The season finale of Survivor 46 airs tonight on CBS. Read a live recap here.
The final five castaways return to camp after tribal council. Maria asks to speak with Charlie alone. Q was blindsided with an idol in his pocket. He and Maria thought Charlie was the target, but everyone else voted for Q. Maria tries to do damage control with Charlie. She claims that everyone else told her that Maria would lose against Charlie, and everybody was going to vote for him tonight. She said they pulled a bait-and-switch. Charlie says it’s okay. In his confessional, Charlie admits he was going to vote for Maria if she didn’t win immunity. But now he knows she’s targeting him too. In her confessional, Maria says she knows she’s the target. She will either win immunity, or go down fighting.
It’s time for the immunity challenge. They must race through a series of obstacles and retrieve a rope to drop a bridge. After they cross the bridge, they will retrieve a key to unlock puzzle pieces. Once they finish the puzzle, it will reveal the solution to a combination lock. The first person to solve the combination and bang a gong will win immunity. The winner will also win a pasta reward at the sanctuary. The challenge begins, and Charlie takes the early lead. Maria is close behind Charlie, with Kenzie in third. Maria gets slightly ahead of Charlie, but it’s still very close between them. Eventually, Kenzie claims the lead as she finishes her puzzle first. The puzzle has questions to solve the combination lock, including asking how many holes are there in a plank from earlier in the challenge. Kenzie doesn’t know the answer, so Liz goes back and gets Kenzie’s plank for her. Maria is close to solving the combination lock too, so she goes back for her plank. However, Kenzie and Liz teaming up ends up being the determining factor. Liz tells Kenzie the answer, and Kenzie opens her combination lock. Kenzie wins immunity! She chooses to bring Ben with her to the pasta reward.
Kenzie and Ben enjoy the reward at the sanctuary. Kenzie says there was a common goal today, which was to prevent Maria winning immunity. Ben is grateful to enjoy reward with Kenzie, whom has become a very good friend for him. Ben says everybody is on the same page to vote out Maria tonight. She’s the biggest threat to win the game. If she doesn’t find an immunity idol, then she’s gone.
Back at camp, Maria tells Charlie she will go hunting for a hidden immunity idol. She’s hopeful Charlie will still vote with her tonight, but it seems unlikely based on Charlie’s confessionals. She just wants to keep his options open in case Maria does play an idol tonight. He would prefer to see her voted out tonight. Later, after Kenzie and Ben return from their reward, Maria and Kenzie talk game. Maria pitches voting out Ben tonight. She reminds Kenzie that Ben voted for her before. Maria doesn’t believe he wrote her name down by accident. Kenzie tells Maria that she thinks she can beat Ben, but she doesn’t think she can beat Maria. Maria pitches her plan to vote out Ben to Charlie and Liz too. Liz seems open to the idea of voting out Ben. Charlie agrees that Ben has a lot of friends on the jury while Maria has enemies on the jury. Will Charlie and Liz flip the vote to save Maria and blindside Ben?
It’s time for tribal council. Jeff first talks about how Liz helped Kenzie win immunity. Maria says she has no hard feelings. She can hold her head up high and be proud of the game she played. Ben agrees Maria is a great player and the MVP of the season. He says they have to play the game and take out the biggest target. Kenzie agrees that Maria is incredible and would beat any of them in the Final 3, and that’s why she has to write her name down tonight. Liz says she and Maria could’ve been a dynamic duo, but they keep getting farther apart with each vote. Charlie says he’s worked very closely with Maria throughout the game. He says it’s like a sibling rivalry right now. Maria says any competitor knows how to win and how to lose. She can respect any move that may take her out of the game. She knows her kids are watching, and she wants to be an example for them and for her kids to be proud of her. Afterwards, it’s time for the vote.
We see Kenzie, Liz, and Charlie vote for Maria, so there’s no suspense about the vote.
Before Jeff reads the votes, no one plays a hidden immunity idol.
The first vote is for…
Ben
Maria
Maria
Maria
Maria is the fourteenth person voted out and the seventh member of the jury.
After tribal council, Ben, Charlie, Kenzie, and Liz celebrate making it to the Final 4. Charlie says he knew he had to vote out Maria to have a chance to win the game. He says his game has been all about options, and he needs to win immunity to continue to have options. Later in the night, Ben has another panic attack while asleep.
The next morning, Ben and Charlie get tree mail. Ben and Charlie point out how they’re the last two original Siga tribe members remaining. In his confessional, Charlie says Ben is a friend, but now they’re at war. In her confessional, Liz is worried about the upcoming fire making challenge. Liz thinks she can win the game if she makes it to the end. There are four original Nami tribe members on the jury, and she’s never had her name written down. She wants to win immunity tonight so she doesn’t have to compete in the fire making challenge.
It’s time for the final immunity challenge. They must solve a Survivor logo puzzle. While they’re working on the puzzle, they must toss a ball up a ramp and don’t let it hit the track at bottom. They must go back and forth to catch their ball and toss it back up. If the ball hits the bottom, then they will get a penalty. The penalty is to watch the ball slowly move through the track at the bottom section of the ramp before they can continue. Charlie is the first to get a penalty, and Liz gets a penalty too. Eventually, Ben takes the lead with a slow and steady approach. Charlie was close behind Ben, but his ball hits the track again. He must wait again before he can continue. Kenzie catches up to Ben, and it’s very close between them. However, Ben keeps his lead and completes his puzzle first. Ben wins immunity!
Ben celebrates winning immunity. After the initial joy, he feels the pressure of his upcoming decision. He has to decide who will compete in the fire making challenge. Whoever loses the challenge will be the final member of the jury. Ben later talks to Liz, and he tells her he wants Liz to compete in the fire making challenge. Liz doesn’t need the money since she says she’s already a millionaire. Ben says he’s the most broke person left in the game. Ben doesn’t want Liz in the Final 3, so he’s certain he’ll put Liz in the fire making challenge. Liz is upset to know she’ll definitely be competing in the fire making challenge. Ben is torn between Charlie and Kenzie for the second person. He says Charlie is his Day 1 ally, but he’s grown very close to Kenzie. Kenzie tells him she’ll respect whatever decision he makes. Charlie doesn’t think he needs to win the fire making challenge to boost his chances to win the game, so he would rather avoid it. Charlie, Kenzie, and Liz all practice making fire. Kenzie is struggling the most, and she feels scared about cracking under pressure if she has to compete tonight.
It’s time for tribal council. After discussion about the immunity challenge, they discuss the upcoming fire making challenge. Charlie says everyone was practicing making fire today. Liz knows she’s going to compete, but Ben is still torn about his decision. These are his friends, but he has to make a decision. Ben decides to place Liz and Kenzie in the fire making challenge. Charlie is thankful to be in the Final 3. Kenzie says she’s grateful she will be given the chance to compete for a spot in the Final 3 instead of having her name written down.
The fire making challenge begins. Liz is the first to get a flame, but it goes out quickly. She gets another flame, but it goes out again. Kenzie is struggling, and Q is surprised that Kenzie hasn’t gotten a flame yet. Finally, Kenzie gets a fire, and you can see Tevin, Tiffany, and Hunter are rooting for her. Liz repeatedly gets a flame, but it goes out right away. Kenzie’s fire builds high enough to reach her rope. The rope burns and breaks. Kenzie wins the fire making challenge! Liz is eliminated and the final member of the jury. Kenzie is emotional, and she’s grateful to have won the challenge. Jeff asks Liz for her thoughts. Liz says she’s very proud of her game. She’s certain she would have won the game, but it doesn’t seem like that’s accurate based on the jurors’ facial expressions to Liz’s words. Liz gets her torch snuffed and walks away.
The Final 3 wake up on the last day. Charlie thinks anyone can win. He says it’s exciting, but it’s scary. We hear confessionals from the Final 3 and the jury members. Tevin says being a juror is one of the most powerful things. Ben says the breakfast feast is one of the best things about making it to the Final 3. He says he must give the performance of a lifetime today. He says his game was based on honesty and being himself. Q says Ben’s game was to fly under the radar, but he needs to prove he was behind strategic moves. Soda says Ben “outloved,” but he didn’t “outwit, outplay, and outlast.” Kenzie says her game was about adapting. She knows her story is better; she just has to sell it better than Ben or Charlie. Venus says Kenzie’s social game is brilliant. Everyone likes Kenzie, but she wants to hear about moves she made. Tiffany says Kenzie cares about people, and that’s why she lasted so long. Tiffany believes Kenzie is the best candidate. Charlie believes he played a strategic game and constantly built alliances. He says he put himself in positions to both be safe and in power. Hunter says Charlie did a good job having his “finger on the pulse” and did well in immunity challenges. Maria says her criterion is not friendship. Even though she was very close to Charlie throughout the game, she wants to vote for the person who deserves it. Venus says anyone can change her mind. Soda won’t hand money out. They need to have done something. Liz has no idea who to vote for. Hunter wants them to show that they knew what they were doing and prove they deserve to win the game.
It’s time for Final Tribal Council. Tiffany first congratulates Charlie, Kenzie, and Liz for making it to the Final 3. She says the jury wants specific answers. They don’t want Taylor Swift lyrics or other pop culture references. Tiffany asks if they made any moves by themselves. Ben says that’s a hard question. He had to rely on his social game. He relied on Kenzie, Charlie, and Liz. Charlie says he used Q and Maria as shields. Charlie says the Hunter vote was his idea. There was a plan to vote out Tiffany, but Charlie directed the vote at Hunter. Hunter speaks up and says Kenzie convinced him not to play his idol. Hunter was going to play his idol, but he didn’t because of Kenzie. So, he says Kenzie is the true reason why he went home that night. Kenzie said her move was the Tim vs Ben vote. Kenzie wanted to keep Ben, so she pushed for Tim to go. Q disagrees, but Tiffany backs up Kenzie.
Venus wants to know one mistake they made that they were able to flip to their advantage. Charlie says he managed to build an alliance with Q after he was the only one who voted for Venus. Maria points out that Charlie was brought into the six-person alliance because of her. Kenzie’s mistake was getting too confident and getting blindsided when Tiffany was voted out. Kenzie had to pay attention and rebuild relationships. Tevin asks about Ben’s accidental vote against Kenzie. Ben admits he lost his bearings due to his panic attacks.
Tevin wants to know their best example of how they used a juror to advance themselves in the game. Ben says Q and Maria forced ideas on him, but Q interrupts and asks why didn’t he speak up for himself. He says he didn’t want to make himself a threat. Kenzie had to gain Q’s trust in order to get him out of the game when he didn’t expect it. Charlie says he used Tevin. Charlie says Tevin and Soda revealed cracks within the Nami alliance.
Hunter asks Charlie and Kenzie who they would have put in the fire making challenge if they won immunity. Kenzie would’ve taken a chance against Liz. Charlie says he would have brought Liz to the Final 3 with him. Charlie didn’t think he needed to go to the fire making challenge. His goal was the get to the Final 3. Hunter says his goal should be to win the game, not just get to the Final 3. Charlie agrees. He clarifies that he’s been “laser focused” on winning the game.
Soda shares her thoughts on the Final 3. She says Ben had no agency, Charlie did not set himself apart from Maria, and Kenzie kept asking others who to vote for. Soda wants them to prove her right or persuade her she’s wrong. Kenzie says she’s a social player. She’s not a driving force, but she’s a number. Her social game is her strategy. She’s a people person and built relationships with everyone. Charlie says he and Maria were partners in crime, but he already put the pieces in play for her demise long before Maria’s attempt against him. Ben agrees on his perception and says he’s the most emotional player. He says his emotion let him be invited into plans.
Q asks what do they plan to do with the money. Ben doesn’t make a lot of money, and he wants to help his parents retire. He also wants to invest in a music program for students. Charlie says the million dollars would be life changing for his family. He wants to pay for law school and invest in a non-profit. Kenzie says she’s been working since she was fifteen years old. She would invest the money and set herself up to be financially secure.
Jeff gives the Final 3 one last plea. Charlie says he always wanted to keep his options open. He talked strategy with everybody, and that’s how he got to the Final 3. Kenzie says she’s a social butterfly and competed in every challenge in the game. Ben says he wants to be himself. Even though he had hard times, he says he played the game he wanted to play and he’s glad to have met them all.
It’s time for the vote. We see Soda and Hunter vote for Charlie, and Q and Tiffany vote for Kenzie. But who will win? Tevin is torn, and Soda wonders if the vote could be a tie.
The first vote is for…
Charlie
Kenzie
Charlie
Kenzie
Charlie
Kenzie
Kenzie
Kenzie
KENZIE WINS SURVIVOR 46!
It’s time for the after show. The jurors and Final 3 have pizza and champagne as they discuss the season with Jeff. They first talk about the vote. Hunter, Liz, and Soda voted for Charlie. Everyone else voted for Kenzie. Jeff points out how even Charlie’s closet ally Maria didn’t vote for him. Maria says Kenzie owned her game and her story moved her. The fire in Kenzie’s eyes during the fire making challenge swayed her decision. Tevin says they all have human experiences while playing the game. Tiffany is not surprised by the vote since the jurors knew Kenzie and Charlie’s games.
Jeff asks who changed their minds during the Final Tribal Council. Q, Hunter, Liz, Soda, and Venus raise their hands. Hunter says Charlie articulated his game well, and he won him over. Q’s decision was based on his question alone. Kenzie has been working since she was fifteen, and this was her moment to get ahead in life. Soda was on the fence. Her heart said Kenzie, but her head and the Survivor fan in herself said Charlie. Jeff asks Charlie’s reaction to Maria not voting for him. Charlie looks really disappointed. He takes a beat before saying it was a surprise. He says Maria told him she was going to vote for him. However, Charlie says the jury picks the right winner. He tells Kenzie she deserves the win. Jeff asks about Ben not receiving any votes. Ben said he did everything he said he’d do. He’s proud that he didn’t quit the game. Charlie says Ben has had a tough time with panic attacks and anxiety.
Jeffs asks for Kenzie’s reaction. He recalls how she stayed optimistic during Yanu’s rough early start in the game. Kenzie says she finds strength in uplifting others. That was her driving force. Kenzie calls the money life changing. This was the first time she’s selfishly done something for herself.
Jeff talks about the idols and advantages. He points out how everybody with a hidden immunity idol was voted out with it in their pocket. Jeff asks what made the players so confident. Venus says it was “go big or go home.” Tiffany says they sometimes have to take a chance to make it as far as possible. Q wanted to save his hidden immunity idol for one more tribal council to play it at the Final 5. Q says everyone’s game play was very good to be able to blindside them all. Jeff talks about the rice negotiations next. They didn’t accept Jeff’s offer for more rice twice, and Kenzie says they happen to be a group of people who came to compete. The competition motivated them more than the food.
Ben says the first week of the game was like summer camp. Tevin says it’s always okay to have fun while playing the game. Tiffany says it’s been a crazy season and they can get into arguments while still having the time of their lives. Liz is happy that she stood up for herself. She didn’t get to plead her case, but she’s proud of her game.
Jeff discusses weight loss next. Charlie lost the most weight: 22 pounds. He lost 14% of his body weight. Liz lost 13% of her body weight. Hunter lost 11% of his body weight. Tevin lost 10% of his body weight. Everyone else was about 8%. The episode ends with a preview of Survivor 47 and Jeff congratulating everyone on a great season of Survivor.
And that wraps up Survivor 46. Thanks for reading, and come back in the fall for Survivor 47.
