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Survivor
It all comes down to this
Season 40
Episode 14
Editor rating
Photo: CBS
Six years ago, an insane, bald, flaming-speaking New Jersey policeman landed on an island in the Philippines and was instantly converted Survivor icon. “I am the king of the jungle!” he stated during one of his many idol finds on his way to the million dollar prize. Little did we know how prophetic those words would be. That’s right, Tony Vlachos is the champion of champions, the $ 2 million receiver. He is he Survivor King, occupying the rightful place on the throne next to Queen Sandra, the only other two-time winner of the program. As Jeff Probst’s garage vote final reading (literally) reminds us, we are living in a terrifying and unusual world filled with uncertainty. However, I can sleep a little easier knowing that Tony and Sandra are the King and Queen of Survivor.
If you asked me about the odds of Tony winning this season, I would have taken a sentence from the previous one Shit cast partner Spencer Bledsoe. “Tony, zero percent chance of winning the game.” Even with his threat level somewhat reduced after his early clown departure in Game changersTony remained one of the most important targets on the beach, simply because of how important his first victory was. Star seasons tend to favor quieter, under-the-radar players, and Tony’s previous games were anything but unnoticed. He was bold, reckless and direct, an agent of chaos that annoyed allies so often that one would think he was looking for a world record. It was a style of play that should never have won the first time, much less a second, especially against a cast of all winners. And do it with zero votes against the entire game? Wowee!
The most impressive thing about Tony’s victory is that he didn’t have to compromise his game or his personality. He didn’t sneak past the last three by getting low, nor did he trust a bunch of turns and leads. Tony’s game was complex, multi-layered, and generally dominant. He showed unexpected patience from the start, hoping to avoid his mistakes. Game changers excursion. Resisting the urge to search for idols, she channeled her frantic energy into life activities in the camp, such as building a rickety bamboo ladder to pick fruit. And it worked, both the strategy and the ladder. People lowered his guards, allowing him to merge, that’s when old Tony emerged. Powered by his wins in the Immunity Challenge, Tony took control, maneuvering the pieces to his advantage, his last 4-3-2 moment with Sophie’s blind side being his masterpiece. The more power he gained, the more the mad genius came out: the jungle runs, the nests of spies, the flip flops. Even when he was not immune, he put himself in a position where no one dared to shoot. It was a game worthy of the latter Survivor crown.
However, there was almost a last-second nightmare twist in history – the season’s first start almost won the damn thing! Natalie’s return seemed inevitable. As the first eliminated, Natalie spent the longest time on the brink of extinction, which means she had more opportunities than anyone to earn fire chips. As she described herself as “a symbolic billionaire on fire,” she spent her coins on an idol, peanut butter, and THREE perks for the Battle Back challenge. He even had enough spare change to buy a second idol for Tyson, a gesture that certainly earned him the jury’s vote. Natalie was not only dripping on loot of fire chips, but she never had to betray or blind anyone. He didn’t have to deal with pretribal paranoia and ever-changing alliances. When he wasn’t collecting tokens, he was teaming up with the same people who would ultimately determine the winner. As I said before, the Edge quickly becomes a cult; Shared suffering forms an almost unbreakable bond. Not to mention, an Edge resident who votes for one of their own validates their individual experience.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame Natalie. I think Natalie is fantastic and under normal circumstances I would have been supporting her. It is not her fault, she does not create the turns, as she says herself, she is only playing the hand that has been dealt to her. But it demonstrates the inherent flaw in Edge. Punish those who go far while rewarding those who voted before. Like Chris Underwood before her, Natalie returns in the past six armed with an idol and invaluable insight into the dynamics of the game and the jury’s mindset. It immediately causes waves by increasing the number of jurors in Tony’s car. “Deep down, I hope it’s true,” says Tony. “But I hope others don’t believe it.” As Ben cunningly points out, Natalie’s stories from the edge are like a press conference by President Trump; There is no verification of facts. You cannot debate or corroborate her stories because she has all the cards. Who can determine what is real and what is simply a ploy to rock the game for Natalie’s own benefit?
Oddly enough, it seems like Tony is the only one who recognizes the threat Natalie poses to the end of the game. His story of being the first boot to fight through Edge’s desolation for 31 days just to fight back to Final Tribal? That’s a Hallmark movie in progress. Tony realizes the power in that narrative, especially after having seen Chris succeed with a similar story in Season 38. He also correctly assumes that Natalie has an idol, which becomes a very troubling prospect after Michele Accelerates your path to another Immunity victory. But for reasons beyond understanding, Ben and Sarah dismiss Tony’s foreboding and refuse to jump on their plan to split the votes 2-2-2, which would put Denise in jeopardy if Natalie became an idol. Shit-was “President Sarah” makes a brief appearance while arrogantly ignoring any notion of danger, simply attributing it to Tony paranoia. Of course Tony’s suspicion is correct, Natalie plays an idol, forcing Ben and Tony to use hers and leaving them both vulnerable in the next vote.
The point is, Denise is eliminated anyway after Natalie and Michele’s votes against Ben are voided, leaving Sarah and Denise as the only options in the new vote. Michele and Natalie’s decision here baffles me for a couple of reasons. First of all, why was Ben being targeted at Sarah? Surely separating “R” cops from us is the number one priority? And secondly, why didn’t they force a tie in the new vote? By voting with the majority, they maintained the perception of power within the Ben, Sarah, Tony trio.
But that’s not the most baffling move at the end. Let’s talk about Ben’s baffling act of humanitarianism. Ben has talked a lot this season about wanting to improve his social game; he did not want to become the pariah tribe as in his first season, scratching himself every day to stay alive. This time he tried to form alliances of trust and make genuine friends. That’s why he struggled to write Denise’s name, and that’s why he directly gives Sarah his blessing to vote for it. “Having friends is worth more than money,” he says. We’ve come a long way from Kelly Wiglesworth, “I’m not here to make friends.”
Now, there is a lot to understand around here. First, let’s provide a little context. It’s the last five, Tony has just gained immunity and Natalie found another idol. Everyone knows Nat’s idol because Sarah sees it under her skin, while Tony spies from above in his Spy Nest. But it doesn’t matter, does it? Ben, Sarah and Tony can vote for Michele. Well, unless Natalie decides to dress up and play her idol for Michele, who is the only person willing to work with her. It is that consideration that suddenly sees Ben offer himself as a sacrifice. He tells Sarah to vote for him, not to tell Tony, and to use it as a move on his resume. “That way, no one can say you took drugs,” he explains, referring to Sarah’s jury perception as Tony’s puppet. He’s a weird Rafe guy (Survivor: Guatemala) gesture and one that I’m not sure I understand. Perhaps Ben realized that he had no chance of winning the jury, so he would rather fall on his sword for a friend? Still, does this really improve Sarah’s odds of winning? If anything, it only makes the road to the end more difficult for her, as Natalie would certainly have pitted Ben against Tony in the last four fire challenges on Sarah. And if Ben had won the last Immunity Challenge, chances are he would take Sarah with him to the final Tribal.
Sarah is right about one thing, however, she needed to move without Tony. In addition to Sophie’s vote, the Cops ‘R’ Us alliance has worked together throughout this season. Sarah has been a part of every decision Tony has made and vice versa. It has been one of the most notable performances of a Survivor duo ever However, as Natalie reiterates, jurors perceive Tony as the one directing the show. This is a wake-up call for Sarah, not because of the flaws in her game, but because of the implicit gender biases they pursue. Survivor. “If a woman lies, cheats and steals in this game, it is a liar or a female dogHe states in Tribal. “If a man does it, they are a stallion. “She makes a valid point that is true not only of Survivor but many facets of everyday life. Even Jeff himself, who fans have called in favor of alpha males in the past, owns his own gender biases. He admits that male players are almost always given the honor of “last name.” “You can call me Lacina,” Sarah jokes. This clarity allows Sarah to lift the weight she has been carrying since Game changers, realizing that you don’t have to feel guilty about the ruthless game you played. “I can play however I want,” she says. “Because if a man can do it, so can I.” It is a fascinating example of how real life is combined with the game of Survivor, and it is also full of beautiful dichotomies. Because while what Sarah says is true, it is also true that Tony played like crazy. They both deserve credit, and they both would have deserved champions.
Unfortunately, the blue blood showdown in Final Tribal is not meant to be. With Natalie winning the last Immunity Challenge, and choosing to take Michele to the last three, she leaves Sarah and Tony to face the fire. This, in its own way, is the perfect ending to the Cops ‘R’ Us bow. “If we’re going to be shot, I’d rather shoot each other than someone else shoot us,” says Sarah. It’s a tense, back-and-forth battle, culminating in Tony’s victory and an emotional outpouring of real-life friends. “I’m so sorry,” screams Tony. “You have nothing to regret,” Sarah assures her. For two people who couldn’t be seen in the Shit meeting, for Tony not being able to look at Sarah because of fault, it is quite a journey.
It is also very likely that it is time for Tony to win. Natalie’s decision not to fire on Tony is clearly a mark against him. As Rob says in his voting confessional, she needed to play the perfect game, and that meant getting rid of Tony, which she couldn’t do. Natalie argues her case well before the jury, even if it’s primarily about listing all the treasure hunts she found. But that’s the game she played, “the Edge game,” as Adam puts it. It’s enough to get his four votes (from Ethan, Jeremy, Parvati, and Tyson), but it doesn’t compare to Tony’s 39-day display of high-level tricks, master manipulation, and vote control. He runs the Tribal Final just as the game did, with humor, charisma, and a sincere passion for representing the best of the best.
Michele, unfortunately, ends up being the one who gets the zero vote. And that sucks. Michele entered this season wanting to prove himself, and started strong. She played a key role in dismantling the old-school alliance before slipping into the majority after dwindling after the trade. But when it merged, Michele struggled to keep up with the fastest pace and aggressiveness. He was often on the wrong side of the vote. It is not as if she makes people angry or makes big mistakes. In any case, she was left out because other players discarded her, perhaps considering her unworthy. However, she continued to survive, achieving an Immunity victory and reaching Final Tribal as the only winner in the cast who can say that they have never been rejected. In any other season, that kind of underdog story would at least get at least a vote or two. However, that awkward, socially skilled but off-the-radar strategy didn’t work for this season.
And so we close the book on War winners. It hasn’t been a perfect season, it certainly isn’t “the best season of all time” as Jeff keeps repeating. The Edge of Extinction is still a flawed twist, it pains to see all the old-school students come out of the previous merger, and the editing was inconsistent at times. But you know what? It made me laugh, it moved me, it made me happy. Above all, for at least an hour a week, it made me forget everything that was happening in the world. I will always appreciate this season for that. And I’ll never forget the super fan euphoria of seeing these 20 winners hit the beach, watch Parvati and Rob bury the ax, raging at Sophie and Yul teaming up, giggling as Adam tried to play the podium idol. Denise the Queenslayer, Ethan “It feels good to be back”, Sophie’s blind side, domination by cops “R” Us. Tony’s Spy Nest, Tony’s ladder, Tony’s shark, Tony is everything. Tony’s victory! War winners was an appropriate celebration of 20 years of Survivor, And up to 20 more years!
• The Edge’s final moments certainly seemed like a final goodbye to many of those players. Amber, Ethan, Rob and Tyson said goodbye emotionally, acknowledging what SurvivorHe has given them before riding into the sunset forever.
• Despite promises of a “virtual” meeting, we didn’t get one. Jeff said they just didn’t have time, but I think the real reason is technical difficulties in the pre-registration. I bet there are images of Jeff breaking over Zoom somewhere.
• However, Jeff’s impromptu tribal game in his garage was pretty good. I just wish I had more time to think about Tony’s victory after hastily reading the votes. Jeff interrupted him as if he had dined waiting.
• When will we see Survivor again? Filming for season 41 was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic; however, Jeff said they are committed to being in the fall. We’ll see.
