There has yet to be a new era season of Survivor that has had me as invested from the beginning as season 48, and a huge part of that is because of how hard I've been cheering on Kyle Fraser.
Before the show even began, I predicted he'd go all the way—and no, it wasn't just because he's a lawyer. From his brief two minute introduction video it was clear he has the charisma and the savvy to make it through this game (something I'm sure the casting team saw in his audition) and week after week he's proven just that as he's built relationships while still making moves to ensure his longevity in the game.
And after rewatching the entire season knowing he makes it into the finale, it's more clear than ever that he's played a winner's game.
Of the Survivor 48 Final Five, Kyle is the complete Sole Survivor package
While other finalists may appear to have outperformed him in some areas of gameplay, in the Venn diagram of Survivor 48, Kyle is smack dab in the center while everyone else is speckled around. He's won multiple individual challenges, including immunity, properly played a hidden immunity idol, helped orchestrate three major blindsides, and maintained positive relationships with everyone on his tribe while doing so.
He went from being on the bottom after a tribe swap to becoming such a trusted part of the alliance that he had to blindside to stay in the game, and he was able to convince one of its members to blindside the other. Like, what?!
The jury members, while they were still in the game, kept warning that if they don't vote out Joe Hunter, he will win, but arguably, by keeping Joe as a shield, Kyle has been playing the middle of the pack for so long that no one realizes just how much of this game he's orchestrated. Sure, Joe has won many immunity challenges and created great social connections, but he's about to find out he wasn't playing the game of honor and integrity he thought he was. Kyle manipulated him into betraying two of his closest allies, despite them having no plans to go against Joe.
What's the winning scenario for Kyle?
I think if Kyle finds himself at the end with some combination of Joe, Eva Erickson, or Mitch Guerra, he'll have a very strong chance of explaining why his style of gameplay was the best of the Final Three. With Kamilla Karthigesu next to him, it gets a little harder because she was so integral in so many of his moves that the grey area of "was it Kyle's move or Kamilla's?" will start to come into play and they might actually cancel each other out, swaying the jury to lean towards whoever is sitting next to them—likely Joe.
I could see Cedrek McFadden, Chrissy Sarnowsky, and Shauhin Davari definitely voting for Kyle. If Kamilla ends up on the jury, I'd anticipate her vote going to Kyle as well. I think David Kinne, Star Toomey, and Mary Zheng's votes are still very much open and will be swayed based on the conversations that take place at Final Tribal Council.
It's definitely going to be a live Tribal and I expect the phrase "honor and integrity" to be way overused. Now acceptings guesses at how many times you think it will be said...
Find out in the finale of Survivor 48 airing Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p,m. ET on CBS and Paramount+!