Spoilers for the March 25 episode of Survivor: Winners at War are discussed below!
Survivor has been known to unleash its fair share of surprises, and the March 25 episode proved to be no exception. If you had not been reading spoilers, Sandra Diaz-Twine’s decision to leave the Edge of Extinction after getting voted off was probably one of them. Her decision subsequently ended her run on Survivor’s all-winners season. What did host Jeff Probst make of Sandra’s move?
The Survivor host weighed in on Sandra’s colossal decision, which puts her out of the game entirely now. Jeff Probst had previously given his thoughts on why the elimination was so brutal. Denise Stapley’s power move ended up being the one to end Sandra’s run. On Sandra’s decision to let things end there, Probst told EW:
I’m surprised that you were shocked. We named the challenge sit-out bench the ‘Sandra bench!’ There was 0.0 chance that Sandra was going to win a challenge against the group of players already assembled on the Edge. We all know that Sandra does what Sandra wants, and Sandra wanted to go home. I don’t think it changes her legacy in any way. Sandra is a legend. She is connected to so many iconic Survivor moments.
When you consider that the already-voted-off Boston Rob Mariano and his wife, Amber, are among those on Survivor’s Edge of Extinction, you have a proper context for Sandra’s decision. For reference, Probst has called Boston Rob a “scary” competitor due to his psychological form of play. On that note, Sandra’s decision was apparently related more to the physical aspects of continuing on in the game.
Boston Rob and Sandra have been considered two of Survivor: Winners at War’s most significant threats. Now, the latter is completely out of the game. Jeff Probst clearly has no issue with Sandra deciding to call it after getting voted off and landing on the Edge of Extinction. She was ready to go home.
As far as Sandra’s legacy goes, Jeff Probst has nothing but winning things to say about the Survivor player. Sandra leaves behind an impressive record. She was the first person to ever win Survivor twice! When it comes to casting seasons, the immortalized Sandra has made an impression. Probst revealed:
When we are casting new players, Sandra is often referenced as an inspiration for why people want to play because she showed you could win this game even if you’re not a physical player. And Sandra did one other thing for the past 16 years… she said yes every single time we called. I wouldn’t even get the words out and she would say, ‘YES! Whatever it is, YES!’ I’m not exaggerating. She had no idea what we were going to ask, she didn’t care. She always said, ‘Survivor has been good to me, and I’ll be here whenever you need me.’ So after 16 years, if Sandra is done, I’m good with that. Goodbye to a true one-name Survivor icon. And now… who will be the second two-time winner?
Is Boston Rob not the only one who is retiring after this season of Survivor? Jeff Probst’s comments certainly make me wonder. Whatever the future holds for Sandra and Survivor, her latest time on the show ended dramatically. While Sandra quickly vacated the Edge of Extinction, spoilers have indicated who two of the returnees may be.
Jeff Probst is ready for the world to find out who becomes the second two-time winner in Survivor’s history. Spoilers have hinted at who that person may be. As of the latest episode, Sandra is definitely out of the game, which means she will not have won it three times. Her legacy lives on, though!
Find out what happens next, now that Sandra is out! Survivor: Winners at War airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. If you are ready to watch something beyond the reality competition, there are always this spring’s premieres.
