San Juan Del Sur Episode 14: Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves

Ok, ready to wrap up this unpredictable yet slightly lacklustre season? Still in the running we have last pair standing Missy and Baylor, the recently-scorned Jaclyn, Natalie (who's doing it all for her twinnie) and Keith, who seems just as confused as anyone as to how he's still here. One will be the winner of San Juan Del Sur!

The fireworks start early when Natalie and Jaclyn clash post-tribal, as Jaclyn takes some of Natalie's comments as an attack on Jon's character. Baylor and Missy talk about their dream to make the top 3 together, which is actually now a realistic possibility.

The contestants show up at the challenge and Jeff tells them they're playing for reward - Natalie brought the necklace for nothing, then. It involves running through a circle to unspool their rope, then building a bridge with sticks to get across to a bag toss. Jaclyn's rope gets tangled, leaving her behind from the start...then she falls down on the bridge. With Missy sitting out again and Baylor struggling also, it falls to Natalie to stop Keith. The two are neck and neck until Natalie has to go back for more logs. Keith gets to the table and starts throwing. He knocks most of his blocks down in one shot. With three left, Natalie enters contention too - but Keith takes the reward: an advantage in the next challenge.

Jaclyn rocks it out

Jaclyn goes off to Exile, making her day even worse. Missy, Baylor and Natalie are frustrated that Keith has the advantage, because they really need him out on the next vote. His advantage is the opportunity to practice the challenge in advance, and he gets a table which he spends the rest of the day on.

Keith, master of balls

Missy shows up at the challenge with a new shoe (it's Jon's, modified) and it's something she can actually compete in! All she needs to do is transfer balls across a course, using paddles. Keith may have had practice, but he doesn't seem to be doing any better for it...Baylor and Missy are the ones coming the closest. Later on, Keith does seem to get the hang of it and gets three balls before anyone even gets close. Keith is safe, and now a girl is going.

A frazzled Keith tells us in confessional (eventually) that Jaclyn is going home. But Jaclyn appeals to Natalie to take her last chance at breaking up the couple. Baylor still puts her trust in Natalie, even telling her to play the idol on...Missy? Natalie wants to make a big move, but not if it leads to her getting voted out next.

A jaw-dropping twist at tribal

At tribal council, Jaclyn says she trusts no-one now Jon is gone and that she's in a tough spot with Keith immune. Missy says she knows where the idol is and is confident of the vote going her way, claiming Jaclyn can't say anything to save herself now. Jaclyn and Keith didn't even know there was an idol! Once the votes are cast, Natalie decides to play the idol, but not for herself. After confirming with Jaclyn that she voted for who she said, she decides to use it on her. Baylor is stunned! Jon celebrates as three Jaclyn votes are cancelled and Baylor ends up sent home. Wow, what an unexpectedly exciting (and pointless) move this late in the game!

Natalie explains her reasoning for voting out Baylor, and Missy seems fairly understanding. Natalie knows she's screwed if Keith wins immunity though, and it falls to her and Jaclyn to stop that happening.

Putting the final Nale in Keith's coffin?

The final immunity challenge sees the contestants race down a four-storey structure to collect bags, solve a puzzle, and then use the missing shapes in the puzzle to determine what the combination to the final lock is. Looks great, but how disappointed must the producers be that only three are competing? They start by sliding down a fireman's poll, so this is right up Keith's alley. Keith and Natalie are side-by-side. Keith starts moving slower, but is still ahead of Jaclyn. Natalie works on the puzzle, and the others get there too, but they look exhausted - Jaclyn can't even open the bags. But with some quick puzzle-solving, Jaclyn does get back into it and is the first to make her way back down to the shapes...hurting herself in the process. Natalie races down hot on her heels as Jaclyn hobbles back up to the top. She has enough of a headstart - Jaclyn wins immunity!

Jaclyn and Missy weigh their options

We get back to camp, and Keith seems to have given up hope on convincing Jaclyn to turn on Natalie after the last tribal council. But if you thought they were completely solid, you were wrong. Jaclyn is now considering taking out Natalie, as she might have a stronger case to win. Missy asks her WWJD? (What would Jon do?)

At tribal council, Probst points out how Natalie saved Jaclyn on the last vote, but Natalie is not expecting anything in return. Jeff asks Natalie why Keith should get voted out, and she says he's too likeable. He offers Keith a chance to do the same, but Keith seems pretty fixated on Missy. Keith is indeed voted out, but claims no hard feelings. Probst tells them they've made the final three, and Natalie can't contain her excitement.

Ladies night tonight!

Missy is happy for an all-girl final three, since they started off the game with a numbers disadvantage. Natalie starts thinking about her final argument, and talks about how her game has been about trying to make Nadiya proud. For Jaclyn, it's all about inspiring other women with MRKH.


The three ladies give their opening statements to the jury. Missy talks about loyalty and says her hardest vote-off was Jon...that's not a great start, why focus on a vote you're guaranteed not to get? But she does point out she finished the game on one foot, which is pretty badass. Jaclyn says she started the game on the outs but was able to work her way to the top after the swap, and explains what the money would do for her. Natalie stresses that she made moves, was good at challenges, and overcame obstacles, harking back to the "outwit, outplay, outlast" motto.

Jon gives his girlfriend an opportunity to take ownership of a big move for herself, and she says voting out Josh was her idea. Seems like she needed that, as Josh asks her pretty much the same question a few minutes later and implies she rode Jon's coattails. Alec asks Natalie about her biggest move, and she tells Alec it was voting him out...which he seemed happy to hear. Keith calls Natalie out on a lie, but she says she needed to keep the attention off her. Wes asks a fluff question about what they gained from playing the game with a loved one.

Jeremy is up next, and I expected him to be the bitter juror, but he's actually the "talk to the jury" juror...which is worse. Reed happily fills that role though, and his vitriol is directed at Missy. He calls her the demanding, entitled "evil stepmother" and that she's going to pay for making the outcasts feel like they weren't welcome at the ball, which shocks everyone and reduces Baylor to tears.

Nat gets the Jeremy seal of approval

Voting time...All three finalists get at least one vote, all of them coming from the person you'd expect the most (Baylor and Jon supporting their loved ones, and Jeremy giving it to Natalie). Less expected was Reed writing down Jaclyn's name, but I suspect he just wanted to make sure Missy came 3rd. Aah, the pettiness continues. We cut to the studio for the vote, and the three women look gorgeous in their bright red/yellow/blue dresses. Natalie is named the sole Survivor, and Nadiya gets to share the moment too.

STAR OF THE WEEK: NATALIE ANDERSON

The Twinnies provide the bookends for the season, which is an interesting testament on how much of Survivor success is circumstantial. But regardless, Natalie proved herself a strong player in all areas of the game - socially, strategically and physically. She took every opportunity she could to kiss ass and build trust, timed her moves carefully, and kept her head in the game at all times.

Reunion highlights:

• Please stop doing hypothetical votes, Jeff. They just steal the winner's thunder, make everyone feel bad and probably aren't even accurate anyway. Jaclyn didn't screw up because she would've lost either way.
• Keith seemed pretty sad - I guess because everyone kept telling him he sucked at Survivor.
• That might have been the awkwardest silence ever when Jeff asked Missy to address Reed's jury speech. It was funny to see Dale backing him up too - he still hates her.
• Funny how some of John Rocker's best friends now are the ones that clashed with him the most. Presumably when he hangs out with the twinnies in New York, he doesn't take the Subway.
• Next season, Worlds Apart, sounds good. Three tribes has rarely gone wrong, and I have faith that the show can put together an interesting cross-section (it's a shame random audience member Casey won't be on, though). I'm pre-emptively rooting for No Collar!