Last week, when Maryanne Oketch blindsided Omar Zaheer from Survivor in the penultimate episode of the season, it dawned on everyone all at once: Maryanne has a great shot to win this thing. And what a delightful possibility that was. She had been overlooked from the beginning, cast aside by the Takus as too talkative, and on the outside looking in come merge time. When the post-merge majority alliance of eight crumbled, as large factions tend to do on Survivor, Maryanne carefully picked her moment to pounce. After contenders Hai Giang and Drea Wheeler left in succession, Maryanne came to the realization that it was now or never. Omar was getting voted out at 6 or he'd find a way to wiggle his way into Final 3 and Maryanne would lose the game.

So she engineered a 3-2-2 vote-out of Omar, and once she made this move, Maryanne had all the confidence she needed to control the endgame. With an immunity idol no one knew about, Maryanne wisely observed she possessed the only secret remaining in the game. Her biggest move, however, was showing restraint, keeping the idol in her pocket and letting Lindsay Dolashewich get voted out. Maryanne felt sure she would make it to the Final 3 no matter the outcome of the Final 4 immunity challenge, and when Romeo pulled a major upset, she didn't need to do much convincing to get him to bring her along.

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Maryanne may have been eccentric and grating on her tribemates at times, but she proved to be one of the savviest contestants on the entire season. Due to her understanding of the game and her place in it, Maryanne stood a strong shot against any of the five players in the game at the start of the finale. Even so, the jury wasn't sold on Maryanne coming in. She had to prove herself, and it wasn't until the last question that pressed each finalist to reveal the big move they made in the game, that Maryanne was able to sell the Omar blindside at the pivotal move that shifted the tectonic plates of a seismic season. Indeed, Survivor 42 felt like a special season, and a major reason for that is there couldn't have been a more satisfying winner.

Biggest misread - Mike's final tribal

Mike thought he was the favorite heading into Final Tribal Council, and perhaps he was. But he made quick work to tank his chances. From the jury confessionals, which I found to be a nice touch, it was clear they'd value Mike's game if only he would admit that branding himself as a loyal ally was a strategic move to get people to trust him. Instead, Mike misread the way others perceived him. He told the jury he only told one lie in the game, but they were quick to acknowledge that was inaccurate.

Trustworthiness in Survivor used to be a valued commodity. But contestants now understand lying is not only necessary; it's the mark of a great player. While the appropriate method of lying has changed over time — it's no longer en vogue to swear on one's kids —  it's something almost everyone does.

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Mike lied plenty in this game, even if he believed he was acting in more than just his own self-interest. He would have been respected for those moves if only he'd owned up to them from the beginning. Instead, he deflected until he realized he was losing the game. Credit Mike for owning up to his game near the end of Final Tribal, once he came to the conclusion that he was a different player than the image he'd built up in his mind. He was the strongest social player in the game. If only he could articulate from the onset that part of that social strength was knowing who to backstab and at what moment.

Noblest goat - Romeo

Romeo Escobar posing for the camera in Survivor 42

When we think of goats traditionally, we sometimes think of players who mistakenly believe they've been dominant when in fact they were dragged along the whole time. Unlike Mike, Romeo had a striking sense of self-awareness throughout. He understood he was unwanted in many majority alliances but didn't accept his place as a goat just because no one wanted to work with him. At Final Five, Romeo made a fake idol and told Mike he was safe. It didn't matter, since he wasn't the target. But he still whipped that art project out at Tribal Council in a last-ditch effort to score some jury points (it didn't look like they were impressed).

At Final Four immunity, as the other three contestants lost focus, Romeo stayed steady long enough to defeat Goliath Jonathan and become one of the more improbable final immunity winners. When he was questioned by the jury, Romeo knew how everyone else saw him. He didn't pretend to be a part of any move he wasn't and didn't make up any illusions about being more involved in the action than he was. He presented himself as an underdog who scraped and clawed his way to the end, hoping it would be enough. It wasn't, but he earned the respect of a jury that had probably written him off as a contender up to that point and spoke bravely about coming out publicly on national television. Romeo didn't win, but the fact that he was able to control the last stage of the game is something he'll always be able to carry with him.

Overall, this season's finale wasn't its strongest episode, but it delivered the winner a majority of fans were hoping for and the first Black woman since Vecepia Robinson 20 years ago. The Final 3, Maryanne, Mike and Romeo, were all extremely likable contestants from diverse backgrounds. Nearly all of the final 8 were all serious contenders; it's hard to expect more from a season as a fan. And Maryanne, the best casting decision Survivor has made in its history, certainly will be back again at some point to defend her title.

Next: Survivor: Shot In The Dark Twist Is Returning For Season 43 & Beyond