‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ (CBS)
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OK…Cole has immunity and we love Doctor Mike. So, let’s split the vote between someone we all seem to like and someone we all seem to hate. Then if it’s a tie, we’ll vote out the person everyone likes.
Wait…what?
I had a chance to speak to Desi the morning after her elimination to get an explanation about her odd extermination…
Gordon Holmes: What happened last night? It seemed like they were gunning for Joe, nobody was even talking about you, and then you’re out. What did we miss?
Desi Williams: I actually think it’s a compliment to what a physical player I was. I think they felt like they could get rid of Joe at any time as long as he didn’t have an idol. It didn’t seem like he was doing well in the challenges. I think they thought, “Let’s get out Desi because she could win the next several immunities and we’d have to go to final Tribal with her. Because it Joe gets to final Tribal, he’s probably annoyed enough people that he wouldn’t get the vote.”
Holmes: Cole and Mike jumped to the Hustler/Heroes and you and Joe split your votes between Lauren and Ben. What was the reasoning behind that split?
Williams: It was not what I thought the plan was. I thought all four of us were voting for Lauren. That’s who we said we were voting for. And when we got there everyone jumped ship and changed their plans. I don’t know what happened or why it happened.
Holmes: Other than your immunity win, we didn’t see a lot of you after the merge. What moves were you making to try to get back into the game?
Williams: I had several conversations with people. Ben and I had talked together. I’d talked pretty extensively about working with Lauren. Even on Levu tribe; me, Devon, and Ashley had talked about working together. But, I think my biggest downfall is that I’m not the type of person who needs reassurance over and over again. Once we planned to work together, we’d check in before Tribal, but I don’t feel the need to have that conversation five more times. I’m the type of person who says what I’m going to do and I do what I’m going to say. I realize that’s not how people are on a game like “Survivor” where everyone is paranoid.
Holmes: Did anyone point out that there were eleven people at Tribal and Jeff only called out ten votes?
Williams: No. Once we all go to vote, there’s no conversation. We’re being watched like a hawk. So, nobody said it, but I certainly didn’t notice that there were only ten votes read. I don’t know whether or not anyone else noticed.
Holmes: You were there for the tail end of the beach brawl. What was your take on that moment when you looked over and Cole and Chrissy were wrestling in the sand?
Williams: I saw Cole sprinting down to the beach, and he’s a gentle giant so I knew it wasn’t out of malice at all. It was very clear that they were looking for an idol. It was just so funny how many people jumped in to dig who didn’t really know what they were digging for. It was fun to watch last night when Ryan found it, put it in his pants, then watched the whole thing unfold. I truly thought Cole had the idol, Ben was convincing enough. It made for an exciting day at camp, it was total chaos. There was one point where Chrissy literally jumped on Cole’s back and was riding him like a horse.
Holmes: Can you blame her?
Williams: (Laughs) Under other circumstances.
Holmes: Cole told the Healers he didn’t have the idol. Mike does have an idol. Do any of the Healers know that at this point?
Williams: I’m not sure whether or not Cole knows. I certainly didn’t know, and I doubt Joe knows.
Holmes: Joe made it a point to let you know that he did not flip on you. I know Roark was your original number one, did that change to Joe after the tribe swap?
Williams: It did. Once we had that first Tribal at Levu, I trusted Joe almost 100%. I realized at that moment that Joe was playing an honest game. It may have been abrasive and sometimes offensive, but he was being truthful with me. He was the only person on the island that I felt like was being truthful with me.
Holmes: Chrissy seems very bright, she clearly knows the game. It’s hard to tell if she’s liked by people outside of her alliance. What was your take on her?
Williams: I think you have a very accurate read on Chrissy. (Laughs)
Holmes: I do this for a living, Desi.
Williams: I don’t think she’s well-liked inside the game…and maybe even outside the game.
Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Lauren.
Williams: Hilarious.
Holmes: JP?
Williams: Confused.
Holmes: Chrissy?
Williams: Annoying.
Holmes: Roark?
Williams: Intelligent.
Holmes: Doctor Mike?
Williams: Quirky.
Holmes: Jessica?
Williams: Happy…she’s so happy.
Holmes: Ashley?
Williams: Gosh…also confused…but more overconfident.
Holmes: Alan?
Williams: He’s crazy…mostly crazy eyes.
Holmes: Cole?
Williams: Immature…but lovable.
Holmes: Ben?
Williams: Noble.
Holmes: Devon?
Williams: Zen…I don’t know. Who knows what Devon is thinking?
Holmes: Ryan?
Williams: I have a hard time describing Ryan. He’s like a cartoon character.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Joe?
Williams: Real.
Holmes: Let’s jump back into that. Why is Ashley “confused and overconfident.” We haven’t seen much of her other than her pining for JP.
Williams: When I say “overconfident” I think it’s feigned overconfidence. I think she’s a fan of the game. But also, she gets caught up on who she should be playing the game with.
Holmes: Had there been conversations about how hard it will be to beat Ben at a final Tribal Council?
Williams: Absolutely. We were having that conversation daily. And Joe and I were very much on the same page. We could identify that he was a threat and everyone else is stupid for staying in an alliance with him. He’s going to beat you.
Holmes: If you had voted for Joe, you would’ve stayed in the game.
Williams: Yeah, that was clear. I was having a really tough moral dilemma about it. I wasn’t ready to flip on him. Because then, who do I trust? Then I’d become one of those crazy paranoid people. I couldn’t bring myself to vote for Joe.
Holmes: Is that something you regret or are you happy that you stuck with your morals?
Williams: No. I’m happy that I stuck with my morals. It was important to me to stay authentic to who I am.
Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
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