Finale Sunday May 17, 2009

Congratulations!!!! The tribe has spoken and Dick is the winner of Survivor Tocantins: The Brazilian Highlands.

At the final Tribal Council, JT and Stephen give their opening statements. Stephen is quick to point out that, although he is not an outdoorsman or athlete, he has transformed into a better person having gone through this experience and improved on his survival skills. JT bluntly admits that he could have easily won against Erinn in the final Tribal Council but, instead, did the noble thing and took Stephen with him.

The jury addresses Stephen and JT, asking them vital questions to help them decide who is the most worthy of the million-dollar prize. As the questions get tougher, JT and Stephen begin to turn against each other. Stephen’s defense is that, despite his physical weaknesses, he outwitted the other tribe members to get himself as far as he did. JT professes that he was a natural leader, provider, and outstanding physical competitor. Debbie brings up an interesting point when she asks Stephen if he would have taken JT with him had he won immunity. Stephen stumbles on the question, but finally reveals that he is afraid that he would have brought Erinn with him instead. Sierra lashes out at JT for taking weak players with him to the end. “That just might be your downfall and the reason why you’re not getting a million dollars,” Sierra snaps. Stephen is devastated when JT lashes out, saying that he did not need Stephen to get him as far as he did. The final jury member, Taj, becomes emotional as she asks her two closest allies why they turned on her. While JT apologizes, Stephen attacks JT for wanting to take out Taj because she had a better chance at winning the final immunity challenge over Erinn. This comment prompts an argument between JT and Stephen, ending with JT asking Stephen whether or not he would have taken Erinn with him to the finals instead of JT had he won immunity. Stephen dismisses the question. “I just feel like a fool, man,” says JT, shaking his head.

Having given the final two a chance to plead their case, the jury members cast their votes for the winner. Host Jeff Probst reads the votes live from New York City, and with x out of the seven votes cast for him, James "J.T." Thomas of Alabama won the title of Sole Survivor and the million dollar prize for SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS: THE BRAZILIAN HIGHLANDS.

Survivor is returning to the South Pacific for the eighth time, as its 19th season will be filmed in the island nation of Samoa. It’s in the same cluster of islands as Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Vanuatu, while Micronesia, Palau, and Borneo are not far away.

Survivor Samoa will be taped this summer and air early in the fall, following the show’s typical schedule. At the end of the live Survivor Tocantins reunion, reunion, Jeff Probst revealed that it will have 18 cast members, but there were no other details.

Sunday May 17, 2009

At Tribal Council, Stephen reveals Jalapao’s game plan of sticking together and systematically voting out the remaining Timbira members. Erinn admits that she would not be surprised if the pattern continues and she is the next to go. Stephen scrambles when Jeff Probst puts him on the spot by asking him if his decision tonight will be based on Coach’s philosophy of taking the best to the end. Stephen is caught off-guard and ultimately reveals that he will base his vote on how to better assure him a spot in the finals. In the end, JT and Stephen went against their original tribe and voted out Taj. With three out of the four votes cast against her, Taj Johnson-George, the 37-year old former pop star from Nashville, Tennessee, became the thirteenth person voted out and sixth member of the jury of SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS: THE BRAZILIAN HIGHLANDS.

JT final immunity. At Tribal Council, Erinn describes her earlier pitch to JT, in which she argued that JT would have a much better shot going up against her in the final two instead of Stephen. Stephen’s defense is that he and JT have had long-term commitments to each other that were founded on the first day of the game. JT admits that both Stephen and Erinn have made legitimate cases, and he is faced with a predicament either way. Stephen becomes fearful and mentions that JT has made serious promises to him, and he would be severely disappointed if JT went against his word. Ultimately, JT stuck to his word and voted out Erinn, bringing his longtime friend, Stephen, to the end as promised. Erinn Lobdell, the 26 year-old hairstylist from Waukesha, Wisconsin, became the fourteenth person voted out and seventh member of the jury of SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS: THE BRAZILIAN HIGHLANDS.

Timbira				Jalapao
Brendan	~	Candace		Brandon	~	Carolina
Cara	~	Tyson		Colin	~	Stephen
Christi	~	Erinn		Dick	~	J.T.
Karen R.	~	Brendan		Erin	~	Sandy
Kim	~	Debbie		Karen D.	~	Sydney
Pat	~	Coach		Lauren	~	Joe
Sandy	~	Jerry		Team Petrella	~	Taj
Warren	~	Sierra		Tom	~	Spencer

Week 13 May 14 2009

The tribe has spoken and Pat is asked to leave the pool immediately.

At Tribal Council, Erinn admits that she felt upstaged by the way Coach chose to live on Exile, which downplayed her horrible experience there. Coach responds that those were not his intentions. Before the vote, Coach recites an original poem: “With friend and foe we march to the battle plain, some to seek success, others to seek fame. We play with honor for the love of this game, and with armor or without, we will toil in vain, so that someday, someone, somewhere will remember our name.” With that, the final five Forza members cast their votes. Ultimately, the Dragon Slayer was slain by his tribe. With three out of the five votes cast against him, Benjamin “Coach” Wade, the 37 year-old soccer coach from Bolivar, Missouri, became the twelfth person voted out and fifth member of the jury of SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS: THE BRAZILIAN HIGHLANDS.

And like any Emmy-worthy episode of Survivor, it ended with what else...a poem from Coach Wade. In case you missed it:

With friend and foe we march to the battle plain
Some to seek success others to seek fame
We play with honor for the love of this game
And with armor or without we will toil in vain
So that someday someone somewhere will remember our name.

Timbira				Jalapao
Brendan	~	Candace		Brandon	~	Carolina
Cara	~	Tyson		Colin	~	Stephen
Christi	~	Erinn		Dick	~	J.T.
Karen R.	~	Brendan		Erin	~	Sandy
Kim	~	Debbie		Karen D.	~	Sydney
Pat	~	Coach		Lauren	~	Joe
Sandy	~	Jerry		Team Petrella	~	Taj
Warren	~	Sierra		Tom	~	Spencer

week 12 May 7, 2009

The tribe has spoken and Kim is asked to leave the pool immediately.

At Tribal Council, Coach attempts to justify his reasons for being worthy to stay to the end. As a “warrior,” Coach believes in taking the best people to the end to battle it out for the million dollar prize. Unbeknownst to Coach, Taj sarcastically takes his side and reiterates his “warrior” status to the tribe. Debbie comments that Coach’s Achilles heel might be that his honesty cannot withstand the remainder of the game. In the end, Stephen and JT’s original plan was carried out, and Debbie was voted out with four out of the six votes cast against her. Debbie Beebe, the 46 year-old school principal from Auburn, Alabama, became the tenth person voted out and fourth member of the jury of SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS: THE BRAZILIAN HIGHLANDS

Jeff: Debbie, how will tonight’s vote change this game?

Debbie: It will change how this tribe behaves, and I do think it will be a surprise:

Well, you were right about that. It was definitely a surprise...

...to Debbie. That was about the only thing Debbie had right last night.

Timbira				Jalapao
Brendan	~	Candace		Brandon	~	Carolina
Cara	~	Tyson		Colin	~	Stephen
Christi	~	Erinn		Dick	~	J.T.
Karen R.	~	Brendan		Erin	~	Sandy
Kim	~	Debbie		Karen D.	~	Sydney
Pat	~	Coach		Lauren	~	Joe
Sandy	~	Jerry		Team Petrella	~	Taj
Warren	~	Sierra		Tom	~	Spencer

week 11 April 30, 2009

The tribe has spoken and Warren is asked to leave the pool immediately.

At Tribal Council, Debbie expresses her frustration with the drama that has engulfed the tribe. Coach identifies the catalyst as Sierra, much to her disgust. Sierra lays out her reasons for blowing up at Coach and Debbie, citing that she was simply trying to expose their lies. Coach retaliates that Sierra is attacking his credibility, and fumes that Sierra is simply causing confusion and chaos within the tribe. With this, the tribe members cast their votes. Ultimately, Coach and Debbie got their way, and Sierra was voted out with four of the seven votes cast against her. Sierra Reed, the 23 year-old model from Los Angeles, California, became the ninth person voted out and third member of the jury of SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS: EARTH’S LAST EDEN.


Quote from this episode: Coach insisted, “I have not lied in this game, nor will I,” which was a lie among his many lies, and then lied, “We did not ask you for an alliance.” Does he actually not see the cameras or recall that they’ll offer proof of the lies that come out of his delusional mouth?

Timbira				Jalapao
Brendan	~	Candace		Brandon	~	Carolina
Cara	~	Tyson		Colin	~	Stephen
Christi	~	Erinn		Dick	~	J.T.
Karen R.	~	Brendan		Erin	~	Sandy
Kim	~	Debbie		Karen D.	~	Sydney
Pat	~	Coach		Lauren	~	Joe
Sandy	~	Jerry		Team Petrella	~	Taj
Warren	~	Sierra		Tom	~	Spencer

week 10 April 23, 2009

The tribe has spoken and Cara is asked to leave the pool immediately.

Brendan, the first member of the jury, arrives on the bench as Tribal Council begins. Tyson confesses that he loves every member of his tribe except Sierra, whom he clearly is voting out. With this, Sierra lashes out at Tyson for his constant badgering since the beginning. Tyson arrogantly continues to make brash comments about Sierra’s character, but she snaps back undaunted. Coach defends his method of playing a trustworthy game by stating that his word is his bond. When Jeff Probst asks Coach why he voted out Brendan, a noble warrior, Coach promptly replies that Brendan pitted himself against Coach, which was a direct cause for his immediate departure from the game. Coach continues to define his philosophy of being a “ravenous wolf,” in which he will vote an opponent out if he or she presents themselves as an enemy to him. Coach’s ultimate goal is to take the best of the best with him to the end and openly expresses his complete trust and faith in JT. With this, the Forza Tribe casts their votes, and with five out of the eight votes cast against him, Tyson is voted out of the game. Tyson Apostol, the 29 year-old professional cyclist from Lindon, Utah, became the eighth person voted out and second member of the jury of SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS: THE BRAZILIAN HIGHLANDS.

Two quotes from Tyson: “The most powerful thing is friends,” states Tyson. He…does not care for Sierra, noting, "She’s of no worth. I mean, her parents probably love her. I imagine her boyfriend’s probably not that cool."

He calls her on backpedaling and making excuses. She says she’s not trying to do that; she’s trying to prove she wasn’t the mastermind. "I don’t think you were the mastermind; I don’t think you’re smart enough for it. Like really."

Timbira				Jalapao
Brendan	~	Candace		Brandon	~	Carolina
Cara	~	Tyson		Colin	~	Stephen
Christi	~	Erinn		Dick	~	J.T.
Karen R.	~	Brendan		Erin	~	Sandy
Kim	~	Debbie		Karen D.	~	Sydney
Pat	~	Coach		Lauren	~	Joe
Sandy	~	Jerry		Team Petrella	~	Taj
Warren	~	Sierra		Tom	~	Spencer

April 16, 2009 week 9

The tribe has spoken and Karen R. is asked to leave the pool immediately.

Host Jeff Probst asks the Forza Tribe who tells the best campfire stories and, without hesitation, Taj responds “Coach.” She then proceeds to give Jeff the rundown on Coach’s Amazon story, detailing how he was kidnapped by a tribe of natives and nearly killed. When Jeff questions the validity of Coach’s story, Coach holds his ground and even alludes that there were details he didn’t reveal. “Usually when I tell these stories, I try to give the PG-13 version of it,” says Coach. Coach then continues, explaining that he has several scars and tattoos all over his body which remind him of the five, six or seven life or death situations that he has been through. Everyone seems to find this a little hard to believe. “They cannot question my integrity and my honesty. That’s how I’m playing this game, that’s how I play my life,” Coach preaches. Jeff switches gears, asking each tribe member if they have the hidden immunity idol. Each person denies possessing it except for Brendan, to the shock of his tribe. With this, the tribe members cast their votes. In the end, Coach got his way, and “The Dragon” was slain. With four votes cast against him, while the remaining six were split between Coach and Sierra, Brendan Synnott, the 30 year-old entrepreneur from New York, New York, became the eighth person voted out and the first person on the jury of SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS: THE BRAZILIAN HIGHLANDS.

A quote from the night: Tyson: (Regarding voting out Sierra) "It probably won't win me her vote...(long pause) but it might win me everybody else's vote!"

Timbira				Jalapao
Brendan	~	Candace		Brandon	~	Carolina
Cara	~	Tyson		Colin	~	Stephen
Christi	~	Erinn		Dick	~	J.T.
Karen R.	~	Brendan		Erin	~	Sandy
Kim	~	Debbie		Karen D.	~	Sydney
Pat	~	Coach		Lauren	~	Joe
Sandy	~	Jerry		Team Petrella	~	Taj
Warren	~	Sierra		Tom	~	Spencer