everyone gets an even portion.

The tribe all sit together to enjoy the merge feast, taking time away from the game in order to truly get to know the other individuals now playing with them. During the feast Alia and Victor appear to bond well, whilst Carlson and Ned continue talking to one another. Chelsie remains quiet, silently talking with Neil about Clarity's actions. Clarity notices Chelsie whispering, assuming that she is talking about the food incident, causing Clarity to whisper to Curt that they should "watch out" for the Kucha girls. Curt nods in response to Clarity, before continuing to eat, not wanting to make his response too obvious.

The tribe agree on the name "Barramundi" for the merged tribe, as suggested by Farrell. Alia continues talking loudly, making comments about Ogakor voting out the fun people (highlighting that several of the Ogakor members are sitting quietly at the merge feast). Alia then makes a joke asking if its too late to "ask Johna and Laurencia back". This causes Curt to lose his temper, telling Alia that she needs to be careful what she is saying, because he can easily have her "dealt with". The tension quickly arises, with Reniero and Neil stepping in to defend Alia, questioning on what grounds Curt is going to make threats against one of their members. Clarity goes to make a comment of her own, but is quickly shut down by Chelsie, who brings up that Ogakor haven't exactly made them feel welcome, revealing that Clarity had hidden the tribes food, causing Alia and herself to go hungry. Ned and Victor try to defuse the situation, hoping that they can hold a good relationship with Kucha despite the bad start. Neil begins to clear up the food, stating that they need to get to work on the shelter before leaving for the first individual immunity challenge, or else they'll all be sleeping on the ground.

The tribe generally work together well in putting up their shelter, with Neil once again emerging as the leader of the tribe. After several hours, the tribe successfully manage to craft a large enough shelter. Ned talks to Alia, apologizing for Curt's actions, telling her that she shouldn't view the entire tribe as being like him. Alia tells Ned that she understands, and that she wont personally hold it against himself or Victor. Alia asks Ned whether Curt had acted this way to others, to which Ned informs her that he had, and that he annoyed a majority of the tribe members during the early stages of the game.

Challenge: Perch

Each tribe member will stand on top of a wooden pillar in the water. At random points, Jeff will tempt the survivors to go down by bribing food items. Last person left standing wins Immunity.

Winner: Reniero After the immunity challenge, the newly merged tribe return to their shelter in order to sleep, with the challenge finishing midway through the night. The group are told that they will have tomorrow to prepare for their first merged tribal council.

Day 21
The newly merged tribe all have a lay in, hoping to catch up on missed sleep due to the immunity challenge lasting for over ten hours. Curt and Clarity lie in the shelter together, preparing to discuss which member of Kucha then aim to vote for. Neil, Reniero, Farrell and Ned do chores around the camp, making them unavailable to their tribe mates. Despite this, Carlson, Chelsie and Alia go off together in order to discuss the vote, all feeling as though they are on the same page.

Back at the shelter, Curt and Clarity discuss who they'd like to vote out, both agreeing that one of the girls has to go home. Curt suggests Alia, for the fact that she is more annoying, and that to live with her much longer would drive him up the wall. Clarity however states Chelsie is the greater threat, and that Chelsie appears less liked by Kucha, while Alia is popular with the other members, meaning it's more likely that Chelsie has a vote against her. Despite this argument, Curt remains skeptical, feeling as though Alia is the sort of individual who would have enemies.

Whilst clearing up, Neil and Reniero attempt to sway Victor and Ned to their side, as they feel both of them are less connected with the other members of Ogakor. Ned and Victor are cautious with their words, not wanting to give away too much. However, Victor appears genuinely interested in what they have to say, agreeing with Neil that they have the opportunity to shake the game up, creating a strong four man alliance, as opposed to letting things go down tribal lines. Neil openly tells Victor that either Clarity or Curt need to go home. Victor admits that there has been tension in Ogakor, but that he isn't sure whether flipping would be the smartest thing.

At tribal council both tribes make it clear that there has been little attempt at trying to sway someone from the other tribe. When asked whether they feel they'll come out of tribal with the numbers, both tribes admit they do, feeling as though they've selected the right target when considering past votes. The tribes discuss the difficulties they have been facing, with Chelsie highlighting that Ogakor have been quite selfish and unwelcoming, particularly Clarity and Curt. Curt responds by telling Chelsie that she and her tribe are simply out of touch with their ways, and that they too have done several actions which have made them uncomfortable. Curt suggests that he feels Kucha have tried to alienate Ned and Victor by suggesting they don't fit in with Ogakor, and that by doing this they've made Clarity, Farrell and himself defensive. As the tribes go to vote, the five votes against Curt are met with smiles from Ogakor. Ogakor are revealed to have cast their votes for Chelsie, feeling as though she was a greater threat than Alia, and with little reason to suspect anyone had past votes they went with who presented themselves as dangerous. Chelsie tries to hold herself together, not wanting to give up hope.

Victor heads up to the urn whilst casting his revote. He stands still for several moments, weighing up his options, before finally deciding on a name. As the votes are revealed Kucha become more and more agitated, with 4 votes for Curt and 3 votes for Chelsie. As the last vote is revealed Kucha's hopes are crushed, with Victor staying with his tribe in voting out Chelsie. Chelsie leans over and hugs Carlson, placing her head on his shoulder.

As an emotional Chelsie leaves the game, Kucha are left devastated. Carlson wipes a tear from his face, while Alia, Reniero and Neil stare blankly at the ground. Curt and Clarity somewhat celebrate, smiling and clapping after Chelsie walks out of the tribal council area, overjoyed that they have gained the numbers advantage. The final nine depart the tribal council area, knowing that they have all at least secured a spot on the jury.