Q was the one swayed by Kenzie’s response (at least, that what he says. I don’t really believe anything Q says.) Maria claimed she voted for Kenzie because of the fire-making, but I think it’s pretty clear she was still salty about losing to her #1 ally.
The person she literally just voted for at the previous Tribal. She turned on him first and there was nothing he could do to save her at the next one.
Weren’t there two idols re-hidden at that point? I’m surprised Maria couldn’t find one, seems like the others who looked found them pretty easily. I wonder how hard she actually looked, they didn’t show much searching.
I kinda wanted Ben to bring Liz to the Final 3 so to see her get a reality check that no one would vote for her. Venus’s face when Liz claimed she would have won was priceless! It also says a lot that even after Liz handed Kenzie the final immunity (which was bullshit btw, IMO in an individual challenge she should have been penalized for that), Kenzie still didn’t want to go on a reward with her! Liz has got to be one of the most delusional players to ever be on the show.
I was actually impressed by Liz’s move in the earlier IC. Realizing you are hopelessly behind, noticing that the competitor with the best chance of beating the woman you wanted out most, and then abandoning any chance of your own to help that competitor – that’s pretty good thinking in the heat of a competition.
I’m also somewhat surprised it was accepted as a legal move. I guess whatever isn’t explicitly forbidden is allowed, so maybe there’ll be another rule for the competition in future. I mean, in the earlier team challenges, what’s to prevent the best player of team A from doing the task, while his teammates all assist him … or even obstruct members of the other teams? I guess that would make the competition more like sports but it would be a heck of change.
Oh, and I’m glad Kenzie won. Being nice is not always noticed and rewarded versus other good points, but Kenzie not just talked about being nice and friendly, she seemed to live it. I can tell you I wouldn’t be all that kind and caring to someone waking me up night after night and wanting comfort and hand holding over ‘nonsensical’ fears.
Well in the team challenges, there’s specific instructions about how many players can do each section.
Good finale. Excellent show editing, and good focus on showing the background of how the votes were decided, and how people were thinking.
Still LOVED the competition. It was done really well, and was surprising. I’ll bet we’ll see more teamups in 48, once they see 46.
And Liz… Liz… Liz… STOP BLOWING OUT YOUR FLAME. You’re supposed to gently blow on it. Ugh.
- I hate Maria being bittercakes towards Charlie. Not a good look on her.
- I really, REALLY detest when they think someone is more “deserving” of the money. Who says that Charlie becoming a lawyer won’t lead to a Supreme Court position. Who says that Kenzie won’t develop a coke habit, and blow a million dollars on drugs? I really, really, hate that.
Overall, I would have loved Ben to win, just to screw with everyone else :). Not a bad season overall.
(and when they showed the past players, I’d forgotton most of them already).
I called it back on May 2nd:
I heard Colby once say he asked Jeff (before a challenge) if so and so was allowed. He said Jeff said it’s better just to do it without asking and let the judges rule on it later.
I wonder what Jeff and production would have done if Liz had gone back and got Maria’s plank and threw it into the bushes/jungle.
Anyways, it was great out of the box strategy to work with Kenzie.
If Maria had voted for Charlie in the finale it would have 4-4 tie between Kenzie and Charlie. And presumably, Ben would have been the tie-breaker vote. I can’t believe Probst did not ask Ben who he would have voted for if that happened.
Or he might have answered and said Kenzie and he got edited out of the show because there would have been no change to the actual result. I am sure his post game interviews will ask him this question.
Wow, is that the rule? Have we ever had a tie?
There was tie in Survivor Ghost Island (Season 36). Domenic Abate and Wendell Holland and Laurel Johnson were the final three and the vote was 4-4-1. Laurel made the deciding vote (it was for Wendell Holland)
Man, Charlie did not make eye contact with Maria the entire after-show. Not so sure about the health of their lifelong friendship. This is your #1 person on the island, who you pledged your vote to, and you flipped because if Kenzie’s fire-making? Maria coming strong with bad looks over the last few episodes.
Also, the slogan of the show is Outwit, Outplay, Outlast; not Outspend your prize money. Credit to Kenzie for her compelling final tribal performance and she is a deserving winner, but I had a lot of issues with the Jury’s logic. Not Q so much, because he’s certifiable and clearly laid out his criteria, but others making decisions based on emotion rather than best gameplay.
The final vote defied my predictions. Charlie perhaps could have been more eloquent in making his case, though he didn’t do badly. The jury all but admitted they voted for Kenzie based on her circumstances outside of the game, and regardless of what I would have done, there’s nothing wrong with that. There are no rules for voting someone out, and no rules for voting on a winner - as it should be. Charlie even said so himself after the fact.
I really wish Jeff had polled the jury on whether or not they would have voted for Liz. Her sense of entitlement is off the charts. After breaking down every time she wasn’t picked to go on a reward that someone else earned, she cried about not being chosen for the final 3 by the person who’d earned the right to choose. And now she’ll go to her grave firmly believing she was entitled to win the whole thing had Ben not cruelly stolen it from her. What a piece of work.
Once again, I would have liked to have heard from some of the pre-jury players at the after-show. Aren’t they all sequestered at Ponderosa (or is that just the jury members)? You’d think they could easily bring everybody back over for the finale, or better yet, go back to the live studio reunion.
They sequester all the pre-jury players at the beginning of the show, and then once the jury starts they all get sent home.
Yes, that sometimes happens. I predicted a Kenzie because she became so damn charming. I have to admit I was won over, just as the jury was, by her charm. I believe both her and Charlie were both deserving enough but Charlie had the best game play. But if that was all it took the Russell would have won both times.
For a strong game-player to win over charm and popularity, it frequently requires a cheerleader. Someone to stand up in front of the jury and lay out the strategists strong suits, why game play should be rewarded and shame on you if you don’t give the money to the deserving.
Charlie didn’t have that. The voting was close enough that a cheerleader could probably have swayed the outcome. But again, I’m happy with Kenz.
Yup. It’s mind-blowing actually.
Really good point; Charlie’s cheerleader should have been Maria, but she was only in Ponderosa a short time during which she was clearly still butt-hurt over being voted out. Whereas Kenzie had two: Tiff, whose body language and reactions might as well have been pom-poms and a megaphone, and ironically enough Ben, who really made the case for what a compassionate person Kenzie is, which magnified her answer to Q’s question which won her the game. Sweet sweet Ben - even in Final Tribal has no idea what game is being played around him but happy as he can be just to be there. Reminds me of our Labrador.
I just saw this Ben interview, FWIW:
So let’s play a game of Survivor what-if:
“Say Maria does vote for Charlie to win, and then it’s 4 to 4 and you become the all-important tiebreaking vote. Who are you handing $1 million to?
The jury management I did was 4 to 4, and it could have gone both ways. But my friendship with Charlie isn’t really shown on camera, and he was there just as much with me, and we downplayed our friendship to a lot of people. I don’t think Maria knew how close Charlie and I were. I don’t think Q knew. And a lot of the times when I was having panic attacks or not sleeping, Charlie and I would go for a walk, because I’ve got to be honest - other than Venus, Liz, Kenzie and Charlie, it’s not like anybody asked how I was doing out there. I think they were like, “We don’t want to deal with that”
- which is fine. I didn’t want to be a burden.“
Yeah, this is Survivor- Outwit, outplay and Outlast- not Queen for a day. Sob stories and maybe lies about what you SAY you’re gonna do the money have no place in the game.
I really wanted Jeff to ask the jury in the aftershow- How many of you would have voted for Liz? And seen no hands.
Sure, Kensie had the “winner edit” and played a great social game- but that question was unfair. All it tested was how someone could spin a sob story and how they think the jury wants themn to say they will spend the $$.
Maybe not- I dont think they re-hide them when it is only 5.
All true. And did Ben really think he could win?
Why? How did it help LIZ get on the three?
Yep. And nothing commits her to doing any of that.
Especially as Kensie could have taken a nap and still beaten Liz. 
My sister told me that yesterday, or maybe the day before, she saw on a Boston news station part of an interview with Charlie, in which the interviewer congratulated him on graduating from law school!
Which I’m wondering if it can possibly be true? (Not suspecting my sister lied to me, just that she misheard or the interviewer was wrong or whatever. The thing is, when was this series filmed? Was it during the summer, or wouldn’t Charlie have had to be in classes? And didn’t he say one of the things he might choose to do with the money was go to law school? Anybody else happen to hear the interview or know about the situation?
According to wiki, survivor 46 was flimed from June 3rd to 28th, 2023
Very interesting post-season interview with Charlie. Nothing about law school, but a good bit about Maria and how final tribal went down.
At the beginning of the Final Tribal, Tiffany was the first juror to speak. And I thought she set the tone (and maybe foreshadowing on the editors part) by throwing shade at both Charlie and Ben. She told them that the jury doesn’t want any Taylor Swift (shade towards Charlie) references, or any Rock & Roll references (shade towards Ben). But she didn’t mention anything that off limits that would apply to Kenzie.
And Soda asked a question and she gave the each of them 30 seconds. and Tiffany spoke out that she was going to be the timekeeper. Seems like Charlie didn’t get the full 30 seconds.