Survivor: One World Finale: Which Woman Won It All?

Reality show awards million-dollar prize to last lady standing

By Drusilla Moorhouse May 14, 2012 2:24 AMTags
Survivor, Christina Cha, Alicia Rose, Sabrina Thompson, Chelsea Meissner, Kim SpradlinRobert Voets/CBS

After annihilating all the men in Survivor: One World's battle of the sexes, five women headed into tonight's finale—a first for the reality series.

But did rivals Chelsea, Sabrina, Alicia and Christina even stand a chance against frontrunner Kim, who dominated the game since day one?

Move over Tarzan, Kim Spradlin is queen of this jungle. The wedding-boutique owner won the million-dollar prize and title of Sole Survivor with a  7-2 jury vote.

That wasn't her only landslide victory: Kim also handily won the fan-voted $100,000 prize for Sprint Player of the Season.

So, how did she get there?

The first to go was Alicia, who continued to insist she "played one hell of a game" and expected her alliance with Kim to keep her safe at Tribal Council, where she told Jeff: "I've been with her from day one, that says it all." Actually, what said it all was the 3-2 vote against her.

Kim's own safety at Tribal was assured by both the Hidden Immunity Idol she carried and the Immunity Necklace she wore after winning the last challenge. Talking with Sabrina early on, Kim seemed to be gunning for Chelsea, believing she'd get more votes in the final. She also regretted sharing the news with her BFF that she found the HII, admitting, "I wish she didn't know—she expects me to play that Idol for her."

She didn't, but she guaranteed Chelsea's safety regardless.

Robert Voets/CBS

But would she do the same after she won the last Immunity Challenge? Kim almost lost to coat-tailer Christina, who used this opportunity to finally step up her "mediocre" game. And even though she believed Christina wouldn't earn a single vote from the jury, Kim still chose to take her original alliance, Chelsea and Sabrina, to the final instead. To Jeff's dismay, Christina didn't even try to save herself and went out without even a whimper.

The only thing interesting to come from the traditional Tribute to the Fallen Comrades ceremony was Colton's admission that his medical evacuation was "God's way of showing me what a little bitch I am and how spoiled I am." (Oh, and "alpha male" Tarzan saying that he owed his "last man standing" spot to being "more beta.")

In closing arguments before the jury, while Chelsea said she had to check out emotionally in order to succeed, Kim and Sabrina tugged on the jury's heartstrings. Kim didn't apologize for betraying her castmates, saying she wanted to win for her family, and Sabrina said she was laid off from her dream job of teaching inner-city schoolchildren.

As for those heartstrings, the jury tugged right back. Tarzan thanked God and the ladies for keeping around long enough to share this "romantic adventure" with his wife, inspiring a tearful Chelsea to declare she won't "settle for less" after learning from Tarzan what "real" love is like. Kat, although she says she was "destroyed" by Kim, forgives everyone because she has to undergo a second heart surgery next year.

She showed her forgiveness by voting for Kim, along with everyone but Troyzan and Leif.

As expected, Colton Cumbie took center stage in tonight's live reunion show. In response to Jeff's grilling, he apologized profusely, insisting that he is not a racist and "would make out with Shemar Moore faster than any woman." In response to Colton's argument that his slurs were part of his "bitch with teeth" performance, Bill called him out, pointing out that his most egregious slurs—that he was "ghetto trash" and should "kill himself"—were spoken privately.

If Colton didn't seem truly contrite ("When I left, everyone said it got boring," he joked, to thunderous applause from the live audience), his mom's tearful apology was pretty convincing. "We're not racist, that's not the way he was raised," she told Jeff from the audience, visibly shaking. "I'm really not proud of the things he said. I just want y'all to know that I'm sorry for anyone he offended."

Survivor's 25th season, which airs next fall, is set in the Philippines and will feature three returning players who were medically evacuated from the game, competing on three different tribes.

Did the jury make the right decision? Do you agree with Colton that the season was "boring" without him?

PHOTOS: Survivor: One World Castaways