Survivor
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Votes dont add up, and alliances and friendships crop up without much explanation.
In hindsight, maybe they were warning us of such an unpredictable ending.
Buckle up, because weve got a lot to unpack.
Going into the finale, Jesse had just used Codys own idol to expel him from the game.
It was his saving grace and the only chance he had at getting into the final four.
Instead, we jump right into the next morning where Tree Mail reveals a hidden advantage on the island.
Back at camp, all hell breaks loose between our two remaining women.
Like Jesse, Karla has also revealed herself to be a bit villainous these last few weeks.
She was always a cutthroat player, but her turn against Cassidy comes across as spiteful.
Was there another big blowup between them we never saw?
With her back against the wall, Karla does what she feels she needs to do.
At Tribal that night, Jesse stuns the crowd by revealing Jeanines idol.
Everyone is shocked, but Jeanine is absolutely floored.
But everyone, Jeanine included, respects the move.
With Jesses guaranteed spot in the final four, he is just as guaranteed to make fire.
Final Tribal Council
It wasnt just Gablers record-breaking fire that led to his win.
Gabler was asked questions like Was your strategy on purpose or by accident?
(Shockingly, he said it was on purpose.)
First, Cassidy shouldve been given a chance to finish her answer without being interrupted.
(Shes right.)
According to the men, Ryan was always the vote, especially if James was voted out first.
If its James, maybe we just cut Cass because then Karlas on her own completely.
It sounds like she saved her own ass, despite not necessarily helping Jesse and Codys game.
And I think this situation indicates how differently the men and the women saw this season.
Instead of being rewarded for this clear strategy, she is punished.
Over and over, Gabler refers to his removal of Elie as his biggest move.
It may have been after the semi-merge, but she wasnt even on the jury!
It speaks volumes that this was the move Gabler was most proud of.
The only time he manipulated the vote to go his way was with an over-the-top and completely unsubtle strategy.
He may have voted correctly at nearly every vote, but how many of those were his idea?
Overall, I think the sour mood at Final Tribal Council was the only natural ending to this season.
Throughout the entire game, beingsubtlewas rewarded.
Ive disagreed with so many decisions this game; I shouldve seen the anticlimactic Gabler win coming.
The final three havent even had a chance to take a shower yet!
Expecting them to have the clarity to even see what went wrong is a lot to ask.
It doesnt help that these are both superfans who dreamed of playingSurvivortheir whole lives.
Cassidy made one comment during FTC, and no further discussion was had.
I wouldve loved some perspective on the situation, especially from the women voted out pre-merge.
But ultimately, this was a disappointing end to a disappointing season.
