LAST EDITED ON 05-17-23 AT 09:44 PM (EST)

“Absolute Banger Season”

• S44-W13-E13 Press Release,Sheldor, 05:53 PM, 05-18-23
  • CASTAWAYS MUST FIND THEIR RHYTHM IN THE FINAL IMMUNITY CHALLENGE,,Sheldor, 02:56 AM, 05-23-23
    • RE: CASTAWAYS MUST FIND THEIR RHYTHM IN THE FINAL IMMUNITY CHALLENGE,,Flowerpower1, 06:42 AM, 05-23-23
      • RE: CASTAWAYS MUST FIND THEIR RHYTHM IN THE FINAL IMMUNITY CHALLENGE,,Sheldor, 12:38 PM, 05-23-23
• JP Podcast "The Final 5",Sheldor, 04:38 AM, 05-19-23
  • JP Finale Clue ANOTHER IDOL!,Sheldor, 04:47 AM, 05-19-23
    • HI on new beach....,Flowerpower1, 06:42 AM, 05-23-23
• JP discusses future of the Survivor reunion ,Sheldor, 04:42 AM, 05-19-23
• Finalists reveal how they want to handle the jury,Sheldor, 02:23 PM, 05-23-23
• Jury Speaks!,Sheldor, 02:35 PM, 05-23-23

LAST EDITED ON 05-23-23 AT 02:53 AM (EST)

Storyline

05/18/2023

CASTAWAYS MUST FIND THEIR RHYTHM IN THE FINAL IMMUNITY CHALLENGE, WITH ONE BEING CROWNED THE SOLE SURVIVOR, ON THE SEASON 44 FINALE OF “SURVIVOR,” FOLLOWED BY THE AFTERSHOW HOSTED BY JEFF PROBST, WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

“Absolute Banger Season” – The remaining five castaways must climb their way to victory in the immunity challenge to earn a feast at the sanctuary and a spot in the final four. Also, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor on the two-hour season finale, followed by the After Show hosted by Jeff Probst, on the CBS Original series SURVIVOR, Wednesday, May 24, (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*.

http://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/survivor/releases/?view=106582-castaways-must-find-their-rhythm-in-the-final-immunity-challenge-with-one-being-crowned-the-sole-survivor-on-the-season-44-finale-of-survivor-followed

Press Release says "CASTAWAYS MUST FIND THEIR RHYTHM IN THE FINAL IMMUNITY CHALLENGE,"

Only Immunity Challenge that requires Rhythm that I can think of is Simmotion (last used in Seasons 40 and 42 so Season 44 seems likely)!

I really wish they could come up with some new challenges, or else go back to square one, like some of the OG challenges. Whatever happened to the chop challenge where the alliances were exposed? It seems that ever since they decided to stay in Fiji, they just use the Fiji challenges that were already there.

Boring.

San Juan del Sur broke the "chop" Reward challenge!!

After the minority alliance of Reed, Alec, and Keith were eliminated, the remaining five openly began consulting each other to determine the winner and whom to exile. Jeff decided to stop the challenge, as the majority alliance decided to award Missy with the victory.

65 minutes | May 17, 2023
The Final 5

After a recap of episode 12, Jeff, Brittany and Jay take a moment to recognize the incredible journey each of the remaining castaways have endured and celebrate their best moments from this season. Jeff points out how Lauren, Heidi, Carson, Carolyn and Yam Yam all rose to the occasion throughout the season to become top Survivor competitors despite expectations and personal setbacks. Jeff underscores how all the castaways are real people, not actors or reality stars, who are determined to prove to themselves and others that they deserve to win.

http://www.stitcher.com/show/on-fire-with-jeff-probst--the-official-survivor-podcast/episode/the-final-5-303380352

Jeff Probst at the end of this podcast gives a CLUE for the Finale Episode.

There is a... Hidden Immunity Idol on the New Beach!

NOOOO! What a surprise.

Jeff Probst discusses future of the Survivor reunion show

The host says Survivor could possibly stage both an after-show and a reunion.

By Dalton Ross
May 16, 2023 at 11:30 AM EDT
http://ew.com/tv/survivor-jeff-probst-finale-reunion-after-show/

One of the most exciting moments of every Survivor season used to be the live reunion show that immediately followed the finale. We've had a marriage proposal between two contestants, a player walk off the stage mid-reunion, and open animosity between people sitting just a few feet apart from each other — and that was all at the same reunion!

But enough about Survivor: All-Stars. Anyone that watched 2020's rushed and awkward video conference call conclusion to Winners at War understands why Survivor had to step away from doing reunion shows due to the uncertainty surrounding availability due to Covid. In its place, producers started reading the winning votes out in Fiji and then immediately followed the reveal with a new post-script they dubbed the "after-show."

The after-show allowed the finalists and jury members to discuss the game and reveal undisclosed secrets while munching on pizza and chugging champagne. The new format lacked the full insight of players having watched the entire season play out on TV, and also sadly excluded anyone that did not make the jury, but made sense as a smart save to make sure there was at least some sort of season wrap-up in the Covid era.

But with in-person sports, concerts, and other live events back in full swing, couldn't Survivor move back to the old-school finale format? Host Jeff Probst previously told EW that, "We feel really good about the excitement and energy that comes with doing the vote reveal in the jungle, immediately followed by an After Show when the players are still in game mode. It's so vastly different from the live reunion show because it's happening in real time. The players have not had six months to watch the episodes and be influenced by the criticism or praise they have received on social media. This is pure."

If Probst is a fan of the after-show and wants to maintain that "pure" immediate reaction, couldn't they do an after-show and a reunion show? After all, with an entire streaming platform to support in Paramount+, wouldn't a Survivor reunion filmed after the cast had watched the entire season play back — and with the entire cast there — be an enticing carrot for fans to flock to the streamer? And then you could also get that undeniable joy of seeing what folks look like months later off the island and what changes have occurred in the time since.

We floated this combo platter idea to Probst to get his take on the after-show and reunion possibility. "I love this idea because I know how much the players would love to get together for a reunion," says Probst. "And I know how much fun it is for the fans to see the players after they have returned home and had a chance to watch their season. So who knows, maybe that is something we will do down the road."

But the host explained why of the two, he does prefer the current epilogue to the one that aired pre-Covid. "I do love the new after-show that takes place in the jungle, because the conversations with the players are so pure and open and honest."

While contestants at the reunion could react to what happened on TV, the host worries that they were often reacting to something else as well. "Once a player returns home and begins to watch the episodes, their experience is often impacted by how the audience reacts to them," says Probst. "It's unfortunate because players often end up feeling unappreciated or criticized when the truth is they were the ones who had the courage to come out and take on the most challenging thing they'll ever do in their life."

So there you have it. It doesn't look like the after-show is going anywhere anytime soon, but if Survivor does truly want to obtain full tilt boogie status, they may indeed need to give fans the double-dip of post-season goodies they so clearly crave.

Survivor 44 finalists reveal how they want to handle the jury

Here's what the final five told EW before the season about their jury plans for the finale.

By Dalton Ross
May 22, 2023 at 10:30 AM EDT
http://ew.com/tv/survivor-44-finale-carolyn-yam-yam-carson-heidi-lauren-jury/

Whether games of Survivor are actually won or lost at final Tribal Council is open to debate. And whether individually sequestering juries would make any difference in the voting is also an interesting question. But the one thing that is clear is that no Survivor player wants to play a strong game, only to get to the end and blow it — much less twice. (Shout out to Amanda Kimmel!)

With that in mind, we asked the entire cast of Survivor 44 about their final Tribal Council strategy and the things they would want to make sure they don't say to the jury — and you can see all their responses in the video above. As for the final five who still have a chance of addressing that jury on the May 24 finale, here's some of what each of them said. Their comments provide some unique insight in terms of how they plan to handle that pivotal final Tribal Council performance. Read and/or watch on and decide who seems to have the best handle on delivering a winning speech to the jury.

Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt

"I would not want to say to the jury that I am terrified. In all honesty, one of my fears would be that I go to the final Tribal Council and someone is a lot more eloquent than me, because English is not my first language. So I will try my best not to tell them, 'Listen I am petrified that this person is going to win because they speak better than I do.' So I will definitely keep that to myself."

Yam Yam Arocho

"Something I would not like to say to the jury members is that I regret something. That is something that I would never say. I am going to do everything that I want, because I want to do it! Because I'm Yam Yam, you know? And I do things just the way I like to do. And that's going to be hard too, because where I come from, whatever I say is what we do, but here it's going to be different. But I would never be regretful of any of my choices. I would say 'Thank you. We appreciate you. I'm sorry if it hurt you,' but not regretful at all."

Carolyn Wiger

"At the end, I don't want to say something like, 'Well, I just kind of stood around and did nothing.' I want to be able to prove what I did. I want to be able to articulate my game and what I've done out there, and most importantly, I just don't want to goat around. And I don't want to offend anyone either. Because I feel like sometimes without having a filter it's easy for me to just say things. I don't want to offend the jury, obviously. No. But I worry about that. My mouth gets ahead of me sometimes. I'm aware."

Carson Garrett

"Something I wouldn't want to say to the jury is that they were wrong. In season 42, we saw Mike and Romeo kind of get defensive about their gameplay so people would almost lead them into the answer they wanted…. But yet kind of tried to defend himself. Romeo was also in that position where he was trying to defend himself, and it came across as a little bit wrong. And the jury, they don't want to hear that they're wrong if they're going to vote for you to win a million dollars. So if the jury is leading me in a certain direction, I am going to own whatever they are trying to push me to and just play up their own ego, because I don't really care about my own. So really anything that the jury might want me to say, I'm probably going to say it."

Lauren Harpe

"What I absolutely don't want to have to say to the jury is what my strategic plan was. I don't want to go to the end of the game as a goat, just brought to the end so they can win, I want to be able to have a story and a strategy.… If you go in not having a strategy or any big moves happening that you can really explain or articulate, you're dead there."

To hear how the entire Survivor 44 cast (except for Frannie, whose footage must be stuck somewhere at the Survivor Sanctuary) planned to address the jury, check out the video at the top of the post, and stay tuned for more coverage ahead of the Survivor 44 finale on May 24.

The Survivor 44 jury speaks!

Matt, Brandon, Kane, Frannie, Danny, and Jaime answer our burning questions heading into the finale.

By Dalton Ross
May 23, 2023 at 10:30 AM EDT
http://ew.com/tv/survivor-44-jury-speaks-frannie-matt-jaime-danny-kane-brandon/

There are good things and bad things about being part of a Survivor jury. Leading the bad would be the fact that merely by being on the jury, it means you were voted out of the game and have no shot at the $1 million prize. Bummer.

But all is not lost. First off, you get to shower! Showers are nice. And you can also properly brush your teeth instead of constantly jamming a bamboo stick in your mouth as the best island oral hygiene available. Not only that, but while you can't win the $1 million, you at least get to help decide where it goes. That, of course, is the most important function of the jury — asking questions of the final three and then determining who deserves the title of Sole Survivor. (Especially after the finalists have spent so much time strategizing on what they want to say.)

Ah-ha! But we here at EW have turned the tables! We are going to once again question the questioners! We gathered up the first six members of the Survivor 44 jury — Matt Blankinship, Brandon Cottom, Kane Fritzler, Frannie Marin, Danny Massa, and Jaime Lynn Ruiz (two more will join them on finale night, May 24) — and peppered them with a few queries of our own. Queries like: Which person voted out pre-jury do you wish had been with you all at Ponderosa? And: Who among the jury played the best game, and why? How did they answer? Read on and find out!

What was the best thing about being at Ponderosa?

MATT BLANKINSHIP: Steamed veggies. I'm not kidding. More than that though, I really bonded with my fellow Ponderosees. Karaoke night was a highlight; you might be surprised at the pipes on these boys. And that was some of the best damn seltzer water I've ever consumed.

BRANDON COTTOM: The best part about Ponderosa was definitely the food and the Ponderosa staff! They would cook us their specialty dishes all day, every day. It was also great getting to know fellow castaways outside of the game. It's so great to be able to let your guard down and really get to be your genuine self around all these amazing people.

KANE FRITZLER: In Fiji, when you ask someone for an iced mocha, they bring you this glorious drink. I don't know what it was — it wasn't like any iced mocha I had ever had — but I probably put back four to five iced mochas a day.

FRANNIE MARIN: Everything! I had so much fun every day. Highlights include karaoke, eating tons of Indian food, ping-pong competition, Danny teaching me boxing, Kane teaching me D&D, Brandon teaching me how to make pizza sauce, and having our sacred time every morning when we would drink coffee milkshakes and talk about Survivor for hours. I also shaved Danny's back once, but I think that was a lowlight.

DANNY MASSA: Clowning with the staff and jury.

JAIME LYNN RUIZ: I loved our morning coffee talks! We sipped our delicious frozen coffee drinks, enjoyed the ocean views, ate breakfast, and discussed all things Survivor. It was beautiful! OMG I just thought about those breakfast potatoes… those were bomb! I was so grateful to bond with the other jurors outside of the game. And grateful to finally eat!

Which person voted out pre-jury do you wish had been with you all at Ponderosa?

MATT BLANKINSHIP: Me and Helen are SF besties now, so it would have been amazing to have her around for the jury. She's fun to talk to and would help to balance out the boys' club energy that Frannie brought to the table.

BRANDON COTTOM: I wish Bruce was with us at Ponderosa. He had made such an impact on so many of us in one day. I would have loved to really been able to meet him and learn more about his story.

KANE FRITZLER: Maddy! She was a hoot on the island, I imagine she would have been an absolute electric addition to the Pond.

FRANNIE MARIN: Can I invite all the robbed goddesses? I would have loved to run around with Maddy, Helen, Claire, and Sarah all day long.

DANNY MASSA: Josh, really admire and like him.

JAIME LYNN RUIZ: Maddy, because she is the robbed queen, a goddess if you will. She is so fun, smart, funny, creative and thoughtful — a beautiful and mighty force to be reckoned with in the best way possible. I would have loved to have spent more time with her in Fiji!

If you had to live at Ponderosa permanently with one of your fellow jurors, who would it be, and why?

MATT BLANKINSHIP: C'mon, the answer to this one's obvious. I couldn't be happier to see Frannie running up that dock. It was literally a slo-mo, rom-com moment.

BRANDON COTTOM: I feel like Danny is the only acceptable answer. Danny and I clearly hit it off pretty well in the game, so we definitely had a good time at Ponderosa. I know that Danny is always down for whatever, so the adventure would never stop.

KANE FRITZLER: Matt… for probably not the same reason as Frannie is choosing Matt.

FRANNIE MARIN: Oof, this is a hard one… Matt! We went on several sweet "dates" at Ponderosa that made my heart so full. I could sit overlooking the ocean and eat ice cream with Matt every day.

DANNY MASSA: Brandon, because bro…

JAIME LYNN RUIZ: Kane. My original ride-or-die. Our Triple R Alliance working the angles always and forever. Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies #RRR. Also, because Ratu > Everything. RATU FOREVER. I love Kane. From the moment he made me laugh during the middle of our first immunity challenge, I knew we would be friends forever. He's so thoughtful, smart, and hilarious!

Who among the jury played the best game, and why?

MATT BLANKINSHIP: I might say Kane here. He had the unfortunate honor of having his closest allies removed somewhat uncontrollably (Maddy, Matthew, Brandon) at every step of the game and still made some strong bonds across tribe/alliance lines. He may not have been on the right side of the vote very often, but I think a lot of that has to do with circumstances outside his control. Run this game 1,000 times and see where Kane stacks up, I'd guess he does quite well.

BRANDON COTTOM: I think that Frannie played the best game, in my opinion. Frannie was loved and feared by everyone out there. She was a challenge beast, but also very strategic in the way she created relationships on the island. I think she had a very good grasp on what was going on between all of the tribes as well.

KANE FRITZLER: Me, by a mile.

FRANNIE MARIN: Despite not actually voting anyone out (oops), I think that Kane played a great game. He put in a ton of work to rebuild a difficult relationship with Brandon after the first vote, and he very effectively shifted the decoy from his name to Yam Yam's during Josh's exit. He also had a high awareness of what was going on in the game around him, and he was gearing up to make some great strategic moves — I wish we could've seen more!

DANNY MASSA: Honestly, it's a jury of absolute savages! So much respect for everyone.

JAIME LYNN RUIZ: Kane, because he wasn't in a showmance or bromance. No, but really, Kane. He is brilliant. I loved talking game with him at Ratu. We ran every scenario during the game and after the game. I love the way he understands and dissects the game. One of the greatest strategists, and I am so grateful we played the greatest game ever together! I am his biggest fan always and forever!