30--O20--Samoa

Rank: Original #20
Season # 19
Title:  Survivor Samoa
Location: Upolu, Samoa
Broadcast: Fall, 2009
New Players:  20
Returning Players: 0
Days: 39
Winner:  Natalie White
Final Tribal Council:  3 Players 9 Jury
Initial Tribes: Foa Foa, Galu
Merge: at 12 Aiga
Jury: at 12 
Premise:  Members of winning tribe are sent to the losing tribe as observers.

This is the start of the infamous Hantz infatuation of Survivor Producers, as Russell or Brandon would appear in 4 of the next 5 and 5 of  8 seasons.  

From the start, the edit became the Russell Hantz show.  He forms the "Dumb-Ass Girls" Alliance and then empties the canteens and burns Jaison's socks.   He then votes out his "Dumb-Ass Girls" except for Natalie, prior to the merge as he contributed to 5 of 6 immunity losses.  A medical evacuation on both sides brings the merge to an 8-4 Galu advantage.  

Betsy the cop early on seems to be on to Russell, and others are wary of him, but he was also able to find immunity idols without clues (which made some fans feel like there was some interference by producers) 

The 2nd Immunity challenge was rough on Foa Foa as Ben was ejected from the challenge (a first for Survivor) and Mike was having respiratory issues after, and was medically evacuated.  In an unusual move Foa Foa still had to go to Tribal Council the next night. 

At the merge, Galu had an 8-4 advantage, but Galu was fractured, Shambo wanted nothing to do with them, Laura and Erik led the two fractured groups.  Russell meanwhile showed at least three Galu the idol, while Erik had another one.   Erik  was gunning for Monica, but the tables were turned as Natalie worked the Galu women to target Erik. 

At tribal, Shambo and Erik voted for Jaison. Erik, confident that Foa Foa didn't have the 3 Galu votes needed to flip the game, and did not play his idol, and left in a 10-2 vote.  Meanwhile, Russell played his idol and received no votes. 

Of course, Russell found the idol again, despite Galu winning a clue,  and played it, nullifying 7 votes  against him as Foa Foa voted out Kelly.  In the next vote, Natalie and Laura tied 5-5 with Shambo flipping because of her hatred of Laura.  On a revote, John the Rocket Scientist changed his vote, bringing Galu's advantage down to 5-4.   In the next 4 votes, former Foa Foa only got 4 votes total, as Galu fell, John, Dave, Monica and Shambo.  Brett would have been next, but he won immunity which sent Jaison home.  

Going into final immunity, Russell sealed a deal with Brett to go to the final two if they won immunity, giving Russell agreements with the three remaining players in the game.  Russell won final immunity and voted out Brett, believing he has now won the game. 

His problem was the jury was made up of 8 Galu and Jaison, all of whom were bitter.  John and Shambo were the only ones to vote for Russell while the others voted for Natalie. 

This result will always be controversial, but the beauty of this is that Russell had also played the next season "Heroes vs. Villains" making the final three and by the time Samoa aired, Russell believed he was a $2 Million winner.   In both games, his social game was abusing people, and then expecting to get rewarded for it.  The result of "HvV" was less controversial.  

Russell deserved what he got--2nd, 3rd, and 17th.  Natalie killed a rat--twice. 



 






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