As many of you predicted in the comments section for last episode, Danielle bested Cirie in the fire challenge. Cirie did try hard though and even Jeff smiles at Cirie as he extinguishes her torch. It becomes a far less interesting game with her gone. Nevertheless the finale has a few twists in store.

After Cirie leaves, Terry seems quite excited to finally have a Casaya ally. He starts feeling confident and brings out the hidden immunity idol making a grand display of destroying it in front of Aras who he thinks he has beaten now.

Before playing for final immunity, the three play for the chance to eat a "power meal" and a cot to sleep on in order to prepare for the final challenge. This just seems like filler to me. But it is fun to watch Terry and Aras compete because they play so damn hard. Aras loses and spends the next chunk of time rationalizing all the ways that Terry's win is actually a bad thing for Terry. It's a bit cute and sad. Their relationship is often characterized as father/son but to me it seems more like big brother/little brother.

I refuse to blog about the torch farewells because it's just so boring except to say that they could not have picked more unflattering shots for Shane if they tried. Someone in the editing room must have it out for him.

The final challenge is the basic endurance and balance challenge, this time on floating platforms that get progressively smaller. It's a tricky challenge and Terry is actually the first to go followed quickly by Aras. They don't even get to the smallest platform before it's all over with Danielle in the catbird seat which is definitely a surprise.
Watching Danielle figure out who to take to the final two I am getting the impression that this is a girl who dates more than one man at the same time. She gave Aras the head nod so he quit the challenge even though she has an alliance with Terry. When Terry presses her she admits that she isn't sure yet. Terry just looks totally flummoxed that yet again he is being let down. It's like Charlie Brown and the football. She keeps holding it out and then snatching it away.

Aras realizes he was nuts to jump off the floating pad and tries to threaten Danielle, assuring her that he and Cirie will not vote for her. The threat works and Terry gets screwed yet again. He was a strong physical player but no match for the Casa Dysfunction brand of a family-like alliance. And the car cruse goes on.

Before Aras and Danielle can go to the final tribal however, Aras takes a header on the rocks and has to get stitches on his hand and back. 

At the final tribal there isn't a lot of anger. Courtney gives the most spacey Survivor speech ever but manages to throw in a few well-placed digs at both Danielle and Aras. Shane is our designated bitter hitter in a peasant blouse saying that Terry is the most deserving at the million and that Danielle is useless and Aras is a betrayer and a freeloader.

I love that Terry voted for Aras. I've had my beefs with Terry throughout the season but that's a pretty cool move. Despite spoilers to the contrary, Aras wins! Not my favorite player but at least he was more of a hard-driving player than Danielle.

The Reunion show discusses the Casaya alliance. This season had perhaps the most solid alliance I have ever seen on the game since the early days of Hatch's first alliance. Other details include Tina's story of losing her son, which leaves not a dry eye in the house and Terry's presentation of a fishing trophy to Cirie. According to Shane, his wackiness wasn't an act (I still think it was at least partially). There is also a weird moment where Sally talks about her divorce and her estrangement from her family. This wasn't really touched on in the show or if it was I snoozed through it (the La Mina crowd bored me).

It wasn't the most exciting season of Survivor and the reunion show reflects that focusing mainly on a few key characters (Shane, Cirie, Terry etc.). Cirie wins a GMC Yukon for being a fan favorite and we learn that the next Survivor will be in the Cook Islands.