by Gina Scarpa

 

It’s down to the last four players on Survivor: Tocantins and by the end of the night, one person will become the winner and walk away with one million dollars.  I want that person to be JT but anybody who lets him get anywhere close to the final tribal council is an idiot.  Something tells me Stephen is too smart and may just pull off one of the biggest backstabs the game has ever seen.  I sure hope not, though.  My assessment of JT’s vote last week was correct: he changed it at the last minute and voted for Erinn so that he would ensure Coach’s vote if he makes it to the end.  The only problem is… I’m not the only one that figured that out.

 

Time for the first immunity challenge of the night.  Players must race through a tarantula shaped obstacle course to three stations to retrieve puzzle pieces.  Then, they’ll have to solve a web shaped puzzle in order to win.  Now, Survivor has been known to repeat challenges over the years but this one is an original and the course is pretty awesome.  JT takes an early lead but I’m just praying the guy is good at puzzles.  Stephen’s right behind him and working on the puzzle, too, with Erinn and Taj bringing up the rear.  Just as it seemed that Erinn would come from behind and shock the world, JT solves that puzzle and will head into tribal council with immunity. 

 

Not surprisingly, Erinn tries to gun for Taj before tribal.  Taj has played a strong social game and is very well liked (never mind the fact that she’s not in this game for the money).  Well, in an interview before the finale, Jeff Probst promised a betrayal and here it is: Taj is voted out of the game.  Wise decision?  Time will tell.  Before Erinn, JT, and Stephen can battle it out at the final immunity challenge, they’ll have to go through the rite of passage and say goodbye to the players that were voted out along the way.

 

I was hoping that the final immunity challenge would be endurance but… not so much.  In this challenge, players will have to place a ball down a chute.  They’ll have to catch the ball and as the challenge wears on, more balls will be added and can drop from two different chutes.  The players will have to do all this with one hand tied behind their back and honestly, it looks like it’s anybody’s game.  Erinn drops a ball first and is out.    The game is more mental than physical and, in the end, it’s JT who has the best focus and pulls off yet another win!

 

It seemed like JT taking Stephen to the final two was a lock… until he finds out from Erinn that she had a deal with him, too.  With new information in his hands, JT confronts Stephen about it, who tries to cover his behind by saying that he was just exploring all options.  At tribal, Erinn makes the case again that JT will beat her more easily than he can Stephen.  Loyalty or easy money?  Stephen interjects and basically says that his friendship with JT would not be the same if he’s the one voted out right now.  Probst points out that Erinn’s probably smart for staying quiet and she is.  JT, a man of his word, sticks with loyalty and votes Erinn out of the game.

 

JT and Stephen enjoy their breakfast as the final two contestants on Day 39, just like they talked about since the very beginning.  The celebration doesn’t last long as it’s time to face the jury in what can be a brutal final tribal council.  In opening remarks, Stephen makes a case for himself, saying that he’s grown the most in the competition and really proven himself.  JT says he doesn’t want a pity vote, he played this game hard, and never received a vote.  Right off the bat, JT makes a better case for himself.

 

When the jury gets their turn to speak, Stephen takes an ass beating while JT is basically spared of any tough questions.  When Stephen admits to Debbie that he would most likely have taken Erinn to the end, if he won immunity, my heart breaks for JT a little.  You know, I liked Sierra through the second half of this game but, tonight, I’m right back to where I was in the beginning.  She tries to insinuate that JT may not win the million because he didn’t taken Tyson or Brendan to the end.  Sierra, please.  Shut up and sit down.  JT tells Tyson that he could’ve made it to the end with or without Stephen.  Ouch.

 

Taj seems the most hurt by being voted out of the game and Stephen tries to pin the entire decision on JT.  He continues selling JT up the river, saying that there were several times that he planned to vote her out.  Things get tense between Stephen and JT and I’ve never seen two final contestants go at it in a final tribal quite like this. 

 

Here are the FINAL tribal council votes for a million bucks: JT.  JT.  JT.  JT. 

 

JT WINS SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS!!!!

 

(Image courtesy of CBS)

 

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