Survivin'

... How great was tonight's final episode of Survivor!?

... Heck, how great was this season of Survivor!?

... I won't deny that a few years ago while most of the country was ga-ga over Survivor and CBS waged Thursday night ratings wars with what was then a powerhouse on NBC, I steadfastly stayed with 'Friends' and NBC...

... Now the tide has turned, and I'm mourning the thought of no longer being glued to the TV every Thursday night at 7 to watch Yul and the Aitu superfriends upset the sorority party known as the Raro tribe ... Good Lord, I'm surprised the weight of Candice's and Parvati's constant eye-rolling didn't roll them right into the ocean ...

It truly was a thing of glee to see the short-handed Aitu foursome methodically pick off the Raros one-by-one each week -- Candice, gone. Jonathan, gone. Parvati, gone. Adam, gone.

... and when it finally came to the final three, I saw Yul as the clear winner because he played the game flawlessly from a psychological point. And even though he didn't win many of the physical challenges, he always was in the hunt ... But then Ozzy emerged as a likeable specimen just as well, and it became oh-so-fun to watch him run up win after win in the challenges ... Meanwhile, Becky could talk all she wanted about the way she played the social game (... her decision not to take the immunity idol from Yul when he offered it was beyond admirable ...), but her humiliating attempt at building fire in the tie-breaker with Sundra removed her from any chance of taking the million ...

... and after all that, I figured at least a bit of a relationship had blossomed between Yul and Becky, but Becky insisted on the reunion show tonight that the thought never crossed her mind. Beyond those two, I was hardly surprised to learn Adam and Candice discontinued their relationship ... and what's this about a relationship that died on the island between Parvati and Nate??

Yep. I could only nod and grin when Jeff Probst said this was his favorite edition of Survivor yet. Though I only have Season 2, Season 12 and a few clips in between to compare, I have to agree with him ...

Here's a great Q&A with Yul ... I knew he wasn't trying to be manipulative when he brought Jonathan's hat to tribal council!!