Survivor Finale Recap: Who Was Crowned The Sole Survivor Of Season 49?

A new "Survivor" winner has been crowned! 

Season 49's final showdown aired Wednesday with Rizo, Savannah, Sophi, Kristina, and Sage battling it out for the glory and the million. And while "49" may not have delivered the thrills and chills of a top-tier "Survivor" season (we'll be updating our season ranking shortly — stay tuned), I don't feel like it deserves all the haterade it's been getting from certain podcasts and the community at large. Case in point, the season finale delivered some unique challenges, one hell of a comeback by an underdog, and a final Tribal Council that served up insightful questions from the jury and responses from the finalists. (As for the end result, we'll let you be the judge, so make sure you hit that comments section to weigh in!) 

But I'm getting ahead of myself! Let's smash the hourglass (or better yet, let's not) and review the highlights from the very top of this three-hour finale bonanza!

After a race through the jungle collecting puzzle pieces, constructing a map, and ransacking the island for an advantage, Sophi Without An E earns herself a leg up in the Final 5 challenge. The finale seems a bit late to keep doling out challenge advantages if you ask me (you didn't), not to mention that it eats up a lot of the runtime of the episode. I personally would've preferred more time spent at camp or at Final Tribal, perhaps, but we couldn't ignore Sophi's first sizable victory here. But more on her later.

The night's first challenge is a doozy. It starts with a mud crawl (always love it), and includes a grappling hook toss, a crow's nest climb, a barrel walk, and of course, a puzzle. It looks absolutely exhausting, right up till the very end... where Savannah is first to complete her shark puzzle and tie a tough-to-reach "Survivor" record. With her fourth individual immunity win, she ties the women's record previously set by Kelly Wiglesworth, Jenna Morasca, Kim Spradlin-Wolfe, Chrissy Hofbeck, and Rachel LaMont — not an easy feat! (Kristina takes some gnarly falls during this challenge, and your gentle recapper may have gasped out loud watching Ma fall from the barrel. Ouch!) 

Savannah gets to choose a pal to take to a nice steak luncheon (at the Sanctuary... where good things happen), and her choice is a surprising one: Sage. Savannah acknowledges that Sage hasn't eaten in a while and that they haven't always been on the best of terms. She picks her anyway. I have to wonder how much of this decision was strategic on her end though, and I'll definitely be asking her tomorrow during our exit press. (Come back to TVLine Thursday for the Q&As.) At the reward, Savannah tells Sage that she wants to be at the end with people she likes and respects. She also clocks Kristina's fire-making prowess, which is clearly a factor in her decision making. 

Back at camp, Kristina wastes no time making her case to Rizo and Sophi, emphasizing Sage's strategic abilities. And for the first time ever, Rizo and Savannah seem to be at odds over who to take with them to the Final 4. Savannah wants nothing to do with potentially facing Kristina in the fire-making challenge (annual gripe about me hating the fire-making challenge — #ChrissyWasRobbed!), while Rizo thinks Kristina would be easier to beat in the end. So who got his or her way? Unfortunately for the resident mom of "Survivor 49," after a day of deliberating, Kristina is given a one way ticket to the jury.

"Centuri." Get it? Because... "Sophi"? With an "i"? Anyway! Better late than never to soak up the glory of one's first individual immunity win. This has all been a long-winded way to say: In the Final 4 challenge, Sophi comes from behind to prevent Savannah from breaking the aforementioned record. And this is why you never give up in "Survivor"! Whoops, sorry. Jeff Probst must've commandeered the keyboard there for a second. But kudos to Blue Soph or Sophi or Balerdi or whatever we're calling her these days. Watching her struggle to retrieve her second ball from the cage, and fly through that table maze was a delight to watch. 

Winning said challenge puts all of the power directly in Soph's hands, as she has to decide which two players to send into the fire-making challenge and which person to bring directly to the Final 3. Smartly, she sends her two allies into the flames, where Savannah, who says she has very little confidence in her fire-making, defeats Rizo in quite possibly the most boring fire-making challenge in the history of "Survivor." (No shade, but if I'm heading out to compete on "Survivor," I'm practicing fire in my backyard without flint. I mean, come on.) Guess they were right to kick Kristina to the curb.

And there you have it: An all-female Final 3. It's the first time that's happened since Natalie Anderson defeated Jaclyn Schultz and Missy Payne 5-2-1 in "San Juan del Sur," for those of you who love "Survivor" stats.

The stage is officially set for a final Tribal Council showdown of epic proportions! Sure, it feels copacetic in that new era-sorta way, but I thought the jury's questions were thought-provoking, eliciting great responses from all three finalists. 

From the jump, Sophi discusses saving herself after being on a disaster tribe, while Savannah talks about being the "muscle" of her alliance. Sage gets the chance to reveal her Army/military background, which seems to sufficiently shock the jury and her fellow finalists. 

Jawan asks the women about their "whys," and whether their "why" should factor into his decision. Savannah explains why now is the time she's chosen to be selfish and play the game for herself, including her past and future self. Sophi talks about putting off college to be her grandmother's full-time caregiver, and her family's immigrant heritage, while Sage says her whys are a late friend and her boyfriend of 10 years. 

The question that really made my eyes go big, however, was Kristina's. In a ploy to throw shade on Savannah's social game, she asks Sav to name one partner or family member of each member of the jury. The best part: Kristina knows damn well Savannah is gonna fail that task! "I don't think I can do that," Savannah replies. "I would like for you to try, please," says Kristina with a smile. Savage! Listen, it may not be Brenda demanding that Dawn take out her false teeth — that was ice cold! — but knowing the history of Kristina and Savannah's relationship throughout the game, this still felt devilish, despite Kristina asking so politely.

Alas, Sophi does a great job appealing to those with families and explaining her post-disaster tribe pivots; Savannah expresses the moves she had to make in order to go from being on the bottom to battling Sophie to making it to the Final 3; and Sage takes everyone through her most strategic moves, despite losing her No. 1 ally in a blindside and being forced to take out Steven. 

But at the end, there can be only one winner. After Jeff tallies the very final votes of the season, Savannah wins the game with five votes to her name. Sophi finishes in second. 

Were you surprised by this season's end? Did the right person win? Vote in our polls below, then light up that comments section!