Seemingly every single person on the beach for Survivor 45 has wanted Bruce Perreault out of the game since the merge. But there were a few problems. For one thing, Bruce had an immunity idol that he was not shy about threatening to play. For another, he won the last two immunity challenges heading into this week’s episode, making him completely safe.
Now, in an exclusive deleted scene, we see just how focused one player was in getting Uncle Bruce out, and how much Bruce’s winning streak was already getting in his head. The scene begins with Austin Li Coon opening a Tree Mail that reads “Another isometric battle, as basic as it can be. Either hold on tight for safety, or slide into the sea.”
Austin knows exactly what that means. “So we got Tree Mail,” he explains in an interview. “And basically, we were told we're doing another one of these isometric holding-on challenges, and it's a huge immunity. It's going to be another one of those willpower challenges. It's going to be a very difficult one to win, but one that is necessary to win. Because I mean, we can't let Bruce just sweep us out.”
We then see a group discussing the upcoming contest and the man they all need to outlast. “That's going to be perfect for Bruce,” worries Drew Basile of the competition, to which Austin adds on. “We pretty much just know that we need to beat Bruce. We need to take him down.”
If you thought that was it when it came to pre-challenge consternation over finally defeating Uncle Bruce in an endurance challenge, then think again, but Austin still has plenty more to say! “Bruce has got willpower of steel. He has got all these life experiences. He was in the Army, he was training. He is a very strong dude, physically, mentally. He's been working out, he's been training for Survivor longer than any of us ever have, and it pays off. Maybe I'm just in my head after losing two of them already, but maybe I can pull this out. I'm going to give it everything I've got and hopefully it'll be enough this time.”
SPOILER ALERT! It was enough. Austin outlasted Bruce and then Bruce was voted out of the game after not playing his idol because Emily Flippen convinced him he was not the actual target.
Perhaps Austin can breathe easy now that his — and everybody else’s — challenge nemesis is now gone, but to see the tribe worry before the king was dethroned, check out the exclusive deleted scene above. And don't forget to check out our full episode recap.
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