Editing Survivor (franchise) (section)

====Final Tribal Council====
When only two—or, in later seasons, three—players remain in the game, the finalists and jurors convene for Final Tribal Council. The change to three finalists presents more of a challenge to the castaway who wins the final immunity challenge: while that person has clinched their spot as a finalist, they cannot unilaterally decide which of the other remaining castaways they will compete against for jurors' votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/special/fallpreview07/returning5a.aspx#survivor|title=Returning Shows|access-date=September 21, 2007}}</ref>

At Final Tribal Council, each remaining castaway makes an opening statement to the jury. One-by-one, each juror then addresses any or all of the finalists, asking questions or commenting on the finalists' behavior in the game. Jurors often ask questions hoping for answers that will help make their decision, while comments and speeches are generally an effort to sway other jurors. The finalists are usually free to respond to these questions and comments as they see fit, though jurors can expressly forbid them to respond. Beginning with ''[[Survivor: Game Changers]]'' in the U.S., the process shifted from each juror receiving the floor one-by-one toward a moderated discussion highlighting the show's three major tentpoles: "Outwit", "Outplay" and "Outlast". After the interrogation, finalists often have one last chance to make their case. The host then reminds the jurors that they are writing their choice to win (versus writing their choice to eliminate, as in all other votes) and, for the last time, declares that it is time to vote. One-by-one, jurors vote privately in the alcove. As with regular elimination votes, jurors can choose to address the camera to explain their vote. The host then collects the urn, and in most seasons, leaves the votes unread until a live finale months later, at the conclusion of the season's broadcast, where they read the votes publicly and crown the Sole Survivor.

Since the 41st season of the American version of the show, the structure of Final Tribal Council has been permanently changed. When the votes are cast now, Jeff Probst simply reads off the votes and announces on the spot who won the game. The reunion show also now takes place immediately after this vote at the FTC site, with all of the contestants sitting and talking over the season with themselves and Jeff.

At the finale of ''[[Survivor: Micronesia]]'', the only season to date with two finalists and eight jurors, host Jeff Probst reportedly had a white envelope containing the tiebreaker, but the exact nature of this tiebreaker is not known publicly, as a tie did not occur.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/exclusive-amanda-kimmel-discusses-micronesia-losing-survivor-twice-7096.php | title = Exclusive: Amanda Kimmel discusses 'Micronesia,' losing 'Survivor' twice | publisher = Reality TV World | date= May 12, 2008 | access-date = May 12, 2008 | first = Christopher | last = Rocchio}}</ref> This contingency plan was also in place for three-way ties involving three finalists and nine jurors. At the ''[[Survivor: Game Changers]]'' reunion, Probst revealed that a two-way tie in a final three would be broken with the third-place finisher casting the deciding vote.<ref>''Survivor: Game Changers'' reunion show, CBS, May 24, 2017</ref> This first happened in ''[[Survivor: Ghost Island]]'' when Wendell Holland and Domenick Abbate each received 5 votes to win. Laurel Johnson, the third-place finisher, became the 11th and final juror and cast the deciding vote.

In [[Koh-Lanta|the French series]], ties between two finalists are resolved by crowning them co-winners, as seen in their [[Koh-Lanta: Bocas del Toro|third]], [[Koh-Lanta: Palawan|seventh]] and [[Koh-Lanta: Le Totem Maudit|twenty-third]] seasons.