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Ignited
I could not have been happier that the Aitu Four became the final four tribe members to survive the 39 days of Survivor: Cook Islands. I became a fan of theirs from the moment the mutiny of Candice and Jonathan made them such overwhelming underdogs, but my admiration only increased when they began winning challenges. A tribe of four just doesn’t overcome a tribe of eight. And yet, they did.

When tonight’s finale started, I found myself agreeing with Ozzy and Adam. I think both of them believed that if they didn’t win the first Immunity Challenge, they would be the next one to go. Ozzy showed once again just how dangerous he was when he came from so far behind to win immunity.

Adam’s ploy to force Yul to play the hidden idol was pretty desperate, considering the fact that he had no shot to (a) get Yul out, or (2) stay in the game himself. The only thing he could accomplish was to stir up trouble within the final four. It might have given the other three members of the Aitu Four a better shot at moving ahead of Yul. But Becky was right when she said it wasn’t the right time to play it, because the more pressing concern (or so it was widely believed at the time) was to get Ozzy out before he could win his way straight through to the end.

As it turned out, the new twist of having the final three face the journey made the hidden idol even more valuable at the end of the game than it otherwise would have been. When Yul went out of the final Immunity Challenge, he knew he was safe. That left only Ozzy and Sundra, and I was convinced at that point that whoever lost would be the final person voted out of the tribe. And when Ozzy won the challenge, I was pretty sure he was going to win the game. (I told you I’m always wrong, remember?)

When Yul offered Becky the hidden idol, I couldn’t understand why she didn’t take it immediately, although I do agree that it would have been seen by the jury as a kind of betrayal. Ozzy’s notion that the fair thing to do would be to force a tie and let fire making skill decide was a way of staying true to their long alliance. On the other hand, when it took both Becky and Sundra forever to get their fires going, I knew that no jury would ever vote for either one of them.

All three of the finalists acquitted themselves well, and the jury members were more respectful than normal, because the three of them deserved to be there, without question. Jonathan, as usual, was a blowhard, but both Yul and Ozzy gave him forthright, well-considered answers.

I can’t say that I’m surprised or even unhappy that Yul won, although my vote would have been for Ozzy. I don’t agree with Jeff that Yul played the best strategic game in Survivor history; that honor hasn’t changed since Richard Hatch won the first season. I do think he played a brilliant game and used his wiles to take his friends to the end with him. In the end, that’s probably enough. The fact that you can stay together with four people and never be seen to betray any of them is testimony to how much he deserved to win the game.

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