In the most unorthodox of ways, Chris Underwood became Survivor: Edge of Extinction‘s winner after lasting 39 days in Fiji, and now he’s back on our television screens for The Challenge: USA season 2.
Chris is the only contestant ever to be voted off of Survivor and then return to win that same season. Season 38 featured the “Edge of Extinction” twist, and the then-25-year-old player took full advantage of it.
So, what happened with Chris during his campaign to receive $1 million, and how does it relate to his current position on USA 2? Let’s get into it!
Chris was the third person voted off of Survivor 38 and he lost the first battle-back challenge
Chris joined 14 new players and four returning veterans for the 38th iteration of Survivor’s US-based version. Two tribes had been assembled to begin the game which featured seven rookies and two returnees apiece.
Chris was part of the “Manu” alongside two-time Survivor contestant Kelley Wentworth, Millenials vs. Gen X favorite David Wright, and fellow newbie Dan “Wardog” DaSilva.
Players became aware of the season’s theme that allowed them to make a decision after they had been voted off: they could head back to a life of comfort, or they could make their way to the Edge of Extinction — a desolate island that was anything but comfortable.
Further, they knew if they embraced the Edge of Extinction they’d have the opportunity to fight their way back into the game at some point. But, the details given by host Jeff Probst were limited.
Well, unfortunately for Manu, they lost the first three immunity challenges. After helping vote out Reem Daly and Keith Sowell, Chris found himself on the wrong side of a blindside on day 9. While preparing for their third straight Tribal Council, Chris launched an assault on Kelley — a player known for their strategic prowess.
He tried to rally votes against Wentworth by enlisting the likes of David and Wardog. But, the San Juan del Sur and Cambodia alum became privy to Chris’ crusade. And in true veteran fashion, Wentworth formed a counterattack that ultimately sealed his fate.
Besides Wendy Diaz, every other player wrote Chris’ name down, and Probst snuffed his torch. Confused and heartbroken, Chris sailed off to his new home: the Edge of Extinction. And to make matters worse, he was greeted by two players he helped eliminate, Reem and Keith.
“I didn’t want to be here,” Chris said at the Edge of Extinction. “But, I am. It’s like voluntary torture. I’m stuck on an island with two people that are pissed at me. I’ve got nothing but myself.”
Chris also opened up about his shaken mindset, and how his prior Survivor expectations were shattered.
“It’s really hard being out here,” he continued. “A lot of my fears are starting to come out. I’ve got a fear of failure, need for approval — like, just trying to be perfect. Just this perfectionist. And all of those fears happened. I failed. Like, it got me voted out. This idea of playing a perfect game is completely shot.
“So, coming to terms with that, maybe that’s a part of this journey, too.”
Three more individuals eventually joined them on Edge of Extinction. And before the battle-back challenge, the voted-off players had opportunities to earn advantages.
Chris received bamboo and string, tools that allowed him to practice a portion of the impending challenge.
But, unfortunately for Chris, Keith came back to haunt him. Keith had also earned an advantage; he had the power to assign one player 30 extra knots to untie during the final part of the challenge. And he gave the honors to Chris, somewhat nullifying Chris’ advantage.
As history has it, Chris was inches away from getting back into the game but his ball dropped at the end, making way for Chris’ former tribemate Rick Devens to seal the deal.
Once the dust settled and Chris’ dream of returning to the game had been crushed (he thought, at least) he shared his self-reflection about his idealization of playing a “perfect game.”
“When I came out here, I wanted to play this perfect game, and have that slip through my hands and having to embrace that, and understand like, you can’t be perfect,” a teary-eyed Chris said thinking he was about to be sent home. “You’re gonna screw up. But, being out there with these guys, you didn’t have to put on this face. You didn’t have to fake anything. You could just be yourself, and it was like therapy for me.”
Well, to the five outcasts’ delight, Jeff then revealed that they could return to the Edge of Extinction and await another shot at redemption. And unsurprisingly, Chris and the rest of the gamers accepted the offer instantly.
So, Chris headed back to the island — something that proved to be a $1-million decision.
Chris became the ‘Sole Survivor’ after winning the final redemption competition and throwing himself into harm’s way
As Chris called “buyers’ remorse,” Keith and Wendy both elected to raise the sail immediately after returning to the Edge of Extinction.
So, he, Reem, and two-time Survivor player Aubry Bracco were left alone on the island while they awaited another comeback opportunity. They were also a part of the jury — another twist — so, they also attended the Tribal Councils moving forward.
All in all, eight more competitors joined them on Edge of Extinction before the final battle-back game.
And this time, Chris came out on top and redeemed himself by finishing the challenge first. After spending more than two dozen days out of the game, Chris was instantly placed into the top 6.
“When Jeff called my name out, honestly, I was in shock,” Chris said after winning the challenge. “It was my 28th day on the Edge of Extinction. This is the most excited and nervous I’ve been out here. And now I am going to do everything in my power to win this game.”
Well, Chris immediately went to work reconnecting with Rick, someone who voted him out originally but, like him, returned from the Edge of Extinction. In the next two Tribal Councils, Chris convinced Lauren O’Connell to play a hidden immunity idol on him, and then he played another one on himself during the top 5.
After finding himself as part of the final 4, Chris won the last immunity challenge of Survivor 38. But, knowing he had to continue to bolster his resume, Chris chose to make an extremely risky move — something that definitely paid dividends.
Ahead of the fire-making challenge that’d round out the final three players who’d address the jury and contend for the $1 million, Chris chose to give his immunity necklace to Julie Rosenberg and battle Rick. At this point, Rick was the biggest threat left to win the game, and Chris knew he had to take the shot to impress the jury.
“I came into this game wanting to have no regrets,” Chris said to Jeff at Tribal. “And I wouldn’t want there to be any other way for this season to end. It’s the biggest risk I’m taking.”
Well, Chris’ move paid off. He defeated Devens which earned him a spot at the final Tribal Council alongside Julie and Gavin Whitson. And after waiting around a year for the live finale, Chris was crowned the Edge of Extinction’s winner by receiving nine votes from the jury.
Chris knows playing the ‘perfect game’ isn’t possible, and it appears he’s embraced the struggle on The Challenge USA
The following section contains spoilers for the episodes aired thus far on The Challenge: USA season 2.
Well, Chris had to lean into the lessons he learned living on the Edge of Extinction and rely on them during USA 2. Like Edge of the Extinction, The Challenge allows contestants to fight for their life in the game.
Virtually every season of the show has held elimination rounds for voted-in players to compete in loser-go-home challenges.
After receiving anonymous votes that were sent into “The Hopper,” Chris found himself in the second male “Arena” of the season opposite The Amazing Race star Luis Colon. It was a highly physical competition that forced them to wrestle a disk away from each other. And like his time on Survivor, Chris dug deep and kept his game alive.
When Chris returned to the Challenge house, he called out those who were against him, like Big Brother’s Tyler Crispen and Monte Taylor, saying he was going to “take all you b*tches out.”
“This is not Big Brother,” Chris said, referring to the fact that someone doesn’t just leave if they receive votes. They can avoid elimination, return, and gun for those in charge of throwing them into the sand.
“Take it as you want: I’m either the best player ever or the worst player ever,” Chris said in a confessional on August 24’s episode. “After Survivor, articles were written about me that I was the most undeserving winner to ever play Survivor because I lost — got voted out.
“I was able to make my way back into the game and win that $1 million prize. And so, if you vote me in, you better buckle up because I’m here to win this game.”
Well, later that episode Chris found himself standing beside host TJ Lavin in the Arena once again. The Green Team, which Tyler and Monte were a part of, won the daily challenge and they piled their votes onto Chris. Luckily for the Survivor champ, a male name wasn’t chosen by The Hopper and he rejoined his Blue crew.
So, how will Chris’ Challenge journey go, and will he join the handful of reality television stars who’ve won two major competition shows? Only time will tell! USA 2 is currently airing Sundays and Thursdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.