A winner emerges on 'Survivor' and his name is spelled JT

KennyERJ

Finale/Reunion Episodes Recap:
A winner emerges on 'Survivor: Tocantins,' and his name is spelled JT
By Andrew Stubinski
May 17, 10:17 PM

With Coach’s departure from “Survivor: Tocantins”, a large part of the drama of this season has left as well. The one thing I’m wondering about as I begin to watch the final episode is whether or not Stephen and JT will be able to keep it together for two more tribal councils. With the split vote from earlier this week, perhaps there began a fracture that might sunder their alliance apart. With no real villains left, who will their alliance identify as a threat? Erinn’s an easy target, but bolder moves at this point might be game-winning moves as well. One thing I know that we are all looking forward to is Coach’s turn to speak when the decision is given to the jury. How many poets, world leaders, Native American shaman, pygmy witch doctors, and Buddhist monks can he quote in one question? The answer is none, I’m sure that by the time he’s done quoting them, he’ll have taken all the attributes for himself.

Oh, the tangled web we weave... The friction between JT and Steve isn’t as bad as I had thought it might be, but it certainly is present. JT thinks Steve won himself some jury votes by eliminating an unpopular player, while Steve thinks that JT came off as the loyal ally, whereas he himself looked like a back stabber. I think Steve might have a point there.

Steve and Taj are flirting with the idea of getting rid of JT should he lose immunity as Erinn and JT check tree mail to learn of the next immunity challenge. Contestants will race through a spider-shaped maze to collect puzzle pieces which can be solved for the win. As usual, JT takes an early lead, is the first to start solving his puzzle, and, despite a very good showing by Erinn, wins immunity.

Popularity contested. Erinn’s departure seems like a sure thing, but that doesn’t stop her from chatting Stephen and JT up about her future, citing Taj’s popularity with the jury on a personal level. Steve and JT look to hang tight with each other, deciding that they will vote together; regardless of for whom they vote.

Coach returns to tribal, carrying his big stick. Sigh, if only he spoke softly. Not that it matters much, as jury members are ordered to keep silent at tribal. Not so for Erinn and Taj, however, as Jeff probes them about the fact that Erinn is the last member of Timbira to remain in the game, and that Jalapao managed to go into the merge with only three members, and proceed to eliminate nearly all of the opposing tribe. In the end, it looks like JT and Steve viewed Taj’s popularity as the greatest threat, and vote her off. She departs with a smile on her face, but not for JT or Steve.

Juggling strategies. Post-Taj depression sets in after tribal council as the final three ponder their chances. Erinn and Steve bond over the fact that they are vulnerable in comparison to JT in a F2 situation. Erinn seems as certain to take Steve with her as JT does, but who would Steve take? Will he stay loyal to his alliance, or will he chose who may perhaps be a less popular player? Honestly, I think that Steve winning immunity may be the worst thing that could happen to him. Either choice hurts his chances, either he's betrayed JT, or he's sitting next to him, and not as popular in comparison (although that might be speculation on my part.) He’s better off hoping Erinn wins and letting her take him into the F2. If the final challenge comes down to the two of them, look for Steve to step aside for Erinn. Our three heroes wend their way down memory lane, and we get a final look at out dear, departed survivors. The final challenge is about to begin.

In a novel, new challenge, the F3 must keep balls continually moving down a system of slides without letting any of the balls drop. Erinn drops out before long, and Steve and JT are soon managing four balls at the same time. Steve’s concentration fails him first, and JT wins final immunity. What will Erinn say to try and sway the super-loyal JT to her way of thinking?

An alliance comes to fruition. Stephen is relieved to be freed of the decision of who to take to F2, and JT is burdened by it. JT and Steve have one of the strongest alliances that I’ve ever seen in this game, but Erinn is there to put the right poison into JT’s ear, claiming that the Timbira tribe resent her for making it so far, that Steve would have taken her had he won immunity, and pumping up Steve’s oratory skills in a final vote where eloquence is a factor.

Steve and JT hold palaver over JT’s decision, but JT’s shoulders do not seem lightened by their talk. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do in his place. Either way, he’s favored, but if he takes Erinn, he will look like a traitor. Should he take Stephen instead, he’ll be going up against someone who could argue votes away from him. As the jury files in for the penultimate tribal council, Taj looks very pissed, and JT and Steve notice it. Maybe this will work in Steve’s favor, as Taj looks like she’d vote for Erinn in a heartbeat.

Jeff explores the pros and cons to all sides of JT’s decision. All three survivors look nervous. JT casts his vote, and in doing so, chooses Steve to sit beside him in the final two.

Day 39-Mission Accomplished! Steve and JT spend their final day at the Forza camp, and they enjoy their much anticipated final breakfast together. Honestly, as fun as back-stabbing and blind-siding is, it’s heart warming to see two friends stay true to each other and make it as far as an alliance can take you in this game.

JT and Steve walk into the final tribal council for “Survivor:Tocantins” and Jeff begins the proceedings. In his opening statement, Steve asks the jury to focus on how far he’s come as a kid from the city to survive camping outside for 39 days, while JT stresses how hard he worked both at camp and in challenges, and how well he competed against each juror.

Brendan is first to question the pair, and he asks Steve if how far you’ve come personally is really a very good reason to win the game. He doesn’t seem impressed by Steve’s argument, and neither is JT. Looks like Brendan will be voting for JT. Erinn presses Steve on the many alliances he formed, and how most of the people who were in his alliances ended up being voted out, Steve makes no apologies for the way he played. Not sure for whom she’s going to vote. Deb asks JT if his apparent honesty was a façade or truly his personality, and then asks Steve if he would have taken JT with him to the final two. Steve says he would have taken Erinn. Her vote seems up for grabs as well.

Here we go, Coach is opening his mouth. He asks both men who thinks they played the most honest and noble game. I think Steve’s vote against Coach at tribal will hurt him here. Frankly, I’m a little disappointed that Coach didn’t go off into the nether reaches of metaphysics in his moment on center stage. Is he losing his edge? Sierra questions JT as to why he claimed he was taking strong competitors with him to the end, when Steve, whom she considered a weak competitor, was sitting with him in the final two. JT’s response that he did believe in Stephen’s strength doesn’t seem to satisfy her, and she appears to be voting for Steve.

Tyson, asks JT if he could have made it as far without Steve. JT says that he could have, and Steve is hurt by these comments. I’m not sure which way he’s going to go. Finally, Taj steps up and lets out all her wounded feelings, asking for an explanation. Steve makes an effort to make it look like JT had been gunning for Taj for a long time. And finally, we see the wedge driven between Steve and JT. JT is clearly hurt by what Steve has said, both about Taj, and taking Erinn to the final two. Steve, for his part, feels like JT has been making digs at him all night long. Kind of a boring final tribal council, I think, but it was kind of interesting to see Steve and JT fall out a bit at the end. In my mind, I think that JT charisma carried him past Steve’s rhetoric tonight. My money’s on him for the win.

For the last time this season, votes are cast, and we flash forward to New York City, where Jeff carries the urn containing them on stage. The assembled final two and jury of seven, await the tally. Again, JT jumps out to his early lead, and never looks back-he is your unanimous winner.

Source: It Happened Last Night Blog on Zap2it

purrwing

Sun., May. 17, 2009 10:00 PM PDT by MEGAN MASTERS

The 18th season of outwitting, outlasting and outplaying came to a rousing end Sunday, showcasing the charm—and luck!—of everyone's favorite bright-eyed cowboy.

Alabama cattle-rancher James "J.T." Thomas Jr. came out on top of the Survivor: Tocantins finale, chosen the unanimous winner at the final tribal council. The million-dollar prize came on the heels of a nailbiting finale that repeatedly played out in J.T.'s favor.

As if a million bucks wasn't enough, Jeff Probst named the 24-year-old champ the fan-favorite and recipient of an extra $100,000. On top of all of his winnings, J.T. was seemingly untouchable throughout the entire finale, winning the immunity idol twice tonight and earning all seven votes in the final tribal council.

So how did J.T. acquire all of the bragging rights? Here's what went down during the final days in Tocantins:

The first immunity challenge had the final four battling to put together a 3-D puzzle. It didn't look like much of a competition as Erinn Lobdell took the lead, but in the last minute J.T. pieced it all together and won the immunity idol.

Erinn seemed to be the odd person out because of the Jalapao tribe alliance between the other remaining finalists, Stephen Fishbach and Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George. To the shock of everyone—especially Taj who just minutes before had said, "I know these guys have my back"—Stephen and J.T. chose to keep Erinn around for the final challenge.

"I got blindsided," Taj confessed. "If Erinn finds a way to weasel her way into the end she's got my vote."

Unfortunately for the last lady standing, there would be no final arguments. The threesome were tested on coordination and concentration in the last immunity challenge, rolling multiple balls down a strange contraption and catching them at the bottom—with one hand tied behind their backs. Erinn was dealt out quickly, and once again J.T. was triumphant.

Lots of thought went in to J.T.'s choice of who to take along to the final tribal council: BFF and loyal ally, Stephen or annoying Erinn. Ultimately J.T. went with his heart and decided to stay true to his word, snuffing Erinn's torch.

The bromance briefly went sour when Debbie Beebe, one of the seven former tribe members turned jurors, asked Stephen if he would have stayed true to his word and brought J.T. along to the finale. He confessed that he probably would have gone with the safer choice, Erinn.

Back in New York for the winner's announcement, things were back to good between the two—and they looked pretty great, too. All cleaned up and spiffy, Probst read the final seven votes one-by-one, each time garnering a huge smile from J.T. as he heard his name called over and over again.

The rancher welled up as he was announced the unanimous winner.
"I can't help it," he said during the live reunion show in New York. "I'm happy — it's probably the happiest I've ever been in my life, obviously."

What else did the reunion reveal? Benjamin "Coach" Wade did take a lie detector test...and passed! While Probst couldn't believe his eyes, it appears that Coach really was captured by natives. To that Probst responded, "I believed you all along." Coach was also accompanied by his "lady friend," who had her own classic one-liners. "Actually, I slay the dragon," being our favorite. Priceless. Sydney Wheeler is also still modeling and Sierra Reed was a surprise nominee for fan fave alongside J.T. and Taj.

J.T. only has two plans for the future: to take the money he won and make more of it, and to somehow work with Stephen again because he feels obligated and grateful that they made it so far together.

Samoa will be the site of the 19th season, which heads back to CBS this fall.

source: e!online
_________________
cats can't fly and birds don't purr.

rekees · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:19 am Post subject:


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