"Thunder Storms & Sacrifice"
Episode #1114
December 11, 2005

Computer problems be gone! It's Kinks here, bring you the FINALE for Survivor. It's going to be a long night, and a long recap, so grab a bottle of Godiva Chocolate Liquor, some popcorn, and a pillow! Just to let you know, this doesn't contain Reunion details. A girl's gotta sleep sometime!

Previously, on Survivor...16 Americans began the adventure of a lifetime, Bobby Jon and Steph return to compete one more time, BJ to Nakum, Steph to Yaxha, first Reward's 11 mile-overnight race, Nakum got the palatial ruins, BJ's dehydration and delirium, Yaxha won first Immunity, tribe switch at day 10, Jaimie and BJ's man-fights, Judd's insults, Merge on night 18, the Immunity Idol, tribe divide exposed at a food-or-Immunity, Judd and BJ's back-and-forth at Tribal, Judd wins clue to Immunity Idol, lies to his tribe, Gary figures out that Judd was full of lies and finds Idol, Bobby Jon first member of the Jury, Jamie is 'blindsided', Rafe wins 3rd Immunity Challenge, Gary calls out Judd on his lies at Tribal but is voted out anyway, Judd buys an overnight stay with his wife, Danni wins Immunity at the right time and turns Steph on Judd, a furious Judd gets voted out, Rafe and Danni make a promise to the end, Cindy throws superstition into the win and it bites her in the end, Steph wins her first individual reward in two Survivors, and Cindy is voted out.

Four remain...who will become the sole Survivor?

Day 37 - The final four wake up and are proud of their positions in the game. Danni is feeling the pressure. Rafe is pleased with every decision he's made in the game so far.

Mayan natives bring blessings and prayers to the tribe. They sacrifice a chicken in front of them, and the contestants are in awe. After the ceremonies were done, they share drinks and tamales. Lydia asks the Mayans if they can eat the sacrificed chicken, to which the priests gives a resounding "no!"

Immunity Challenge

The most complex Survivor Maze ever constructed. Contestants race through a made to find their pieces of a puzzle. This maze is absolutely HUGE! They must race a mock-ruin to the top, after each puzzle piece is found. The first to find all their pieces, and complete the puzzle wins Immunity and a spot in the final 3.

Steph takes an early lead. Lydia is struggling the most. Rafe takes control of the race at the 6th piece, with Steph right on his heels. It's a foot race to the end, with Rafe and Steph battling to put the puzzle together. Danni joins them later.

Rafe wins Immunity!

Back at camp, they contestants are pooped. Steph asks Rafe to take her to the Final Two with him. She feels that he is the only one who she can win against. They talk of saving Lydia to compete for a Final Three challenge, which they don't think she'll have a chance of winning. Rafe agrees, but mulls over his promise to Danni.

Steph brings up the chicken again, and they head over to the fire to see what's left of the chicken. They find it, blackened, and pull it apart for the meat. Lydia and Steph talk of taking eachother to the Final Three.

Rafe has an internal debate about eating the chicken, and chooses not to. The three girls chow it down.

The rain pours down, and thunder and lightning move in almost immediately after they finish eating the chicken. All the tribe is spooked over the 'coincidence'.

Tribal Council

Rafe describes their day, and comments on his connection to the place he lives in. Lydia talks about the storm, and how they feel that eating the chicken brought the rain. Steph defends her decision about eating the chicken. Lydia says she's safe, since she is not a physical threat to anyone. Danni describes her threat as the fact that Lydia is so well liked. Steph feels Danni is the threat.

Rafe keeps Immunity.
Rafe kisses his vote as he casts it.

The vote count: Danni 1, Lydia 3.

Lydia is voted out of Survivor Guatemala.

The rains continue back at camp. Day 38 opens with a low fog over the camp, and the howler monkeys singing their songs. The rain has soaked all the fire wood, and the corn is moldy and full or worms.

The remaining tribe members head to the top of a ruin to pay respects to the members of the game who have not made it as far as they did. They speak about each member...

Jim: One tough guy who lead them through the jungle. Jim himself tells about how he was proud to be there at 63.

Morgan: Definitely a fighter. Morgan says that it was hard in a way she never expected it.

Brianna: Who expects a girl who goes shopping everyday to be so good in the game. Brianna describes her culture shock.

Brooke: Tough fighter.

Blake: Golden boy! Blake got to meet some of his goals in live.

Margaret: One tough Momma. She learned that she was a strong woman.

Brian: Happy travels, Brian. He thought he would win the game, but no regrets.

Amy: Never heard more swear words in their lives. She describes sucking it up, and she feels good.

Brandon: No one could get anything past him. He loved the ass-whoopin' and travel he got.

Bobby Jon: He was disappointed in his performance and was humbled by this go around.

Jamie: Picture looks cute, Jamie missed not having someone there who cared about him.

Gary: A father figure. Gary has no doubts that competition is just like life.

Judd: Judd calls Survivor "mental rehab".

Cindy: She never thought that she would live the last 40 days as she did, and her only complaint is not winning.

Lydia: She knows she's a fighter, and no more corn!

Final Immunity Challenge

Contestants will stand on a swivel-pivoted platform, with the assistance of two ropes. After an hour, one of the ropes must be let go. After another hour, the contestants must let go of both ropes. Last person standing wins Immunity.

40 minutes in, the howler monkeys start their song again. Jeff asks them about how many Immunities they have Won...Danni and Steph one each, Rafe had four.

Steph has trouble with the rope release at one hour, and grabs onto the rope, dangling. Soon Danni and Rafe fall too. All manage to get their feet back onto the platform, by pressing their backs up against the frame that is holing up the ropes. Danni and Steph use their hats as pillows on their back. They cannot use their hands on the frame that hold up the ropes, which are released at the 2 hour mark.

Rafe's hand touches the pole to adjust himself, and is eliminated from the challenge. Steph begins to cry, and slowly slides down the pole until her butt touches the floor.

Danni wins Immunity!

Rafe tells Danni that she does not need to remain to any promises she made earlier in the game, and that she can take whoever she wants to the Final Two.

Danni is shocked that she is in the Final Two, but hates the position she's in; having to choose between Rafe and Steph. Rafe says to us that Danni wouldn't be here if it weren't for him, but Steph deserves a chance. Steph tells Danni to go with her heart, and decide at Council.

Tribal Council

Jeff calls out the group for voting out the strong ones for the whole game, then changing their strategy, and voting out weak Lydia. Danni is blown away by her win. Steph tells us she was crying because of pain and disappointment. Rafe tells Jeff about releasing Danni from her promise. Jeff asks why picking Rafe is the right choice, to which she says that Rafe helped he out through the game. She says that Steph is the right choice since most of the jury hates Steph. Rafe is convinced that the same jury members that hate Steph hate him as well.

Danni chooses Stephanie to go to the Final Two with her!

Rafe tells us that he will be voting for Stephanie during Tribal Council.

Again, the monkeys are the Survivor's alarm clock. The girls notice that the two names in yellow, on the tribal flag, the only two names in yellow, are theirs. The girls head to the pool to chill. They return to camp, and break down the shelter, piling it on a bonfire.

Final Tribal Council

Jeff congrats them, and he tells the girls that the jury has their turn to question them, after Steph and Danni make their opening statement. Then, the girls can make a closing statement.

Danni says that she is honored, since the merge put a target on her head. She is surprised that no one thought that she was a threat. She tried to play the game the best, and as honest as she could.

Steph thanks the jury for making it a good experience for her. She never thought that she would make it past the first Council. She knows that there are jury members that are mad at her.

Bobby Jon: BJ asks Steph how proud she is for playing the way she did. Steph says although she did back-stab a few people, she has no regrets. He asks Danni the same, and she also says she is happy with how she played the game. She regrets not having won as many team Immunity Challenges.

Gary: Asks Steph why he shouldn't vote for her. She says she broke alliance and voted him out. Danni says that she also broke alliance, and she is sorry for that.

Jamie: Asks Danni who her top 5 would have been. She says BJ, Gary, Brandon, Jamie and her. Steph is asked how she can be so close with people she is voting out, and how does she think it effects the member being voted out. Steph shifts the blame to the group when he was voted out.

Lydia: Lydia wants to know why she should vote for Steph, and Steph explains that she voted out Lydia because Danni was more athletic and deserving. She asks the same to Danni, and again, she says she took Lydia as far as she could.

Cindy: Who would Danni remove as a jury member, and why? Danni would remove Rafe because of the bond with Steph. Steph would remove BJ because he was the first on the jury.

Rafe: Asks Danni why she chose the easy win versus the deserving player to go with her. She says that Steph was the deserving player, due to her determination. Rafe asks Steph her greatest strategy that Rafe didn't know about, and Steph says there is none.

Judd: Asks Danni wether she's ever roller bladed or ice skated before, to which she says yes. Judd says that she skated through the game. Danni is asked when she lied and she describes three or four times. Judd tells her to go home and go to confession. Danni says that she asks for forgiveness everyday. Judd asks Steph is she is starving, and complains about her continually eating. Judd calls her a liar, and to his wife. Steph says she didn't lie to Kristin, at that time, she didn't know that she was going to vote out Judd.

Final comments from Steph and Danni...

Steph says that Survivor is the hardest game anyone will every play. She apologizes to those she hurt, and explained that her strategy was to align herself with strong players, remain calm. She's outwitted, outlasted them all.

Danni tells about how she thought she was gone at the merge. She says that she sat back and saw that Steph and Rafe were in control. Those two were the decision makers, and that she tagged along.

Voting time....voting for the Winner!

Judd votes for Danni to win.
Rafe votes for Steph to win.

After the overused helicopter flight into the studios, the votes are read:

Stephanie gets 1 vote, Danni gets 4 votes.

Danni wins Survivor Guatemala!!!