Eva Erickson was a strong player in Survivor 48 and left a lasting impression on its viewers. She was physically strong, constantly stacking up in physical challenges against strong male castaways and more than holding her own and winning. Her social game saw her invited on nearly every reward, and kept her in majority alliances most of the game.
However, her greatest impact was the inspiration she brought with her background and her autism. By being so open and authentic, she gave the world a picture of what autism can look like, especially in a game like Survivor. Opening up to the cast, showing the challenges and emotions she faces, and conquering her fears head-on gave hope for so many who may have previously thought things were out of their reach.
Eva's success was amazing to watch, even as her game showed flaws. Her final tribal council performance was possibly her greatest moment in the game, and it ultimately earned her a second place finish. While eventual winner Kyle Fraser ultimately played the most dominant game, it does not take away from her incredible achievements.
Eva went into the final tribal council as an underdog, even after she took out the jury favorite Kamilla Karthigesu at the fire-making challenge one night before. She promptly put on a show, really sticking by her gameplay and explaining it well to the jury, impressing the other players. Kyle eventually came at her strategy, though, and one of the defining moments of the final tribal was when he took her argument on the Shauhin Davari blindside and flipped it on its head.
Given that Kyle had to take his shot when he could to help ensure his eventual victory, fans may have been wondering whether there was bad blood between him and Eva following the reading of the votes. However, any thought of that immediately went away in Eva's exit interviews. She revealed many parts of the game we never saw as viewers, but one of those things was what Kyle said to her when the two hugged after the votes were read.
According to Eva, the two genuinely were worried about supporting each other. In her Entertainment Weekly interview, Eva explained the encounter. "You would expect that as being the biggest loser in the game, I would feel this great sadness, but instead, when Kyle's announced as the winner, I'm the first person he hugs, and he apologized. He was so worried that he had lost my friendship."
She went on to explain her own thinking and exactly what the pair said to each other. "And to me, I'm so protective, so caring, so very loyal as I've shown to my friends, and when I saw that he was hurting and he had whispered to me as he was hugging me that he was like, 'Eva, I'm sorry. I still love you.' And I was like, 'Kyle, we were meant to go after each other in this game.'"
Eva made it clear that any thought or idea of bad blood due to how the final tribal council went down is completely false. The two are still great friends and have nothing but respect for one another. Both she and Kyle played fantastic games overall and will be remembered for their impact on Survivor 48. Competitors on the show can still be friends off it, and this is a great reminder of that fact.
Survivor 48 may be seen as a bit of a bust overall, although Jeff Probst certainly wants us to feel otherwise. With Survivor 49 on the horizon and a monumental Season 50 cast announcement just around the corner, this past season may not be highly remembered for long. That does not take away from the great game Kyle played to win, nor the game Eva played and the inspiration she brought, both of which will certainly leave a legacy for Survivor.
Hopefully, watching Eva will open up doors for many others to follow in her footsteps. Until then, it is great to see how many friendships were built among the cast, and that game can be seen exactly as such, allowing friends to remain friends off the island.