'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Popular reality competition series Survivor season 44 aired its finale episode on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 8 pm ET on CBS. It documented the top 5 finalists giving it their all in immunity, advantages, and fire-making challenge to ensure they kept moving forward and eventually win the coveted title and the grand cash prize of $1 million. It was anyone's game but in the end, only one could take the win.
Yam Yam won season 44 of Survivor after what felt like one of the longest battles this season. He was voted by a majority of the jury members for his gameplay and took home the title and the cash prize. However, what surprised fans was that their favorite contestant Carolyn received no votes from the jury.
Fans were stunned at the outcome. One tweeted:
Fans react after Carolyn receives 0 jury votes in Survivor 44 finale
Yam Yam was crowned the champion, but what stunned fans was the fact that Carolyn received no votes from the jury despite making a strong case and playing a well-rounded game throughout the season. Check it out.
Fans were disappointed with the jury for not giving one vote to Carolyn. Check it out.
Yam Yam wins Survivor 44 and Carolyn receives no jury votes
The season 44 finale episode of Survivor saw the remaining cast members - Lauren Harpe, Carson Garrett, Carolyn Wiger, Yam Yam Arocho, and Heidi Lageres-Greenblatt - give it their all in a variety of challenges and twists in hopes of making it to the end. While some were successful in their strategies, others failed to do so.
The first half of the Survivor finale saw the castaways participating in their first immunity challenge. Carson took the win and took Yam Yam with him to the sanctuary, where they worked on strategies, while the rest of the members - Carolyn, Heidi, and Lauren talked game at camp.
The first Tribal Council saw three majority votes for Lauren, sending her home ahead of the final leg of the competition, and making her the seventh member of the jury. The Top 4 - Carson, Heidi, Carolyn, and Yam Yam headed back to compete in the final immunity challenge of the season.
The Survivor finale only got interesting from here on. The second and final immunity challenge of the season saw Heidi take it all the way to the end and earn a spot in the Top 3 and a chance to convince the jury to vote for her win. However, she decided to risk her game and make fire.
While this seemed like an odd proposition as she had an easy getaway to the final 3, it made the context even more interesting, given that if she won, she could plead the case to the jury. Eventually, the latter turned out to be true. In the fire-making challenge, it all came down to Carson and Heidi competing for a spot in the final 3 beside Yam Yam and Carolyn.
Heidi took another historic win with the fire challenge and earned a final three spot with the Tika allies. Carson became the final person to join the jury and potentially have a big hand at voting for the winner.
At the final Tribal Council of Survivor 44, it was time for the jury to ask questions. From strategies, gameplays, blindsides and moves, the jury delved into deeper questions about the pre-merge and post-merge moves. The three finalists did their best to convince the jury with examples from when they played their best game.
Yam Yam expressed how he knew of every single vote before the Tribal Council. Heidi noted that she may be perceived as a "coattail rider," but she did play a social game. Carolyn reflected on how she was underestimated throughout her game but was eventually behind many eliminations.
While Carolyn and Yam Yam strongly played their social relationship strengths, Heidi mentioned how important it was for her to represent her kind of people on the show. Carolyn further expressed how important it was for her to showcase her emotions and not fake it the entire time as she wanted to be true to herself.
When it came to strategies, Carolyn reflected on how she used her immunity idol on Carson to vote out Danny. Yam Yam expressed that she didn't need to use it as Danny would have been eliminated anyway. Carolyn noted that she wasn't sure of how Lauren and Jamie would play. She wanted to vote out Danny as she felt she was leading some of the castaways.
By the end of the Survivor finale episode, Yam Yam won the most votes and took the win. Heidi placed second in terms of the voting count, while Carolyn received no votes at the end.
Season 44 of Survivor has been an extremely intense watch. Over the past two months, viewers witnessed the castaways embarking on a journey of their lifetime as they navigated group dynamics, strategies, and blindsides. With the show renewed for a brand new season, it will be interesting to see what it contains.
Survivor aired every Wednesday at 8 pm ET on CBS.
