Boston Rob (finally) wins Survivor
It's taken him four seasons and 117 days to do it, but Survivor favourite "Boston" Rob Mariano finally wins the $1m prize money.
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It took him four seasons and 117 days to do it, but Survivor favourite “Boston” Rob Mariano finally won the $1m prize money.
He defeated finalists Phillip and Natalie to take out the prize that had eluded him so many times before.
Mariano won the show over a week ago, but it aired in Australia on GO! last night.
“I used what I brought to the game from my past experiences, was able to get my foot in the door, and the people were responsive to that,” he said.
He also won the audience-voted $100,000 prize as the most popular contestant on the show over Redemption-Island regular, Matt. His wife, Amber, also won $1 million on the show, in 2004. They now have two daughters.
Eliminated contestant Russell Hantz told Jeff Probst that after three seasons he was done with the show, but then appeared to retreat from the threat when Probst asked if Producers should throw away his number.
Mariano, who has also competed on The Amazing Race, says he plans to begin a project with the History Channel.
The next Survivor season takes place in the South Pacific.
Source: CBS
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- Tagged with Survivor, The Amazing Race
32 Responses
While I’ll admit Rob played an OK game, his win was more of a testament to the stupidity of the other players, especially in his tribe. How could they believe he wouldn’t beat them if he made it to the end?
There was no doubt that he was going to win with the final 3, the other two completely didn’t deserve it!
The only reason I actually stayed watching after the merge was in the hope that someone decent would make it back from Redemption Island – Matts final revenge maybe? Matt fits into the realm of the other players stupidity though.
I’m hoping the players in the next season will be smarter.
2 seasons of survivor per year are just not enough.
Glad to see Boston Rob win, it was well deserved. I think part of his secret is that he even though he is calculating, deceitful and manipulating and strategic, we somehow still find him likeable despite all that. He is an extraordinarily charismatic person who makes people feel good about themselves and we always want to stay close to someone who makes us feel that way . In survivor he just took it that much further and exploited them.
Just a word on Amber, anyone who watched the series that she won knows that it was really Rob who won it for her. She just coasted along on his coat tails and got a free ride to the end thanks to Rob, and because she had let him do all the dirty work not many people could find good reason to vote against her. But as far as l’m concerned this is Boston Rob’s second win.
@ Nate,
It was more then Kristina from Ometepe that was interested in getting rid of Rob. In the very first episode Francesca openly targetted Rob which sent her home, Kristina tried to out Rob, so she went home too.
Phillip openly said he wanted to get rid of Rob in the beginning, but when he realised how strong Rob was he aligned with him and played the “villian” that Rob wanted to keep around to the final.
What about Matt’s plan to get rid of Rob at the merge when he returned from Redemption Island?
Or the plan that Ashley, Natalie & Andrea were considering in the finale but didn’t attempt because they suspected he knew the Idol?
Rob played a brilliant game, you can’t deny that and he would’ve been able to hatch the same plan with Zapatera keeping Krista, Stephanie, Ralph, Steve & Sarita onside and getting rid of mental threats like Mike & David early.
Hopefully he never comes back. You would hope someone who has played four times would be able to beat those sheep. I would love to see Coach back.
Best player of all time! Well deserved (and I’m not even a Boston Rob fan).
Like JB I agree, the season showed great promise early but once Russell went it went downhill pretty swiftly as only 3 other contestants (Mike, Stephanie & David) had any grasp whatsoever of strategy.
@FlossAus
I think you’re overselling just how much Rob’s gameplay kept him around, even Probst, who has a bromance with Rob, said on his blog that if the bandana pick had been different that he thought Rob would’ve struggled, as Zapatera’s attitude was there wasn’t anything a returning player could teach them, whereas Omatepe saw things quite differently. Mike mentioned specifically when he lost at RI that he’d gotten to oust Russell Hantz, but was disappointed as he’d hoped to be able to oust Boston Rob as well, apart from Christina there was nobody on Omatepe that was trying to collect a scalp for themselves. So I’m not sure Rob can be given that much credit for adapting, when his tribe practically dietified him. What Rob did and did very well was turn an advantageous situation into a win, there isn’t any guarantee that Russell would’ve been able to do that.
@ Geoff, I like your thinking. Personally i’d love to see Coach come back, he had me in fits of laughter with his stories and absolute love of himself. So Coach up against Tyson would be my pick with your selection.
I agree with Jeff Probt’s comment during the reunion special that “Rob played the closest to a perfect game of Survivor that anybody has played”. He turned that intial target on his back into a leadership position which is something that Russell couldn’t do and despite playing 3 times before and a well known physical and especially mental threat in both challenges and around the camp, not Once did it look like Rob was in a possible opportunity to go home.
Yes the series may’ve been predictable and didn’t have the twists, turns and blindsides of past seasons but Rob played the Best game of Survivor in 22 seasons.
The big question for me now is– who’s next? Who’s the two returning competitors for Survivor: South Pacific?
Coach Vs Tyson
Amanda Vs Parvarti or James
Jerri Vs Colby
Yau Man Vs Dreamz
It has to be two people that have history and want Redemption for something.
This show lost me a long time ago, it is sooo predictable.
Not open an can of worms @Paul, but I’d disagree and say that Rob was a better player in the end. Russell’s game never changed or adapted to his surroundings and tribemates. He played two games back to back and got so much further in Heroes V Villians because no one had seen him play before whereas everyone’s seasons had aired.
I think Rob, showed this season especially, he could learn and adapt whereas Russell just went about being Russell and it got him kicked off pretty quick.
This season just gone was all Rob and I’m so glad he won. Totally deserved it; the way he manipulated that tribe to follow his every direction and command and still have their votes in the end – gold!
If anyone else had won this season, it would have been a total farce. It was decent season in the end, though not a great one, largely because Rob dominated so completely that nothing surprising ever happened. At least Rob himself is entertaining.
I’m am glad though that Rob outlasted Russell, who is an overrated gamer. Russell is the best hustler Survivor has ever had, but very far from the best overall player.
As for next season, I am concerned that it seems to be exactly the same in concept as this one…
My Great Great Grandfather Jessum Harring came to me last night and said ‘Twas a great season of Survivor!’
i agree not the best of season , but glad boston rob won….
I don’t watch much survivor but if you know Rob is popular, why didn’t people get rid of him early on? The only strategy in this show is to win immunity or hidden idol. The rest is pot luck because you can’t trust anyone.
Well i can finally talk about it a week later. This season started out as one of the best, but then quickly turned into a predictable and unexciting season. You knew from the merge that Rob would win. I like Rob, a favourite of mine, glad he won and well deserved. But no one made any moves at all. Got pretty boring.
I’ve never watched the show, but why did one contestant get to try to win 4 times?
Rob was fun on the Amazing Race though!
A week late but well worth watching and GO! is showing some consistency which it good news on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Disappointed that we never had another Boston Rob vs Russell battle (in the sense that the actions of one, eliminated the other…. instead it was Russell’s own reputation that proved to be his undoing).
I still think Russell (without being the Sole Survivor) was a better player.
Ah too bad I haven’t had time to watch the recording yet. Oh well… He would have been my tip for the win. Philip had too much convincing to do of the jury, and Natalie really hadn’t done anything independent all game. Ashley and Natalie really needed to make a move earlier and get Rob out.
Very well deserved. As Jeff said, he played one of the best strategic games ever played over 22 seasons. Can’t wait for the next project from Rob, Around the World in 80 Days!!
I was over the moon with his win – Rob has always been my favourite.
Finally a winner has been chosen for the right reasons. He played a fantastic game.
“Rob says he plans to begin a project with the History Channel” – Rob is nearly a week in with the project – he started the day after he was announced the winner.
it was hard avoiding all the spoilers online but so worth it watching the show last night – i’ve watched every episode of every season of Survivor and Rob has always been my favourite contestant – my daughter and I were thrilled to see him win last night….Boston Rob certainly played the best game and finally took out the prize.
Worst season in years!
Phillip and Natalie pretty much handed it to him on a plate during the Jury questioning. I’d like to know how many votes Rob actually got all up from the Jury. It was pretty frosty between Rob and Grant at the Reunioun also. Overall it was a pretty good season and am looking forward to the next one.