Welcome to the season finale
of Survivor 44.
Well, great players make great seasons,
and this group has delivered every day.
It's been an unpredictable season of Survivor,
starting with three medical visits in our first three days.
There's been a lot of well-crafted blindsides,
ever-shifting alliances.
We even had a little romance.
But now we are down to five and once again,
they'll be starting over on a new beach with no shelter.
Tonight, we'll have two immunity challenges,
two Tribal Councils, and one fire-making showdown.
Then we will read the votes here in beautiful Fiji
and crown a winner of Survivor 44.
We'll immediately go into the aftershow,
which I think is gonna be a lot of fun
with this group of players.
All right, let's get into it. Our final five.
Carson, Carolyn, Yam Yam, Lauren and Heidi.
There are a lot of ways this could still play out.
And only one question left to answer:
who will be the Sole Survivor?
Settle in. It's the finale of Survivor 44.
* *
(Carolyn screaming)
(Yam Yam laughing)
(screaming)
I need help. Oh, my gosh.
Wow.
-(Carolyn yells) -Aah!
-Hell, yeah. -(Lauren laughs softly)
Oh, I love these. Oh, my gosh.
-(Lauren laughs) -HEIDI: Where are we going?
YAM YAM: Once we get to this new island, we see we have nothing.
But we're so happy to be in the final five.
This is the last leg of the game, and
I'm happy to be here.
If I don't have anything in this new island,
I'm okay because I'm still here.
Oh, my God!
(laughing)
-Where was it? -A-a tree close to the cage.
-Shut up. -Yeah.
CAROLYN: Tonight at Tribal,
Heidi played an idol.
I would like to make it to five myself.
CAROLYN: I was surprised, but at the same time, I wasn't.
Why would she trust us?
Thirteenth person voted out of Survivor 44-- Jaime.
CAROLYN: Our plan was Jaime,
and it worked.
So, now, Heidi's idol's gone, so everyone's thinking,
"Okay, it's rehidden." And I'm good at looking. I am.
I look.
I'm looking, and I have, like... good.
I have experience doing this.
Like, I just feel like we got to find it.
CARSON: I'm gonna go look tomorrow.
But I think that's a good idea for you if you want to.
Well, why-why don't you want to find it?
Because I can't see.
I'll guide you.
I think I'd rather look in the morning,
when I can be more efficient. (laughs)
-CARSON: Oh, the idol? Well... -Yeah.
CAROLYN: As far as the idol goes, I feel like
I don't miss anything, and I, like... (imitates whooshing)
I'm in there.
And I don't waste my time
digging a foot underground like Yam Yam does.
That's his strategy, is digging.
It's not gonna be a foot underground.
-Shut up. -Wait.
Shut up. Come here.
I just want...
Oh, you...!
-(laughs) -That's...
-Oh, my God! -Like...
CAROLYN: I thought you had it.
YAM YAM: Getting an idol will help me a lot,
but it could be anywhere.
So if you want
to not find an idol, ask me. (laughs)
* *
HEIDI: Day 24!
And you just found an idol.
-Please. -CARSON: Do you all really think another one's gonna
be hidden because you played yours, Heidi? -HEIDI: Yeah.
-CAROLYN: Yeah. -Here's the thing. That thing
burns a hole in your pocket
because you're like, like, "Are they gonna vote me out?
-Like, I should play it now?" -CARSON: You know what, Heidi?
HEIDI: Like, I don't know.
I didn't want to go home with an idol in my pocket.
I'd rather play it.
And I didn't get any votes.
People may think I'm regretting it.
No regrets. I made my decision,
and I'm here, and I'm loving every second
of making it to final five.
Now, we think there's something in this island,
and finding an idol
on the last day you could actually play an idol would be
a huge game-changer.
'Cause I feel like I'm flying a little bit solo,
but I think I have a pretty decent résumé.
I mean, I found an idol, I had alliances,
I'm the last Soka Survivor. I've been
in holes, and I've been able to survive, kind of dig out.
That's a fantastic résumé. There's a lot of things
that could happen for me here to go to the end.
We got to find it, though, so, I'm not trying to, like,
beat around the bush, but I'm not gonna, like, let them
-find it for us. You know what I mean? -Yeah.
So, like, obvious or not, it's, like, we got to find it.
I think it has to be here somewhere.
CAROLYN: I'm gonna find that idol. I-I just...
I have a good feeling.
Just, like, the entire game,
it's really been a lot about my gut,
like, trusting my gut and trusting my heart.
I'm emotional, but it... helps.
It helps with connecting with people, it helps
people see that I'm real. So I feel like people trust me
because they see that, like, I'm just being myself,
and that's exactly what I wanted to do.
That's not it.
-(laughing) -That's not it?
Doesn't work like that.
YAM YAM: If I find this idol,
I'm winning this million dollars.
I have everything else done.
I outwitted people, I outlasted people.
I need to outplay them by having these idols
because people like that thing, you know? People like
big moves, people like big finds.
People like big things and showy things.
Even though they say it's not about a flashy game,
it definitely helps, you know?
But there's a lot of stuff we don't know about this island.
I'm climbing rocks, digging in roots,
getting in branches.
It might be in the middle of the ocean.
I don't know.
* *
I need to find that thing.
Oh, my God. I hope it finds me first.
* *
CARSON: The idea of idols scare me, and so I try
to circumvent them in every case possible.
And I've not really circled my game
around idols and advantages.
My game has fully been about
numbers, relationships and strategy.
I have been on the right side of the vote every single time.
I've known exactly what was going on, and I know
everyone sees me as a threat, so,
that's not good for me.
(Lauren laughs)
I'm on the outs.
I was totally blindsided by the vote.
So I do feel kind of alone
that Jaime has left.
But I've been through tougher than this.
You know, like, through adversity,
through the challenges, I never gave up,
and I never will give up, and it could be
the difference between winning a million dollars or not.
It's crunch time.
That's what it is-- crunch time. But then,
you also need to be in conversations, as well.
It seems as though there are
three Tika members who are running the show, so,
I need to break that bond there.
...us three would make it this far?
Yeah. Look at. We're the Three Stooges
still here.
-What... -I'm feeling really nervous about today, y'all.
Like, really nervous.
I'm gonna keep saying this. Carson's gonna beat us.
Carson is a unanimous threat.
Everyone thinks that Carson is a threat.
Carson has been in every single vote.
Carson has been on the right side every time.
Everyone loves him.
Carson is everyone's little brother or Carolyn's son.
And I also think that Carson believes that
he can beat me in the end of the game.
He's gonna be a threat in the end.
-But I didn't trust... I know. -He's gonna knock all of us out.
-Yeah. -Every... He's voted correctly...
Every single time.
CAROLYN: Carson is 100% loyal to me,
and I believe he thinks that I would always be loyal to him.
But now I'm thinking about, like, the endgame.
I'm trying to weigh it all out, but I do believe that
Carson is the biggest threat out of everyone.
He's played the best game. He speaks the best.
He is so articulate, he's so...
He's just the sweetie pie. He would win.
How are you feeling?
I'm pretty nervous. I think you're the name
I've been hearing, and I...
and you're probably hearing my name.
-I think you're a big... you're a big threat. -You and me.
-Me and you, you know. -Yeah, for sure.
Most definitely.
CARSON: I feel like
Lauren has played a good game, but
I think everyone here knows that I can beat them.
And so, I am worried about where things could go
considering how sporadic my own alliance is.
Carolyn and Yam Yam are the people I have to worry about
most in terms of flipping or flopping.
Well, I'm banking on winning immunity.
* *
Come on in!
-Good morning. -Good morning.
Taking in that final five challenge.
Wow.
PROBST: What awaits you.
All right, shall we get to today's immunity challenge?
First things first, Lauren,
-got to take it back again. -(groans, laughs)
Once again, immunity is back up for grabs.
For today's challenge,
you're gonna race through a massive,
three-level obstacle, collecting keys along the way.
You'll grab your last key using a pole.
Once you have your keys, you'll unlock a chest,
use the rope inside to drop a ladder.
You'll climb the ladder to the top of a tower
and race to solve a Survivor puzzle.
First person to finish wins immunity,
is guaranteed a spot in the final four.
The final four is unique
because you can't be voted out.
You will either win
that final four immunity challenge
and earn your way to the three,
somebody will take you to the three,
or you will fight in a fire-making showdown
to get to three.
But it won't be because somebody wrote your name down
on a piece of parchment. That's what's represented here today.
In addition...
(all whooping)
-...you're playing for reward. -ALL: Yes!
-Tell us, Jeff. -The winner will be taken
-to the sanctuary, -LAUREN: What?
where good things happen.
-Ooh! -PROBST: You will feast
on spaghetti...
-Ooh, yes! -with meat sauce,
chocolate cake.
-Oh! -No!
PROBST: Carrot cake.
-Oh, my God! -(cheering)
That's your favorite.
Wait a minute. Shocker.
-Carrot cake! -PROBST: Carrot cake
over chocolate cake?
-LAUREN and HEIDI: Yes! -Oh, yeah. -Oh, no.
I'm-I'm choc... I-I like chocolate.
-What about the frosting? -Carrot cake.
I mean, that's exciting. Cake, just cake, in general.
Both of them.
-CARSON: Wow. -Worth playing for?
-ALL: Yes! -PROBST: All right.
-Let's draw for spots. We'll get started. -HEIDI: Oh.
-Wow. -Oh. -Here we go.
* *
All right, here we go.
Final five, immunity and reward at the sanctuary.
Survivors ready?
Go!
First, you're going for key number one on that first level.
So you're going up and down to get to it.
There's Carson, there goes Carolyn.
Heidi's there. Here comes Yam Yam.
Lauren's there.
Once you untie it,
you head all the way to the top to get key number two.
It's Carson and Heidi. Carolyn right on their tail.
Here comes Lauren for key number two.
Yam Yam now heading up for key number two.
Heidi has number two. Carson has number two.
Once you have two, you head down to three.
Carolyn has her second key. Lauren has her second key.
Yam Yam working on that second key.
Heidi has key number three.
Carson has it.
Carolyn's got it.
Here comes Lauren. She's got key number three.
Yam Yam dead last, but he's in it.
You've got three of your four keys. Still one key left.
It's Heidi through the knots first.
Working on that fourth and final key.
Gonna have to fling it.
Carolyn has her knots done.
She's working on that fourth key.
Here comes Carson. Lauren's in on it.
Everybody now working on their fourth key except Yam Yam.
He's still working on the knot.
Carson! That's how you do it.
Heidi has hers.
This challenge is on.
Heidi working on her chest.
Carson working on his chest.
Here goes Yam Yam. He's through the knots.
Oh, my God.
PROBST: Carson has his chest unlocked.
Now you're gonna use that rope
and try to drop that ladder.
Heidi has her chest open.
It is Heidi and Carson.
-(grunts) All right. -PROBST: Lauren has hers.
Carson does it with one tug.
Heidi does it. Wow.
We have got a challenge. They are side by side.
-(grunting) -PROBST: Lauren has hers open.
Yam Yam still working to get his fourth key. So is Carolyn.
-(Carolyn yells) -Once you have the knots done,
you can go up. Heidi's good. She's up.
Carson's good. He's going up.
It is Heidi to the puzzle first, Carson one step behind.
Lauren's got it. Drop that ladder.
Untie those knots, Lauren. Let's go!
Carolyn and Yam Yam, the only two people left.
-Come on! -PROBST: Carolyn has been so close.
Yam Yam has his key. Yam Yam gonna get in this now.
-Carolyn close once again. -Oh! My God.
PROBST: Carolyn, keep working now.
Now Lauren's in on the puzzle.
Breathe, love. You got this.
-You got this. -PROBST: Final five challenge.
You make it to four,
it's a whole new ball game.
Yam Yam has it. Pull on it.
Yam Yam has his ladder down.
-Carolyn, you're still in it. -(yells)
-Will not... -PROBST: But you got to get a move on.
You got to get that last key.
-(yells) -Fling it!
It is Heidi, Carson
-HEIDI: We got this. -and Lauren on the puzzle.
Here comes Yam Yam. He's gonna be in on the puzzle now.
-(yelling) -PROBST: There it is!
-Carolyn! Carolyn has her fourth and final key. -(yells)
Heidi trying to find another piece, and she's got one.
It's Heidi trying to catch Carson,
Yam Yam trying to catch Heidi,
-Lauren trying to get in it. -Jeff, am I still in this?
You are, Carolyn. One step at a time.
-(whoops) -Drop that ladder first.
It is Carson in the lead, but Heidi right on his tail.
This is close.
Carolyn drops her ladder.
-There you go! -I just want to get up there.
PROBST: It is Carson barely in the lead,
maybe one or two pieces.
And Yam Yam not far behind.
Yam Yam making a go of this.
This challenge is far from over. You are in it.
Here comes Carolyn.
Everybody gonna be in on the puzzle now.
Final five, day 24,
Survivor 44. You win this, you're in the four.
You can't be voted out.
Carson has completed the circle,
the outer edges. Now he's got the middle to fill in.
You get to four, anything can happen.
Carson's struggle now is keeping that puzzle together.
He's got a flimsy outside structure.
Heidi still fighting with another piece.
Heidi working to catch Carson. Can she do it?
Yam Yam has hit a roadblock.
-Lauren has slowed down. -Come on, Lauren.
You can't slow down very long in this challenge,
or you're out of it.
What am I doing?
PROBST: Carson getting closer and closer to the finish,
if he can keep his puzzle together.
The hardest part about building it from the outside
is what Carson is gonna battle,
and that is keeping the pieces together
when you add another one in the middle.
Carson with another piece.
He's down to three pieces.
Heidi unable to gain ground on him.
Oh, yes! Okay, I got one. I'm happy.
I'm... I am really proud of myself right now.
PROBST: Carson down to his last piece.
Come on, Carson.
-I see it. -For the win.
Jeff.
Carson has it!
-Carson wins his second -Good job!
-individual immunity, -Thank you.
guaranteeing him a spot in the final four.
-Ah! -Good job.
PROBST: And lots of different ways he could get to three
where he could plead his case to the jury. Wow.
All right, Carson, come on over.
-Yes. -(Carson laughs)
-Good job, baby. -Thank you.
For the second time, Carson, individual immunity is yours.
You are safe. You are in the four. You have
a big decision to make 'cause you're going to the sanctuary
where you're gonna refuel not just your spirit,
-Mm-hmm. -but your body.
-Yeah. Right. -Pasta, carrot cake,
chocolate cake. Choose one person,
and you're only going to bring one person.
So, two people are gonna go to the sanctuary.
Three are gonna be left behind at camp
to conspire or do whatever they do.
-CARSON: Yeah. -PROBST: Who's it gonna be?
I'm sorry to everyone, but Yam Yam, you're my pick.
-Sorry, guys. -PROBST: Yam Yam, come on over.
CARSON: I'm sorry.
-It's okay. -Good. Go.
Ooh!
Oh, thank you.
PROBST: All right. Grab your stuff, head out.
Boat will take you to the sanctuary where you will have
a great afternoon. You will return
back in time for Tribal Council.
-All right. -Thank you, Jeff. -Thank you, Jeff. Thank you.
-PROBST: Enjoy. Well earned. -Love you.
Good job.
Carolyn, Lauren, Heidi,
Tribal Council tonight
where somebody will be the 14th person voted out
of Survivor 44.
Grab your stuff. Head back to camp.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
CARSON: To actually pull out the win when I needed it most
in this game-- it feels incredible.
And to know that I have a guaranteed spot
in the final four and no one can vote me out?
I mean, I'm just so proud
of pushing myself to get to this point.
So now, I need to set myself up in the best position
I can be in in order to win this game.
* *
-(Carson sighs, gasps) -(Yam Yam laughs)
-Oh, my gosh. -Oh.
CARSON: So happy. (laughs)
Yes.
CARSON: Going to the sanctuary,
where good things happen, I was ecstatic.
YAM YAM: You're gonna take the cake now? Yes! -Of course.
-Yes! -You're kidding? That's what I start with.
I mean, I was in heaven.
And to know that by winning the necklace,
I'm going to the final four
feels pretty amazing.
We are.
Yes. This is awesome.
YAM YAM: We're like this crazy duo
going into a pasta dinner date. It's so much fun.
I was so
freaking happy when I saw all that food. I was like,
"Oh, my God."
Yeah. I'm so happy.
Salud.
But the most important thing was we had the opportunity
to talk about what we're gonna do tonight at Tribal Council.
How should we go about today?
So, the biggest threat is Carolyn.
I get that Carolyn has played an idol,
but is she really a threat?
-Do you... I mean, she might be... I... -I think...
Mm-hmm.
It was, yeah.
And I think people are gonna like that.
But I think between Carolyn and Lauren,
Carolyn is the biggest threat.
She says she's not playing a big game,
but we all know she's playing a big game.
She's just being loud and crazy about it, but that's her game.
She wants us to believe that she's not in control,
but she knows exactly what she's doing.
But I feel like the Tika Three
have a better shot against ourselves than we would
against Heidi or definitely Lauren.
Now, Lauren needs to go.
I feel like there's one big target,
and that's Lauren. Lauren has
played a great game.
In addition to winning immunity twice,
she's also played
a game based off of building bonds
with people and friendships.
So, Lauren has a lot of friends on the jury, so,
Lauren could get a lot of jury votes.
So, tonight, Heidi, me, you, Carolyn, vote Lauren.
Heidi might do something different,
but I don't see why anyone would want to go a different way.
The only way Lauren survives tonight is if she has an idol.
YAM YAM: I needed Carson
to work with me to get Carolyn out,
but he's not having it.
I think it's a mistake, but Carson is like,
"It has to be Lauren," so, what am I gonna do?
I hope it doesn't bite me in the ass, you know?
CAROLYN: Oh, my gosh.
HEIDI: Crazy.
So, Carolyn, I'm confused
why he didn't take you and he took Yam Yam.
You saved Carson, so I-I would have guessed it was you.
Yeah, I don't know.
I mean, I think they're working very closely together.
-Yeah. -And it's gonna be...
most likely me.
Tonight is definitely hard, not having the immunity necklace.
I know that people want me out because I have
two immunity wins, I won one reward
and I have a lot of allies on the jury.
So I think that I am a threat,
and other people know it as well.
So, if I don't find an idol or come up with something,
I think they're gonna vote me out tonight.
I'm pretty positive. (laughs)
-I-I don't want to be... -HEIDI: It's an opportunity
for us to come up with something.
-CAROLYN: I don't want to be... -HEIDI: At this point...
I mean, the only person we can get is Yam Yam.
-CAROLYN: Mm-hmm. -LAUREN: But I don't know
because the last vote, I wasn't in on the vote.
-HEIDI: I wanted Carson out the previous vote. -What...
You.
The vote was you.
Carolyn is more dangerous than Carson.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
CAROLYN: Lauren told me that last Tribal,
Yam Yam was putting my name out there.
Up until now, I felt
solid with Yam Yam and Carson,
but it sounds like they might be up to something.
There's always a possibility,
and even if it's like a one percent
or two percent, it still scares me!
Hey, I'm dependent on y'all. If y'all don't vote Yam Yam,
-then... -I feel like
Yam Yam's a way bigger threat.
Isn't that what we're doing at this point, or no?
-Yam Yam is in with everybody. -HEIDI: I'm trying to think.
CAROLYN: Look at him at Tribals.
-Everyone's laughing, loving him. -Yeah. I'm-I'm...
-Exactly. -Should we just...
I've been with Yam Yam from the beginning,
and I thought we were going to the end,
but if he's putting my name out there, everything changes.
Maybe I will vote for Yam Yam.
LAUREN: Hello!
How are y'all feeling?
-Oh, God. -Good. It was... it was yummy.
YAM YAM: Hi.
YAM YAM: I come back from the reward, and I see Heidi,
Lauren and Carolyn sitting
by the fire eating rice, being all sneaky.
And they look at me super awkward. I'm like,
"What's going on?"
(chopping continues)
YAM YAM: I have to say it feels awkward coming back.
I feel, like, guilty.
I'm immune. I have no reason to lie.
I'm voting for Lauren,
regardless of whatever else happens.
If we look at the jury,
like, I don't... There's... logic.
Although, the other option is me, which I know.
-And it's a good possibility. -Thing is that...
The thing is that...
YAM YAM: Carolyn, what are you doing?
Are you trying to put my name out there?
I guess you are 'cause
you're never like this. So the first thing
I think is like, "Oh, my God, I'm in trouble."
It's, like, weird. Like, I go to camp, and...
-No one's talking to me. -It was weird.
Yeah, very weird.
I feel like something's up.
Fact that Lauren hasn't even talked to me,
not even tried.
Like, I've never seen someone give up.
Maybe she's not giving up. She knows something else is...
Mm-hmm, that's what I'm thinking.
I know.
If Carolyn and Heidi are dumb enough
to actually take Lauren...
Yeah.
Carolyn-- I don't know.
She drives me crazy sometimes to work with
because she doesn't have a filter, and
she is unpredictable, doing random things all the time.
And now, she's causing paranoia
to where I'm not really sure
voting Lauren out is the best option.
I was thinking. I was like, "Hey, would it make sense
"to talk to Lauren and tell her to vote
for someone else just in case?"
CARSON: I think that might be a better play
than letting her just vote for you.
YAM YAM: The plan is to vote for Lauren.
Lauren is a big threat to win this game.
But I need to make sure that if Lauren plays an idol,
I don't get voted out.
And if that means Carolyn goes instead of me,
I'm okay with that.
Yeah.
It's me or you.
(laughing): Yeah.
(chopping resumes)
LAUREN: I...
He's not...
I'll be willing to vote wherever.
Yam Yam and Carolyn--
they're throwing out each other's name,
but I don't know what to believe.
They bicker a lot, but
I think it's like a family bickering, you know? Like,
I argue with my sister all the time,
and we come back together, and we-we know
that we still have this bond that's deeper than the fighting.
So I think maybe that's what it is.
You know, there's deep bonds here. There's deep connections,
and... but deep down inside, I think
they're still together as one Tika family.
So, at this point, the only way to make sure
that I stay in this game is to find an idol.
I just keep thinking about my family.
And my sons, before I came out here said,
"Finding the idol is like playing hide-and-seek.
You know, like, the idols are hiding, and you are seeking."
So, I'm a fighter so I'm not gonna give up.
I'm fighting for my boys. I'm fighting for my family.
Like, this is what I am here for,
and I'm gonna do everything I can to make it
to the end.
I'm just worried. I'm, like...
CARSON: Yeah.
Tonight is a very important vote.
This will determine who's going to be in the final four.
For me, the best route is to try to keep Tika intact.
But Carolyn is clearly upset with Yam Yam, so,
who knows what Carolyn could do?
CAROLYLN: I'm not kidding.
I'm not, either.
CARSON: It's crazy that with only five people left,
it could be so up in the air right now.
I've always felt like I've known where the votes are going,
but this time, other than myself,
anyone could be going home.
* *
All right. So let's start with Carson.
Because, Carson, by winning immunity today,
you guarantee yourself a spot in the final four.
You cannot be voted out.
You will either win your way, somebody will take you,
or you'll make fire and have a shot at it,
which makes tonight's vote so important, Lauren.
Was it crazy at camp knowing
that "if I can just get to four..."
You're already laughing.
LAUREN: To be 100% honest, I don't think it was
crazy or chaotic at camp or anything.
I'm... Jeff, I'm probably the one
that's gonna go home tonight.
PROBST: How do you know that?
-What transpired? -Because, I mean,
we have three Tikas here.
They're all close.
They're connected, they're aligned.
My girl Jaime left yesterday, and I have a target on me,
and it's just been known. No one came to speak to me,
which was kind of weird to me just because,
like, if I'm the one going to the jury,
you would want to be talking to me, right?
-Nobody t... Okay. -I did. -I did.
They-they talked to me,
but it wasn't like a,
"This is who we're gonna vote for tonight."
I felt like we had conversations.
Yeah, I'm shocked. I really... I really am.
And I know, Lauren, it's been hard,
me and you, with trust, but I felt like today,
I know I took you aside, and I made time to speak with you.
LAUREN: I... It wasn't like
the conversations we would normally have.
You know, like, there was names. There were names,
but it was just no solid plan.
I-I, like, I... I'm sh...
I really am. I-I...
I just... I didn't... I don't...
-I don't feel... -I felt like we all talked.
PROBST: Carson, something's off tonight.
It started from the moment Lauren sat down and said,
"No one talked to me." And then, suddenly, everybody said,
"What are you talking about? What are you talking about?"
So what's going on that I'm missing?
I'm not sure, Jeff. I feel like
there could be something at play tonight.
Even Lauren not approaching me. Like, if I were ever
in that position, I'd be talking to everybody.
Maybe it is a facade. I don't know.
PROBST: So, Heidi, is the threat
of an idol what is making this so unsettling?
I think anybody here could have an idol.
I think we all search all day long,
so any of us
-Not me. -could have something in their pocket right now.
It could be Lauren,
and it will be a great play on her part
-if she does have something. -Lauren, what do you make
about the uncertainty that maybe you do
have an idol and this is an elaborate ruse?
Yeah, I mean, we'll-we'll see.
We'll see.
PROBST: I will say
it's a testament to the gameplay this season
that I think it's very difficult right now
to know what the truth is. I don't know
if this is vulnerability meeting inevitability,
where Lauren's saying, "It's over,
and I'm just gonna let you see it,"
or if it's maybe one of the biggest moves
about to happen because nobody here seems to know
for sure if there's an idol, and if so, who has it.
It definitely...
will be amazing
to see something happen.
But that "amazing" might be me going home,
so I don't want that to happen.
So, Yam Yam, you're saying tonight,
you think it is Lauren or you?
(sighs) From my reaction coming into camp,
I feel like that, 'cause everybody knows
there's one plan, and one, uh... and one plan B. Like,
let's get real, you know? Like,
that's what I feel, and no offense to you,
because I feel like I'm the other plan.
If it's me or if it's you, it sucks that it's going down
like it happened today.
It-it shouldn't have happened. Like, today,
the energy shouldn't have been where it was.
I don't know. It's so hard.
I'm-I'm really taking this very personal.
It's, like, really... it-it hurt.
How are you feeling now, Lauren?
I mean, I feel like I knew coming
into today, if I didn't win, like,
it was gonna be it, so...
PROBST: And if you're right, to get to day 24,
on one hand, is pretty remarkable.
And I'm super proud.
(Lauren sniffling)
My main thing coming out here was to know, like,
that my boys were gonna be proud of me. (cries)
And I think they will be.
Like, I was giving Frannie vibes, man.
I won two immunities
and a reward.
Like, I feel like a boss, you know?
Like, I did awesome out here,
and, like, I'm so proud
of just who I've become, you know,
and, like, how much I've grown here.
Like, I didn't think I was gonna be able to do that, Jeff.
Like, did you see me? (laughs)
I did.
I was killing it.
And, I mean, like,
I never would have imagined to be here.
PROBST: I'm always trying to find new ways
to connect to somebody who thinks they might want to play.
That speech you just gave
is the best inspiration
for why to play, and it was one sentence.
"I'm so proud of who I have become."
Yeah.
-PROBST: Not who I was or am. -Right.
"I became." You transformed out here.
LAUREN: Most definitely.
Like, I'm a single mom, right?
So I'm like, "I can do everything by myself.
I don't need anybody to help me."
But then I realized very quickly that I needed my Ratu people,
or I needed, like, everybody here,
like, to help me get to the end,
and if it wasn't for them, like, I wouldn't be here.
You know, and, like, just transforming in that way
and realizing, like, I don't need all of the extra.
And even my kids. Like, they don't need all
of the extra things that I'm...
I'm continuously trying to give them.
Like, I work so hard each and every day
to provide for them, and, like, I go above and beyond.
But even knowing that, like,
we don't even need all of those things.
Like, we can survive just off
of, like, very little and still be happy. (crying)
It's amazing, and this experience has just been, like,
life-changing for me, and I'm so thankful
and so grateful.
Thank y'all. (laughs)
Y'all ready for the vote?
(laughing)
PROBST: And on that note, it is
time to vote. Lauren, you're up.
(sniffling)
* *
I'll go tally the votes.
If anybody has an advantage or an idol
and you want to play it,
tonight would be the last night you can do so.
Jeff.
-Just kidding. -Oh. (laughs)
(laughter)
Don't have anything.
I'll read the votes.
First vote: Yam Yam.
Lauren. One vote Yam Yam, one vote Lauren.
Heidi. That's one vote Yam Yam,
one vote Lauren, one vote Heidi.
Lauren.
Fourteenth person voted out of Survivor 44:
Lauren. Need to bring me your torch.
Oh!
Lauren, the tribe has spoken.
No...
-Love you, Lauren. -Good job. Good job.
Well, you've made it to the final four.
Tomorrow, you'll compete
-in your final immunity challenge. -Thank you.
Try to get some sleep.
Grab your torches, head back to camp. Good night.
It feels great to come out here
and make my family proud.
I made it 24 days here on an island.
How awesome is that?
Even though I'm not the Sole Survivor, I'm still a winner.
And I'm just so grateful that I was blessed
with this opportunity to come out here and play.
* *
Come on in.
Here they come.
The final four.
Are those tears in your eyes?
Yeah. (laughs) Yeah.
* *
Carolyn, what's the emotion as you walked up the steps?
Um...
just walking up...
(sniffling) and knowing
that I would be here at the top.
And just...
that dream that I would be here,
but not necessarily thinking
that I could and that now I am.
It's just... it's overwhelming.
It's-it's...
There's just so much emotion, and, like, we're up here
in this view, and, like, we all just dreamed about this.
And it's just, we're here. (sniffling)
I'm here.
PROBST: This makes me so happy
because you're right.
The view alone-- we saved this for the last
'cause it's the greatest view in Fiji.
A classic Survivor challenge
has become one of the most iconic challenges
in our arsenal.
You will compete for it.
Potentially worth a million dollars.
Shall we get to your final immunity challenge?
First things first. Carson, I'm coming for it.
Like they say, "You go to the power."
I'm coming to you. You got the power.
For the last time, immunity is back up for grabs.
For today's challenge, you're gonna have one hand
tied behind your back.
On my go, you're gonna drop a ball down a chute.
It will spiral to the bottom.
You'll catch it, put it back in.
At regular intervals,
we will add another ball, making it more difficult.
If at any point a ball drops,
you're out.
Last person left standing wins immunity,
is guaranteed a spot at that final three,
where you will get a chance to plead your case
to your jury about why you deserve it--
the title of Sole Survivor and the million dollars.
Plus, you have all the power.
You decide who sits next to you in that number two spot
and who you force to make fire for the third and final spot.
Biggest challenge of the season.
All right, give you a minute to get ready, and we'll go.
Let's do it!
All right, everybody is belted.
Got one hand behind your back.
We are ready to go.
Final four immunity challenge begins right now.
Everybody grab one ball.
And drop it in your chute.
This challenge...
is on.
This is the easy part.
This is the warmup.
You don't want to drop here. You have one job:
just follow one ball.
Where it gets more difficult is adding a second ball.
Huh.
The gates alternate so it's always going to be
left, right, left, right, left, right.
Remember that.
All about concentration.
If your ball drops, it's over.
Your fate will be in the hands
of somebody else.
Aah!
In a moment, you're gonna add a second ball,
and you'll have 15 seconds
anywhere in that window.
And if you drop during that window,
you're still out.
All right, you have 15 seconds
to add a second ball.
Carson drops. Heidi drops.
Carolyn drops. Yam Yam waiting.
He drops. Everybody now with two balls.
Now it got a little more difficult.
Now you have to really pay attention.
-(screams) -Carolyn,
remember-- left, right, left, right.
(screaming)
That's it, Carolyn.
That's how you do it.
-(Carolyn yelps) -Everybody looking great.
Stay on it. One gate,
then the other gate. One gate, then the other gate.
Yam Yam Very calm.
Always trying to improve your spacing.
You want as much time
in between balls as possible.
Day 25 of Survivor 44.
Heidi the only person
who has not won individual immunity.
What a time to win it right here.
Carolyn drops.
-She's the first out. -Aah!
We're down to three.
(Carolyn grunts)
Carolyn, one tiny mistake.
It is now Carson, Heidi
and Yam Yam.
All right, in a moment,
we're going to add a third ball
and the pace is gonna get a lot faster.
You have 15 seconds
to add a third ball.
Heidi drops immediately.
So does Carson.
Yam Yam taking his time, waiting.
Yam Yam drops.
Everybody now with three balls.
And now you can feel the intensity kick in.
Balls are coming faster.
Got to respond more quickly.
* *
Stay on it.
This could be worth a million dollars.
That's how much is at stake right now.
You're doing great.
Do not trip.
All right, you have 15 seconds to drop
a fourth ball anytime in that window.
Heidi drops her fourth.
Carson has four.
Yam Yam has four.
Everybody now at four balls.
We're in it now.
Yam Yam drops. He's out. We're down to two.
It is Carson and Heidi
fighting for immunity.
Stay on it, you two.
Keep fighting. You got nothing else going on
in your life right now but this challenge.
Carson is out! It's over!
-Heidi wins her first individual immunity! -Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
-It could not come at a bigger time. -HEIDI: Yes! Yes! Yes!
-Oh. -PROBST: Guaranteed herself a spot
in the final three
of Survivor 44.
What a finish.
(sighs)
-Heidi, get over here. -Ah!
Aah! My girls are gonna scream.
-Ah. -I want to know this feeling.
You did not win a challenge until just now,
and it couldn't be a bigger challenge.
-You are in the final three. -Yes! Oh, my God!
Yeah, so...
Yeah, I have the power.
I have been so close in every freaking challenge.
It's like I finally pulled through.
I'm so blessed and excited.
Wow! This is like a dream come true on day 25!
-(sighs) -PROBST: Heidi, you're in the final three.
You will get a chance tomorrow night
to plead your case to a jury of your peers
about why you deserve to win this game.
Before we get there, though, tonight,
you will decide who gets the number two spot,
-Mm-hmm. -who you bring with you to the final three,
and who you are gonna force to make fire at Tribal Council
to earn their way into that final three spot.
Unless I make fire.
(sighs)
-PROBST: Would be a big move. -HEIDI: Yes.
PROBST: And why?
HEIDI: Um,
a lot of people have big résumés here.
This builds and helps me.
But making fire and winning it--
it's like the cherry on top of everything.
So I would 100% consider it.
I have not made my mind, but I'm confident,
so, who knows? We'll see what happens tonight.
All right, everybody head back to camp.
I will see you tonight at Tribal Council
for a big night. Grab your stuff. Head out.
-Congrats. -Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
Ah!
This is, like,
that extra boost that I really
needed to have the power and the control of my own game.
I have to really make a humongous decision
to see who I send to make fire.
How do I position myself to win?
Did I do good enough already, or should I put myself
and risk it into the fire-making tonight?
* *
YAM YAM: Congratulations.
CARSON: That's-- Me, too. That was awesome. Great job.
HEIDI: Winning the very last immunity challenge
feels amazing. And
I'm pretty sure
none of the Tika members saw it coming.
I mean, there's three of them,
and all of a sudden, the one that was flying solo
has the power to decide who's making fire tonight.
-What? -Oh!
Yeah.
L-Let me ask you guys, anybody wants to make fire?
Maybe make my life easier.
Sounded like you wanted to make fire.
I am, I'm considering it, but I just got to practice.
-So if anybody, at some point... -I like, I like making fire.
Okay. Let's all practice and let's see what happens.
There's a lot
on my mind right now.
I just have to make sure I do what's best
to position myself to win tomorrow.
CARSON: Not being able to pull through
at the very last challenge kind of sucked,
but considering no one can vote me out,
I at least have a chance to make fire.
So I'm trying to be optimistic.
I know that I am the biggest threat,
so I'm just trying to be as prepared as I can
to go against whoever, 'cause I feel like,
regardless of who it is, I'm probably making fire.
But I'm not very good at it, I've figured out.
(chuckles) It's so weird.
I mean, I was able to make fire in three minutes at home
with a flint and machete, and here
I'm struggling.
I haven't even gotten a flame.
Maybe it's that I'm just
not confident in myself.
I do struggle with self-confidence, um...
And I've always been someone who struggles with...
...pulling through.
And to think that I would allow myself
to fail at the very last second just is heartbreaking,
'cause I feel like I will win the million
if I get to the end. And just
knowing that I might not get there
because of my own insecurities
is really hard. But
I'm not gonna give up.
I don't want to let my own self get in the way
of my success in this game.
YAM YAM: It would be the best game move for me
to have that little notch in my résumé...
...of winning the fire-making challenge.
It's something that everybody sees you do.
Like, it's not something that you go to Tribal Council,
you tell the jury about. It's something that
they're watching. So watching
you make fire, you're like, "Hey."
That's my hero move, you know?
But making fire against someone from Tika...
...it's really emotional for me.
You know, we talk about Carson being this big threat.
-Mm-hmm. -Okay, well, how do I know that Heidi really thinks that,
-you know? -Mm-hmm.
You think you're going tonight?
I-I don't know.
I do know that people think
that you can make fire really well.
CAROLYN: I have been
making fire for the last five years,
practicing for this day.
Am I good, though?
I think I am.
But out here, I never wanted to, like,
rattle the tribe and
sneak off and make fire and practice.
So today, I have to.
I don't know what Heidi thinks.
I hope she picks herself.
And then who?
I won.
Part of me wants to be brought to the end,
but part of me doesn't.
And I want to fight my way there.
And it would be so wonderful to have struggled at...
...pretty much...
...pretty much every challenge,
and then to win one would feel really great.
Carson's the master of feeding it. For sure.
You're the master of the quick start.
So is mine. (sniffs)
I'm on an incline, man.
No, you're not. You're in a perfect crevice.
I feel comfortable making fire, and so does Carolyn.
But I saw Carson, day one, doing the fire...
He no good.
When Carson and I made fire, day one...
Watch me fail really bad. (laughs)
You're trying it. You're not failing.
...I saw him destroying that flint
like it was a piece of meat. I was like, "Dude,
you don't go at it like that, you know?
You-you caress it with your, with your steel."
CARSON: Yeah.
YAM YAM: I don't want to see him fail in front of everyone.
That's not what friends do.
CARSON: That's really good.
You're gonna do it now.
CARSON: Yam Yam could very well be the person
going against me in fire today. And to know
that his heart is in the right place
just really makes me feel good, because
I don't know if I would do that for someone else.
(crying)
I struggle with seeing people suffering.
And seeing Carson do so well in this game, and be so strong,
and be so amazing at everything he tackles
and then seeing him give up at the end,
I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
I want Carson to go out giving everything he has in him.
And if it means that I need to teach him my tricks,
and he wins over me,
is it a bad move?
It's not important to me if it's a bad move or a good move.
It's something that I really, honestly wanted to do.
I don't know why you're even helping me, but...
I really, I really appreciate it.
I'm here for you, dude. I'm here for you.
We've been here for each other since day three.
There's no reason why that needs to stop.
(laughs)
May the best Tika win.
CARSON: Just the fact that he would help me in a situation
where it would be an easy win against me,
it's pretty amazing and really speaks to,
I think, how this game
goes beyond just the money.
Do you want us to watch the other way, Heidi?
I'm making the decision, so it doesn't matter.
This game is about risks, but you
got to take calculated risks.
I feel comfortable with my own skills.
Fire.
But someone else could be just a little bit faster than me.
That's amazing.
HEIDI: I've seen Yam Yam making fire.
He looks solid.
Carolyn also says she's decent. I feel like
Carson is the only one that is a little bit of
I have no idea if he's good or not.
He's an Eagle Scout, though, so he knows, probably,
a lot about fire, compared to everyone else.
So I'm weighing everything.
If I win the fire, I think I have the best case
to win the whole million dollars,
but I have to win the fire first.
So this is a big decision. My husband and I
usually have these conversations,
"What would you do?"
And I wish I could just get some inspiration from him.
Would he tell me to do it
or would he tell me to not be silly?
I want to go with my own gut here,
and I just have to live with it.
It may be the million-dollar decision where I win it
or it may be the million-dollar decision where I lose it,
but I have to be comfortable with the decision I make.
Do I want to take that risk or not?
I don't know.
* *
All right. Tonight, all of the power
sits with you, Heidi.
So let's review.
We do our final immunity challenge.
It's Simmotion, a classic
Survivor final four challenge
that anyone can win.
It came down to you and Carson.
You won your first individual immunity win.
You have a spot at the final three.
You also get to decide who you force to make fire.
But at the end of the challenge, you said, "I'm going to consider
"a risky idea and give up my spot,
and actually go make fire against somebody else."
So now that you've had all afternoon,
let's just start there.
Did you contemplate that more today?
A hundred percent.
I mean, when we got to camp,
after the challenge, we started practicing.
And up until now, I'm, like, still like,
"What's gonna happen? Am I gonna do it or not?"
-I-I'm still wondering my options here. -Right now?
Yes.
-Is that true? -HEIDI: It's true.
I haven't told anybody what I'm doing.
-Wow. -HEIDI: Um, so it's gonna be
new news for everyone, including myself.
-All right, let's talk about the pitch everybody made. -Yeah.
Yam Yam, you talked to Heidi, I'm guessing.
What was your pitch?
(clicks tongue, exhales)
It's complicated, you know, because...
...I like making fire. I'm a pyro.
I like flames, I like striking it,
but I also want to be safe.
So we talked about the possibility of
the success that might bring to any of us.
That's something that is undeniable,
and it's something that the jury is watching.
PROBST: So, Carolyn, what was your pitch? Yam Yam says,
"Hey, man, I'm good with fire if you want, put me over there."
CAROLYN: Heidi, at one point, said, "Anybody who wants
"to volunteer and maybe make this a little bit easier,
and just say, 'Hey, I'm interested in doing fire.'"
I feel like a lot of people were coming forward
wanting to possibly do fire
because of how it may look in the end.
And I believe we all felt pretty confident.
Carson, how about you?
Mm, I don't know how comfortable I am
with making fire, and, um, that's me being honest.
I made it, and I can do it,
but I think it starts getting in your head,
and then all the pressure, like, kind of starts piling on.
But I think for me, my pitch really revolved around the idea
that it might make more sense for her to,
you know, put herself in the position
to go against someone who has been in control.
So if I were in her position and, like, had played her game,
I would put myself up there.
I know making the fire and winning this--
it's another bucket list item for your résumé.
I don't want second, third or fourth.
I want one. I want first, Sole Survivor.
It is a big decision.
Am I nervous? Yes, I'm very nervous.
PROBST: Are you ready to make the decision?
-I'm ready. -PROBST: All right.
Who are you going to put in that number two position
that's going to be in the final three tomorrow?
They will get a chance to plead their case
and they will not be making fire.
I am going to put there...
...Ms. Carolyn, and I hope she enjoys it.
PROBST: Carolyn, how does that feel? You have made it
to the final three. There is nowhere
else to go. Now it becomes
-about pitching your case. -CAROLYN: I know, I know.
I-I don't have words right now.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
-PROBST: Don't be sorry. -I don't have words,
'cause I-I didn't expect this. Me, especially.
I'm, like, that kid who, like,
couldn't shut up in fifth grade, who...
(sniffles) was separated from the rest of the class
because I was so weird and different.
And people just said, like, "Just stop talking.
Why can't you just be normal?"
And just to be here at the end, it-it feels amazing.
What do you say to the little girl who was called weird?
(laughs)
That it's okay to be you.
Because that was my goal when I came into this.
That's all I wanted to do.
And to think that I'm here without trying
to hide myself or be a different person,
it's like I don't need to hide, in real life or here.
It's too much, like...
No, it's not too much. It's perfect.
You just learned a huge lesson, which is you are okay
-exactly as you are. -(laughs)
All right, Heidi, you decide what you want to tell us next.
So, I'll say one of the people who will make fire.
The first person I'll put there will be Carson.
PROBST: Earlier, Carson, you said the pressure mounts.
Is the pressure real?
Yeah, it's pretty scary.
I mean, I'm-I'm going to do my best, and that's all I can do.
That's gonna be the test,
is whether I can pull through myself.
It doesn't depend on anybody else here. It depends on me.
And that's where the pressure is really hitting. (chuckles)
All right, so, Heidi, we have one person
making fire is Carson.
The big question is
are you gonna take Carson on in a showdown
or are you gonna take what you earned
and keep your spot in the final three
and put Yam Yam against Carson?
Who's gonna take the other spot in fire?
So I've been thinking about this
ever since you put this on me.
And the reason I put Carson there
is 'cause he's a great player, right?
So I am going to do fire with Carson.
Wow.
Damn.
HEIDI: I'm taking a chance.
I don't want two, three or four.
I want one.
And I think I will have an easier time convincing
everyone to vote for me if I can beat Carson
-making the fire. -PROBST: I got to say,
if I'm at home watching right now,
I'm like, "Give me a big bowl of popcorn."
-My family's gonna lose it that I'm doing this. -(laughing)
Yam Yam, how does that feel?
You have made it to the final three.
Five minutes ago, I couldn't believe Carolyn
was speechless, 'cause this is not something that Carolyn does.
And I feel the same freaking way.
Like, to be 100% honest with you,
I never imagined, ever,
that I would be in a position
to talk to the jury.
And I freaking love it.
(laughs)
So, Heidi, you and Carson are gonna
take part in a fire-making showdown.
The winner will be the third and final person
in our final three.
All right, take your spots.
It's up to you which one you pick. They're identical.
Good luck, Heidi.
No, no, no.
Good luck, guys. You're amazing.
Aah! I can't believe I'm doing this.
PROBST: All right, I'm gonna give you two a moment
to take everything in, get acquainted
with your supplies, and then we will start
what might be a million-dollar fire-making challenge.
All right. Big decision made by Heidi to take on
Carson in a fire-making challenge.
It's not an exaggeration to say
You both have the same supplies. You know the rules.
Build a fire big enough to burn through that rope.
The person who does that will sit
in that stool tomorrow night at the final three.
Are you both ready?
This challenge is on. Go.
CAROLYN: Oh, my gosh.
PROBST: You need heat.
You get that from the friction
of striking that flint, creating that spark.
Then you need fuel, which is what you're burning.
You're both going with hessian, and then you need oxygen.
You got to build that fire so it breathes.
Heidi quickly going to it.
Getting a spark.
Trying to get a flame.
There's a little flame.
Can she breathe some life into it? She has.
Now you got to make that a fire that'll last,
because that hessian burns quickly, and it will burn out.
There goes Carson now, trying to get a little spark.
And he's got it. Can he get a flame?
Got to get something to burn.
Heidi doing a nice job of nurturing her first flame.
Carson scraping more magnesium.
-Strike it. -Strike it. Strike.
PROBST: Heidi doing a nice job, slowly building.
Carson now has a flame.
He's got to get that to take without smothering it.
Heidi doing a really nice job.
-That flame is starting to grow. -YAM YAM: That's amazing.
PROBST: She's using kindling, one or two pieces at a time.
Now Carson trying to get a couple of pieces of kindling.
Go crazy.
PROBST: Heidi doing a really nice job
of slowly nurturing that fire
while letting it breathe, which is essential.
Heidi's building an inferno. That is a real fire.
Carson's now got a flame going.
-He's putting some kindling. -YAM YAM: You're both in it.
You're both...
Carson's now in it. We've got two fires going.
Don't quit.
-Believe in yourself. -PROBST: Both players now working quickly
to get more kindling in there.
Carson's flame is starting to grow, but he's got
-to get more height quickly. -CAROLYN: Hurry up.
PROBST: Heidi's flame is all over that rope,
-and it's over. -Yes!
-(laughing) -Oh, my God.
PROBST: Heidi has done it.
One of the fastest fires we've ever had.
Heidi has taken the spot in the final three.
-I'm sorry, Carson. I love you. I love you, sweetie. -No, no. No, Heidi.
-I-I would have done the same thing if I were you. Yeah. -I love you.
-Carson, I got to say, your fire was lasting. -Yeah.
You were just a little late, but you built a decent fire.
-Yeah. -PROBST: Nothing to be ashamed of with that fire.
-Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. -Heidi was on fire with her fire.
I can't believe I just did that.
PROBST: Heidi, that is
-the fastest fire ever made... -(squeals)
-Oh, my God. -...on Survivor.
Oh, my God. That's awesome.
YAM YAM: Good job. That's great.
LAUREN: That's crazy.
(laughing)
That is remarkable.
-You put your money where your mouth is. -Yes.
You said, "I came to win."
So you put yourself, literally, in the hot seat,
and you pulled it off.
-That, in and of itself, is a massive victory. -... legend.
But I was so scared because this is a risk.
Like, you never know if it's actually gonna work here.
And doing it feels absolutely amazing.
-Oh, my God. -Oh. It-- I-I have no words. This moment is ridiculous.
-PROBST: All right, Carson, let's talk. -Yeah.
25 days, and you came
this close to getting to the final three.
Yeah.
-PROBST: It's a massive achievement. -Thank you.
And I hope you have impressed yourself.
Yeah. I mean,
I think everyone here can attest to my day today.
I was in tears.
-PROBST: Aw. -I was...
-Aw. I'm sorry. -Like, I, like, let it out,
because I wasn't confident in myself.
And, so, for me
to start fire and at least have something
going against the fastest fire-making winner ever,
I'm so proud of myself
for challenging myself,
becoming more self-confident,
and that is what I'm leaving here today.
All right, Carson, it is time to grab your torch.
Okay.
-So proud. You're amazing. -Thank y'all.
-Love you. -CARSON: Love y'all, too.
Carson, the tribe has spoken.
I didn't think I'd be smiling.
-(laughing) -This is awesome.
-You should be smiling. Good job. -Thank you.
Good luck, y'all.
-Y'all are amazing. -You are, too.
Uh, I can't wait to hear it all.
G-Give it your all tomorrow.
All right.
You have made it to the final three.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
PROBST: Tomorrow night, the game shifts.
All the power-- boom, right there.
People you had a hand in voting out.
They will decide who wins Survivor 44.
You have one more night in beautiful Fiji.
I know it's gonna be hard to sleep, but try,
'cause you want to be clearheaded tomorrow
when you make your case.
Grab your torches, head back to camp. Good night.
Thank you.
-Great job, Heidi. -CAROLYN: Good job, Heidi.
Oh, my gosh.
(laughing)
You all are nuts.
CARSON: To lose against someone
who made the fastest Survivor
fire-making challenge in history
feels pretty awesome.
Even though I didn't get to the final three,
I'm so proud of myself, and it's incredible
to be on Survivor and actually
live my dream of playing, so
I'm still kind of pinching myself that I'm even here.
* *
YAM YAM: The final three. 44.
Just a few more hours.
Girl, I'm gonna cry.
I'm so freaking scared.
You think?
That's how I feel.
Like, I feel like it's finals, and I'm gonna, like...
Yup.
I don't want to sound stupid.
-I... Trust me. -HEIDI: You won't.
-We've all seen... -You're gonna sound
-more stupid than me? -CAROLYN: Probably.
Okay. Thank you.
Making it to the final three on Survivor,
it's freaking awesome.
Not everybody gets to the final three.
You know how many get to the final three?
Only three. And I'm one of them.
Now the only thing I need to do is win the game.
But the biggest hurdle
is tonight. Am I gonna be able
to convince the jury to vote for me to win?
I decided how I wanted to get here, and I got here.
But it doesn't matter what I did,
because it's all perception here.
It doesn't matter the way I see it,
because I'm not the one voting.
Now I need to make the jury members believe
I played a million-dollar game.
My words are my weapons.
I'm gonna use them to my advantage.
KANE: Yam Yam is a very perceptive player.
The guy can read body language from a mile away.
Like, if you fart at the water well, he knows about it.
He made himself a part of everybody's plan,
to the point where I could not get him off the beach.
MATT: Yam Yam played the middleman.
He had relationships with most people,
and he was able to sort of, like, straddle this line
brilliantly, in a way that no one felt betrayed,
but benefited his game.
BRANDON: Yam Yam is absolutely hilarious,
and he understands his game to a T.
Every move that he made along the way was intentional.
It was all deliberate. He put himself in the position
where he had the option to decide what he wanted to do,
and he took advantage of it.
-HEIDI: Let's go! -CAROLYN: Oh.
YAM YAM: No way.
Don't drop it.
Oh, my God. Thank you so much.
Oh, there's a griddle.
(squeals)
HEIDI: I think the jury has seen my game.
This was not an easy ride for me.
I fought every single day to make it here.
I had to do whatever I could
to survive, and I took risks.
I think making the fire really boosts my résumé.
-This is our dream. -Final three breakfast.
-Yes. It's our dream. -(whoops)
Salud.
I'm proud of my journey.
I'm proud to make it to final three.
I'm gonna put my heart out there for the jury to vote for me.
CARSON: Heidi killed it.
She put herself in a vulnerable position to take me out.
Fastest fire-making ever in Survivor.
For her to pull through to the very end gives me
more of a reason for me to vote for her.
Heidi made a huge move last night.
Carson was the king.
You take a shot at the king, you best not miss.
And Heidi didn't miss,
so that makes her the queen.
JAIME: Heidi never gives up.
She is such a strong woman.
If she can articulate
how she ensured her safety every single time,
she's gonna get my vote.
Are you worried?
Of course I'm worried. I'm nervous.
I'm scared of getting tripped up,
not thinking I'm good enough, not thinking I'm, like, worthy.
All that type of stupid, like, self-loathing
is gonna be my, like, downfall.
Kind of like how you get
when you're talking emotions sometimes.
Remember day one, when you interviewed me?
INTERVIEWER: Yeah, I do.
We're here on day 26. This is full success.
Did you think you'd make it this far?
No, not a chance.
I didn't even think I'd make merge.
Did I think that my personality would get me...
Uh, no, I didn't, but it feels amazing.
Coming here was the dream. Finding an idol was the dream.
All the crazy blindsides I made happen,
I might as well just win. I'm ready.
So now I have to convince the jury
being emotional was part of my strategy,
and that it can be taken seriously,
and that being emotional
can be respected in this game.
FRANNIE: I believe that you can be an incredibly intelligent,
strategic player and a player who plays with a lot of emotion.
That is what Carolyn did.
She used her emotions as an advantage.
LAUREN: Carolyn was such a great player,
authentically, as herself.
Who has played like that before? I don't know-- Carolyn.
If she's self-aware of that,
she'll definitely get my vote tonight.
JAIME: Carolyn was
all over the place in the most masterful way.
She let us believe that she didn't know
what she was doing, when she knew what she was doing
every single conversation.
And that's brilliant gameplay.
FRANNIE: Everything
is riding on this final Tribal.
I don't want anybody to sit back and feel like their game
has spoken for itself, because it hasn't.
YAM YAM: It is the moment of truth.
MATT: Season 44 was
an absolute banger season.
So my vote is going
to the person who saw opportunities
and smashed them out of the park.
BRANDON: I want to see fireworks. I want to see people
who are hungry for that million.
LAUREN: I want them to be confident
in their individual game
that doesn't rely on anyone else.
JAIME: I am hoping the gloves come off and we get to see
everyone's true colors.
DANNY: This is gonna be Tyson vs. Holyfield.
There's no way you can predict this.
CARSON: My vote is on the table.
You've got to grab it.
KANE: I want to see sword
and shield tonight. This is a fight
for a million dollars,
and I'm ready to watch the fight of my life.
All right, here we are.
Heidi, Yam Yam, Carolyn.
26 days gets you here,
and now the power
shifts to the jury.
Eight people that you played alongside
will be casting a vote tonight, and it's gonna be for the person
they think is most deserving of the title of Sole Survivor
and the million dollars that goes along with it.
Your job is to convince them
it's you that deserves that title and the check.
What did you do better than the other two?
You have to step up and claim your game
in order to claim your victory.
If you don't, you'll get left in the dust.
Jury, your job: hold them accountable.
Make them defend their case.
What is it they did that is better
than the other two people that they're sitting with?
That's who deserves to win this game.
Heidi, Yam Yam, Carolyn, I'm gonna give you a minute
to prepare for their questions, and then we'll go.
All right, it is time to get
to the final Tribal Council of Survivor 44.
social, physical, strategy.
It's fine if we overlap.
Kane, get us started.
-(whoops) (chuckles) Let's go. -(laughter)
Uh, first off, I want you guys to know
that we are all very proud of you.
I think every single person here,
their vote is up in the air.
So for me to vote for you,
you need to explain your game to me,
and then you need to convince me that it is better,
unapologetically, than the other two people.
So my first question to you is what do you think
our perception of you is and do you think it's accurate?
-Yam Yam. -YAM YAM: What do I think
it is your perception of me?
I think you love me, of course.
(laughing)
I believe that all of you perceive me
as a happy-go-lucky person, which I am.
I believe all of you perceive me as someone
that loves this game and love to make moves, which is also true.
What I think the biggest perception of me,
which I think is the wrong perception,
is that I was following Carson's steps all the way.
Carson and I did an alliance day three with Carolyn,
and the perception was, like, we were a disaster.
But we know what was the target every time.
-Carolyn also had... -Can I say something within that?
Towards the beginning of the merge,
-you guys were kind of riding a little bit of...
-It wasn't like that. -the wave of the, of the Soka members.
It wasn't like that. That's what we wanted you to perceive.
We wanted you to perceive that we were willing
to go with the target that you chose.
Oh.
So I knew every single people's vote,
every time we go to Tribal.
Heidi.
So, how do I think you perceive me? Right?
I think it probably varies throughout the entire game.
When we started the merge, I think the perception
was that I was very much into the strategy.
Then when I got into the hole that I lost
some of my Soka numbers, it probably was like,
"Well, Heidi's no longer strategic.
"She's just riding everyone's tail
because she has to survive."
But within that hole, I really was trying my best
to still be strategic.
I tried to really integrate a little bit
of my social game to get to where I was.
And at the very end, which happened yesterday,
I used everything I could to put myself
in the best position, so I could have a good speech to give you.
-Okay, Carolyn. -Carolyn.
So right away, I didn't fit in.
I was a little quirky and different, and...
and then I found Carson.
And we connected over genuine realness
and him saying, you know, "I was that quirky kid,"
and that was day one.
And then I found you, and I said,
"How in the heck did he get on my tribe?"
-(laughing) -Because we are so similar, and he is so much,
-and I am so much, too. -Girl.
But as far as perceptions go, I know that I was
looked at as, like, "Girl, like, who is this?"
And I was underestimated this entire game.
I was playing,
but I was so underestimated that sometimes
it kind of played into itself, if that makes sense.
CARSON: And I just want to give you and Yam Yam props.
You were able to evolve yourself and make those relationships,
and that's what I'm impressed with both of you about.
And, Heidi, I didn't get to really know your game,
'cause I didn't play with you as long,
but I'd love to hear your own gameplay
and your own social relationships you built, too.
Yeah, so we had four Soka members going into the merge,
but the players that I was with, we all got targets right away
'cause we were all strong in some capacity.
I mean, the difference between their game and mine
is they were on a high.
I suffered through a heck of a lot,
and that's the reality of our games.
Very different games.
And we all, the three of us, I'm proud to say,
we made it here in very different ways.
We were not always in a high,
and we took advantage of not being in a high.
We took advantage of the perception
that you were saving us,
and we were saving ourselves.
But you can see how Carson is defending you because
-Carson was a lot of the brains behind that, though. -YAM YAM: I was gonna get there.
-I was gonna get there. -Okay.
DANNY: But with all due respect, I'll tell you right now,
I played my game compartmentalized, and I take
pride in that, and I have so much respect for this game,
if my mother was up there and she had a bad pitch,
she's not getting my vote.
So what I want to hear is how did you guys use Carson?
'Cause I'm sure that nothing you guys did
was just going with it.
I used Carson to get a lot of information,
but I did that with a lot of you guys.
It wasn't only with Carson, and I got to eat...
-(laughter) -because Carson took me.
And that was no mistake on my part, you know?
But it's not a thing like, "I use Carson for this."
I use everyone. And that speaks to my game.
They should have been coming for me, and they didn't.
Well, your name was written several times,
-and you said you had to survive the first few Tribals, -It was, it was, it was.
-so... -That's right.
I thought that was because I'm pretty.
(laughing)
DANNY: And, Heidi, for you, who did you use
to propel your game, as kind of, like, a shield
to move yourself forward?
Thank you for the question.
I think the answer, it's you,
'cause I truly thought we could work together,
and we did for almost the entire game.
And I knew you look physically more fit than I do,
so I knew you will have a bigger target than me.
So, did I use you as a shield?
100%. 100%, I did. But that doesn't take away from
the friendship that we created throughout the game.
Yeah, of course. But, yeah, it makes sense. Perfect.
FRANNIE: Um, I love all the strategy,
like, love the numbers, but I feel like there's a lot more
-to dig into with, like, social. -Mm-hmm. -Right.
-Yeah. -So, one thing that we talk about and think about
a lot in this game is emotions, right?
And on one end, there is an emotional player,
and on the other end, there is
an intellectual, strategic player.
And you can use both effectively in this game.
So I want to understand from each of you how you managed
your emotions, how you saw them as a strength or a weakness.
And I would love Carolyn to start,
because you've been so open about saying that you are
an emotional person and an emotional player.
I'm gonna get emotional. (chuckles)
-Good. Good. -Yeah, that's a good thing.
When you're actively addicted,
you hold things in.
I didn't express myself.
I didn't know how to express myself.
I didn't know what emotions were.
I learned that all going through treatment.
So there's that spectrum
of you're either strategic or you're emotional.
You can't be both. There is no in between.
And honestly, I just didn't want to do that,
because, to me, it was way too painful
to go there and numb that.
Yes, there were times where I knew that
they're gonna expect me to be emotional right now,
because I cry when I eat a papaya.
We get rice, I'm crying.
You give me a hug, I'm crying.
I'm so grateful. That was all real.
But I know that there were moments
where I needed people to trust me.
I knew I needed to fake those tears, and then compose myself.
It wasn't always easy for me.
PROBST: Yam Yam.
So, emotions,
which I have, I have many emotions.
My happiness, my love, my care, how do I use this in my favor?
And I don't want to, like, offend anybody
on the conversations that I had were real,
but some of you were very blank when I would talk to you.
Jaime, for example, was super blank.
Brandon was super blank to me.
-Kane is still like that, you know? -(laughter)
But how did I knew
if you guys were telling me the truth or not?
I would take my time to build real relationship
with each of you and see how your eye twinkle
when you're talking about your loved one, or your eye
twinkle when you're talking about food or about your work.
So when you guys were lying to me
or not telling me the truth, that twinkle went away.
So I use your emotions and your facial expressions
that I knew were real
and compared them to when they were not real.
And that's why I'm so successful working with people.
I'm there working with 25 crazies,
so I'm, like, right at home when I was next to her.
But in all the best way.
And it was hard. It was scary. I was like...
(sharp inhale) "Can I do this in English? Let's see."
But that's how I use emotions in my favor--
not only my emotions,
but how I use your emotions to know what was going on.
Amazing.
PROBST: Heidi.
I'm glad you asked that question,
because I-I really want to explain myself,
and I'm gonna get to the emotions with this,
but the why I'm in Survivor, why I'm here is
I want to represent people that sound different,
that look different.
I want to represent girls out there that want
to be in science and want to be different.
Right? And with that comes a whole lot of responsibilities.
Being Latina in science, I work with all guys,
so I have to keep my composure.
And I have learned to control my emotions
to be successful at what I do.
So I feel like I have been in the spectrum of emotions,
but I have tried to control it,
so I can still represent the best way I can
for the people that I want to show that they can do this.
LAUREN: And I want to say thank you so much for sharing that.
And I definitely saw you controlling your emotions,
and that made you continue on throughout the game.
-Thank you. -LAUREN: You know, and you just
externalize it or internalize it differently than the others.
Um, I just want to, like, slide one little thing in.
This is less of a question than it is just, like, a statement.
Um, something I admire about all of you is you guys
did a really good job of being yourselves out here. All of you.
-Thank you. -MATT: Big personalities.
You shared with all of us, and that's really hard for me.
And I'm, like, so happy that you get this platform
to, like, really, really show off who you are.
-That's all I wanted to say. -Thank you. It's a hot seat, though.
-It is, but... (laughs) -HEIDI: But thank you.
-We love you. -PROBST: All right.
Who wants to get us into the physical part of this game?
Uh, I just want to talk quickly about the challenges.
You know, I think you all know that I had a lot of fun
with the challenges, and I was just curious
how you thought you would come in and perform in challenges.
And I'll start with Carolyn, 'cause you've been
so open about your challenge performance
-that I just want to give you a chance to speak. -Here I am.
-(laughing) -Yeah, um,
well, first off, let me say,
I'm an athletic person in real life,
so I'm not joking-- I thought I would do great.
And it was, like,
one embarrassing thing happened after the other.
Like, I got stuck in a spiderweb,
and so it was just humiliating.
And I hear your voice, Jeff, and I had to tune you out,
but I needed to hear it, like, "Keep going!"
And I'm like, "I know." And then I got my letter.
"Mom, I hope you're winning challenges."
It broke my heart reading that, and it was so hard.
It was so hard.
To see myself, like, failing at them.
But then, at the same time, I promised my son I wouldn't
talk poorly about myself, because that's what I teach him
is positive self-talk.
So all I could do is just accept
that I'm not at that level, and it's okay.
-PROBST: And, Carolyn, I just want to say, -Amen.
I never see it as humiliating.
I see somebody giving everything they have.
And anybody who sits at home
and talks smack about you and the spiderweb
-should come out here and apply to be on Survivor -(all agreeing)
instead of sitting on your couch talking smack.
(laughing)
-YAM YAM: Yes. -PROBST: It's not easy.
HEIDI: Seeing Carolyn trying inspired me,
and I want to use it to inspire my kids.
Like, this is what you do.
You-you are not gonna be good at certain things.
You might struggle with certain things,
but you keep trying.
And she's still here in the top three.
-So props to you, because you inspire me. -Thank you.
Thank you.
CARSON: And, Heidi, let's dig into day 25,
where you not only won immunity,
but you put yourself
in a vulnerable position to make fire.
-HEIDI: Yeah. -Even though you didn't have to.
But I want you to talk about that,
because that was part of your physical game.
Yeah. So, thank you for the question,
and I'm so proud I pulled through that one.
And I think I was perceived as, "She had a good game,
but she doesn't have this in the bag." Right?
I think if I didn't go for fire yesterday,
I would have never won this game.
And not that I'm saying I'm winning,
but it gives me the best opportunity
to plead my case here,
because I truly think Carson was very much
the brains of what was happening with a lot of this.
So I had to make a big move.
And it so happened that it happened on day 25.
And not only did you just make fire when you didn't have to,
you made fire the fastest in the history of Survivor.
That I didn't expect,
but if that's a record or whatever,
I take it, because this game is amazing.
And I'll put a plug that maybe we can make history today,
because if you vote for me to win,
I will be the oldest female contestant winner.
-CARSON: Wow. -So we can make even more history together.
-(laughing) -Vote for me.
-But thank you for the question. -CARSON: Yeah.
And, you know, Yam Yam and Heidi, you made it through
a lot of challenges that you didn't win.
You know, Yam Yam, I'll go to you.
Like, how did it feel to perform the challenges,
maybe differently than you expected,
but then how was it when you finally did pull it out?
So, the physical aspect of the challenge was super scary to me.
Like, super scary, because I'm not a physical person.
I don't have good balance.
I'm not fast. I'm afraid of heights.
But I'm coming from a very physical family.
Like, my father is a cyclist.
My brother has been athlete of the year
and played in every single sports team until now.
Like, I am, like, just the kid that watched TV, you know?
So I had to channel them.
I had to channel their energy, their words, their strength.
And that's what happened to the last gasp challenge.
And I had no idea I had it in me.
I was doing everything that I could do
to distract from your voice,
which is very supporting, but it's very annoying
-(laughing) -when you're in the middle of a challenge.
And if I win,
I'll be the first Puerto Rican male to win tonight.
(laughing)
HEIDI: I love that.
PROBST: All right, let's move
into the last section, which does involve strategy,
idols, and advantages and how you use them.
Who wants to get us going?
Yeah. So, Carolyn, you had your name written down
three times throughout the game--
the least out of the three of you.
You were on the right side of the vote 88.89% of the time.
Very impressive.
Walk me through the strategy of that.
Um, part of my strategy was putting my trust in,
one, Carson,
you, who again, we were so much alike.
-Some of the bickering was kind of play... -Was on purpose.
We played it up, but a lot of it, too, it wasn't.
And it was a risk to work with you,
but still, I was underestimated so much that
when it came to me finding that idol, nobody expected that.
Nobody. Plus, I didn't say a word about it.
But your idol being played on Carson,
you didn't need to play on Carson.
You needed to trust me that Lauren and Jaime
were gonna vote the way they said, and I told you, like...
CAROLYN: Okay, so here's the difference is
-do I trust you? Yes. -Yes.
Did I trust Lauren and Jaime? No.
But I knew that I needed Carson here
to assure that Danny went home,
'cause I wasn't gonna get to the end with you here.
-I needed the three. -DANNY: Why?
How did I logically get in your way?
'Cause that's a very specific thing to say.
Because you were seemingly running things,
were the one controlling votes.
You were the one coming up with plans.
You were influencing Jaime, Lauren, Heidi.
I needed you out.
Cool. Well put.
CARSON: Okay, great. Thank you.
Yam Yam, you voted 90% of the time
on the right side of the votes.
I've worked with you personally.
I saw how you kind of controlled your own destiny.
Can you explain how you continued to have control
throughout this game, strategically?
This game is about getting to the end.
If you don't get to the end, you don't get to win.
And I knew there were people in the way
of me getting to the end. So I wanted people
that had the comfort of writing my name down
not be here playing the game with me,
'cause they were gonna get that little feeling,
the good feeling of writing my name again.
And it was with the help of everybody,
but it happened because I wanted it to happen.
So my game is about knowing who wants to work with me,
who thinks I'm not a threat.
I won a necklace, and I wasn't a threat,
because I made myself not a threat.
I really love talking.
I cannot go into a challenge
and push the biggest block or jump the highest
or do the best balancing.
What I can do is I can talk, talk, talk, talk,
in a way that people were comfortable
to feel like, "He's here just to have fun."
I'm here to have fun, but I want to win.
And I hope I make my family proud
and my brother proud, because he told me,
"They pick you because of who you are.
Just be yourself. You're gonna do okay." That's all I need.
And that's all that I keep repeating to myself.
I just need to be who I am, and I'm proud of it.
CARSON: Great. Thank you.
So, Heidi, you were on the right side of the vote
66.67% of the time.
How did you navigate through
-your game, strategically? -HEIDI: Yeah.
My strategy coming into this was not to have this.
Okay? However, the way it happened,
I had to keep adapting to survive here.
And the difference between some of the people here
and myself was like, "Oh, my God, I'm by myself.
How am I gonna able control it?"
And maybe that's part of the reason why,
like, I kept my idol a little bit longer.
So I hope you respect the fact that
I had to adapt, and it hurt.
It hurt. And you hit the high highs, it's awesome,
but not until you hit that low low
is when you truly find yourself and you realize
this game goes way beyond money.
This game is all about finding myself
and realizing the growth, because I've been in the U.S.
almost 20 years, but when I moved, I struggle.
I couldn't speak English.
I didn't have anything. And that made me grow.
Like, I see the growth in me, and now seeing that I'm here,
living my dream, I truly am living the American dream.
So for those people that sound different,
look different, want to be in science and they're girls,
follow your dreams, no matter what age or who you are.
You're female, male,
whatever age you are, follow your dreams no matter what.
And that's the reason I'm here.
PROBST: I love this.
Right before we get ready to vote...
-Carolyn. -one last hug with the final three.
It's-it's crazy to be here.
-It's a privilege. -PROBST: You did a great job.
The only thing left to do now is for the jury vote
for who they think is most deserving
of the title of Sole Survivor
and the million dollars that goes with it.
Jury, I'm gonna give you a moment
to take in everything you've heard,
collect your thoughts, and then we vote.