Spoilers ahead for the Season 45 finale of Survivor.
There are long running reality shows, and then there's Survivor. The CBS megahit changed the TV world forever when it premiered back in 2000, and is widely consideredone of the best reality tv shows of all time. Season 45 of Survivor just wrapped up, and its finale was a wild ride. Host/showrunner Jeff Probst reflected on the "biggest unforced error" of the finale, and I totally agree.
Season 45 has been a fun ride, with Jeff Probst claiming his favorite moment was Emily's surprise elimination. But the finale also had some big twists and turns, especially Julie's exit, and Jake's failed idol play and blindside of Dee (who would end up winning). Probst spoke to EW about the first vote of the finale, offering:
Katurah and Jake blew it. Jake wanted to make a big move in front of the jury, so he withheld valuable information from Katurah — that he was going to play the idol for her. And Katurah was never able to fully trust Jake, for obvious reasons, so she switched her vote. The combination of those two moves was probably the biggest unforced error of the game. The result was positive for Dee and negative for Julie. If Julie is there in the end instead of Dee, I think she wins.
I've got to say he's right.. There were a bunch of missteps in the first tribal council of the Survivor 45 finale. While Katurah and Jake wanted to make a big move, they had a hard time trusting each other. And as a result, Julie was voted off and the final four of the season was solidified.
During that tribal Jake shocked everyone by revealing that he'd acquired a Hidden Immunity Idol. He wanted to make a big move and use it on Katurah to get Dee out, but failed to actually let his fellow tribe mate that he was going to do so. And as such, Katurah ended up changing her vote, and Julie was eliminated.
Survivor 45's tribals have been wild, and the finale was no exception in that regard. And while Katurah and Jake survived that first wild tribal, they basically sealed their fate for the rest of their time in Fiji. Because once Dee won Final Immunity, these two failed allies were forced to participate in the fire making challenge to see who would make it to the final Tribal Council.
To be clear, I was #TeamDee throughout the whole season, which is why I think not voting her out was a misstep for the rest of the group. She had a great social game, won a bunch of Immunity Challenges, and was a strategic threat. And in the end she beast Jake and Austin.
One reason why Jeff Probst is willing to keep hosting Survivor is likely because of the way the game is constantly evolving. Whether its Mike Gabler donating his winnings to charity or Emily's evolution this season, it all depends on which castaways ultimately get cast and make it onto the island.
While some fans are still checking how to watch Survivor 45, Probst is already at the stage where he's able to look back on the season as a whole. In the same interview with EW, he shared about how the seasons depend on the contestants, saying:
From a player standpoint, I put this group up with any group. They were outstanding to watch, fun for me to interact with, they embraced every part of the game, and they gave us a truly entertaining season of Survivor. From a production standpoint, I was really proud of our team for delivering on 90-minute episodes. It is no small feat and I was really happy with how the season turned out.
Indeed, Survivor extended to 90-minute episodes this season, presumably as a result of strikes preventing scripted TV from being filmed. Fans really responded to this changed, which allowed for more of camp life to be shown, as well as the return of the full theme song. These extended episodes will continue through Season 46, and hopefully beyond. Fingers crossed.
Survivor airs on CBS, and is streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
