Warning: Spoilers ahead for the finale of Survivor 44
Even if you don’t watch the long-running CBS reality show Survivor, you can probably guess that the ability to make a fire factors pretty heavily in a game about castaways stranded on the islands of Fiji.
It becomes an even bigger deal once the number of remaining castaways gets down to four. Here’s how it works: All four castaways compete in an immunity challenge. The winner, in addition to a guaranteed spot in the final three, then gets to decide who they want to bring with them to the final tribal council — where they will plead their case for why they should be named sole survivor to the jury of previously voted out castaways. The remaining two tribe members compete in a fire-making challenge to determine the last member of the final three.
One of the biggest mistakes any player could ever make in Survivor is giving up immunity, but fire-making can change that calculus. It certainly did on Wednesday night’s season 44 finale.
After winning immunity, Heidi debated all day about whether or not her resume was strong enough to win votes at final tribal council against the likes of Carolyn and Yam Yam. Ultimately, she decided she hadn’t done enough to build a case for why she deserves the million dollar prize. And in one of the most stunning moves in recent memory, Heidi gave up immunity and placed herself in a fire-making challenge against Carson — who had struggled to make fire while practicing earlier in the episode.
This just doesn’t happen. The jury was absolutely floored. Host Jeff Probst could barely hide his excitement. And before anyone could get settled in for an epic battle between Heidi and Carson, it was all over.
Heidi built her fire in 3:02. Faster than anyone in the history of the show. It left everyone speechless.
Put that in the record books!✍🏽 #Survivor pic.twitter.com/PPN9qzEioc
— SURVIVOR (@survivorcbs) May 25, 2023
In a show with a storied history of epic moves, few have required more chutzpah than Heidi sending herself to fire-making. That she not only won, but did so in record-breaking fashion, instantly made this one of the most iconic moments in the program’s 23-year history.
Sadly for Heidi, her hunch proved correct. The jury did not feel she had done enough over the previous 26 days to earn the million dollars, though her gusty fire-making display did sway at least one jury member to vote for her.
The rest of the votes went to Yam Yam, who played a strong social game from Day 1 and built enough of a rapport with each jury member to win them over.
None of that takes away from Heidi’s achievement. It’s one Survivor fans will be talking about for years to come and a reason for her to hold her head high.
