An “Insider” Look at Survivor: One World, Episode 7, Part 1 – Say Goodbye to Sushi

Jonas the Day After

Jonas begins his exit interview proclaiming, with palpable sincerity, “It was an honor to just play the game.” The fact that he was on Survivor really hit Jonas at the start of the first immunity challenge, when he saw the massive scale of the tower with its 30-foot drop into a cargo net. When he hit the net and bounced into the air, he was in heaven. He wasn’t concerned about winning; it was just a euphoric moment. He was exploding with joy, flying in the air, thinking, “I’m on Survivor!”

The most profound realization Jonas had during the game was finally understanding and believing that the things you think are impossible are in fact possible. He nearly failed in Survivor before he even started; he almost didn’t apply, thinking there was no way he would be chosen. Overcoming that impulse and seeing it through taught Jonas a great lesson: More often than not, when we do fail, it’s because we shut ourselves down – but we can’t let that happen.

Jonas feels that the big turning moment in the game for him was when they split tribes. That’s when he kicked into high gear. He realized at that point that the game could go in any direction, so he made some huge moves.

Even during the last Tribal Council, Jonas was proud of his game. He knew he was going, so he left it all out on the table and went out swinging. The most important part for him was being able to separate the game from real life. He took nothing personally, has no ill feelings, and simply played the game for the game’s sake. In the end, everyone was cool with him and vice versa.

For Jonas, the mental aspect of the game was ten times harder than the physical survival element. For a while, survival was all fun and games – he would get away from the drama, scheming, and plotting by going spear fishing and getting crabs. The survival part of the game kept him sane; hunting and cooking helped him stay grounded and not go crazy with all of the mental scheming. The conniving and paranoia were “super-strenuous.”

If Jonas had played it safe at his final Tribal Council, if he had laid down and died, he would have been “bummed.” Instead, he pulled out all the stops and stirred the pot. He came up with the plan to vote out the guy sitting next to him [Michael], and told him to his face, which was completely over the top.

In the end, Jonas feels that his tribe was smart to get rid of him because he was scheming way more than the other castaways thought he was. Everyone was saying that Jonas was so nice – but they didn’t realize that five minutes before he was saying that they needed to vote that person out!

Secret Scene (Jonas)

Christina and Jonas go out hunting for clams. In a confessional, Jonas tells us that he’s always enjoyed hunting things. Capturing something, cooking it, and enjoying the food at the end – this is something that brings him joy. In the back of his head, though, he’s thinking strategically about hunting – it’s beneficial for his game to be the camp provider.

We then see Jonas strategizing with Christina. Jonas says he thinks Alicia is “sneaky” because she’s always off with a new person making deals. He tells Christina that he trusts her way more than he trusts Alicia.

In a confessional of her own, Christina tells us that Jonas is trying to figure out where she stands, if she’s going to stick with the girls or the guys. She admits that she was going to go with the girls because she didn’t know what was going on with the guys.

Christina tells Jonas that if the guys’ alliance is strong, she will say yes, but if she detects any cracks, she’s going to be scared.

Back in confessional, Christina tells us that she doesn’t know if she can trust the girls. They tried to vote her off before, so they might very well do it to her again. Bottom line: She’s thinking she’s going to go with the guys.

Christina then tells Jonas that she trusts him, Jay, and Troy more than she trusts the girls. Jonas reinforces Christina’s worries about the girls by saying, “If they tried to screw you over once, they’re going to try it again.”

Christina and Jonas then go spear fishing. Jonas nails two fish with one shot and then, a short while later, tells the camera that today is his lucky day. He caught Christina and two fish! “Today, everything is going my way,” Jonas says with a smile and a laugh.

Love to Eat & Cook (Jonas)

Jonas tells us that working all the time at camp comes naturally to him. In the back of his head, though, he’s thinking about this strategically: It’s beneficial to be a provider.

Showing his Survivor savvy, though, Jonas acknowledges that people can see right through that if your only motive for cooking is to gain favor with the other players. The fact that he’s a chef makes it more natural and believable, however, that he just likes to cook.

The strategic element of his cooking is a side note, though. Really, he just likes to eat and cook. That said, he does serve everybody else, and that’s a conscious, strategic decision – it builds trust on a subconscious level.

Extended the Olive Branch (Jonas)

Jonas tells us about his apology to Tarzan (for the heated, public argument over voting strategy seen in the episode). Jonas feels embarrassed that he lost it with Tarzan – and realizes that his mom “is going to have a heart attack when she sees me act like that.”

Jonas felt bad because he could tell that Tarzan felt “sincerely sad.” After the argument, Tarzan wasn’t being his usual “vulgar” self and was “subdued.” So Jonas told Tarzan that he didn’t care if Tarzan was in his alliance anymore; he just wanted to apologize for acting the way he did.

Tarzan, who was really touched by Jonas’ apology, started crying – and Jonas started getting emotional, too, because Tarzan was so sincere about it. The truth is, Jonas likes Tarzan a lot – for his innocence, and how genuine he is.

Jonas explains that he had gone to bed the night before and thought about what he said and how he said it – and felt bad about it. He feels he was in a “psychotic rage” because of sleep and food deprivation, which can “bring out the beast.” The beast was unleashed yesterday – he took off the gloves and started swinging.

It was nice to make up with Tarzan – and now they’re back to having a more solid alliance.

Lost My Periscope (Tarzan)

Tarzan explains that he’s been “the captain of the ship in the operating room for 30 years” and it’s intense in there: Do the wrong thing and somebody dies or you scar them for life. As a result, most good surgeons (and he believes he is one) don’t tolerate imperfection very well.

In his surgical practice, he had his crew that he trusted. When you’re surrounded by other people who act and feel the same way – compulsive and perfectionistic – that’s one thing, but when you’re out of that arena (like being on Survivor), people resent that kind of behavior. They don’t like to be “perfected, refined, or improved” by anyone but themselves. There are people who respect it, but not that many.

Tarzan admits that gradually, some of his behavior has broken down in the game. He’s been abrasive, he’s gotten angry. He wanted the guys to have integrity and have that integrity last until the end of the game – but it hasn’t turned out that way.

The way Tarzan sees it, Colton was the periscope and he was the submarine with torpedoes – and his periscope got knocked off. With Colton gone, everyone has his own opinion again, and Tarzan thinks they’re not playing the game in a way that will make it easier for them to get to the end.

Early in the game, the men stuck together really well. They had formed a meritocracy, everyone was equal, they came together and agreed – to the point that they gave up an idol. When they were split apart, however, the alliance began to break apart, and when they came back together, Tarzan “couldn’t pull it together anymore.” He said that he gave up and decided to let the others come to their own conclusions, and follow whatever path fate directs.

Tarzan describes Colton as a “big, loud, open, gregarious guy” who could guide the alliance without offending anyone, but Tarzan isn’t that kind of guy. Colton was the perfect shield, and now, with the shield gone, everything’s changed. He believes the men could have been the final five, but now there are so many plots and subplots that no one is “adhesing.” Tarzan thinks the ship is sinking, that the submarine has a torpedo in it, and they’re going down – he’s not certain, though, so he’ll see what happens at the next vote.

Merge Experience (Christina)

Christina thinks the game is going to be pretty interesting now that the tribes have merged. Challenges are going to be individual now, so they’re going to see who can pull their own weight. They’re also going to find out where the alliances really are: Who’s solid and who’s not?

Coming back to the camp and finding the merge feast was a great treat, but there was awkwardness, too. Everyone was staring at each other, making eye contact, giving each other a little nudge here and there, trying to figure out what’s going on, who’s in, who’s out. For Christina, it was interesting to see the mixture of personalities and how they’re all interacting with each other.

Christina opted to “play it low a little bit” and observe the new social dynamics. She didn’t want anyone to think she’s already strategizing a new plan. Now, she needs to play the game hard and win individual immunities.

Dream Come True (Troy)

As an “adamant” fan of Survivor, Troy has seen castaways find hidden immunity idols, and it always seemed so difficult to him for players to get in that position. So, to find the idol that morning is like winning the gold medal. This is the Survivor Troy wanted to happen – if he had written out his Survivor experience 11 years ago, this is exactly what would happen.

So far, the game really has been a dream come true. He’s envisioned so many images over the past 11 years: doing challenges, going fishing, bickering with people, starting fires, being hungry, getting scrapes on his legs, everything. And now, his dream is coming true. And this is only the first half of the game! He can’t even imagine what the last half is going to be like. He’s planning on sitting there during the final Tribal Council – he’s already going over a speech in his head.

“It’s all working out!” Troy says. “All the Survivor seasons I’ve watched, I’m taking little pieces, putting them together into ‘Troyzan’s One World experience’ – and it is outstanding!”

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Andy Baker is an avowed Superfan who enjoys nothing more than debating the psychology and sociology of Survivor. Adulation and condemnation both warmly welcomed at Andrew.Brooks.Baker@gmail.com.

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