Ok so my take on the "episode before merger" (as expected, they merged after 2 weeks)
After Agony suffered another agonizing loss of comforts, Lee broke down over
the hamburgers (ok, and missing his kids), does this signal he may be going soon?
Then the physical challenge. Obviously the team with 5 girls is going to loose
that one to a team with guys. Since the production focused on the blue team and
especially tegan and nick, it was obvious to every viewer who we would see in tribal.
Nevertheless, at least its not another puzzle. no, its three dangling skinny girls.
The challenge was meant to remind the blues they need Nick as a physical player
aka second boy. Meanwhile, as always happens in BBUS - girls alliances are the first to fail..
So Kylie was smart using the idol, but were the blues smart in keeping Nick? They
surely would have guessed a merge will happen seeing as how unbalanced the teams
became after the swap. so why keep Nick (obvious to all as 'a snake') in over Tegan?
who knows. Production knew about the tribe wanting to make Kylie play her immunity
idol. We will never know how Nick was unanimously preffered over Tegan. was it really
only a physical thing from the challenge? or were they directed to vote Tegan out?
A merge will "reshuffle" the cards and probably confuse viewers even more, still
trying to figure who is where and for some - what's their name and who's in their alliance.
In this, there is a terrible format flaw, which may less effect the fans of Survivor,
but does effect the casual viewer trying to relate to the show, as shown in the dismal
ratings compared with the Block, where teams and dynamics can be remembered and
followed easily.
This will have to be addressed if there is to be another season of Survivor AU. Perhaps
2 tribes from the start, with fewer people, but longer periods between evictions, more
strategy and bonds-developing shown, or a "redemption / dead man's island".