S41.E13: One Thing Left to Do... Win

[Whimsy]

Quote

After a season filled with new twists, the 5 remaining castaways must battle it out for the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million prize. For the first time since season one, the winner is revealed live on location.

Original airdate 12/15/21

[Guest]

What a weird season. In some ways it was terrible, but in other ways it was actually pretty good. I thought the final 3 all did a good job and was happy with the winner. Pretty telling when toward the end of the jury questioning, Danny said he envied Erika for playing the game he wanted to play, and like 5 other people all said "me too!"

Biggest twist: they didn't give Shan any time during the after show. I couldn't believe it. (Edited to add: apparently they did but my station didn't air it for some reason.)

Edited December 16, 2021 by tracyscott76

[mojoween]

Actually, Mr. World Record Holder man, there are 41 Survivors.  Not one.

I love this show so much.  Even if I am disappointed in the winner, which has probably happened 36 times, I will never not watch it.  Only show besides sports I watch live.

I hope when Danny got home six months ago he was able to have some closure with his family.

Edited December 16, 2021 by mojoween

[violet and green]

Oh, Xander. I am so desolate... He played a far better game than that cliquey jury allowed themselves to recognize. I haven't felt this upset since Colby chose Tina to go up against... I remember I lay on my bed like a moose and stared at the wall for hours thinking about how he must be kicking himself.  I also really hope DeShawn is okay, he seemed devastated and he is a really moody guy.

Anyway, next season looks rank. All the new bullshit I never want to see again, repeated. Will no doubt watch it anyway!

9 minutes ago, tracyscott76 said:

Biggest twist: they didn't give Shan any time during the after show. I couldn't believe it.

Yes, they did. They even played her stupid song.😬

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, violet and green said:

Yes, they did. They even played her stupid song.😬

Huh. That part did not play here. I did think one of the commercial breaks was kind of long; maybe there was a technical issue.

[choclatechip45]

I enjoyed this season. It had a really good cast and the episodes kept me entertained. I do give credit to the producers for making the show fresh. The Big Brother producers should learn from the Survivor producers. 

[TVFan1]

This was a good season to me. I know horrible seasons and this wasn't one of them. I'm happy that Erika won because I knew she had game, and she proved that in the game. I was rooting for her the whole season. 

Even though there were only 26 days, it still seemed like a full season. I do hope 39 days comes back eventually. 

[vb68]

12 minutes ago, TVFan1 said:

This was a good season to me. I know horrible seasons and this wasn't one of them. I'm happy that Erika won because I knew she had game, and she proved that in the game. I was rooting for her the whole season. 

She did, but I still think she was underedited for most of the season.  I understand there were bigger personalities for sure, but I would have liked to have seen more of her game. And I'm not unhappy she won or anything. I don't know. I felt she was basically dismissed for most of the game and we only got to see her as a real gameplayer in the last two or three episodes. She was certainly likable. But yeah, a little underedited for a winner. Just my two cents.

Edited December 16, 2021 by vb68

[violet and green]

I found it a pretty horrible season. Jeff talking to the camera, explaining things we could see happening, telling us things that were going to happen before they happened, basically acting like we were children he was educating. The fact not one tribe managed to make a decent shelter. Extensive focus on annoying personalities (cough, Shan) as if they were charm personified. Her villainous hum being orchestrated. Dumb and overcomplicated 'advantages' like the three-way idol. Vast chunks of the early eps devoted to two people walking up a long steep hill. Etc, etc. If Xander had won, though, I'd be all - this season worked out okay, after all! 

[Jeanne222]

Erica was the best!  Xanders biggest mistake...He underestimated her!

[North of Eden]

Oh wow! The castaway I actually wanted to win...won! It's been so long. So happy for Erika! Especially as there always seemed to be people gunning to get her out earlier in the game. Loved her just slurping up champagne and chowing down on pizza no doubt thinking of all the ways she's about to spend a million dollars.

That was the good...now the bad. Ricard's performance tonight has to be one of the most embarassing displays ever on SURVIVOR! Actually trying to use the new baby as currency to get Xander's idol and later sympathy votes was reprehensible. Worse yet he actually had the cajones to proclaim him one of the greatest players ever??! This guy actually believes his own press like he is on the level of a Cirie? Are you kidding me?

I was enjoying his sourpuss once he was on the jury but when he started talking and tried to make everything about HIM well...there is a saying....so and so has a punchable face...well Ricard  has the most punchable face ever. I disliked him on the season premiere and actively loathe him now.

Firemaking challenge epic...completly epic...especially the reactions...disbelief, joy and Ricard sitting their stonefaced and not clapping LOL

The final votes floored me...I thought it was going to be a threeway horse race with everyone getting multiple votes and the winner squeaking by with a one vote margin. Still as said...glad it was Erika! Deshawn seemed completly deflated afterwards...I think he was counting on the Cookout knock off to throw him many votes.

Edited to say: That was awesome harkening back to season one and having the votes read then and there...but please bring back the Reunion show next year....I really don't want this after show thing to stick but I will give it credit that it was the first time in ages Probst didn't ignore the winner to focus on his faves.

Edited December 16, 2021 by North of Eden

[Valerie]

I'm Very Very happy with the result. This season was a bit of a trainwreck but it ended on a high for me.

- I was very worried Ricard was a lock to win when we got his sob story. But the more focus he got the more I realized they were just giving him way too much screentime for his boot same as they did for Shan. Xander not playing his idol for him was savage but a good move.

- Deshawn coming in to win fire in the last few seconds was INSANE. My mom and I were shook.

- Shan is still getting too much screentime on the jury, and she always has an expression like she smells something nasty.

- The jury made me remember how much I miss Tiffany and Naseer. They were just so entertaining to watch.

- IMO Xander sank his game during FTC. The awkward pause during Liana's question also hurt him I feel.

- Erika shovelling pizza in her mouth nonstop was relatable.

- I liked the stripped down "after show" versus the reunion. In the reunion everyone's been out of the game for three months, they've gained weight, had Botox, their heads aren't in the game anymore. I liked how stripped down the aftershow was, the pizza and champagne refills just made it feel very real and authentic.

[After7Only]

10 minutes ago, North of Eden said:

That was the good...now the bad. Ricard's performance tonight has to be one of the most embarassing displays ever on SURVIVOR! Actually trying to use the new baby as currency to get Xander's idol and later sympathy votes was reprehensible. Worse yet he actually had the cajones to proclaim him one of the greatest players ever??! This guy actually believes his own press like he is on the level of a Cirie? Are you kidding me?

This floored me too.  Made me think he’s only watched a few seasons.   
 

 

 

[Lamima]

52 minutes ago, tracyscott76 said:

Huh. That part did not play here. I did think one of the commercial breaks was kind of long; maybe there was a technical issue.

I didn't get any Shan either.

[treeofdreams]

Do we know who voted for Deshawn?  Did I miss that?

[bunnyface]

I'm perfectly happy with an Erika win but I was still kinda pulling for Xander.  I ended up really, really not liking Ricard pulling the baby stunt and trying to get Xander to keep him that way.  That stunk.  But congrats on the baby!  Just not on using the baby that way.

[Michichick]

3 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

Do we know who voted for Deshawn?  Did I miss that?

I think it was Naseer…they didn’t show his vote but I thought he said “he” in his voting comment.

[violet and green]

I thought the DeShawn vote was from Danny.

[LoveLeigh]

By announcing the winner to them back in May, didn't they run a great risk that one of them would spill the beans? 

[Melina22]

"That's a lot of money in Canada!" 😁

As a Canadian that may be my favourite line. That or "People thought I was an Unaccompanied Minor." 

[LanceM]

I am no tax expert so I have no idea if this true but I have heard others say in other forums that Erika may be able to keep most of the money due to Canadian tax laws.

[Michichick]

12 minutes ago, LoveLeigh said:

By announcing the winner to them back in May, didn't they run a great risk that one of them would spill the beans? 

Yes, but then I’m sure any contestant who spilled it would be subject to penalties based on their NDA.

[Lantern7]

You know, this could have been a good season. It was an opportunity to start fresh with a compressed time frame and a new location. For the first time in seven seasons (over four-and-a-half years), a woman won . . . and a Canadian at that! One of the runners-up and one jury member were 21st Century babies. And instead of an awkward Reunion through Zoom or a potential super-spreader, we get to see the finalists and jury kick back after the final votes were read.

It would have been a good season . . .but there were too many game-changing bullshit twists, Jeff Probst thrusting himself further towards the audience (as if he was forgotten in his year-long hiatus), and it looks like he and the other Powers That Be will be doing the same damn thing  in S42. I wound up watching The Challenge, which ran at the same time . . . and even with the all-too-regulars, assholes and train wrecks posing as human beings, I got more from them than S41. Shit, I probably would've watched this finale tomorrow, but I wound up getting an appointment to have my car fixed in the afternoon, so I could watch both finales AND not have to wait long after P+ drops The Challenge: All Stars and the new South Park Special. #Priorities #Adulting #ImNotFoolingAnyoneAmI

At least the challenges were epic . . . including the Deshawn/Heather firemaking duel. Yeah, that is still a bullshit way to eliminate someone, but it was intense. After Ricard got voted out, I didn't know who'd win. In my mind, I thought Xander had it because of the editing. Turns out he didn't get a single vote. Instead, Erika-with-a-K got seven out of eight votes. We can debate on how much the hourglass twist affected her course in the game, but I'm happy for her.

9 minutes ago, LoveLeigh said:

By announcing the winner to them back in May, didn't they run a great risk that one of them would spill the beans? 

I don't think anyone cares at this point . . . or at least not at the level of past seasons. Even if the series gets great ratings, it's far from "water cooler TV."

Do you want pizza? I got pizza ready if you want it.

1 hour ago, choclatechip45 said:

 I do give credit to the producers for making the show fresh. The Big Brother producers should learn from the Survivor producers. 

I'm hoping the upcoming season of The Amazing Race proves that it's still the best reality show CBS has, even with the various fractures. Unlike Jeff Probst, the TAR producers can not only learn from missteps, but also identify them.

Am I a bad person to think Ricard would win based on his name? Probst is all "drop the 4, keep the 1," and there's a Richard minus the "h" who was gay and a father. I'm sure that Ricard knows how to properly file taxes, though.

[Melina22]

This was by far my favourite reunion show. Everyone so relaxed and happy, eating pizza and drinking champagne. Vastly more enjoyable to watch than the usual overstuffed 3-ring circus it usually is, with every one uncomfortable in glamorous clothes, giving stilted answers in the second or two allotted to them. 

Since the season is over, and they all keep telling us to be proud of who we are, I'm going to proudly state my apparently wildly UO that I like Jeff as host, always have, and don't ever want to see Survivor without him. Is he perfect? No. Neither is Julie Chen. But I love the stability and continuity of keeping the original host, with all their quirks. It's part of the tradition. 

[Jtrain]

God that was a horrible season. 

[Artsda]

Wow Xander was robbed, bad ending to a not good season.

[ByaNose]

Erika wins and gets an invisible edit pre merge. The excuse of her tribe always winning was the reason we didn’t see her game is BS because we saw Danny & DeShawn (and, Nesseer out of necessity) talking about throwing challenges to get rid of Erika. Maybe, show us why and include the winner. She had the best answers at the Final Tribal Council which proves she can clearly speak and is intelligent enough. I’m glad she won even though I didn’t think she’d win based on the edit which was a nice surprise in the end, 

[LadyChatts]

45 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

This was by far my favourite reunion show. Everyone so relaxed and happy, eating pizza and drinking champagne. Vastly more enjoyable to watch than the usual overstuffed 3-ring circus it usually is, with every one uncomfortable in glamorous clothes, giving stilted answers in the second or two allotted to them. 

Since the season is over, and they all keep telling us to be proud of who we are, I'm going to proudly state my apparently wildly UO that I like Jeff as host, always have, and don't ever want to see Survivor without him. Is he perfect? No. Neither is Julie Chen. But I love the stability and continuity of keeping the original host, with all their quirks. It's part of the tradition. 

I could never imagine this show without Probst for the reasons you mentioned.  He may annoy the crap out of me more than he did in the early years, but I can't even think of him not being there.

I also agree about the aftershow.  I love the reaction of it being sprung onto the contestants.  It reminded me of one of those comedy shows where someone forgot to pay the rent for set pieces and while they are in the middle of filming, people come and repossess everything.   I missed not having the pre-jurors there but I guess what would have been the point.  But it's kind of too bad, because this pre-jury was more interesting than some years, especially the folks from Ua (Brad, Genie, and J.D.).  I did like the raw emotion from Ricard, and you could tell Deshawn was depressed.  I'm glad they were put on the spot and didn't have time to think up their answers ahead of time, have no idea what America was going to think of them, and still just have the emotion of the vote and the game hanging in the balance.

ETA: Also, I think Xander was very self-aware why he lost.  I think he was genuine in his reaction, which is something else that probably would have been lost if this had been filmed months later.  

Edited December 16, 2021 by LadyChatts

[gesundheit]

2 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

Huh. That part did not play here. I did think one of the commercial breaks was kind of long; maybe there was a technical issue.

I didn't get it either here.

1 hour ago, Valerie said:

 

- I liked the stripped down "after show" versus the reunion. In the reunion everyone's been out of the game for three months, they've gained weight, had Botox, their heads aren't in the game anymore. I liked how stripped down the aftershow was, the pizza and champagne refills just made it feel very real and authentic.

I liked it a lot, too, although I do like the reunion as well. It'd be fun if they did both. Obviously not this time...pandemic and all. But I really did enjoy the rawness, rather than the pre-planned commentary after they've already watched their edit and read all the social media commentary. Also these people really did seem to legitimately like each other, despite the most recent vote-outs clearly still stinging a bit. It's good to not see them go for applause, but just have a conversation in the aftermath. But I'm still interested in what it feels like for them after they see how they came off on screen.

I enjoyed the season, honestly, because I liked the players. I was bummed when Ricard got voted out because I was rooting for him (yep, sorry, loved the dude), and then I got bummed because it felt like Xander would win, and then I realized that was actually fine with me? And even though out of the final three, I absolutely preferred Erika (so imagine my glee), I also would've been okay with any of the three of them. That almost never happens. I can't even think of a time when it has until now. Some of the twists were irritating as ever, but most of the people really grew on me.

 

[Steph Sometimes]

I told you there was an Erika!

[violet and green]

54 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

I'm going to proudly state my apparently wildly UO that I like Jeff as host, always have, and don't ever want to see Survivor without him.

Oh, no, I love Jeff as host, and want no other host, no way! I just want him to stop addressing the camera.

[GaT]

No one voted for Xander??? I'm shocked, I was rooting for him, & I certainly didn't expect him to get no votes. Poor Xander made a bad mistake not making her make fire.

[Primetimer]

And for Jeff Probst's last hat-trick this season, the near-unanimous winner not only didn't get a winner's edit, she was nearly invisible the entire first half of the season.  Which isn't to say she didn't deserve it.

More in Joe Reid's just-posted recap: https://www.primetimer.com/features/survivor41-finale-did-the-right-player-win

 

[JudyObscure]

I really hate that fire challenge.  Time after time the person who didn't bother to learn how to make fire gets a lucky gust of wind and wins.  It's just a sad way to see someone lose at fourth place.  

I'm mad that Xander didn't get a single vote and even madder that DeShawn did get one.

Shan: DeShawn we were all set to stick together, four people of our culture, but you repeatedly and needlessly stabbed us in the back, followed by a tearful speech about how hard it was for you because your community was the most important thing in the world to you.  What do you have to say about that? 

DeShawn:   My community is the most important thing in the world to me. 

Shan:  Oh good, that's okay then.

[Melina22]

I ended up with a lot of respect for Heather. She's really strong mentally. It's one thing for a fit 20-year-old guy to sit up all night, wet, shivering and hungry, then keep fighting all the next day. Young people have a lot of reserves. But for a 52-year old woman to do it without complaint? That's really impressive. 

 

[EllenB]

I thought I was pretty meh about this season (and in some ways I was), but I realized it's because I didn't really dislike anyone. Most seasons I spend my time rooting AGAINST certain players rather that cheering someone on. This season, there weren't any truly hissable villains, just people like Shan and Ricard who thought they were better players than they were, but are probably perfectly nice people in real life. For those who think Ricard was pulling out the baby story for sympathy, look at his pre-game bio - it's all about his husband and babies. But for me, there weren't any Cirie-level adorable people, either, which made it harder to get into the game. But I'm pretty thrilled that Erika won even if she got an invisible edit for too long.

[30 Helens]

Count me among those who did not see the Shan aftershow edit with the replay of her theme song. I guess I should be grateful? Maybe she just hijacked the west coast feed.

I liked Erika, but agree with those who feel she didn’t get enough airtime to really appreciate her game. It was the reverse of a winner’s edit— kind of like Michelle on S32. I get that it’s hard to create drama from a quiet game, but that’s what the editors are paid for. As for Xander, I knew he wasn’t winning after I read Danny’s exit interview. Apparently nobody respected him, which I find disappointing. I thought he played a smart game.

This was an odd night for me. Normally, Survivor Finale Night is like my Super Bowl. I look forward to it, I get my snacks and wine lined up, and I’m sad when it’s over. This time, I actually forgot it was on until just before airtime. In the end, it all felt kind of meh  Maybe because the entire season felt like a play version of Survivor, not to be confused with the real thing. 

I did like the spontaneous nature of the after show, though. That’s one change I could get behind. Especially if it spares us from any more audience segments, like 10-year-old kids predicting the winner or random celebs hogging the airtime.

[mojoween]

Shan is … Shan, and I was not sorry to see her booted (and also didn’t get extra Shan on the After Show) but wasn’t she the one who continually tried to convince everyone how dangerous Erika was?

Count me in the crowd who couldn’t imagine this show with anyone other than Peachy as host.  Survivor wouldn’t work without Jeff Probst.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Michichick said:

6 hours ago, treeofdreams said:

Do we know who voted for Deshawn?  Did I miss that?

I think it was Naseer…they didn’t show his vote but I thought he said “he” in his voting comment.

The wiki page for this season and Joe Reid's recap here on Primetimer both say Danny voted for Deshawn. This makes total sense to me, but I have no idea where or how they confirmed this.

[Haleth]

Meh.  I lost interest when Ricard was voted out, although his claims about being The Best Player Ever (or something like that) and his jury performance pushed me back to the dislike category.  (I wish Jeff had asked who would have voted for him over Erika.)  I don't hate that Erika won, but I'd feel that way about any of the final three.  Meh.  I do think her "little" advantage at the challenge was too much of an advantage.  Maybe a leg up on one of the physical obstacles, but not both.

The firemaking challenge was epic.

I did like that none of the pre jury players got to be at the after show, wasting time on long irrelevant, long forgotten events.  Nope, no extra focus on Shan in this market.  Thankfully.

Ugh, so they are bringing back some of the gimmicks for next season?  Way too many advantages and idols!  Less is more, Jeff.

[JudyObscure]

1 hour ago, tracyscott76 said:

The wiki page for this season and Joe Reid's recap here on Primetimer both say Danny voted for Deshawn. This makes total sense to me, but I have no idea where or how they confirmed this.

Interesting.  I thought Danny voted Erika because he was saying something about "respect your game," as he voted, but, like you say, it makes total sense that Danny would vote for his fellow alliance member and see him through the rose colored glasses of friendship.  One of the things I love about Survivor is getting to see real people as fine as Danny on TV.

[MsMalin]

I am ok with Erika winning but preferred Xander. 

Really did not like the constant commentary by Jeff. He has gotten too full of himself.

[lyric]

8 minutes ago, MsMalin said:

I am ok with Erika winning but preferred Xander. 

Really did not like the constant commentary by Jeff. He has gotten too full of himself.

Yeah. I’m not suggesting he should be replaced but Probst makes this show nearly unwatchable for me. If he were onscreen anymore than he is, I’d probably have bailed by now.

[KeithJ]

Why did it look like that Shan was crying (or ready to cry) every single time they panned the camera to her?

8 hours ago, Michichick said:

I think it was Naseer…they didn’t show his vote but I thought he said “he” in his voting comment.

Pretty sure it wasn't.  This EW article says:

And what the audience didn't see was at Tribal Council at one point Naseer comes out and says, "You know, Erika, I promised that I was never gonna write your name down, but tonight I'm breaking that promise because I'm voting for you."

https://ew.com/tv/survivor-41-erika-casupanan-winner-finale-interview/

 

[ProfCrash]

Overall an OK season that had some solid players. The season would have been better without all the ridiculous twists and advantages. I will point out that the first advantage that actually seemed to work out was the last one that Erika found. That saved time was probably the reason why she beat Ricard. Let's take a quick look at the other advantages.

The three way idol with phrases: The ridiculous phrases meant that everyone knew something was up so the idols were not really hidden to anyone. On top of that, none of the idols were used in a meaningful way. Brad, Shan, and Naseer went home with it in their pocket. Xander used his but really didn't need to. All those idols did was put a target on peoples back.

The Ship Wheel advantages: None of the extra votes actually changed a vote. Not a one. They were used but not coordinated well enough to actually affect the game.

Steal an Advantage/Idol: Yeah, well that one flopped big time. Not only did it flop, the method of flopping did not help Xander in the final vote.

They invested in these advantages and got butkus. To be fair, the three way idol should have been doomed to fail because of how it was arranged. It is too obvious that it was there. The phrases are stupid. Naseer had to practice saying his how many times and it still sounded massivly forced and stupid. Liana's advantage failed because she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

Erika's win was great. I liked seeing someone who played a good social game and a solid strategic game win. Oh, and she won two individual immunities. And she found the last advantage. She had a strong game. She was not a dominate personality but she knew that. She actually spoke to that in her Final Tribal answers. She knows she is not a social butterfly and knew that trying to be something she wasn't would hurt her in the long run. Kudos to her. She could point to what she did, how she did it, and why she did it.

Xander confuses me. I knew he didn't have a shot at winning. What person has an idol for as long as he did and isn't targeted? Someone that no one is worried about winning. I still don't get why that is the case. The jury didn't seem to be out to get him, they didn't hate him and didn't seem angry with him. He helped himself by helping yellow win so his lack of a vote didn't hurt him when he was waiting for the idol to activate. He made it through the first two merge votes were he was kind of a target. But then he seemed to be a non-entity. He was a vote and that is it. It is almost like he was too vanilla to win. He was there doing the right things and at some type of risk but not playing hard enough to be taken seriously.

DeShawn was not a surprise. He was far too into blowing up other peoples games. There was the Evvie reveal and then his truth bomb. The Evvie reveal kind of worked in that it drove a wedge between Evvie and Xander but I am not sure that the wedge was really needed to take out Tiffany and Evvie. Then no one seemed to be worried about Xander. So how effective was that? It just made DeShawn look untrustworthy. The Erika truth bomb only reinforced that and it seemed to make Heather and Erika tighter. Toss in a more frantic style of play that people were calling out in their talking heads and DeShawn not getting votes was predictable. The whole crash and burn with Shan and Liana did not help.

Ricard played a great game. He really did. I got a used car salesman/slimy vibe from day one and it was still there at the end. He was good at reading the room and willing to work with Shan, who more people seemed to trust, to control the green tribe. He was able to work his way to the periphery of the AA alliance because of how he managed Shan, and he did manage Shan. He used that connection to take out Shan and then develop a different alliance with Xander, Erika, and Heather. The used car salesman was back with the baby reveal. I can understand being emotional about that but he also had saved that for the last emotional pull to try and stay in the game. I don't think it is a bad play but it is more of that blatant emotional manipulation that is just so obvious as to feel slimey.

[Guest]

Props to Liana for having a sense of humor about her Knowledge is Power advantage fail, when she asked Xander again at the end of the final tribal if he had an idol.

In general, I thought the jury was good - they didn't let people coast, but weren't assholes. Shan came close though, with her question to Deshawn. I don't blame him for looking pretty wrecked through the whole thing and afterwards. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

7 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I really hate that fire challenge.  Time after time the person who didn't bother to learn how to make fire gets a lucky gust of wind and wins.  It's just a sad way to see someone lose at fourth place.  

I'm mad that Xander didn't get a single vote and even madder that DeShawn did get one.

Shan: DeShawn we were all set to stick together, four people of our culture, but you repeatedly and needlessly stabbed us in the back, followed by a tearful speech about how hard it was for you because your community was the most important thing in the world to you.  What do you have to say about that? 

DeShawn:   My community is the most important thing in the world to me. 

Shan:  Oh good, that's okay then.

Shan voted for Erika. So did Liana. So they didn't buy into voting for Deshawn "for the culture." Whether it was because she didn't buy his account, because she was still bitter about betrayal, wanted a woman to win, saw the writing on the wall that Erika was likely to win, thought Erika had the best game or any number of other possible reasons, she voted against Deshawn. 

Why are you mad that Xander didn't get a single vote? He had little social game, apparently, and his decision to usher Erika into the final 3 was a poor one. His FTC performance wasn't particularly good.

4 hours ago, mojoween said:

Shan is … Shan, and I was not sorry to see her booted (and also didn’t get extra Shan on the After Show) but wasn’t she the one who continually tried to convince everyone how dangerous Erika was?

Count me in the crowd who couldn’t imagine this show with anyone other than Peachy as host.  Survivor wouldn’t work without Jeff Probst.

It seems like to me all the four AAA members were saying Erika was dangerous and sneaky at one point or another. I don't remember any other contestants specifically talking about her as a threat, and obviously Xander did not see her as a threat, to his chagrin.

As to Peachy, I'm in the middle. I do like that he brings a sense of history, continuity and excitement to the show as host. But I have hated in particular the attempt at insider stuff that he has brought this season. I wish they could dial back the "Survivor is the greatest social experiment EVER" and the stroking of his/the show's ego with contestants who are like "I grew up watching Survivor"/"Survivor taught me English"/"Survivor was crucified for my sins and on the third day rose from the dead." I wish he could dial things down to a Phil-from-Amazing-Race level. 

[Jeanne222]

Who is this Shan, outside of survivor, and what is HER song you speak of?

[tinderbox]

8 hours ago, violet and green said:

Oh, no, I love Jeff as host, and want no other host, no way! I just want him to stop addressing the camera.

I’m tired of him talking non stop during every single challenge.  Shut Up, Jeff!

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, SweaterGirl said:

The jury has ONE JOB. That is to vote for the player who is most deserving to win based on that person's actual resume and performance in the game. Not based on who they like, what color someone is, who is their age or their size, or how long it's been since a woman won.

I disagree with this. In a real world court of law, the jury's one job is to reach an objective verdict based on evidence (though obviously there's a strong argument that this doesn't always happen).

In a reality show like Survivor, the jury is there to vote for who they want to win. It can be based on anything they like. No one has to like the decision they make, but I think it's incorrect to say that they didn't do what they were supposed to do. The only rule is they have to vote for one of the finalists. That's it. It's impossible for them to be objective because they are choosing from among people they played the game with. They know them, might be friends with them, might be mad at them. That's the game. Erika made a positive impression on most of them, and Xander didn't.

As far as this outcome being unfair to women, I'd say it's a bit unfair to women to say that the only way Erika won (and, as you seem to imply, the only way Xander lost) was because the show manipulated things specifically in her favor. She got two pretty good advantages, yes, but that alone didn't get her to the end.

Edited December 16, 2021 by tracyscott76