A Land of Kangaroos and Snoring

A Land of Kangaroos and Snoring is the first episode of Survivor: Dueling Desert.

Challenges
Reward Challenge: Chief's Choice (Survivor: Samoa) One member of each tribe must swim out to retrieve a key, before swimming back and handing it to the next person. They will then use the key to open up a locked chest, handing sandbags to the final member, who will use the sandbags to knock down four targets. The first tribe to have all four targets knocked down wins immunity. Reward: Flint. Winner: TBA

Immunity Challenge: Sumo at Sea (Survivor: Palau) One member from each tribe faces off on a platform surrounded by water, and using their padded bags, or any other body part other than their hands, they must try to knock each other off the platform. Doing so would score their tribe a point. The first tribe to reach five points wins immunity. Winner: TBA

Opening
The camera opens to a wide range shot of the desert landscape of the Northern Territory of Australia, before showing several nature shots of the wildlife around the place. As it moves around, a small group of wallabies are shown hopping across a clearing, before the camera pans to a large, beautiful waterfall, leading down into an oasis below. The camera then pans by two trucks with contestants in it, to a helicopter in the air where Jeff Probst is standing."none"

- I'm here in the breath-taking Litchfield National Park, situated in the Northern Territory of Australia. A land that is home to some of the most deadly snakes, spiders, and wildlife on the planet, but also a land that is enriched with the oldest living civilisation on Earth, the Aborigines. It is here that sixteen Americans are about to begin the adventure of a lifetime. They have already been divided into two tribes, where the competitors are already forming their first impressions of each other.

The camera cuts to the Tolmer tribe, cutting between shots of each contestant glancing around, before focusing on a dark-skinned female with buzzed blonde hair. She is shown taking a deep breath in, embracing the surroundings, as a large crow flies by the truck."tolmer"

- Being back in Australia is such a weird but exciting feeling. I was born and raised here, grew up here, spent most of my life here, but moved to the US for college, and then stayed after that. I still visit and all that since family is over here, so you can still hear it in my accent, and by the fact I'll take drinking a slab of VB over any other Friday night you could offer, so I think it's going to be interesting to be back.

Following Jamie's confessional, the camera moves across to a young female with long red hair. She looks around at everyone, raising a skeptical eyebrow at some of her fellow tribe mates. "tolmer"

- Right off the bat, I wanted to make mental notes of my tribe, and it seems like a weird group. We have a Rick Grimes sheriff looking man, probably a father and owns a ranch. Then there's a model kinda guy with designer clothes and a pink streak through his bleached blonde hair, probably stares at himself in the mirror for hours on end and is dumber than a rock.

The camera then pans across to the blonde haired male that Charlotte was speaking about, who brushes his hand through his hair in the wind, giving a subtle but cheeky wink to the camera. "tolmer"

- I've worked in fashion and retail for seven years now, modelling for a plethora of runway events, but it goes deeper than that. If people want to look at me and think I'm stupid, then I'd love that. Truth is, I love the strategy of this game, and I'm a people person, but if you look at me, you don't assume that. Assumptions will be the worst thing people can do out here, and the last thing they'll do.

Following Calvin's confessional, the camera pans to a tall Asian woman who smiles and looks around the group, before looking down to her hand where she has a small ring with a purple and yellow LA gem on it."tolmer"

- I looked around my tribe and had a huge sigh of relief. None of these people look like they're sports fans who would know who I am, but they definitely will after this. I'm one of the leading Shooting Guards in the Women's NBA, but to my tribe, I'm just going to be the tall girl who is everyone's best friend, and I aim to keep it that way. If someone knows you're successful, they use it against you. That's not about to be the thing to ruin my Survivor journey.

The camera then cuts to a long, blonde haired man with rose-coloured glasses on, who tries to keep his hair from blowing around in the wind, but to no avail, as he looks over at Opal and smiles."tolmer"

- There is no way that Opal freakin' Kawaguchi is on my tribe. If I was a betting man I'd put all my money on the fact she's going to try keep this hidden, but y'know, I'm a columnist. I uncover truths, and unfortunately for her, I happen to write on sport too. I'll bide my time for now, because her intentions are probably pure. If she thinks she can use it to get a free ride though, she has another thing coming for her.

Following these shots of the Tolmer tribe, the camera then moves across to the other truck where the Wangi tribe are all seated, with the exception of one young muscular guy who is standing shirtless, hanging over the edge to let the wind blow through his hair."wangi"

- God, you have no idea how hyped I am to begin this bro! I'm losing my mind in the excitement already, I've just got so much energy built up and I need to go punch a tree or somethin'. Our tribe isn't going to have a shelter, we're going to have a tower. I'm not just going to win challenges, I'm gonna destroy them! They better be scared because J.M. right here is comin' for the trophy.

Jeremy sticks his tongue out like a dog would out a car window, with the camera panning across to a middle aged man of Asian descent who rolls his eyes, before smiling and shaking his head playfully."wangi"

- So the young guy; ball of energy, I give him four days before he cracks and is miserable. I'm fourty, I'm old compared to these young guns. They're going to come out thinking they can take the bull by the horns, but when push comes to shove, I'm going to be sitting in the back as the calm yoga instructor who is of no threat to them, whilst they burn out and wear themselves down. A marathon is not won in the first mile, but by pacing oneself over a long period of time.

Following Sonnie's confessional the camera begins to pan around again, before showing an older woman with a green jacket scratching her nose and chewing a small blade of grass."wangi"

- It's dang hot out here and we've been here for an hour at most. I'm from the country'nd I know what it's like to be out in the heat workin' hard, but there's just no shieldin' from that there sun. Y'all watch, someone's goin' to drop early from this, but it's not goin' to be your country gal here. I don't got an iPad or any of that the way these kids do, but I got the outdoors knowledge and I don't take no crap. Get used to seein' this face, because y'all are lookin' at your winner right here.

The trucks pull into a clearing by a river where Jeff Probst is standing. Everyone makes their way off the back of the trucks and jump down onto the sand to where Probst is standing, walking to their tribe mats. A young light haired boy from the Wangi tribe jumps down, but lands awkwardly and stumbles into a man from Tolmer that bumps him aside and walks past."wangi"

- Everyone was rushing off the truck and the whole thing was so frantic, like we were in a challenge. I'm not the type of guy to be like, loud and run into things... no pun intended. I was just minding my own business and some big burly dude from the other side knocked me over, and didn't even offer a hand...

Gerald: Really?! You're going to bump the kid and just leave him on the ground?

Roger: He should've been watching where he was going.

Gerald: Tough guy aren't you?

(Roger scoffs and turns away from Gerald, who extends out his hand to help Edith to his feet.)

Edith: Oh, uh, thanks.

Gerald: Don't sweat it."wangi"

- There was one guy from my team though that helped me up and helped dust me off. I don't really know his name or anything yet, but I'm just glad someone on this tribe is already being nice to me.

(They both join the others on the tribe mat, with everyone turning their attention to Jeff.)

Probst: Welcome to Survivor: Dueling Desert!

(Everyone claps with a few people raising their eyebrows at the name, wondering what it could mean.)

Probst: Woman with the two pigtails.

Rosalind: Rosalind.

Probst: When you hear the season name like that, does it give you any sort of idea of what it could mean?

Rosalind: I'm not huge on geography, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume this desert isn't known as the dueling desert.

(A few people chuckle.)

Probst: That would be correct.

Rosalind: Yeah, I've got nothing then.

Probst: Guy in the green v-neck shirt.

Edith: Oh, Edith.

Probst: What's running through your head as you look at these two tribes?

(Edith glances between the members of his tribe and the other tribe.)

Edith: Well, they certainly seem like a nice group, but I think we might be a bit stronger.

Jeremy: THAT'S RIGHT!

(The Wangi tribe laugh at this outburst.)

Probst: Clearly excited guy, what's your name?

Jeremy: The name's Jeremy, and hell yeah I'm excited! We're about to kick some ass!

(A few more chuckles are heard from Wangi.)

Probst: Guy with the beard over on Tolmer...

Roger: Roger.

Probst: Roger, what do you make of Jeremy's confidence?

Roger: I remember when I was an immature young boy like that too.

(A few people laugh at this, and Roger smirks at Jeremy who stares him down, whilst Jamie just shakes her head and looks at the ground.)"tolmer"

- So we've only just been put on our tribes, and this guy's off his bloody rocker already! Seriously, he's been here for all of three minutes, and he's already knocked someone over and now insulted someone he's never met on the other tribe. Loose cannon you say? Roger that... you- you see what I did there? His name is Roger... ha!

Probst: Alright, well on that note, it's time to get to your first reward challenge. You will only have three people compete in this, the first will run out into the oasis behind me, and swim into the centre where the buoy is located. Once to it, you will grab a key and swim it to shore, before handing it off to the next person. They will use the key to unlock a box, and will grab out sandbags in a net. They finally will pass the sandbags to a final member, who will use them to knock down four targets. The first tribe to have all four down wins... fire in the form of flint. With this in your possession, you will have an early head start in the game, and will have a much easier time than the other tribe early on. I'll give you a minute to strategise and we'll get started.

(The tribes huddle and discuss their choices, with the camera focusing on Wangi.)

Gerald: So, any ideas?

Rosalind: I'm a really strong swimmer, so I should probably go on that part.

Gerald: If you're confident with that, go ahead.

Jeremy: Put me in as the thrower guys! I've been playing baseball and football all my life!

Jessica: I guess I'll do the key part if that's alright.

Gerald: Alright, great job guys.

(The camera cuts over to the Tolmer tribe.)

Opal: I really think it would be a good idea for me to throw, I'm good at throwing things.

Roger: I've got it.

Grant: Maybe you should listen to h-

Roger: (cutting him off) Don't worry you two, I can handle throwing a bunch of sandbags.

Opal: I'm not worried I just really think I-

Roger: (cutting her off) Alright, if you're not worried, me it is.

(Opal sighs and disengages from the conversation. There is then a timeskip as everyone makes their way to their places.)

Probst: Alright. For the swimmers, we have Rosalind for Wangi against Calvin for Tolmer. Unlocking the chest for Wangi will be Jessica, with Charlotte doing it for Tolmer, and finally, throwing for Wangi is Jeremy, up against Roger who is throwing for Tolmer.

(Jeremy grins, wanting to prove Roger wrong for trying to talk down to him earlier.)

Probst: Survivors ready? GO!