Survivor Philippines Episode 13: The Road to Finals

Image: EW.com

The final episode leading up to the big finale on Sunday was a good one for a couple reasons (personally): 1) we got to see Abi’s torch snuffed – at last! – and 2) Malcolm staged a heck of a come-from-behind-win at the immunity challenge. With only four persons left, it should be a war at that final episode yet one that I have been looking forward to for a long time because we haven’t had such a likable final four in a while.

The episode opens with the remaining five saying sweet nothings about Carter and how sad they are to see him go. But then, the mood switches with Abi hugging the spotlight yet again to profess how she is “over the moon” about the fact that the four-person alliance decided to keep her over Carter. It’s funny how Abi does not realize it’s out of respect for Carter’s game and how he’s perceived as dangerous by the others and not out of her own doing at all (well, maybe for being overly annoying!), but definitely NOT because she deserved to be there more than Carter does.

Image: CBS

The Abi effect has continued to travel around camp, wearing people down with her constant whining. But you had to give props to the lady – she does not go down without a fight! She presented some really strong arguments to Lisa, which were true to point and it actually scared me a bit for the sake of Denise and Malcolm’s alliance that they were going to turn on each of these two. And while I might applaud Lisa for finally coming to her senses and start to really play the game devoid of emotions, I think I’m not the only one of the opinion that she is slowly but surely turning out to be the most annoying person in this game, just judging from her confessionals.

The reward challenge looks like a fun one, which involves sliding down this huge A-frame structure, gathering puzzle pieces, and then tossing rings into a peg. This could have easily been anyone’s game but it ended up being a tight race between Malcolm and Skupin at the tossing part. But with Skupin taking the reward, he took Malcolm with him as pay back for picking his son during the loved ones visit last episode. He also picks Lisa as the third person to join him in the reward, which oddly enough leaves Denise and Abi to themselves – the two people who have outwardly expressed their dislike for each other. Must have been an interesting afternoon at camp!

Image: CBS

Meanwhile, the other three were having the time of their lives at the reward. The best rewards are those that involve doing something that you won’t ever do in your normal life. Case in point: swim with a whale shark! In this video, Malcolm recounts the experience of swimming with the whale shark. Besides the nourishment they got from the food reward, there is also the sense of awe and appreciation for the land that they have come to call home for the past 30+ days.

The more important thing to come out of the reward, though, wasn’t the reward itself. We see Malcolm making a deal with Lisa and Skupin for the final three. I thought it was smart for Malcolm and Skupin for two different reasons. First off, Malcolm secures that deal with both Lisa and Skupin in an effort to improve his chances of winning, if he makes the finals. He knows that his only other competition for the title of Sole Survivor is Denise. Thus, taking Mike and Lisa would raise his chances of winning, especially since these two had to screw over their own Tandang members. On the other hand, Skupin was also smart to agree on a final three deal with Malcolm to secure his spot at the finals, if the former beats him at the final challenge.

During the immunity challenge, Malcolm pulls another surprise as he comes from almost being out of the competition to winning the necklace! He definitely smoked that puzzle and quickly proceeded to navigating his ball on the table maze. From then on, I thought for sure that Abi was done. Even when Lisa has been talking constantly about taking someone whom she can beat, it was a pretty much predictable conclusion to this episode right there.

Image: Survivorfever.net

However, I did not come in without feeling slightly nervous for Denise. It could’ve gone either way! Abi could’ve really pulled her magic and convinced the twosome of Lisa and Skupin to vote with her. At the same time, I did get Malcolm’s decision not to give Denise the hidden immunity idol. He previously agreed to a final three deal with both Lisa and Mike. If he gave Denise his immunity idol, it might raise an alarm on the other two regarding his loyalty to Denise. This isn’t the time to tell them that they are extremely tight and that he would go out on his limb to protect her. Plus, it would make a great souvenir, I bet!

And with that, this season’s biggest villain is finally sent packing. She definitely went further than I thought, but she made the last few episodes entertaining with her antics.

This Sunday (Monday here in the Philippines) will feature the final episode of the season. The thought of it brings forth mixed emotions. It has been a great season and that explains why I felt it simply flew by! But I am also excited to see who gets crowned as the Sole Survivor and ends up taking home the million dollars. Rooting for Malcolm and Denise! Hope the finale won’t spoil what has been the best season in a long while now!

Are you watching the finale?