The penultimate week of Australian Survivor: Brains vs Brawn saw the final five reach the home stretch of the competition. With four Brains – Hayley, Cara, George and Wai – all out to beat the last remaining Brawn, Flick, it was do or die for everyone.
With only one episode to go after this week, the all important Australian Survivor finale, you would think maybe the competition would wind down for the final three. But you’d be wrong! In fact, Week 8 may have been one of the best strategic weeks of the entire season! We were treated to some epic strategic thinking, strong manipulative gameplay, and some harrowing torch snuffs!
WEEK 8 RECAP
Episode 22
With another failed attempt to flip Hayley and Wai over to the Brawn side, Flick is now the last standing member of the physical competitors, and everybody’s target is aimed firmly for her. But she’s got the trickiest of cards left to play, a secret hidden immunity idol which must be played at the next Tribal Council, securing a spot at the final four. No matter what. For the Brains, the end game is in sight. With Wai and Hayley firmly sticking close, and the longstanding duo of Cara and George bouncing around like two peas in a pod. The four collectively agree they must do whatever it takes to take down Flick. But George is looking past this, and in a moment with Hayley, expresses his desire to go to Day 48 with her beside him.
At the Immunity Challenge, with Flick in danger and everybody out to beat her, it was time for the Brains to rise up and conquer their final obstacle. Cara and Hayley manage to make it to the final stage of the challenge, the massively confusing puzzle. Hayley manages to get it called as a success by JLP, securing her third/fourth Immunity win(I don’t know, are we counting that big group Immunity thing during that twist or not? JLP doesn’t and it throws off my mental statistics of the series).
With Flick necklace-less the four make it clear to her that she better hunt for an idol, or she’s outty. But it isn’t the non-existent idol they need to worry about, because Flick’s front of searching is a plan to ensure the votes are tacked onto her, while she votes to finally take out George. Just in case of shenanigans however, Flick pitches to Wai and Hayley to finally make the flip while she’s of use, and vote out George before a potential 2-2 battle at the final four. And while I may have predicted this to be an easy blindside on George, boy did I completely miscount my read on just how good George is at this game.
George pitches to Cara voting together for Wai, in case Flick DOES have an idol. If she doesn’t Hayley and Wai’s vote for Flick would cause a 2-2-1 split, and they could still vote out Flick on a revote. But if she does, then Cara and George can ensure their safety and vote out the only other available option. But Cara is worried just how it might look to their alliance, because if Flick indeed doesn’t have an idol, a pissed off Wai and Hayley might jeopardise their ability to reach further than final four. Sound arguments, but certainly a risk that will result in George’s demise if they don’t do it.
At Tribal, Flick finally reveals her idol when she plays it and negates two votes against her, foiling another flip attempt on George. But Cara and George pull through and successfully blindside Wai, 2-1-2. A shocking outcome for this final five, and we’re only just getting started.
Episode 23
With only three Brains in the picture, and no idol to save the lonesome Brawnsome. It truly is an Immunity Challenge that will spell the final few days, as it’s the only way to guarantee a spot for Day 47. Cara and George, who have survived so much since the very beginning of the game, have still made it incredibly far together, and wish to see it through right until the very end. But a potential 2-2 split at four means one might have to build fire to grab their spot in the top three, a skill George completely lacks in, and Cara isn’t far from mastering either.
At the Immunity Challenge, with George almost completely out of the running, it really looks to be another Hayley vs Flick showdown, with Hayley emerging as the only competitor to possibly take down the OG Brawn. In a massive and emotional victory, Flick secures the Individual Immunity win, and earns her spot in the final three, with only one challenge standing in her way of making a case to the jury. It means the three Brains will have to turn on each other, and with a duo amongst the threesome, it’s not looking good for Hayley.
With Flick stealing Immunity, she quickly realises her best bet to win the final challenge is take out Hayley at four, and win against both George and Cara. She relays this to Cara, who quickly tells Hayley that her fate might be sealed. But Hayley has a very convincing approach left to play, and it’s the simple fact SOMEONE needs to beat Flick next round that she’s hoping can save her. She pitches to both Cara and George, that neither are better suited than the other to really take down Flick and pull out the Immunity win, at least, it isn’t as much likely as it could with Hayley in the top three, after winning the several endurance challenges that have transpired before.
Both George and Cara know this would mean breaking the duo up and sending the other home, a cost that weighs very heavy on both of them, but could be necessary if they want to make it to the final two and have a chance of winning up against Hayley (compared to fighting it out against Flick, a more likely winner in any scenario). But is it the only logical choice they have to make?
At Tribal Council, that final three is on everyone’s eyes, and building the best configuration to win the challenge and make it to the end is weighing completely on everyone’s shoulders. Hayley comments that making it to the final two is one thing, but you’ve gotta survive the final three for that to happen. When the tribe votes, we’re blessed with a fantastic voting breakdown of the ever so intense 2-1-1. Flick votes for Hayley, as intended, building the best formula to win the next challenge for her. George votes for Cara, seeing sense in the logic to keep Hayley and better his chances at making it to the Final Tribal Council. Cara equally does the same, and votes for George, hoping it will propel her to the top two. Which means, the person who was the most clear and obvious target coming into Tribal, is the one who ends up holding all the cards. Unaware just whether or not Cara would flip and blindside her closest ally, and believing George held a more likelihood to do so, Hayley votes out Cara, sending Cara to the jury, on Day 46.
And for the first time, I truly believe, in six seasons, we have a complete battle in this final three. Flick, George and Hayley. Each of them hold a very deserving case in front of a jury for why they should be named the Sole Survivor. But it will take everything in each of them to get those votes, and oh my, Sunday night will be a monster episode.
That episode was… incredible.
WEEK 8 REVIEW
For a week so simple in design, it was really great watching the strategy shine through from our final five. No twists, no wacky production changes. Just natural Survivor. That’s why when I said, ‘let them play’, I meant it. I knew this cast in particular would deliver, and I am so happy with how this season has turned out (crazy twists and all), and it’s a credit to the strategy of the cast. George is no doubt the MVP of Episode 22, and Hayley for Episode 23. Their strategy has just evolved so incredibly all season and they’re both incredibly amazing players, as are Flick, Wai and Cara. So let’s break down the week.
Firstly, um… did anyone catch that puzzle blunder in Sunday’s Immunity Challenge? Hayley’s winning puzzle was not correct – and I don’t blame Hayley nor JLP for calling it right. That was one confusing ass puzzle that really seemed to be a design flaw. Either change the look of the puzzle, or the configuration/style of the pieces. A slide puzzle could have solved it all. But if you’re reading this and wondering just what the hell I’m talking about, 2016 alum Matt Tarrant put up a Tweet explaining and showing the differences between Hayley’s puzzle and what should have been the correct solution. That’s below.
The reason why I bring this up isn’t really to put crap on production or anything. Sure, it’s a sloppy mistake by whoever signed off on it, but more than that, it could be quite dangerous to the production team. Let me hit you with some history for the American Survivor – all the way back to the third season, Survivor: Africa. At the final four, the Immunity Challenge was trivia where questions were asked about other members of the cast. I believe the question that caused controversy was, ‘Which female contestant does not have piercings?’. The answer given by finalist Kim, was Kelly. But other finalist Lex had answered with Lindsey, who unbeknownst to the producers, ALSO did not have a piercing. Kim would end up winning the Immunity Challenge and other finalist Tom would finish in 4th. Lex would go on to finish in 3rd, and Kim finished as Runner-Up. Because of the error, which had it been corrected could have resulted in Kim’s elimination and either Tom or Lex being named Sole Survivor and winning $1,000,000, both Tom and Lex would be awarded the same prize money as Kim, $100,000. A consolation prize to a possible $1,000,000? Sure.
But as it applies here, if Hayley’s puzzle isn’t called correctly, then Cara who was close herself to getting the puzzle done could have won, and maybe Hayley is voted out in 5th. Or of course George or Wai catch up and solve the puzzle themselves. Then the whole course of the next two episodes could change. Technically, Hayley didn’t deserve to win the challenge. But that’s the call that was made at the time, and of course, it is valid. It’s certainly a concern for production however, and I would expect a change to the difficulty of rectangular puzzle designs with rectangular pieces to occur for future seasons. Just something to consider.
I usually don’t go through episode by episode to review, but I think with how effective (or ineffective) the strategy was this week, it’s necessary.
Firstly, what the hell was Flick doing with her idol?! She had it guaranteed to be played, her spot in the final four was sealed. And her target, George, is so easy for her to take out IF SHE JUST TELLS HAYLEY AND WAI SHE HAS AN IDOL! Was Flick going for shock and awe? Yes. I get it. But oh dear, if you want to your target out you need the numbers. She was so blind into thinking the four would just blankly vote for her she completely let go of all the power she had that comes with a hidden immunity idol. There’s no bluff Flick could play to Hayley and Wai at this point. What good is not playing the idol? Everyone knows it HAS to be played this round, and it was one of the biggest opportunities to flip the script, make a move so you can claim some strategy in front of the jury, and really propel yourself forward in the game. Cracking the Brains alliance herself too. But Flick didn’t use the one piece of power she had. She saved herself, that’s it. Well done. But oh my, what a lacklustre management of it.
That brings me to the fact Hayley and Wai even voted for her. If George can figure out Flick MAY have an idol, I wonder why Hayley and Wai equally didn’t consider the same outcome with Flick holding an idol and instead either voting for George, believing they could cause a 2-2-1 vote IF George and Cara also try to get one over on Wai. Were they just too confident that George and Cara would stick to the plan and on the chance Flick did have an idol, at least George would go? I don’t know. It’s hard to pinpoint why, and it’s likely it was just a misstep in judgement for Flick’s ability to find an idol, and further George’s ability to come up with a back-up plan. But Wai’s elimination was preventable if she and Hayley just sat down for a little bit to figure it all out. And that sucks, because I loved Wai!
Now looking at freaking George and his master strategy of ensuring he’s good no matter what. Holy hell. I genuinely thought it was it for George, I didn’t even consider this possibility that George would come up with something clever to counteract a vote against him. I’m almost ashamed I didn’t consider it. The dude freaking owned this episode and just so masterfully showed everyone why he’s managed to survive so long. And this is where I’m really having my own Jeff Probst/Spencer Bledsoe moment. I owe George an apology. I seriously, underestimated him. Every week, I have said George has no chance at winning this game. That he would get voted out because the rest know he’d be incredibly difficult to beat at the end. And finally, on the eve of the grand finale, I’m admitting I think George has a strong chance to win. I think he will make the finale, and he will probably sweep up enough votes to become Sole Survivor.
I have always loved George, don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge supporter of his strategy and gameplay, I’m on the Kign George train no doubt. But I just completely wrote him off as an eventual boot, whenever it would come. But he’s made it to Day 47 and is only a night away from sitting in front of the jury instead of on it. So colour me severely impressed. He completely took me by surprise week after week and, I’m kind of lost for words as to just how strong of a player he has become. The dude was caught near the beginning of the merge bouncing between two alliances and STILL made it to the top three. Like just WOW. Getting that vote on Wai was a masterclass showing in Survivor. And for as much of the game as I have consumed, it’s players like George and moments like his plan to take out Wai that make me feel like I’m watching for the first time. Well done. I’m literally applauding at my laptop. Well done, George.
But that’s not where the praise ends for our top three. Just as George showed me up in Episode 22, Hayley, who I have had quite the opposite road with in that I have thought she would easily run to the end and take home a victory, made me doubt myself on Monday and finally think it may have been all over for her, before she proved just why she’s a phenomenal player in her own right. Any Survivor fan knows the thrill and excitement that comes with any configuration of a 2-1-1 vote is simply one of the highest feelings you can get from a television show. So when Hayley, who was almost certain to get taken out once Flick claimed Immunity, turned it around to dictate just who was going to end up going home, I was gobsmacked. Hayley’s pitch was simply genuine and logical. Break up the duo because you have no other choice but to run with me to the end, as the only shot to beat Flick. And with George and Cara both holding a legitimate chance at beating Hayley in a Final Tribal, it’s only sound they would both go along with her because it’s just so unlikely either of them would win that Immunity. Hayley has been a fantastic endurance player all season, and Flick hasn’t been far behind her in these challenges either. For George in particular, endurance is not his strong suit and he would have otherwise had to rely on Cara. While I think Cara shouldn’t be counted out for pulling out an upset and beating Flick, surely Hayley was the smarter choice for both of them. And that’s why we ultimately saw the vote play out how we did. George and Cara voted against each other, it made sense. Unfortunately for Hayley, and seriously this is tough, Cara’s loyalty to George was tough to read as to whether it would really end for her at four. I completely get why she chose to vote out Cara, George was a better bet (and likely gave Hayley more assurance he would vote with her) to vote for Cara than Cara was to vote for George. But it has made her road to winning immensely tougher in my eyes. A Cara vs Hayley Final Tribal would have been tough, absolutely, Cara has made a lot of friends on the jury and shares many of the qualities that makes George great. But George has been dominant all season, and a final against him would be the hardest obstacle all season for Hayley to overcome. Not to mention the obstacle that would be if she’s up against Flick.
We lost two incredible and underrated players this week. Both Wai and Cara did a lot more this season than what we have been shown and are owed much credit for their strong gameplay all season. But we’re left with three fantastic finalists fighting for a shot at the $500,000 and Sole Survivor title. And I really think any of them will take it out.
THE FINAL THREE
IMAGE: NETWORK 10
Flick has had an incredible and emotional journey this season. From the get go, she was put in a position of power choosing between to key alliances on the original Brawn tribe. Her decision to stick with Shannon and co set the tone for much of the pre-merge portion of the game, and set up the dynamics we would enjoy to watch almost all season long. At the swap, Flick’s alliance quickly decimated and she was placed on the bottom. But smart social manoeuvring and building strong relationships saw her make the merge and link up with her old Brawn allies. She survived a public idol outing, failed to act out a blindside on Dani, but it was when some truly devastating news from home came that we saw Flick at her most vulnerable. After learning of her Mum’s passing, Flick bravely chose to fight on and stick with the journey that would be this season. But still on the bottom behind an all powerful Brains alliance, Flick’s luck with the Survivor Gods rang loud when she smashed a ‘Save’ urn to return her to the game after being voted out at the final six. Then surviving a Tribal where her final Brawn ally was eliminated, playing an idol to save herself at five, and winning Immunity at four – Flick has somehow managed to beat the odds and earn her spot in the top three.
Flick’s biggest problem going into the final three is the fact that both George and Hayley see her as a massive threat in front of the jury. All eyes are on her to win this challenge if she wants to take one of those seats at the Final Tribal. But another thing that concerns me is Flick’s pure backseat in strategy once the merge hit compared to that of both George and Hayley. Flick has not voted correctly for the entire merge half of the game, except once. And the only time that was when the tribe unanimously voted out Hayley, who returned the very next day anyway. So far, not a single member on that jury has been sent there by Flick. If the jury’s feeling bitter and want to reward someone who didn’t have a hand in their demise the win, Flick is golden! But more likely, the fact Flick hasn’t contributed strategically to the game may come back to bite her. With a jury comprised of six Brains (although Andrew fits the Brawn build for me, so make it five) if Flick is at the end, some might not appreciate just how little agency Flick had in getting herself to this position by way of outwitting and outplaying. But she has outlasted. Getting that urn, as much credit as you want to give it, saw Flick propel herself here. She’s the underdog. An underdog with an amazing story to tell and a tough reason to vote AGAINST her. Her journey has been immensely tough, and getting to the end will finally put her as the person to beat at the Final Tribal Council. But will a late game rush of luck be enough to convince a jury? That’s the half million dollar question.
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From Day 1, George proved he was a force to be reckoned with when he found the all powerful six-person safety advantage for the very first Tribal Council. But a poor execution of playing it quickly put him at the top of the Brains totem pole, with the entire tribe targeting him except for leftover allies Baden and Cara. An idol find and selfless idol play by the Duchess of Double Bay saw George come out unscathed from opportunities where he should have gone home, until a tribe swap put him in prime position for control when he and Cara linked up with the Brawn to enter the merge with solid numbers. Now in the middle between the Brains and Brawn battle, George quickly bounded to and fro to ensure he would climb to the eventual top. But after getting called out, the OG Brains regrouped and George managed to garner the majority alliance to lead his charge towards the title. Impressive strategy, a secret idol play and a lingering target saw his name come up at several Tribal Council’s, but his weak challenge performance aided his spot in the end game. Flipping the only realistic opportunity for him to go home at the final five, he finally had to turn on his partner in crime, Cara, in order to give himself the best chance of sitting at the Final Tribal Council. With little hope to win the final Immunity Challenge, George will either have to pull off the challenge upset of the season or hope Hayley and Flick will target the other to find a seat opposite the jury. From there, it’ll take a convincing case to garner the five votes needed to clinch victory.
Unlike Flick, George actually has been responsible for almost every jury member’s elimination thus far, and will be asking for a lot of credit for managing to make it all the way to the end after the journey he has undergone thus far. But I don’t see all too many apologies coming from George, instead he’ll own his game and attempt to convince the jury his conniving and strategic gameplay has been the one to beat all season. Armed with the fact he’s never been voted out, and after remaining the target for all too long, George will no doubt have a very tough plea to beat when it comes to outwitting and outplaying the others. But it’s whether George will be respected for his duplicitous nature and lack of empathy towards his moves at the cost of others that I see being the biggest hurdle for George if he makes it to the final two stumps. He’s already been called out for not giving his all in challenges, and I think some jurors will find it tough to reward him with the title of Sole Survivor and half million prize compared to the much more socially aware players of Hayley and Flick, who stand a better chance at empathising with the position of the jury. No doubt, George has the game worthy of winning if he makes it to the end, but it’ll be his jury management that might just cost him for the victory if he’s unable to garner the respect for his social manipulation. He’s not even guaranteed a seat either, with both Hayley and Flick, the two likelier bets to win the final challenge, expressing their interest in bringing George to the end. But if George DOES manage to make it to Day 48, it’ll be a massive game to argue against no matter who he’s next to.
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Early on, Hayley lied in wait before pouncing upon the game and finessing it with some epic strategic manipulation. Riding the top on the Brains tribe and flipping alliances when it made sense, Hayley orchestrated several blindsides in the pre-merge half of the game. Always thinking one or two steps ahead, Hayley let others make themselves a target while working on the next plan early. She snagged an idol in front of everyone and wielded its power throughout the swap to keep her Brains foursome tight going into the merge. But her impressive gameplay and social manoeuvring quickly caught the eye of the opposing Brawn alliance, and it ultimately led to a unanimous vote against her at the rhid Tribal Council into the merge. Luckily, Hayley earned her spot back into the game due to the Redemption Rock twist, and used it as a second lease on life within the game, hoping a second chance would bring another opportunity to make it all the way to the end. Luckily, Hayley returned with grace and humility, accepting her former fate and opening herself up to the various strategies of her opponents. Surviving a couple of rounds by keeping her distance, Hayley emerged to be quite the physical player when she began racking up Immunity wins. With an alliance generally weak in competitions, it was Hayley who often took the weight of winning Immunity, allowing her Brains foursome to take down who they could from the Brawn. But an inability to do it again at the final four saw Hayley in trouble, forced to find a crack in the unbreakable duo of George and Cara. Luckily, her Immunity run opened the door to being the best shot against Flick at the final three, and she caused a 2-1-1 vote where she held the power. Needing to guarantee a chance at staying, Hayley kept George and voted out Cara, hoping it’ll mean she’ll take home the final Immunity victory. If she can squirm her way into one of those final two seats, Hayley’s rollercoaster journey and social connections will be the best tools at her disposal to take home the title of Sole Survivor.
Hayley’s sole pitch to get herself to the top three relied on the hope and likelihood to win the final Immunity Challenge, so an immense amount of pressure will ride on Hayley to take home the much needed victory and grab that first spot at the Final Tribal Council. But Hayley might just be in the right position to make it there no matter what, with a likelihood Flick and George would both bring her with them if she happens to lose the final challenge. Either way, Hayley has a very, very tough battle against whoever she’s up against. She has a very different game compared to both of the others, hitting all three of the main qualities of the game – physical, social and strategic. While her pre-merge game was one of the best, Hayley has been chasing her tail at the merge, looking for every opportunity to get out of the hot seat and garner some agency in the competition. With some fantastic strategic thinking, she managed to lead several eliminations upon her return from Redemption Rock, always in the key position to flip back and do something else to shake up the game. But it never made sense for Hayley to go against her end game alliance with the Brains, weakening her chances to make it to where she is. So will this reluctance to flip cost her? Many of those jurors have relied on Hayley for another day in the game, and it was Hayley who ended up crushing their hopes and dreams. A bitter jury might just be reluctant to reward her with a win, feeling disheartened with her position of power and still choosing to stick with the Brains. But more likely, Hayley will gain a lot of respect from the jury for bouncing back after her elimination and managing to remove the once giant target on her back. What will be tough for Hayley is simply being the underdog against lovable Flick and strategic master George. If a jury leans one way rather than looking at the big picture, Hayley will be scrambling for some votes. But her social prowess has been her gift of choice, and it makes perfect sense to see Hayley fight and work the jury for their $500,000 vote. If she can convince the jury her game has become the full outwit, outlast and outplay journey, then Hayley might just pull off a victory no matter who she’s up against. No matter how it goes down, Hayley will not make it easy for anyone, and she certainly shouldn’t be counted out.
FINAL TRIBAL PREDICTIONS
There are only three configurations for how the Final 2 will look, so with each scenario, I’m going to quickly look at just how I think the vote will break down between the finalists when it’s all said and done.
But of course, this is Survivor. Anything can happen. And if this season has taught me anything, it’s that anything WILL happen, so this by no means a definitive look at just how the jury will vote at the Final Tribal Council.
Flick vs George
If Flick wins Immunity and realises George might be his own liability at the end than the social power of Hayley; or if George picks up the win and chooses to make one last big move to take out Hayley, we’re in for a show. No doubt Flick has the upper hand here, but it’ll be George’s strong argument of strategic manipulation that will set him apart from her. It’ll come down to what the jury values more. Likability and underdog vs strategic and cutthroat. Here’s how i think the vote falls.
Baden: George
Gerald: Flick
Laura: Flick
Emmett: Flick
Andrew: Flick
Dani: Flick
Wai: George (maybe Flick)
Cara: George
Hayley: George (maybe Flick)
The two George locks are Cara and Baden. I think ultimately Flick has a great story and journey compared to George. She also has a strong block in Gerald, Emmett and Dani. I think Andrew and Laura both would side with Flick once they hear her talk at Final Tribal. And if George isn’t humble enough, he won’t get their votes just for being a Brain. I think Wai is more likely to vote for George but I also think she’d either work out Flick has the votes locked up and side that way or she’ll appreciate Flick’s emotional story to give her the vote. It’s likely Flick wins Immunity, so in this scenario I see Hayley voting for George valuing his strategic gameplay. But if George happened to win the challenge and vote out Hayley, I think Hayley would vote for Flick for not seeing strategic reason to vote her out and to punish George even further.
Final vote prediction: Flick wins 5-4.
Flick vs Hayley
If Flick wins Immunity, I think it’s more likely this scenario would occur. Or if Hayley wins Immunity, I think she might see a better chance at shifting the Brains block to her favour against Flick than she could getting the four Brawn against George. Flick again has the upper hand as her case is much more already told to the jury than what Hayley’s would be. But I do think Hayley is a stronger challenger to Flick than George is, and poses a much bigger risk to Flick winning than what she might believe.
Baden: Hayley
Gerald: Flick
Laura: Hayley (maybe Flick)
Emmett: Flick
Andrew: Flick (maybe Hayley)
Dani: Flick
Wai: Hayley
Cara: Hayley
George: Hayley (unlikely, but maybe Flick)
It is very much Brains vs Brawn here, no matter who wins Immunity. If Hayley happens to vote out George, he could be bitter but I do think she could convince him that she still deserves to win against the less strategic Flick. I think Hayley certainly earns a lot more respect from the Brawn faction for her gameplay, but will up and down back their Brawn counterpart no matter what. For me, Flick has Gerald and Dani locked, and Emmett a little less locked but nevertheless still in her camp. I see Baden and Wai locks for Hayley, and then I do think Cara votes Hayley either way but if George is indeed voting for Flick, then maybe Cara sways that way too sharing similar sentiments with him. That means it’s, again, the twosome of Andrew and Laura here. Now I think Laura sways Hayley, and Andrew sways Flick. But I can easily see Laura moved by Flick’s journey that she’ll vote her here, and will equally be a little disappointed with Hayley’s game if this is the case (although I also throw in the fact Hayley did play the idol on Laura, when she could have saved it for herself next round). I can see Andrew siding with his last known ally in Flick, being voted out while working with her, but I can see him being convinced by Hayley that she has played a much better all around game, and this could pick up his vote. Both of them are important for both ladies here. But I think it’s a better guess to say Laura-Hayley and Andrew-Flick. And thus, this give Hayley a narrow victory, or Flick a narrow victory if one vote goes different.
Final vote prediction: Hayley wins 5-4.
George vs Hayley
Now this would be the battle to watch. No disrespect to Flick, but George and Hayley have a similar game in sense so it’ll make pulling them apart much more challenging. This is the likely scenario is either Hayley or George win Immunity, I think they both see it as an incredible risk to take Flick. Even though I think Hayley can beat Flick, it would be relying on a small pool of people. In this scenario, almost the entire jury is up in the air so it could be any configuration to win. This makes it tough to call, but I’ll do my best anyway.
Baden: George (maybe Hayley)
Gerald: Hayley
Laura: Hayley
Emmett: Hayley
Andrew: Hayley (maybe George)
Dani: Hayley (maybe George)
Wai: George (maybe Hayley)
Cara: George
Flick: Hayley (maybe George)
George’s lock is Cara. Of course. She’ll back her ally and most recognises the game he has played. I think Laura is much more open to voting Hayley than George, and has long battled George since the Brains tribe. I think she’ll appreciate Hayley’s style much more here, along with the fact Hayley saved Laura with her idol as opposed to George who got Laura voted out with his. Gerald and Emmett I think translate their Brawn sentiments to Hayley here. I can see them both going to George if there’s an overall vibe Hayley has been too flippy to win, but I don’t think this will happen. Now Baden I would say is pretty likely to vote George but if Hayley credits some of her game to her conversations with Baden on Redemption, maybe he votes her. I do think Baden will believe George has played too well to vote otherwise though, so as it stands it’s 3-2 in Hayley’s favour. Wai and Andrew have similar reasons as to why they might vote the other for who I’ve got. I think they will each overall respect the gameplay of the person listed (Andrew-Hayley, Wai-George), but they’ve each had an interesting connection to the other player so could lean that way. I can see Andrew commending George on his strategy even if he doesn’t agree with it, and Wai sticking with her endgame ally in Hayley. This puts Dani and Flick as the last two. Dani’s history with Hayley will mean Hayley will have to EARN Dani’s vote. She will want answers for not flipping. If Hayley can sell her reasoning well, she’s got Dani. If she fumbles, the vote goes to George. Flick will probably vote Hayley, unless she wants to prove George was the person to beat and votes that way, or if George won Immunity, respected the clutch ability and wanted to reward him as much. Either way, almost everyone is up in the air.
Final vote prediction: Hayley wins 6-3.
Oh my, how close are those predictions! I seriously see anyone winning in any scenario. But purely from my own perspective, I think Hayley walks in the underdog in either scenario and will put on an impressive performance to flip the votes in her favour, no matter who it’s against. George’s jury management will undo him if against Hayley, or will be not enough if against the Brawn block for Flick. Flick has the best shot in both of her scenarios, but may come undone by a well spoken Hayley.
Damn, it’s tough to call. This will be an epic episode. I can’t wait to watch.
The final Fantasy League update will go up soon after the finale too, so stay tuned for that and to see who wins!
Featured Image: Network 10
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The Australian Survivor finale airs Sunday the 12th of September at 7:30pm, and we’re in for a monster final episode between three very different and very deserving players.
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