But before all that happens, we have our own questions for the final five.
We want to know what they consider their biggest moves.
We want to know about their lowest moments.
Owen Knight, Karla Cruz Godoy, Mike Gabler, Cassidy Clark, and Jesse Lopez of ‘Survivor 43’.Robert Voets/CBS (5)
And we want to know who among the jury members they viewed as their biggest competition.
Why do we want to know these things?
Because we’re hella nosy, of course!
Jesse Lopez, Cassidy Clark, Karla Cruz Godoy, Owen Knight, and Mike Gabler of ‘Survivor 43’.CBS
So we asked them all that and more.
And check that to also check out ourQ&A with the juryandfinale preview with Jeff Probst.
What is the move you were most proud of in the first 23 days?
Jesse Lopez, Cassidy Clark, Karla Cruz Godoy, Owen Knight, and Mike Gabler of ‘Survivor 43’.CBS
How can I not be proud of that?!
So for it to unfold exactly as planned was absolutely unreal.
I’ve never experienced the rush of adrenaline I felt when I stood up to play that idol either.
The ‘Survivor 43’ final five.CBS
I genuinely might be prouder of that move than I am of my PhD.
Don’t tell my professors!
all while not raising my threat level!
I didn’t know I had that in me when I first entered the game.
I hadn’t experienced a single blindside in 23 days, which is pretty incredible.
I also never used my vote in a way that didn’t benefit me.
Even with the Jeanine vote when it seemed I was “on the wrong side.”
I had a steady stream of bullets to dodge too.
JESSE LOPEZ:This is tough, because what interaction in the game is truly non-game related?
Even a minor conversation can inadvertently get viewed through the lens of the game!
I will also say that the conversations that stick out the most are definitely those I had with Karla.
So, we formed a pretty instant bond that went beyond the game.
We are a dysfunctional family.
We had so much fun talking about our lives, families, and food.
CASSIDY CLARK:My relationship with James wasn’t shown much, but we were extremely close.
He was what I’d call my day 1 in the game.
We seemed an unlikely duo, but we clicked instantly.
And he had big moments of selflessness in a selfish game, which I found very endearing.
It gets very cold out there at night and I struggled to sleep if there wasn’t a fire.
James made sure we always had one going even when we lost our flint.
Also, shout out to Owen, who stared loaning me his flannel at night after James left.
Those small kindnesses mean so much in such a ruthless game.
While taping the show, I had to miss my oldest daughter’s Senior Prom.
I was counting the days off in my head so I could be aware.
Everyone loved the idea and immediately began helping.
Each person got 4-5 snails, 1-2 hermit crabs, and a mouthful of toasted coconut.
While eating our “feast,” we told stories of our families and loved ones.
Finally, after eating, we danced with each other!
What was your lowest moment out there over the first 23 days?
I literally felt like I was at my breaking point and I didn’t know what to do.
Then I go to Tribal and BAM!
I’m left out of the vote, which was a complete shock.
That combination of physical and mental exhaustion was my lowest point.
I don’t ever want to feel like that again.
OWEN KNIGHT:The middle of the game was ROUGH for me.
What a horrible three vote stretch!
Seeing me throw my bag on the ground before my Charlie Brown confessional really encapsulated how I was feeling.
Nothing was going right for me, and I just had to laugh through the pain.
But I knew I had to change that quickly if I wanted to continue doing well in the game.
If you let yourself be swept up in the current loss, you miss the next opportunity for gain.
MIKE GABLER:My lowest moment came early.
The first week was brutal.
When I left Idaho, it was snowing.
When I landed in Fiji it was 101F with more than 90 percent humidity.
We were all dying sweating out all of our salts, sugars, and minerals.
The bugs LOVED us!
I literally had bug bites on my bug bites?!
I’m having a flashback just remembering this!
Then, after about a week, our bodies adjusted.
It was amazing to see and feel.
Ironically, I got stronger.
It was part of an attitude you got from breaking down your mental and physical barriers.
Everyone got lean and mean.Survivorwas one of the hardest and coolest things I have done in my entire life.
It showed me I was stronger than I ever thought possible.
JESSE LOPEZ:The biggest threat to win was Cody.
We made all of the same moves, and both built great bonds with a lot of people.
Plus, Cody is just Cody!
& Fishbach 2008).
KARLA CRUZ GODOY:I mean, everyone was a threat to win the game!
You had Noelle and Jeanine who were constantly working towards making a move against the majority.
OWEN KNIGHT:That’s hard to say!
It took a historic blindside to take him out!
I was very impressed watching the season and realizing what an astute player he is.
CASSIDY CLARK: I think Noelle could’ve mopped the floor with almost any of us.
She also had great relationships with basically everyone.
MIKE GABLER:Wow, that’s an awfully big question for this season!
