Survivor 44 finale recap: A big win filled with wonderful moments

Spoiler Warning: This article contains immediate spoilers for Survivor 44 finale, episode 13, “Absolute Banger Season.”

The Survivor 44 finale has come, but the lasting impact of the hit reality TV show has definitely not gone. The last episode of Survivor 44 arrived with five players ready to fight for a chance to land in the final tribal council. Two immunity challenges, one fire-making challenge, and several heartfelt moments highlight an incredible season and an awesome cast.

The Tika three controlled most of the game, but would the jury see their moves, and if they did, would any of the players be able to separate themselves enough to distinguish their games to win the $1 million dollar prize? The Survivor 44 finale showcased Lauren, Heidi, Carson, Yam Yam, and Carolyn “digging deep” for this last push, but would the highly touted trio be outshined in the very end?

Who landed in fifth and fourth place in the Survivor 44 finale?

The final five immunity challenge involved an obstacle course where a puzzle was the final stage. Much like most of the season, some fans believed Carson was the obvious choice to win this challenge as he’s known to have 3D-printed them back home. In the end, Carson and Heidi were the two ahead at this stage, but Carson did win individual immunity.

The following conversations leading up to tribal council after the challenge led viewers to believe the votes may be for Lauren, Yam Yam, or Carolyn. Despite the tumultuous display on the beach between Carolyn and Yam Yam, Lauren saw the writing on the wall and was ultimately voted out. Whether it be her multiple immunity wins or her relationships with former tribemates on the jury, Lauren was deemed the biggest threat at that moment.

What might’ve surprised some viewers (or at least me) was how the very next sequence after the vote-out was the next immunity challenge. There wasn’t time to process who was voted out or any aftermath from Carolyn and Yam Yam spatting before the final five tribal council. The next challenge was imminent and a classic: Simmotion.

Players must drop a ball at different intervals in a winding loop maze where they reach one of two exit points. After a ball drops from one exit, the next ball will exit from the other. The ultimate goal – easier said than done – is to provide enough distance between drops, so there’s enough time to grab and drop a ball back into the spinner before one drops and hits the ground. It’s easy to understand, but difficult to master. Once again it came down to Carson and Heidi as the two remaining players, but Heidi won her first immunity challenge.

Not only did she win the final four immunity challenge, but she also made the bold decision to make fire against Carson. Heidi believed he was the biggest threat to win the game, so she put herself in a position to knock him out. Heidi made Survivor history in the fire-making challenge by being faster than anyone before, which also meant Carson would fall short of the final three.

Who won and what moments stood out in the Survivor 44 finale?

First, let’s take a moment to applaud Yam Yam for his efforts to help Carson before the fire-making challenge. He could have let him continually struggle, but he wouldn’t allow his friend to feel helpless. He taught Carson how to strike the flint and gave him the support needed to prepare for the upcoming challenge.

Viewers also listened to Carolyn discuss how she has learned, “It’s okay to be you.” Not only has Carolyn had incredible reads throughout the season, but she also allowed herself to play the game as authentically as possible. She presented such a positive atmosphere for others where Frannie opened up about how much of an inspiration she’s been.

In the final tribal council, Heidi talked about her desire to set a good example for others. Wanting to inspire others who might want to become scientists or engineers, extending the positive vibe of the Survivor 44 finale. In a season where players were medically evacuated, blindsided, swapped into a tough position, or left hanging out to dry by the Tika three’s plans, Survivor 44 gave viewers a wonderful story to follow.

Although it appeared Heidi gained some momentum with the fire-making challenge, nothing was certain. Nothing is ever certain on Survivor. Each player did their best to answer questions directed toward them, but only one player swayed a majority of the votes:

Winning 7 votes to 1 – Yam Yam Arocho is the winner of Survivor 44!

Some Survivor 44 finale live show truths shared!

The Survivor 44 finale live show revealed some facts fans already knew that the players may not have guessed just yet. Frannie and Matt highlighted their formation of a “showmance,” while also being highly aware of how detrimental it can be to any player’s game to be part of a tight duo. During the course of the live show, host Jeff Probst shared with Jaime that her idol was indeed fake the entire time.

Lastly, Jeff also talked about his encounter with Yam Yam and knew he was a must-have for Survivor when he met him. Not only that, but after a phone call with Jeff, it motivated Yam Yam to write down all the previous winners and when it came to his season, he wrote his own name down.

Yam Yam may not be an oracle (that we know of), but he earned his place in the Survivor winner circle – congratulations to the Survivor 44 champion!

What did you think of the Survivor 44 finale? Were you surprised by any of the vote-outs? Were you surprised to see Yam Yam get most of the votes or that Carolyn didn’t get a single one? Are you excited about Survivor 45 already and are you happy to see Bruce get another chance after his medevac during episode 1? Share your thoughts in the comments below!