Survivor
Host Jeff Probst (left) does not think Spencer (right) was being "arrogant" in the "Survivor: Second Chance" finale. CBS

Many expected the final tribal council of "Survivor: Second Chance" to be a showdown between Jeremy and Spencer, the two stewards of the game's dominating, majority alliance (voting blocs aside), but when the final jury votes were tallied, Jeremy won unanimously! Why did Spencer not receive a single vote? Some fans speculated that the sympathy vote had helped Jeremy, since he revealed his wife was pregnant back home during the jury's Q&A with the final three. However, others pointed to the previous tribal council, when Spencer strong armed Jeremy into keeping him around by threatening to turn the jury against Jeremy if he was voted out. Spencer's "arrogance," many argued, cost him dearly. Does "Survivor" host Jeff Probst agree? Not exactly.

Two castaways called Spencer out directly in the final tribal council. Andrew asked Spencer if he thought his "arrogance" in the previous tribal council was a mistake, while Kimmi later ranted that she would use Spencer's performance in the game as an example of bullying to show her kids. Probst told Entertainment Weekly that he disagrees with the two bitter players, though he admits it is not his decision to make.

"Personally, I thought Savage and Kimmi were being incredibly tough and unfair, but that is why 'Survivor' is so interesting — the rules and decisions are made by the players," says Probst. "If Savage decides Jeremy and Spencer were arrogant, then they were arrogant. Period. If Kimmi wants to teach her kids that Spencer was being a bully then her kids will learn that Spencer is a bully. From my admittedly unencumbered point of view, I thought Spencer was playing the game. It never entered my mind he was bullying. Never. And Jeremy calling out Kimmi — I’d have done exactly the same thing. She betrayed him. The truth in that moment, as Kimmi so honorably admitted in the live show, is she got caught trying to make a big move. That’s all. And her instincts were right. Jeremy was clearly a threat."

Watch Jeremy win "Survivor: Second Chance" in the clip below:

Considering how the final council turned out, "threat" may be an understatement, but perhaps there was nothing Spencer could have done to prevent Jeremy's big win.

"Survivor" returns to CBS with "Brains, Braun, and Beauty" on Feb. 17.

RELATED STORIES