The first season of Survivor was merely a summer experiment for CBS, but it gained more and more steam until 51 million people watched Richard Hatch be crowned the first sole Survivor, capping off a run as the #2 show for the 1999-2000 season and creating the basis for more reality TV to come. Season 2, The Australian Outback, once again gathered together a group of 16 strangers, this time heading south of the border.
The Survivor: The Australian Outback cast consists of:
Alicia Calaway
Amber Brkich
Colby Donaldson
Debb Eaton
Elisabeth Filarski
Jeff Varner
Jerri Manthey
Keith Famie
Kel Gleason
Kimmi Kappenberg
Maralyn Hershey
Michael Skupin
Mitchell Olson
Nick Brown
Rodger Bingham
Tina Wesson
The contestants hop onboard a plane on loan from the Royal Australian Air Force. They’re not being rescued, though. They’re being dropped in the middle of nowhere. Their run has been extended from 39 days to 42. Those using air sickness bags already are going to need to shake it off. One crate of supplies awaits each tribe, and they have 5 minutes to salvage whatever they can. From their landing point, they will hike 5 miles to find their camps.
Kucha (blue): Kimmi, Michael, Alicia, Rodger, Elizabeth, Nick, Debb, Jeff
Ogakor (green): Maralyn, Colby, Amber, Mitchell, Tina, Keith, Jerri, Kel
They are warned that they must take as much water as they can because the river water must be boiled, and they may not have fire for a while.
Their first unofficial challenge is to find their camps. That would include being able to read a compass, which they apparently don’t teach at Harvard since Nick is unable to do it. Within the Kucha tribe, it’s already breaking down. Kimmi has decided she can’t stand Debb before they’ve even figured out how to get where they’re going to live.
Maralyn, the oldest member of her tribe, is afraid she won’t be able to keep up with the younger people.
Jeff is already sick.
Both tribes have managed to arrive at their camps without much incident, although it was a tiring trek. Kucha has foolishly decided to jump into the river to celebrate, a decision they’re going to regret later when they’re cold.
Kucha gets right to work building their shelter. Mike takes the lead because he’s done some construction. Debb is not happy because she considers him bossy.
Over on Ogakor, the top of their shelter will be Colby’s Texan flag. While building the shelter, there’s already tension between Keith and Jerri. She thinks he’s condescending. She says she’s not the kind of person to just let it slide off her back. Talk about your foreshadowing.
Kimmi’s starting to rub people the wrong way. She hasn’t yet developed that censor in her brain that says that something may not be the right thing to say, and she’s extremely loud and doesn’t shut up to boot. Debb and Jeff are going crazy.
Kucha has found fruit. Mike bites into a fig right off the tree. Might want to cook those, unless you like eating live bugs.
Both tribes try starting fire. That usually proves to be a great big waste of time. Unless you have some form of magnifying glass with you, it ain’t happening (only one Survivor ever has managed to start a fire without anything manmade, Hein from Survivor South Africa: Malaysia, who lived in the bush for 20 years).
With that failure behind them, they get some good news. The winner of the immunity challenge will get waterproof matches. They will first go over the bridge using planks, to a small torch carrying raft, on another raft operated with ropes, and then assemble and climb the ladders to light the fire. If their torch goes out, they lose. Ogakor takes the early lead. Ogakor still has a lead after the second leg, reaching the larger raft first. Unless their torch goes out, there’s really no way they can lose. Speaking of torches going out, Kucha’s does when their raft flips over, but it doesn’t matter because Ogakor already has immunity in the bag.
Debb thinks it’s between her or Rodger, or the sickly Jeff. She told Alicia that Jeff wants to go home, but he says that’s just a lie. It concerns him, as everyone looks like they’re scheming.
Tribal council takes place on top of a granite waterfall overlooking the cliff. Rodger says that Mike is the leader, which he’s fine with. He says he likes everybody and they all get along just fine. The others don’t all share his sentiments.
Votes
Debb
Debb
Jeff
Debb
Debb
Debb
By a unanimous vote, Debb has been voted off the island. In order to get all 7 people to vote against you, you’ve gotta do something really wrong. In addition to getting rid of Debb, the Kucha tribe gets fire.
Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another recap of Survivor: The Australian Outback Episode 2 Suspicion.