Season 23: Episode 1: I Need Redemption

TRIBAL COUNCILSavaii starts their first Tribal Council by dipping their torches into the fire.    Jeff reminds them, "Fire represents your life.  When your fire is gone, so are you, with a slight exception Redemption Island.”    Dawn admits to Jeff that the first two days were very tough for her, so she can only imagine how tough it would be for anyone on Redemption Island to go it all alone.   Jim brings up the fact that Semhar volunteered for the challenge and then couldn’t deliver.   Ozzy defends Semhar’s courage for volunteering to give it a try.    Cochran’s name comes up next as someone who is physically weak.   Cochran is quick to point out that he did well in the beginning portion of the challenge and just faltered in getting over the wall. Cochran feels doomed and starts pointing out that Semhar does not do very strenuous tasks around camp.   Semhar responds that at least she does her job without someone having to tell her to do it.   Cochran promises to be everyone’s "genie in a bottle” after this and do whatever he or she want him to do.  He can’t stand the thought of being the first one voted out after wanting to be on Survivor for eleven years.   In the end, Semhar Tadesse, the 24 year-old spoken word artist from Los Angeles, CA. becomes the first person voted out of SURVIVOR:  SOUTH PACIFIC and sent to Redemption Island.

By the way, for those keeping track,  it took Coach exactly 41 seconds into the season to utter the words "honor and integrity."

Each week, host Jeff Probst will answer a few questions about the most recent episode of Survivor: South Pacific.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Three minutes into the game, John asks you to call him Cochran so he can be like many of the former Survivor greats known simply on a last name basis. I thought it was a bad move because that to me is a situation where you want to lay low and blend in, not draw unnecessary attention to yourself, but I remember you telling me out there that you thought it was brilliant. Explain.
JEFF PROBST: Hmm. It’s probably a sign of getting old but I can’t remember why I said it was “brilliant.” I do remember saying something like that, I just can’t remember the particulars. So, here’s my answer as of today… I do see your point about calling attention to being a Survivor fan and how that might work against you and I think you’re right. Also he put himself in a category of “great” players before he had even earned it, which might also work against him. So what the hell was it that I thought was so brilliant? Well, it was charming, at least to me. So there’s that… alright Dalton, dammit you’re right again. It was a risky move and one that could easily work against him. I was probably just trying to be contrary.

As always, the actual Tribal Council goes on a lot longer than what you are able to show on television, and during this one, Cochran kept going on and on, while also seemingly digging his own grave. That leads to the question: How much do performances at Tribal Council matter, and how often are people still weighing their voting decision while there as opposed to knowing whom they are voting out beforehand and sticking with it?
Great question. I actually think that as of the last few years it matters more and more what you say and how you say it. It used to be that people always walked into Tribal Council with their vote locked in, but I’ve seen a lot of times recently where people change their mind or, even crazier, are totally undecided when they arrive at Tribal, even though the rest of the tribe appears to know what is happening. I think Cochran survived a very close call and has major ground to make up. He’s smart and that might help him in reading people, but his physical limitations are a major obstacle.

What’s your sense at this point in the game? Has Coach — who was not welcomed with open arms by any means at the beginning — worked his way into the tribe’s good graces? Or are they just playing along and still itching to get rid of him?
That was the question with Coach from the first moments when Christine said “they’re temporary players.”  You can see the instant value that Ozzy might offer, but with Coach having to overcome “The Dragon Slayer” baggage, it’s much harder for him to make a case. At this point in the game, I think Coach will be his own worst enemy. If he is able to truly lead he might have a shot… time will tell.