Tonight's season finale is three hours long. Get some snacks now before it starts!
I will be live blogging 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 section. I hope to see you there!
Jesse AprilW, Donna in AL
Cassidy Cherrypie, Kelsey NY
Gabler Donna in FL, Joanne Victoria
Owen Mike Barer, SueGee
Survivor fans ready?
We start off with Night 23 at Tribal and Jesse plays the idol for Owen, votes out Cody. Karla uses her idol because she's worried now. And Jesse still has an idol ... Cody asked him to hold it. Oh my. Survivor brownie points for strategy there, Jesse.
Gabler thinks he is ruling his destiny. We're getting the Final Five thoughts on making it to the end. Karla seems the most worried about how she will do.
They're exploring the new campsite. Oh my ... five envelopes with clues to a secret advantage. They have to solve a long word scramble phrase to get the actual clue to the advantage. Owen thinks the biggest game threats are Karla and Jesse.
Karla figures out the phrase first and is off running as well as she can with her ankle. Then it's Owen off running. He passes Karla. They're both looking for a tree with a knot at the base by the shore. WHOA! Karla worked her way around Owen and snags the clue! Owen is not a happy camper. He was right there and she reached around him!
It's a slight advantage for today's Immunity Challenge.
Day 24 ... Immunity Challenge. Karla presents her advantage paper. Maneuver a buoy in water through obstacles, untie puzzle bag on the beach, transport puzzle blocks on a teeter-totter thing, solve puzzle. They have to carry the puzzle blocks with two hand grip short posts. Jesse is struggling. Reward - steak, baked potatoes, wine and cheesecake. Karla starts with ten puzzle blocks, approximately a third.
Karla is in the lead. It's a word scramble. All five are trying to solve the puzzle now.
OWEN wins it! "You cannot hide in a dangerous game."
He can choose one person to go with him to the Sanctuary -- he chooses Cassidy. Wow! What a spread! Both are glad that Karla didn't win today. But is she more dangerous than Jesse? Hmm. Owen thinks he would lose in a final three with Jesse. Cassidy would like to see Karla go tonight. Neither think Gabler is a threat. They decide on getting Karla out tonight.
Back at camp Gabler was hoping he could have gone with Owen. He's breaking down physically. Karla and Jesse know that they are the likely targets. No one knows that Jesse has an idol -- it was Jeanine's.
Karla tells us she's telling Jesse she wants Cassidy out, but in reality, she wants Jesse out -- thinking that he made the biggest move of the season getting Cody out. They talk to Gabler, he hears Cassidy. However, Karla takes him aside and goes after Jesse. She talks to Owen about it, too. Then she talks to Cassidy. Cassidy is not as accepting about the Jesse target. Karla pretty much tells her she will poison the jury against her and not vote for her if she makes the final three.
Cassidy runs to Jesse and tells him. Jesse is torn between Cassidy and Karla vote out. He tells us he will use the idol but hasn't figured out HOW he will use it.
Tribal Council time! Jesse says that Karla threw some punches today. Karla talks about Jesse's excellent game move last Tribal. She wants him out and says it. Jesse says he feels good and shows his idol, saying he's punching his ticket to the final four. Jeanine on jury is in shock -- they all thought the idol went home with Dwight. Karla says there are two other options -- Gabler and Cassidy. Hmm.
Whoa -- Karla and Jesse talk and agree to take out Cassidy. Then Jesse talks to Gabler, Owen joins them. Hmm. Cassidy votes Karla.
Jesse plays the idol for himself.
The tally -- Jesse, Karla, Karla, Karla ... three is enough. She takes it very well. When the votes are shown, the other four all voted Karla. I updated the blog pool above.
Right to the final Immunity Challenge. Use a long fork, bowl through a channel in a structure, the platform is suspended on a string, fifteen bowls. I'm thinking this might be something that Gabler could be good at. We'll see. He's leading by just a bit over Cassidy. Jesse is doing the worst.
Argh. Gabler's stack fell down. It's between Owen and Cassidy with three bowls each left. Owen's stack goes over!
CASSIDY WINS IMMUNITY! None of the guys look happy. And the only one who congratulates her is Owen.
She has indeed done well. They return to camp to find fire making supplies. Owen thinks it will be himself and Jesse at the fire. He thinks Jesse may have it in the bag. But he doesn't want to ever give up. He tells Cassidy he thinks he can win against Jesse in fire. She says she wants someone who can beat Jesse with fire.
Both Jesse and Owen practice fire. Jesse tells Cassidy that she should go against him with fire. She is not receptive! Jesse is choking up as he tells us he won't stop. Gabler tells Cassidy that he thinks he can beat Jesse in fire. He wants to win fire against Jesse for points with the jury. But his body is betraying him. He tells us he intends to donate the entire prize to Veterans in Need if he wins.
They start walking off to Tribal. Both Gabler and Owen want to go against Jesse with fire. Oh my.
Tribal Council - Night 25. The jury seems impressed that Cassidy won the final immunity. Jesse looks miserable. Jesse says his pitch to Cassidy. Both Gabler and Owen say they want to make fire against Jesse. Cassidy says she will do what's best for her own game. Earlier Jeff pointed out that Owen and Cassidy with three Immunity wins each, have won 2/3 of the Immunity Challenges in the game.
Cassidy takes Owen with her. So, fire making for Gabler and Jesse.
GABLER makes the fastest fire ever made in the show. Jesse looks miserable. The jury was rooting for Jesse. That won't bode well for Gabler at the end.
Jesse cries. It's very sad. Gabler tries to comfort him. Jesse says he was playing for his kids, setting an example. He did that and felt he played a great game. Owen is crying. Everyone is a bit teary-eyed. Cassidy makes him laugh when she says she had to have him out or he would have won.
The final three are back at camp. Owen thinks he's the underdog. It sounds like at least some of the jury in confessionals agree and will support him.
They get the feast.
Gabler points out to us that he didn't receive one vote and is the old man of the show. They have some jury members point out his good points to us. And now we have Cassidy telling us why she needs to win and we get jury members pointing out her strengths. Cassidy is the champion, Owen is the underdog and Gabler is the outsider.
They're off to the jury questioning. Jeff pep talks them. Social, physical, strategic focus.
Jesse -- wishes them luck.
Noelle - Gabler differentiate game from others, trust and behind the scenes, had multiple ways to move along in the game. No one has written his name down, hope they will tonight. Cassidy - every vote was the right vote, close bonds with those who mattered, not personal, last woman standing. Owen - Underdog, superfan, scholar of the game, first tribe a disaster, thought he would be first boot, even worse after the merge, had to crawl and scratch himself out of the hole, learned he just needs to be himself.
James -- ACK THAT VOICE. Owen trust in Noelle. Gabler - Elie looked in my bag (Jeanine confesses), stirred pot, voted Elie out, then decided had to change his game.
Karla - Cassidy pre-merge move. Blindside Geo and get tribe in merge.
Jesse - Social relationships in game -- Gabler, hiding underwater - he's making the jury giggle. Cassidy -- in trenches with the right votes, people after her and she got them out.
Jeanine - Gaber and Owen closest alliances. Owen, Noelle then the final four. Gabler - had a few core alliances.
Sami - Gabler, were you going back and forth in alliances? Cassidy wonders if it's because he didn't seem like a threat or real alliances.
Ryan points out that the three won all but two immunities in the game. Noelle credits Cassidy for being a woman and winning so many challenges. Wants to know why Cassidy chose Gabler instead of doing fire against Jesse. Cassidy says that she deserved the immunity, and that Owen wouldn't have that win against Jesse. Owen points out that Karla snagged the advantage from him, and he had to win Immunity at five. He apologizes to James for blowing up at him.
Mistakes? Gabler and Cassidy think of conversations. Owen has many mistakes he made.
Last question -- Jesse how did you persuade people to vote your way? They bring up votes. Jeanine for Gabler, Cassidy the Ryan vote -- Ride or Die claims credit for that. Owen, no specific vote, no idols, no advantages. He showed he could be a key part rather than the actor.
Time to vote for a winner. James votes Cassidy. Karla votes Gabler. No other votes are shown.
Reads the votes right now in Fiji.
Cassidy, Gabler, Gabler, Gabler, Gabler, Gabler.
GABLER WINS! All the rest of the votes were for him! They celebrate right there with champagne and pizza! Congratulations blog pool winners Donna in FL and Joanne Victoria!
The jury tells Jeff the jury question answers gave Gabler the win.
Now he says he's the second player over 50 to win. He will make history another way. He says that he's donating the whole prize in his father's name to Veterans in Need. More tears. Gabler says they ALL are a part of the donation. Ryan, with a military dad, is really touched.
Gabler has proved he is the MAN of the Season!
Survivor 44 sneak peek ... you have to want it, you have to be fearless. NFL player. Rocket scientist. And more. Uh-oh ... medic call! It looks good. The premiere is March 4.
