Survivor: Sally Strikes Out
She got better than a B in social maneuvering and manipulation while scrambling for the million dollars on "Survivor: Panama – Exile Island," but Sally Schumann is saying hello again to the discipline of using her social skills to build a better world.
The 27-year-old social worker from Chicago became the ninth contestant to be booted from the game, in a 6-2 vote dominated by an alliance among former members of the Casaya tribe.
"I found so much inner strength, and I'll take that with me," said Sally, as she prepared to rejoin civilization. "I fought hard and I fought great and I have no regrets."
Visiting The Early Show Friday, Sally told co-anchor Harry Smith she's particularly proud of coming so far without the strong alliances she had hoped to build.
"Being a big fan and wondering what it would be like to go out there and build alliances, I never felt like I had an alliance, ever," she said. "So I feel pretty proud about the fact that, not having an alliance, to have made it as far as I did. When you look back at the people who already left, and so many of them had alliances, I feel like it was a very individual game for me."
As for the constant hunger on "Survivor," I don't think there's any way you can be prepared," Sally told Smith. "I've always been blessed to go to bed with a full stomach."
Sally's ouster followed a rainbow of emotions among the contestants: homesickness, hilarity, fear, frustration, suspicion, and seduction.
As Episode 9 unspooled, it was clear the nerves of the Gitanos were wearing a bit thin on their 24th day in the wilds of Panama.
Herded into a hut, they took time for a distinct taste of the world they've left behind – the one with VCRs, TiVo, and more importantly, loved ones.
Personal messages from loved ones were played one by one for the Gitanos as they sat in the hut. Each tribemate appeared touched, especially Shane, who was tearful after seeing a video of his son, Boston. "He is my other half, he is my brother, he is my best friend, he is my son, he is my life," said Shane, apparently wishing he could be in two places at once.
Aras meanwhile found out it doesn't always pay to be flexible, as he got sent to Exile Island by Terry, who justified his choice by saying that Aras "will eat anything" and thus is best equipped to survive in solitude.
Terry at the same time was attracting the attention of tribemates who searched his bag, on the theory that he might be hiding an Immunity idol. The search was a big failure, but the theory remains, with Aras also giving it some pause as he slogged around Exile Island drinking coconut milk and counting the hours left until he could rejoin the group.
"Terry is the person I fear may have the Idol," said Aras. "It would be a real easy move on his part to just send me out here, knowing that I'm his biggest physical competitor, and that it might weaken me physically to be out here. So his quickness to send me might suggest that there is no Immunity Idol out here."
Maybe.
There was, however, a medical moment.
Shane, a bit worse for wear since his arrival in the tropics, won an unofficial merit badge for griping as he complained of redness in his "nether regions" and insisted that Cirie, who is a nurse, take a look to render a medical opinion.
Reluctantly, she obliged, but was hardly able to contain her laughter at what she saw. "I tried to be as professional as I could under the circumstances," said Cirie, "but it was just so hilarious!" Diagnosing Shane with nothing more than a rash, Cirie advised him to "air out" the situation.
And in the best "Survivor" tradition, he did – stripping down to nothing in the middle of camp, right in front of Danielle and Cirie.
No good deed goes unpunished.
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