Reality Exploits - Reality TV

Survivor: Fiji - Season Finale

by Lynn on May 13th, 2007

As we get ready for this finale to begin, I am contemplating the people left in the game and what I expect to see on the show. In any other season, Earl would be my hands-down favorite player. Don’t get me wrong, I still am a big fan of his, but with Yau Man in the game, it’s hard to root for anyone else.

I realize that they will all be gunning for Yau in the finale. They all see him a threat and of course they will want him out. So I’m cautiously optimistic about his chances of winning this season. If he makes it to the final people being voted on by the jury, I think he stands a great chance of winning the season. But I’m concerned that he may not make it that far because of the target on his back.

So, here’s my hope: First, that Yau Man and Earl both make it to the final vote. And that Yau wins it. I think he deserves it based on how incredibly well he has played so far.

And if he doesn’t make it to the end, I hope Earl is the winner. He has been the one that has gently led everything all season long. And now I’ll take a deep breath and let the show begin.

The show began on night 36. Yau was worried because he had been forced to use his immunity idol. Earl said it was mostly to flush the idol out. Earl said he was nervous too because he realized they would all know he didn’t trust them any more either.

Yau knew that he was the one with the target on his back, so he was ready to try to win immunity this time.

Earl was talking to Cassandra and told her that his promise was to take people to the top 5. Now they are all there, so all bets are off. Cassandra asked Earl if Yau had the second idol and he told her that he didn’t think so. (That’s because Earl has it…)

At the immunity challenge, they all had to find their way though a giant maze wearing a blindfold. It was a tough one, but at least it wasn’t based on brute strength.

Woo-hoo! Yau Man won immunity!!! :-)

Now, Earl has immunity and so does Yau Man. That means one of the other three will be out at the tribal counsel.

Yau talked to Cassandra about voting out Boo next. Yau went to Boo and told him that he had no hard feelings and that he was a good player.

Dreamz didn’t even want to talk about who to vote for.

Boo went to Earl and tried to talk him into voting off Dreamz. Earl said he would think about taking out Dreamz. (But will he?)

Earl agreed that Yau would get the vote for being the best; Dreamz would get the sympathy vote, so it would be better not to take either one to the end.

Boo then went to Yau to tell him that anyone would win against Boo. Yau considered whether to vote for Dreamz or Boo.

At the tribal counsel, Boo told Jeff that he thought that Yau had worked hard and made no enemies so he would be hard to beat. And Dreamz would get the sympathy vote.

Dreamz said that he tells people where he’s from so that others can see how far they can go too, not to get anyone’s sympathy.

The votes were cast and Earl played the immunity idol. Jeff counted the votes and Boo was voted out.

Earl and Yau agreed that they would be friends for life. Dreamz was saying that he was good to his word to give Yau the immunity necklace. He felt that he was obligated to get the necklace and give it to Yau. (Very cool!)

The next day, the final four went on the journey of remembrance of their fellow Survivors who had been voted off before them. It’s always a moving scene when they do that.

The final immunity challenge was, as always, an endurance challenge. Dreamz is determined to win it so he could repay Yau for the truck. Everyone else was wanting to win so they could move on.

Cassandra was the first to drop out. Earl dropped out next, then Yau. Dreamz won the immunity. Now let’s see if he gives it to Yau like he promised.

Yau asked Dreamz if he was to change his mind, could he at least not vote for Yau. Dreamz was surprised that he would even feel the need to ask.

Dreamz really did struggle with the idea of giving away a million dollars. He didn’t seem sure himself that he would do the right thing. (Doesn’t he know that if he goes back on his word, no one will vote for him in the end?)

At tribal counsel, Dreamz decided to keep the immunity. (He’s a snake!!)

The votes were cast and Yau Man was voted out. (I’m devastated!! Dreamz doesn’t deserve to go on. Yau should be in the final three. Now I want anyone but Dreamz to win.)

Earl felt bad for voting for Yau Man. He said that he hoped that Yau would understand that he was just playing the game.

Dreamz played the justification game by thinking that he had done the right thing. (If that’s how he thinks of it…)

The next morning, they were all happy that it was the last day. They all just hung out and relaxed knowing that the hard part was all over.

They found a basket with tools to use for food and drink and a note telling them that gifts would fall from the sky. A plane dropped a package for them and it landed in the water. Earl went out to get it.

They fried up some bacon and eggs with all the fixings.

Of the final three, Cassandra was the one that mostly floated under the radar all season. Dreamz was the one that betrayed everyone on every side during the whole season. Only Earl lasted till the end with his integrity and having played a good game. I hope he wins it.

Dreamz felt that he had done everything right. He was actually proud of himself. (I hope he enjoys the car, because I can’t imagine anyone voting to give him a million dollars.)

At the tribal counsel, the final three each had to make an opening statement about why they felt they deserved the million dollars.

Earl went first and told the jury that he had played an honest and clean game. He said that he had taken the hard way, not to be a rat or a snake. He told them that no one had ever written his name at the vote and he had never won an immunity challenge. He said that he wanted their votes out of respect for that.

Cassandra went next and thanked everyone for helping her and that she had always tried to be the one that everyone could come talk to. She said that she had gotten with an alliance and had never wavered from it. She said that she hoped that they could all stay friends after the game.

Dreamz (who had said that he didn’t want the sympathy vote, remember?) told them that they all knew his life story about being homeless, etc. He said that he had opened up to everybody so he could get to know everybody, then see who would open up to him in return. (So he could stab them in their backs…) He said that they all knew him and knew his heart. (Snake.) He asked them to vote for him to help his life and to let him help other people. (Yeah, sure.)

Gee, I know I sound bitter about this, but I guess that’s because I am. Sorry, I’m just not unbiased on this one. Dreamz just doesn’t deserver to get even one vote.

Next, the jury members got to ask questions and direct their statements toward the final three. (I sense that this might get ugly…)

Michelle went first. She asked them what was the biggest hardship they had faced during their time on the island because she felt they would need to work pretty hard for a million bucks.

Dreamz went first. He said that sleeping in the dirt and starving was really nothing to him because he had always done without things. He said that the hardest part was being thirsty and still having to do challenges was the worst.

Then Cassandra said her biggest challenge was overcoming her inability to swim. (I can’t believe that they even let a person who can’t swim be on the show…) She said that her fear of the water and also her opening up and forming an alliance was a big obstacle too.

Then Earl said that everyone who was at Ravu understood about suffering. He said that to do without food and water, then go to challenges, then go to Exile Island was all rough. He felt that he had suffered more than anyone. (What about Mookie, who lived in Ravu the entire time until the merge?)

Edgardo came up next and asked Earl how he had found out who had the immunity idol fro the other alliance.

Earl told him that Dreamz had told them all.

Edgardo sat down without asking any more questions.

Then Mookie was up. He asked Dreamz if he had told anyone about the immunity idol he had found.

Dreamz said that yes, he had.

Mookie asked him if he considered that betrayal.

Dreamz said no, it was just lying.

Mookie challenged him by asking why telling the biggest secret of the alliance was not betrayal.

Dreamz said that he didn’t consider it betrayal, just a lie, a con, a deceit. (So, what’s the big difference?)

Mookie gave the three a word of advice; not to get caught in a lie that night.

Alex was up next. He asked Cassandra to describe a moment when she grappled the most to maintain her integrity.

She said that early in the game she had walked in on a conversation that Alex had been having with Boo about her. She said that she had to decide whether to stay or not.

He asked her to describe the conversation.

She said they were discussing eliminating either her or Dreamz.

Alex accused her of lying to him right then. He said that she had nurtured a friendship with Stacy to use her until her vote was no longer of use to them, and then discarding her.

Cassandra told him that he had the situation figured out wrong.

He interrupted her and was really nasty to her. (I guess it’s his attorney experience that was showing then.)

Then Alex turned to Dreamz. He said that given the fact that Dreamz had said that his goal was to help kids, then why would he lie, cheat and backstab? How would that be a role model to the kids he wanted to help? (Excellent question…)

Dreamz told him that the game was not the real world and that there was a separation between the two. (He’s kidding himself.)

Alex told him that he didn’t wish him any luck at all and that he can’t hide from karma forever.

Lisi went next. Lisi did the eeeny-meeny-miny-mo thing and then asked to see Cassandra’s shoes. She told her that she was the least prepared to play the game of anyone.

Cassandra said that it wasn’t true because it was day 39 and she was still there and her shoes were still there.

Lisi accused Cassandra of being in over her head and of being greedy. (I’d say that if she really was, then they should have voted her off sooner. Lisi’s accusations didn’t fly for me.)

Cassandra said that her reason for being on the island was to prove things to herself and that it was never about greed.

Then Lisi asked Dreamz how many zeros are in a million.

He answered six. And that it was enough to keep somebody’s life running and to help a lot of people.

She seemed shocked that he knew the answer. (Now that’s just wrong. She was being totally catty then.)

Lisi told Earl that when Yau had been voted off, Earl had done a whole show for the jury. She wanted to know why Earl had acted so shocked after he had helped vote Yau off. (Now that’s a good question. I guess she can get one out of three good after all.)

Earl said that he had been shocked that Dreamz didn’t give up the immunity like he had promised. He told her that he had been shocked at how things had played out.

Lisi told Earl that he could have voted for Cassandra.

Earl told her that it had been a smart choice to vote Yau off. (Don’t get me started…)

Lisi said that somehow “smart” had become interchangeable with “manipulation.” (Wooo! She’s tough!)

Next up was Stacy. She told Earl that the only real difference between Earl and Dreamz is that Earl is a little more sophisticated. (WTF??) She said that Earl was college educated and would land on his feet. Dreamz would not. She asked Earl if she should base her vote on need.

Earl said that no one would be playing the game if they didn’t all need a million dollars. He said that the money would change any one of their lives. He told her that he didn’t think he should have to feel bad because he had a job and a car. He said that he had been raised by a single mom and that there had been drugs ad violence all around him too but that he had worked hard. He said that they all need it, but it shouldn’t be based on that, it should be based on how they played the game.

Then Rocky was up. He asked them all how they were the best manipulator (he called it “kicker”) of them all.

Cassandra said she was the biggest kicker because she listened and was a friend when people needed it.

Rocky stopped her and said he’d give her another try and then he would move on.

She told him she didn’t feel that she had manipulated anyone.

He asked Dreamz to answer the same question.

Dreamz said he was the best kicker because he manipulated Yau and then put him on the chopping block.

Then he asked Earl the question.

Earl said that he had to be the best kicker because he had manipulated everyone in the jury at one time or another and no one even thought he was playing the game.

Next was Boo. Boo said that he first wanted to tip his hat to Yau because he had been the best all-around player. Yau had relied on Dreamz’ word and Dreamz didn’t come through. (That’s an understatement!) Boo told Dreamz that he couldn’t make a promise in his heart, then just change his mind.

Dreamz said that it hadn’t been in his heart. (What a lying sack of poop!)

Boo told him that he was asking him as a Christian whether he had accepted the truck and had intended to manipulate him all along or if he had accepted it as a Christian, then later changed his mind.

Dreamz gave him a bunch of double-talk about it, but never directly answered the question.

Boo told Dreamz that he felt that Dreamz was an immature Christian and that one day he hoped that Dreamz would be a strong enough Christian to tell the devil to dangle all the money he wanted in front of him, but that he was not for sale. (Go, Boo!)

Dreamz didn’t have a comeback to that.

Yau Man was up next. He started by telling them all that by being a 54-year-old man, he had the advantage of not having testosterone overload to poison his brains. He said that he could admit to a mistake. He told Dreamz that what had gone down with him had been entirely his fault. He told Dreamz that the truck was given to him in good faith and that he had no hard feelings and that Dreamz should enjoy having it.

So Yau then told Dreamz that he would give him the chance to have the gonads to stand up and say why he had changed his mind. (I love the way he puts things. He should have been in the final three…yes, I’m still bitter…)

Dreamz told Yau Man that he didn’t change his mind and that he was just playing the game. (That’s a lie and we could all see it.) He told Yau that he had outwitted, outplayed and outlasted and that he was sorry that Yau had been the victim. Dreamz refused to admit that he had changed his mind. (What a low-life!)

Then Yau asked Earl why he had not wanted to take Yau to the next level.

Earl told him it was because he knew he could not win against Yau Man. (He’s right.) Earl told Yau that he had played the best game by far.

The jury then voted for the person they wanted to win the million dollars.

As always, Jeff took the votes with him back to the US and brought them to read live at the reunion show.

He read the votes and Earl won!!! Hurray!! At least it was Earl.

This was a totally good decision for the others to make. If it couldn’t be Yau, at least it was Earl. A good ending to a really strange season.

Jeff announced that it was a totally unanimous vote. All nine jury members voted for Earl. (Now, that’s what I’m talking about!)

So what are your thoughts about this season? Are you happy that Earl won the million? Did you hope for another outcome?

Leave a comment o let us all know your thoughts!

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