Survivor 41: Season Finale Blog Party

 

Tonight, tonight ...

Yes, it's finale night for the season. The final five aren't quite the ones I would have predicted from the start, but there they are. Tonight's show will be two hours of actual gameplay and then an hour of well, um, mingling with the jury, I guess. The winner will be announced on site after the votes and the after-show is also set there due to the pandemic. It will be different!

I will be updating this entry with the major events as the show airs here on the East Coast -- refresh the page to get the latest news! As always, the real party is in the comments area. Please feel free to join in on the fun!

But first, Lifeguard Laurie has submitted her last blog pool update of the season. Thank you so much, Laurie! Are you still in the pool?

Deshawn, Heather, Xander, Erika, Ricard

Deshawn Radden - Kelsey NY, PDX Granny, Jlaf
Erika Casupanan - Petals, Pam Arceneaux, Margo
Heather Aldret - Debbie, Joanne Victoria
Ricard Foye - Mikes Girl, GiLLL
Xander Hastings - Donna in FL, April

Jury
Tiffany Seely

Naseer Muttalif

Evvie Jagoda

Shantel Smith

Liana Wallace

Danny McCray

Survivor fans ready?

We start out with Jeff at night on a beach. Two Immunity challenges, two Tribals and a fire challenge. The votes will be read out on voting night.

It's Night 23 as the five head off to a new beach with bare minimum supplies. Deshawn is trying to make amends with Erika, but she's not hearing it. He had tried to turn Heather and Erika against each other to better his own game. She turns to Ricard. Let's see how that goes.

Ricard is thrilled that Deshawn kind of blew his chances to work with anyone while Ricard is still in with them. Meanwhile, Deshawn thinks Ricard needs to go. Of course, anyone with a brain would want Ricard out. If he stays to the end, he will win!

Deshawn and Erika come across a final advantage clue box. There's one for all. They each have to unscramble words, come up with the phrase answer and then have a chance to win the advantage. Xander deciphers it first, something to with the treasure hanging where the trees love to dance. They all eventually decipher it with Erika last ... and she finds it! It will aid her in the Immunity Challenge. She tells Ricard and they let Deshawn (and others) keep on searching.

Immunity Challenge time! Erika speaks up about it. Jeff explains the challenge first. Build a rope ladder, build another one, bring puzzle pieces up, 75-piece puzzle. Steak, veggies, bread and wine reward. Erika's advantage is that she starts with four rungs already up on each ladder. Heather is doing poorly, surprise, surprise.

ERIKA WINS IMMUNITY AND A SPOT IN THE FINAL FOUR!

She can choose one person to go with her for the meal. She chooses Heather.

At their little feast, they both blame Deshawn for their problems. BFFs again. Neither want Deshawn to go to the end although they both know Ricard would beat them in the end. Ricard and Deshawn are voting for each other. Ricard is reading Erika's face and is bothered that she claims to be on the fence. Now Heather is telling him it's complicated. Xander says he will vote with him against Deshawn. But Xander told us Ricard has to go. Now he's conflicted! Xander tells Ricard that he might be able to save him with the idol. Hmm.

First Tribal Council! Jeff asks Deshawn about the emphasis about taking out Ricardo. Oooh ... Ricard goes for the heartstrings and in tears talks about his baby due next week, could even be here already. Oh my. Jeff says he normally feels a blindside coming but doesn't feel that this week -- hinting he thinks Ricard will be voted out.

The tally -- Xander saves himself! Deshawn, Ricard, Ricard, Ricard.

It was the smart choice. Ricard played an amazing game.

Night 24 with the Final Four. The only one I cannot see winning at all would be Heather. There they are in a thunderstorm without a shelter. Xander is the only one not bothered by the weather.

Daytime comes and they are practicing making fire. Erika knows she can because she did it on Exile (or whatever they're calling it this season).

Day 24 and time for the last Immunity Challenge. Navigate a curved walkway while stacking blocks spelling FINAL THREE wins.

XANDER WINS THE FINAL IMMUNITY! It's emotional.

Xander goes to each person feeling them out. Deshawn says he can't make fire. He tells Erika that he's taking her. He tells the other two they will be making fire. So they need to practice. In practice, Heather builds a fire while Deshawn has problems. Oooh, Erika is having problems and Xander notices! He talks to Heather who tells him she could win and he should take her out. Hmm.

Final Tribal Council. Jeff and Xander talk about perceptions. Xander thinks that the jury thinks Heather's the goat -- not the G.O.A.T. goat, mind you. He doesn't think so. Xander sticks with taking Erika even though he knows she cannot make fire. Heather and Deshawn will do the making fire challenge.

Fire Challenge is ON. Heather ALMOST had it, but DESHAWN WINS THE THIRD SPOT IN THE FINAL THREE!

The Final Three gather watching the sunrise. And, then they get their feast. We get to hear each of them telling us about their game and why they should win. They head off to the jury questioning.

Evie - Congrats all. Diversity. However, no questions.

Danny - Pro athlete. Breaking down game plan going in and then adapting. Xander - wanted to do something different, take big risks, team dynamic at the start, then marketing himself, at the end, keep Ricard as shield, had to turn on him. Naseer tells him he's got a kind heart. Deshawn - Social game build relationships at first, then those saved him. Ricard confronts him about Sydney, wrecking Danny's game, throwing others under the bus. Deshawn denies. Erika - Had expectations being sweet, on winning team, Exile, down and out, flipped the game, joined up with others on the bottom. Ricard tells her that it's a shame she didn't make bonds with all like Deshawn did (then betrayed them). She speaks up about using Heather not as just a number but a partner.

Tiffany - Xander, going into the merge. Friends, but had to adapt. Liana asks about his social awareness. He talks about the Tiffany vote and reading the room. Evvie - asked about him holding the idol and not playing it. Ricard - bromance with Xander. Kept the number two threat, Erika. Did we have a real relationship? We did. You would have won against anyone. Heather brings up that she told Xander that the only one who could win against him was Erika.

Shan - Deshawn, emotional breakdowns and tantrums. Win for the Black community. Capitalizing to win on a movement? Out of bounds. He says it was not his intention to sell out his people.

Danny - Erika, did amazing. Allowed people to underestimate you but you're a real competitor. 

Liana - Asks Xander if he has an idol. Heehee.

Time for the jury to vote. Jeff says that the last time they read the votes at Tribal was Season One.

Erika, Deshawn, Erika, Erika, Erika, Erika ... all the rest are hers, too.

ERIKA WINS!

Congratulations to blog pool winners Petals, Pam Arceneaux, Margo!

We then get into an after show party with champagne and pizza. Now I might slack a bit on blogging this. But I will be here.

I am indeed here. So far it's just been Jeff asking Probsting questions and the Final Three talking about their games. Going on to talking to Naseer and Liana about the phrase and Knowledge Is Power advantage, respectively.

Survivor 42, same location. Looks like they will be keeping a lot of the happenings and pace from this season. Expect it in the spring.

No Sia award announced but it might be coming. I don't know.