Although only one castaway will walk away from Survivor 45 with the $1 million grand prize, they all lived through an experience of a lifetime — even if it was nerve-wracking at the start.
Eighteen players started the game on a barge floating off an island in Fiji, and when episode 9 began on Nov. 22, only nine remained. It was day 17, and in a deleted scene, we saw the contestants reflect on day 1. “Terrified,” Katurah Topps said. “Didn’t get any information, just arrive and see a barge. And we’re like, ‘Okay, I guess this is starting.'”
“Never been more scared in my life,” Dee Valladares chimed in. You can reminisce along with the cast by watching the clip below:
We then got a flashback to the wide-eyed and clean-shaven hopefuls arriving at the large boat to prepare for their marooning. But how could they truly be ready for the wildly unique experience? “We were just thrown into day 1,” Dee said. “We were just like, ‘Hop onto this big-a** boat. Boom, you’re on Survivor.’“
Drew Basile, Dee’s “Reba 4” ally and someone who has a strong handle on the social and strategic flow of the game, said that as he stood among his former tribemates, all he felt was the heat and nausea while questioning if he was cut out for the imminent adventure.
We then re-lived longtime host and showrunner Jeff Probst welcoming the competitors to the CBS flagship series’ 45th iteration. Several of the players said in confessionals that they didn’t think they’d make it as far as the first few rounds, let alone be there when the show completed half its journey. “I thought I was gonna go home night 3,” Jake O’Kane reflected. “And then it’s like, I’m doing all these crazy things for the past 17 days. It doesn’t stop out here!”
Some of the players shared that they had already learned a lot about themselves, including Drew who has discovered that he can trump and adapt to any situation. Acing the impossible has taught him to trust himself.
“I’ve learned that I’m able to just really gather myself and make a plan, and still save myself,” Katurah said. “I feel like I’ve accomplished so many milestones. Now, I’m like, just win.”
Well, by the end of day 17, Katurah’s chances of becoming Survivor 45’s champion increased to one in eight — just like everybody else not named Kendra McQuarrie. After Bruce Perreault snagged his second Immunity Challenge win, his former Belo tribemate was unanimously voted out. She joined the Jury as its third member, and now, with only eight days left, the game is heading into overdrive.