We’ve come to the final week of an Australian Survivor season so fluid it should replace the season named after actual fluids. Kicking off with gusto in instant, epic power flips, the season then had each tribe go to war internally, externally and beyond.

After a dizzying post-merge where no voting permutation carried for even one additional tribal council, we’re left with maybe my favourite final five in all Australian Survivor history.

Kirby and Feras, arguably the season’s two ruling protagonists, have carried out their layered frenemy dynamic all the way to the last week, with Raymond alongside them as the three remaining Rebels. Incredibly, their Titan counterparts, Mark and Caroline, who have also quarrelled and connected in complex ways, have also extended that to be the last two Titans remaining, proving once and for all that this season is a cosmic, tribal mirror image crafted by the Survivor gods.

Before we can look ahead at how this might shake out, let’s recap a post-merge so chaotic it makes Kelli seem tranquil (we miss you, Kelli).

The Merge

When the players came together in the largest merge in English-speaking Survivor history, pandemonium ensued, as defined by modern voting blocs delineated by tribe and grudge match. While the Titans immediately sparred, with Mark and Valeria nearly taking their historic, Viola-based revenge on Kitty and the Middle-Aged Mafia, before Scott left the game voluntarily for mental health reasons, the Rebels quietly prioritised each other. Caroline and the Middle-Aged Mafia swiftly hit back, teaming up with Feras to enact his own revenge plan for Garrick against Winna, but the undercurrent of a tribal war loomed large. As Mark’s professional diplomacy miraculously reunited Valeria and Caroline and Eden took the chance to push a Titans-strong mentality, the Rebels easily snapped back too. It took them to a six-on-six tribal stalemate, only broken by Jaden’s revenge to take Eden out of the game. That’s three separate revenge plots in one week. That’s too much revenge.

While most of these players had gone so far down the path of tribe loyalty that they almost went to rocks for each other, that allegiance lasted not one day. Kirby, bored from sitting back/not taking shots at Feras, decided to take a hit on one of his many right hands in Aileen. It’s a move that should have driven their wedge into a gulf, but it actually united them, in a dynamic that’s too intricate for any of the rest of us to understand.

With their factions united, the former Titans proposed a counterattack. However, Alex flipped. Kitty flipped. At tribal, Raymond flipped. It, again, created two impossibly even groups too random to memorise given that they lasted, also again, not one day. All you need to know is that in the tribal council scramble, as plans were spilled and votes changed, Rianna didn’t get the memo and voted, also, also again, by herself, sending Jaden to the jury.

In the midst of this, Raymond found a never-before-seen advantage in his auction popcorn, challenging him to garner all the votes on himself in order to win out with his ultimate vote. Accruing that many votes was frighteningly risky, many wouldn’t have even tried, but Raymond went all in, putting on a fittingly popcorn-worthy performance that sold that he wanted to quit the game, and preying on the compassion of his tribemates to exploit their votes. With Feras and Kirby clued in and in supporting roles, Valeria was sent out on one vote alone.

The penultimate week saw the limelight finally hit Kirby’s mammoth threat level. While a failed spa ploy, touted gender lines -- seriously, are the tribe dynamics each round being picked by some sort of spinning wheel? -- and a last-ditch, good old-fashioned tribal council call-out session sent Alex packing, his parting words on Kirby’s power lingered. Kirby won the next two immunity challenges, probably out of necessity, but lost ride-or-die Ri to the onslaught.

In the last vote, she teamed up with Feras, Raymond, and Mark to take endurance threat Kitty out of the game, but I can only guess that this newly formed voting bloc will last, say it with me, not one day. In the midst of all this, Caroline backed the wrong horse, erroneously playing her recently found idol on Mark to try to send home Feras, but voting alone and watching Kitty use up her ninth life instead.

So much happened these last three weeks that I can’t possibly fit it all into my word count, let’s just talk about the final five.

The Final Five

Feras is in the prime spot to win for me. He has outs -- miraculously, an idol still, a favourable jury chance against anyone but Kirby given the impressive way he’s navigated the game, Raymond’s supposed loyalty, Kirby as a shield and an OK shot at challenges in a now even field, given that last week saw the challenge beasts sent extinct. His nemesis (emphasis on the final syllable, given their sibling-type relationship) in Kirby has a simple task – win out and take home the prize. If she can get herself to the end, it’s hers to lose, but the road is rocky. Both Feras and Kirby have cemented this season in the annals of Survivor history as one of its best, with the richest newbie relationship I can think of in the global franchise. Thank you both for your service.

Mark is a sneaky winner pick for me. After a leading start to the game, he lost capital through the swap but has had wins through the post-merge, including that of a car. If Feras and Kirby are sacrificed in the final rounds, I think he could advocate for his game successfully.

Caroline has an uphill battle ahead of her. As if it isn’t hard enough to gain permission to play the godmother-type game she’s intermittently employed as an older woman, we’ve also seen social issues she needs to wear – literally, a lot of the issues were over a jacket she wouldn’t let other people wear. If Raymond can act in self-interest and cut his best friend in Feras towards the end to claim the move, I could also see a strong showing against these Titans, with the right jury and the right pitch.

However it winds up, it’s truly been a season for the ages, packed with a new-player cast that bolted out the gates and never slowed down. Honestly, I’m exhausted and I didn’t even do anything. Here’s to finale week – don’t forget to look for a clue in your popcorn.

Australian Survivor: Titans V Rebels continues Sunday - Tuesday at 7.30 on 10 and 10 Play