The Brightest All-Star

The Brightest All-Star is the season finale of Survivor: All-Stars.

Day 36 (Night)
After voting the last ex-Sole Survivor out of the game, the final four return to camp knowing that they are just three more days away from knowing which two of them will compete to win the juries votes.

Day 37
Before the sun has fully risen, Jeff arrives at the Chaboga Mogo camp carrying a basket with him. A half-asleep Isaiah mumbles that he hopes it isn't already time for the final four challenge, but has his fears alleviated as Jeff reveals it is a breakfast feast along with a camera and book to put together a Survivor scrapbook celebrating their place in the final four. Jeff explains that once done celebrating with their breakfast, they must meet him for the penultimate immunity challenge, in which one of them will win a guaranteed spot in the final three. Jeff leaves the group to their own devices, giving them an opportunity to eat, take photos together and prepare for the challenge.

After eating, Mina takes a moment alone on the beach to gather her thoughts, knowing that she is virtually alone when facing this individual immunity challenge. The other three sit and continue bonding, feeling good about their chances of ultimately beating Mina. The trio discuss the risk of her winning, knowing that it would force them to turn on one another, although both Adela and Isaiah believe they have Ben's complete loyalty going forward. The four head off to the immunity challenge, knowing that when they return to camp there will be a clearer idea as to which of the three of them will be moving forward to day thirty-eight, and who will see their All-Stars experience come to an end.

Immunity Challenge
Challenge: Obstacle Puzzle Maze

Retrieve eight rungs in numbered order, then use the rungs to build a ladder and climb up to the top of a tower located in the middle of the maze.

Winner: Isaiah

Chaboga Mogo
The final four return to camp with Isaiah once again wearing the individual immunity necklace, ensuring that he will have bettered his previous fourth place finish in The Amazon. Isaiah seems in high spirits, as do Ben and Adela, both of whom congratulate him on the win. Alternatively, Mina seems much more sombre, knowing that this loss has likely sealed her fate in the game.

Adela tells the group she's heading down the beach to wash herself off before tribal council, with Isaiah laying down in the shelter to rest after his big immunity win. Ben and Mina both sit by the fire talking about their feelings on making it so far, slowly getting onto a conversation about Mina's place in the game. Mina ensures to talk quietly enough so that Isaiah cannot hear.

At tribal council, the final four take their seats and note the disappointment on several jurors face that Mina is sat without immunity, namely her closest ally and newest juror Abbas. Jeff asks Mina how she feels about losing the challenge, pointing out that she has been open that she feels at the bottom of the tribe since Abbas went home. She admits to Jeff that she suspects these are her final moments in the game, saying that she has come to terms with it. He asks if she is giving up, which she outright denies, saying if she had her choice it wouldn't be her leaving, but she also recognises when three people are hellbent on sticking together. Mina then goes on to repeat her earlier plea that some of Chapera would do better in a final immunity challenge against her rather than others who are more athletic, which Adela understands is about her. Adela defends herself by reminding everyone the threat level that Mina poses, suggesting that if she is let through tonight and somehow wins the final challenge, then she automatically has become a millionaire. Isaiah and Ben both talk frankly about taking into account arguments given by Mina, which begins to worry Adela, but they also reiterate that no decision will be made hastily without thought.

Mina smiles sadly, accepting a hug off each member of the final three before taking her torch over to Jeff.

Jeff reminds the final three that tomorrow they will face their final immunity challenge, determining which of them will be guaranteed to move onto the final tribal council and decide who joins them, and who becomes the final member of the jury.

Day 38
All three sit up to watch the sunrise, with the apprehension of the final immunity challenge preventing them from sleeping. The trio talk through their time in the game together, clearly excited to have managed to stay together as an alliance for almost the entirety of the thirty-eight days they've been in the game.

Jeff arrives once again at camp, informing the final three that they will be taking on a Rites of Passage to pay tribute to those who fell before them in the game. The trio are also supplied with paint to decorate themselves, giving them an opportunity to have some fun before the daunting final immunity challenge takes place. The final three begin their walk to the final immunity challenge, entering a path decorated by the torches of their fallen comrades. The trail begins with Lotus' torch, ending with the last individual to be eliminated from the game; Mina. The final three are encouraged to give any thoughts of views they may have in paying mind to those who left the game before them.

The trio continue on the walk, slowly coming towards the midway point of the game in terms of who left.

Immunity Challenge
The final three arrive at a small man-made pond with three sets of uneven stumps centred by the immunity idol. Jeff explains that they must each stand on the stumps with one hand on the idol, and that the last person left in this position will earn themselves a spot in the final two, and determine who out of their fellow tribe members will be joining them. Each three take their position, wishing one another luck as the challenge begins. The first hour passes, and slowly all three begin to look worn out by the intense heat the day brings.

Another hour and forty minutes pass, and all three stand with bowed heads, looking exhausted as thirty-eight days of Survivor have taken their toll on their mental and physical strength. Without thinking, Isaiah lifts his free arm and starts doing circular movements, momentarily resting it on top of the idol, breaking the rules due to only being allowed the one arm on the idol for the challenge.

As time goes on, Adela and Ben continue talking, much to Isaiah's concern, knowing that his fate in the game is totally out of his hands. Jeff asks Adela and Ben if they're making a deal, which Adela doesn't deny. Ben however claims he'd rather fight it out, saying that whoever wins the challenge has "extra bragging rights" in front of the jury. After the four hour mark, Adela begins complaining of cramp in her calf muscle gently twisting her leg whilst making sure to keep it on the surface of the stump. However, she moves awkwardly and loses her footing due to the pain, using her second arm to grab the idol, thus ending her chances at immunity. Jeff declares Ben the winner, much to his joy, knowing he will now be attending the final tribal council.

Chaboga Mogo
The final three return to camp with Ben wearing individual immunity, guaranteeing him the first of two spots at the final tribal council. Both Adela and Isaiah congratulate Ben, seemingly genuinely pleased for him.

Firstly, Ben goes off with Isaiah down the beach, leaving Adela on her own to wait her turn to speak.

Ben then returns to camp alone to speak with Adela, giving her an opportunity to pitch her case as to why she should stay in the game.

As the afternoon goes on, it becomes clear to Ben that both Adela and Isaiah have the expectation that they will be joining him at the final tribal council, forcing him to go back and forth on which of them he'll be voting out. At tribal council, Jeff asks Ben how it feels to have won the final immunity challenge. He admits that winning is his greatest achievement in the game, as it's given him total control of what he feels is the most critical vote of the game. He goes on to say that whilst enjoyable, he has found it difficult after receiving compelling arguments from both Isaiah and Adela as to why they should stay in the game. Jeff asks what in particular makes it so difficult, which Ben says is the expectations the others have on being taken to the end. Adela speaks up saying that she has an expectation because she and Ben had made a deal to go to the final tribal council together, stunning Isaiah.

Teddy on the jury is seen smiling and leaning into Danni to whisper "he played them both", which she responds to by laughing.

Jeff asks the group if after that they're ready to get to the vote, but then offers Adela and Isaiah one last moment to give their plea as to why they should be kept in the game.

Ben goes up to vote and hesitates before writing down a name, with no confessional shown in order to keep the vote a secret. Jeff brings back the urn once Ben has taken his seat, leaving a still stunned Isaiah and Adela waiting to see which of them has faced the ultimate betrayal from Ben.

Adela leaves the tribal council area without looking back at Ben or Isaiah, clearly annoyed by the decision to oust her from the game. Jeff congratulates both Ben and Isaiah on reaching the end, informing them that they have one more sleep before facing the jury of seven, who will determine which of them is worthy enough to become the sole surviving All-Star.

Day 39
Ben and Isaiah relax together on the beach, enjoying what will be their last day playing in the Pearl Islands. The two of them begin talking about their journey to get to the end, relieved to have made it so far without being voted out, and ultimately going as far as they possibly can in the game.

Both boys begin to gather their things as the sun starts to set, taking one last stroll around their camp to get a final look at what was their home for the latter half of the game. Both men take their torches and head out of the Chaboga Mogo camp, leaving the structure standing as a ghostly reminder of the game that took place on the isolated beach in the Pacific Ocean.

Final Tribal Council
Ben and Isaiah take their spots at tribal council, looking over as the seven members of the jury enter and take their spots opposite them. Both men try to keep positive reactions when facing the jury, but slowly become more nervous as they spot stern glares coming from certain members. Jeff explains that as usual both the final two will give an opening statement, which will be followed by questions or statements from the jurors. Once each juror has had an opportunity to speak, they will cast their vote for either Ben or Isaiah to become the eighth Sole Survivor.

Teddy's question
William is selected to begin the voting, walking up to the All-Stars urn for the final time to cast his vote for either Ben or Isaiah.

After Abbas sits down, Jeff goes to collect the urn, telling the group that they will find out the results when back in the United States. Jeff leaves the tribal council area, exiting the Panamanian jungle into a grassy clearing where he boards a Panamanian military helicopter bound for Madison Square Gardens, New York.

Reunion
Jeff enters the live studio, standing in front of a suited Ben and Isaiah, alongside the seven members of the jury. Both men admit to being nervous after seeing how close the vote was on the reel. Jeff lifts the lid of the urn, ready to reveal the results of the final vote of the season.

The audience cheer for Ben as he shakes Isaiah's hand before running down to his mother Sandra in the audience. Ben cries as he hugs his mother, before all seventeen other 'All-Stars' are present on the stage. Some are shown to be clapping for Ben, whilst others concentrate on giving commiserations to Isaiah.

Reunion Notes

 * Ben speaks about his extreme happiness at winning the game, spending some time talking through how all his previous worries and negative feelings after Borneo were completely ridden thanks to his All-Stars experience. Jeff asks Ben about the harsh criticism he received from players and those watching that his manipulation and deceitful behaviour was that of somebody with a personality disorder. Ben laughs off the criticism, saying people occasionally can go too far, when the reality is just he's a "TV villain". Teddy (who is sat directly behind Ben) interjects to confirm that his "sociopathic" remark was said in jest, before going on a verbal defence of Ben's character and morality outside the game.
 * Jeff asks Ben about the state of his friendships with certain people in the game, namely Isaiah and Adela, both of whom seemed to have been hurt and surprised to uncover his true game-play in the final few days of the game. Ben confirms that whilst he and Isaiah have spoken, there sadly hasn't been effort from Isaiah made to maintain a friendship. Isaiah responds to this by saying that he feels duped by Ben, and upon watching the season struggles to see much of his behaviour as genuine. Adela too sides with Isaiah, ultimately feeling that Ben had prioritised winning, congratulating it on being his "only achievement" in All-Stars, which receives a mixed response from the audience.
 * On a lighter note, the friendship between Abbas and Mina is shown to have survived. Both explain that despite living far apart and having busy lives, they make an effort to speak at least once a week. Jeff asks the pair why they voted differently in the final tribal council. Abbas explains for him it came down to who played a better game and who answered questions better, feeling as though Ben had more to show at the end of the season. Surprisingly, Mina says she regrets her decision to vote for Isaiah to win, feeling as though whilst she felt closer to him as an individual on the island, she felt upon seeing his controversy with Neasa and Holly that he hadn't grown like he claimed in his final tribal council speech. Jeff promises to get onto the controversy in due course.
 * The Saboga alliance of Danni, Teddy and William receive a roaring cheer from the audience, with Teddy jokingly referring to them as the fallen angels. The trio admit to all still being in touch, with Danni and Teddy saying they both have spoken to Ben after the season. Danni in particular says they've put the Borneo drama behind them, and that she's thrilled to see he "deservedly" won the title of Sole Survivor. William goes against the grain by maintaining his support for Isaiah, saying that he has a good soul and that there needs to be some forgiveness so that people can heal from the experience. The audience give a mixed (albeit more positive) reaction to this, although both Lotus, Daisy Neasa and Holly are seen shaking their heads as William speaks. Holly somewhat interrupts him by saying "it's not (your) place" to comment. Teddy then speaks up again by saying that whilst it is a game and people must learn to get over impersonal things such as betrayal, a conversation needs to be had about certain things that occurred between the season.
 * On the topic of friendships, Jeff asks Sheamus about his relationship with Isaiah following the season, noting that Sheamus' disappointment in Isaiah voting for him is what ultimately helped push Ben to a win. Sheamus says he and Isaiah have reconciled after the season, but says more work needs to be done in order to fully mend their friendship. He goes on to say that regardless of his decision in the moment, he thinks it was for the best as Ben was the most worthy winner.
 * Jeff then brings the conversation onto the drama between Neasa and Isaiah (and to some degree Holly), which caused a lot of controversy around topics of bullying. Isaiah is given an opportunity to speak, saying that upon seeing the footage back he feels genuinely bad for what occurred, and that he had tried to reach out to Neasa to formally apologise but received no response. Neasa talks next by saying that she feels Isaiah's apology is disingenuous, as it was only after backlash that he sought to apologise to "save face", and that she feels if there was no response to his actions by the audience that he'd stand by them. Neasa however causes some awkwardness by then saying that she doesn't hold Isaiah fully responsible, as production put them together so thinks "the show got exactly what it wanted at my expense". Holly confirms that she has received nothing off Isaiah in terms of an apology, but says that whilst she wasn't the main victim of his tirades that ultimately she wouldn't be interested in one anyway.
 * Michael talks about his parasitic infection that caused him to exit the game, saying that it was undoubtedly the worst pain he's ever endured, and that it's speculated he could have even got the parasite during his first time playing. He says he feels somewhat complete on his Survivor experience despite the evacuation, and thanks the show for allowing him to return.
 * Jeff asks some of the pre-merge boots how they feel about their experience in hindsight. Lotus admits that she's still crushed to have been sent home first and feels it was unwarranted. She does however say she got some joy in seeing the person who "cost her the game" get voted out before the merge. Jeff then goes to said individual and asks Delma how she feels in hindsight. She says she doesn't regret her decision to oust Lotus as it wasn't her downfall, but instead jokingly says it was thanks to the "traitors" Abbas and Mina. She points out that Mogo Mogo foolishly turned on itself, and says it was probably "the stupid tribe". Reniero confirms this, and says Mogo Mogo lost the game when they pointlessly voted him out instead of Danni, saying that Abbas and Mina aren't as good players as they are made out to be.
 * Daisy and Salma are asked about their interactions following the latter being a reason why the all-winners alliance on Saboga failed. Daisy says she doesn't hold any grudges, but still thinks Salma's decision was "idiotic". Salma defends her decision saying that she thought if three winners worked together they'd never be allowed to get through a merge scenario, and so wanted to integrate more with Michael, William and Danni, but didn't count on being turned on so quickly. Carlson jokes that the pre-jury time was "heavenly" as he got to spend time with a group of women until Reniero turned up (as Michael came later due to spending fourteen days in hospital). Daisy also confirms that she has become engaged to her boyfriend, something she briefly spoke about wanting during the season.
 * Jeff also confirms that Adela did indeed get married to her boyfriend Josh, but says she's struggled to enjoy the married life due to the "endless hate" she has gotten off fans. She becomes emotional talking about verbal abuse and written abuse she's received as a result of her time on All-Stars. She is comforted by Mina and Isaiah either side of her, who say that they do feel at times fan-mob mentality can become too much. Jeff says nobody should condone such behaviour, and says he truly hopes Adela is able to find positives from her time in the game, calling her one of the strongest players they've had, which receives applause off a majority of the cast (including Ben).
 * Ben is informed that he has been gifted a truck by Chevrolet for winning the season, which he can either keep for himself or gift to another cast member of his choosing. He announces he will gift the truck on, wanting to thank somebody who "made (his) dream of a win possible". before tossing the keys over to Danni, which receives cheers from the audience and a loud laugh off Teddy.
 * Jeff closes off the reunion by announcing that there will be a further special spin-off episode to the season titled America's Tribal Council. He says for the first time, America will vote on favourite moments and contestants from Survivor history, and ultimately will reward one of the eighteen All-Stars with a life-changing second $1,000,000 prize.