Trial by Fire

Trial by Fire
Episode Information
Version	United States
Season	The Australian Outback
Episode Number	6/17 (020)
Original Release	March 1, 2001
Viewership (in Millions)	31.32
Ratings/Share (18-49)	13.7/34
Episode Chronology
Previous	"The Gloves Come Off"
Next	"The Merge"
Subpages

Trial by Fire is the sixth episode of Survivor: The Australian Outback.

Story

“	Things seem to be looking up for Kucha - their winning streak looks to be restarting, and they create a new kind of food: Kucha corn, made by heating up chicken feed. But the same fire that cheers the Kucha tribe up turns suddenly volatile when tribe "leader" Michael passes out from smoke inhalation, and falls face-first into the camp fire.	”
—Episode Synopsis

Day 16

Thunderstorms dampen the Kucha tribe's clothes, but not their spirit. The tribe still had a 6-5 member advantage over the rival tribe, Ogakor. The tribe is looking forward to the merge, knowing that if they win the next Immunity Challenge, they will be able to pick off the Ogakors one by one.

On Ogakor, Amber Brkich and Jerri Manthey fawn over the foods they miss from home, particularly chocolate. Jerri and Keith Famie later get into an argument about tomatoes, continuing to bicker "like two alley cats scratching at each other," according to Colby Donaldson. Tina Wesson, annoyed with their bickering, snaps and tells them to stop, and warns them they will both get time-out if they continue to bicker. Meanwhile, Kucha has found a new source of food: chicken feed, which they discover tastes like popcorn. Everyone is happy to learn that the next challenge promises a food reward. They name the new delicacy "Kucha Corn".

Day 17

The Reward Challenge requires one member of each tribe to lead the others, who are blindfolded, through a series of tasks. Ogakor's Jerri and Kucha's Nick Brown are the eyes for their tribes. Ogakor has the lead heading down the final stretch, but a blindfolded Amber veers off track, resulting in a photo-finish, which Kucha wins by a hair. They eagerly take home Doritos and Mountain Dew.

Back at Ogakor, Jerri appraises the differing vibes at the camp, narrating in a confessional that Amber, Tina, and Keith are being lighthearted and cheery, while Colby sits alone by the river to solely think of the game and what to do if Ogakor wins or loses the imminent immunity challenge. He declares he will not give up and sit around waiting to be voted out by Kucha if his tribe loses the upcoming Immunity Challenge. Jerri steps away from camp to spend time alone to prepare for the next immunity challenge and retrieve the next Tree Mail. During this time, she states how Amber, Keith, and Tina think they will no longer have a chance at winning the game if Ogakor loses the next immunity challenge, but Jerri is determined to wreak havoc within the Kucha tribe members after the merge to force them to vote off their own tribe members at the first few post-merge Tribal Councils to save and take the targets off the Ogakors, if Kucha enters the merge with a two-member advantage.

Everything seems to be going Kucha's way, but soon things take a shocking turn. As most of Kucha relaxes back at camp, a scream suddenly rings out. The tribe takes notice of Michael Skupin, who is writhing and screaming in pain. Michael splashes into the water. Between screams, he explains that he inhaled too much smoke and passed out directly into the fire. His hat protected his face, but he severely burned his hands and shoulder. Michael's tribemates try to help him, but he remains in a state of desperate pain.

The medical team rushes in and immediately calls for Michael to be airlifted out. The medics wrap cold bandages around Michael's hands and load him onto a stretcher. Before Michael is taken away, his tribemates gather around him. Michael tearfully says goodbye to his tribe. "I'm looking at some brave, beautiful people who I have grown to love so much," are his last words before leaving. The helicopter takes off, and Michael is gone.

At Ogakor, Jerri is returning from her retreat, approaches the mailbox, picks up and reads the news in the Tree Mail about the accident and evacuation at Kucha. When she arrives back to camp with the Tree Mail, she reads the news out loud to all her fellow tribemates. They learn that there will be no Immunity Challenge that day, and that all five of them will advance to the merge. Although relieved from a strategic perspective, they are completely shocked and saddened to hear the news, which means for them this result is bittersweet.

Day 18

Back at Kucha, the still shell-shocked tribe realizes that the numbers are no longer in their favor, but they remain determined to win the game in Michael's honor. "We're going to eat them up and spit them out, and that's the way Mike would want it to be," Jeff Varner promises. Ten castaways remain.

Challenges

Reward Challenge: Blind Leading the Blind
The tribes will select one member of each team to act as their "eyes" while the other members are blindfolded. Sitting atop two towers, the "eyes" must guide their blindfolded tribe members through a series of obstacles. First, the blindfolded tribe members must place two logs between a sawhorse. Then, they must switch a pair of traps, one on the table, the other in the water. Next, they must grab a bucket and fill it with water. Then, they must place the water in a larger bucket. When the large bucket overflows, they must then place the picnic basket on the table with a barrel of Mountain Dew. The first tribe to successfully complete the course wins.
Reward: Doritos and Mountain Dew.
Winner: Kucha

Tribal Council

Removed from Camp
EVACUATED: Michael Skupin

Final Words

	Michael	“	You don't want to leave. The longer you're here, the longer you want to stay here. And it's not even about winning as much as playing. The winning will be anticlimactic. The playing is where it is for me.	”

Still in the Running

Debb 16th	Kel 15th	Maralyn 14th	Mitchell 13th	Kimmi 12th	Michael 11th	Alicia Kucha	Amber Ogakor
Colby Ogakor	Elisabeth Kucha	Jeff Kucha	Jerri Ogakor	Keith Ogakor	Nick Kucha	Rodger Kucha	Tina Ogakor

Trivia

• Before Michael Skupin's accident, when coming back from commercial break, a warning screen was shown to state that viewer discretion was advised.
• Michael's accident became the show's first major injury and medical evacuation.
• This episode was the first in which neither an Immunity Challenge nor a Tribal Council took place.
• This is the only episode where an elimination (other than those who left the game by raising the mast on the Edge of Extinction) took place outside Jeff Probst's presence.
• This is the only episode in which Executive Producer Mark Burnett appears onscreen.
• This episode was voted the 9th best Survivor episode of all time in the "Top 25 Greatest Episodes of all time" poll by Survivor Oz in 2015.