Early Show Transcript
May 17, 2004
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QUESTION: Why do you think you were the "star" of Sato and that everyone flocked to you?
AMY: I'm going to ignore the "star" part of the question because I don't see it that way. I think
most people on old Sato were initially drawn to me because I was a non-threatening combination of friendly and
competent. At least, that's my hope! *smiles* On new Sato, Joni & I and Chris & I had common experiences
or interests that drew us together. I like people, I'm naturally social, and I think that showed through.
QUESTION: Honestly, what was your reaction when you saw that you got the centipede during the gross food challenge?
AMY: When I first saw a picture of it, I thanked heaven that this was just an online game. Then I was told
that it was the food item with the highest will point requirement, and I was actually pretty excited. I knew I'd
thrown all my will at it (since we'd all been told that we'd get everything back that wasn't used to get the nasty
item down) and I knew I'd succeed. My hope was that the Kamiyan who drew it wouldn't pull through and I'd be able
to take one for the team. Sure enough, that's what happened. Yay!
QUESTION: Regarding Henry... At Sato, all of you seemed to get along so well with him for the first day
or two... What changed after that?
AMY: Everyone got along with everyone else for the first day or so, but then personality differences started
to come out, and some people naturally clashed. I won't speak for the rest of the tribe, but I personally have
a problem with being talked down to, and I felt that Henry did that a lot. He said things that I thought were inappropriate
toward myself and others. He also liked to play martyr, but to me it came off like a 4 year old who wasn't being
allowed to play with his favorite toy. If Emma was a brick wall strategically, Henry was a brick wall socially.
It's not that he was a bad guy, he and I just didn't mix.
QUESTION: So are you and Henry engaged yet?
AMY: Alas, he has yet to ask. *grins* Something tells me I'm not his type, though.
QUESTION: Henry. Now, nobody could possibly blame you for voting him out when you did, and certainly it
was the best possible move to make for your own sanity- but, if you had it all to do over again, knowing Kamiya
just viewed their Sato hostages as disposable kleenex, would you grit your teeth and put up with him so as not
to lose numbers?
AMY: No. I disliked him before the twist, but after the twist he was my mortal enemy. I knew he'd squealed
like Jenna Morasca so I blamed him for Matt, Beth, and David being taken from me. I also knew he'd flip at merge
in a heartbeat if he'd spill so much to Mike so quickly. At that point, I believed that taking him out was more
detrimental to Kamiya's numbers than it was to Sato's! Remember, though, that my vote didn't actually matter in
the Henry ouster. Chris had already gotten Hogan to vote for Henry, so my vote was a moot point.
QUESTION: What did you think of David's plan to betray you and keep Henry instead? And did you have any
inkling he was plotting against you in the first place?
AMY: I think it was stupid, from a game perspective. I was 100% loyal to him, he was thinking about who
he could beat in a jury vote way too early, and Henry was too volatile of an F2 partner. As David soon found out,
he simply couldn't be controlled. In Survivor, you either need a partner you can control or a partner you can truly
work as a team with. Henry was neither. However, I can't judge David's decision, since it wasn't entirely game-related.
He did what he thought was right for him at the time. Had the switch not happened, he may have been able to pull
it off, since I had no idea it was coming.
QUESTION: I gotta ask... tell us your side of Donutgate.
AMY: Oh, nice... why don't you just ask me to annoy the crap out of Murtz all over again? *grins*
Seriously, Donutgate started out as a joke and turned into what I thought was a nice gesture and a strategic ploy
at the same time. I'd originally kidded around about it with Murtz, who did NOT like the idea, but then I thought
about it some more afterward. If each of us gave up half a doughnut to a member of the other tribe, it shows good
will and gamesmanship. Half a doughnut wouldn't boost their energy or give them any extra will, and it wouldn't
decrease what we'd get from the reward, so why not? Strategically, I wanted my old tribemates to know that I was
still thinking of them. You *know* I love you if I'm willing to share my chocolate!
I knew right off the bat that Murtz would hate the idea, but I didn't really get why. To this day, I'm one of those
people who will think my idea is better until you give me a really good reason why it's not. So since I just wrote
Murtz off as being wrong in this instance, I went over his head and got everyone else to agree, which they did.
Nobody but Murtz showed a bit of reluctance. And just like tribal council, I was of the opinion that majority ruled.
Yes, I admit that it was a cocky thing to do, but I knew that he didn't have any pull in the tribe anymore. I figured
that if everyone agreed with me, then his frustration over the situation wouldn't damage my place in the tribe.
I did apologize to him later because I honestly didn't know it'd upset him so much, but (and Murtz is going to
hate me for this) I'd have given the doughnuts away again in a heartbeat.
If I had known how much power I held over the tribe at that time, I might have reminded Murtz that I was one of
the reasons why we'd won the doughnuts in the first place. There had been serious talk among the others about throwing
the challenge, and I encouraged everyone into trying. We did and we won. Anyway, I could've thrown my weight around
a little there, but I didn't because I didn't know I had any. *grins*
QUESTION: Chris. Now, there is blame on both sides for the ultimate failure of your alliance, of course,
but from the story it looked as though the breakdown began when he got wind of your backup plan with Hogan and
Lance. If things hadn't fallen apart, how do you feel the post-merge game might have gone?
AMY: I think it would've been ugly because Matt and Beth would've both been gone and Joni & Chris would've
both been around to rejoin the Angels. I may have been spared until after the Angels used me to take out Mike and
Ryan as well, but Joni had similar plans for Hogan from what I understand, so you never know. I'm feeling a Pagonging
coming on in that situation, though. I might've been a backup plan for them, but I think it would've been a lost
game for me.
QUESTION: Do you regret not throwing the challenge in Ep.7 to vote out Joni?
AMY: I regretted it at the time, but not because I wanted Joni gone. I regretted it because I saw what Kamiya
did with Beth and I felt like I didn't even try to save her. I had a feeling that Kamiya might try to throw the
challenge, but I didn't think they'd go as far as they did. I was humiliated for Beth. However, I didn't throw
it because I still remembered rather vividly what happened in the last immunity challenge. Chris and Joni threw
it and tried to vote me out, but one of them left instead. That was *not* about to happen to me! And looking back
on it now, I'm very glad we didn't throw it-- I have reason to believe that Hogan would've forced a tie with Joni
against Lance & me. It wouldn't have been the wisest thing, but I think it may have happened. Then there's
no telling who would've been the one to go. (No, I didn't think about that at the time... I figured he'd be solid
enough to vote with original Sato. But with what I know now, I'm glad I didn't take that chance!)
I'm one of those purists who believes that challenges should never be thrown, anyway. I probably would've wrestled
with that one for a long time afterward, had we attempted it.
QUESTION: What were your thoughts on the game when they voted out Beth? How did you react when you learned
that your friend was voted because of spite? Did you air this out with Michelle?
AMY: Hmm. I knew Beth was going to be voted out as soon as I saw what happened at the immunity challenge,
where they sat her without telling her. So if you're looking for reaction, you'd have to back up to the IC itself.
I was ticked off that the Kamiyans (I still thought of Matt and Beth as Sato) were playing those kinds of games
with people, especially someone as emotional as Beth. I thought they'd gone too far and could've been more respectful.
I didn't learn until much later that Beth had been taken out because of me. I harbored a lot of guilt over that,
especially since I hadn't tried to throw the challenge even though I thought Kamiya might. I felt bad that her
game ended because of her connection to me. When I found out that Michelle was spite-driven because Chris had been
voted out and she blamed me for it, I was very frustrated and upset. Sure, both Chris and I were at fault for the
blowup we had, but I don't think I need to remind anyone who threw that challenge in the first place. After that,
all I could do was react. Anyway, I digress.
I don't know if I ever really settled it with Michelle. I heard her side of things, but I don't think I really
listened to her any more than she listened to my side of what happened with Chris. I just let it go instead...
I didn't have the luxury of wasting energy trying to hold a grudge. There was too much work to be done to save
my own butt at that point! It always stayed in the back of my mind, though... it was an example of what the Kamiyans
were capable of.
QUESTION: I believe you've said before that you'd have chosen Hogan and Lance over Beth and Matt if it came
down to you making a decision. Why?
AMY: I did say that, and while I never actually made that decision in-game, I believe it's what I would've
done. There are lots of factors that I think would've come into play there:
-Lance saved me in episode 6 against Chris. He sought out the truth and believed in me when Hogan was already on
the Chris/Joni bandwagon. He had my respect (and a final two agreement that I had every intent to keep) before
then, but after that he had my undying loyalty. Not only was I never going to turn on Lance, but now I'd do everything
in my power to save him, which was something I'd have offered to only one other player in the game, and that was
David. However, I knew that with Lance came Hogan, for better or for worse. I couldn't ditch Hogan without raising
the ire of Lance, even though I almost did after Hogan voted out one of our own post-merge.
-I called Matt a threat in a confessional all the way back on day 3 or 4. Yes, I adored him, and we worked very
well together, but the picture isn't quite so clear when you remember that he wore a yellow buff for longer than
he wore a green one. I know I was working my magic everywhere I could just to stay safe, so why would I think for
a second that he wouldn't? And post-merge, I *was* wary of him because he wasn't the same Matt I knew on Sato.
He seemed guarded, not as open, like he had something to hide. Add Emma's sweet little remarks here and there about
Matt, and that was it for me. I just didn't believe him 100%, even though I probably should have. Still, the only
person I'd have turned on Matt for was Lance.
-Before Beth was voted out, she and Matt had been with each other longer than they'd been with anyone else. I didn't
believe that they'd just let me back into their fold post-merge without having a deal that didn't include me. I
knew they were close before the switch, and it's my personal belief that people in traumatic or stressful situations
bond quickly, and those ties grow fiercely strong. From everything I'd seen, Kamiya was stressful for them both.
So really, I didn't think they'd have room for me anymore, unless I wanted to play for third place. And I didn't.
I didn't worry about having to make that choice too often, though. I'd learned quickly that circumstances in the
game can't be controlled entirely by one player, so some choices would be made for me. My goal was to have enough
options available to me so that when one door closed, there were still tons of windows. *smiles* And sure enough,
Beth was taken out before we could even merge.
QUESTION: What was the deal with you and Joni? Why did you dislike each other so much?
AMY: First things first: I can't speak for Joni here. Only myself.
On my side, I believe it was a classic example of the game getting in the way of a budding friendship. We hit it
off quite nicely, if you'll recall. I adored her, she got along with me. Then episode 6 hit, fast and furious.
Hogan spilled about my deal with him and Lance (I STILL have no idea why he did that, since Hogan was a part of
every deal I had on new Sato at the time!) and immediately Joni was on the defensive. I think Chris was more than
happy to fuel that fire, since he told Joni that I'd said some things about her that I never had. Chris was good
at character assassination, and I believe that those lies had a lot to do with Joni and I never recovering in the
game, even after he left. Of course, trust had been broken on both sides, so we had a LOT to work through. Chris
wasn't the only contributing factor, by far.
After a while, I became irritated with Joni because she was the itch you couldn't scratch. Great player, impossible
for me to take out. I watched helplessly as one of my own turned on old Sato for her. To take a line from Isabella,
she was no longer of any use to me, and actually she was one of my biggest strategic problems in the game because
of the hold that she had on Hogan and because of the information she had regarding my relationships on old AND
new Sato. It became obvious to me that she wouldn't spit on me if I were on fire (in the game, of course-- Joni's
a kind soul outside of it), so I just didn't bother with her anymore. I felt that I'd saved her, offered her security,
and she turned on me as soon as she had the chance. So that was my issue with her. Combination of respect and frustration.
Nothing personal.
QUESTION: And what about you and Elisabeth? Why do you have so many issues with the younger females?
AMY: *laughs* There were two younger females in the game and I had issues with them both, but I don't think
that means I have some kind of complex! Remember, the thing with Joni didn't even start until the game got in the
way.
With Elisabeth, she raised a red flag for me when she signed onto our message boards as Elizabeth at first, then
wanted to change it to Elisabeth. I knew that had to be pseudo-strategic-- who misspells their own name?
Instead of going further into this, I'll just show you a relevant piece of my pre-show confessional.
Elisabeth, assumed to be female. I'm skeptical of Elizabeth. No, sorry, EliSabeth. How convenient that her name
conjures up images of a sweet little footwear designer. To top it off, she mentioned a Harii celebration complete
with cherry blossoms. Very sweetheart-like. Too bad I'm not buying it. There's only one of two options here.
1) She's trying to be the Okinawa Neleh/Elisabeth/Colleen. This poses a threat because I can think of only one
'sweetheart' that didn't manage to make it to the jury, at least. That's Tanya. The cutesy, young female has proven
to be dangerous in past seasons.
2) She's trying to make us *think* she's the sweetheart so she can be a real player in the game. This poses a threat
as well, if she can find an alliance partner who'll unwittingly take the fall for her schemes in the endgame. Judging
by the research she did, she's here to play.
And then... I learned what her luxury item was. A TEDDY BEAR. Sadly, that threw me over the top and I knew she
had to go. I thought the men of the tribe would all want to protect her, and look what happened. Lance? Henry?
She also believed she had Matt, but you'd have to ask him about that.
Anyway, what I'd really like to point out here is that I tried to SAVE Elisabeth and get rid of Henry instead.
I fought hard to oust him instead of her because he seemed to be too much trouble. As I told Beth, Matt, and David,
I'd rather have a solid 4 than a shaky 5. She probably would've calmed down after she survived the first vote and
been a valuable tribe member. So contrary to what the story showed, Elisabeth wasn't my primary target. It was
Henry, but David and Matt kept turning the safety on every time I tried to take aim. Stupid men. *winks*
QUESTION: What did you think of Matt's "crush" on you?
AMY: Haven't you heard? It's now a full-blown love affair. We're getting married next week. Send lots of
money. *grins*
QUESTION: Why was it so hard for people to get along with Lance in the game? And what did he see in you
that he didn't see in others? Why did you two get along so well?
AMY: I think other people saw Lance as inflexible and difficult to break through to. I know that in the
beginning I found him difficult to get to know, but once I took the time with him, he was invaluable as both a
friend and an ally. I don't know what he saw in me, but I found that I was able to put total and complete faith
in him, so every move I made went past him and every step I took was with both of us in mind. We were a team, more
than David and I ever were. I think we got along because I was totally open with him, as he was with me. We were
real with one another in a game where everyone around us had on a fake smile. He was a refuge for me, and we appreciated
one another's sincerity.
QUESTION: When you reached the jury stage of the game, was there anyone in mind that you wanted to take
with you to the final 2?
AMY: Lance was my final 2 partner, and I want to clarify that he was my partner out of loyalty and gratitude
for how he saved me in episode 6 against Chris, not because I was thinking of who I could beat in a jury vote.
I didn't care how tough he might've been to beat (obviously, because my previous F2 was David who would've been
VERY tough)... in fact, I didn't even think about it. If I had lost to Lance, I wouldn't have minded. After Lance
went, I just wanted to face the best. It would've sucked to lose to someone I didn't respect, and losing is always
a possibility.
QUESTION: What would have happened if Hogan hadn't voted for Matt? How do you think the game would have
ended?
AMY: If Hogan hadn't voted for Matt, Joni would've been out of the game and Kamiya would be irritated with
Mike, who didn't cast a vote for Matt. I'm guessing that, at that point, Hogan would've stuck with Sato because
Joni would be gone and Matt would be the one I'd have to look out for in the upcoming votes. How the game would've
ended would be anyone's guess, but I'm thinking that Isabella would've still managed to make it into the top 3
the same way I did: greed on the part of the opposing tribe. I think Isabella would've tried to sweeten her deal
with Matt by agreeing to let me in on it, just to try to cut me off at the knees later.
Had Matt not been voted out at that TC, I think he'd have had a smooth ride into the final 2... he would've tried
to get rid of Hogan soon after other Kamiyan threats were gone, but I doubt I'd have been as angry with him for
doing that as I was with Hogan. (Hogan's timing was... well, crap. It shot all of Sato in the foot.) And as I said
before, keeping my options open was always important, so I'd have done everything I could to make sure Lance stayed
safe, but I'd have still been on board with Matt and the rest of old Sato. Matt, however, would've had ties to
Isabella again too, which secures him a sweet little place in the final two one way or the other. He'd have had
ties to all the power players left in the game, once Mike and Michelle were taken out.
The one problem with all of the above blather is that the best-laid plans were blown to bits by that Wheel. Isabella
won immunity every time, so even if everything else had gone my way, I'd still be seeing a choice at F4. Isabella
would've won immunity, and my only two options would be Matt or Lance. At that point, forcing a tie would be ballsy
(see: Michelle). I feared the purple rock at F4, so I don't honestly know what I'd have done there, even though
I'd like to say I'd have stuck by Lance's side 'til the end.
QUESTION: How devastated were Matt and Lance when you were voted off and joined them in the jury?
AMY: I don't know, you'd have to ask them. *smiles* I know they weren't happy, but I'm not sure if that
was because I'd lost or because they now had to give either Mike or Isabella their vote to win. I know they were
pulling for me, but I don't think it destroyed either of them to see me land in the jury. I think they were probably
surprised to see me last as long as I did!
QUESTION: Post-merge, why do you think Kamiya regarded you as such a huge immunity threat?
AMY: I don't know! *laughs* I think it was because I was spending will on every single immunity challenge
post-merge, hoping to stay in the Wheel's good graces. It worked, and I annoyed the crap out of Kamiya by always
having immunity, but by the time the Wheel was done, so was my supply of will points. I was literally winning them
in reward challenges and spending them right back on the following immunity challenge. I can't tell you how many
times my account hit a zero balance. *laughs* Also, I think I may have been the only one (aside from Isabella,
that is) toward the end who had a somewhat balanced skill chart. The others had high strength and really low running,
or low dexterity and really high focus... stuff like that. I was pretty balanced, unless you count building and
searching, which weren't used that much in challenges anyway.
QUESTION: Why was Sato such a weak tribe when compared to Kamiya? Did it ever feel like you didn't get much
help from your tribe?
AMY: Sato was weak because only half of us would work together at any given time. There was too much in-fighting,
jockeying for position was constantly going on, and we just didn't have our act together. We were starving. Our
hunger was very high, yet we'd sit around and plot like we were eating like kings. By the way, I have to address
this one... I'm setting the record straight about Henry's claims that he kept us all fed and he was this great
provider. I ate better with Chris on fishing duty than I ever did when Henry was around. Rupert, my behind. Try
Ethan.
There were many times when I felt I just wasn't getting much strategic help from my tribe members. I *knew* it
was the right thing to do to vote Henry off first, but I was met with resistance. I thought our alliance should
remain a secret... that got blown out of the water. Post-switch, I often found myself in need of old Sato strategists
to bounce ideas off of, but Lance didn't emerge as a strategist in my eyes until after the merge. That said, in
a game where you hope your tribe is packed with weapons you can use, I sometimes felt like I was in The Land of
the Squirt Gun.
QUESTION: How shocked were you when Michelle forced the tie and did you think she'd switch?
AMY: I wasn't shocked that Michelle forced the tie, I was more shocked that Emma was trying to save me.
I didn't think that either of them would switch, even though I really thought Michelle should've, for the sake
of her own game. I knew Emma wouldn't take a chance on me just to switch later. She was in it for keeps.
QUESTION: What went through your mind when you realized you could be taken out by random chance?
AMY: Better to have a chance at all, random or otherwise! I was just happy to not be a guaranteed jury member
at that time.
QUESTION: If you had won immunity, you would have brought Isabella to the final two... And then likely learned
who she really was. What would you have said to the jury in response to Emma coming out as Isabella?
AMY: Oooh. I'd love to answer this, but I'll save it for later, after the final episode airs. I'll post
the answer to this in my own forum after the show's over, okay?
QUESTION: What made you determine that 'Emma' was a fake and did anyone else share that opinion with you
that you knew of?
AMY: Early on, I had my suspicions that Emma was a power player because she was often LVP in the challenges,
yet never got the boot. It mirrored what I'd remembered about Isabella from Tonga. (I shared that thought with
Beth, who agreed with me.) Then I met her during the reward feast and thought to myself, "THIS girl hasn't
been kicked off yet?" Things didn't match up in my mind, so I guessed she was hiding something.
Also, I didn't really know the first thing about Emma's personal life, and I had never seen her show any real emotion.
The closest we'd ever come to seeing Emma happy was "Wow guys, that's great" and the remorseful version
of Emma was "well, I'm sorry you feel that way." I felt I'd seen glimpses of a real person when she'd
talked to Alex via IMs and when we discussed kids in general, but aside from that, she was robotic. When I realized
that my knowledge of her on a personal level was skeletal, I knew there was something awry because I knew quite
a bit about everyone else I'd met in the game.
QUESTION: What do you think of Mike's decision to boot you and keep Isabella instead?
AMY: Based on the information he had at the time, it was the right choice for him. He presumed that I had
three guaranteed votes on the jury (Hogan, Lance, and Matt), and that's daunting for anyone to face. Whether or
not that was true, we'll likely never know. From a strategic point of view, he worked with what he had and decided
I should go. It was a dubious call since he'd just gotten up in front of the jury at the previous (F4) tribal council
and proclaimed that he'd never take Emma to the final two, though. Even more dubious since he'd been telling the
world that he wanted to be up against the best competition. I guess he meant the best competition that he still
felt he could beat.
QUESTION: When you and Isabella pleaded your cases to Mike right before the final vote, and she released
you from your commitment to her, the word 'blackmail' was thrown about a little, which seemed to cause you to back
down. I'm just curious, did you consider making it a full-out official blackmail- tell Mike that if he voted you
off, Isabella will get your jury vote?
AMY: I'd done enough at that point. Mike is an emotional player and angering him doesn't do any good. If
Mike feels backed into a corner, it's done. Isabella knew that, which is why she brought up the blackmail thing.
But I alluded to it enough for him to know that it wasn't that far-fetched of an idea, and he shouldn't think of
her as such an easy win.
QUESTION: You told Mike that you would most likely vote for Isabella because of the way she's played the
game, but in your final words you stated otherwise. Where your true feelings on how Isabella played the game at
the time, and what are your feelings now on her gameplay after you read the episodes?
AMY: I wanted Mike to know that he had a harder road ahead of him than he thought if he took Emma. That's
why I said what I did to him. My final words were my true thoughts on the matter-- Emma tore my tribe apart and
then her own for her own ends, and that just wasn't okay with me. She turned on everyone she ever had a deal with,
which was mind-boggling to me. In addition, at the time I wrote my final words I believed that she started playing
about halfway through the game, which wasn't good enough in my book. 20 days does not make a winner.
As for what I think now that I've seen the episodes, I think we have a similar way of being personable with other
players to meet our needs. She's sharp, reads people very well, and can think several moves ahead of the game.
I've just never been a fan of the UTR style, but that's personal taste. I give her credit though, it works for
her.
QUESTION: Did you feel that you would be able to beat both Mike and Isabella in the final 2, since it would
seem to be a for-sure thing that the 3 Sato guys would be voting for you?
AMY: Hogan taught me to take nothing for granted. I thought I may have had his vote, and I was almost certain
I had both Matt's and Lance's as well, but I needed one more. From where I stood, those tribal lines were pretty
daunting.
QUESTION: How much did it suck to finally lose the game on a mental challenge?
AMY: Unbelievably, completely, totally, wholeheartedly. I'm still mad at myself about that!
The circumstances sucked even more. I was trying to answer the challenge questions and keep up with my kids in
the other room at the same time. I just *knew* they were going to knock over the Christmas tree or something. Anyway,
I answered the question about Matt's vote without thinking much about it, and originally Mario told us that 5 (my
answer) was the correct one, so I thought I'd won! Then Isabella IMed him and told him that, in fact, it wasn't
right. He verified the answer, and sure enough, Mike got it right, not me. So immunity was literally at my fingertips
when it was yanked away. Ouch. Mario apologized twenty times over, and still does, but it was an honest mistake.
It just left a mark!
QUESTION: When you got to the loser lodge, did you smack Hogan across the head for trusting Joni?
AMY: I didn't smack him, I guilt tripped him. That's my way. *grins* He still held firm that he couldn't
reward Matt's behavior toward him, but to each his own. At least he said he was sorry for lying to me. Had he told
me that he wouldn't vote for Joni, I could've made other plans. That's what I was the most frustrated about. He
never gave me a chance to switch targets.
QUESTION: Of all the thirteen people who were eliminated in the game before you, who was the hardest person
to lose?
AMY: That's either Matt or Lance. Matt was my friend, my original Sato alliance throwback, the guy I could
always count on to make me smile. Losing him cut on a personal level, but also a strategic level because the numbers
advantage was handed back to Kamiya on a silver platter with that vote. From that point on, it was just a matter
of time before the game was over for all of Sato, and that killed me. Losing Lance was awful because suddenly I
was alone. My confidante and friend was gone. My last and best ally. That just plain sucked.
Losing Chris was also very hard for me, although I brought half of that situation on myself. He was the first friend
I had to take out of the game, and I changed after that.
QUESTION: Do you think you would have done as well if you had started out on Kamiya and who do you think
you would have aligned with?
AMY: Oooh, good question. While I'd like to think I'd have done as well, you never know. I've been told
(by a Kamiyan) that I'd have been one of the first to go, and I've been told (by another Kamiyan) that I'd have
been an Angel... it's simply too difficult to predict. I felt an immediate bond with Joni when I met her, I adored
Chris, respected the heck out of Michelle's gameplay, and was naturally drawn to Ryan. Murtz and Mike I never felt
a real tie to, Emma was nice but strategically I'm not a huge fan of my head meeting brick wall, and Danielle I
never met in the game. So if I had to pick one person out of those 8 (since I don't know which one I'd be replacing
in the tribe), I think I'd have tried to work with Ryan.
The truth of the matter, though, is that I'd have aligned with whoever it took to make it three more days. Didn't
you read the story? *winks*
QUESTION: Outside of the game, who became your closest friend?
AMY: Outside of the game, I would have to say that Mario became my closest friend. As he mentioned in his
notes, I went through my share of personal drama outside of the game, and he was consistently there for me. I talked
to him & his wife, Diana, for hours, about everything from kids to my personal life, from Survivor to work
stuff. I respect and admire them both more than I could put into words. And now, after knowing a LOT about me,
he still talks to me. *grins* He even makes me laugh and keeps my spirits up. What more could a girl ask for?
QUESTION: A lot of people claimed Mario gave you favorable treatment in the story because you two are friends.
What do you say to something like that?
AMY: I do not believe I had favorable treatment, in the game or in the story. While it's true that Mario
allowed me to speak with David after he was voted out, I believe he'd have done that for anyone who was going through
personal issues and came to him for help. Mario's that kind of guy. Those privileges were immediately yanked when
Mario felt we might be compromising the integrity of the game (even though we never did), and I more than got my
hand slapped for it. Other than that, the game was the game and we both respected it as such. I worked my butt
off for his story and my own game, and he respected and appreciated me for it. Okinawa came first with Mario...
everyone who knows him can vouch for that. I not only respected that fact, but was glad for it because I knew he
was running a straight game. I don't take that kind of handout. *smiles* That fact comforted me when I found out
who Emma really was, too.
In the story, I think it's easy to understand. Mario has always had a soft spot for writing stronger female characters.
You can look back at his past All-Star fiction pieces for proof of that. Add that to the fact that my playing style
is similar to that of his favorite Survivor, Tina, and it just falls into place. What you saw in the story was
me. My gameplay, my moves, my actions, my confessionals, my personality. You saw the good and the bad with me,
so I don't think Mario sugarcoated me at all. Also, I think some people are under the impression that Mario and
I have been bestest friends for years or something, but the truth is that we only got to know one another as he
was casting for Okinawa.
QUESTION: How much time did you put into the game every day, on average?
AMY: Far too much! *laughs* I work from home, so I spend a lot of my day at the computer anyway. I just
kept AIM on all the time so I could keep my finger on the situation. It ended up being way too much time, and I
was glad to be done with it so I could get back to life and a normal sleep schedule.
QUESTION: What you are most proud of, gamewise?
AMY: I'm most proud of being voted out in the final three because the person who had immunity was afraid
to face me in the final two.
QUESTION: Toot your own horn ... tell us why you did so well.
AMY: I could attribute it to many things, but I'll say it's mainly because I never quit. Never give up,
never surrender. (Great quote... Rupert must be a Galaxy Quest fan too!)
QUESTION: Do you think you had any role in Sato's eventual defeat? Do you think you should have stepped
up more as a leader?
AMY: Oh, yes. I do shoulder a lot of the blame for the defeat of Sato.
I should've stepped up right away to lead, forget the consequence. We needed someone to organize things, and I
was too chicken to do it. I should've sucked it up and done it for the good of the tribe, and I think we'd have
seen things happen a little more efficiently around camp. I was not the only one who could've done it, but looking
back now, I should've just taken the reins. I was targeted as being the leader anyway, because I'd forgotten that
leadership comes in many forms. I was a source of morale for a good bit of Sato, so Kamiya wanted to take me out,
no matter how little I actually led in terms of organization.
I also should've kept a closer eye on those I thought were in my alliance, since I was burned more than once by
loose lips. Michelle has been blasted for it, but I believe her micromanagement was what kept her safe for so long.
I should've had a tighter leash on some of my tribemates, maybe we'd have fared better.
I should've been more amiable toward Henry, because his feelings of betrayal and Christyhood led him to spill information
that tore our tribe and my alliance apart. To this day, I believe that that was step one of the Sato fall. Step
two was Hogan turning on Matt, but I think I covered that earlier. I could've prevented it by staying closer to
Hogan, but my philosophy at the time was that if I tried to control him too much, he'd bolt just as fast. Oh well...
six in one hand, half-dozen in the other.
QUESTION: What would Sato have needed for them to win this game? Was there one missing variable you guys
really needed?
AMY: We really needed tribal glue. We needed teamwork. We needed the ability to work together even when
we weren't exactly the best of friends. If we'd had that, maybe the switch wouldn't have been so devastating and
we'd have been able to keep it together.
Unfortunately, tribal glue often comes in the form of a leader, and we desperately needed one. I often wonder how
things would've been different had myself, Matt, or David stepped up and taken charge.
QUESTION: Mario often called you "The Tina" of the story. And since you were once not a fan of
Tina Wesson... what do you think of the comparison now that you've seen it all in print?
AMY: Participating in Okinawa gave me an entirely new outlook on Tina. When I started the game I thought
of her as fake and manipulative. Now I can see how I was, well, wrong. Some people now have that perception of
me, and I can't help but be flattered by it. It means I did something right. I now have the utmost respect for
the way she played the game because I understand it. She wasn't fake, she was just able to separate being a supportive
person by nature from playing the game. She's a sweet woman and a fighter, and some people can't comprehend those
two qualities mixing. Needless to say, she's now one of my favorite Survivors.
QUESTION: What do you think of being considered one of the best players in the game?
AMY: I find it flattering that people respect the game I played, and it's a little overwhelming. *smiles*
I think I might be a little overrated, but I'm happy to have the attention!
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