“Survivor: Game Changers” (CBS)
QUICK NOTE: We’ll have interviews with all six of the “Survivor: Game Changers” finalists. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.
Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”
Gordon Holmes: Aw man…
Cirie Fields: (Laughs)
Holmes: I’m sitting there…I’ve got my popcorn and my soda…I’m having a good ol’ time. And about forty minutes into it…just…damnit…and four idols later you’re gone. Why do we do this? Why do we bother?
Fields: (Laughs) You know what? It’s an amazing journey, Gordon. And you love it like you love it. That’s why we do it.
Holmes: I don’t love it when my Malcolms and my Ciries leave the game for weird reasons.
Fields: It’s just crazy. We could have never thought of this! I could have never imagined in all my years of watching. I never would have come up with this scenario. So, to have it unfold, and to have it unfold against me? It was just…wow!
Holmes: As you’re sitting there and the dominoes keep falling.
Fields: (Laughs)
Holmes: Sarah’s like, “I’ve got one.” And Troyzan’s like, “That’s funny because…blam!” What’re you thinking at that moment?
Fields: Uh oh. (Laughs) I’m thinking “What the hell is going on? Wow, did he just? Did they just?” That was literally what was going on in my head. I felt like when I was watching it I came out of my body and I was saying, “Oh my God, what is happening on ‘Survivor!’” And then I came back into my body and I thought, “Damn, I’m out!”
Holmes: This has never happened before and I was fuzzy on the rules. So, when Jeff said, “There are no votes for Cirie,” I thought, “Wait…isn’t that a tie? Don’t we go to rocks?!” But…no.
Fields: For whatever reason, I knew it meant I was out. But I was so caught up in the can’t-believe-this-is-happening fan moment that I didn’t think of any other rules. I just knew I was out. It was a crazy feeling of elation…and excitement.
Holmes: Another big moment was Brad choosing Sarah over Tai. Based on what I’ve seen, which is only an hour of every three days, that seemed like a huge mistake. As someone who was out there, did you appreciate what a big threat Sarah was?
Fields: We did and we should give Brad a pass because Brad still could have won. The night that Aubry went home, we all talked. We knew that Brad would be thinking old-school style. He’s old-school…so am I…but that’s the thing, you have to evolve with the game. But we knew Brad would be thinking, “Everyone’s pissed at Sarah. Troyzan hasn’t really played. They’re going to be too angry to see the forest for the trees so they’re going to give it to me because everyone’s mad.” So, we all planned to give Sarah a dirty look so Brad would take Sarah. And he did, so that was his fatal flaw. This game was not about people’s feelings. It was almost like a professional poker game. You don’t care about how people feel. The only thing you care about is who made the better plays. As a group, that’s what we were looking at.
Holmes: When Sarah took out Michaela, at the time it didn’t make sense to me. But, when she said she did it because Michaela was your right hand, I was blown away. That’s some next-level thinking there.
Fields: That was gangsta. I knew they were aiming for me. I knew any chance they’d get they’d get rid of Michaela because they weren’t really worried about me winning the challenges. And they knew if Michaela won a challenge that we could go for one of them. And, Sarah didn’t want anybody close to anybody she thought she was in with. I think it was a great move. That’s why most of us awarded Sarah the win. We respected her gameplay.
Holmes: If you could do one thing differently, what would it have been?
Field: Oh boy…
Holmes: Gotcha.
Fields: That’s a good one. I probably would not have tried to save Sarah with her advantage. I would have let things play out. Or, I would have went over and got the Michaela advantage instead of crying. (Laughs) I would have wiped the tears out of my eyes and been more aware of my surroundings. I could have done that too when I stepped over the advantage Sierra picked up.
Holmes: Was there anything you did out there that we didn’t see that you wished they would have shown?
Fields: I liked it just how it was. The good, the bad, the ugly…I wouldn’t change a thing. The only thing I would have changed was if I could be in the final three and win the whole thing.
Holmes: It seemed like there was a little feud brewing between you and Sandra before the game started, but you never ended up on the same tribe. What did you think of her gameplay this season?
Fields: I’ve got to give a little nod to the queen. But, I don’t know about this feud. It didn’t really include me. And when I talked to Sandra afterwards, I think there was a misinterpretation of an interview I did. I let her know how I felt. There was never any personal attack towards her. I had comments on the seasons she won. I think it was more of a fan-based feud. I don’t know how Sandra feels. But we might’ve been feuding if we were on the same tribe.
Holmes: That’d be something to see.
Fields: Yes, sir! (Laughs)
Holmes: Before the vote-steal fiasco, would you have taken Sarah to the end?
Fields: I would’ve went to the end with Sarah.
Holmes: What argument would you have used against her?
Fields: I shouldn’t have been there at all. You don’t see anybody else who’s played the games as many times as I have still sitting here. Secondly, I was responsible for Michaela staying, I was responsible for a lot of the votes. But, not aggressively and overtly because I couldn’t do that. Had I done that? If I pick up a leaf everyone’s thinking, “Oh, she’s scheming!” I had to make myself very small and very non-threatening. She did all of this, she flipped, but I did a lot too behind the scenes that most of you know about but didn’t realize that I was doing it with your help.
Holmes: Alright, word association time.
Fields: (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs) I know. It’s brand new! Let’s start off with JT.
Fields: Hater.
Holmes: Ozzy?
Fields: Nice guy.
Holmes: Brad?
Fields: (Laughs) Gordon, you’re trying to make me be bad!
Holmes: I am. Give in!
Fields: (Laughs) Culpepper is…self-centered.
Holmes: Zeke?
Fields: Amazing.
Holmes: Andrea?
Fields: Cinderella! That’s what I called her.
Holmes: Debbie?
Fields: Eccentric. And I use that in lieu of another term.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Fields: He’s everybody’s friend.
Holmes: Tai?
Fields: He’s like a little doll. I want to pick him up so bad, but I’m old enough to know that you shouldn’t walk around picking up grown men. Tai is wonderful.
Holmes: Sierra?
Fields: She’s a tall drink of water. Cowgirl.
Holmes: Hali?
Fields: Unimpactful.
Holems: Michaela?
Fields: Little sis.
Holmes: Aubry?
Fields: Aubry is village cool.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Officer Sarah.
Fields: She’s a gangsta in a cop suit.
Holmes: Where does this rank on your list of heartbreaking eliminations, because you never go out in a dull manner.
Fields: That’s the thing, you’re right! I’m usually fully heartbroken. This one was number one, but not because of heartbreaking, but the manner in which I exited. I think that’s why I didn’t feel so bad. This is my fourth time playing, of course I wanted to win. But if I had to go out, Gordon? I can’t think of a better way to go out. If this was anybody else I’d feel the same way. I know it’s bad, you didn’t want to go, you wanted to win. However, look at what happened! This will be forever in the history of “Survivor.” It added to the journey and made it special.
Holmes: You’re making me feel a little bit better about this.
Fields: (Laughs) I’m glad I could make you feel better.
Holmes: I know that was your top priority today.
Fields: (Laughs) Of course.
Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
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