…and you know there are SPOILERS AHEAD! If you don’t want to know who won, stop reading RIGHT NOW!!!
OK. So since it’s just us kids who want to know what happened at the final Tribal Council and subsequent big bitter reunion finale, I can say that Russell “Puppet Master” Hantz and his maddening, arrogant, polarizing, and at times brilliant game play, did NOT win the million dollars. Natalie, the sweet nice girl did.
And I’m just fine with that, because there was one glaring and very important piece of the game Russell forgot. He forgot that it’s hard to get people to vote for you when all they remember is you gloating about how stupid they are. You need what Jeff Probst refers to as “the social game.” And it seemed clear during the reunion special that Russell, as smart as he was, still didn’t get that, or at least didn’t want to admit that. He truly thought there were no flaws in his game, and said that he didn’t regret anything that he did. And while it’s a great policy to have no regrets, I personally would regret whatever it is that had my fellow castaways see everything I did to hustle and STILL not give me the money.
Many of you are going to say that the jury was being bitter and nasty about the things that they blame Russell for and gave Natalie the money just to spite him. And that might have been the motivation of some people, but I prefer to think of it the way that Erik put it in his awesome jury Q&A – Natalie deserved to be in the top three, because she’d outlasted everyone on the jury, first of all, and because she played a different but obviously effective game. Instead of barreling in and saying “I’m gonna win and I’m in control and you can stick with me or cross me at your peril,” or, in Mick’s case, get voted the leader and then follow Russell’s lead, Natalie understood quickly where her bread was buttered, and did a lot of scrambling, including engineering Erik’s ouster.
The fact that she personally was responsible for sending Erik home and he still passionately pleaded her case tells you either how strong a social game Natalie played – or how much the jury hated Russell. Whatever it was, it was worth a million dollars. And nothing that Russell could do, including trying to buy the title of “Soul Survivor” from Natalie for $100,000, could change that. Am I the only one, by the way, who found it ironic that the man who flaunted his secret wealth in front of the cameras while whining about everyone was a spoiled, whiny baby but him would try to buy the title that he couldn’t earn?
Personally, Natalie was my pick of the final three, but my choice would have been Brett, who hustled his little face off at the end, winning three immunity challenges back to back. Not only did he brilliantly stay under the radar and appeared to truly be a charming, nice guy, but he would have won with that almost all-Galu jury if he’d been immune.
Russell won the Sprint audience prize, which is probably deserved, because he schemed and outwitted almost everyone. And here’s what I don’t get – something I haven’t understood for years but that happens over and over again – if someone is a huge threat, why not vote them out? Why not, after hearing them yammer on and on about who they’re taking to the final three and who they’re getting rid of, decide that they can’t take anyone anywhere if the only place they’re going is home? Those folks could see Russell moving and still didn’t get together and vote him off. In that sense, I guess that’s a reason for giving him the prize. Then again, the jury saw something we didn’t see, so I’m not second-guessing them.
Other thoughts:
— This was one of my favorite reunion shows, because Probst actually addressed the rest of the cast, and didn’t just turn it into “So enough about Russell…What do you think about Russell?” He has a tendency to only focus on the cast members he and the other producers clearly favor, instead of following up for the audience at home. There was a lot of Russell, of course, but they didn’t really have a choice – they made the decision to make the whole season about him, so there had to be some consistency. But I felt there was some focus on the other folks, too;
— I was happy to see Other Russell looking for healthy after his scary brush with death at the challenge;
— Ben and Yasmin made up, which is great. So did Laura and Shambo, as much as they’re ever going to.
— Dave Ball still looks like Doug Henning to me.
— Probst, who clearly was pulling for Russell, did ask him an interesting, critical question about whether he regretted calling the women in his original tribe as “his dumb-a– girl alliance,” what with his strong bond with the women in his family. When he said he didn’t, Probst said “Well…one of those girls kicked your a–.”
Indeed.
Next year, we’re getting another All-Star season themed “Heroes and Villains,” that I hear Russell H. is all over. I hate All Star seasons. But we’ll see!
I am now officially on vacation and will see you guys in the New Year! Happy Holidays!
he’s no superman! He’s Brett!
I agree with most of what you say here. I could not fathom why it didn’t occur to anyone to vote off Russell as soon as he ran out of idols. If anyone even mentioned it, we sure didn’t see it. It’s like it didn’t enter their brains. They did seem as stupid as he thought they were. But his clueless gloating and bragging did him in, yes, and then Erik’s speech on behalf of Natalie may have influenced other votes as well. A very strange season indeed. Russell seemed to be practically in tears and then it is so weird for him to try to buy the title from a girl who just won $1 million. Strange fellow. I hope he learned something.
Natalie coasted along letting Russel do the actual work of playing the game. The jury was full of bitter and petulant crybabies. The phrase OUTSMILE isn’t anywhere to be found in this game.
Lolwut? Both Russell and Natalie knew that to win they had to get the majority of the jury votes. Knowing this, Natalie was nice and sweet, and Russell pissed of people. Natalie then wins. Obviously, she was a better player because she actually thought about the jury vote and how to win, where as Russell just thought about getting there and assumed everyone would vote for him. Nat > Russell
In my opinion, the ONLY reason Natalie won was because of Erik’s Tribal Council speech. It actually woke people up and seperated the wheat from the chaffe regarding how the game is really played. I found myself saying, “Oh, yeah….” when Erik finished his speech and my mnd slipped for a brief moment into thoughts that she might actually be able to snip the wires of the Puppet Master. Indeed, she did. She should write Erik a nice, fat “Thank You” check because he basically shook the jury back into their senses after Russel hypnotized them for 39 days, telling them each day that he should win. Hell, I’ve watched the show faithfully for 10 years and even I was buying into the fact that nobody Outwitted, Outplayed or Outlasted him.
By the way Leslie…..Dave Ball does look like Doug Henning a little bit, but I was going more with the Mick Fleetwood (of Fleetwood Mac) resemblance idea….
Enjoy your vacation !! :-D
In the law, you sometimes say that whoever argues last has the advantage. That last jury member who spoke up — Erik? — fell for the pretty lady who arranged his outster, and effectifely pled her case for her.
Kinda like the game she played. “The aggressive ladies who actually did things were sent home early. I rested on my charms, and engineered a ‘social game’ and y’all fell for the pretty lady. Suck-ahs!”
You can say she played a good game because she won, but the trouble with riding someone else: everyone knows that had Russ been absent from controlling the game, her be-nice-and-ride-others wouldn’t work.*
Still, I’m glad she’s out there on the island using those skills, instead of as a pharmaceutical rep pushing products on doctors to sell…
* Give me Shannon’s “worker” mentality, any day — Natalie’s “skills” will fade with her looks, once she is Shambo’s ago. (Your Erik seemed to have poofed out in the end too?)
Am I the only one, by the way, who found it ironic that the man who flaunted his secret wealth in front of the cameras while whining about everyone was a spoiled, whiny baby but him would try to buy the title that he couldn’t earn?
Leslie, were we watching the same show? He DID earn it, and that was the whole point of his monetary offer.
Are you jealous because the man is successful and has made money independently in real life?
Where our country is right now, those jury members (and you it seems) just wanted to reward the pretty face who rode others. A lot of that seems to be going around lately…
He did not earn it at all. He lied, stole, and cheated. He dug his own grave with the jury. The winner is decided by the jury! (I really need to tell you that?) A person who forgets how this game works does NOT deserve the title!
Russell won the Sprint audience prize, which is probably deserved, because he schemed and outwitted almost everyone.
Lol. Generous concession, Leslie.
Maybe, he won the audience vote, because the audience at home uninvolved in the personal politicking could see how Russell outplayed them all.
The jury just liked the pretty lady, and were probably jealous of the guy who played the game heads and shoulders above the rest this year…
if someone is a huge threat, why not vote them out?
Because they need to RIDE this person, otherwise they would have to play their own games, and exhibit their own strategic skills, instead of just introducing a twist every now and then to someone else’s well-developed and overall well-executed strategy.
I’m amazed at how poorly you understand camping, game playing, and how things get done in the real world Leslie. As I mentioned in the comment above though, you seem to be in good company politically in this country right now, as some thing you can distribute the profits of the contributing class to instantly make “winners” out of those who ACKNOWLEDGE sitting back passively so as not to scare others — ie men — by actually having skills, or displaying aggression by taking action.
(How long do you think her mouse-killing skills alone would have provided for her, nevermind making her a true leader of the tribe?)
as some thinK…
Russ played an amazing game. Every survivor season I have ever watched involved the eventual winner lying and misleading other players. This is not a “all for one, one for all” event. Remember, you are not trying to uplift your fellow castaways, but get their butts kicked off the show. Russ did this with amazing style. His tribe were outnumbered, lost most of the earlier challenges, after the merge, should have been picked off one by one; But through his superior play, he saved himself and his tribe to the end.
One huge fault in his game. Your game competitors had to vote the winner. Non uninvolved viewers. (though i think they should) Russ rubbed his jurist’s noses into the dirt to such a degree, that the all hated him with a passion, and were only looking for an excuse not to give him the game. Eric gave them that bullcrap of an excuse. (all of Eric’s pontification, did not jell with his underhandedness, though, did it.
It’s all well and good to sit at home and say ‘Russell played the best game’ but the game isn’t just manipulating your way to the final three. The whole key to this game is getting the jury to vote for you. Yeah, plenty of people in the past have lied and betrayed their way to the end, but they did it in ways that didn’t make people hate them. Russell’s ego did him in and I was happy that it did – the man was so full of himself and so proud of rubbing people’s noses in it that he was practically begging to lose. And trying to buy the title was pathetic as he sat there on the verge of tears because he lost.
Natalie knew the key to the game was the jury. Finding the right coat tails to ride to the final three while playing the smart social game is not only a valid strategy but a successful one. Congratulations on a million well earned!
Sue,
We get that Natalie “won” in one way of measuring.
Now tell me: do you think OJ Simpson was innocent?
Point taken?
What a shame a bunch of losers with their panties in a bunch actually had any say in the out come of this game. Whether you like Russell or not, he played a masterful game and if I had been the one sitting there knowing a million dollars had gone to a little girl that did nothing but show her body off the whole time, I would have been in tears too.
It sounds to me like Leslie would have fit into this bunch of whiney babies perfectly.
Oh, yes; Russell most certainly did himself in. the personal, derogatory remarks about his fellow-islanders made him most worthy of losing. Gamemanship-wise, his fatal flaw was being talked into voting Shambo off—she and she alone was his ticket to the million—maybe. If nothing else, because of the way he treated people—beyond lieing about who he was going to vote for, heck, they’ve always had to do that—he was not a fit candidate to win. I’m glad he made it to the final 3, just to have his mouth, and a*# handed to him!
Russell should have won. He played them all and that is what Survivor is all about. The jury forgot that it’s a game and the winner is the one that truly manuvered everyone else. Natalie tagged along on Russell’s coat strings and the jury were the cry-babies not accepting the fact that they were tricked and deceived by a better player into being booted off. Russell not winning was a true injustice and I for one will not be wasting my time on another season. It’s not a popularity contest, but a game of skill, cunning and out-witting the other players.
The jury voted for the person they liked the best. They voted for the nicest person, not the best player.
Clearly Russell was the best (although infuriating at times) player.
I wouldn’t have watched every week (and downloaded the weeks I missed) if Russell hadn’t been up to his outwitting, outplaying and outlasting tactics.
I hope he is on the All-Star programs, although I don’t think he could get away with a lot of it again.
Natalie is sweet, but she wouldn’t have lasted if she hadn’t been Russell’s favorite puppet.
An even more perfect example of why this country is so effed-up than shows like this themselves is the posters here who actually are so ignorant of the real world they watse their time spouting off.
Anyone that thinks Russell played a masterful game has been manipulated by Jeff Probst and the CBS editors. What masterful moves did he make, exactly? Try and see through the fact that he was forced down our throats and understand that the only reason he got so far was that the other players were too stupid to conspire against him.
The game turned on Natalie’s engineering of Erik’s ouster, and she laid low in Russell’s shadow — she deserved to win, plain and simple. Winning = deserving.
Outlast … Natalie outlasted Russel … Loved Russell up to the point where he lost … also did not like the fact he burned J’s socks on live TV … the boy is a little vindictive … but as a famous “You play to win the game, You play to win the game”
Stinky ending. Russell deserved the win. Natalie was pretty useless throughout. She didn’t do any of the real work and is a horrible “winner.”
“[Natalie] played a different but obviously effective game”
what game was that? Always do as Russell tells you? I think you’re giving her credit from nowhere. In the end there’s no proof of any willful strategy on her part other than what Russell conceived for her.
Bob D.
He gave those socks to Jaison, but before handing them over he burned them. He burned his gift to J., not something J. had previously.
Kind of a metaphor for the season, eh?
People think Russ is a poor role model. But would you rather have a girl act like a Natalie (“boys are scared by competitive and aggressive girls”)?
Play the game, girls. Don’t sit back and think you’ll end up like Natalie, taking somebody else’s win at the end. Life really isn’t a popularity contest, and where it is — the results, the team as a whole, is usually worse off.
Read Probst’s response. He argues that Russell clearly won and the jury was bitter. Russell’s a jerk so what. It’s outwit, outlast and outplay not outnice.
The history of the game is about lying and mind games…Russell just turn it up a notch, baaammm!! Agreed, yes he did some things that were nasty…..people say things all the time that they shouldn’t and regret it, which I think he may regret one day, but his head was always in the game and that’s it. Russell was hurt (poor baby lol). I’m sure he would apologize, he was clearly effected by the reaction he received, because he felt it was just that a game. They were upset, all of them, especially Jaison (cry baby grown man). The analogy he used was way to serious for a game (he truly needed to take his feelings out of it). Its obvious Jaison and Erik were the most upset at Russell and they were out to show him. It was a game that they and others couldn’t take their feelings out of the vote and in the end Russell had to lose the votes based on that.
Amber got personal dislike votes because of the hate for Russell’s. Clearly people were offended from his obnoxious, chauvinist, harassment behavior…I hated some of the things that Russell did, but I loved the way he played the game….and think he should’ve won that’s just my little opinion . ….and think he should’ve won biased on his game playing. But his game was too intense and the jury gave Natalie the votes. Mick received nothing. Natalie may not have outwitted like Russell did, but she rode his coattail because he allowed her to, she never outplayed and outlasted him…he took her to that spot I feel. And, yes however she arrived there she won, but b/c of how they hated Russell, not those lies they told about how she played, they hated him and didn’t want to see him with that money. He was the reason I tuned in to even watch this season…loved me some Russell. Can’t wait to next season…I hope he is on the show. :)
Russell was by far the best player out there. Natalie road his coattail to the finals as a weak and useless player. Russell played the best game of Survivor to date, no if’s, and’s, or but’s. What he wanted to happen happened every week, that is in itself amazing!!!
The only reason he did not win is because the people on the jury could not stand to see him win (sour grapes), even though he outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted each one of them.
Usually the strong players are picked off quickly since everyone sees them as a huge threat. That is what happened to Eric and others. Russell was able to play the game strong and hard, yet avoiding the blindside which has become so popular.
As a long time viewer, when you watch someone who was head and shoulders above the crowd and he still loses at the vote, it makes you wonder if it is really worth watching Survivor, since only the weak and meek will win.
Mick played a better game than Natalie. Heck, the vast majority of contestants played a better game than Natalie. Did she deserve to win? No. Did a few others who played hard deserve to win? Yes. Did Russell? Oh yes he did!!!
1. Um Mick played a better game? Really? I think not. I hope he is a better decision maker as a doctor than as a survivor player.
2. Russell didn’t deserve any prize. If he was so smart, why would he take the southern belle to the final 3? That’s not too smart in my opinion. Plus the arrogance, I mean, come on already.
3. Whether the pill pushing southern belle deserved the big pot is irrelevant. She got it. Revenge vote, good game play, right or wrong, no one gives a sh*t. The jury gave it to her.
Dear Concerned Citizen,
Just saying that Russell played the best game to date is not enough. What exactly did he do that makes you think that? I agree that he was the best player out there *this season*, but that’s not much of an accomplishment.
What did he do that was so great?