‘Survivor’ has named a new winner

CNN
—

The latest season of “Survivor” was a rollercoaster ride to the end, except on this show, the ride ends with someone winning $1 million.

To that end, congratulations are in order to Rachel LaMont, who won despite being seen as a threat by several players throughout the season.

How we got here:

In the last episode, finalists Teeny Chirichillo, Sue Smey, Rachel LaMont and Sam Phalen knew everything was tied to achieving the final Immunity Idol of the season. When Rachel beat her competitors for a guaranteed ticket to the final three, she quickly decided she would send Sam and Teeny to duke it out in the fire challenge, with the winner getting a chance to compete for the prize money.

Rachel thought she had a better chance of winning if Teeny faced the jury with her and Sue, so she coached Teeny in the craft of making fire. Her efforts almost worked.

In the fire challenge, Teeny’s fire burned fast and furious, so much so that it almost seemed like a total blowout. But against the odds, Sam made a swift comeback that stunned even the judges. In the end, he prevailed to go to the final three.

To his credit, Sam also put in a convincing performance in front of the jury. But in the end, Rachel’s dominating show in challenges and masterful games couldn’t be beat. She won all but one of the jury’s votes.

“I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience,” she said after the win.

“Survivor” will return for a new season in 2025.