…Final Tribal Council. Phillip enters with a new, multi-feathered headdress. Jeff brings in the Jury, and congratulates the Final Three. Each will make an opening statement, and then the Jury will ask questions. Natalie says she wanted to play the best game she could. Her strength was her social skills. She aligned with Rob in the very beginning and made it this far because she stayed loyal.
Phillip says he deserves to win because his strategy was turned upside down when Rob got off the helicopter. He went and apologized to Rob for wanting to vote him out. Luckily, Rob accepted the apology and took Phillip to the end. Rob was the Mastermind, and Phillip just followed Rob’s lead.
Rob thanks everyone for the opportunity to play again. If he was on Zapatera, things would have turned out differently. He won four Challenges. He formed great alliances that stuck together. He worked hard around camp, but that doesn’t matter; it only matters what the Jury thinks are successful qualities. Rob has been out there for 117 days trying to climb to the top of the mountain. A third of his life has been spent playing this game, but it doesn’t define him because it is all about his wife and child. He wants to win so he can make his family’s life easier.
Now it’s time for the Jury to ask questions. First up is Andrea. She tells Phillip he is weird, as they have seen a plethora of Phillips. Who is the real Phillip? Phillip responds that he was on the outside of the original Ometepe so, no, she didn’t know him, but he is the man she experienced for 30-odd days. Andrea then says that Natalie’s relationship with Rob was borderline creepy. She responds that Rob had experience in the game, so she stuck herself to him.
Ashley. She has no questions for Phillip because she is sick of hearing his voice. She will speak, but he won’t speak. Of course, Phillip replies, and they bicker. She and Natalie agreed to share everything, but when she asked for a head’s up on being voted out, Natalie said nothing. Natalie says that she and Rob only agreed ten minutes before going to Tribal Council to vote out Ashley. Ashley tells Rob she also put him on a pedestal, but she doesn’t know who he really is, and doesn’t want to.
Grant. He had an alliance with Rob too, but what was the dynamic of everyone else’s relationships with Rob. Natalie says they had the same deal Rob and Grant had, and knew that Grant was a threat. Rob says Natalie asked what to do, and he told her to stick tight to him. Rob says he trusted Grant until the end, right until he thought Grant would kick his ass.
Ralph asks if Natalie couldn’t do anything without Rob? Why was she afraid to do anything with him [Ralph]? She never even talked to him. Natalie answers that she wanted her tribe to know she was loyal, so she didn’t fraternize with the Zapateras at the Merge. Phillip disappoints Ralph because he doesn’t have a whole chicken on his head. Phillip says he likes Ralph because he worked hard, and they would have been friends if they were on the same tribe.
Matt. Rob is clearly a liar, but where is the line drawn after ten years of Survivor? How does he keep himself together after so long? Rob responds that the line is drawn when he goes back to his real life.
Julie. No one played a respectful game. When Natalie won the first Individual Immunity Challenge, Julie said how her parents will be proud of her. Will they be proud of her now? Would they be sad the way she was a servant to Rob? Phillip is there because no one likes him. Would his son be proud of the way he played the game? Phillip replies that Julie told him he was hardest worker in the game. So, to Hell with her now. Julie turns to Rob, but Phillip keeps talking, saying he kicked all of their asses. Julie then tells Rob to teach his daughter to be a strong woman, unlike Natalie.
Mike. He was able to get closer to God and make great friendships. What have they learned about themselves during the game? Natalie responds that she didn’t think she would make it, being so young, but she is stronger and more capable than she thought she was. Rob replies that he learned that he needs to stop playing games. This is the last day he will play so he can take care of his family. Phillip was blessed to do something like Survivor. He’s an outcast, but he can make it on his own.
Steve congratulates them for withstanding the elements. He commends Natalie because she’s sitting over there, and he’s in the Jury. He praises Rob for playing the game as much as he has. Steve just feels sorry for Phillip because he is a shameful person.
David. “Now it’s time for something completely different,” he says. He is going to talk to the Jury. Phillip doesn’t deserve it because he’s crazy. Natalie said Rob did the whole thing, so she doesn’t deserve it either. Rob blindsided Matt to make whole tribe fearful of him, and it worked. One guy thought he was the best player ever [Russell], but he was out on Day 8. Rob played the best strategic game ever, so he is the only one who deserves the win.
It’s time to vote for a winner. David votes for Rob, saying he would have rather played the game with Rob than against him. Ralph votes for Phillip (and, of course, spells his name incorrectly). Jeff grabs the votes and brings them into…
…the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City! Natalie says she tried her best, and has taken so much out of the game, and yes, she thinks she could win. Rob hopes that he could win, as does Phillip. Jeff reads the votes. Vote One is for Rob. T he second vote is Ralph’s vote for Phillip. Votes three and Four are for Rob. Vote Five is for Rob. Jeff reads the next ballot: “The winner of Survivor: Redemption Island…Rob!” Rob rises, kisses Amber (a fellow Survivor winner and Rob’s wife) and hugs the rest of his family.
But Wait…There’s More on Page 4!! (The last page, I swear!)
Follow Us
