'Survivor: Cagayan' (CBS)
NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to be for all sorts of “Survivor: Cagayan” back-stabbin’, torch-snuffin’ fun. We’ll have Power Rankings with “Blood vs. Water” competitor Ciera Eastin, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.
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Yeah, yeah…for the 100th straight season, the person I picked to win “Survivor” went home without a million-dollar check.
And while we’re at it, let’s forget that I had Tony in last place and Spencer in second-to-last place.
I spoke with the latest victim of the Gordon Holmes “Survivor” Curse the morning after she was sent packing and had a chance to ask about the real Tony, the real Kass, and if I should be real sorry…
Gordon Holmes: So…sorry about that whole curse thing.
Latasha Fox: (Laughs) You should be sorry! Next time if I play again could you please pick someone else?
Holmes: I promise.
Fox: (Laughs) But I appreciate you for recognizing my greatness.
Holmes: How could I not! You’re a St. Louis girl!
Fox: (Laughs)
Holmes: Is that why you’re so good at challenges? Because you’re from the same town as the St. Louis Cardinals?
Fox: Oh yes, the “Show Me State.” We’ll show you what we’re working with.
Holmes: Are you a big Cardinals fan?
Fox: Love, love, love the Cardinals. They’re awesome.
Holmes: I grew up in St. Louis and have been a Cardinals fan my whole life.
Fox: Awesome! That’s great. I knew I liked you for a reason.
Holmes: Who’s your favorite player? Who’s your guy?
Fox: Um…I like all of them? (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs) Me too.
Holmes: Alright, CBS is going to get upset if we don’t talk about “Survivor.” Last night it seemed like Tony thought something was up because you weren’t scrambling. Did he read the situation correctly?
Fox: That threw me off a little. Scrambling is not in my personality, so I don’t know where he got that from. Given the fact that I’d just come off of three immunity wins, it’s not like he would have recognized a trend. The only time I was on the chopping block was when Morgan went home. And I gave this big speech saying, “It was great working with you. I’m going to wear my formal suit tonight. I appreciate you guys.” I was trying to use reverse psychology. So, him coming up with imaginary trends? That was kind of random. It hadn’t been something that I’d done before.
Holmes: You show up on the beach on day one and Probst says, “Hey, you’re on the Brains tribe.” You’re a former NFL cheerleader, so you’d probably have qualified for all three tribes. Is that a compliment to be on the Brains tribe? Is it an insult?
Fox: That’s a double-edged sword. I took pride in being on the Brains tribe because beauty and brawn are something you can recognize visibly. Intelligence is something you can’t. So, getting that validation was great. On the other side of that, I don’t know how many brains spent time in the gym. So, I’m like, “Crap, I’m screwed.” It didn’t look like the other brains had any physical ability.
Holmes: There aren’t many unforgivable sins on “Survivor.” But one of them could be, “Don’t mess with the food supply.” Were you worried you could take heat for keeping J’Tia around after she cooked all the rice at once?
Fox: (Laughs) Absolutely not. I think keeping J’Tia was the right decision. Had I voted her out, then that would have left Spencer and Garrett with the authority and power to say if I would go home next or if Kass would go home next. That was power that I was not willing to relinquish. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my million-dollar game for a five-dollar bag of rice. I needed her for one more week and if we lost again she’d be the person to go.
Holmes: After Kass flipped on you guys at the merge, she continued to rub people like Spencer and Jeremiah the wrong way. What was your relationship with her like?
Fox: After Kass flipped I could not talk to her for like three days. I didn’t want to say anything that could jeopardize her willingness to work with me in the future. So, instead of addressing the situation, I had to take a step back. I was upset, but I knew maybe I’d need her. I felt like it was the wrong decision for her game, but that was the decision she made. My thing was to do the best with what I had. So, after she flipped I knew I had a physical game, so I turned that up.
Holmes: Tony is hinting that he has two idols. At this point in the game, does anyone believe him?
Fox: I think we believed that he had the one. The second one we were a little iffy about it. But, if he says he has it, it’d behoove you to just believe him. Tony, you just never know. Just assume the worst.
Holmes: Last night we saw Tony kick back and tell police stories. What’s he like when he’s not fighting with Kass or hiding in his Spy Shack?
Fox: I really like Tony outside of the game. He’s a family person. He loves his wife, he loves his daughter. He’s a good guy. But in the game sometimes you have to be a totally different person to win. I respect that. But I don’t think Tony would have been as great as he says he is if he didn’t have a Trish or a Woo. Give me a Trish and a Woo and I’ll be as great as Tony…if not better.
Holmes: Tony keeps blindsiding Trish, and she keeps picking up the pieces and saying it’s cool. What was your relationship like with her?
Fox: I had a good relationship with everyone even though they were picking off my alliance members. You just never know when they’ll be ready to make a big move. I like Trish. What I didn’t appreciate about Trish is that she didn’t do more in the game. She played her role, which was the clean-up lady. After the bloodbath that is Tony, she’d come by with the mop and the broom to clean up his mess.
Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Spencer.
Fox: Smart.
Holmes: Morgan?
Fox: Sweet.
Holmes: Jeremiah?
Fox: Cutie.
Holmes: LJ?
Fox: Overestimated.
Holmes: Tony?
Fox: Crazy.
Holmes: Kass?
Fox: Confused.
Holmes: Trish?
Fox: Sweet.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Woo.
Fox: Funny.
Holmes: One of my favorite strategic moments of the season was at Tribal where you and Spencer both said you’d vote for Tony if he got to the end. That seemed like a great way to get his alliance to wake up. Was that a narrative you guys pushed often?
Fox: At every opportunity I had I said, “If Tony’s in the end, I’m voting for him. If you make a move, I might vote for you.” It wasn’t necessarily the truth. It’d depend on who Tony was sitting next to. But in the moment, I was trying to get these other people to realize that they were playing Tony’s game. Like I said about Trish, she was instrumental in getting Kass to flip, but she wasn’t getting credit for it.
Holmes: Ok, here’s the deal. You’re going to come back on the show.
Fox: (Laughs) OK.
Holmes: I’m not going to pick you to win.
Fox: (Laughs) Thank you.
Holmes: And in exchange, you have to learn the names of some Cardinals.
Fox: (Laughs) Matt Holliday.
Holmes: That works!
Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
Tags: jeff probst, latasha fox, survivor, survivor cagayan
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