TVLINE | You’re known for your strategy game. You said you’re gonna play more like a “Kaôh Rōng” game…
My social game gets a bad rap.
TVLINE | Why do you think that is?
Because Michelle won, yeah.
TVLINE | How will people’s perception of your strategic game affect things for you this season?
I’ve always had a big threat level on my back, but the funny thing is, if you ask someone’s opinion of me, you’ll hear eight different answers. Zeke Smith once told me people see whatever they want to see in you, so I think that my threat level really depends on who I’m talking to. But I want to mitigate that by making real human relationships as quickly as possible.
TVLINE | So starting a bunch of dialogues.
I’m not starting any dialogues.
TVLINE | What are you most looking forward to in terms of the challenges and actually competing?
Oh, I’m just looking forward to seeing what Jeff and the challenge team, the Dream Team, have cooked up. It’s always something new.
TVLINE | You got any tips?
For who?
TVLINE | For me. We’re testing out a challenge later today.
Don’t ask me about dialogues again. I’ll murder you. [Laughs] Trust me, I’ve thought about dialogue for a long f–king time and I don’t like it anymore either.
TVLINE | But I have it in my notes. [Shows her the notebook] We need to start a dialogue!
We’re not starting any f**king dialogues! It’s not a discourse. Yeah, that was bad. That was real bad.
TVLINE | OK, we can move on.
Yes, please, can we? Because you’re triggering me.
TVLINE | Any other thoughts on some of these older era players who haven’t been on the show in a while?
Yeah, I’m really curious to see how some of the older era players play. I’m hoping they can keep up to the pace because I do have a good vibe about some of them. Back to pre-existing relationships, like Devens. Devens and I have such an interesting relationship. We lived together on the Edge of Extinction for a few days and then I was rooting for him from the jury. So Devens and I never really played “Survivor” with one another, but we get along really well in life. I really like Devens as a person. Do I trust him as a player? I don’t think so. I don’t think so, but perhaps I could.
TVLINE | How do you think your game compared in “Game Changers” to that of your original season, because your edit the second time around was fairly minimal.
Yeah, so the reason why you didn’t see me in “Survivor: Game Changers” compared to “Survivor: Kaôh Rōng” was that I had to be constantly lowering my threat level at every turn. I aligned with Tony. That didn’t work out. My biggest ally was Malcolm. That didn’t work out. I was working with JT. That didn’t work out. I was working with Andrea. That didn’t work out. I was always finding my way next to the person who got killed. Next, I was on the run from the beginning because Sandra had me in her crosshairs, but I would contend that “Game Changers” might be the best I ever played the game. My social game and my one-on-one relationships in “Game Changers” are the reason why I stayed till [Final] 5, even though I was rarely in control of the vote. I made relationships with Brad Culpepper. I made enough of a relationship with Sandra that I got out of her sights, and Michaela and I had an interesting up and down relationship. We didn’t work together, then we did. Then, Tai played an idol on me! That’s because I am good at starting some dialogues.
TVLINE | You brought it up that time, not me!
I did. [Laughs]
TVLINE | Alright, so a stellar strategic game in “Kaôh Rōng,” plus an excellent social game in “Game Changers” equals a “Survivor 50” Aubry win?
Yeah, you know, I did play a good social game in “Kaôh Rōng,” otherwise I would not have been able to get Tai to not hand over the super idol. I think that my strategic game in “Kaôh Rōng” and my scrappiness combined with my social game in “Game Changers” are the perfect mix I need to win “Survivor 50.”
TVLINE | Any other reasons why Aubry will be the Season 50 victor?
I think I will be the Season 50 victor because I have stepped away from “Survivor” and integrated the lessons that I’ve learned from this game I love into my real life, and I have become more grounded. I’ve returned to myself. I’ve had a chance to breathe and I think I’m gonna come back with better perspective and better intuition than I have before.
TVLINE | You stepped away for a bit. Others like the 49ers came right back to play just 9 or 10 days after wrapping “49.”
The “Survivor 49”-ers, I’d imagine they’re absolutely terrified, but I think they’re in a really good spot.
TVLINE | Why is that?
The “Survivor 49”-ers don’t have any broken hearts, any reputations. They can start fresh right here on Season 50. I think that they might be the talk of the town for the first few days and then just ease right in.