Things only got worse for The Onion Alliance last night on Survivor: Gabon. An opposing alliance, headed up by Crystal and Kenny, managed to take out Marcus last week and last night, they got rid of his partner in crime, Charlie. Had the Kota and Fang tribes stayed in tact from the beginning of this game up until the merge, Charlie and his alliance would have made a good run all the way to the very end but Survivor is always full of twists and turns. Today, Charlie spoke to BuddyTV in an exclusive interview and keeps it positive.
Below, you will find the complete transcript and mp3 of the interview.
Well, first tell me your reaction when you found out that Marcus had been eliminated.
I actually was predicting that Marcus would be eliminated once I realized that they had lost the challenge so although I did have a little bit of hope that maybe Susie, Kenny, and Crystal would keep the biggest threat in the game. I would’ve given anything to have seen him there. Needless to say, I was still disappointed when he didn’t walk in at that challenge and it was definitely a punch in the stomach.
It almost looked like it affected Corinne more than you. Was she more surprised?
Corinne was actually trying to convince me the day before. I was like, “Marcus is gone. Marcus is gone.” I’ve seen Survivor a million times. I know strategy. I mean, you’d have to be an idiot to not vote out Marcus. She kept saying, “Don’t put that in the universe. Don’t put that into the universe.” She’s a really positive person and she just didn’t want us thinking that way. Corinne also happens to be a little more emotive and when she finds out things or has emotions, she lets people know them a lot more than I do. I was a little more cautious. So even though I probably wanted to vomit at that moment, I tried to remain composed.
Speaking of strategy, what was your strategy coming into the game and did you have to change it up throughout?
My strategy was just to be a generally likable person and develop strong relationships. As I’ve noticed in past seasons, the people who made it to the end were actual genuine friends. You know, Todd and Courtney and Amanda and Parvati… and to build trust, you have to build that and develop that genuinely. That said, I really didn’t have a set in stone strategy. I know Survivor and I know the twists and you have to be on your toes. You have to be adaptable and flexible and I knew that’s what I was going to have to be.
When I talked to Marcus, he said that you two were genuinely friends in and outside the game. What does his friendship mean to you?
My friendship with Marcus, Corinne, and Randy is one of the most amazing things I got from this game. Especially Marcus. I really, really like and respect Marcus a ton and we’re very close. I have a lot in common with him, shared an experience that’s so unique, we saw eye to eye each step of the way. I feel very fortunate to have met Marcus and Corinne and Randy a lot of other people on the show.
Did you have a moment this season where you thought this was your lowest point?
You know, I tried to stay positive the whole time. I think the low for me was the first twist when they switched up the teams and then Jacquie got the boot and that was really tragic for our alliance. We were able to pick up the pieces. I think when I realized, at the ten, when we were supposed to merge, we had to pick out of a bag to switch tribes, I think that was a low. I was like, “Okay, what do I do know?” I throw my hands in the air because you can’t really develop a strategy when it’s just going to be broken down all the time.
Is Crystal running this game right now? What’s going on?
I don’t know who’s running the game over there. I really don’t know. From a viewer’s perspective, it looks like it’s Kenny and Crystal who are calling the shots. That alliance appears to be very strong. It doesn’t look like my alliance is going to be able to duke it out to the end but I’m rooting for someone from my alliance.
What kind of Survivor player do you respect at the end of the day?
I respect intelligence and smart moves and I think if you’re going to make strategic moves, take people out, which you have to do in Survivor, you can do it in a nice way. You don’t need to give someone the finger when you vote someone out, like Crystal does. You can say, “You’re a threat.” There’s ways to be strategic and there’s ways that I don’t respect. If I’m gonna vote for you, I want you to be there because you played the game, not because you sat along and got lucky enough to ride coattails.
What has life been like for you since you’ve been home and since the season has been started and you’ve been watching it?
I’m a huge Survivor fan, I’ve always been a huge Survivor fan. It’s just looking at Survivor in a whole different way. My actual life is not different. I’m a lawyer, I go to work every morning, I work out, and I hang out with my friends but I have a whole new appreciation for Thursday nights?
– Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
