“Survivor: Game Changers” (CBS)
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Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”
Gordon Holmes: You are just a victim of your own success, man.
Ozzy Lusth: (Laughs)
Holmes: You are never ever going to be safe after a merge.
Lusth: Of course not.
Holmes: In some way you’ve got to take it as a compliment.
Lusth: Yeah, there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ve got to go out and enjoy every moment you can on “Survivor” because sooner or later it’s going to be your last and you’re going to be blindsided. You just have to hope that you played as well as you possibly could have.
Holmes: Had you heard your name tossed around before Tribal or was that a complete blindside?
Lusth: I didn’t hear my name. They did a good job blindsiding me. They were able to pull off what is potentially one of the biggest moves in the game thus far.
Holmes: We learned that Debbie was the driving force behind the move. Did you have any idea that she was gunning for you?
Lusth: I had no idea. It’s a surprise, frankly. Debbie and I had a good relationship up until that point. It kind of came out of the blue.
Holmes: Did Debbie’s use of the extra vote tip you off that she was a part of it?
Lusth: Yeah. That was really stupid of her. Then I knew who was behind it.
Holmes: At the merge there was this large alliance that seems like it’s made up of Ozzy’s people and Brad and Sierra’s people. What was the dynamic like when you’d get together to discuss things?
Lusth: Brad, Sierra, and I were on the same tribe from the very beginning. We always had an alliance together. The whole game up to that point was about getting back on the same tribe together. I thought I could trust Brad and Sierra to keep me in the game. Obviously they thought it was an opportune moment to get rid of me.
Holmes: So, the goal in all of this was to reunite the original Nuku tribe.
Lusth: Exactly.
Holmes: This is a crazy season. Seems like Probst is throwing a new twist at you guys every five minutes. As an older school guy, were you into it or was it frustrating?
Lusth: I thought it was fun to have these twists. But, I didn’t benefit from any of it this time. I got the short end of the stick all around. I wish I could’ve gotten a little luck. I could’ve grabbed the right pouch. I wish something would have gone my way. I didn’t find an idol, I just got kind of shafted all around.
Holmes: You and Tai had an interesting relationship. You’re working together and yet he throws your name out at Tribal.
Lusth: I wish Tai would have been more loyal. It would have helped his game out a lot. He flips at the first sign of an opportunity. It was frustrating, but I really do like Tai. He’s one of the people, like Brad, who really enjoys the experience. He enjoys being out there and fishing and helping around camp.
Holmes: We didn’t get to see what happened the night after Varner’s elimination with his ill-advised reveal. What was the mood like at camp afterwards?
Lusth: I think there was a big sense of relief that we made it though such a crazy Tribal. There was also a sense of shock because we all knew the ramifications that were going to come to light months down the road when the show airs. We were all there to support Zeke and give him our love and support.
Holmes: It was rough to watch, but my takeaway was that Zeke handled it as well as a person could and the tribe’s reaction and support was very heartwarming.
Lusth: I think you can only hope that there’s a silver lining to any dark cloud. And hopefully the people who are driven by fear and are seeing somebody who’s a trans person coming out on national television can see that there’s a real human being behind them. Hopefully our politicians, our president, will see that we’re real people. Everybody deserves the same rights. There’s no difference and we can’t live this life of fear anymore. We all need to stand up for each other and say that people like Zeke and people that are discriminated against deserve the exact same treatment that everybody else gets.
Holmes: Cirie is someone you seemed to have an on-again, off-again relationship with. She was so impressive last night.
Lusth: My opinion of Cirie has grown tenfold. I’ve always respected her and she’s always been a great person to play with. She’s so much fun. She has so many stories. She’s a great friend. I respect her more than almost everyone else I’ve played with. She has the ability to use her personality and sense of being to get further in the game when she doesn’t necessarily have athletic skills or surviving skills. But, she’s a hard worker and she has a great personality. You want to be around her. I wish I had been more open to working with her from the very beginning. That’s one of the regrets I have. I’m rooting for her 100%.
Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with JT.
Lusth: He’s a good old boy.
Holmes: Sierra?
Lusth: Bronco.
Holmes: Brad?
Lusth: Killer.
Holmes: Tai?
Lusth: Spider monkey.
Holmes: Sarah?
Lusth: Robber.
Holmes: Zeke?
Lusth: Sunshine.
Holmes: Cirie?
Lusth: Joker.
Holmes: Andrea?
Lusth: Unicorn.
Holmes: Debbie?
Lusth: Snake.
Holmes: Sandra?
Lusth: The queen.
Holmes: Varner?
Lusth: Dark horse.
Holmes: Aubry?
Lusth: Woody Allen.
Holmes: Michaela?
Lusth: Bad ass.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Troyzan.
Lusth: Monkey man.
Holmes: You called Debbie a snake, and last night we saw her fake drunk act. Hali didn’t buy it, did you?
Lusth: Not really. She’s a kook. She needs attention. She really loves the spotlight. Television is perfect for her. The problem with Debbie is she has so many stories about everything. She’s pretty much done everything you can possibly imagine from being a waitress to being a chemist, to jumping out of planes. She’s done it all. She’s kind of a know-it-all. Debbie is like a crazy cat lady without the cats.
Holmes: We need to start brainstorming for your fifth time.
Lusth: Yes!
Holmes: Right before the merge, there needs to be some kind of faked injury. Fall out of a tree…wink, wink…then a makeshift sling or something.
Lusth: That’s a good call. I’m going to take that under consideration. When I’m 40 years old and “Survivor” is on its last season, that’s what I’ll do.
Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
Tags: ozzy lusth, survivor, survivor game changers
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