Original subtitles

SHE HAD IT RIGHT.

JOE, GET ONE BIG SHOT.

WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD CAME OUT HERE TO BE WITH

US TONIGHT.

VERY COOL.

AND LET'S SAY HELLO TO OUR 18 PLAYERS THAT GAVE US SUCH AN

ENTERTAINING SEASON.

EVERYBODY NOW BACK.

SO, BEN IS STILL BASKING IN THE GLORY OF HIS WIN.

BUT, BEN, EVERY HERO NEEDS A WORTHY ADVERSARY, AND YOU HAD

ONE IN CHRISSY.

YES, YES.

CHRISSY, I GOTTA GIVE IT YOU UP TO YOU, IT WAS REALLY

OUTSTANDING FROM-- TAKE ME BACK BECAUSE 16 YEARS YOU APPLIED TO

BE ON THIS SHOW.

YOU FINALLY GET OUT THERE.

AND I REMEMBER STANDING AT THE END OF THAT FIRST CHALLENGE WHEN

YOU WERE THROWING UP.

WHAT-- WHEN YOU FINALLY GOT THE DREAM, WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU

GOT OUT THERE?

WAS IT OVERWHELMING FOR A MOMENT?

YES.

THE FUNNY THING ABOUT DREAMS, RIGHT, IS THAT IS IT BETTER TO

HAVE A DREAM THAT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO TURNS OUT AND YOU CAN

IMAGINE IT OR ACTUALLY GET THAT DREAM AND FIND OUT FOR REAL?

AND WHEN I FOUND MYSELF OUT THERE, I WAS TERRIFIED.

AND I WAS SO TERRIFIED THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO LIVE UP-- OR I

WASN'T GOING TO DO AS WELL AS I POSSIBLY COULD HAVE.

AND SO THAT'S WHY I THREW UP.

I WAS-- I WAS SO SCARED.

WELL, AND I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE, YOU GAVE UP A

LOT.

YOU KNOW, YOU GAVE UP YOUR JOB.

DID YOU GET YOUR JOB BACK?

NO, I ASKED FOR THE TIME OFF, AND I ACTUALLY LOST MY JOB TO

PLAY THIS GAME.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S A GIFT.

RIGHT?

IT WAS A GIFT OF TIME THEY GOT WITH MY FAMILY, AND I HAVEN'T

GONE BACK YET.

AND I'VE BEEN ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT OF BEING WITH THEM.

.

WOW, THAT'S FANTASTIC.

YEAH.

RYAN, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY JOKED ABOUT YOUR TINY

BODY, BUT THAT'S HOW YOU WERE WHEN WE MET YOU.

YOU'RE A SMALL GUY.

YEAH.

BUT DID THE FOOD, THE LACK OF FOOD STILL SURPRISE EVEN

YOU?

OH, YEAH, THE DEPRIVATION OUT THERE WAS A COMPLETE SHOCK FOR

ME.

I HAD NEVER SEEN MY HEART BEATING THROUGH MY CHEST.

IT SHOWED PEOPLE I DO INDEED HAVE A HEART AT LEAST.

IT'S SO REAL.

AND YOU SIGN UP FOR IT, AND I'VE WATCHED IT FOR YEARS, DISECTED

THE SHOW WITH MY DAD.

BUT YOU DON'T DISSECT, YOU KNOW NOT BEING ABLE TO EAT AND YOU

CAN'T PREPARE FOR THAT.

GETTING OUT THERE AND PUSHING YOURSELF.

LIFE DOESN'T GIVE YOU MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO PUT YOURSELF IN

SITUATION WHERE'S YOU CAN PROVE IT TO YOURSELF AND, YOU KNOW, I

CAME UP SHORT, YEAH, BUT I PROVED TO MYSELF THEY CAN HANG

WITH THE BEST.

CONGRATS.

WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I

THINK KEEPS "SURVIVOR" RELEVANT IS WE HAVE NEW PEOPLE PLAYING

EVERY YEAR AND THEIR STORIES ARE OF THE MOMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE

CURRENT, AND SOMETIMES THEIR STORIES BRING TO LIGHT SOMETHING

IMPORTANT THAT IS GOING ON IN THE CULTURE RIGHT NOW.

WE SAW IT LAST YEAR WITH ZEKE AND TRANSGENDER ISSUES.

IT WAS A CULTURAL MILESTONE.

WE HAD ANOTHER IMPORTANT STORY THAT EMERGED THIS SEASON WITH

BEN.

TAKE A LOOK.

I WAS IN THE MARINE CORPS.

DAMN IT!

I THINK HE HAS P.T.S.D.

I DON'T LIKE LOUD NOISES LIKE THAT.

WHEN YOU GO THROUGH COMBAT AND YOU COME BACK, THERE'S NO WAY TO

ADJUST FULLY.

THERE'S THINGS UPSTAIRS THAT ARE THERE FOREVER.

COMING BACK WITH THAT STUFF, IT'S HARD, AND YOU FEEL LONELY.

I DIDN'T SWEAR ON THE MARINE CO.

OTHER PEOPLES, CIVILIANS, WHATEVER, HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S

LIKE TO BE SHOT AT, TO HAVE PEOPLE TRY TO KILL YOU.

SO THOSE REACTIONS ARE 100% REAL FOR MEN AND WOMEN HAVE THAT

FOUGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY.

MY WIFE AND KIDS HAVE DEFINITELY SAVED ME FROM MY DEMONS AND THE

PAST.

BUT THERE'S A BIGGER PICTURE, AND IT'S BIGGER THAN ME, MY

FAMILY, THE GAME OF "SURVIVOR."

JUST BEING ABLE TO SHOW VETS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH BATTLE AND

P.T.S.D., THERE'S A WAY TO LIFE OUTSIDE OF ALL THAT HELL.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THE PAST WILL

EAT YOU ALIVE, BUT THE FUTURE WILL SAVE YOU.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING.

SO, BEN, HAVE YOU

HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE?

I MEAN, YOU WERE PRETTY VULNERABLE.

WE EVEN SAW YOU HAVE A MOMENT WHERE SOME BAMBOO EXPLODED, AND

IT BROUGHT IT ALL BACK.

DID YOU-- DID PEOPLE REACH OUT TO YOU?

YES, YEAH, THERE ARE A LOT OF VETS WHO REACHED OUT AND SAID

THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH AND THANKS FOR, YOU

KNOW, BEING BRAVE AND SHOWING THAT.

AND A LOT OF MY OLD BUDDIES THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN FOR A WHILE, YOU

KNOW, HIT ME UP-- REALLY?

YEAH, IT WAS AMAZING.

YOU'RE EMOTIONAL ABOUT THAT.

I LOVE THOSE GUYS, YOU KNOW.

WE WENT THROUGH A LOT TOGETHER, AND IT'S JUST NICE TO BE ABLE TO

TALK TO THEM.

SO YOU HADN'T EVEN TALKED TO THEM IN HOW LONG?

PROBABLY FOUR, FIVE, SEVEN YEARS, EIGHT YEARS-- WOW.

IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING, YOU WERE ONLY

PERSON I THINK UP THERE THAT KEPT A SECRET THIS SEASON, AND

IT PAID OFF.

BUT WE'RE ALSO PRETTY GOOD AT KEEPING A SECRET, AND I HAVE

SOMETHING I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU.

COME DOWN HERE WITH ME BECAUSE WE HAVE THREE OF YOUR BUDDIES

WHO WANTED TO COME OUT HERE AND REUNITE WITH YOU.

BEN'S FORMER MARINE BUDDIES.

GUYS, COME OVER HERE.

GOTTA GET THE HAT, MAN.

BEN LOVES HIS HAT.

COME ON OVER, BEN.

NOW, THIS IS-- THIS IS A LEGIT SURPRISE.

AND I'LL TELL YU-- WHY WE DID THIS.

BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY JUST TRACKED SOME OF YOU GUYS DOWN TO SEE

WHAT IMPACT IT WAS HAVING OW.

AND THE SECOND WE BROUGHT IT UP, ALL THESE GUYS SAID, "CAN WE

COME?

CAN WE TELL BEN HOW MUCH IT MEANS?"

GUYS-- WHO WANTS TO SPEAK-- BUT WHY WAS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT BEN

WAS OPEN ABOUT THE P.T.S.D.?

MAN, WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEN IN 12 YEARS.

AND LAST TIME WE SAW HIM, HE WASN'T IN A GOOD PLACE, SO TO

SEE HIM COME FROM WHERE WE LEFT OFF TO NOW, COULDN'T BE MORE

PROUD OF YOU, BROTHER.

IS IT PART OF IT BECAUSE IT TAKES SOMEBODY TO

STEP UP AND SAY, "I'LL SHOW YOU.

I KNOW I'M A MARINE, BUT I'LL SHOW YOU.

I HAD SOME HARD TIMES."

IS THAT PART OF WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO GET WORD OUT.

YEAH, EXACTLY.

IT'S NOT JUST FOR US THAT WE WATCH, WE SEE WHERE WE CAN GO.

BUT PEOPLE IF HE PULLS ONE VET OUT OF THE GUTTER BY HIS STORY,

THAT'S HUGE.

RIGHT ON.

A SUPER COOL REUNION, AND THIS IS WHAT COMES FROM BEN

BEING BRAVE ENOUGH TO TELL HIS STORY.

AND IF YOU'RE WATCHING THIS RIGHT NOW AND IT FEELS LIKE YOU,

YOU KNOW, YOU THINK YOU'RE SUFFERING FROM P.T.S.D., REACH

OUT AND ASK FOR HELP.

THERE'S A U.R.L. ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS WHY HE

OPENED UP TO SHOW YOU THERE CAN BE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE

TUNNEL.

WE'RE LIVE IN LOS ANGELES.

WE'LL BE BACK FOR MORE FINALE AFTER THIS.

WELL, SO LIKE I SAID AT THE TOP OF THE SHOW, ONE BIG

IDEA WE HAD WAS LET'S MAKE THIS THE SEASON OF SECRETS.

AND EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE CENTERED AROUND SECRET

ADVANTAGES AND SECRET IDOLS AND THE PLAYERS THAT HAD THESE

SECRET ADVANTAGES WERE GOING TO SHOCK ALL THE OTHER PLAYERS

BECAUSE THEY HAD A SECRET AND THEN NOBODY COULD KEEP A SECRET.

TAKE A LOOK.

SO I FOUND AN ADVANTAGE.

I HAVEN'T TOLD ANYONE ELSE.

I GOT IT.

YEAH!

THE FACT THAT COLE KNOWS THAT I HAVE THE IDOL COULD BACKFIRE.

BUT I DON'T THINK COLE HAS TOLD ANYBODY.

JOE HAS THE IDOL.

WE FOUND IT PENTAGON.

OH, MY GOSH.

THIS ADVANTAGE IS YOUR SECRET TO SHARE OR NOT SHARE WITH

ANYONE ELSE.

I FOUND A SECRET ADVANTAGE IN MY CHIP BAG.

REALLY?

YEAH.

JESSICA FOUND AN ADVANTAGE.

HOLY COW.

SO JESSICA FOUND AN ADVANTAGE.

I WILL BE USING YOUR LITTLE SECRET TO MY ADVANTAGE.

THEY KNOW ABOUT MY ADVANTAGE!

I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE

SCREWED.

WHY?

BECAUSE I HAVE AN IDOL IN MY PANTS.

SHUT UP.

LET'S GET IT ALL OUT IN THE OPEN WHAT, DO YOU KNOW?

RYAN HAS AN IDOL.

AND I FOUND A SECRET ADVANTAGE AND IT'S STILL IN

PLAY.

NOBODY AROUND HERE CAN KEEP A DARN SECRET.

THANK YOU, FAMILY.

I NEED THE IDOL, AND I AIN'T TELLING NO ONE ABOUT IT.

LAUREN HAS THE ADVANTAGE.

DON'T REVEAL THAT YOU HAVE AN IDOL OR AN ADVANTAGE!

LAUREN, THE TRIBE HAS SPOKEN.

GOOD GAME, LAUREN.

EVERYTHING WAS OUT IN THE OPEN, AND YET THE ONE THING

THAT HAD THE MOST POWER WAS THE ONLY SECRET.

SECRET, SECRET, SECRET.

SO, LAUREN, LET'S

TALK ABOUT THIS.

THIS IS THE-- CAN WE SHOW THIS?

THIS IS THE SHELL THAT MIKE THREW IN THE FIRE BECAUSE YOU

TOLD HIM HUIT, AND THEN YOU GAVE IT TO HIM.

ANY REGRETS?

OR IS IT-- AND I'M BEING-- I'M NOT JOKING-- DO YOU REGRET THAT,

OR WAS THAT A MOVE THAT YOU MADE AND IT JUST DIDN'T WORK?

NO, I REGRET IT 100%.

I CAN HAVE IT BACK?

CAN I HAVE IT BACK?

NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BACK.

BUT I LOVE THAT YOU REGRET IT BECAUSE THIS AND THIS-- DOES

ANYBODY HERE REMEMBER WHAT THIS IS?

ANYBODY RECOGNIZE THIS?

EXACTLY, JAMES'-- JAMES IN "SURVIVOR: CHINA" SEASON 15, SO

10 YEARS AGO, HE HAD TWO OF THESE IN HIS POCKET.

HE GOT VOTED OUT WITH BOTH OF THEM.

THIS AND THIS IS ANOTHER CLUE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING NEXT SEASON.

BAD DECISIONS FROM FORMER PLAYERS COMING BACK TO HAUNT.

ALL WILL BE REVEEM REVEALED WHEN RETURN.

ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF THIS JOB IS WHEN WE COME UP

WITH A NEW IDEA THAT WE REALLY THINK YOU'RE GOING TO DIG AND WE

HAVE ONE.

IT'S DIFFERENT, BIG, SUPER FUN FOR OUR 36th SEASON WE

DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING THAT SPEAKS TO THE PAST 35 SEASONS,

AND REALLY GETS AT THE HEART OF WHY "SURVIVOR" IS SO FUN TO

WATCH AND SO DIFFICULT TO PLAY.

"SURVIVOR."

IT IS THE MOST COMPLICATED GAME OF SOCIAL POLITICS EVER CREATED.

THIS ISN'T ABOUT MAKING FRIENDS.

I NEED THAT ADVANTAGE.

IT WORKED.

THERE IS NO ONE TO RELY ON.

MICHAELA.

WHAT!

NO ONE TO TRUST.

DID YOU DO THAT?

YEAH.

DIIT.

EVERYTHING RESTS ON YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE THE RIGHT

DECISION.

I WANT TO GIVE INDIVIDUAL IMMUNITY TO NATALIE.

...AT THE RIGHT TIME.

YOU'LL OFFICIALLY GO DOWN AS THE DUMBEST IN THE HISTORY OF

"SURVIVOR" EVER.

BECAUSE ONE BAD DECISION... THE TRIBE HAS

SPOKEN.

...CAN HAUNT YOU FOREVER.

THIS IS "SURVIVOR," GHOST ISLAND.

THE GRAVEYARD FOR BAD "SURVIVOR" DECISIONS.

I ROLLED THE DICE TOO MANY TIMES.

I HAD THE TWO IDOLS.

I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE PLAYED THEM.

AND AFTER 35 SEASONS--

OOPSY.

...THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF THEM.

THIS IS NOT A HIDDEN IMMUNITY IDOL.

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A NEW GROUP OF PLAYERS WILL HAVE THE

CHANCE TO REVERSE THE CURSE OF SOME OF THE WORST DECISIONS IN

"SURVIVOR" HISTORY.

AN ENTIRE SEASON CENTERED AROUND THE BAD DECISIONS OF PAST

PLAYERS.

OH, MY GOD.

IT'S NOT THE IDOL!

WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?

USING THE ACTUAL ADVANTAGES AND IDOLS THAT DID

THEM IN.

HE GAVE ME A PIECE OF THE IDOL.

DO THE "SURVIVOR" GODS MAKE HER PAY FOR IT OR NOT?

WILL THESE NEW PLAYERS LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES

OF OTHERS.

IT'S THE STUPIDEST MOVE YOU COULD EVER MAKE IN THE GAME.

I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE THAT MISTAKE.

OR WILL THE PAST COME BACK TO HAUNT AGAIN?

YOU HAVE GOT TO LISTEN TO YOUR GUT EVEN MORE THIS SEASON

THAN EVER BEFORE.

JOIN US THIS SPRING FOR "SURVIVOR: GHOST ISLAND."

"SURVIVOR: GHOST ISLAND" WILL

BE HERE IN JUST A COUPLE OF Captioning funded by CBS

IF THIS LOOKS LIKE FUN AND YOU WANT TO BE A

CONTESTANT ON "SURVIVOR" GO TO cbs.com/CASTING.

AND IF YOU WANT TO BID ON PROP, GO TO SURVIVORAUCTIONS.COM.

ANOTHER GREAT SEASON.

ANOTHER GOOD ONE ON THE WAY.

GOOD NIGHT, EVERYBODY.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR LOYALTY.

Captioning funded by CBS

We go further, so you can.

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH

access.wgbh.org