Survivor Exit Interview: Crystal Cox Is Still Watching Kenny’s Back

Tom Rose
Fancast.com

Last time on Survivor: Gabon - Earth’s Last Eden a false immunity idol started a chain of events that lead to the real Idol having a crucial impact on the way the Final 5 would be sorted out. And Bob would be no help this time.

Sugar showed she’s not as hard and cold as everyone thought when she took pity on Matty after he’d been called out for his lack of loyalty to the Fang alliance. It was one fight Crystal Cox (my choice from the beginning) should never have picked.

At Tribal Council, Sugar handed her idol over to Matty, rendering any vote for him invalid. Crystal was the next runner up, and when Jeff Probst announced her name, the former Olympic Gold Medalist dropped out of the race just before the finish line.

But we still get to see her on the jury, and at the Finale, coming up this Sunday night.

I spoke with Crystal on the phone, as she was getting ready for the big day.

Crystal I did pick you as the winner.

Well thank you for the support, I picked me as the winner too.

So nobody was sadder or more surprised than me when you got knocked out last night.

Well, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was shocked about the whole Immunity Idol thing. So it hit me kinda hard.

You felt pretty safe when you went in to Tribal Council, didn’t you?

Totally. I really thought it was gonna be Susie or Matty. I did not know it was gonna be me.

But I guess the instant Sugar handed over the Idol to Matty…

Yeah. That’s when I knew it. I was like, okay, it’s probably me next.

I always say that for you it’s been awhile since you got knocked off, but for us it was only last night. How are you dealing with it?

I’ve been like, okay it’s just a game, but then actually watching it and seeing how things transpired, I think I’m back to being angry again. I didn’t know some of that stuff took place.

You’re the second player to tell me that, that the player beomes spectator, which I find fascinating.

The whole thing kind of shocked me, I was thinking “whoa, I didn’t know that person felt like that.”

And then last night, that was outright deception on Sugar’s part. She just completely lied.

Oh yeah. And I was just like, okay, now she’s pinned me as one of the bad guys. I think my whole thing during the game was that I was the outspoken castaway, and any person that I aligned with I was honest and genuine with them. And I looked out for them. And she knew that, because we helped protect each other throughout the game.

Yeah, there was really no deception on your part, you were always forthright.

Exactly. So for them to paint me as an evil player. I was like, okay, whatever.

Do you feel it was your edit that portrayed that quality, or was it the other players?

I think the edit probably did that, but upon leaving the game I really had no hard feelings toward any of the other players and hopefully they shouldn’t have any towards me. They should know that we were playing the game, to some extent, but I didn’t do any cutthroat deception like you said.

And you know, the reason I picked you, was I looked at “Olympic Gold Medalist” and thought, ‘how hard can Survivor be?”

Oh man those challenges kicked my butt, they were so hard. They look easy on TV but they were really hard. A person that’s used to being in tip top physical shape, half the stuff had nothing to do with Track & Field, nothing to do with any muscles I would normally use. And I’m like “what the hell did this challenge crew think up today?”

It was just a bunch of craziness. Once I found that out, I was like, okay, now I’ll play a social game, and as long as I have numbers on my side, I’ll be alright.

I thought being an Olympic Gold Medal winner actually worked against you as far as the perception from the rest of the tribe.

The thing is they didn’t know.

They didn’t?

Well I did tell Matty, Sugar and Kenny, prior to my going over to Kota. Other than that I never told any of the other castaways. Some of them knew who I was going in to the game, but they never brought it to me.

Gillian mentioned that she knew immediately when she saw you the first day.

Yeah. I didn’t even know she knew.

Well word spread quickly. But you say you reverted to a social game.

Oh yeah, I had to. I was stuck on those challenges. I didn’t know how to do half of that stuff, so I just decided to have numbers on my side. And I tried to make sure every time I went in to Tribal Council that my name wasn’t being written down. Those times when my name was written down, once we merged, when Kota was rallying for me to leave, I had to make sure that didn’t take place. They had no reason to rally for me, I was not a physical threat in the game.

Yeah, it was just personal I guess. But that started a beautiful string where you got portrayed as the player orchestrating all the blindsides.

I know! And it wasn’t me! That’s the thing, it was Kenny. He was the one who would say something, then I would elaborate on it, and then we’d follow through with it.

As a viewer, to me that’s the beauty of this game.

You mean the blindsides? It was kind of fun doing it, but it’s no fun when it gets done to you.

I know for you it’s hard when you’re laboring against it, but for the viewer it’s delicious.

(laughing) Well, I’m glad we made great entertainment.

It really has been a great year, and it would’ve been so much better if you’d have been in that final.

That’s why I think I started crying, towards the end, because, like I say, I really wasn’t a mastermind in the game, and I did play a social game, but I was more the Tribal Council Queen, if anything. And I had just three more days to go, and I was like “man! I can just see it!” But I guess I got cut off.

Of course that means you got to spend three days on the jury. What was that like?

Oh. (laughing) It was the worst day in hell. Kota was so mean to me. They didn’t say hello. I think it was a day and a half until somebody said something. Randy and I actually talked first.

Really?

That was the first person I spoke with. And then Marcus was so angry. He was bitter because he thought Kenny knocked him out. He was more angry that he was out of the game. I did everything by myself. I just hung out with Crystal. Until another person came to Ponderosa.

Well, we can’t say anything about that right?

Of course not. (laughing)

I always try to see if I can get a slip of the tongue though. So Sunday night is the finale and you get a chance to say what you want. Will you let it all out?

Oh yeah. And I’m glad that Jeff Probst gives me the opportunity to express myself. Like I said I’m Tribal Council Queen.

You were prominent right from Day One. It was unusual. Prominent early players drop away, but you were there the whole time.

For me to last as long as I did, I was like “man! America’s gonna know who I am!” It’s just been crazy. I hope some doors open up for me from this.

You’re a natural for your own show. They gotta make “The Crystal Cox Show.”

I know! Maybe you can pull some strings for me.

I’ll do my best. I always ask, who would you like to see win the game?

I would like to see Kenny win the game, but I’m definitely casting my vote for a person who played a physical game, a strategic game, but someone who didn’t rub me the wrong way. A person who played an honorable game. Because I did. I’m going to give it to the person I feel is most deserving of it.

I would have to say that’s Bob then, isn’t it?

I don’t know. Is it? (laughing) There’s Sugar. She’s playing a hard game right now. And if you play hard, maybe you deserve to win.

Well it comes down to packing that jury with people who like you. I don’t know how well she’s done with that.

We’ll see.

You can’t give me a scoop?

No! You’ll find out Sunday night, just like everybody else.

Aww, well, thanks Crystal, for talking with us today. Good luck at the finale!

Thank you! You too!

Tune in for the finale of Survivor: Gabon - Earth’s Last Eden Sunday night at 8:00 ET on CBS when the winner is announced.

We’ll be watching on Fancast.