The penultimate episode of Season 50 of Survivor was the second consecutive episode with a double elimination. However, this time, instead of a twist, we were treated to two immunity challenges and two separate Tribal Councils on back-to-back days.

We start with the ramifications from Emily and Ozzy being sent to the jury. With Rick playing his idol at the first Tribal last episode, he got up early the next morning to look for another. Jonathan follows him around, and they have a playful conversation, but in the end, no idol for the man whose trademark is idols.

Elsewhere on the island, Cirie wants to know why Rizo broke up Cirie’s Rizard of Oz, and the person who lost in fire to eventual winner Savannah on Survivor 49 reveals to Cirie all about how Ozzy spoiled his entire game to Aubry. Cirie is visibility upset at Ozzy in a confessional, but she is still looking to protect RizGod (this does come into play later in the episode).

We get to the first immunity challenge of the episode, and it’s the classic challenge where players must balance blocks on a wobbly table to spell immunity. Reward is on the line in this challenge, with ribs, potato salad, and beer waiting back at camp.

Just like in Survivor 48, Joe wins immunity, and he chooses Rizo and Cirie to go on reward with him. He does note in a confessional his choices are strategic, as he wants a good relationship with both players going to the end.

At the reward, Rizo asks the other two castaways if he should play his idol. Cirie and Joe both tell him he should, and they want Rick gone.

Meanwhile, back at camp, Tiffany is working overtime to get the votes on Rizo to flush his idol. In a confessional, Aubry says Tiffany and Rick are more dangerous than Rizo, and Rizo being a target is good for her and her goal is to eliminate the biggest jury threats from the game and that no one is going to reward “a kid who just played last season” $2 million (thank you, Mr. Beast).

Jonathan tells Tiffany they need to talk to Cirie about the plan, and Cirie fully protects her closest ally remaining in Rizo, making it clear she wants Rick. 

At Tribal, Rick senses his time in the game is coming to end. He reflects on the way he played this time, saying this was a more emotional game, and he appreciates looking up at the stars at night. He decides to give it one more Hail Mary with the Shot in the Dark, but he is not safe and becomes the eighth member of the jury with a clean 6-0 sweep. 

While the vote was unanimous, Tiffany is agitated they didn’t go after Rizo harder and make him use the idol. Her goal no matter what now is to ensure Rizo does not carry the idol to Final Five. At the same time, the rest of the cast all have one target: Tiffany. Their thinking is if she gets to the end, she is so liked by the jury that she will win, even over the legend that is Cirie.

For the second immunity challenge, players must go through a teeter totter, balance blocks across a platform, and build a Survivor arch puzzle that spells the word “inconceivable”, a word that even though Jonathan and Joe make it to the puzzle first, they can’t spell. There is clear teamwork happening between the rest of the players against Tiffany. Both Jonathan and Joe think they have it, but the words don’t match on both sides. The players’ decision to all team up allows Tiffany to get back in the challenge, win it, and cement her spot in the finale, and with that necklace around her neck, she is still pushing for Rizo, but guess who has other ideas? Aubry, who tells Rizo the target should be Cirie and that now is the time to strike. Rizo is on board to make his big move in the game and officially outlast both the legends he was working with when the merge started in Ozzy and Cirie. 

Meanwhile, Cirie knows how Survivor works. She knows she is the biggest threat after Tiffany, so she tells Joe, Jonathan, and Rizo that she found out about the Tiffany plan from Aubry in an attempt to flip the vote to Aubry. 

In the end, Rizo, Jonathan, Joe, and Aubry pull off the blindside on the legend. Aubry in the voting booth calls her the greatest Survivor player of all time (which is hard to argue). This leaves us with four New Era players (Jonathan (42), Tiffany (46), Joe (48), and Rizo (49), left standing and Aubry. The latter is my winner pick.

This episode was Aubry’s episode. The last three eliminations (Ozzy, Rick, and Cirie) were all framed as her moves, even if other’s contributed. If Tiffany goes in the Final Five (my prediction), the only way Aubry loses is if she doesn’t win Final Four immunity and one of two things happen:

  1. She loses in fire.
  2. There is a traditional vote, and Joe, Jonathan, and Rizo all vote her.

My prediction for next week’s final episode:

  1. Tiffany is eliminated at Final 5 with a 4-1 vote.
  2. Aubry wins Final Four immunity in Simmotion (fan vote). She takes Rizo to the end with her.
  3. There is a fire-making challenge (fan vote). Jonathan defeats Joe.
  4. Final Three: Aubry (Dee, Christian, Emily, Ozzy, Rick, Cirie, Tiffany) Jonathan (Chrissy, Coach, Stephenie, Joe) Rizo (no votes).

It should be a fascinating LIVE Finale next Wednesday. There’s so many characters and storylines and backlash to dive into this season. It will be surreal to see Jeff Probst walk through the CBS Studios in Los Angeles with the votes for the first time since 2019.

Let’s enjoy the finale of what I do believe is the greatest season of Survivor ever!

Grade: A