Survivor Finale Recap 05/24/23: Season 44 Episode 13 Absolute Banger Season

Tonight on CBS Survivor airs with an all-new Wednesday, May 24, 2022, season 44 episode 13 finale and we have your Survivor recap below. In tonight’s Survivor season, 44 episode 13 called “Absolute Banger Season” as per the CBS synopsis, “The remaining five castaways must climb their way to victory in the immunity challenge to earn a feast at the sanctuary and a spot in the final four.

Also, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor on the two-hour season finale.”

So make sure to bookmark this spot and come back from 8 PM – 11 PM ET for our Survivor recap. While you wait for the recap make sure to check out all our Survivor news, spoilers, recaps & more, right here!

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Tonight’s episode begins with Jeff, he says there are five left and they are on a new beach with no shelter. There will be two immunity challenges, two tribal councils, and one fire making showdown. Then, they will read the votes in Fiji and crown a winner for Survivor 44. Immediately following, we will go into the after show. The final five are Carson, Carolyn, Yam Yam, Lauren and Heidi, there is a lot of ways that this can play out.

The five are brought to their new beach by boat, they arrive in the dark and their are torches lit for them to find their camp. They see that they have nothing, but they are still happy to be there.

At tribal, Heidi played an idol and Carolyn was surprised. Now everyone is thinking the idol is re-hidden and the hunt begins.

Day 24, everyone Is scrambling to find the idol. Carolyn has a gut feeling that she is going to find it, Yam Yam believes if he finds it he will win he million dollars. Little do they now, the idol is up in a tree and a lot of them are passing it.

Carson is nervous, he knows his name is being thrown around. He is worried where things are going. Meanwhile, Lauren is trying her best to through him under he bus.

Time for the first immunity challenge, today they are going to race through a massive three level obstacle, collecting keys along the way. They will grab their last key using a pole. Once they have their keys they will unlock a chest. Use the rope inside to drop a ladder. Climb the ladder to the top of the ladder and race to solve a Survivor puzzle. First person to finish is guaranteed a place in the final four. In addition they are playing for reward, the winner will be brought to the sanctuary and feast on spaghetti, with meat sauce, chocolate cake and carrot cake.

Heidi and Carson are the fist to make it to the puzzle, Lauren isn’t far behind but Carolyn and Yam Yam are further behind.

Carson does it, he wins his second individual immunity. On top of that, he gets to choose one person to take with him. He chooses to take Yam Yam.

Carson and Yam Yam talk game and Yam Yam thinks Carolyn is the biggest threat, but Carson doesn’t think so. Carson wants Lauren gone, she plays a good game and has a lot of friends on jury.

Lauren tells Carolyn that Yam Yam wrote her name down last time and he tried to get her to do it as well. When Yam Yam returns to camp he feels awkward, he senses something is going on. Carson says no matter what he is voting out Lauren, he has no reason to lie.

Time for tribal council, Lauren says she is probably the one that is going home tonight, she has a target on her back and she knows, nobody had a conversation with her. Carolyn is surprised, she felt like they did talk. Carson says he is not sure what is going on, he thinks something might be at play. Heidi says anybody could have an idol, everyone searched all deal long. It could be Lauren, and it would be a good play if she has one.

Jeff says it looks like nobody seems for sure if there is an idol that is going to be played. Yam Yam says he feels like it is either going to be Lauren getting voted out, or him – the energy was off at camp and he is taking it real personal. Lauren says if she goes out she feels like a boss, she is proud of who she has become and what she did during her time on Survivor. Jeff is touched by her words. All the jury is smiling, if she doesn’t get voted out, she might just win. She goes on to say the experience has been life changing and she is very grateful. Jeff says time to vote and Lauren is up first. Lauren votes for Yam Yam.

Jeff tallies the votes, tonight is the last night to play an idol, nobody has one. The first vote is for Yam Yam, then Lauren, Heidi, Lauren, Lauren. Lauren is the 14th person voted out this season. Carolyn lets out a rep breath, they have made it to the final four. Strangely, Yam Yam voted for Heidi. There was no talk about voting out Heidi, just Lauren and Carolyn.

Moving along quickly, it is time for another immunity challenge and this one looks familiar. Carolyn is overwhelmed with emotion for making it this far. Jeff says the view alone, they save this for last because it is the greatest view in Fiji. A classic Survivor challenge has become one of the most icon challenges in their arsenal. They will compete for it, potential worth a million dollars.

Today they are going to have one hand tied behind their back, on Jeff’s go they are going to drop a ball down a chute, it will spiral to the bottom, they will catch it and put it back in. At regular intervals they will add another ball making it more difficult. If at any point a ball drops, they are out. The last person left standing will be in the final three and plead their case to the jury as to why they deserve to win the million dollars, and the title of sole Survivor. As well, they have all the power and decides who sits with them in the number two spot and who will make fire to win the final spot.

Carolyn is the first one out, the balls are coming faster and faster, they are up to four balls. Yam Yam drops and is out. It is up to Carson and Heidi to fight for immunity. Carson is out. Heidi wins individual immunity and it couldn’t come at a bigger time. She has not won a challenge until now, and its the most important one. Heidi says this is the extra boost she needed. Although she is wondering if she has done enough to win he game, or if she should send herself to make fire to prove to the jury that she should win.

Back at camp, Heidi asks everyone if they want to make fire, to make her decision easier. Carson is optimistic, he knows he is the biggest threat and he is probably going to make fire. At home he was good at it, but here he has a hard time. Meanwhile, Carolyn has been practicing for five years to make fire – she practices along Yam Yam who also feels comfortable and he knows that Carson is no good at making fire. Yam Yam goes to see Carson who is struggling, he shows him how to make fire, he wants him to have a fair chance and may the best TiKa win.

Time for tribal council, Jeff reminds Heidi that she said she might give up her spot and make fire. She says she contemplated it, practiced all day, and she still hasn’t decided. Jeff wants to know the pitches. Yam Yam says it is complicated, he likes making fire but he would also not mind being safe. Carolyn says Heidi asked if they were any volunteers and everyone pretty much wanted to come forward. Carson says he is not comfortable making fire, he thinks it is all the pressure, but if he was in Heidi’s shoes, he would make fire. Heidi says she is ready to make her position.

She puts in the second position, Carolyn and she hopes she enjoys it. Carolyn is in the final three and she has no words, she didn’t expect this, she was that kid in fifth grade that wouldn’t shut up and kids didn’t like because she was different and weird. Jeff tells her that she is ok exactly how she is. Heidi makes her decision about who to make fire and the first person is Carson. He says it is pretty scary, he is going to do his best, it depends on him. The big question is, will Heidi take Carson on, or will she make Yam Yam do it. She has decided to make fire with Carson, she is taking a chance, she wants to be the sole Survivor. Yam Yam has made it to the final three, he feels speechless like Carolyn and loves it.

Heidi and Carson take their spots and it may just be a million dollar fire making challenge. Heidi does a nice job right from the start, she is slowly building a fire. Carson is right behind her, he has a fire going as well. It really is going to be a close. Heidi is building an inferno, its a nice fire. Both are working quickly to get more kindle in there. It’s over, Heidi has done it, one of the fastest fires they have ever had, she takes a spot in the final three. Carson built a decent fire, he was just a little late. Jeff tells Heidi that was the fastest fire ever made on Survivor, that was remarkable, a massive victory. Carson says he is proud of himself, he was right a long side the best fire maker ever. Jeff tells the final three to get a good sleep, they want to be well rested when they plead their case to the jury.

At camp, its the final day, Yam Yam thinks it is freaking awesome to be in the final three and he doesn’t know if he can convince the jury that he deserves to win. A feast arrives and everyone is thrilled. Heidi thinks making the fire boost her resumes, she is proud of her journey, she is going to put her heart out there to the jury to win. Carolyn didn’t even think she would make merge with her personality. Now she has convince the jury that being emotional was part of her strategy.

Time for the final three to plead their case to the jury. Jeff lets Kane start, he tells them that he is proud of them and wants them to explain their game and prove that their game was best. Yam Yam says he is a happy go lucky person, but he thinks a lot of people think he was following Carson’s steps and that was not true. Heidi says she think the perception was that she was into the strategy, but then she thinks they thought she was riding everyone’s tail. She tried to integrate her social game, and then yesterday she put herself in the best position for the jury. Carolyn says she didn’t fit in, but then she found Carson and they connected over realness. Then she found Yam Yam who is so similar to her, he is so much. She says she was underestimated the whole game, and sometimes it played into itself. Heidi says she suffered a lot, Carolyn and Yam Yam were on a high. Yam Yam says he used Carson for information, he did that with a lot of people and he got to eat, so it worked. Fannie wants to understand how they managed their emotions.

Carolyn says she didn’t know how to express herself, she learned all that going through treatment. There were times that she knew they wanted her to be emotional and it was real, but she also knew she had fake the tears. Yam Yam says some were super bland with him, he took his time to build real relationships with all of them and used their real facial expressions to work with them. It was hard and scary, but he could tell what was gong on by that. Heidi says that the why she is on Survivor, she wants to represent people who sound and look different.

Fannie asks them about the challenges. Carolyn says she is an athletic person in real life, she thought she would do great and it was one embarrassment after the other. She got her letter, mom I hope you are winning challenges, and she was failing. She accepted that she wasn’t at that level. Jeff says she gave it all she had. Heidi says seeing Carolyn try inspired her. Heidi says she was perceived as she had a good game, but not a great game and that is why she made fire, so she could win, but not saying that she did win. Heidi says if they vote for her to win, she will be the oldest female winner, another milestone if she wins. Yam Yam says the physical challenges were scary for him, he is not physical, but his family is, he tried to channel their energy. And if he wins Survivor, he will be the first Puerto Rican male to win. Yam Yam says his game was to figure out who wanted to work with him. He wasn’t the most athletic, but he could talk, and he hopes he made his family proud.

Before the vote, the final three take one last hug. The only thing left is for the jury to vote for who they think is deserving of a million dollars.

Time to vote, one by one the jurors cast their vote. Jeff says he has never seen a season where the jury held the final three accountable but did it with a sense of positivity and he thinks it is a great way to crown a winner.

Time to read the votes, first vote is for Heidi, then Yam Yam, Yam Yam, Yam Yam, Yam Yam, Yam Yam.

The winner of Survivior 44 is Yam Yam.

Jeff says that in the game play, nobody knows what is going to happen in the game and you don’t know what people will believe. They walk about when they found their idols, everyone shares their experience.

Jeff reveals that Matthew planted the fake idol for Jamie to find, it wasn’t a real idol. The guy with the bad shoulder set her up, he left the game with the real idol.

Jeff brings up the showman between Matt and Frannie, and it’s still going on. Matt says there was an uncanny amount of chemistry when they first met, the spark became a fire. Fannie says they knew it was a bad a idea to have a showmance. Everyone loves them together.

Brandon and Kane talk about how the lack of food really took a toll on their bodies. Everyone admits that they at some point during the season they had a good cry all by themselves.

Jeff asks Carolyn how does she reconcile she didn’t get votes. She says her biggest hurdle was herself, she kept wondering how people perceive her. Fannie tells her that she genuinely has changed her life, she is unabashedly herself and helped her to understand how she can move through the world. Heidi says she is proud of the way she played, she hopes her family is proud.

When the fire opportunity came up, she had to try to show her girls that you do your best with what you have. Yam Yam says he is so freaking happy, he cannot believe it. He made a list of ever winner of Survivor and he put his name down beside 44. 44 In Spanish is eight, ocho, his last name is Arocho, so it was meant to be. And, everyone this season is his friends for life. Jeff says the season has to come to and end, and what is coming is Survivor 45, and it will be 18 strangers who will be abandoned on the islands of Fiji.

THE END!

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