by Gina Scarpa

 

From the very beginning of Survivor: Redemption Island, Kristina found herself on the wrong side of the numbers on her tribe, Ometepe. She boldly made a move to get Boston Rob out of the game early but it backfired when one of her only alliance members, Francesca, was voted out first and she followed soon after. At Redemption Island, she lost to Matt and threw her buff in the fire before heading home. Today, we talked to Kristina about her love of the game, her bad luck with her tribe, and her thoughts on Boston Rob.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Are you a fan of Survivor? What made you decide to try out?
A. Kristina: Oh yeah! I have loved the show for a decade. I've seen all the episodes. I love the gamplay, love the strategy of it, it's fascinating to me. I tried out about eight years ago. I sent in a tape, went through the interview process, and was cut. Cut to 8 years later, my phone rings, and it was casting. They said, "We have something that you might be good for." I was in the middle of law school and I have kids now. I was like, "Yes, of course!" but it took me a second. You never know...

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Being a fan of the show, what was your reaction to see Russell and Rob, both personally and as a player of the game?
A. Kristina: When I first saw Rob and Russell, I was worried. These are multiple time, returning champions. They're champions in the way that they play the game and in their own right. I was excited because I was a fan of them. As far as them being on my team, I was bummed. Rob is an excellent player, tactical and smart. A lot of people on our team were young and not very strategic players. They were Rob's followers. To have those guys on my team without Rob, I would've eaten them for breakfast.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Were you surprised by how quickly everyone on Ometepe flocked to Rob?
A. Kristina: It wasn't so much a surprise. He's famous. He had the girls pretty much after a couple of days. They would bound after him. I'm not even exaggerating! Whatever he told them to do, however he told them, they did it. We even had to cook the rice to Rob's specification. Francesca had a brain and I had a brain. Of course, Phillip is a loony bag. There's us three. Because Rob knew what he was doing, those guys blindly followed him and did whatever he said. Part of it was a surprise but it's like, they were starstruck.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You must've known you were in trouble right away at that first tribal council.
A. Kristina: I felt, from the very beginning, that they might vote me out pretty fast. I was holding on by my fingers because of the Rob Zombies from the very beginning. Once I saw the girls locking arms and going down the beach singing with Rob and Grant, I was like, "This is a bummer!" I'm a 45 year old woman. I'm not about to go bounding down the beach after Rob. He had one girl on one side of him and one girl on the other side of him every night and they slept all entangled. I couldn't break through that.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: In his interview with RealityWanted, Russell said that sometimes, the best players never even get to play the game. Do you feel like on a different tribe, or in a different season, that you would've been a force to be reckoned with?
A. Kristina: Well, sure! Absolutely! Coulda, woulda, shoulda... they're abound. Just imagine if Julie and I had been switched on the tribes, or Sarita and I. Stick one of those girls in where I was and they're not going to have much of a chance. I love this game. I love the strategy and gameplay. I was excited to go play. I had waited a long time, ten years to play this game. I had so much respect for the game and I got dumped into a tribe where I couldn't really do much.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Was it wise to vote Matt out so early? He seems unstoppable on Redemption Island?
A. Kristina: That was the stupidest move ever! That's, so far, the biggest mistake Rob has made. You know what? Rob made two mistakes. If he was going to send Matt or Andrea to Redemption Island, he should've sent Andrea. Matt is 24, young, smart, and athletic and was loyal. Matt was loyal to Rob. He absolutely should've sent Andrea! She would've been less of a threat there. I was so shocked that he sent Matt home. I was like, "You idiot! Send Andrea home! Send Phillip home!" I hope Rob pays dearly for that mistake. Matt has determination and a very solid core base as a person. He's a good man. Rob's second mistake was that he should've teamed up with me. Instead of shutting me out, I would've loved to play with him but he shut me out. If Rob and I could've played as a team, when the merge came, Rob's going to have a target on his back because of who he is. If he makes it, if I were Zapatera, I'd get Rob out immediately. Rob and I playing together would've been a strong mental team. Rob is almost smart getting rid of me because he could see who I was and I could see who he was.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Last question. I'm taking a survey. Evil or not: Having to throw your buff in the fire when you lose at Redemption Island.
A. Kristina: Evil! Evil, evil, evil! That's not fair! That was heartbreaking.

 

Survivor: Redemption Island airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS.

 

(Image courtesy of CBS)

 

Follow Gina @ginascarpa