“It made me question stuff in real life”
-An Interview with Beth Sowles

Christopher: Hi y’all…I’m back with another sit down chat…for your eyes only. My interviews are actually done live…not simply in a cut & paste question and answer format, so all of the answers are spontaneous!

Let’s get this moving and welcome Beth Sowles…

Beth was a member of Sato, the predetermined “good guy” tribe in Okinawa. During the life-changing Episode 3 twist, Beth was switched over to Kamiya. Of the 5 people to leave post-twist, 4 of them were switchees…not exactly the best odds. Prior to the merge, Kamiya participated in a controversial Immunity Challege which led to a VERY tense Tribal Council resulting in Beth’s ouster from the game.

Welcome Beth!




Beth: Hey Chris. Glad you could make it


Christopher: (laughs) Glad YOU could make it! Let’s jump right in --- Beth, you were the last person voted out pre-merge…was that frustrating for you?


Beth: *grumble* Yes! I so wanted to make the jury .... I wanted to be there until the very end! If I wasn't going to win .. I wanted to help determine who did win! And ... I fell just short of that.


Christopher: Have you played in any online games before?


Beth: No never ... this was the very first game I even tried to play. I was shocked, surprised and so pleased that I was selected! I had been reading Mario's All-Stars stories and when I found he that he was running this game .. I wanted in!


Christopher: Same here! I was a huge fan of those stories. Which was your favorite?


Beth: hmmm ... Hawaii! But I also liked the Second Chance!


Christopher: I had a soft spot for Second Chances - I really liked the idea and the way it played out. Okay… let’s switch back to one of Mario’s other creations, Okinawa - did you expect it to be as immersive as it was?


Beth: Ya know .. I had no idea when I started how it would be….whether people would spend a lot of time ... or not. I thought towards the end it would be .. based on reading Tonga, but .. wow ... when we started playing ... we really got into it.


Christopher: Total insanity - from minute one. (laughs)


Beth: Exactly. I took the first day off from work .. just to play. I wanted to be there from the very beginning. I think the first ones were me, Amy, Matt and Henry. Lis and Hogan were at school, and David didn't get there until later.


Christopher: Of course. Mario does not encourage truancy. (winks)


Beth: True, that!


Christopher: Were you nervous starting the game that first day?


Beth: Totally! I was convinced that I would be the first out voted out due to my age, so I knew I had to make friends ... and fast. Usually the oldest is considered to be expendable .. and I wanted people to like me ... and want me around, so .. I made myself an all-around Survivor with my stats, so I could help out in any situation... and then our tribe started out with the whole Romeo/Juliet mess…


Christopher: Oh yes…the infamous Okinawan Romeo & Juliet saga…quite an auspicious debut for the "Good" Tribe!


Beth: What was really funny about that ...is that I was at work all day and I come home to a massive amounts of IM's and I was quickly trying to figure out what the heck had happened!


Christopher: Pandemonium!


Beth: Lis got to me first and offered me an alliance with her and Lance, which .... I knew I didn't want. Lance had already been a target .... for being voted out - but .. I didn't know that Lis had been offered a spot in the alliance with Matt/Henry/Amyand she turned that down and .. up to that point .. I hadn't been offered "officially" a spot in the alliance and .. well .. I don't lie very well..


Christopher: So, because Lis stepped down....you sorta lucked into the big alliance?


Beth: Well, from what I heard ... it was assumed that I was a part of that alliance… (smiles) I just didn't know it yet! Those first few days .. I missed a TON being away at work all day and .. because of work .. I would always go to bed earlier than the rest and missed stuff because of that, so I really depended on my alliance to keep me informed.


Christopher: As a fellow worker bee...being away from the computer for even an hour was scary in Okinawa - you simply had to be available at all times...


Beth: Something was always happening!


Christopher: I'm not sure our audience understands quite how many hours we were all putting in. Unlike the real show, where you have 24 hours in a day - you had 72 hours in any given Okinawan day… (Beth nods) And unlike on the real show, somebody could be talking to you AND someone else at the same time!!


Beth: Exactly!


Christopher: Very, very intense for us.


Beth: And .. you had to be careful on what you said in different conversations….and not get them mixed up…


Christopher: …because things had a way of getting back...


Beth: ... which, funnily enough actually happened once in Kamiya… There was a chat room going on ... and Mike was going on and on about Matt and the gnome - just wouldn't give it up .. and finally Matt logged out of that chat room. In the meantime.... Ryan opened another one and invited Michelle, Matt and Me into that one. Matt .. had also been invited back to the chat room with Mike in it…


Christopher: Uh oh.


Beth: So Michelle, Ryan and I were in two chat rooms and Mike "couldn't" be in two, and Matt mistakenly said the wrong thing in Mike's chat room – he thought he was in the second room... yeah, that was interesting. That actually was one of the few times I lied during the game…


Christopher: What did you say?


Beth: I lied to Mike that I didn't know you could be in two rooms at once - when...obviously I did know that ;-)... but, Mike was just driving me nuts with the whole gnome thing


Christopher: Oh I understand - I love the big guy...but I never much cared for his gnome.


Beth: The gnome and Mike was actually the first time in the game that I lost my cool.


Christopher: What happens when "Beffy" loses her cool (besides a sudden interest in carving wooden genitalia)?


Beth: Mike kept *whining* (my word) to me about Matt hurting the gnome...and I knew that Matt hadn't done a thing and Mike just couldn't/wouldn't let it go and finally Mike tells me that because Matt and I were original-Satos…we couldn't be trusted --- I was like…oh you didn't just say that to me. And then Mike continued to tell me that I was next to go, which he had been saying for about a week already, and I finally snapped…and told Mike to never, ever come to me about a deal again because he wouldn't get it. I just went off ... sorry, Mike.


Christopher: Mama Beth got mad!


Beth: Oh yeah! I was thoroughly pissed at that point.


Christopher: Let's get to the next one, because it's sort of a biggie - was your experience in Okinawa what you expected it to be?


Beth: Well.. it was .. and it wasn't. I really had a great time playing and I made some good friends, but ... along the way ... well, I just couldn't get into the way some were playing and for a few days ... I was totally ruined after I was voted out.


Christopher: I remember seeing you at the Lodge, since I had left right before …


Beth: Yeah .. ya'll were there to welcome me with open arms - most felt bad because of how I was voted out. The thing I don't think most of the Kamiyans know - the thing is…is that I was always ready to be voted out, because it was part of the game…it was the "way" in which it was done and ... like I said ... what most Kamiyans don't know about that is the reason it hurt as bad as it did ... was because it made me question stuff in real life.


Christopher: Right - that actually kind of ends up being the main crux of your story in some ways – each of us brings at least one or two story dynamics to the table as a "boot"…and your final episode is certainly a doozy.


Beth: It made me question my own sense of honesty and trust because of what Emma/Isabella and Michelle did - that betrayal, to me, is actually the worst part… the voting out stuff .. well, that was just aftermath ...


Christopher: Right...which is where your infamous parting "gifts" came in…


Beth: Yep ... that was why they were the only two to receive them… Michelle was the one who came to me and asked to be a part of Matt and my alliance and ... from all the stuff she said ... it just rang true, ya know. And I believed her enough to go to Matt and have him listen to her too and Michelle brought in Emma and Emma started singing too, so ... after the alliance of Matt/Beth/Ryan and Michelle …


Christopher: Having left Kamiya on Day 9...a lot of the back & forth stuff with you, Matt & Dave confused me...I never quite figured out the purpose. I mean, I adore my original teammates (and god knows that I was not above doing underhanded things)...but I just never understood the point of all that. Even reading the story – I still don’t get it.


Beth: Exactly - there was no point.


Christopher: It was one of the two majorly confusing events that happened, that didn't involve me – but confused me. As a note for the viewers, #2 has yet to happen – so, stay tuned. (winks)


Beth: (smiles) So yeah .. Michelle and Emma really crushed my spirit for a few days…


Christopher: What you are bringing up, not only affected the game - but also has continued to effect interpersonal dynamics between the castaways to this day…the whole Sato vs. Kamiya dynamic and vice versa… So here we go - How did you feel about the “good vs. evil” aspect of the original teams?


Beth: I thought it was cunning, because ... as we found out .. Sato wasn't exactly all good - the alliance stuff started right away and, well, we were Camp Chaos and .. surprisingly enough ... Kamiya had a better start than Sato did, but .. the two tribes definitely approached the game in very different ways…


Christopher: Right, Sato was emotion...Kamiya was business…for lack of better descriptives.


Beth: (smiles) Kamiya was always Camp Hell. I called it that from the very first day. The time I spend with Matt in-game .. was by far the most precious - he kept me sane on Kamiya.


Christopher: Matt to you is like Joni for me - your one tribemate who was by your side for your entire duration in the game…coincidentally, both younger. There is a very special and unique bond there.


Beth: Yep .... When I knew I was going to be voted out, I was very glad that Matt got to continue.


Christopher: Same for me with regards to Joni.


Beth: Of course, I didn't know he was pushing me in front of a train! (smiles)


Christopher: Did anyone on your tribe (including you!) not deserve their “good” moniker?


Beth: Well... ya know, to be honest...I don't know what people thought of me…I know that Amy/Matt and David liked me...but I'm not sure what the Kamiyas thought of me, except I wasn't always "good" either. I mean...I had a few moments out there.


Christopher: Is there anybody you feel should have started on a different tribe?


Beth: Dani. Dani should have been with Sato. We've made her an honorary Sato.


Christopher: She mentioned that in her interview. Ok, I am going to get direct - big surprise. ;-) But...one of the things that floored me in the Lodge..was the knock down drag outs you & Henry would get into – even the night of the finale, you guys had some intense words.


Beth: (laughs) ... poor Henry…we didn't see eye-to-eye on many things. Well, I don't want to be too negative towards Henry - he's had enough of that...but, I will say that in talking with Henry I often felt that I had played on a different dimension that he had - our sense of realities just didn't meet.


Christopher: An interesting way to look at it. Well stated. So, say that somehow Beth was the "OutCast"…she shows up to Kamiya to take 3 people away…


Beth: Ooh ...


Christopher:…Ryan...Mike...Murtz...Michelle...Christopher...Joni...Emma…


Beth: I would have taken Mike/Chris/Emma. Emma…because she always did so badly at challenges, and would have been easy to vote out. Mike...due to his age. And, Chris…because I liked your original post during Boot Camp. (*side note from Christopher: all of the Okinawans participated in a “Boot Camp”, prior to the beginning of the game. Much like the real Survivor Boot Camp, we were not allowed to interact, nor did we know what the tribe placement was – we were simply learning the rules of the game, and going through a few of the motions…nonetheless – we still made mental notes)


Christopher: On a related note, how did it feel to be one of the Chosen?


Beth: Terrible. Awful. Rotten. Horrid. I hated it. When Mike told me why he had picked us, I didn't believe him at all, and I thought that since he had taken 3 Satos who actually already had an alliance ... that might work in our favor… and as everyone know ... it didn't…


Christopher: I understand. As a fellow abductee, I remember getting chosen…it was...just devastating - everything we had worked for...gone… And I know the audience looks at it as 8 days – “big deal”, but every 1 day for us was 3 - 4 days… so it wasn't 8 days of camp life! It was 24! Almost a month with our original tribes.


Beth: Yep .. very true, and with Sato ... I had it made with Matt/David and Amy!


Christopher: You did. I totally relate to what you went through. The Angels had it made, too. Your alliance- GONE. Your numerical advantage – GONE… (sighs) So, if you could pick a tribe of 8, who would have been on it?


Beth: My tribe of 8? They would be: Matt/Amy/Lance/Ryan/Dani/Lis/Murtz. We would have had fun.


Christopher: Reading the episodes, who was your best ally?


Beth: Hm .... that's a tough one. On Sato .. definitely Amy. On Kamiya ... definitely Matt. Amy and Matt would not have voted against me either - in fact .. at the tie .. Matt still didn't vote for me


Christopher: Were those the same people you thought were your best allies at the time, too?


Beth: Reading the episodes... hmm ... I think I was my best ally, actually ....and .. my own worst nightmare…


Christopher: Interesting response. Who was your biggest “nemesis” in Okinawa? Besides yourself! ;-)


Beth: (laughs)... at different times...all the original Kamiyans were, but...I did come to appreciate Ryan towards the end, if Ryan and I had started together...that relationship would have been different, I think.


Christopher: I didn’t have a whole lotta love for him in the game, but outside - he is pretty frigging lovely. I wanna smooch on him!


Beth: I *adore* Ryan… and at Sato… oh my… definitely Henry…and Lance


Christopher: Right - I have read Mario's note that you & Lance had some tension…


Beth: We did, at the very beginning .. Lance was determined to be the camp cook - I felt, anyway. And Amy's cooking skill was way above his… and he was only 3 points above mine.


Christopher: We dealt with that too – same thing with Joni & Amy. We kept trying to make him do more useful things, but he'd always cook anyway…


Beth: …so that whole thing was frustrating to me, and...when we got to the first challenge the only score I had high was Focus, and he was determined to take that spot, too.


Christopher: Oh wow - you guys were in contention.


Beth: And he did, in the challenge - I ended up with dexterity, but...I gave both things up to him...after the mess with the cooking, when he stated he was doing the focus .. I just said, okay…but I was a bit miffed <g>


Christopher: Speaking of challenges - what was your favorite one?


Beth: (laughs)…the gross food challenge ... I had the easiest one .. sushi! (grins)


Christopher: Me too! I wanted more! Were there any challenges you would not have wanted to participate in?


Beth: The first one I sat out ... the rice paper challenge. I was awful at building, but….I would have been more help than Mike ended up being!


Christopher: Oh my god! That is the one Joni & I threw. (laughs) Very interesting that both tribes were trying to throw it. Guess at least I can walk away knowing that I have a better "throw" even if it did get my hiney booted. (winks)


Beth: Yeah ... it was one of the many inconsistencies that Ryan showed, since he ended up helping Kamiya win. Ryan and I were having some great conversations by that time…and I think Ryan was honestly being troubled about some of the things going on…
And here is something interesting (grins) …at the last TC .. where I was voted out - the episode showed Emma telling me Ryan
But in reality…she didn't get the chance to say that to me, and had she said it ... neither Matt nor I would have voted for Ryan, and Michelle would have been voted out. (smiles)


Christopher: All it takes is one teeny decision to change the landscape of the game….


Beth: 3 votes Michelle/2 votes Beth/1 vote Ryan. But ... Isabella is also the one person I knew I had to apologize to when the game was over… I was absolutely awful to her on my last day. I just couldn't see through my hurt to think strategically. Isabella .. I'm *still* sorry


Christopher: Reading the episodes, has anybody surprised you in a positive way with their strategy and/or confessionals?


Beth: Yup ... Lance. (smiles) Lance has impressed me. He really played a loyal, good game, and he's been loyal to Amy.


Christopher: Similar question – different angle… has anybody surprised you in a negative way with their strategy and/or confessionals?


Beth: Hmmm ... Hogan definitely surprised me in the last one that he trusted Joni and went against Matt. Bad Hogan! Naughty Hogan!


Christopher: Okay, I am going to list some adjectives, and I want you to match them up with a Castaway for me...K? Smartest?


Beth: Isabella.


Christopher: Trustworthy?


Beth: Lance.


Christopher: Fun?


Beth: Matt!


Christopher: Here’s a hard one - Annoying?


Beth: Henry.


Christopher: Out of Touch with Reality?


Beth: (laughs) Ditto – Henry.


Christopher: Kindest?


Beth: Dani.


Christopher: Cutest?


Beth: Lis.


Christopher: Lis IS cute! Here's a big one for you: would you like to set the record straight about anything?


Beth: Record ... I do not hold grudges against anyone ... or anything .. that happened in Okinawa… I think people think I'm still upset .. and I'm not.


Christopher: That sounds more like it is for the castaways than the fans. (laughs)


Beth: Okay .. for the fans - I didn't show up too much in some of the episodes .. but trust me .. I was in there PLAYING! And Hard. The biggest compliment I got in game was from Matt and David once we got to Kamiya. Matt told me that he had underestimated me and that I "rocked his world". David similarly told me that he knew I was a player and I liked that they recognized that.


Christopher: What was your favorite moment in Okinawa?


Beth: Ah .. my fav moment is the BBQ when we got to bring Amy over. By then I already had been told by Mike that I was next to go, so it was great to reconnect with Amy...and try to figure out a way to save me!


Christopher: Again - we have a parallel...it was really wonderful for me to see Mich again when she visited Sato.


Beth: In fact .. here's a tidbit for the fans - Matt/Amy and I had decided that Sato was going to throw that last challenge! Amy would talk to Hogan and Lance .. and throw it .. to vote out Joni .. and save me.


Christopher: What happened to that plan?


Beth: I don't know! Amy decided that she had to gain favor with Joni, and so she saved her, I guess...but Amy had to do what she needed to do to survive.


Christopher: Worst moment in Okinawa?


Beth: Worst moment – reading the results of that final TC…when I realized that Michelle and Emma had been lying to me. I had no idea what had happened. I didn't know I was sitting out. I didn't know the challenge would be thrown - they did not tell me in advance that I was sitting out that challenge. So .. I found that out all at once….my absolute lowest moment. Mario also IM'd me ... and asked who was sitting out. I told him Matt and Michelle, so Mario knew I had no idea…


Christopher: Next big question...Biggest regret?


Beth: Biggest regret? .... The way I treated Isabella - she didn't deserve that. Everything I told was true .. but, well, I wasn't pleasant to be around, and since she was the ONLY person to talk to me that day .. I just laid into her.


Christopher: What, if anything, did you learn about yourself?


Beth: I learned ... that I trust too easily, but...generally, I'm okay with that. I would rather trust people…than not, though I'm more cautious.


Christopher: Really? (Beth nods) The game changed your real life with regards to trust?


Beth: Yes, because I played the game as me, not as a "persona” - just me, Beth, and ... when I trusted Michelle and Isabella with that last alliance…I truly trusted them


Christopher: Finally…would you do it again?


Beth: Absolutely! In a heartbeat! I'm still waiting for Mark Burnett to call me!


Christopher: Not a second of hesitation - you jumped right in with tht answer…


Beth: (smiles) Nope. All in all, I had a great time, made great friends, met a great group of people - everyone in Okinawa should be proud.


Christopher: Agreed...I may not be close with everyone...but I am very proud of the game we played and the show we put on. A top notch crew from top to bottom, in terms of characters. And the story...wow… I remember that you & I would sit in the Lodge, and be continually shocked by the developments…


Beth: (grins) Yes we were!


Christopher: And we'd mock argue about Amy & Michelle.


Beth: (laughs) …all the time!


Christopher: You and I both just missed the merge…and I remember we both said the same thing - we were actually kinda glad. Because, as bad as things got for us...it only got worse later…


Beth: Yes, it did.


Christopher: We got to retain a little bit of the Okinawa innocence…


Beth: And it was actually a relief to be in LL…and watch the story unfold…


Christopher: It really was!


Beth: (grins) We got to know EVERYTHING!


Christopher: EVERYTHING! Mario was so GOOD to us!


Beth: Yes, he was! Mario kept us informed. We had fun in LL, though I'm still waiting for that vacation!


Christopher: And I still remember watching that Final TC with bated breath


Beth: Yeah…that was awesome!


(*side note from Christopher - the Lodge folks got a direct feed of the Final TC)


Christopher: We were biting our nails and screaming at each other just like we were watching TV, and the Final TC folks had no idea.


Beth: I know! And we kept counting those votes!


Christopher: We did! We kept voting based on the answers the F2 were giving to the jury.


Beth: Yes, we did - and then argue about them!


Christopher: Well, some of us – you & I were of the same mind that night! It was a wonderful way to end Okinawa. For about 4 hours, we were all friends. (smiles)


Beth: I *still* can't wait to see who wins! ...I'm still waiting to see if *I* won! A gal can have hope, can't she!


Christopher: Agreed! It was the one thing that nobody got to see at the end of the Final Tribal Council. Only Mario Probst knows… contrary to the "spoilers" out there. (winks)


Beth: Silly spoilers - think they know something .... (grins) they're in for more than a few surprises!


Christopher: Well Beth, thanks for taking the time to chat with me. Big hugs to you & yours!


Beth: No problem! Thanks, Chris - great talking with you!


Christopher: And that’s the end of the Beth Sowles interview. I hope y’all had a good time reading just a little bit more about Okinawa, and what it was like to live in Mario’s World.

Next week, I’ll be back with another Castaway. Don’t give up on Okinawa! Technical difficulties be damned - Episode 10 is hardcore!




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