Colby Donaldson gave away a million dollars, and most of America is still puzzled that Survivor could end on such a humane note. Runner-up Colby lost to winner Tina Wesson in the final jury vote 4-3 in Thursday night”s two-hour finale of Survivor II The Australian Outback.
- Paul Wong
- I”ve still got my $1 million smile.<br><br>Courtesy of CBS
The 27-year old Texas native won the final immunity challenge and could have voted out Tina and taken not-so-well-liked chef Keith Famie into the final jury vote. Jury members said Colby could have easily squashed Keith for the cool million.
But Colby”s motherly love (remember this is a guy who slept in the back seat of an Aztek with his mom) proved more important. He kept true to his alliance with Tina.
“I wanted to slap him,” Machiavellian Survivor I winner Richard Hatch said in an ETOnline report, arguing that Colby made a stupid, emotional mistake.
But Donaldson may have accomplished something greater in bringing Tina along instead of Keith, and it only cost him 900 grand.
By keeping his white hat on until the end, nice-guy Colby could reap plenty of rewards for his nice-guy finish in the show. Rumored already is a multi-million-dollar contract with an apparel company, that could make Tina”s $1 million check look like peanuts in comparison.
Nice guys seem to finish first in the game of post-Survivor
endorsements. Hatch, who backstabbed so much to win the original Survivor and became the player America loved to hate, now is devoid of any endorsements.
Hatch is struggling to remain a commentator for CBS and Entertainment Tonight. Fellow meanies, Sue and Kelly, aren”t doing much better.
TEXAS TREACHERY?: Several internet VCR-freeze framers, are crying foul over the Texan”s huge winning streak of challenges that enabled him to reach the final two.
According to a survivornews.net pictorial report, the Colbster took off both of his carabiners at one moment during a rope course reward challenge in episode 11. Host Jeff Probst”s rules clearly stated that one carabiner had to be on the ropes at all time. Then, in the ensuing immunity challenge later in the episode, Colby may have won a free immunity. The challenge pitted the survivors in a slingshot contest to break their opponents” plates hanging airborne by strings. Probst”s rules stated that “the last person with a plate intact wins.” While Elisabeth had two full plates intact, Colby only had one, chipped down to only two-thirds, but definitely not intact. The challenge continued
because Colby”s plate was still hanging, and as Elisabeth missed twice, Colby took down both of her plates to win immunity.
SURVIVING SOME MORE:
Survivor III, a treacherous romp on an African safari in Kenya, will
begin this fall. Contestant application deadlines were in April. CBS President Leslie Moonves said the network is considering a celebrity version of the show for a fourth installment. Ray Romano of the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond,”” and Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant have expressed interest. Wonder how fast Kobe would boot Lakers” teammate Shaquille O”Neal? Wouldn”t it be great to see Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears backstab each other in skimpy bikinis?
POWERFUL PREDICTORS: One Internet chat group, the Ellipsiiis Brain Trust, correctly predicted the booted off contestants in the last seven episodes, including naming Tina the winner. Dumb luck, a secret source, or actual detective work? The group of about 120 members uses video captures from CBS previews, contestant interviews and plain old logic to make their predictions. Or so they say.
POOR DEBB: The mood at the post-finale reunion show turned somber when Debb Eaton, the first castaway kicked out of the Outback, shared her painful post-show experience. Debb said the media ripped her apart after she was booted. Several tabloids jumped on her relationships, including her engagement with her stepson. Debb said no one ever got to know the real her. CBS did provide her an immediate on-site psychiatrist that
consoled booted off contestants, a safeguard in response to a European Survivor contestant”s suicide after he was the first to be booted.