The Deadbolt Interview – Secret Agent Strategy with Rob Mariano of Survivor: Redemption Island

The day after the finale of Survivor: Redemption Island, Boston Rob spoke briefly with TheDeadbolt to give an update on how he had to handle Phillip differently than his other Survivor tribe mates, how Phillip was lucky not to be voted out, and what Rob thinks of Phillip as a person now that Survivor is over for another season.

THE DEADBOLT: Since you had to play so many different angles with your own tribe, can you talk about what the challenges were to keep Phillip in check so that he didn’t fracture the entire tribe?

ROB MARIANO: Phillip was a constant challenge! To be honest, if the merge happened one day later or one tribal council later that we had to go to, Phillip wouldn’t have lasted. That’s because in the beginning he was really an annoyance and he was tough to get along with to the point where he was disrupting the harmony of the group. You don’t always want harmony but you still have to live together.

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The Deadbolt Interview – Survivor Redemption Island: Life Lessons with Phillip Sheppard

The following day after the finale of Survivor: Redemption Island, TheDeadbolt spent a few minutes with Phillip Sheppard to get his take on what went down with former Zapatera tribe member Steve Wright and how Phillip looks at his controversial “crazy” comment now that his time on Survivor is over.

THE DEADBOLT: Hi Phillip, it’s Troy from TheDeadbolt.com.

PHILLIP SHEPPARD: TheDeadbolt, I like that. It sounds like something The Specialist would say.

THE DEADBOLT: Phillip, it looked like Steve’s comments at the end really affected you. How do you look on what happened with him now?

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The Deadbolt Interview – Tribal Trust with Grant and Natalie of Survivor: Redemption Island

When TheDeadbolt caught up with Grant and Natalie following the live finale of Survivor: Redemption Island, the two former Ometepe tribe mates shared their thoughts on voting for Rob Mariano, placing trust in the hands of Rob, and why Natalie didn’t side with Ashley and Andrea ahead of the final tribal council on Survivor.

THE DEADBOLT: Grant, can you talk about your vote and what your decision was based on?

GRANT MATTOS: My vote was for Rob and just the overall game that he played. He played a fantastic game and my hat was off to him. I congratulated him afterwards and that’s purely what it was based on.

THE DEADBOLT: Can you talk about why you guys trusted Rob so much for the entire game, knowing that he’d probably turn on you?

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The Deadbolt Interview – Tribal Gameplay with Ashley and Andrea of Survivor: Redemption Island

The morning after the live finale of Survivor: Redemption Island, Ashley Underwood and Andrea Boehlke talked Survivor shop talk with TheDeadbolt about dealing with Phillip Sheppard, how Ashley looked at Natalie’s final tribal decision, their trust in Rob, and what Andrea thought of Matt outing her Survivor strategy to Boston Rob earlier in the season.

THE DEADBOLT: Can you both talk about Phillip and what it was like to play with him and against him at the same time? Obviously, you both had different experiences.

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‘Survivor’ post-game: Rob elaborates on his difficult path to victory | Show Tracker | Los Angeles Times

Have you had your fill of “Survivor” post-show interviews yet? No? Good, because I’ve got plenty on the way.

“Boston Rob” Mariano did what seemed so unlikely at first: He won “Survivor: Redemption Island.” I thought everyone would wise up at some point and vote him out like they did the other veteran, hated Russell Hantz.

On the reunion show Sunday night and in other interviews, Rob maintained that it wasn’t as easy as it looked. So during his conference call Monday afternoon, I asked him what in particular, besides the immunity challenges that almost made him pass out, was hard.

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Final Survivor interviews: Matt and Mike – National survivor | Examiner.com

Matt and Mike both played as honorable of games as you could ever ask for in Survivor.  Matt was the 2nd person voted out of the game, but due to Redemption Island found himself as one of the biggest underdogs in Survivor history, surviving a record 10 Duels on Redemption Island, return briefly only to be blindsided for a 2nd time.  The 11th Duel would have sent him back into the game, but he finally lost to Andrea, a person that he had developed quite a bond with earlier in the game.

Mike on the other hand, was the hero.  The Iraqi War vet was the last Zapatera member standing, and was the biggest threat from his tribe heading into the merge.  He nearly was able to flip Matt after he returned in the game, but was unable.  They shared the same fate, both losing out in the last Duel of the season.  They also shared the same faith, that in God, who was overly present in their lives before, during, and after the game was over.

So Matt, now that the game is over, what would you say was God’s Plan for you?

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Survivor Runner-Up Phillip: I Didn’t Get the Respect I Earned – seattlepi.com

The pink briefs. The feather accessories. The rice argument that turned into the racism rant ‘heard round the country. It was hard for any of the newbies from Survivor: Redemption Island to get a word in edgewise next to favorites “Boston Rob” Mariano and Russell Hantz, but Phillip Sheppard not only got in a few words in – he stole the season thanks to his crazy wardrobe choices, violent temper and some messages from beyond the grave from his grandfather. Despite his bizarre antics – or maybe because of them – the 52-year-old former federal agent made it to the final three and even, surprisingly, scored one vote. Phillip talked with TVGuide.com about his “brilliant move” coming up with his outlandish persona, his true friendship with Rob and giving Steve Wright the benefit of the doubt about the racially charged argument. Plus: Would he return to Survivor?

Survivor winner Boston Rob: “I’m happy to leave with the way I played”

What did you think your chances were?

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‘Survivor: Redemption Island:’ Phillip says ‘I played a brilliant ruse on everybody’; plans to be become an actor | Inside TV | EW.com

If you had told me before the season began that Phillip Sheppard would end up in second place on Survivor: Redemption Island, I would have called you crazy. Crazy like Phillip Sheppard! But somehow, someway, the Stealth R Us point person ended up as runner-up. I talked with Philip all about his unlikely journey, his feelings about his castmates, and his plans for the future, which, quite frankly, are spectacular. Read on after the jump to enjoy for yourself.

You know, forget about this former federal agent stuff. I just want to talk about that 1984 US Army photo! You had it going on, my man! Lookin’ good!

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Survivor Reject Roundup: Phillip Was “Acting,” Natalie Played to Win (LOL) and Matt Is Good People – E! Online

Everyone loves a winner, especially when his name is Awesome Rob Mariano.

But he’s not the only Survivor: Redemption Island castaway we spoke to today. We powwowed with the losers, too.

Read on for our in-depth interview with lovable sweetheart Matt Elrod, who went to hell and back on his 30 days on Redemption Island but never quit. (Because Mark Burnett and Jeff Probst wouldn’t let him. Kidding! Sorta.) But wait, there’s more! Runner-up (“Phile” got one vote!) Phillip Sheppard says he was acting the whole time—to help Rob and to further his career in drama—and finalist Natalie Tenerelli insists she was playing to win.

Seriously, folks…

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‘Survivor’ Finale Wins Big for CBS – Hollywood Reporter

The finale and reunion show of reality staple Survivor: Redemption Island paid off for CBS on Sunday, just as upfront presentations begin in New York this week.

The season ender, which crowned “Boston” Rob Mariano sole survivor (and fan favorite), averaged 12.5 million total viewers from 8 to 11 p.m. and drew a 3.8 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary numbers. (For the actual two-hour finale, Survivor averaged 13.1 million and a 4.0 rating.)

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TWO-HOUR SEASON FINALE OF “SURVIVOR: REDEMPTION ISLAND” LEADS CBS TO SUNDAY WIN IN VIEWERS AND DEMOGRAPHICS

CBS Press Release –

TWO-HOUR SEASON FINALE OF “SURVIVOR: REDEMPTION ISLAND” LEADS CBS TO SUNDAY WIN IN VIEWERS AND DEMOGRAPHICS
The two-hour season finale of SURVIVOR: REDEMPTION ISLAND, which saw “Boston” Rob Mariano emerge as the sole survivor, led CBS to a Sunday win in viewers and key demographics, according to Nielsen preliminary live plus same day ratings for May 15.

 

From 8:00-10:00 PM, SURVIVOR: REDEMPTION ISLAND FINALE (S) (which ran past 10:00 PM) was first in households (7.1/11), viewers (13.10m), adults 25-54 (5.2/12) and adults 18-49 (4.0/10).

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A&E sells its soul by giving Russell Hantz his own house-flipping series + reality blurred

A&E, the network that has brought us exceptional, high-quality reality television such as Hoarders and Teach: Tony Danza, has sold out by giving Survivor pest Russell Hantz his own show about house flipping that even has a title that’s a bad knock-off of Bravo’s Flipping Out.

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‘Survivor’ bad guy Russell Hantz to star in A&E house flipping show | Show Tracker | Los Angeles Times

“Survivor” villain Russell Hantz will try to outwit, outlast and outplay the real estate market in his Houston hometown.

Hantz, who couldn’t beat Boston Rob on the just-concluded season of “Survivor: Redemption Island,” will be back on TV later this year in an A&E series dubbed “Flipped” that will follow him and his family as they buy, renovate and resell homes.

The one-hour show is scheduled to run for seven episodes.

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Jeff Probst on the finale of ‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ | PopWatch | EW.com

Each week, Survivor host Jeff Probst answers a few questions about the most recent episode of Redemption Island. Here, he addresses some points from the season finale and reunion show.

What’s this? No Fallen Comrades tribute? I’m still in a state of Survivor shock at its omission! Did you guys not have them do it this season, or did the footage just not fit into the episode due to the time needed for the final Redemption Island duel?

We did shoot the tribute, but we had too much show and had to make a decision. We decided to edit the episode without it and if anybody spoke up during the notes process that they truly missed it, we’d revisit it. Nobody did. The “fallen comrades” has always been a “love it-hate it” part of the show. It used to be more relevant but as the game as evolved to more strategy it feels less pertinent.

Going into the final episode, it seemed to me the only people that could have maybe beaten Rob at the final Tribal Council were Mike and Matt. How do you think those guys would have done against him had one of them made it back and gotten into the final three?

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Survivor season finale recap: The Right Player Won | Season 22 Episode 14 | EW.com

The most shocking development in Survivor history! It immediately caused a huge uproar online, with people tweeting each other messages like, “What happened?” “I can’t believe it!” and “OMFG!” The last time a finale moment caused this much of a scandal was when Russell Hantz lost to Natalie White. I’m speaking not of Boston Rob’s victory over Natalie and Phillip, mind you, but rather the omission of the Fallen Comrades montage! Usually the only drama involved with the Fallen Comrades tribute is whether it will be by land or by sea. Not this season. Perhaps there simply wasn’t time because we had to hear from Rob 683 times about how he played for 10 years, never won, and it had all led to this…blah, blah, blah. Or maybe they just realized that having players wax nostalgic about people they never even played with or cared about was absurd (“Krista…uh, yeah, she was…um, a girl…blonde, I think?”). Either way, no awkward remembrances or burning of wooden name planks up on a mountaintop with a dramatic 360 degree helicopter shot for us.

You know, no one has made more fun of the Fallen Comrades montage over the years than me, but at least it would have been a little more unpredictable than the final result. Make no mistake, I’m not complaining about said result. I always want the most deserving player to win, and it is impossible to argue that Rob was not the most deserving player. (Of course, I said the same thing about Russell Hantz in Samoa, and people still take issue with that.) The problem was never Rob: He was brilliant. The problem was the competition — or complete lack of it. Rob was treated like a rock star the second he showed up and then the adoration only grew form there. As a result, there was not any real drama since Matt was voted out for the second time. I really do wish we could rewind the entire season and Rob and Russell would have picked opposite buffs. That could have been fascinating to see, because the Zapatera tribe would not have given Rob the free ride that Ometepe did. We can’t do that, of course. But we can rewind this final episode and reunion show to see how the final chapter went down in a season that shall from here on out be retitled Survivor: Rob Takes Candy From Babies.

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“Seems Like A No-Brainer”/”Reunion” | Survivor | TV Club | TV | The A.V. Club

Stray observations:

Although I intellectually knew there was no way Rob wasn’t going to play his hidden immunity idol, the editors did a fantastic job of confusing me enough to make me nervous. Thank goodness he did, or he would usurp Marcellas from Big Brother for dumbest reality television moment of all time (even though he didn’t technically need it in the end).

Bitter juries still confound me, after all of these years. Why are they so angry and mean? Why can’t they separate the game from real life? I’m actually starting to suspect the producers rile them up in some way.
David: Best jury performance of all time? I can’t recall a player using his jury time to campaign for one of the final three, but it was unexpected and sort of fantastic.

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‘Survivor: Redemption Island’ crowns “Boston Rob” Mariano champion – Reality TV World

Phillip then burned his infamous “plum” underwear in a ceremony-like event.

“Like all good things, some things must come to an end,” Phillip said.

Rob, Phillip and Natalie then arrived for their final Tribal Council session, which was the seventeenth Tribal Council of the season. The nine jury members entered, including Ashley, and Jeff explained that Natalie, Rob and Phillip would each be able make an opening statement and plead their case before the jury members would have an opportunity to either ask a question or make a statement of their own.

The Tribal Council then commenced and the three remaining castaways said their opening statements, followed by the jury firing questions at them.

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Survivor – Redemption Island – The Jury’s out … David SPEAKS!!!!! | lehighvalleylive.com

Bump-ba-da-baaam!! Time for the JURY! This is one of my favorite parts of the season. I love how the anger, frustration and admiration come out. I like to see who is bitter, who appreciates a good game and who is ardently behind one person. Andrea went first. She called Phillip weird and wanted to know who the real Philip was. Phil wasn’t sure. Andrea told Nat that her loyalty to Rob was “creepy”, that she’d betrayed all her tribe and had totally ridden on Rob’s coat tails.

     Ashley congratulated the three. She said she was sick of Phillip, but appreciated the patience that he’d taught her. She was disappointed that Nat lied to her, but Nat said the final decision on who to vote out wasn’t done until right before tribal. She told Rob that he’d deceived everyone and that people had him on a pedestal.

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SURVIVOR: REDEMPTION ISLAND “Finale” Review | Daemon’s TV

Oh my gosh, I could not wait to talk about the second immunity challenge! That had to be the best made challenge in Survivor history! That was the best maze I’ve ever seen, the best structure I’ve ever seen, and one of the coolest and most unique puzzles I’ve ever seen! I was a little disappointed to see the one and only Boston Rob ask for help on the puzzle, but was a little shocked that he was able to come up with the solution so quickly. As soon as he won immunity, you could have just handed him the million dollars, but we have to watch another 40 minutes to make it official.

If you weren’t convinced that Rob was going to win tonight, the final tribal council should have erased all doubt. Natalie was showing to the jury how much she depends on Rob, and it was as if Philip didn’t want any votes! The only reason Rob’s win wasn’t unanimous was because Ralph got sweet-talked so much by Philip.

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The Clicker – Boston Rob outplays and outlasts his ‘Survivor’ competitors

Rob has been getting the hero edit for weeks now, and arguably since the beginning of the season, so his loss would have truly blindsided me. “It was Amber that encouraged me to come back and try again. She believes in me,” he said, crying. “Whatever happens now, I’m OK.”

His victory is well-deserved and a satisfying way to end a really uneven season that was sometimes totally unsatisfying. That’s because Rob played a near-perfect game, as host Jeff Probst said during the reunion, but the real key was his social game. The jury was a little bitter (particularly Julie and Matt), but that ultimately didn’t matter.

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