An “Insider” Look at Survivor: China, Episode 4 – “I Tried To Make it Really Nice for the Tribe”

Dave’s Final Words

Dave starts by saying, “I gave it my all. Perhaps I gave it too much.” Dave says he played with conviction and integrity. “I thought I was humble.” He wishes that some people listened to him a bit more. “Ah, youth!” He thinks it was “apples and broccoli” between him and the tribe. He tried to keep everyone healthy, but if they can’t see that he can’t force them. He thinks there might be some ageism in the tribe and when people are that young they like to stay in safe groups and don’t appreciate diversity as much.

Dave hoped his tribe could see through the external social aspects to the greater picture, but they couldn’t. “I tried to make it really nice for the tribe.” Dave finishes by saying he learned tons about himself and that there are pieces of him that might even be priceless. He was a “fundamental cog” in his tribe. He would do it all again, bug bites and everything.

Well, from this clip, Dave doesn’t seem to get the true effect his attitude and leadership style had on his tribemates. Maybe he’ll change his feelings once he has a day to think about it. We’ll see.

Dave, the Day After

Dave looks surprisingly schlubby in his interview. Most folks spruce up before the day after video, but not Dave. He interviews that his torch was snuffed and there was no relief. Instead, he regrets that he couldn’t persist in the game. He felt great every day in the game. The discomfort was superficial. He enjoyed himself “to no end... I had a blast. My only regret is that I was not out there longer.” Dave says he doesn’t naturally connect to people. “I do have foot-in-mouth disease.” He had to learn to bite his tongue to deal with certain people. But being in a situation like the tribe can wear you down.

Dave thinks his tribe will miss his hard work at camp and his lack of bitching. “I’m a workhorse.” Dave likes to work. It was really hard not to illuminate the inequity of the work situation at camp. “What’s with kids these days?” He doesn’t get their work ethic. He comes from a Marine family. You do it once and do it right. This generation doesn’t seem to do this. Geez, Dave makes it sound like he’s a 90-year-old with a bunch of 15-year-olds!

Dave says that he thinks the “hamstringing factor” that affected him the most was his inability to pull back and just lounge. He’d get up in the morning and clean up around camp and do the dishes. It’s very difficult for Dave to sit back and do nothing. His work ethic probably made the others uncomfortable because it was so different from theirs. It was probably intimidating and guilt-providing. But he did it with no strings attached. Dave thinks this had a bigger effect on his game than his fights with Ashley or Sherea. But it would have been bad for morale for him not to work. Why couldn’t they just appreciate that?

Dave summarizes his Survivor experience as “burning twice as bright, but half as long.” Dave wishes he were still in it because he has limitless energy and creativity to give to the experience. He was so happy being there. He just wants more of it. “I dig it.”

Well, Dave does seem to realize that he didn’t make enough of an effort to fit in with the others in his camp, but he still seems to put it more on his tribemates as their flaw, instead of the flaw in his game play that he couldn’t adapt to his tribe better. Being a workhorse is great, but only if it works in your tribe. And I somehow think Dave didn’t disguise his opinion of “those kids” as well as he thinks he did.

Reward Challenge: Great Balls of Fire

This is the same clip we saw in the episode. We see Fei Long once again work together far better as a tribe, coming through with some skillful early ball-and-stick handling by Todd and Denise. Aaron and Amanda do particularly well in the second position and James and Jean-Robert complete the sweep.

James Is Over It

James starts by saying that his tribe is really messing with him and getting on his nerves today. Usually they leave him alone while he works. Dave goes and gets the water and chills for a bit while the others play around. He’s fine with that... because they were leaving him alone! They should know better than to bug him up there.

In James’ job as a gravedigger he has no excuse to not get his hole dug. It doesn’t matter if he’s tired or hungry, he has to get it done. The people here use a bunch of energy playing in the water and then complain they’re tired. What’s getting to him now is the thank-yous. Don’t say thank you. “Thank you would be shown by picking up a jug and getting some water.” Just leave him alone and let him make the water if that’s all they’re going to do! Basically, they all do nothing but hang around the water. But they’ll call a big meeting and James has to stop his work for it. Then they don’t do anything. They can do whatever they want, but leave him alone. He doesn’t mind the work – just their attitudes. “Leave me alone.”

James says he’s not exactly carrying the rest of them. He can’t do everything himself – well, maybe in the challenges. He needs them, but he really does a lot. And he’s probably their best competitor as well as getting all the water for them and doing other jobs around camp.