"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)
Quick Note: We’re going to be bringing you all kinds of “Survivor” fun this season including episode recaps, exit interviews, and Power Rankings with Jenn Brown and Max Dawson. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.
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To paraphrase a little from “Hoosiers,” there are two kinds of crazy in the world. One where the person strips naked, runs out in the snow, and barks at the moon. And the other is where the guy does the same thing in your living room. The first kind doesn’t matter, the second kind you’re forced to deal with.
Abi-Maria was barking in the middle of Peih-Gee’s living room.
I spoke to the most recent victim of Hurricane Abi the morning after her elimination and asked her about life with our favorite Brazilian dragon, Varner’s meltdown, and unique jewelry designs…
Gordon Holmes: Tribe swaps, man. What a trainwreck.
Peih-Gee Law: (Laughs)
Holmes: I feel like I don’t have a great grasp on a lot of the things that happened last night. Let’s start with Varner giving Wiglesworth the high sign after the challenge. What exactly happened there?
Law: I was so out of it after the challenge from the sun and everything that I missed half of it. Varner basically just blew up everybody. I think when Tasha called him out he panicked and said, “Why are you picking on me? I saw Woo talking to Savage, Peih-Gee was trying to make deals with him.” He just called out a bunch of people, and that’s what put him in the hot seat. Woo was like, “I don’t know if I want to work with him. He’s being crazy. I want to go with Savage/Tasha now.” And at that point, I was like, why is Varner calling me out? I’m his ally. It really should have been Jeff that night.
Holmes: How close were you with Woo? Did that start after the swap or were you close before that?
Law: Woo was my best friend out there. Woo and Kelly Wiglesworth. After we voted out Vytas, I thought about it some more and I really regretted being in an alliance with Abi.
Holmes: Why would you possibly regret that?
Law: (Laughs) Why would anyone feel that way? So, I was going to try to get to know them a little bit better. Let’s start working on the shelter more. And I was able to bond with them from that. Wiglesworth is amazing. Her and I got along really well together because we’re both hard workers. We also bonded over our mutual dislike of a certain tribemate.
Holmes: Maybe if you hadn’t stolen that tribemate’s bracelet, she would’ve been in a better mood.
Law: Well, I am a jeweler. I wanted to steal it and copy it because it was so beautiful. It was really difficult getting accused of something you didn’t do and then have someone go around and tell everybody you’re a thief. I know it’s a game, but I don’t think that was strategic. That was just her being herself.
Holmes: I like the idea that you would risk your standing in a game for a million dollars over a bracelet that was worth a fraction of that.
Law: (Laughs) And you know what else? The same thing happened to her on her first season. Maybe she would think the same thing happened here and someone put her bracelet in my bag.
Holmes: I thought it would be funny when I put her bracelet in your bag. I didn’t think it’d blow up like this.
Law: (Laughs) That was you the first time also!
Holmes: Yes, in the Philippines. You cannot trust me around camp. You’d think CBS would learn this.
Law: The only good thing that came out of Braceletgate is that it drew a lot of attention to me being a jeweler.
Holmes: You can use this to further your career. The glass is half full.
Holmes: When you guys got to Angkor, you had the numbers. When Savage and Tasha flipped it, was there ever any talk of working out differences and keeping old Ta Keo solid or was Abi long gone by then?
Law: It was always going to be Savage and Tasha. It wasn’t until after the challenge that we were talking about going for Varner. Me and Woo were really tight. And, after the challenge Woo didn’t trust Jeff. And I’d ask Woo, “Where’s Savage? Is he looking for an idol?” Woo would run off, find out, then come back and tell me what he saw. So, I really trusted Woo at that point. I needed to keep Woo happy and if he really wants to go for Jeff, this is what we have to do. It really should have been Jeff. Savage and Tasha were saved by his meltdown. And it wasn’t until I talked to Abi and she said, “I’m never voting with you guys. I’m just totally going to be Tasha’s pawn.” Which is essentially what she said. She made it clear that we’d lost her, so if I vote out Jeff I’ll lose two people. It’s really my own fault. If I said nothing and let Jeff go, he’d 100% be the one going home. They didn’t show it, but right after I was voted out, Tasha yelled out, “It shouldn’t have been you tonight. It should have been Jeff.” Anyway, it was my own fault. It would’ve only bought me three more days. And you never know what can change in three days.
Holmes: The next day they split into fourteen tribes.
Law: Seventeen tribes of one would have been ideal.
Holmes: I really, genuinely like Abi-Maria. Outside of the game, she’s delightful. I have a theory that in the game as long as I’m cool with her, she’ll be cool with me. Based on what I’m seeing, that theory is wildly inaccurate.
Law: I’ve never interacted with Abi-Maria in her home territory. So, I have no idea what she’s like in her normal life. She could be the most amazing person. So, any comments I make are strictly from in the game. She turns into Mr. Hyde when she’s on “Survivor.” She’s literally turned around and bit everyone she’s worked with in the butt. Even Varner, who told me over and over again, “I’ve got her, I can control her. She’ll be easy to get rid of.” I said, “That’s the problem. Everybody is going to think that and she’s going to make it through to the end.” She jumped ship to Tasha who was petting her a little bit more. Suddenly she’ s Tasha’s pet. She’s not Jeff’s pet. I think it’s a mistake to work with someone like that.
Holmes: When the decision was made to get rid of Shirin, was that strictly a numbers thing because they had Kelly, Terry, Abi, Woo, and Jeff?
Law: Yeah. Varner had the numbers already. He was gunning for Spencer. And Shirin was trying to get out Varner. And then Varner rallied everyone against her. The vote that night should have been Abi. Terry, Wiglesworth, Woo, everyone had agree to vote out Abi-Maria. They didn’t show it, but Terry and Abi had a fight also. She accused him of assaulting her when he’d just said a few choice words. She came back crying. They didn’t show that because they want Terry to look like America’s hero.
Holmes: Was that before or after he went to her when she was crying on the beach?
Law: Before. They were all set to vote her out, then the big fight happened and she decided to jump ship because Shirin didn’t come comfort her. And I get why they made it look like Terry was the only one who came to talk to her, but really everybody talked to her that night. She just arbitrarily picked Terry. So, they had an extra number and that was it.
Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Terry.
Law: I have a couple of things prepared.
Holmes: That’s not how this works.
Law: (Laughs) Terry was America’s dad. Dad jokes, dad stories, dad bod.
Holmes: Wiglesworth?
Law: Earth mama. I loved her. One of my best friends out there.
Holmes: Wentworth?
Law: She’s a cat. She’s long and sleek and she keeps landing on her feet.
Holmes: Woo?
Law: A ninja spy. He reported everything to me and was one of my best friends.
Holmes: Varner?
Law: He’s that friend with the awesome new car who takes you out for a ride and you’re like, “Yeah, I wanna go for a ride in your car!” But once you’re out there he starts going really fast and crazy and you get really scared.
Holmes: Shirin?
Law: Shirin is the shiny new car that Varner is driving that crashed.
Holmes: Spencer?
Law: He’s an earnest, smart, intelligent kid. I love him.
Holmes: Vytas?
Law: I wish I’d kept Vytas around.
Holmes: Savage?
Law: In the words of Shii-Ann (Huang), Savage is Captain America with his perfect teeth and his perfect life…as he’ll be quick to tell you.
Holmes: Tasha?
Law: Tasha…dressed like a leprechaun.
Holmes: Let’s finish with your buddy Abi.
Law: (Laughs) I thought very long and hard about this. Abi is like a rabid Chihuahua. She yapped too much, was irritating and mad all the time.
Holmes: I heard a hot little rumor that you tried to sneak some contraband into the game.
Law: (Laughs) Well, I’d prepared a couple of things. I’m a jeweler, so I had some earrings that I had gold-plated and I set with some pearls and other gemstones. They were little fishhooks. And I also had a little piece of flint. I wrapped it in some fishing line and twine and sewed it onto a cardigan that I was wearing. It was like a button closure. It got taken away.
Holmes: Sneaky, sneaky.
Law: People say it’s cheating, but people bring in reading glasses that start fire. I just brought in a jacket where the button can start a fire. I don’t see what the difference is. But, I’m designing a whole line of survival jewelry. I already took an order for the fishhook earrings. So, look out for my line of survival jewelry.
Holmes: Hey, life gave you lemons, and you’ve made hilarious jewelry with them.
Law: You’ve got to work with what you’ve got.
Holmes: And Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer has said, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.”
Law: I wasn’t cheating! (Laughs) But I was trying.
Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
Tags: peih-gee law, survivor, survivor cambodia, survivor second chance
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