Survivor 44: Season Finale Blog Party - May 24

 

Good evening!

Welcome to the THREE HOUR season finale blog party! When you have a good season going, it sure can go by quickly! Our current final five are not the ones I would have predicted to be here at this time. Well, maybe Carson. But ... Carolyn? Yam Yam? Nah. I thought they would be early outs or just carried to the end to ensure someone else a win. But everybody has been playing this season.

I will be live-blogging the major events of the show as it airs here on the East Coast. Refresh the page to get the latest updates. As always, the real party is in the comments area. Please feel free to join in on the fun!

The blog pool has been updated by Wonderful Lifeguard SueGee and here's where we stand:

VA VA (MERGED TRIBE)

Heidi - John Cantrell, PDX Granny 

Carolyn - Krysta Gibson, Sydney 

Yam Yam - Sharon N, Glenn Allen

Lauren - David, KelseyNY 

Carson - Petals, Donna in FL

JURY

Matt

Brandon

Kane

Frannie

Danny

Jaime

Survivor fans ready? Get settled in your comfy chair with snacks and adult beverages at hand. Let's get this party started!

We start out with Jeff talking about the season. Tonight's five are on a new beach. The winner will be announced in Fiji. He says to settle in ... just like I just told you!

The five are at the new beach with new torches. They have nothing but what they brought with them. Heidi told them she found her idol near the cage. Carolyn is looking for an idol, tells Yam Yam she will be looking tonight. The three Tika - Yam Yam, Carson and Carolyn -- talk about how they need to find an idol before the other two. 

Carolyn really feels she will find an idol. It's a big search going on. Aha! WE see the idol as Yam Yam and Lauren walk right by it. Lauren needs to find it (like everyone else). She realizes she needs to bond with Tika ... as she campaigns against Carson to all the others. They all think he's the biggest threat. The three Tika seem to be doubting each other.

Day 24 ... only two days more for them. It's time for the first Immunity Challenge of the night. The sun is shining there. Race through a three level obstacle grab keys, unlock chest, drop[ and go up a ladder, solve a puzzle. Reward ... winner goes to the sanctuary -- spaghetti, chocolate and carrot cakes.

Heidi and Carson make it to the puzzle in that order. Carolyn and Yam Yam running behind. All are doing the puzzle. Carson is slightly in the lead.

CARSON wins Immunity! It's his second Immunity win. He chooses one person ... Yam Yam.

Carson and Yam Yam are thrilled at the Sanctuary. They talk Tribal. Yam Yam says that Carolyn is the biggest threat. Carson thinks the Tika Three have a better chance against each other. He thinks Lauren could get a lot of jury votes. Yam Yam thinks it's a mistake. Hmm.

Heidi tells Carolyn that Carson took Yam Yam ... why? Lauren is sure she will be targeted. Heidi tells Carolyn that the vote the last time was to be Carolyn and she wasn't in on the Jaime vote. Now Carolyn is worried about Yam Yam turning on her. She tells the women that Yam Yam might have to be the target.

When the guys return to camp, Yam Yam is automatically paranoid. The Tika Three are together. Carson says Lauren. Carolyn says they need a Tika on the jury. Uh-oh. Yam Yam is worried. Now the plan is to vote for Lauren but Yam Yam will tell her they are voting for Carolyn. 

Yam Yam talks to Lauren. She thinks that Tika is just playing games with her and goes out idol hunting. Once again she seems to go by the idol in the tree not seeing it. We see it. 

Carson is worried because he knows Carolyn is upset with Yam Yam ... for some reason. We're going to be heading into another unpredictable Tribal. 

Tribal Council. Lauren says she thinks she will be going home because no one talked to her. Carolyn acts shocked about that. Jeff brings up the possibility of an idol. Jeff says it's a testament to the gameplay that even he is confused. Yam Yam says he thinks it's him ... or Lauren. Lauren is now in tears. Hmm. She is proud of who she has become in the game.

The tally ... Lauren kids about having an idol. Panic set in.

Yam Yam, Lauren, Heidi, Lauren, Lauren.

Bye, Lauren!

Day 25 ... one day left.

Time for the last Immunity Challenge. Carolyn is crying and is overwhelmed to be there. "We're here! I'm here!" It's another classic challenge ... the one with the balls running down the chute, catch it with one hand tied behind the back, more balls added, drop a ball and you're out.

They are all right-handed. The weather is clear. Two balls going now. Carolyn out first. Three balls. Now four balls. Yam Yam out. Carson is out!

Rats ... HEIDI wins her first Immunity! The Tika Three will be Tika Two.

Heidi thinks she is considering making fire herself to build her resume.

Back at camp she asks if anyone WANTS to make fire. Carson is practicing his fire skills or lack thereof. It took him three minutes at home. Now he's getting emotional and feels he lacks self-confidence. Not doing well at it.

Yam Yam practices and succeeds. He feels emotional as well. Carolyn tells Yam Yam he makes fire well. She thinks she's good at it because she practiced at home for five years. Both of them are good, Carson is not. Yam Yam tries to help him. Carson cries and Yam Yam comforts him. It's a sad scene. 

Heidi does well with fire. She knows Yam Yam and Carolyn are good at it. Will she make fire tonight? Nah. They are keeping the suspense for Tribal.

Here we are at Tribal ... Jeff brings up Heidi saying she might make fire. She says she's still undecided. Yam Yam says he likes making fire and he likes being safe. Carolyn says Heidi was looking for a volunteer and it would be a good game move. Carson says it might be a good move for Heidi to go against someone else for her resume.

Heidi decides that Carolyn in the Final Three. Carolyn gets emotional. She talks of being weird and different. She says it's okay to be you. Heidi says Carson will have to make fire. Sigh. SHE IS going to do fire with Carson! 

Both Carolyn and Yam Yam are in the Final Three. Who woulda thunk it?

The fire starting is ON. Heidi has flame first. Uh-oh she's in the lead. Carson now has a flame. HEIDI WINS! Jeff says hers was the fastest fire ever made on the show.

Sigh. Carson played such a good game. He tells Jeff he was in tears. He's proud that he even started a decent fire.

Yam Yam, Carolyn and Heidi are the Final Three.

The Three are on the beach. Yam Yam is scared. He doesn't want to sound stupid. Carolyn says she will sound stupider. He thanks her.

Now jury members are saying the pros of Yam Yam's game. 

Their feast arrives!

Now it's Heidi tribute time. She thinks the fire boosted her resume. So, we get jury Heidi pros. Carolyn is next mentioning her self-loathing. We get jury Carolyn pro thoughts.

The Three are heading to the Final Tribal and jury questions.

Social, Physical, Strategy questions.

Kane - Explain game, better than the other two. Perception of you and is it accurate. Yam Yam first, not following Carson's step ... Heidi interrupts him. Heidi -- into strategy, then riding tails, was trying strategic. Carolyn -- didn't fit in, found Carson, realness then Yam Yam. She thinks she was underestimated the entire game.

Carson wants to hear more about Heidi's game. She says she suffered a lot. Claims the Tika were on a high through the game. Danny says Tika USED Carson. Yam Yam denies he used just Carson. Danny asks who Heidi used as a shield ... she says it was him but there is a friendship.

Frannie talks social games and managing emotions. She chooses Carolyn to start. Carolyn mentions her drug addiction days. She thought numbing her emotions would be too painful. Yam Yam talks of his love and care. He says some were blank when they talked to him, tried to build real relationships with others. Heidi says she wanted to represent people who are different, Latina in science, tried to control her emotions.

Matt admires all of them for being themselves as it's something he finds difficult.

Physical part of the game? Carolyn -- athletic in real life, thought she would do great but one embarrassing thing after another. Her letter from home brought tears to her eyes over her challenges performance. Heidi speaks up about how she kept trying. Carson asks Heidi about her decision to make fire. She says it was the best opportunity to win the game. She brings up that if she wins, she would be the oldest female winner. Yam Yam says he's not a physical person although his family members are -- he channeled his strength through them. He's the second one to say Jeff was annoying during challenges.

Strategy -- Carson asks Carolyn and she mentions trusting and playing her idol for Carson. She says Danny had to go, she needed him out -- he was controlling. Yam Yam -- strategic moves against those who wrote his name down. He tried not to be a threat, but he can talk. Heidi, right side of the votes a good part of the time. She says she had to keep adapting because she was by herself. She talks of personal growth and living the American dream. 

The final three hug each other.

Time to vote for a winner!

Many seem undecided. Carson looked like he struggled. The final three hold hands. Jeff talks about the positivity of the jurors.

Heidi, Yam, Yam, Yam, Yam, Yam.

Yam Yam WINS! (I got lazy in the listing and left out a Yam.) Congratulations to blog pool winners Glenn Allen and Sharon N. You got them bragging rights ... don't spend them all in one place. 😂 

The after show is next as well as a sneak peek at next season.

They have champagne and pizza. Danny voted for Heidi. All the other votes were for Yam Yam. They say Yam Yam was the strongest overall control of the game. I feel sad that Carolyn didn't get any votes. Jaime talked about no one believing she gave her idol to Kane. Jeff tells them that Matthew planted that fake idol for her to find. Matthew was medically evacuated with the real idol. Jeff says the fake idol would be in a future season ... real or fake?

Carolyn and Yam Yam in their relationship. Yam Yam says they're married. Matt/Frannie a couple? A showmance? Yep, Matt says they have chemistry. Meanwhile, Danny is nicer on the after show than he was on the show.

Now they are talking about how rough challenges are when they're hungry and dehydrated. Carson gained 30 pounds to be on the show. All admitted to crying at some point or another.

Jeff brings up Carolyn no votes. She cries and says she didn't believe in herself. She says she struggles when she's out of her element. Frannie speaks kindly to her and says she's an inspiration. 

Sneak peek at next season. We get backstories on some. Looks like another possibly good cast. Still in Fiji. Looks like Bruce from this season is back!