Survivor Canberra S2 Edgic - Episode 2

Welcome back to another edition of Survivor Canberra edgic! Episode two is out and it's time to delve once again into another jam-packed episode. This one isn't a premiere, which means it is less about introducing us to characters and more about moving the story on. Who are the main drivers of the story? Let's find out.

Previously On Segment

The 'Previously on Survivor' Segment is also a part of the episode and edgic, and can in fact be one of the most useful tools. This is completely made up by the editors - they solely decide what they deem important to the previous episode and what 'narrative' is being pushed. Even though it's meant to be an unbiased look at the previous week, you can absolutely pick up on opinions and judgments based on what exactly is said and shown. Kubbadang's section just set up Grace's exit this week on the basis of her isolating herself from the tribe, but Winyu's section specifically focused on Simon and Sam's alliance. It once again repeated the 'old bloke, young girls' comment for the third time and was used to highlight his disconnect from his tribe. Wording is key here, they said Simon 'turned his back' on Sam - why not say he worked his way into the majority? I'll talk about this more in his own section but it definitely suggests short-term trouble for him. Otherwise this recap was pretty simple recounting of events, next weeks could be more telling though.

Under The Radar

Joseph's edit after two episodes is already shaping up to be the worst of the season. He once again received only two confessionals which were predominately about other people. I was tempted to give MOR but that would've just to be nice, he wasn't developed in any meaningful way. We barely know his alliances, his strategy, and right when he could've had a breakthrough episode after receiving a vote he once again was one of the quietest presences in the episode. He's present in several group chats but is rarely shown saying anything. I gave N tone based on Hayley plus Mel's comments about him voting for her due to his quietness- which while technically incorrect was still negative towards Joseph and sets up him being a target soon. I don't have much more to add, I expect a pre-merge exit, or a quiet early-merge exit from Joseph. UTRN2   2 Confs.

You aren't always correct with edgic, but I was spot on with Michael. I said his edit last week was circumstantial and it absolutely was. Kubbadang had a lot of content this week between the opening scene, the pre-challenge segment and the eleven-minute-long scramble before tribal. Michael was only on-screen for a small portion of all these scenes and was really distant from the main storylines going on. It was a bad sign that his return from Sacrifice wasn't focused on when that easily could've been a minute-long scene in itself, and we only saw him in b-roll during the pre-challenge part. His two confessionals came in the late scramble and were generic and somewhat 'obvious' - he mentioned wanting to work with people he clicked with and that votes might be split for advantages (which didn't even happen). I have the same issue I had with his edit last week, there's almost nothing to point at that's specifically HIS storyline. He is filling in as a tribe narrator, and this episode he wasn't even particularly visible as a narrator. I still think Michael makes it reasonably far - there's been no real indication he leaves anytime soon - but I'd see him finishing 5th-8th rather than being in the finale. My prediction is he is left out of an upcoming Banfield elimination and his story potentially kickstarts then? As of right now, he has arguably the weakest edit behind Joseph and Simon. UTR 2 Confs.

After a solid first-episode edit, John fell into the background. He was at the very start of the Winyu segment, but both confessionals were about Mel (which I've noticed is a trend with John - he's shown talking about others rather than himself in confessionals a lot). It's not the end of the world for him, especially as it doesn't seem likely he'll leave the game anytime soon, but as a winner contender his odds are slipping fast. On my initial watch of the episode I enjoyed his content more than on the rewatch where I noticed how little he spoke about his OWN plans rather than other people's. It's possible his story doesn't fully begin until the swap so we don't need to know too much about his strategy now? If I had to guess though he's one of the main strategy-focused players who goes out sometime in the merge for being a strategic threat. UTR2 2 Confs

Over The Top

We say goodbye to a fiesty and fun Grace. When I begun this episode I noticed Grace received zero content during the first two Kubbadang segements, to the point where I wondered if she'd receive an invisible edit this episode. That most certainly didn't happen and Grace ends the season with two OTTN rankings in a row! She only appeared at the 41-minute mark, but from then she went on a crusade against Nic in increasingly upfront and direct ways. While it was justified somewhat in the edit - Nic was the first to name Grace twice - it was a petty look and one that was almost a caricature. Grace's goal coming in was to be evil and nasty, and while I don't think she was particularly evil she did stand up for herself and cause some chaos on her way out. I think Grace will be remembered for isolating herself early and confronting Nic for targetting her - which is a solid summation of her screentime. Similar to Sam, Grace didn't get a lot of development which tells us the editors are focusing on long-term screen arcs rather than giving every single character a complete storyline. Players without clear narratives should look out - you might be next. OTTN3 2 Confs.

Middle of the Road

I used the word 'aloof' to describe Simon's edit last time and I think I was right on the money. Yet again Simon was portrayed as out of the loop and clueless to what had happened. Rather than portray him as an underdog clawing their way back into the majority, the recap said he 'turned his back' on Sam, even though this episode shows he was trying to protect her to some degree. On top of this, when Simon is describing his complaints to Mel about being told who to vote for, it's undercut with a Mel confessional where she admits she's just 'trying to survive this next vote' - as though she doesn't agree with what Simon is saying. Him naming James as a leader is interesting - James has a stronger edit that suggests more longevity in this game so is this foreshadowing James taking Simon out? Was this just to create suspense for Winyu potentially going? His conversation asking why Sam was the target further emphasised his lack of awareness in the game, as James and Anna gave reasons that were shown to the audience prior as to why Sam left. Unlike last episode Simon wasn't a massive presence so I settled for MORN instead of outright OTTN (even though I considered it). Without a massive turnaround, I would find it quite unlikely he wins, or makes the endgame of the season. I suspect he might be an early merge boot, who usually don't get shown with too many connections or bonds because they don't end up mattering in the long haul. I was right with Grace, let's see if I'm right with Simon too. MORN3 2 Confs.

For some reason when I first watched this episode I was worried about James' chances for the long haul. It reminded me too much of Astyn, a controlling player who gets flipped on early based on their control of the game. A rewatch lessened those fears somewhat - James simply had 'alpha' confessionals that appeared cocky. The key is that he wasn't undermined afterwards, Simon had his confessional about James beforehand and Simon is shown to be an unreliable/disconnected narrator. I find it much more likely James keeps his troops intact than a rebellion comes against him, at least before the merge. He was shown talking one-on-on with Joseph, which is the editor's way of confirming that what James is saying is accurate, he is currently in charge and has loyal numbers with him. Anna didn't call him out like last week, and it appears that he has solid connections with nearly every player on his tribe. With all that said I did slightly push him down as a winner contender. It's hard not to see James as the final boss, this big baddie that the heroes of the story have to take down before they're able to win. Nic and Mel both have these rounded storylines that have strategy, personal life and positivity sprinked within while James is a little rough around the edges and potentially not 'rootable' in the way my top 4 contenders are. I'll most definitely be keeping an eye on him during this pre-merge (assuming he makes it through) to see if his winner story could make sense.    MORM3 4 Confessionals

Hayley remains my top winner contender. Once again I struggle to find flaws in her narrative at all, she's shown to be likeable, positive and clued in without being overexposed or targeted. In fact, she may be one of the only players left to not be named as a target by anyone at all. Hayley's three confessionals this episode, and the last two both were strong in different ways. Her second spoke of her bond with Mel, saying she was 'wary' about not being told but understanding of why she didn't. It showed logical thinking along with being reasonable, unlike players like Grace or Simon who weren't able to see the bigger picture. Her final confession lead us out of Winyu for the episode, a great spot to end in and one where Hayley was able to describe the group dynamics whilst stating she was 'excited' to see how it played out. One of the main reasons Hayley's edit is so good is she's shown talking about herself rather than others. In real-life that may seem bad but in Survivor editing it shows agency and paints a better image of the character's motivations and decisions. Players like Michael and John are shown speaking about others without often relating it back to themselves, which doesn't help their stories grow. Hayley's edit has done this again and I suspect it'll continue to do so. Another top-notch episode for her winner odds, I'd be stunned if she missed the merge. MOR3 3 Confs

Speak about a breakthrough episode! After being mostly ignored last episode, Banfield was a prominent figure and character this episode. Unfortunately, it doesn't bode well for his winner or even long-term chances. Almost every mention of his name was as a target, from Nic to Mar to Sophie to Mal - he didn't even receive a vote and he had half the tribe calling him out! His connection to James could pay off down the line, but it seems more likely that it's used as justification to target Banfield. Weirdly, he then seemingly disappeared as a boot option and from the episode, only showing up again to say Grace was going home as an 'easy consensus'. However I have issues with his edit beyond him simply being a potential target. In his second confessional he says 'I still have my little alliance- two'. The way it is spoken sounds like Banfield is referring to two separate alliances, and he is cut off after he names Michael/Mar/Nic as his alliance. Unless Banfield misspoke, he then probably named his second alliance that was intentionally cut out of the edit. This is a huge red flag, and shows that Banfield's alliances aren't being focused on the same way Mar's are - where we know her connection to quite literally every player on her tribe. This is why he's only Middle Of The Road again, we don't know enough about his strategy or gameplay from his own words and his story is coming from others mentioning him as untrustworthy. He unfortunately gets MORN for the second time, hopefully the editors will finally have his back next week.  MORN4 5 Confs

Interesting developments from Johanna this week. I don't put a lot of weight into her opening rock find - that would've been shown regardless of how she was edited. I do think it played into her episode 1 introduction of being bubbly and unstrategic, but afterwards she stayed quiet until the tribal scrambling began. However her three confessionals at the end were surprisingly strategy-focused and I nearly gave her a CP rating for that. Johanna was the secondary boot option presented on-screen despite receiving zero votes, but she didn't receive any negative SPV the way that Grace and Banfield did. Could Johanna escape the pre-merge? There's a strong chance, with Banfield and Mal looking like more likely boot options on Kubbadang if they go back. I am curious to see if she has a growth arc, from someone unfamiliar with the game to someone who ends up having control or making moves down the line. Even with an OTTN premiere it felt like the edit was being nicer to Johanna than others, she was shown in a sympathetic light whilst being a target. My only concern is she's now been targeted twice by Mar, the most developed character on the tribe - the third time might be the charm for her.  MOR4 5 confs.

Malcolm's edit improved slightly overall this week in terms of complexity, which is a mixed bag for him. Let's start with the good, he started talking more about his own game and connections. He called Soph his 'numero uno' - along with Johanna we now have two close connections he is connected with on top of his alliance with Soph/Mar/Nic. He also had some exposition about the challenge and being glad to not be in the hero position - suggesting he's a player who thinks through the pros and cons of even small attributes like challenge roles. The bad is that this complexity came at a cost - the wrath of Mar. We'll get to Mar later but it's becoming increasingly evident she is the centre point of Kubbadang's story. The conversation consistently comes back to her and she's shown to be a reliable narrator. When Mar suggested Malcolm as a boot option, it was given weight by the edit previously showing Malcolm's bonds with Sophie and Johanna. Considering how prominent of an edit Mar has, it's a worrying sign for Malcolm that he could be a target now that the easy boot in Grace is out, especially given that Mar, Nic, Soph and Michael's edits all suggest making the merge. Overall I still don't think Malcolm is a strong winner possibility, but he could make some damage if he survives this pre-merge. 

Complex Personalities

The biggest character on Winyu is absolutely Mel. Last episode could've been just for the Sacrifice, but this episode she also had the most confessionals in her tribe segment and was well developed throughout the episode. It's clear that Mel is not just a circumstantial edit, she is a main character and even a protagonist. The story of the tribe largely revolved around Mel and her sacrifice - John, Anna, Hayley and Joseph's confessionals in the Winyu section all spoke about her. She mainly spoke strategy this episode, with a couple humourous moment like her heavy bag and intentionally saying a different number of votes, but it was all sound logic and was supported by the edit. Mel was introduced well last episode with her job title as a buyer along with a memorable starting dilemma, and I can visualise her making it far. She's a winner contender for me mostly just for her consistency in her edit that most players don't have, she's been an important part of the episode both times and that'll likely continue. Easy CP5 rating - her second in a row. Can she make it 3 next episode?  

Last episode I was on the fence about Anna. She had reasons to make it far or be next boot and when asked I actually predicted she would leave this episode. This didn't end up happening, and instead she got a pretty strong edit that indicated she could have a long-term stay in the game. In the Winyu section she covered up her vote for Mel last time and not only was able to clear suspicion from tribemates, she elaborated to us why she voted for Mel. No one was shown targetting Anna, and while other targets emerged like Simon and Joseph, Anna stayed off the radar. Anna was chosen for the Sacrifice and therefore received extra content owing to her choice to grab an idol along with the consequence. This had to be in the episode so there's not much editorial manipulation - however I will say that her sacrifice of three public votes is directly against her claimed strategy of staying under the radar. Is that irony? Will her undoing be the public votes? Anna is still a question mark for me, I can't place her storyline quite yet. 

Sophie had a strong episode and jumped up in terms of winner odds. She had a quiet premiere - almost suspiciously quiet but this episode she got a massive 8 confessionals when she wasn't in trouble nor the player leading the vote. That points to longevity in a big way and along with Nic & Mar I see them running the game for a while. Soph was given Positive SPV from Banfield, Malcolm, Mar and Nic which was something you mightn't notice if you don't look out for it. Her confessionals were not necessarily incredible, mainly love rock and general game exposition, but those confessionals could've gone to anyone else and instead went to Soph - probably to prop her up. Mar calling out their final two and her desire to keep women in is also a good sign for her too, it wasn't mentioned on Winyu but both Mar and Soph are complex characters and could actually pull off a strong duo. Soph was an easy CPP5 this week - arguably the best edgic rating a player can get. Right now she's my honorary 6th winner contender, and if one of the top 5 is voted out or gets a weaker edit she'll slide in next week. 

Nic had a big episode due to his circumstances - going to the sacrifice and getting votes at tribal. Despite that, he came out of this episode looking stronger than ever and reinforcing my idea he's a long-term player we'll be seeing for a while. Nothing of note happened at the sacrifice zone for him, the real drama started back at camp when he and Grace begun targetting each other. The way it was framed wasn't as though Nic and Grace were 'equally' at fault though, there was a clear support towards Nic throughout the entire episode as we were meant to see Grace as cartoonish or childish whereas Nic was more reserved and was only named 'standoffish' by Johanna. Overall it was mixed for Nic, as it was impossible to edit around the negativity thrown his way but he wasn't shown being outright rude or dismissive as claimed. The biggest positive in Nic's favour is that he wasn't even shown to be the alternate boot. The episode clearly showed Nic was not in danger of leaving, and instead Johanna was the secondary option to leave. This is protection, Nic was not displayed as a firm target and rather the suspense was what HE would do going into tribal instead. Good episode for him.  

Hello main character! There's no denying Mar is the most prominent figure in Kubbadang, and arguably the entire game. Some people were worried about her package last episode where she was seen as potentially overplaying or being too obvious (which could still come later), but I read it as a subtle praise of Mar's social game - they said she was lovely and friendly, not annoying or overbearing. Now, she's getting strategy confessional after strategy confessional and not being named as a target by anyone at all. When you think about Mar so far, you can instantly think of a connection she has with every player on her tribe, who her closest allies are, who she's against, and her strengths as a player without having to rewatch. Compare this to Michael or Malcolm, who are much more narrational and consistently talk about others over herself. She even said one of the most common editors irony comments 'im not worried to go to tribal' and it didn't backfire on her! That's powerful right there. Her plan to take out Johanna didn't come into fruition tonight but her target on Johanna/Malcolm has now been telegraphed in two different episodes and I expect it to be concluded soon. I suspect the next Kubbadang vote will be Banfield vs one of those two, with Mar being a key figure in which direction it swings. All of this said, I'm not quite ready to put her as winner contender #1 just yet. She definitely could be the '4th place robbed' played of the season, or even just a high-vis mid-merge boot like Ashlee was last time. Interesting note - she and Hayley have both gotten support from the player voted out on their tribe, not a coincidence! Regardless, I see her making it deep into the game and getting CP rankings nearly every time. 

That's episode two done! Even with just two episodes we're really starting to see who the strong contenders are vs the likely next boots. But what's edgic without a little shock here and there? Here's the charts:

If you want to consume more Survivor Canberra content check out the Backbenchers podcast I've been doing recapping the episodes! Episode one is here, episode two is later tonight. Otherwise, I'll see you next time.