'Survivor 50' finale: Two contestants are eliminated as the Top 3 showdown begins
The 'Survivor 50' finale is finally here! Episode 13, titled 'Reverse the Curse,' spanning three hours, aired on May 20 on CBS. The competition series, which began on February 25, finalized its top five contestants after 12 episodes and 23 grueling days in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji. Premiering with 24 returning castaways, these players navigated a whole lot of scheming and backstabbing as they aimed to reach the finale. However, only Joe Hunter, Aubry Bracco, Jonathan Young, Rizo Velovic, and Tiffany Ervin remained as they fought to win 'Season 50'.
The episode began with Tiffany fuming at camp after learning that she was the intended target of the last Tribal Council, where Cirie Fields' torch was snuffed out. She yelled at Aubry in anger, but the latter reminded her that she was also targeted in the vote-out. The next morning, Jonathan, Joe, and Rizo made a pact to stick together and take out Tiffany or Aubry next. Meanwhile, the moment's significance wasn't lost on Aubry, as it was her third time being in the Top Five, and she was determined to go all the way.
The players geared up for the finale's first immunity challenge, which was an obstacle course ending in a puzzle. Tiffany knew what was at stake if she didn't win the challenge. The castaways raced across several obstacles, crawling under a net and scaling up cargo mesh while collecting keys, which they used to unlock puzzle pieces and solve a circular phoenix puzzle. Jonathan and Tiffany went head-to-head as things came down to the wire. Jonathan finished the puzzle a split second before Tiffany and began celebrating. Rizo and Jonathan agreed to vote out Tiffany first and decided to go after Aubry next. Tiffany knew her best option was to convince the guys to vote out Aubry, so she approached Joe and Jonathan with her plan. It all came down to the duo's votes in the end.
At Tribal Council, host Jeff Probst pointed out that the immunity challenge was the closest in 'Survivor' history. Tiffany expressed her anger at her fellow contestants, aware that it was her last chance, as Rizo played his idol. Only Tiffany went for Aubry, while the remaining four players, Joe, Jonathan, Aubry, and Rizo wrote down Tiffany's name. The 'Survivor 46' alum became the 10th jury member and received a standing ovation from the studio audience when she arrived for the live show and joined the previously eliminated contestants. When Probst asked Tiffany whether she would like to try her luck again in the future, the 34-year-old replied, "Not only am I coming back, but I’m winning!" However, Tiffany was not the only contestant to be eliminated before the winner was announced. Jonathan Young and Rizo Velovic found themselves in danger after they were chosen to compete in the iconic fire-making challenge. Jonathan emerged victorious as he sparked a flame first, making Rizo the final member of the jury. Viewers can catch up on all episodes of 'Survivor 50' on Paramount+.
