Monday, May 15, 2006; Posted: 9:23 a.m. EDT (13:23 GMT)
NEW YORK (AP) -- It was a high-stakes battle that didn't have a clear-cut favorite -- but, as always, in the end there was one "Survivor."
(Spoiler alert: Those still waiting to watch Sunday's season-ending "Survivor: Panama, Exile Island," you've been warned.)
Aras Baskauskas, a 24-year-old yoga instructor from Santa Monica, California, beat out Danielle DiLorenzo, a 24-year-old medical sales representative from Boston, to win the 12th edition of the CBS reality show -- and the $1 million champion's payoff.
DiLorenzo, who host Jeff Probst said in an interview was one of "the weakest players who've ever played the game," won the final immunity challenge -- a contest that involved balancing on a series of wobbly platforms on the ocean -- to reach the final two.
The immunity win allowed her to eliminate one of the other two still remaining, Baskauskas or ex-Navy fighter pilot Terry Deitz. DiLorenzo chose to send Deitz packing, breaking the "alliance" agreement she'd made with him.
Baskauskas, who briefly played professional basketball in Lithuania, had an intense rivalry -- a "macho" hostility, as DiLorenzo called it -- with the 46-year-old Deitz, who won multiple immunity challenges during the 39-day-contest.
At the final council vote, however, when it came down to Baskauskas or DiLorenzo, Deitz voted in favor of Baskauskas.
"Out of the two of you, you were head and shoulders the winner," said Deitz in reference to his nemesis, flashing his vote card to the camera.
When he made his case at the final council to the jury of ex-"Survivor" castmates, Baskauskas said he deserved to win because he "worked hard at establishing real relationships."
Booted contestant/jury member Shane Powers blasted Baskauskas, however. DiLorenzo, Powers said, was "useless at camp" and that Deitz, not Baskauskas, should have landed in the final two.
Cirie Fields, a 35-year-old nurse from Walterboro, South Carolina, was the first of the final four to be voted out of the competition during Sunday night's two-hour finale.
The show from executive producer Mark Burnett, who also produces NBC's "The Apprentice," remains a top-level ratings performer.
After the final votes were cast at the tribal council in Panama, they were tallied on a live broadcast Sunday night from the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
I just feel like this finale was such a let down. I am not just being salty because Terry lost, I think the final immunity stunt was lame. Sure Danielle won at the right time, but that just sucks. No way she Outwit or Outsmarted anyone. She outlasted, but she is more like the last fly on a turd than anything else. Then you can tell the jury was almost all going to vote for Aras. There was no drama there. Just sputtered out for me.
Had Aras picked a higher number than Danielle, when Shayne asked the question, she would have only had one vote. Pathetic, isn't it? I hope that she knows that, and feels the shame from that. She knows that she didn't deserve to win, and that she screwed up, big time. She got what was coming to her, for the way that she played, how she back-stabbed, and the fact that there was a couple times, during the final tribal council, with all the questions, that she answered like she was better than.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
HECK said this in post #5 : I just feel like this finale was such a let down. I am not just being salty because Terry lost, I think the final immunity stunt was lame. Sure Danielle won at the right time, but that just sucks. No way she Outwit or Outsmarted anyone. She outlasted, but she is more like the last fly on a turd than anything else. Then you can tell the jury was almost all going to vote for Aras. There was no drama there. Just sputtered out for me.
-HECK!
You're salty admit it.
Salty salty salt salt.....I'm j/k don't use your powers on me pleeeeze. Ok? Got salt?
Those two men should have looked over at Danielle, and watched what she was doing. She was like a frog on that second pad, until she knew that she could stand up. That is called "Using your brains"
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
the last challenge was designed for the lightest person to win. Notice that Danielle's pad was barely wet, and the men's were in the water. It is much easier to stand on it if it is not in the water and really wet.
Do you really think they set it up so Danielle would win?
Terry fell and didn't get up in time. So Danielle's light weight was an advantage but think of all the disadvantages the weaker contestants may have had.
When Captain America was winning no one was complaining...except when he didn't follow or understand the rules of the one challenge where he had to start over.
I think that it's a fair challenge. They set these challenges up, and whoever ends up left... well, they play the game. Sure, she's a lot lighter, and it was a bit easier for her... but, the challenges that require a lot of muscle are hard on a lot of people. Or, the ones that really require a brain, are hard on certain people. The challenges are all different kinds... and you have to just try your best. Danielle won, fair and sqaure in that one.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
05-15-2006 05:46 PM
