Survivor 47 | Ep. 13 Finale Part 1
JEFF’S PENULTIMATE EPISODE INTRODUCTION
It’s like watching Steph Curry shoot a basketball or Cesar Millan train a dog. Jeff’s introduction to a finale of Survivor is a work of art. The long shot sequence from the bridge entering Tribal Council all the way across without so much as fumbling a single phoneme. The man is a master of his craft and I’m sure the Emmy Award committees are taking notice for the umpteenth time. Finally, after catching the viewers up with the final 6 and how they got here, the intro ends with the zoom out that’s nothing short of a stadium/arena hype video. Jeff, thank you, I am ready for the finale!!!!
BEKA - Night 22
The post Operation: Italy Tribal scene is as juicy as any this scene. First, Sue is angry because she was blindsided along with Caroline and now she is alone in the game and wants to smash Andy’s face for flipping again. Sue is a loyal player and Andy is not. She will never understand his move and that’s why Sue has no chance of winning the game.
Next, Andy, Sam, and Genevieve rejoice by the ocean in the success of Operation: Italy. They can’t believe it worked just like we couldn’t. Andy’s smile was as big as the grinch’s.
Then, Teeny did what Teeny does, and confronts Andy about it and he plays it off like it was spur of the moment. She buys it. Then, Teeny goes to the water to further the conversation with Sam and Genevieve. She buys their story that it was like a Bob Ross painting, a “happy little accident”.
From there, the game has flipped and now so has Teeny. She is brought in and briefed on the next target in the game being Rachel.
However, Rachel doesn’t just have a BLOCK A VOTE (which Teeny told Operation: Italy about), a Hidden Immunity Idol (that nobody knows about), but she also has some mini spy shack gameplay up her sleeve. Rachel reminds us that she is here to play when she sneaks down to the beach and listens in on the entire conversation.
Now, she knows she’s the target. She knows that her BLOCK A VOTE is public knowledge and her idol is a secret. My gut tells me that Rachel’s move is become Sue’s new number one, hope that Sue tells Rachel about her idol, gets Sue to play the TUKU idol for Rachel (if she doesn’t win immunity) at the final 6, because there’s no chance Sue gets voted out, and then at final 5 Rachel plays her own idol on herself (if she doesn’t win immunity) or use it on someone else to eliminate another player (if she did win immunity) and win the game.
Ultimately, Andy and Rachel are in the driver seats to win the game. The question is whether the others will figure it out and figure out a way to get rid of the two of them so that someone else has a chance to win.
BEKA - Night 23
Before Sue can really begin her treasure hunt, Rachel storms up to the water well and devulges to Sue that she has the idol. Rachel’s secret is no more. She does it out of desperation to bring Sue in and make her final push to get to the end of the game. I don’t think Rachel had to tell Sue about the idol because Sue’s loyalty is no secret, but she did.
Contrastly, Sue doesn’t tell Rachel about her Immunity Idol in that moment. This makes me wonder two things, one, does Sue actually think she still can win the game? which maybe she can, but I’m betting against that, and two, would Sue play her idol for Rachel in the event that Rachel loses the Immunity Challenge to stamp a big move on her resume and likely eliminate one of the other four.
There’s A LOT riding on the first Immunity Challenge, let’s f***ing go!!!
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - Day 23
REWARD - Steak, Baked Potato, Wine, and Cheesecake at the Sanctuary.
This challenge was SICK!!!
The multi-stage obstacle course out on the ocean, pushing a buoy along, and completing a Survivor 47 logo puzzle was won by Genevieve. She was able to outpuzzle Rachel by half a puzzle and punch her ticket to the final 5. With this win by Genevieve, Rachel is vulnerable, and likely to play her Immunity Idol to save herself and reek havoc on the rest of them. Plus, she has to play her BLOCK A VOTE at this Tribal, so she will empty her artillery, but it will get her to live another day and end someone else’s dream of winning.
PREDICTION: Rachel plays her idol for herself and blocks Andy’s vote. Andy will get voted out.
SANCTUARY - Day 23
The vino is flowing and the 23 year old Teeny can’t hold her wine when she spills the wine on Genevieve having an idol to Sue. Of course, the idol isn’t real, but only Genevieve knows that. Teeny is a disaster. This is playing into Genevieve’s plans magnificently.
BEKA - Day 23
The GATA 3 of Sam, Rachel, and Andy are back at camp having their swan song together. Sam directly telling Rachel that they never could get on the same page and that he will be targeting her tonight. Rachel pleading for the vote to be someone else and turning on the waterworks in her Oscar scene, knowing she will play the idol and be safe anyway. Then, there’s Andy, who is still being underestimated by Rachel and leaves us the viewer rooting for him to get to the Final Tribal Council and be able to have his Mr. Holland’s Opus moment and be validated for the symphony he has written this season.
PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE - Day 23
Sam, Andy, Genevieve, and Teeny are all targeting Rachel. However, Rachel has a Hidden Immunity Idol and will be safe. Only she and Sue know this. The secret of this idol leaves a huge moment to come at Tribal in which Rachel gets her mic drop moment and votes out Sam.
Or…
Maybe she’ll target Andy. Andy’s logical/practical gameplay led Rachel and Sue to plead with him about voting with them to vote out Sam. After mulling it over, Andy runs the numbers and decides that Rachel will be his target. From that decision, he goes into “jury-management” mode and from what the edit shows, we are led to believe that Andy spills the tea on his game to Rachel and she drinks it all in and now is left to re-think who the target of her mic drop should be.
PREDICTION: Rachel has outwitted Andy and he will get voted out. Rachel is the first to stop underestimating Andy and she’ll be the one to get the best of him in this game, and likely his jury vote.
TRIBAL COUNCIL - Night 23
Rachel calls bulls**t and calls out Andy for flipping and she is building the tension. Rachel calling out to Jeff and the jury that everyone has told her they are voting her out is only to build the anticipation.
Andy has lied to Rachel and blindsided her 3 times. Genevieve and Rachel are like two alphas and only one can remain. Sam talks to the script and echoes his comments of the two of them never quite getting on the same page in the game. Teeny gives a practical reasoning behind voting for Rachel because she can’t beat her in fire. Finally, Sue isn’t voting for Rachel.
The moment is here and Rachel will end someone’s dream and have the game in hand.
Here we go…
RACHEL PLAYS HER HIDDEN IMMUNITY IDOL ON HERSELF
VOTES
Andy - 2
Rachel - 3
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Cutting to the chase, I wanted Andy at Final Tribal Council to reveal to the jury and the other two competitors the game he played because it was the best one. Andy joins Ricard (41) and Jesse (43) on the short list of the best players in the new era who didn’t win.
Andy has played the best game of 47, but like Jeff said in the opening, one mistake, and it can cost you. The mistake was leaving out the possibility of Rachel having an idol and foiling the obvious plan to vote her out, and that’s what happened. For Ricard was losing the final 5 Immunity Challenge and for Jesse, it was losing fire making to Gabler. Andy’s jury management reveal to Rachel could have been just enough of a nudge for her to target Andy over Sam.
It’s hard to believe that 11 weeks ago we all wondered if Andy would quit, meltdown, or be Bhanu 2.0. Instead, Andy nearly won the game, and cemented himself in Survivor lure with some incredible blindsides like Operation: Italy and playing the game like it was his second time as he flipped alliances to be on the right side of the votes while still being underestimated.
Andy, it was a pleasure to watch your story unfold and the growth you had over 23 days in the game. My guess is that you will be adding to that total number of days on Survivor in season 50 or beyond.
BEKA - Night 23
Rachel gets her moment after Tribal reveal that she found her idol in the french fries at the auction, but the tension at camp is only growing between Rachel and Genevieve. Like I said before, there isn’t room at camp or in this game for two alpha females to co-exist. One of them will go and they are not making any bones about taking each other out. I love how they are authentic and not fake. Very refreshing.
BEKA - Day 24
The underestimated championship belt that Andy was walking around with is now in Sue’s possession. She has an Immunity Idol and two egomaniacs in Rachel and Genevieve all but typing up their Final Tribal pitches.
This leaves one to think that Sam, Sue, and Teeny have figured out that they still have an argument to make in this game and that Rachel and Genevieve better watch out. Honestly, if the final 3 is Sam, Teeny, and Sue, who wins? I lean Sam or Sue but at best, it’s a crap shoot, and I’m betting my original horse in the race.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - Day 24
This version of the Survivor classic stacking balls and stands, added a wobbly platform to stack everything from. After an initial drop by everyone, the challenge resumed with Genevieve and Rachel getting to ball number 4 and they both dropped.
The challenge restarted with another montage of drops and then a second duel between Rachel and Genevieve. Rachel gets to her final ball, a deep breath, and Genevieve right on her tail.
Genevieve’s DROPS!
Rachel is glued to the top of her stack, inching her fork off of the stack millimeter by millimeter and stopping the stack from falling. Then, with everyone’s stomach’s in their throats…
RACHEL WINS IMMUNITY!!
Rachel wins her third Immunity Challenge, guaranteed spot in the final four, and a chance to at least make fire. Rachel was in the power position in the game and has now strengthened her position in the game.
PRE-TRIBAL COUNCIL - Day 24
With desperation on his side, Sam drops his bomb on Teeny with the news that Genevieve’s idol is fake. This proves that Teeny knows absolutely NOTHING in the game and Genevieve has manipulated and tricked Teeny all along.
Now is the time for Teeny to get the last word, but she needs Sue and Rachel’s help. The problem at this point is that people genuinely don’t know what to believe. The collateral damage of 24 days of lies, blindsides, and flipping alliances has left everyone without a north star.
PREDICTION: Sue plays her idol for herself and Genevieve’s fake idol gets fully exposed and she goes home.
TRIBAL COUNCIL - Night 24
Teeny begins by narrating the game to this point and exposes Genevieve’s idol via Sam. In other words, Teeny is confessing how she has known absolutely nothing this whole game and continues to know nothing.
Sam exposes Teeny as the information highway which gets a “Wow” out of Jeff.
I have a “Wow” of my own and it’s to the entire final five for never losing their cool in these extremely high stakes and tense moments. Sam exposes Teeny as the canary of the group. Teeny exposes Genevieve for manipulating her all game long. Sam says to vote Genevieve. Nobody is listening to Sam. And on and on. The fact that they can look others in the eye, express their frustrations in a controlled manner, and have these conversations at all is extremely impressive.
SUE PLAYS HER IMMUNITY IDOL FOR HERSELF
VOTES
Genevieve - 3
Sam - 2
Teeny voted for Sam!!! Can you believe it??? Teeny couldn’t put the knife into Genevieve’s game and twist it. Teeny sooooooo desperately wanted Genevieve to like her and I guess Sam’s QB1 image was reason enough to vote him and not her. This vote by Teeny speaks to the level of gameplay that Genevieve played and it was definitely one worthy of final five and a winning game.
Genevieve’s threat level skyrocketed at LAVO when she orchestrated the blindside of Kishan and never stopped burning fuel. She was behind the Sol vote, she was part of Operation: Italy, she won an Immunity Challenge, and found herself on the right side of votes throughout. She declared to her competitors, Jeff, and the jury that she had been playing a non-emotional game which only elevated her threat level more, yet she stayed in the game. The rocket fuel finally stopped burning once Sam revealed that the idol she “had” was fake and lucky for Sam, Rachel and Sue believed him.
Next week is the conclusion of Survivor 47 and it is going to be a great one!
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