Man, Im just happy.
In a good mood.
Have a little extra pep in my step.
Things right now, as I write this, are okay.
Dont get me wrong, things are legitterribleout there.
We couldnt visit her in her final weeks because we werent allowed in the hospital as she was dying.
So whats the ultimate feeling when it comes toWinners at War?
The joy actually started in the days leading up to filming.
Some people, like Ben and Michele, had something to prove.
His return alone was one of the best reality TV stories ever.
They stepped on the beach, and I got goosebumps.
And what was equally awesome was how the producers treated the season.
This season would also act as a celebration of the entire franchise and its epic 20-year run.
More often than not, we, as viewers, were celebrating.
Celebrating an incredible game move like Denise slaying the Queen, or Tony masterfully flipping the vote onto Sophie.
Celebrating the incredible drive and spirit of the folks that completed that brutal log carrying challenge.
Celebrating the family reunions that made even an emotionless cyborg like me well up.
SometimesSurvivorcan get ugly, with last season being but one example.
We saw a great speech from Sarah about gender bias in the game.
We saw Jeff Probst go out of his way to acknowledge his role in that bias.
And then there was Tony Vlachos.
His run this season was dominant.
He won four immunity challenges.
He found an idol.
And he never had his name written down once.
And probably the most dominantSurvivorperformance ever, especially considering the level of competition.
I cant tell you how satisfying it is to have a great winner on such an important season.
But its not just about greatness with Tony.
Tony is also FUN!
Which is exactly what we all have needed these past few months exuberant joy.
Its why the timing of season 40 was so perfect.
Look, you all know me.
Which is why Im so happy.
And its not just the winner.
Im happy Natalie got kudos for playing her ass off.
Theres a reason Michele kept being bequeathed tokens.
Clean sweep for the non-gas pumpers in the house!
Okay, large overview officially over!
Lets now DIG DEEP on some of the big finale moments in a bit more detail.
Day 2, Day 2, Whatcha Gonna Do?
(Tyson and Sophie bought peanut butter with their tokens.)
Shockingly, Natalie then won the competition, narrowly beating Wendell (who also had an advantage).
I made no secret of my desire to see Ethan win this game.
Everything that guy has done.
Everything he has been through.
The oldest season winner.
It would have been righteous.
This show saved my life.
Cmon, how amazing is that?
Idols Wasted
Nowthatswhat Im talking about!
Finally, a challenge getting the folks out and moving and grooving.
Say it with me:Its all about the puzzle.
And Michele is good at puzzles.
They refused to believe Natalie had an idol.
Theres no way she has something, said the Marine.
The cops response was even worse: Natalie does not have an idol.
These girls dont have anything, so calm down dude.
Guess whos in control?
Sarah knows whats going on.
At this point, Tony was close to losing his mind, and I dont blame him.
Because if Natalie did not have an idol, then she would go out on the revote anyway.
And that is exactly what happened.
Natalie played her idol, so then Tony and Ben had to waste theirs.
The four votes for Natalie did not count.
Oh, I kid!
No, Denise was unanimously voted out on the revote.
The problem is, by that time, the jurys mind is already made up.
Sarah wisely knew she had to strike before then.
If a guy does it, its good gameplay.
If a guy does it, hes a stud.
What it is, is a gender bias.
Of course, she was right.
I honestly consider Sarah to be one of the best players to ever play this game.
Because heres the thing: Nobody in this scene was calling out Jeff.
Nobody was asking him to explain himself.
Nobody was accusing him of anything.
He went there again, unprompted and addressed his own role in the alpha-dominated culture ofSurvivor.
The fact that he wanted to go there is huge.
But the truly shocking thing is not that Probst said it.
Remember, Tribal Councils can go on for hours and are then condensed to just a few minutes.
Especially in a finale, every second is precious.
Its not live, so he can let it rip.
And now Sarah is truly dead.
Unfortunately for Tony, his idol hunt was fruitless, and Natalie found the idol instead.
On the plus side, he didnt burn the island down, sooooo… Good stuff once again from the challenge production department.
Ben was the first one through the obstacles and the first one to land a bag.
Thats important to remember because had he landed that second bag, the entire end game could have beenverydifferent.
I mean, its the same necklace.
Its not like they give him adifferentnecklace each time.
You know what I mean.
After the challenge, Tony was back up in the Spy NestTM, although Im not really sure why.
I just dont understand it.
Then again, mere mortals cannot be expected to understand the logic of the gods.
SAY WHAAAAAAAAAT?!?
Lacina was Bens No.
Use that as your resume, he told her, his eyes turning red as he welled up.
Im for it… That way you cant say you got drug along…. Im being totally serious.
You have my permission.
HE MUST BE A MEMBER OF CYPRESS HILL BECAUSE THE MAN HAS GONE INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE!!!
HOW COULD HE DO THAT?
WHAT IS HE THINKING?
If youre thinking that, I get it.
All you have to do is make it through this vote and youre pretty much guaranteed final three!
Two seasons, 78 days?
But instead Ben quits?
Who does this guy think he is, Ian Rosenberger?!?
Again, if youre thinking that, I get it.
But think about this: Ben had ZERO chance of winning the game.
Just read what my panel forformer all-stars had to sayabout Bens chances heading into the finale.
They knew he had no chance.
The jury knew he had no chance.
And Ben knew he had no chance.
He was viewed as a passenger.
And he knew that.
Just two days prior, he was remarking that he clearly was not very popular with the soon-to-be jury.
Because having friends is worth more than money.
We all know Ben has demons.
We know this because he is so honest and candid about it.
We know Ben has struggled with how his last winning effort was perceived.
Last week opened up the discussion about the emotional costSurvivorcan take on players after they leave the island.
Thats not to say Ben is not competitive.
Ive been around him long enough to know that he is.
But he knew there was no way for him to win this game.
If he saw a path to victory, I am confident he would have taken it.
Actually, thats all a lie.
Jesus Christ, give Bens facial hair its own spinoff already!
And let Tony see if he can hide in it and turn into a Spy StacheTM.
Basically, you keep putting balls into chutes again, sorry until you drop one and youre out.
It finally came down to a very impressive battle between laser-focused Michele and Natalie, with Natalie eventually winning.
Make of that what you will.
The big question now was: Who would take Tony on at fire?
I want to step up to the plate.
I love this guy.
Let me start by saying this: You all know Im not a fan of the final four fire-making.
Because of the fire-making, we were treated to a Wendell-Domenick final and the first tie inSurvivorhistory.
Because of the fire-making, we saw someone give up final immunity for the first time in Chris.
Thats gonna hurt, isnt it?)
and ended in tears, hugs, and kisses.
Tony won the fire challenge.
That was fine, but the raw emotion on display after it was finished was overwhelming.
TONY[in between sobs]:I love you so much, Sarah.
LACINA: I love you back.
TONY[sobbing even more now]:Im sorry, Sarah.
LACINA: Enjoy this.
LACINA: I love you.
Tony couldnt even look at her as they both sat down.
Was unable to even hold eye contact.
And if I wanted someone to take me out, thats who I wanted to take me out.
And if someone was going to take him out, I wanted it to be me.
He turned his head and, like, cried to a tree or something.
I mean, mumment.
When he easily could have been celebrating, Tony was mourning.
Sometimes a jury especially a jury comprised of a lot of parents needs to see that.
And sometimes viewers do as well.
Its just another reason to worship at the altar of Tony Vlachos.
Why Does Europes The Final Countdown Always Play in My Head When Final Tribal Council Starts?
The only thing better than a final Tribal Council?
A final Tribal Council in a punishing monsoon!
Yes, Survivor gods!
There were no real fireworks at the final Tribal, and usually, that would annoy me.
Or at least something completely out of nowhere.
Give me Big Tom leaving Boston Rob hanging on a low five.
Give me Natalie Bolton asking Parvati how being a flirt inSurvivorresonates for her in the bedroom.
Give me a rat and a snake.
Give it all to me!
Here are a few bullet-point highlights from the back and forth discussion.
Rob also dinged Nat not talking on Tony at fire.
Regular readers know I was blown away by mypre-game interview with Michele.
One of my favorite interviews ever.
She wasnt going to win here in the final three.
I think she knew that.
Because the woman has now played twice and never been voted off.
And she won two immunities.
Natalies list of all the items she found, won, or sent into the game was truly staggering.
Thats it right there.
These jurors wanted to be proud of their vote.
They wanted the best collection of players in history to have a great representative as a winner.
Tony knew that and played to that instinct with his final words.
They wanted a great winner, and they got it.
As for the remote reading of the votes, it was… awkward.
But there was no way it could not be.
And I thought the opening with Probst in his garage was totally charming.
They made the best of a bad situation.
you’re able to only hope to contain it.
And were not done, people!
A finale Q&A with Jeff Probst?
Sure, I got you covered.
I hope you have truly enjoyed this final scoop of the crispy.
