Jeff Probst says “Survivor 45” final Tribal Council is a 'war'

The host spills on what we can expect from the three-hour finale.

“The final Tribal for Survivor 45 is a war.” So says host and showrunner Jeff Probst. Of course, the big question is… Who will be battling? Jake O’Kane, Katurah Topps, Dee Valladares, Austin Li Coon, and Julie Alley are the five players left heading into Wednesday’s three-hour finale on CBS. Five people fighting for three chairs and the right to plead their case to the jury. And then, it seems, for whomever gets there, the fighting only gets more intense.

EW got more intel from the Hostmaster General about what to expect straight out of the gate on the finale, during the challenges, and all the way through the After-Show that follows the reading of the final votes. And if Probst is dropping intel, we are definitely picking it up.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First off, just give us a general idea of what we can expect in the three-hour finale.

JEFF PROBST: The finale for Survivor 45 is funny, emotional and dramatic. I am confident fans will be glued from the opening moments to the crowning of our winner!

The first question to be addressed in the finale will center around the three remaining Reba members — Dee, Julie, and Austin. Will Dee and Austin come back together after the betrayal, or is that trust broken and will Austin be seeking revenge? Waiting in the wings are Katurah and Jake, who only need one person from that Reba three to turn the entire game around. It’s so difficult to win Survivor, and that difficulty only increases in the final days.

What can you tell us about some of the challenges we will see during the finale?

We have two fantastic challenges in the finale, and both of them are dramatic. The stakes are so high for the final five challenge because if you win immunity, then you know you will never be voted out and you are at least guaranteed to make fire. That kind of pressure impacts every player differently. Some soar under pressure, others collapse.

This has been a very demonstrative jury this season with lots of gesticulating and big facial reactions and commentary to each other. What kind of jury should we expect when it comes to questioning the final three?

The final Tribal for Survivor 45 is a war. Several jury members were undecided about who they were going to vote for, and I was very impressed with how they conducted their interrogation of the players. They were very specific in what they wanted to know to help them make their decision and they gave the players ample opportunities to own their game and make their case.

I was also very impressed with the final three. Everybody made their case in a way that felt true to their game. That’s all you want in a final Tribal: great questions and honest answers, then the jury decides!

It’s also worth mentioning that the Survivor jury in the new era is able to conduct a thorough evaluation of each player while still treating the final three with respect. That wasn’t always the case on Survivor. I think it says a lot about the type of people who are applying and the mutual respect all players have for each other.

What can you say about the After-Show this season?

I love doing the After-Show in the jungle moments after the show ends because the conversation is so unfiltered and unpolished. There are some very funny moments this season where even more truth is revealed. There are some tears, Drew treats us to more of his one-of-a-kind fantastic literary references, and, of course, the topic of Dee and Austin’s romance comes up! It’s a perfect end to a fantastic season of Survivor.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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