Survivor 47's showdown between Solomon "Sol" Yi and Jerome "Rome" Cooney brought some of this season's most interesting segments, but the feud appears to be over. Despite saying that Rome made his Survivor experience 'very difficult', the pair have since made up. "We talk. The last time I saw Rome was at the Rob Has a Podcast (RHAP) event in New York City. We had some drinks together.", Sol shared in an interview with The New York Times
On-screen clashes
In interviews, Sol admitted that Rome’s behavior made his experience on the island incredibly difficult.
“Rome has a pretty big ego,” Sol shared in an interview with TVLine. "In one of the secret scenes when I’m telling him, Dude, you’re looking a lot right now and everyone’s on it. Going back, the way I said it was not good. I literally said “Hey, don’t look,” and knowing Rome, if you have an ego and someone’s telling you what to do, that is no good. And I think from that point on, he’s like, I hate Sol. He’s trying to tell me what to do."
Since the very beginning of the game, Rome and Sol were at each other's throats. Rome, who had the numbers, gave Sol an "ultimatum". Rome asked Sol to give up his Shot in the Dark, otherwise he would use his steal-a-vote against Sol and vote him out. Sol was livid and refused to be threatened. He was also constantly hounded by Rome as he tried exploring the island for the hidden immunity idol.
Rome’s antics forced Sol to adopt a more reserved gameplay style. “I had to change my personality to survive,” Sol explained. “If I were my true self during those moments, it would’ve just made the target on my back even bigger.” However, once Rome was voted out, Sol felt like he could finally play his game more freely, describing it as “a breath of fresh air.”
The red lightning shirt
Sol ultimately had the last laugh, and Rome was eliminated before the merge. Unfortunately for Rome, he forgot to take one thing with him to tribal council: his iconic red lightning basketball jersey.
Sol revelled knowing that he lasted longer than Rome and had a role to play in his elimination. In a deleted scene, Sol was spotted wearing Rome’s now-infamous red lightning shirt. It proved to be a snug fit.
After parading the shirt in front of the group, he informs the group, "I am going to wear this. It's just too good not to. How much to wear this on the next challenge?". However, we did not end up seeing him wearing it for the challenge as he was seen donning his regular clothes.
Rome shows appreciation for Sol
While their in-game rivalry often overshadowed their individual accomplishments, Rome has publicly expressed his respect for Sol’s insight. In an interview, when asked who he thought would make a strong candidate to co-host the On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast (a role Rome is actively campaigning for), Rome said, “I think Genevieve would give some really interesting insight. I think that Sol as well would be a nice touch as well. But yeah, I’m hoping that I get the job.”
The end of the Rome-Sol rivalry?
While their Survivor feud may have been fiery, it appears Sol and Rome have put the past behind them now that their respective Survivor journeys are over.