Stage 1: Season 3 - Croatia

**Survivor: Croatia** is the third season of the first stage of competition to determine the Ultimate Surivor Champion. Twenty former castaways return to compete in this season. The final twelve castaways from this season will move to the next stage of competition.

The winner of this season is TBA. The others moving on (in order of elimination) are TBA.

This season was preceded by *Survivor: Costa Rica* and followed by *Survivor: Japan*.

## Location

This season is filmed in the Paklenica National Park in Croatia. It is notable for two massive canyons and vast valleys. The camps this season are located in the valleys between the canyons.

## Contestants

There were twenty contestants  overall, divided into two tribes, Velebit and Zadar. After four contestants were eliminated, the tribes were swapped. After eight were eliminated, the two tribes merged into one and formed the merged tribe - Mala. Nine contestants made up the jury, who ultimately decided who would win the game of the final three castaways, and the $1 million grand prize.

## The game

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## Episodes

### Episode 1

The two tribes of ten are dropped off at their respective camps with the basic supplies to survive. The Velebit tribe gets to work constructing shelter, but nobody steps up as leader so nothing is accomplished. Eliza and Willard get into a spat over the location of the shelter. Reynold eventually tries to take charge, but his suggestions fall on deaf ears. At Zadar, Dan and Gillian both attempt to take charge of their tribe, and get into an argument. Alicia is visibly fed up pretty quickly with the bickering and organizes the tribe.

* **Immunity Challenge:** The tribes have to roll a large ball through a series of gates. At two points along the course, a tribe member would have to climb atop the ball to retrieve of set of keys. At the final gate, the keys would unlock three chains that blocked the gate. The first tribe to go through all the gates and roll their boulder atop a short pedestal wins and immunity.

Both tribes do well and trade the lead back and forth. However, Kelly and Sarita run into problems unlocking the gates and allow Velebit to take the lead, eventually leading to Velebit's win. Back at Zadar's camp, Kelly and Sarita realize they lost the challenge for their tribe, but Dan and Gillian's bickering continues. Alicia, Michele, Keith, and John talk about whether to vote out a challenge weakness in Kelly, or get rid of Dan or Gillian to keep harmony in camp. Meanwhile, Dan and Boo talk about getting rid of Gillian and try bringing Sarita into their alliance. At Tribal Council, Kelly admits to feeling like the weakest tribemember, and that statement is enough to get her voted out first out of the game.

### Episode 2

Returning from Tribal Council, Dan is upset that nobody told him Kelly was going home. Gillian thanks her tribemates for keeping her around, which makes Dan tell her off and retreat off by himself. Alicia, Michele, John, Keith, and Nate decide to stick together. At Velebit, Reynold and Willard attempt to take charge around camp, but Lydia, Eliza, and Cliff don't think they need a leader. Eliza goes as far as to call Reynold misogynistic. Todd, Brett, Kat, Ruth Marie, and Tanya find themselves watching as the others have it out.

* **Reward Challenge:** Both tribes have five logs of different lengths. Each tribe must carry their logs one at a time along their criss-crossing paths while negotiating a series of obstacles to a tower where they must use the logs to build a staircase by inserting them into peg holes around the tower. Both tribes must stay together and on their own path. The first tribe to get all their logs to their tower, build their staircase and have one member to the top of the tower wins blankets, canned food and other supplies.

Velebit takes an early lead, but Lydia struggles and causes her tribe to fall way behind. Zadar wins by a longshot. Back at Zadar's camp, the tribe decides to organize the won food and ration it out over the next few days, but Boo and Nate want to have a feast. Gillian speaks up about preserving their energy and making it last, but Dan joins in with Boo and Nate just to counter Gillian. In the end, a tearful Gillian is aided by the others and the majority decides to save their food. At Velebit, Lydia feels awful for causing the tribe to lose, and the others are supportive, but Todd, Reynold, Ruth Marie, and Willard all admit to thinking she deserves to go home now.

* **Immunity Challenge:** The castaways must square off against someone of the same sex on the opposing tribe by balancing on a revolving log over a mud pit. The last castaway left standing on the log earns a point for their tribe. First tribe to score five points wins immunity.

Again, both tribes do well and trade the lead back and forth. However, the final round comes down to Kat and Michele, and Michele wins the challenge for her tribe. Facing their first Tribal Council, Velebit retreats to camp in defeat. Eliza and Lydia plot to take out Willard, who they see as ornery and not important to the camp. However, Willard surprises some others when he says he thinks Lydia should go home and not Eliza. Everyone admits that Lydia is the weakest member of the tribe physically, but that Willard is the weakest when it comes to social aspects. At Tribal Council, Eliza and Lydia rally against Willard, but the rest of the tribe unites and votes Lydia out of the game.