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Survivor season 48 aired its long-awaited finale on May 21, 2025. After a grueling series of challenges, Kyle emerged victorious and walked home with the $1 million cash prize by defeating Eva and Joe. However, at one point in the competition, he was willing to risk his position in the game after he found Eva in a predicament.
After winning immunity, Kyle pitted Eva against Kamilla in the fire-making task, the winner of which would remain in the competition. It was a crucial challenge that would determine the nominees' chances of winning the $1 million prize. Consequently, it put Kamilla and Eva under significant pressure.
Eva, who had opened up about her autism diagnosis earlier in the series, struggled to light a fire while practicing before the actual challenge. She felt overwhelmed and wailed, making Joe and Kyle worry about her. Kyle began to reconsider his decision and told the cameras that he would take Eva's place if needed because he could not bear to see her suffer.
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Similarly, Joe offered to compete on Eva's behalf, unable to watch her cry. However, Eva declined their offers, saying she needed to overcome her fears.
Comaraderie is one thing, but to completely lose the concept of the game is another. I was shocked when Joe and Kyle considered offering themselves for the fire task and sabotage their own game to help Eva. I understand why and how Eva could feel overwhelmed, but to survive despite all odds is precisely the premise of the show.
To play on behalf of someone because they feel overwhelmed defeats the purpose of the contest. Although I do not mean to disregard or undermine Eva's challenges, Joe and Kyle considering jeopardizing their chances of winning $1 million just to help a struggling co-star is arguably one of the worst game plans.
Every Survivor castaway has had their share of obstacles, and it is their responsibility to overcome them. Therefore, Kyle and Joe's considerations seem illogical and unjust, particularly given that they were in the final stage of the competition.
Survivor 48 stars Kyle and Joe would've ruined the game had Eva allowed either of them to take her place
Without the intention of disregarding Eva's struggles, she knew what she had stepped into when she signed up for Survivor. Keeping that in mind, it became entirely her responsibility to overcome her inhibitions and put her best foot forward, even if it did not guarantee a win.
However, unexpected situations can emerge and overwhelmingly get out of control sometimes. Then, camaraderie is appreciated. When Joe comforted Eva during an immunity challenge earlier in Survivor 48, netizens cheered for him, and rightfully so.
However, one must know when to draw the line. The finale, where there is a $1 million at stake, is not the occasion to show camaraderie, irrespective of the situation. Every single finalist had reached the last stage of the contest, after defeating their competitors, with a goal in mind.
At such a stage, to even consider jeopardizing one's position because someone feels overwhelmed is not only illogical but also unfair to the premise of the show. Survivor is a survivalist show that focuses on self-development and growth. Had Kyle or Joe taken Eva's spot in the fire task, they would have defeated the purpose of every gameplay that brought them to the finale.
Moreover, as finalists, it was surprising that the castaways were still thinking emotionally and not strategically. In one segment of the Survivor episode, Kyle said:
"It’s hard to hear somebody go through something like that and know you have a part to play in it. What I thought was going to be an easy decision and what I treated as an easy decision is anything but that."
Even though he knew the threat Kamilla posed, Kyle was prepared to "take care" of her, and so was Joe. In my view, it was a meaningless move because if Joe or Kyle had been eliminated, Eva would have advanced purely due to the emotional aspect of her situation. It would have contradicted the purpose of the competition and put Kamilla in an extremely unfair situation.
Later in the Survivor finale, while pleading his case in front of the jury, Joe said:
"I may not be a lawyer. I may not be a doctor. I'm just a fireman. I spent my life taking care of other people, and for once, I want the opportunity to take care of my kids for the rest of their lives. Thank you."
It shows how important the $1 million cash prize was for Joe. Thus, it makes it more difficult for me to understand how he and Kyle even considered deserting their secure spots, spots they earned, in the finale and put themselves at risk of elimination, especially in a situation where a win was not guaranteed.
I praise Eva for refusing their help and playing the game herself. I firmly believe she did the right thing by standing up for herself and illustrating why she had participated in the competition in the first place.
Stream episodes of Survivor on Paramount+.
