November 28, 2004

The "smiling assassin" is now laughing all the way to the bank. Tina Wesson, the 40-year-old nursing assistant from Knoxville, Tennessee, took home the million dollar prize and the right to be called the Ultimate Survivor of The Australian Outback by beating runner-up Colby Donaldson four votes to three in the Final Tribal Council Jury vote. During the live Survivor Reunion show it was also revealed that Wesson was an "alternate" Survivor replacing another contestant who had dropped out. Coming in second, Donaldson won $100,000.

As Survivor producer Mark Burnett maintained all along, the final balloting by Survivor Jury was locked away and revealed on live television. Host Jeff Probst arrived at a CBS studio as he had left the Australian Outback, via helicopter. In front of a live studio audience and with the Survivor Jury looking on, Probst counted the votes declaring Wesson the winner.

Survivor contestants and jury members Jerri Manthey, Alicia Calaway, Keith Famie and Elisabeth Filarski cast their votes for Wesson while Rodger Bingham, Amber Brkich, Nick Brown selected Donaldson.

"Oh, I just never believed it. I never believed it. I never even thought about the voting process, who might be voting for who," Wesson told Survivor Reunion host Bryant Gumbel. "When Colby and I came back to camp that night after Keith was gone we felt like we had won because this is what we wanted to do when we joined with each other in an alliance. This is what we wanted to do. We wanted to make it to the last two and that was winning for me."

Wesson insisted that wanting to win Survivor wasn't about the money. "If this game would have been for free I would have done it," she told Gumbel.

Donaldson had won the final Immunity Challenge and therefore secured the right to choose who would go with him to the "final two". Instead of picking Keith Famie, who he had a better chance against in front of the Survivor Jury as many thought he acted "arrogant" during the game, Donaldson went with Wesson.

"Why did you do it?", asked a bewildered Gumbel.

The proud Texan answered "Tina and I started becoming close and it really started when we voted Mitchell (Olson) off instead of Keith (Famie). That's when we decided to play our game and we did. We took this thing on end, to the end, and that time was a victory for us when we got to go back together. You know, the thing is even though when I chose Tina (Wesson) to go with me to the end making it much more competitive for the final vote, I have been able to sleep every night since then. I haven't lost one night of sleep worrying about whether or not I would win because she (Tina) deserves it and that's the beauty of this game. It doesn't matter how many challenges I won or how many beans and stew I ate all the time, it doesn't matter. Because it comes down to the game itself and there are so many factors involved that people can't understand and I don't expect them to."

Along with the million dollars Wesson also won a new car and a Survivor tribe flag that Donaldson and Wesson had decided amongst themselves would go to the eventual winner.

On the Reunion broadcast we were informed that the next Survivor will be set in Africa.

The remaining Survivors at the start of the broadcast were:

Barramundi Tribe

1. Colby Donaldson: Custom auto designer.
2. Keith Famie: Chef and restaurant owner.
3. Tina Wesson: Nursing assistant.

Barramundi Tribe Happenings (Day 40)

It's early morning and time for Keith to do some firewood gathering as Tina and Colby sleep in. Colby says that last night was the best night's sleep he has had. He believes that the "17th player" was the Outback itself. Keith and Colby assess the food situation. Apparently, Colby's tirade last episode was unwarranted as there is plenty left to last them. Lucky Colby wasn't in charge of rationing the rice or the Survivors would've been gnawing on their toe-nails.

A reflective Tina is sitting high atop a cliff and writing in a journal of some sort. Probably deciding how she is going to spend that million dollars that she will swerve everyone into sending her way. She never thought she would get this far. Neither did I when one reflects upon all the backstabbing and double-dealing she did.

In their tree mail, the Survivors receive a log along with an arts and crafts kit of sorts. Their job is to "give back to the land" by fashioning an idol out of wood then throwing it into the Herbert River. Yeah, there is nothing like showing your concern for the environment by polluting a waterway with painted logs. Colby seems to have the most trouble. Maybe that's because he later admits he was so focused on the game that he did not really take in the land around him. Tina makes a "female idol" as she is proud to be the only woman finalist. The Survivors jabber about their journey around the camp fire at night. For someone, it will be their last night in the Outback. Tina loves Australia. As she should, look what it has done for her figure. Colby promises to "take it like a man" if he gets voted out. Tina says she would throw a "hissy fit".

Barramundi Tribe Happenings (Day 41)

More mesmerizing woodgathering footage airs along with a lot of canned Outback footage to chew-up screen time. Keith is sad that they will be leaving the camp. Tina finds it hard to say goodbye. The Survivors collect their gear and head for a waterfall they have been directed to travel to. As they do, they pass the torches of the ousted contestants and we see scenes of their memorable moments in the game. The music becomes mournful in tone (Sniff. Sniff.) when they pass Michael, Rodger and Elisabeth's torches.

Like a lizard sun-bathing, our host Jeff is perched upon a rock near the last waterfall before the Tribal Council area. Jeff sends the three remaining Survivors off on their own to reflect upon their life in the Outback. When they are done, they will heave the idols they worked so hard upon into the Herbert River where some ranch hand is bound to pull them from the drink and put them up for sale on eBay in the following months. You can bet on that.

Keith concludes that Survivor was never about the money for him but the experience. He says it's "fine by him" if someone else walks away with the loot. Sure it is, Iron Chef. During her quiet time, Tina says that Survivor has taught her the value of family. Before this, she didn't think she needed anyone. She proclaims that it is now time to "nurture" her family. It took Survivor to teach Tina this? How sad and pathetic that statement is. Colby thinks that he has learned to appreciate his life and the people in it back home.

Immunity Challenge

The Survivors are asked 12 questions about the contestants who were voted out before them.

Reward

The one with the most correct answers garners immunity and the power to determine who goes to the "final two" with them.

Result

Keith answers so many wrong that he takes himself out of the competition. Colby beats out the record for Immunity Challenge wins by Kelly Wiglesworth of the first Survivor. Colby is now the all-time leader with a total of five.

Winner: Colby.

Tribal Council

Final Voting

1. Colby Donaldson: Keith.

Parting Comments

"It was an absolute honour to play this game with these participants. My time here spent in the Outback really gave me an opportunity to look at life of the past, present and future. It was a great, great opportunity and I have learned so much about myself because of it. " -- Keith Famie.

Barramundi Tribe Happenings (Day 42)

Having nothing to do, Colby and Tina start a bonfire barbecuing anything around camp that they can get their pyromaniac hands on. They decide not to torch the Survivor flag but whoever wins out of the two of them will get it. They both chat disparagingly about Keith. Tina says that she and Colby "pulled Keith along" the entire time. Colby says Keith didn't deserve to score the cash because he didn't put enough effort into it.

Barramundi Tribe Happenings (Day 43)

The shelter is taken down and roasted. Tina and Colby pack up their things and head off for the jury vote. "We'll never walk this road again," comments Tina. She and Colby hug. While Colby and Tina trudge there, the Survivor Jury spouts off one by one. Jerri is glad to be in a position of power again and avenge those who backstabbed her. Tough talk. Too bad she doesn't really follow up on it like Susan Hawk did on the first Survivor.

Final Tribal Council - Jury Vote

Tina and Colby are permitted to make an opening statement.

Tina: "Strategy played a big part in getting here. Strategy for Survivor is outwit, outplay and outlast. I am not going to sit here and tell you why you should vote for me. I will say though one thing that I hope that you don't do is that you don't cast your vote based on that you got your feelings hurt. I think it is poor sportsmanship and I don't think that it relates to who the true Survivor is. It just shows that you got your feelings hurt. So, it's up to you guys from here on out. It has been a pleasure and a joy. I know whenever I go home, I go home to a husband who treats me like a princess and who I worship and adore, and two children that I am so happy to be their mom. That's worth more to me than a million dollars. I wish that for all of you."

Colby: "Well, I guess we are supposed to make a spiel here about why we deserve a million dollars or why I deserve it over Tina and I don't know if I do. You have got to be a 'Jack of all trades' but not necessarily a master of any and that's an old saying that goes way back. I don't think I was necessarily the best at anything and I don't think I beat Tina in strategy or any elements of the game but I feel like I did them all pretty good and that's why I am here."

Jeff allows each of the Survivor Jury to ask a question to Colby and Tina. Rodger asks about them not telling the truth or being ethical when playing the game. Tina's incident is not informing Amber that she was to be voted out. Colby's is that he promised Jerri and Amber he would take them to the finals and didn't. Amber asks which three things got them to the finals and what three things would they spend the money on. Colby responds that it was that he wouldn't quit, he drank lots of water and that he took time out to enjoy the scenery. He would buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, buy back the office building his dad is being forced to sell and help out his mom. Tina's was her strategy, Colby and "heart/God". She would pay off her home, her friend's home and like Elisabeth suggested...use the interest from her banked money for one unfortunate family every year.

Elisabeth questions them about which Survivors they wouldn't give the money to. Tina says Rodger and Jerri. Colby answers Jerri and Keith. Keith wants to know about the manipulation they employed. For Tina, it was voting off Mitchell. Colby's answer is the same. Alicia wants to know what are their proudest and most shameful moments playing Survivor. Tina says her proudest were her nuturing role and allowing Keith to win Immunity. Her most shameful were going to Tribal Council. Colby's least favourite moment was not appreciating the land around them. His proudest was winning the water and fire challenge when he was dead last. Nick wishes to know that if Mike hadn't been injured who they think would have made it to the "final two". Colby says Nick and Mike. Tina says Mike. Jerri inquires about their most guilty moment. Tina answers that she regrets searching Kel's bag. Colby has no regrets.

Jeff lets Colby and Tina make their final statements to the jury.

Colby: "No lack of respect to anyone but I don't have any."

Tina: "When you play backgammon like we played countless games of backgammon together, you don't go into backgammon and say...'Okay. I am going to leave this man open.' You know you have to cover that man. That's the strategy. That is the same thing with this game. There was never anything personal about voting anybody off. There was a strategy and that's all it is."

Rodger votes for Colby because he thinks he played the game "hard". Alicia chooses Tina because she came in with a plan and is a smart woman. Amber votes for Colby. She believes he has been more honest with her. Tina gets Jerri's vote. Jerri feels that Tina was the mastermind and should be respected for manipulating Colby into picking her and not Keith to bring into the "final two".

Final Jury Vote

1. Jerri Manthey: Tina.
2. Alicia Calaway: Tina.
3. Keith Famie: Tina.
4. Elisabeth Filarski: Tina.
5. Rodger Bingham: Colby.
6. Amber Brkich: Colby.
7. Nick Brown: Colby.

Final Survivor Winner: Tina Wesson.

Powell's Comments

Once again, the person who entered Survivor with a clear strategy from the very beginning won the game. I believe the win was handed to the two-faced Tina when Colby took her and not Keith into the "final two". Not a smart move by the Texan who worked so very hard to make it to the end. He basically threw the game in the final period as his uncharacteristic comments at the final jury council prove. Tina's plan of being a "mother-like" figure to everyone around her and therefore making it hard for anyone to cast a vote against her brought in the pile of cash. A pretty sly scheme it was too since not a single vote was ever cast against her. I am no shrink but it stands to reason that Tina's plan had an effect on the young Colby who is so close to his own mother. Tina became his surrogate mom and I don't think he could stand the thought of betraying her trust or edging her out. So, he bowed out. By all rights, Tina owes him half the money. The next Survivor series should air around September or October. Until then, there is the post-Survivor episode as we await the new and improved Big Brother.