Natalie White Wins Survivor Samoa, but Did She Really Deserve to Win?
Natalie White Won Survivor Samoa by Getting More Votes Than Russell Hanz
At the start of Survivor Samoa there were 20 contestants vying for the million dollar prize. One by one they were eliminated, and early on one of the two tribes was really beating the second tribe badly. When the tribes were finally merged together, only four people from one of the tribes was left, and it seemed like they were going to get picked off one by one until a winner came from the Galu Tribe. The Foa Foa Tribe proved to be very resilient though, and led by Russell Hanz they began constructing strategies to get the Galu Tribe members to slowly turn on each other. Russell was able to construct it so that his four Foa Foa members could make it much further into the game.
When it came down to the final five contestants, Russell had himself and the three other Foa Foa members still hanging on. Those members were Jaison, Natalie, and Mick. Through most of the game those three didn't seem to do much but go along with what Russell's ideas were each challenge, and they voted the way that Russell told them to at each tribal council. When Brett won the second to last immunity challenge, it meant he would have to get one of his teammates voted out, and again he convinced Mick and Natalie to vote the way he wanted. In the end, the final three were Natalie, Russell, and Mick that got placed in front of the jury to decide who would win.
The debate about who should win the million dollar prize didn't end up being much of a debate, but rather a popularity contest between Natalie and Russell and which player that the people of the jury liked better. Let's be clear, Russell was the reason that all nine of the people were on the jury, and he was the one who won the final immunity challenge to send Brett to the jury. He found three individual immunities during the season, and took Mick and Natalie under his wing until the very end. He used many gaming techniques to get himself ahead in the game, including making alliances with as many people as he could, and he was always willing to tell people what they wanted to hear, even if it wasn't the truth.
Russell was an extremely strong game player, who seemed destined to win the show. Natalie on the other hand was one of the quiet people who let Russell take the bullets for her, and was nice about stabbing people in the back. It seems that in the end, it was because she didn't put herself out in front that people still liked her, even after she also voted all nine people out that ended up in the jury. Now the question is asked about whether this is a game of out-witting and out-playing the competition, or if it is about hoping that you can fly under the radar and get the money because people like you.
What say you fans of Survivor? Did the right person win Survivor Samoa?
Resources:
Published by Ryan Christopher DeVault - Featured Contributor in Sports
Born in Seattle, Washington, I am a 31 year old college graduate working in the field of Education and Research. I am also a professional freelance writer and news content provider. I can be reached at... View profile
- Control Freak Runs the Premiere of Survivor Samoa Survivor is back to the beach after two seasons of fields and deserts. Survivor Samoa premiered tonight with twenty castaways.
-
Survivor Returns to Samoa for a Battle Between Good and Evil
Survivor 20 will once again be held on the island of Samoa, and will have a Heroes vs. Villains theme. Read on if you want information on casting for the new season.
-
Her Heels Were Made for Walking on Survivor Samoa
Survivor Samoa was rather strange this time around. Jeff missed the reward challenge and Galu was actually shown. What's going on here!?!?!?
- When it Rains it Pours All Day Long on Survivor Samoa The rain is a drenching on Survivor Samoa as it hinders both game play and challenges with over 48 hours of rain. The episode left off in a sad state as Shambo seemed even further from her tribe than ever before.
-
Survivor Samoa Episode 15: Finale
Survivor Samoa Episode 15, the finale, featured two immunity challenges and a final three. Find out whether snaky, sneaky Russell Hantz wins, or someone with a little integrity...
- Why Did Russell Hantz Lose Survivor Samoa?
- Survivor Samoa Season Finale Ends, Natalie White Claims Title as Sole Survivor and...
- Survivor Samoa Season Finale Reveals Winner of Survivor Season 19
- Natalie White Beats Out Russell Hantz to Win Survivor Samoa
- Survivor Samoa Season Premiere is Here
- Survivor Samoa Cast Revealed for Survivor 19
- Survivor Samoa Episode 9
10 Comments
Post a CommentRussell did not deserve to win, he was the worst player ever. He's arrogant, pompous and he got what he deserved - nothing.
I think that Gabriel bring up a good point- :what makes it even worse is that if at any point in the game if he wanted to vote off natalie, he could have. every single week, with the exception of only a couple of weeks, whoever russel said goes home, went home."
Well that wasn't a very good strategy then now was it? Russel is not the greatest player- he played to get to the finals- not to win the game- jeff even called this in his assessment of the cast before the show even started. Survivor is a great game in that it involves people skills, as well as wit and strength. I did not hear Russel even start talking about jury votes until the last episode- he does not have people skills- he had no social game- don't care what he says- he didn't- it showed in the end result. You don't make friends by being incredibly prideful, rude, concieted, and plain evil. You might get to the final 3- but you won't get everyone to vote for you. He had a chance to get to know them and see what was importa
Angel, you are right on. I am a devoted survivor watcher and everyone I know who was rooting for Russell (I wasn't) doesn't seem to get it. It's not just a physical, mental, or emotional competition. It's a social game - that has to be factored into the strategy to win. The jury is the final social challenge to overcome and if you get there having made a lot of enemies, you have to factor that into your chances. Russell may have lost to a least skilled player, but he did so because he somehow forgot that in the end, those you have voted off will decide your fate. I think he thought his game play was so perfect that no one could resist respecting him for it. If so, that was a major miscalculation. He superimposed his own set of values about the game on everyone else. By his reaction to the vote he felt he deserved it and he expected everyone on jury to agree with him. He could not see how they couldn't vote for him. (Again, assuming everyone would vote with his same values.)
However
what a shame that they actually gave that title to natalie. what makes it even worse is that if at any point in the game if he wanted to vote off natalie, he could have. every single week, with the exception of only a couple of weeks, whoever russel said goes home, went home. he found THREE immunity idols WITHOUT CLUES! immediately identified his threats before they could take him out instead. i would love to see each and every jury member interviewed as to why they chose natalie. once again, what a shame.
Russell OUT WITTED OUT LASTED and OUT PLAYED every single person there. He should have recieved the winning title. Natalie did nothing to win. People can say what they want about Russell he played the game and played it well. He is right to think he should have won he knows it too. Best DAMN player I have ever seen on the show and I've watched all of them. The other players were pissed off and made hasty bad votes to quick and they probibly regret it how all except Shambo she is the only one that had any since. Russell you WON in more ways than one.
Let's be clear. Russell is a classic example of a combined Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder. In his mind, he is the greatest, nobody is better and it is all about him. It is also why he is such a great liar and couldn't say to anyone else that they did a good job. If any one believes that he is really a good guy in real life, than I have a bridge I'd like to sell you. The bottom line, he did not out think natalie because he made too many enemies.
I was disappointed Russell didn't win and I'm tired of hearing "he didn't deserve it because he didn't make friends". This game is not about making friends. There have been plenty of seasons of Survivor and Big Brother where the winner was someone that most the jury hated - yet the jury still voted for them because they played the better game! I really think the jury was full of babies who were just mad that he got them all voted out. The one thing I read that makes the most sense is - the jury didn't vote FOR natalie to win... they were really voting AGAINST russell. In that case, I can see why they voted for her. And it's not that I don't think she played a good strategy on her own, but she's acting like she got that far on her own which she did not. How many times did her name come up to get voted out and Russell turned them on to someone else? I think at least 2 times.
I don't generally watch reality shows. I have watched survivor from time to time. Maybe one or two shows per season. From what I have gleaned the idea of the game - "how to win the game" the players try to end up in the final group. The second level of the game is to win the votes of the jury, not those watching the way American Idol is won. So when people say she didn't deserve to win - I guess I get confused. She made it the finals. And then she won the jury's vote. I keep seeing the idea that he was the mastermind "puppet master" But thats only one level of the game - getting to the finals. He did not win the second level, the jury.
I think russell should have won but i think the jury didn't vote for him because his style of play. If you watched yesterday the jury asked many questions about how he played the game morally and how the contestants believed what he did was morally wrong. Putting aside what you believe is right or wrong if i asked you who played the best game i think handsdown russell. Natalie did help by sorta getting the galu girls to help vote out some galu members but other than that russell was the mastermind behind it all and desereved to win despite his style of play.
I think Russell was the ultimate Survivor game player. Although, he did not have to be as crass as he was about using people and then throwing them away. Maybe part of his own justification for being an a** was treating people like pawns instead of making friends. Maybe he will be in the Heroes vs. Villans Survivor Season 20. It would be interesting to have the villans fight against each other.