Survivor Island of the Idols finale: Can Noura Salman win the game?

Once thought of as an afterthought on Vokai, Noura Salman has won the most individual immunities. But can she win Survivor: Island of the Idols outright?

“Who doesn’t like a Froot Loop?” That is one of the primary questions heading into the Survivor: Island of the Idols, as likeability has been one of the wavering factors of Noura’s game heading into the Final Five. So many of her fellow castaways have been both enamored and antagonized by her during her journey; she’s the ultimate wildcard.

In a season filled with chaos, she is the Yang to much of the island’s Yin. Can Noura Salman win Survivor: Island of the Idols and become the 39th individual to become the Sole Survivor after 39 days of play?

Noura’s chances of making Final Tribal

Because Dan Spilo was removed from the game at the Final Six, Noura’s chances of making it to the Final Tribal Council are dramatically raised. I’ve mentioned in Dean Kowalski’s finale preview piece that one, if not both, he and Noura are supremely likely to make it to the end of the game based on the jury threats still in play.

Noura, I’d argue, has a better chance because of her prevalence in winning Immunity Challenges. She is the only one left in the game that has won more than one, and she has even done so in back-to-back challenges. More importantly, she has never been the target of the people in power, with the trio of Tommy, Lauren, and Janet likelier needing to turn on one another in hopes of winning outright.

All Noura has to do is make it past the next vote, and she will have one of the likelier shots at making it to the end. Either she wins the Final Four immunity outright, is protected by another player, or is forced to make a fire at the Final Four fire-making challenge. Based on her initial attempts to make fire at the split Tribal Council on the old Lairo beach, she will more than likely be dragged to the end than be used as a tool to eliminate a bigger threat in making fire.

Noura’s chances of receiving votes at Final Tribal

Though Noura has been one of the more entertaining characters of Survivor: Island of the Idols, one not meant to be portrayed as a winner, I don’t have the feeling that she is as much of a zero-vote finalist as some fans out there. One of the topics surrounding this season has been about women empowerment, with Noura being one of the people beating that drum since the beginning.

With Kellee and Jamal on the jury, we might see a situation where Noura’s initial wishes to vote Dan out and support Kellee through gameplay could earn her a few votes out of respect for her wishes in the game. Considering Tommy and Lauren betrayed Jamal early in the game, I could see him throw a vote her way.

If Dean is at the Final Tribal Council, I could see Kellee pull her vote towards him. However, the multiple Final Three scenarios start to draw thinner and thinner for Noura support beyond that, as I doubt she will receive any voted if she sits beside Janet in any capacity. Even though Elaine is a fan of a Froot Loop like Noura, I don’t think she’d vote for her over Tommy or Lauren.

We can’t forget that the majority of the players in the game (as well as fans at home) have lived with Noura for over a month and have expressed immense frustration with her. Aaron, Missy, Jack, Elizabeth, and especially Karishma are a contingent of people who would be enough to dissuade a majority vote going Noura’s way.

Verdict

Noura’s ability to win challenges, the fact that she infamously can’t make fire, and the fact that there are three major players capable of winning the game outright make her a likely candidate to make it to the Final Tribal Council. However, outside of a few votes from the jury, she more than likely cannot win Survivor: Island of the Idols.

Though she has been an emotional rollercoaster, she has been one of the more entertaining characters in modern Survivor history, one that makes it easier to watch this season in contrast to what has happened in and out of the game.