"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)
I’ll admit it, I didn’t think Kimmi or Keith had a chance of winning “Survivor: Second Chance.” And yet at final six, Kimmi was planning a huge move and Keith was a challenge force.
All it took was two idols and the craziest Tribal Council ever to thwart their plans.
I spoke to the duo the morning after the finale and got their thoughts on the final-six shocker, Jeremy’s baby bomb, and Spencer’s chances…
Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Second Chance”
Gordon Holmes: At final six you made the move to flip on Jeremy, which is an amazing new-school move for an old-school Australian. Why that move at that moment?
Kimmi Kappenberg: That was when we would have had the numbers. Prior to that I don’t think it would have worked because I didn’t trust everybody. Abi was there beforehand, but Jeremy had been telling Abi that she was in the alliance. Apparently there were seven people in an alliance with seven people left. Jeremy was telling everybody they were good. With Keith and me and Wentworth I figured that was when we could do it. And if there was a tie we’d draw rocks. We didn’t think about two idols being played.
Holmes: Do you take any solace in the fact that you went home in the craziest Tribal Council of all time?
Kappenberg: Well, yes. (Laughs) I went out the way no other person has gone out. It was epic. It was bewildering.
Holmes: How many times did Jeff have to explain the rules before everyone knew what was going on? It took me a while.
Keith Nale: I don’t think I still have it to tell you the truth. It went along for so long that finally I said, “I’m done with this.” I thought they were back there making up the rules themselves. You’ve got to be kidding me. My name has never been wrote down and I’m fixing to go home?!
Holmes and Kappenberg: (Laughs)
Nale: I said, “I’m done with this. Kimmi you go and take this.”
Kappenberg: Neither one of us had our names written down prior to that Tribal. That was what was so infuriating. How did we become the ones on the chopping block?
Holmes: It must’ve been touching to have Keith offer to step down for you.
Kappenberg: It was very sweet and everything, but I knew that I had made that decision. As much as I wanted to be there, at that point I was not a challenge beast. If it wasn’t me going home that day, it would’ve been the next day. At least with Keith being there he had a chance to go and win. I made the decision. I have to live with the consequences.
Holmes: I think it’s fair to say that neither one of you were on anyone’s list to win at the beginning of the season. But here we are at final six and Kimmi’s plotting big moves and Keith is still a serious challenge threat. It must’ve been nice to still have a puncher’s chance at that point.
Nale: You look back and all the sudden it dawns on you, it’s really crunch time. But, you’re mentally and physically drained. It’s gratifying, but disappointing at the same time.
Kappenberg: When Keith forgot Tasha’s name, you could’ve asked me on day 36 at that Tribal Council, “What’s your phone number?” I would’ve been like, “Uhh…what is my phone number?” You’re that worn out with everything. I guess part of the thing where my old-school experience was kind of flawed in this is we didn’t have hidden immunity idols. And so, even though there had been other idols played, you’d think there might be one left, but not two of them. And it should have been clear as day that Jeremy had two.
Holmes: Why?
Kappenberg: Because I know how important this game is to Jeremy and how protective he is of his family. There’s no way in hell Jeremy would’ve played an idol for Fishbach if he only had one. I should’ve been more perceptive.
Holmes: If Jeremy had gotten rid of Spencer and kept Kelley, who would you have voted for?
Kappenberg: I would’ve voted for Wentworth.
Nale: I think the same here. Kelley played a heck of a game. I wouldn’t want to be sitting by either one. I think our big mistake was when Abi was there. We could’ve made a big change at seven.
Holmes: If Spencer had won final four and taken Kelley instead of Jeremy, who would you have voted for?
Kappenberg: Wentworth.
Nale: Same here.
Kappenberg: As much as you have everybody playing out there, Spencer had a lot of lucky breaks that he doesn’t give people on the jury credit for. He thinks he’s this great mastermind, but he doesn’t remember that we had the opportunity to vote him out when we voted out Monica. And, he forgets that Kass, his nemesis, saved him. It wasn’t to do with his social game at all. There were just other things going on. And personal feelings come into play also. The arrogance of Spencer. He’s got to grow a little bit before he earns.
Holmes: What is an example of Spencer’s arrogance?
Kappenberg: The night I got voted out he was a bully. “You’re not going to go against us,” and “You’d better jump on board.” He was being a bully. He’d be like that and he doesn’t recognize it. When he was on the hammock with Jeremy he said, “You’re not listening to me, you’re not willing to bend!”
Holmes: I asked Jeremy to give me a question for you, Keith. He said that you didn’t want to work with him in “San Juan del Sur” because he was a challenge threat. Then you go to “Second Chance” and work with Joe who is the biggest challenge threat ever. So, he wants to know why you wouldn’t work with him.
Nale: Well, shoot. That’s a hard question. Me and Jeremy…we never clicked. We got together in the beginning of this one, and I said, “Let’s forget all that and go play our games.” Jeremy, he’s a good strategist, he’s a good speaker. I just wanted to do my own thing.
Holmes: When Jeremy dropped the baby bomb, I was wondering if anyone would think he was pulling some Jonny Fairplay-esque move.
Nale: To me he was pretty convincing. I don’t think you throw something out there to get sympathy votes. Looking at them, Jeremy was going to get my vote whether she was pregnant or not.
Kappenberg: Exactly. Tasha out there…she was another one. You could’ve put anyone next to Tasha and Spencer and they would’ve won. You could put Abi out there and it would’ve been a tough call.
Nale: Yeah.
Kappenberg: Abi had been mentally abused out there. Her feelings were hurt.
Nale: She was a time bomb.
Kappenberg: But she would’ve gotten my vote over Tasha and Spencer. That’s how anti-Tasha and Spencer I am. There were different things you didn’t see, like in the food challenge where she’s eating the balut and she’s pounding her chest and saying, “I’m doing this out of hate! I’m doing this out of hate!” It’s like, “Who the heck are you? What are you doing?” The audience didn’t get to see that. Why are Tasha and Spencer so protected? Even during the loved-one visit, they showed us for a little bit, but it still managed to be about Spencer. Ooo…he’s got a little girlfriend. Oooo…he said, “I love you.” And he didn’t even win the damn reward.
Holmes: Keith, who are you voting for in a Spencer, Abi, Tasha final three?
Nale: That’d be a close call right there. I don’t know…I might have to give it to Spencer. Just because Abi and Tasha…it’d be a close call. Close call. Not Tasha. I look at it like, “Did they really play this game?” Spencer won some challenges. He made it further than me.
Holmes: Kimmi, is it nice to have some bragging rights over Jeff Varner?
Kappenberg: Oh, heck yeah!
Nale: (Laughs)
Kappenberg: That was one of the things I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to make it farther than last time, I want to beat Varner, make the merge, be on the jury, make the family visit, maybe win the whole thing. It felt great.
Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
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