Survivor 47 Episode 14: Finale Part 2
The Survivor 47 winner is...
Survivor 47 produced a season finale across two episodes, which meant fans were given an extra episode of their favorite reality TV show. Part 2 of the season finale showcased the final four castaways competing in one final individual immunity challenge, which lead to a final four fire making challenge that left only three players to plead their case as being the ultimate champion.
After last week’s episode where fans watched Andy and then Genevieve voted out, it appeared like Rachel was the front runner to win Survivor 47. The unfortunate (and good) thing about Survivor is that predicting an outcome does not always mean anything at all. Even after Rachel won immunity for the fourth time during tonight’s episode, it was revealed that she was the fifth woman to win immunity four times during a season – but only two previously won the game.
Survivor 47 Episode 14: Final Four Immunity Challenge
The final four immunity challenge was extensive to say the least. The castaways had to compete through a variety of obstacles to make it to the end and win. First, they had to crawl underneath a net in the mud before having to untie a set of knots to release a pole. This pole was used to lift and release sections of a rope that were hanging overhead on top of a structure. After releasing all of the rope and subsequent ball of yarn it was connected to, they had to toss this ball into a hoop.
If they could land their ball onto the hoop and pull, it would trigger a ladder for them to climb over. Along the way, they had to untie a bag of blocks with letters that they would then use to solve a word puzzle (U-N-L-O-C-K) to release a machete. With this machete, players had to chop or saw through a rope to release a ladder. They would then climb the ladder to then try and solve an upside-down puzzle in the shape of a bat.
Sue was extremely competitive in this final immunity challenge and seemed to be in it at the end. Sam chopped through the rope in one stroke and seemed to have the lead early with the puzzle, but Rachel caught back up and completed her fourth individual immunity victory.
Making Fire & Being the Ultimate Threat for Survivor 47
After Rachel won immunity, she quickly informed Sam and Teeny that they would both be making fire. There wasn’t any question about it, and Rachel deemed Sue as her most loyal ally and wanted her at the end. Rachel assisted Teeny with her fire technique, while Sam admitted to “25 days and I’ve only touched flint once,” or something close to that. What?!
He even acknowledges not knowing why he hasn’t been more prepared for this moment, but he was able to make fire with practice. On top of that, it appears the wind was on his side at the fire-making challenge. Teeny had a dominate looking fire for quite some time, with it underneath the rope to burn through, but wind kept blowing her flames away from her rope to avoid it catching enough to break.
Sam was able to finally catch a fire, and without as much wind resistance (at least from what we saw on TV), his fire caught up and broke through the rope. It would be nice to see a full edit of the fire-making challenge to see if Teeny didn’t fully develop her fire in some way that wasn’t obvious on-screen, or if in fact wind did seem to steal her thunder (so to speak).
After that moment, Teeny was very gracious and amplified that she was at peace with how things ended. Despite her loss, Jeff Probst highlighted her achievement at a young age, while also recognizing he has to snuff her torch. If we have learned anything about Probst, at least from this armchair critic, he wants nothing more than to produce the best show and he truly appreciates those who come on Survivor and compete.
The Winner of Survivor 47…
Let’s be honest, Survivor 47 episode 14 had its way with viewers. As a fan (me), going into this episode felt like a Rachel win. Watching part 2 of the season finale felt more like an inevitable conclusion that Sam was going to win. There were a lot of Sam highlights being shown, while also having Rachel’s game downplayed.
From the perspective of (hopefully) a non-biased viewer, it felt like Rachel had the soundest game of those in the final three (her, Sam, and Sue). However, jury reactions and commentary made it seem like Sam (or Sue) had a better chance to win in the end. And final tribal council felt like the jury could’ve been leaning towards a Sam win.
It was an intense episode where Rachel admitted during final tribal council that she does not accept or pump up her own successes in real life, and how that might come off in the game. It’s clear that Rachel had a stellar game, and despite any misgivings she (or anyone else) might’ve had, the jury was able to see her fully in Survivor 47 – and she won in a final vote of 7 votes to 1 vote (for Sam).
Rachel is an excellent winner of Survivor. She was able to adapt to changes, while connecting with castaways to forge a path forward until she had to depend on herself. From winning immunity to discovering advantages, Rachel excelled at finding the best path forward. She even used her “shot in the dark” to watch other castaways react, which helped her determine not to play her hidden immunity idol. This proved crucial for her, so she could use it to save herself last week.
Survivor 47 & Beyond
Another season has come and gone, but Survivor 48 should not be so quickly on our minds. Rachel played an incredible game, and her influence should not go unstated. It’s not easy identifying what the jury will determine as a valid Survivor endgame, but it’s clear she is worthy of further discussion on where she lands in the hierarchy of winners.
The Survivor 47 jury has ruled – and Rachel LaMont is your winner!
