{"id":138776,"date":"2024-12-19T12:47:08","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T05:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138776"},"modified":"2024-12-19T12:47:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T05:47:08","slug":"a-victory-a-year-in-the-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138776","title":{"rendered":"A victory a year in the making"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"mntl-sc-page_1-0\" data-sc-sticky-offset=\"90\" data-sc-ad-label-height=\"24\" data-sc-ad-track-spacing=\"100\" data-sc-min-track-height=\"250\" data-sc-max-track-height=\"600\" data-sc-breakpoint=\"50em\" data-sc-load-immediate=\"4\" data-sc-content-positions=\"[1, 1250, 1550, 1950, 2350, 2750, 3150, 3550, 3950]\" data-bind-scroll-on-start=\"true\">\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> First things first. Happy birthday, Sue! 46 years old! I mean\u2026\u00a059 years old! And how amazing that it happened on the same day as final Tribal Council, and she was sitting there at the very end. I\u2019ve never had a <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor\/?srsltid=AfmBOopJNHvHnS1fQgVCGF7WaHnbkvajbD8GyA7kWokP_Gq3zY3s5NiG\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\"><em>Survivor<\/em><\/a> finale fall on <em>my<\/em> birthday, but did have one land simultaneously on Mother\u2019s Day <em>and<\/em> my wedding anniversary, and let me tell you, that was <em>not<\/em> a fantastic coincidence as far as my wife (and the mother of my children) was concerned. Still working my way out of the doghouse for that one.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_3-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> But I suppose it was a bit of a bittersweet birthday for <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/sue-builds-christmas-tree-survivor-47-exclusive-deleted-scene-8752438\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Sue<\/a>, as she was completely shut out of both the edit and the vote there at final Tribal. ZERO VOTES! You would think somebody would at least throw her a sympathy vote to avoid becoming the latest member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-stephen-fishbach-tocantins-cambodia-second-chance-quarantine-questionnaire\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Stephen Fishbach<\/a> Zero Vote Club. Where you at, <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-gabe-ortis-explains-final-elimination-words-interview-8749097\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"3\">Gabe<\/a>?\u00a0Explain yourself, <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-caroline-vidmar-told-sue-not-to-play-idol-on-her-interview-8756349\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"4\">Caroline<\/a>! You totally left my girl hanging!\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_5-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Even worse, Sue was mostly a bystander as <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-deleted-scene-rachel-sick-of-it-exclusive-8744581\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Rachel<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/sam-comes-clean-to-genevieve-survivor-47-exclusive-deleted-scene-8759641\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Sam<\/a> dueled it out at final Tribal and garnered pretty much all of the attention and questions from the jury\u2026 <em>even though Sue only got one less vote than Sam!<\/em> Some people simply have no respect for birthdays anymore.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_7-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> But let\u2019s put some respect on the name of the latest \u2014\u00a0and according to <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-ghost-island-domenick-abbate-quarantine-questionnaire\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Domenick Abbate<\/a> (whom I recently smoked in fantasy football), greatest \u2014\u00a0<em>Survivor<\/em> winner. Rachel. \u00a0Here\u2019s a fun story, and it has to do with the picture below. Take a look.\n<\/p>\n<figure id=\"mntl-sc-block_9-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-universal-image mntl-sc-block-image--no-theme mntl-sc-block-image figure-landscape figure-high-res\"><figcaption id=\"mntl-figure-caption_1-0\" class=\"comp mntl-figure-caption type--mouse text-utility-100 figure-article-caption\"> <span class=\"figure-article-caption-text\">Rachel LaMont as an alternate for &#8216;Survivor 46&#8217;.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"figure-article-caption-owner\"><\/p>\n<p>Dalton Ross<\/p>\n<p><\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_12-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> So, that photo above of Rachel was taken out at <em>Survivor<\/em>, except it was <em>not<\/em> taken at <em>Survivor 47<\/em>. Instead, it was taken at <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-46-finale-recap-episode-13-kenzie-winner-8652308\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\"><em>Survivor 46<\/em><\/a>. Rachel was an alternate for that season, so we met out in Fiji in 2023. I actually do interviews with the alternates each season just in case something happens and they end up in the game. Which is why I interviewed Rachel for 46 out in Fiji (and also interviewed <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-tiyana-hallums-heart-dropped-to-hell-interview-8737302\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Tiyana<\/a> before <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-45-finale-recap-episode-13-8418498\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"3\"><em>Survivor 45<\/em>.<\/a>).\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_14-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> As we spoke, it was clear Rachel was a massive fan of the show, and yet here she was <em>that close<\/em> to getting on <em>Survivor<\/em>, yet not quite getting on <em>Survivor<\/em>. And it started to dawn on me: Here is this huge fan out here the day before the game begins, and this may be the closest she ever gets to actually playing. Not only that, but since they took her phone away, she has no proof or evidence that she was ever even out here having a <em>Survivor<\/em> experience.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_16-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> So, being the big softie that I am, I wanted to make sure that Rachel at least had a visual memento of her time in Fiji in case she never made it on the show. So I told her we should take her photo, just in case. Look, I am far from a professional photographer, but I channeled by inner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reflectingrv\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Robert Voets<\/a> anyway and had Rachel stand with the water and an island in the background to give the composition some of that natural Fijian beauty. Little did I know then that I was snapping the pic of a future <em>Survivor<\/em> champion.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_18-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> A year later, that is exactly what she became. Rachel did not play a flashy game like <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-tony-vlachos-finale-winners-at-war-interview\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Tony<\/a>, a super deceptive game like <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/boston-rob-survivor-50-alliance-requests-8655827\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Boston Rob<\/a>, a flirty game like <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/parvati-shallow-will-not-return-to-survivor-8584588\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"3\">Parvati<\/a>, a stealthy cutthroat game like <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-45-dee-valladares-winner-tribal-council-breakdown-interview-8419010\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"4\">Dee<\/a>, or a supremely social game like <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-46-kenzie-petty-winner-shocked-maria-vote-interview-8652740\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"5\">Kenzie<\/a>. But she did everything well and was a terrifically well-rounded player with no apparent weakness. She was respected both socially and strategically. She won lots of challenges (<a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/jeff-probst-promises-real-battle-survivor-47-final-tribal-council-exclusive-8761913\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"6\">Jeff Probst<\/a> may have mentioned something about that). She didn\u2019t only acquire idols and advantages, but maximized how and when they were used. And she employed her Shot in the Dark wisely, as a test to gauge other players\u2019 reactions as to whether she needed to use her idol. Smart.\n<\/p>\n<figure id=\"mntl-sc-block_20-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-universal-image mntl-sc-block-image--no-theme mntl-sc-block-image figure-landscape figure-high-res\"><figcaption id=\"mntl-figure-caption_2-0\" class=\"comp mntl-figure-caption type--mouse text-utility-100 figure-article-caption\"> <span class=\"figure-article-caption-text\">Rachel LaMont on &#8216;Survivor 47&#8217;.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"figure-article-caption-owner\"><\/p>\n<p>CBS\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_21-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> So what\u2019s not to like? A very deserving winner, to be sure. And <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-jury-speaks-exclusive-pre-finale-interview-8761082\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">the jury agreed<\/a>, handing her a 7-1-0 win, with only <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-kyle-ostwald-reveals-current-status-sue-interview-8752321\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Kyle<\/a> voting otherwise, for Sam. And let\u2019s talk about Sam. He didn\u2019t win. In fact, he got smoked. That\u2019s not a surprise judging by the way players were talking about Rachel for the past few weeks. But man, did he kill it at that final Tribal Council.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_23-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The editors did all they could leading into Tribal to add suspense and make us think Sam had a shot. They showed him talking about how \u201cMy story is rootable, something the jury is going to want to get behind.\u201d They aired a clip of jury member <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-sierra-wright-pissed-after-being-voted-out-interview-8741209\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Sierra<\/a> talking up Sam\u2019s game. But it all felt like a feint.\u00a0I wasn\u2019t convinced. Then, Tribal Council started. It wasn\u2019t that Rachel was doing anything poorly at all, but Sam presented his case with confidence and gusto, and had smart arguments at the ready.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_25-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> His strongest moment came when he painted Rachel as a one-dimensional player who leaned on competitions and luck to get to the end. \u201cIt was immunity and an idol in fries that got her to the end of this game,\u201d he told the jury. And when Rachel responded that his path was easier because people were not targeting him, Sam was able to deftly counter that he was voted for the most times out of anyone in the final three, and was voted for at four different tribals and received 10 votes. He also connected again later when he promoted how he \u201cFound multiple ways to get to the end without winning immunity necklaces or buying the right item at the auction.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_27-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> It was a strong line, but in the end, the stronger all-around game won out. And even though Rachel won in a rout, it still felt like a close race there for a few minutes, right down to the pained parchment decision-making by folks like Sierra and Gabe. Maybe it was just skillful editing, but it worked. I actually started to wonder, if only a bit. And that added a little welcome uncertainty into what seemed like an inevitable march to the title after last week\u2019s episode.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_29-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Two quick notes before we move on to the rest of the finale recap: First off, after men won 12 out of 15 seasons (including six in a row) from season 26 through 40, five out of seven new era <em>Survivor<\/em> seasons have now been won by women, including the last three. Make of that what you will. Secondly, it&#8217;s too bad the finale kind of fell victim to CBS&#8217; scheduling whims. Because the network wanted a 14th episode and producers therefore decided to split the finale into two installments, we kind of all knew Rachel (who was also an expert fire-maker) was going to win before the episode even began. That surely sapped some of the drama from the endgame, which is a shame. On the other hand, I don&#8217;t want to be the guy complaining about getting even <em>more Survivor. <\/em>Okay, let\u2019s get into the other big moments of the <em>Survivor 47<\/em> finale.\n<\/p>\n<figure id=\"mntl-sc-block_31-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-universal-image mntl-sc-block-image--no-theme mntl-sc-block-image figure-landscape figure-high-res\"><figcaption id=\"mntl-figure-caption_3-0\" class=\"comp mntl-figure-caption type--mouse text-utility-100 figure-article-caption\"> <span class=\"figure-article-caption-text\">Teeny Chirichillo, Sue Smey, Rachel LaMont, Sam Phalen and Jeff Probst on &#8216;Survivor 47&#8217; finale.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"figure-article-caption-owner\"><\/p>\n<p>CBS<\/p>\n<p><\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"mntl-sc-block_34-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-subheading mntl-sc-block-subheading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-subheading__text\"> One last puzzling situation <\/span> <\/h3>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_35-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> There were so many stages to this final immunity challenge that I\u2019m pretty sure five turtle doves were somehow involved at some point. But none of it mattered, of course. Because the second we saw the puzzle at the end, we knew who was winning. Sure, it was fun watching the back and forth as the contestants did stage after stage and we watched Sam go from first to worst and back to first, but it all ended where we knew it would, with a Rachel victory.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_37-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> I do want to give a special shout out to <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-teeny-feels-the-pressure-exclusive-deleted-scene-8756265\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Teeny<\/a>, who struggled mightily attempting to cut the rope, just as I did while testing out a season 46 challenge. (Note to future players: There is a specific angle you need to chop from or else you will sit there looking like an idiot in front of everybody. I speak from experience.)\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_39-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Rachel\u2019s victory put her in elite company, which was shouted out by Probst almost as many times as I have shouted out Milwaukee\u2019s Best in these here virtual pages over the years. Rachel joined <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-borneo-cambodia-second-chance-kelly-wiglesworth-rudy-boesch-quarantine-questionnaire\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Kelly Wiglesworth<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-jenna-morasca-amazon-all-stars-quarantine-questionnaire\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Jenna Morasca<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/2020\/01\/23\/survivor-kim-spradlin-winners-at-war-interview\/\" class=\"pseudoStyle\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"3\">Kim Spradlin<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-chrissy-hofbeck-heroes-healers-hustlers-quarantine-questionnaire\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"4\">Chrissy Hofbeck<\/a> as the only women to win four individual immunity challenges in a season.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_41-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> And unlike two of those women, she had just won the game. There\u2019s a shot after Probst called it where you see it all over Rachel\u2019s crying, muddy face as she stares at the completed bat. That was the face of victory. She knew it, too.\n<\/p>\n<figure id=\"mntl-sc-block_43-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-universal-image mntl-sc-block-image--no-theme mntl-sc-block-image figure-landscape figure-high-res\"><figcaption id=\"mntl-figure-caption_4-0\" class=\"comp mntl-figure-caption type--mouse text-utility-100 figure-article-caption\"> <span class=\"figure-article-caption-text\">Sam Phalen, Rachel LaMont, Teeny Chirichillo, Jeff Probst, and Sue Smey on &#8216;Survivor 47&#8217;.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"figure-article-caption-owner\"><\/p>\n<p>CBS<\/p>\n<p><\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"mntl-sc-block_46-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-subheading mntl-sc-block-subheading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-subheading__text\"> To fire or not to fire? <\/span> <\/h3>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_47-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> I can\u2019t tell you how happy I am that Rachel felt absolutely no need to put herself into the fire-making competition after already earning her spot in the final three with the challenge win. It\u2019s one of the things I dislike most about the fire-making, that it somehow delegitimizes winning the final immunity challenge. \u201cI don\u2019t think knocking Sam out directly is going to elevate me in any substantial way,\u201d Rachel explained. Hallelujah! And thankfully, the jury clearly agreed. (Let\u2019s hope future juries are just as wise and don\u2019t punish people for not taking part in that ridiculous exercise.)\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_49-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The challenge winner did not hesitate in telling the group of her decision, which was that Sam and Teeny would square off at fire and have an opportunity to fight for a chance to lose to Rachel at the end. And thank goodness she did, as it led to this A+ back and forth in the water:<br \/>Sam: \u201cYou\u2019re going to let me make fire?<br \/>Rachel: \u201cYeah.\u201d<br \/>Sam: \u201cAlright\u201d.<br \/>Teeny: \u201cOh, f&#8212; you.\u201d<br \/>Sam: \u201cI\u2019m down.\u201d<br \/>Teeny: \u201cI\u2019m down too. I have no choice. You don\u2019t need to be like that.\u201d<br \/>Sam: \u201cLike what?<br \/>Teeny: \u201cArrogant.\u201d<br \/>Sam: \u201cI\u2019m not arrogant.\u201d<br \/>Teeny (imitating Sam): \u201cYou\u2019re gonna let me make fire.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_51-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Now, look\u00a0\u2014\u00a0I\u2019ll be the first to admit that was not Teeny\u2019s strongest Sam impersonation. You would think it would get better the more they did them, but this one somehow got worse! Although, to be fair, as far as we know, this is the first time Teeny has impersonated Sam <em>in front of Sam<\/em>, which, one might assume, could lead to some performance jitters. Plus, this impersonation took place while 90 percent submerged in water. Teeny did not have the full range of emotion or gesticulation they employed in their on-land imitation that set the bar for all imitations to come. Let\u2019s cut them some slack, is what I\u2019m saying.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_53-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> So Sam and Teeny then got to practicing, using those knives that were disturbingly left for them stabbed into a tree, as if Jason Voorhees had suddenly swooped in <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-john-cochran-south-pacific-caramoan-quarantine-questionnaire\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">John-Cochran<\/a>-in-<em>Game-Changers<\/em> style for no apparent reason. While Rachel helped Teeny master the art of fire (simultaneously locking up a jury vote if they did not prevail) Sam was struggling. Evidently, Sam was not lying to Teeny when he said he had never practiced and never sparked a flint. In fact, he told us he had only even touched a flint once in 25 days, leading me to ask: HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!?\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_55-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> I understand the way <em>Survivor<\/em> works. Certain people take on certain duties around camp and if someone else (like, say, Sue) takes on fire duty, then you go do something else. I also understand that you don\u2019t want to come off as a fire expert because that incentivizes people to get rid of you before you even get to the final four. But to never try even once? Remarkable.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_57-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> It was around this time when Sam lit his first fire\u2026 <em>and that fire was within!<\/em> After reading back a Loved Ones letter from his dad that was no doubt five million times more motivating than any halftime speech ever given by Matt Eberflus (\u201cWhatever you do, <em>don\u2019t<\/em> cover the tall guy on the Hail Mary play\u201d) Sam went back out and practiced some more and finally got a flame. But could he do it when it counted?\n<\/p>\n<figure id=\"mntl-sc-block_59-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-universal-image mntl-sc-block-image--no-theme mntl-sc-block-image figure-landscape figure-high-res\"><figcaption id=\"mntl-figure-caption_5-0\" class=\"comp mntl-figure-caption type--mouse text-utility-100 figure-article-caption\"> <span class=\"figure-article-caption-text\">Sam Phalen on &#8216;Survivor 47&#8217;.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"figure-article-caption-owner\"><\/p>\n<p>CBS<\/p>\n<p><\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"mntl-sc-block_62-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-subheading mntl-sc-block-subheading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-subheading__text\"> Rope-a-dope <\/span> <\/h3>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_63-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> I may be the president of the final four fire-making hater society, but I have always acknowledged that even though I think it is a severely flawed game mechanic, it has provided some insanely dramatic moments over the years. The fire-making is why we got the only <em>Survivor<\/em> tie vote in history with <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/recap\/survivor-season-36-finale\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Wendell edging out Dom<\/a>, and there have been other incredible moments as well, like the emotional <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/recaps\/survivor-season-40-episode-14\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Tony vs. Sarah face-off<\/a> in <em>Winners at War,<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-43-finale-jesse-lopez-interview\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"3\">Jesse\u2019s emotional exit<\/a> on season 43, and now the Sam vs. Teeny duel that tuned the entire jury into one big <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-eliza-orlins-micronesia-fans-vs-favorites-vanuatu-quarantine-questionnaire\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"4\">Eliza Orlins<\/a> exaggerated facial reaction. (I don\u2019t care. I still don\u2019t like it, LOL.)\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_65-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> This one was crazy, and as far as I can tell, Teeny did not lose to Sam. Instead, they lost to wind. Probst even mentioned this himself, noting during his play-by-play that \u201cNow the wind is blowing Teeny\u2019s away from the rope and Sam\u2019s <em>into<\/em> the rope.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_67-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> So even though Teeny appeared to have a flame well before Sam, it just would not stay centered under the rope. And this is not the first time that has happened. Back on <em>Survivor 41<\/em>, Heather Aldret was undone by the wind when she lost to <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-41-deshawn-radden-finale-interview\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Deshawn Radden<\/a>, even while appearing to have the higher, longer-burning fire. \u201cI did have the higher, most consistent flame,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-41-heather-aldret-finale-interview\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Heather told me then<\/a>. \u201cBut I don&#8217;t know if you could see it, but the wind was blowing so hard. I felt like I was in a little wind tunnel, and it was pushing the flames back. It was actually blowing in at me! I had to keep backing up because it was gonna burn my face.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_69-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Thankfully,\u00a0Teeny did not get their face burned off, but they could definitely sense it slipping away as Mother Nature sided with Teeny\u2019s all-American quarterback nemesis, while all they could do was look on in horror while gasping frustrated exclamations like \u201cCome on!\u201d and \u201cNoooooooo!\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_71-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cI do think that moment will haunt me for the rest of my time on earth,\u201d Teeny told us after having their torch snuffed\u2026 also once again snuffing my chances of correctly picking a winner at the start of the season. (What else is new?) But I want to say something else about Teeny. I\u2019m sure there are people out there who didn\u2019t like Teeny being so hostile in spots to Sam for being the charismatic, popular alpha jock type, but I don\u2019t really get why. After both of their outbursts, Teeny was very clear in explaining how their issues with Sam were way more about their <em>own<\/em> internal issues and coming to terms with being comfortable in their own skin than anything Sam did.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_73-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> How many times have we heard someone on <em>Survivor<\/em> slam someone and place all the blame at the other party\u2019s feet while taking no responsibility for their own prejudices and bias? Yet, here was Teeny doing exactly that and explaining their issues through a much larger prism. They explained it quite well at their final Tribal, dubbing the rivalry \u201cone-sided\u201d and admitting \u201cI\u2019ve projected insecurities onto him.\u201d That is a rare display of self-awareness on a show that often lacks it. And when Teeny ended by explaining that \u201cLosing to the big handsome jock, it\u2019s just another part of the story that I\u2019ll have to deal with,\u201d they were talking about much more than the game. All that said, I will be rewatching Teeny\u2019s tantrums and impersonations on a continuous loop until season 48 starts, because while I may profess from time to time to possess high-minded ideals, I am, at my core, a child.\n<\/p>\n<figure id=\"mntl-sc-block_75-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-universal-image mntl-sc-block-image--no-theme mntl-sc-block-image figure-landscape figure-high-res\"><figcaption id=\"mntl-figure-caption_6-0\" class=\"comp mntl-figure-caption type--mouse text-utility-100 figure-article-caption\"> <span class=\"figure-article-caption-text\">Teeny Chirichillo on &#8216;Survivor 47&#8217;.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"figure-article-caption-owner\"><\/p>\n<p>CBS<\/p>\n<p><\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"mntl-sc-block_78-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-subheading mntl-sc-block-subheading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-subheading__text\"> Final Tribal thoughts <\/span> <\/h3>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_79-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> I realize I kind of did this whole recap backwards and already talked about the final Tribal Council and how much Rachel deserved it, and how well Sam did in defeat, and how much Sue just kind of had to sit there wondering why nobody was singing \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d to her, but a few other quick notes from final Tribal.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_81-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u2022 I don\u2019t know how it played with the jury, but I kind of love Rachel\u2019s answer to Gabe\u2019s opening query of \u201cHow do you think your game will be remembered?\u201d where she said she did not come to have a <em>Survivor<\/em> legacy, did not care how she would be remembered, and just wanted to play <em>Survivor<\/em>. The reason why I think that unexpected answer was so effective is that by zigging to a question clearly set up to have players zag, she set herself up as someone that was going to answer the jury\u2019s questions honestly and not just tell them what they wanted to hear (even if she secretly was).\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_83-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u2022 Can we take a second to acknowledge <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-sol-yi-what-we-did-not-see-live-tribal-council-interview-8745088\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Sol<\/a> busting out yet another shirtless vest look? What an icon.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_85-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u2022 Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/article\/2015\/05\/21\/survivor-worlds-apart-mike-holloway-his-big-moment-and-what-has-him-pissed\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Mike Holloway<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/survivor-ben-driebergen-finale-winners-at-war-interview\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Ben Driebergen<\/a> catching strays at a <em>Survivor 47<\/em> Tribal Council! This was actually a fantastic question by <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-andy-rueda-says-sue-wanted-head-on-spike-interview-8760162\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"3\">Andy<\/a>. Super <em>Survivor<\/em> nerds tend to discount Mike and Ben as unsavvy players who merely succeeded thanks to a string of immunity wins and idol finds (or, Ben Bombs, if you will), so what Andy was essentially asking Rachel was, \u201cIf you don\u2019t respect those kinds of wins, why should we respect yours?\u201d Rachel parried this decently, talking about the final three deals she made with Sue and Teeny to highlight her more social and strategic side. Still, great question for Andy, made even more perfect by the fact that he spent time fixing his hair before asking it.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_87-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u2022 Rachel took a risk when she talked about the personal accomplishments in her career and life, and how she hadn\u2019t always owned those accomplishments. It was a solid point about having the freedom to promote oneself without sounding like a cocky jerk, but juries don\u2019t always want to hear about one\u2019s accomplishments off the island when competing for what might be a life-changing amount of money for someone sitting beside you. Thankfully for her, the move did not backfire.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_89-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Of course, after Rachel was announced as the winner, it was not over, as we still had to get to the final three losers\u2019 biggest nightmare\u2026 also known as the After-Show!\n<\/p>\n<figure id=\"mntl-sc-block_91-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-universal-image mntl-sc-block-image--no-theme mntl-sc-block-image figure-landscape figure-high-res\"><figcaption id=\"mntl-figure-caption_7-0\" class=\"comp mntl-figure-caption type--mouse text-utility-100 figure-article-caption\"> <span class=\"figure-article-caption-text\">Jeff Probst and Rachel LaMont on &#8216;Survivor 47&#8217;.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"figure-article-caption-owner\"><\/p>\n<p>CBS<\/p>\n<p><\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_92-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> <strong><em>Sign up for\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/forms.dotdashmeredith.com\/ew-tv-inline-offer\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow\">Entertainment Weekly<em>&#8216;s\u00a0free daily newsletter<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<em>to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.<\/em><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"mntl-sc-block_94-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block ew-sc-block-subheading mntl-sc-block-subheading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-subheading__text\"> After-Show afterthoughts <\/span> <\/h3>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_95-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> You all know my feelings on the After-Ahow. Probst likes it because he says it is the most real and raw, before players feel like they have to react to how viewers react to what they saw on TV. That&#8217;s fine, but I would counter that players are unable at the After-Show to react to <em>anything<\/em> that they did not see out on the island with their own eyes. The fun of the reunion is seeing players react to things they had no idea even happened or were said until they popped up on their TV screen. Plus, not all the players are even there! Also, we don&#8217;t get to see what they look like six months later, which is undeniably fun. Okay, enough ranting.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_97-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> I didn&#8217;t catch any great moments from the After-Show\u2026\u00a0except maybe Genevieve saying &#8220;Be prepared to be on the bottom&#8221; (I told you I&#8217;m a child) and Andy filling up Teeny&#8217;s champagne glass to the rim. I&#8217;ve said it before and I&#8217;ll say it again\u2026\u00a0RELEASE THE DRUNK TEENY TAPES! I also thought Teeny articulated really well what a unique experience playing <em>Survivor<\/em> is. But there was no real high drama or high comedy in those final 20 minutes.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_99-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> However, how amazing does this <em>Survivor 48<\/em> promo look?! So freakin&#8217; good! Check out some intel on the season, as well as the teaser and the logo <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-48-teaser-muscles-mayhem-possible-medical-evacuation-exclusive-8763819\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">right over here<\/a>. I was out there for filming on that one, and suffice it to say I cannot <em>wait<\/em> to see S48 kick off.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_101-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> But before we get to that, we still have plenty of S47 business to conduct. If you missed my exclusive pre-finale interviews with the <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-final-4-speak-exclusive-finale-interview-rachel-sam-sue-teeny-8761239\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">final four<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-jury-speaks-exclusive-pre-finale-interview-8761082\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">jury<\/a>, I heartily recommend you check those out for lots of insight. We&#8217;ll also have an exclusive deleted scene from the finale, as well as interviews with Jeff Probst and the final four, so keep your eyes peeled for all of that (and also feel free to hit the comments below with your thoughts on the finale.)\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_103-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Thanks to everyone for playing along, for yet another season of <em>Survivor<\/em> recap shenanigans. Your patronage and your kind words are much appreciated. Let&#8217;s do it all over again on Feb. 26, shall we? I&#8217;ll see you then with a piping hot scoop of the crispy\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/survivor-47-finale-recap-victory-a-year-in-the-making-8763379\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>First things first. Happy birthday, Sue! 46 years old! I mean\u2026\u00a059 years old! And how amazing that it happened on the same day as final Tribal Council, and she was &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138776\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=138776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138776\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=138776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=138776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=138776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}