Australian Survivor 2017 Review: Top 10 Moments

Tristan Kelly reflects upon an incredible season of Australian Survivor by counting down his top 10 moments/storylines of 2017 in addition to a whole bunch of honourable mention awards!

It feels like the application window for Australian Survivor 2017 only just opened yesterday, but astonishingly the entire season has now become a permanent entry in the great book of Survivor folklore… It has been one incredible ride! On behalf of TTHS, I would like to offer a massive congratulations to Jericho for claiming the well deserved title of ‘Sole Survivor’, and also to the entire cast and crew for producing what was in my opinion, one of the best Survivor seasons of all time (and yes that includes all 34 US seasons)! As our seasonal coverage begins to draw to a close (and we attempt to shake off the Sunday to Tuesday Survivor withdrawals), I thought it would be fitting to count down my top 10 moments from the action packed season of Australian Survivor 2017 – including an interesting mix of tactical moves, character arcs, and seasonal themes! Thanks so much for engaging with our content this season – I hope you enjoy our penultimate trip down memory lane!

Number 10:

A ‘final four’ fire making tiebreaker!

Episode 25: Australian Survivor Finale Week – Jury Road

Although it is always talked about as a possibility between the Final Four, it is so rare for players to actually force a fire making tiebreaker! After Peter won individual immunity to guarantee himself a spot in the top three, he logically decided to target Jericho as the biggest threat left in the game, and also the most likely to win the final endurance challenge (and not take him to the end) – an astute observation that further confirmed Peter’s status as the most underrated strategic player of the year… With the necklace around his neck, Peter successfully managed to convince Michelle to turn against her long term ally, whilst Tara seemed happy to follow the majority as always… However, Peter’s downfall came in the form of a conversation he had with Jericho about planning to vote out Tara – a move that didn’t make sense to the Cookie Monster, particularly after he noticed some suspicious behaviour from Michelle.

What followed was basically a season winning countermove… After recognising that Tara had been shaken up by Tessa’s negative speech the night before, he managed to convince her that if they both voted for Michelle to force a fire challenge, she would earn respect from the jury for making a #bigmove. He then went over to Michelle and in a heated discussion basically forced her hand:

“I’m scared that you and Petey are going to vote for me… I really want it to be to Tara but if you guys keep having these conversations that puts me/like feel paranoia, I’m going to feel like that you two are going to change your vote from Tara to me, and so what I’m going to do is I’m going to vote with her to save my butt, and it will be me and you on the line…”  – Jericho

High stakes Survivor at its best! Michelle really needed to swallow her pride at this point in order to reassure Jericho that she was still on his side… The move would certainly involve a delicate balance of trust, but after working with Jericho for most of the game and now seeing him enter defensive mode, Michelle probably should have trusted what he was saying in order to guarantee her safety by throwing both of their votes on to Tara (as Peter was always going to vote for Jericho).

Unfortunately for Michelle’s game she lost her cool with the Cookie Monster and gave him no other option than to write down her name and back himself in to beat her at a fire making challenge. As a viewer it was a battle for the ages, where it genuinely felt like whoever was able to first burn through their rope was going to march on to victory as the Sole Survivor. The beauty of this game is that after 50+ days of social, physical and strategic gameplay, the win can simply come down to making fire or not pulling out the ‘purple’ rock. As Jeff Probst always says: If you plan to go on the show, learn how to make fire from scratch!

Number 9:

Ziggy shouts out a name from the voting booth…

Australian Survivor 2017 Episode 8 Review: Jono’s Bombshell

Ziggy’s game was certainly a roller coaster ride this year: easily the biggest physical threat on the island and a social tycoon, she at times appeared to be a strategic mastermind, but then made a series of questionable moves revolving around her two idols. However, her incredible use of improvisation in Episode 8 well and truly earns herself a spot in the season countdown… Tara had seemingly just been voted out of the game before Jono dropped his first bombshell for the evening that she would not be leaving alone thanks to an immediate secondary vote. Ziggy was the first person to be sent to the voting confessional and in a Survivor first (from memory), as she marked her parchment, Ziggy shouted out the famous words “I’m voting for Anneliese…” Without being granted any time to discuss options prior to the second vote, this move signalled to the rest of Ziggy’s majority alliance exactly how to cast their votes, and proved to be a defining moment of the entire season. Game changer!

Number 8:

AK’s Chicken Idol…

Australian Survivor 2017 Episode 2 Review: Chicken Idols and Spy Shacks

The premiere of Australian Survivor 2017 was pretty amazing, but the events of Episode 2 really set the tone for what would be both a highly entertaining and strategic overall season of Survivor. AK’s ridiculous chicken idol antics will always be remembered as some of the most iconic moments of this season – the sight of him marching out from the sea whilst proudly dangling a fake rock idol was a work of pure beauty… A chicken idol! It’s so ridiculous – but the possibility alone of it being a genuine idol cast enough doubt in the minds of the other players to think twice about voting him out, and also kept them distracted whilst he went off and found the real one! The whole chain of events turned out to be a genius play that would eventually earn AK enough trust with Jarrad and co to overturn Locky’s Misfit’s Alliance… It was a stunning recovery from a disastrous opening 3 days for AK and we can only imagine what might have been if Tara (and Anneliese) hadn’t been saved on that controversial night…

Number 7:

Luke’s confessionals/strategic transformation…

Australian Survivor 2017 Episode 12 Review: Highway Robbery

Similar to many other people, I completely wrote Luke off at the start of the season as a joker who would have no idea of what he was doing in the game… I am so pleased to have been proven completely wrong! I can remember the exact moment when he started to win me over as a character – it was the ‘cuddle buddy’ scene with Jericho, and then of course the whole Cookie Monster/Elmo midnight supper club dynamic… As the season progressed it became evident that his joker traits were far more pronounced in his confessionals than in real time, and that he was actually playing a perceptive and highly strategic game – not too dissimilar from the great Tony Vlachos (Winner US 28). It always seemed as though Luke was eventually going to take the fall as Jericho’s shield, but ultimately I think his fatal mistake was the move to blindside Tessa… Overall he played a killer game and if he had made it to Final Tribal he probably would have taken home the title – a remarkable transformation as a player.

Luke absolutely earns his spot in this incredible cast and will always be remembered  for “creepin” around the bushes, hiding in spy shacks, and wearing other contestants’ clothes as trophies after voting them out. An absolute legend of the game whose performance was capped off by a classy speech at Final Tribal in support of Jericho as a player. His following ramblings about AK probably also earn him the award for quote of the season:

“AK’s going to be voted out next – he’s going to be a trophy on my wall… I’m going to stuff him, put him on a plaque, put him up in front of the fire place at home – biggest trophy of the game…” – Luke

Number 6:

#AussieMateship (but in a good way this time)…

The Jury Villa: Episode 7/8/10 Welcome Songs

The amount of respect that these players showed to each other during the season was truly incredible. They all knew that they were out there to play the greatest game on Earth and wanted to compete fairly against each other to the best of their abilities. Some of my favourite moments of this season included the extreme elation of the entire group when they reached the merge, and the camaraderie that was developed over the human touch of ‘loved ones’ rewards, and the general struggles of island deprivation.

If you haven’t watched the Jury Villa episodes on TenPlay I highly recommend that you sit down for an hour or two and binge away. There is not one moment of bitterness from any eliminated contestant, and as the jury grows the episodes become even more entertaining thanks to the introduction of welcome songs/raps. Most importantly, every single eliminated contestant is congratulated by the group for the way that they played the game regardless of whether they were responsible for the demise of any particular individual(s). The positive behaviour traits of these cast members after being voted out demonstrate an incredible level of sportsmanship whilst highlighting the important distinction between playing a voluntary psychological game and being a genuine human in real life. Once again, Karl Quinn’s claims that Survivor is selling “Bastardry as entertainment” are proven to be completely inaccurate.

Number 5:

The Evolution of ‘Aussie Jeff’…

Australian Survivor Finale: Who Wants It More?

From ‘Aussie Jeff’ to Jonathan to JLP to Jono, over two seasons of hosting, Jonathan LaPaglia has stamped his name on the game of Survivor by not only following the master Jeff’s lead, but also by treating us to the addition of his own unique Aussie flavour. Just like the season as a whole, Jono has evolved by at least 20 US seasons over the course of one year, and has become an integral component of the show’s critical success. I was certainly impressed by his debut effort last year, but his performance throughout this year’s season (including improvements in tribal questioning, player interaction, general banter, smugness, and hearty laughing) was truly outstanding. Jeff might have to watch his back because there’s a bit of competition in town… To cap it all off, Jono delivered something that Jeff has been reluctant to revisit for years now – a travel montage with the voting urn to the live finale show! You bloody legend Jono – thanks for making our dreams a reality.

Number 4:

The Cookie Jar…

Australian Survivor Finale Week: Four Chances

Who would have predicted that the key to winning the game of Survivor could emerge in the form of a cookie jar!? The moral dilemma in Episode 4 seemed like it would just be a fun gimmick for a couple of episodes, but it proved to define the games of both Jericho and Tarzan, and indeed the narrative of the entire season. The Cookie Monster’s ability to turn a jar of cookies into a strategic tool by using it to individually gain trust with the most dangerous players on his tribe (with the intention of then using them as shields down the track) was pure brilliance. Jericho certainly didn’t play a flawless game of Survivor but he nailed this advantage and completely owned the strategy at Final Tribal. Plus it provided us with some of the greatest comedic moments of the season (sprinkling the final crumbs over a sleeping Kent for example) and even produced a sequel in the form of the jam thief debacle. Whosever idea it was to plant a cookie jar on the island should be feeling pretty smug with themselves right now!

Number 3:

The Underlined Vote Saga…

Australian Survivor 2017 Episode 16 Review: Merging Chaos

Perhaps inspired by Ziggy’s shouting move, in the first episode post merge, Jarrad devised a code with Jericho where they would both underline who they were voting for at tribal in order to build trust between the pair. In a brutal move, Jarrad was sent home that night by Jericho with an underlined vote! At Final Tribal, Jarrad offered the following warning to Jericho which must have left him trembling in fear that he had made a terrible mistake…

“I do have some final words for you Jericho… I came to you after the merge, we discussed who we would vote for that night, and we would send a message to each other with an underline to show our trust was there… Now you voted for me that night, and to add salt to the wound you underlined my name… Now Jericho, what goes around comes around, and when I go up to write tonight, I’m going to be sending a message to you with an underline as well…” – Jarrad

In a producer’s dream, Jarrad was merely just messing with the Cookie Monster, and the vote that Jono reads to reveal Jericho as the winner is of course underlined! An act of pure juror class from Jarrad that provided the perfect ending to Jericho’s incredibly cheeky game of Survivor!

Number 2:

Henry’s Blindside (and everything about Episode 18)…

Australian Survivor 2017 Episode 18 Review: A Work Of Art

Intricate gameplay, an iconic auction, humour, underdogs, torrential rain, high risk strategy, good sportsmanship, and one of the most beautifully orchestrated blindsides of all time – Episode 18 of Australian Survivor 2017 is quite simply one of the best single packages of Survivor content that I have ever experienced in my life. The execution of Henry’s blindside with an idol in his pocket that was hatched simultaneously by two separate threesomes before an almost telepathic melding of six minds in the moments before tribal was truly astonishing. You can relive the drama by reading my review of Episode 18 via the link above, in addition to rewatching the entire masterpiece over at Tenplay…

Which leads us to the big moment, and a probable source of controversy/debate… My number one moment from Australian Survivor 2017!!!

Number 1:

Tarzan and Tessa’s Idol Moment…

Australian Survivor 2017 Episode 4 Review: A Selfless Act

This moment gets the big gong for a few reasons… One, it provides an example of superb social gameplay from Tessa by identifying the perfect person to forge a genuine human connection with in an attempt to save her own game… Two, the selfless act from Tarzan in Tessa’s time of need transcends the game on so many levels, and reminds us that these people are real human beings who just happen to be competing in a brutal game… And perhaps most significantly, this is the moment that had me tearing up the most when it was replayed at the reunion show… Amongst all the brilliant strategic moves and entertaining characters of this season, for myself, it was an act of human decency that stood out amongst the pack; a reminder that although Survivor is just a game (that is often painted in a negative light), thanks to the incredible people that make the sacrifice to play it, the show also holds so much potential to make a positive impact on the world.

“I just want to be remembered as the loveable character who didn’t let the game get in the way of life… Honesty and integrity, look it may not win this game for you but I just wanted my grandkids to be proud, and go: ‘That’s my pop…’ To me that is the duck’s nuts of being a pop…” – Tarzan

Take that Karl Quinn! Tarzan might not have won the game but in only four episodes he achieved his goal and became an icon of the game – in essence Australia’s answer to Rupert. In the words of AK: “You’re a rockstar Tarzan.” Well played mate.

And that rounds out my top 10 moments of the season! What do you think? There were plenty of unlucky to miss out, so before I let you go, here are a few quick honourable mentions…

Honourable Mention Awards

In no particular order…

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My final two shout outs go to the challenge department for their incredible effort to match (if not better) the quality of the US production on a fraction of the budget, and of course to the editors for their consistent use of crab metaphors throughout the entire season! The below specimen retains its throne as crab of the year…

I could go on for hours more, but I need to draw the ‘line in the sand’ somewhere – what an incredible season of Australian Survivor! What were your favourite moments? Do you agree with my countdown? Let me know in the comments section below or chat with us on Facebook or Twitter.

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Upcoming Post Season Coverage at TTHS:

The official announcement of the inaugural TTHS Power Ranking Champion PLUS graphs of every player’s changing position throughout the season…

In the meantime you can check out the final final round of rankings from Season One veteran Conner Bethune in Australian Survivor Power Rankings: Round 10

An analysis of all the key moments from the Australian Survivor Finale Week with a particular focus on Final Tribal Council and Day 55 mimosas!

And finally, we will present the ultimate Survivor countdown…

A ranking of all 37 combined US and Australian seasons (including the 2002 Channel 9 version) in order from worst to first! How well do you think Jono’s second season in charge stacks up against the 34 editions from Master Jeff?

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Thank you so much for following our coverage of Australian Survivor this year! A special shout out goes to Conner Bethune for jumping on board with our power rankings competition, as well as to all the people who have reached out to us with positive feedback throughout the season. Your support means a lot to us, and we have loved being able to actively contribute our words to the thriving Survivor community.

If you enjoy what we do please like our Facebook Page @TTHSau and/or follow us on Twitter @TTHSau – these are the best ways to remain up to date with any new content as soon as it is released.

We look forward to releasing the last of our seasonal coverage over the next few days and hope to have another local season to write about next year! In the meantime we’ll be providing sporadic coverage of the 35th US Season, before coming back in the new year to cover the 36th US Season in comprehensive detail. Thanks again for all your support!

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Tristan Kelly is a 28 year old ex-doctor turned writer, based in Perth, Western Australia. During his final year of medical school he famously watched and analysed every available episode of Survivor (all 368 of them at the time), probably making him more qualified as a Survivor commentator than he ever was a doctor. In between writing and editing short films, he now spends most of his time organising various schemes, and fantasising about one day winning the game.