It’s been a season full of twists and turns, but the part one for “Survivor” Season 47 finale proved that the six remaining finalists still had a few tricks up their sleeves.
The episode began with six players that became five, then eventually ended with four players all vying to win the $1 million prize. Episode 13, titled “Bob and Weave,” is the first part of the two-part Season 47 finale that will air over the next two weeks.
Season 47 of the long-running reality competition show, which first aired on CBS in 2000, has players stranded on an island and living on meager food, clothing and shelter, as well as competing in challenges and forming alliances to vote out fellow tribe members. The last player standing wins the title of “sole survivor,” and the $1 million prize that comes with it.
Here’s who went home on part one of the “Survivor” Season 47 finale.
Who went home on ‘Survivor’ Season 47, Episode 13?
Part one of the Season 47 finale featured two immunity challenges and two tribal councils, with plenty of shocks and surprises along the way.
The first immunity challenge featured contestants diving and swimming through water and solving a puzzle at the end. For the first time this season, Genevieve Mushaluk won immunity and the food reward, choosing to bring Sue Smey and Teeny Chirichillo along to eat for the first time in days.
Mushaluk tried to convince Smey and Chirichillo to vote for who she perceived to be the biggest threat: Rachel LaMont. Unbeknownst to Mushaluk, LaMont had both a hidden immunity idol and a block-a-vote advantage, giving her and ally Smey a chance to nearly hand-pick who would go home.
At first, LaMont and Smey were going to vote for Sam Phalen, but the cocky attitude from Andy Rueda rubbed the pair the wrong way. At tribal council, after the majority wrote her name down, LaMont used her hidden immunity idol on herself and blocked Phalen’s vote in order to send Rueda, a 31-year-old AI research assistant, to the jury.
After Rueda was voted out, both LaMont and Mushaluk both recognized each other as large threats and possible contenders to win the $1 million prize. They continued to compete neck-in-neck, with Mushaluk even babysitting LaMont in order to block her from finding another immunity idol.
At the second immunity challenge of the episode, the remaining five players had to move through another obstacle course and balance balls on top of each other while balancing on a precarious springing board. It was a fierce battle, but LaMont edged Mushaluk out, winning individual immunity for a third time this season.
Back at camp, it became a question of whether to vote either Mushaluk or Phalen out. Cautious of Mushaluk holding a potential immunity idol, the remaining three players split the votes between the two at tribal council.
In the end, there was no immunity idol, and a majority of three players voted for Mushaluk, a 33-year-old corporate lawyer, to also join the jury.
Who went home last week on ‘Survivor’?
After Sam Phalen won the reward challenge, host Jeff Probst allowed him to choose two others to accompany him to the feast and overnight stay at the “Survivor” sanctuary. He chose fellow outcast Genevieve Mushaluk and former tribemate Andy Rueda.
Away from the others, the trio conducted a multi-layered plan deemed “Operation: Italy” after the feast they had just eaten. The most crucial step was for Rueda to flip on the “underdog” alliance consisting of Sue Smey, Caroline Vidmar, Rachel LaMont and Teeny Chirichillo while still convincing them he was on their side.
Back at camp, Rueda’s job was to convince his alliance that Mushaluk had a hidden immunity idol in order to split the vote between her and Phalen, and the trio would then ultimately vote out LaMont, who they considered to be the biggest threat in the game.
But LaMont pulled through a second immunity win in a row at the immunity challenge, sending the “Operation: Italy” members to consider a second option: Vidmar.
At tribal council, they played it cool, never alluding to their ultimate motives and Vidmar, a 27-year-old strategy consultant from Chicago, was none the wiser. As her name was read for the third and majority vote, the rest of the underdog alliance was shocked when she received a majority of votes to go home.