On Top of the World

In the season finale, “On Top of the World,” the competition reaches day 37 with USA East and Mexico facing the final elimination before the $200,000 showdown. Matt and Gabrielle feel the pressure, but their team chemistry remains strong, and Gabrielle’s swollen eye has improved. Mexico is also tense, with Fernanda full of anxiety while Pablo stays focused. Brazil, already secured in the final, is invited to watch the challenge while Marina scavenges chitons and crabs along the beach.

At sundown, USA East and Mexico head to the challenge area under torch light. Pablo takes a shot at Jeff’s catchphrase, saying, “This is not what I live for, this is what I’m made for.” The elimination task is to build a fire, create a rocket stove, and boil water inside monkey orange rinds, whose tough wooden shells can hold liquid. To win, teams must boil enough water in the fruit shells to fill a pot. The losing team is immediately extracted.

Mexico starts fast, getting fire right away while USA East struggles. Mexico digs its vent and gathers monkey oranges before USA can get momentum, but when Mexico moves its fire into the stove hole, it loses oxygen and goes out. They recover and begin suspending fruit shells over the fire with a tripod, while USA East builds a larger-vent rocket stove and a double tripod with a crossbar, giving them more space to hang fruit.

The tide turns as USA East’s larger vent feeds the fire better, especially with the wind blowing directly into it. Both teams trade boils back and forth, with Mexico taking an early lead and USA catching up. The challenge becomes a tense race as paracord starts failing from the heat, one of USA’s fruit shells drops into the fire, and rain begins to fall. With both teams needing one final boil, USA East gets there first and wins.

Mexico is eliminated just short of the final, ending a scrappy run built on surviving repeated elimination challenges. Matt honors Pablo and Fernanda by calling them Naked and Afraid legends. With Mexico gone, the season comes down to Brazil versus USA East in the final challenge for the $200,000 prize.

On day 38, Rene gathers crabs along the beach, and on day 39, the final scroll arrives. Brazil and USA East must construct two shark-tooth knives and prepare to break down camp for the day 40 finale. Matt and Gabrielle melt plastic from their cast net to glue shark teeth into wooden handles, then bind them with paracord. Rene and Marina build their knives without glue.

On day 40, the final challenge begins as a multi-phase survival skills gauntlet. First, teams must use their shark-tooth knives to cut free a bundle of tools, then build a one-pronged barbed spear. Matt cuts the first rope, followed by Rene, Gabrielle, and Marina. USA East finishes its spear first and gets into the water ahead of Brazil, then completes the stingray target phase in the shallows to take the early lead.

The next phase is archery on a windy day. Matt lands the first shot on the animal hide, Rene answers for Brazil, and Matt hits again to complete the phase for USA East before Brazil finishes. From there, the teams move to a crank snare trap. USA East completes the trap first while Rene grows nervous and struggles with the build.

For the next phase, teams must create a hook to retrieve a bag from 20 to 30 yards away over a cliff. USA East uses its spear from the previous phase as a hook, while Brazil eventually opts for a treble hook. Gabrielle accidentally knocks the package farther down, but she recovers and retrieves it first, sending USA East into the final phase.

With 23 mph winds blowing, Matt and Gabrielle must create three signal fires. They get the first fire going and quickly build momentum, completing all three before Brazil can even begin the phase. The final step is planting their USA flag. Matt Wright and Gabrielle Balassone of USA East win Global Showdown, defeating Brazil and claiming the $200,000 prize.