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Interview: Abi-Maria Gomes talks 'Survivor: Philippines'

The season's villain doesn't blame culture or editing

By Daniel Fienberg Saturday, Dec 15, 2012 1:30 AM

<p>Abi-Maria of "Survivor: Philippines"</p>

Abi-Maria of "Survivor: Philippines"

Credit: CBS

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"I do not want to blame it on culture and I do not want to blame it on editing."
 
With those words, uttered late in her exit interview, I found myself coming very close to liking Abi-Maria Gomes, the primary villain of "Survivor: Philippines."
 
Yes, Abi-Maria still makes excuses for the actions that led to her becoming pariah on "Survivor" this season, actions like helping to cause the implosion of her tribe thanks to a fabricated feud with RC or tormenting a vulnerable Lisa or gloating after a Reward. But those excuses include a torn ACL that threw her out of synch from the start of the game, rather than criticizing teammates or Jeff Probst or her Brazilian heritage.
 
In fact, Abi-Maria sounds pretty honest about the way she behaved in the Philippines, or at least about the way it looked like she behaved, since she describes much of the experience as "foggy."
 
In the conversation, Abi-Maria talks about her thwarted desire to be "a Brazilian delight" and how she and RC probably would have butted heads even if Pete hadn't created chaos. She also discusses her aggressive confrontation with Mike Skupin on Wednesday's episode, including the strategy behind calling him an "idiot" and a "moron" at Tribal Council.
 
Click through for the full interview...
 
HitFix: Talk me through your strategy at that last Tribal Council, particularly how hard you were trying to push Skupin...
 
Abi-Maria Gomes: I know. I was pretty mean, huh? Pretty evil over there. He's not a moron. He's not an idiot. But I was just trying to make the point that I was the perfect goat to take to the Final 3. I just wanted to be taken to the Final 3, regardless, and I was trying pull out an awesome argument at the end. I was just formulating a beautiful case to win it, but my only chance of making it to Act 3 was if I would just be taken as a bottom-feeder and the goat, so that was my strategy, being hated more, basically.
 
 
HitFix: So none of that reflected your actual feelings towards Mike?
 
Abi-Maria: No. He's a great guy. In real life. In the game, I did think that he was... what I said. But in real life, he's a kind, honest man with seven kids to raise.
 
 
HitFix: The big plea that you were making was if you were taken to the Final 3, that there was no way you could win...
 
Abi-Maria: Right.
 
 
HitFix: But I assume you didn't really believe that and you had a strategy out there where you could still win?
 
Abi-Maria: Yes.
 
 
HitFix: And what was that strategy going to be?
 
Abi-Maria: You're talking about what would I say at the final Jury? My strategy was to be the unliked one. 
 
 
HitFix: But what were you going to say to the Jury to make them give you the million?
 
Abi-Maria: Oh. Well... I got injured Day One. I had a major injury on my right knee, so rather than being medivac-ed and being off of the game, I just stayed through. You don't want to be seen as the weakest link, but I pretty much survived with an injured knee. I actually had to have surgery when I got back into the real world. It was a major surgery and I'm still recuperating from it. So I had some pointers there. I can't give it all to you! If they invite me back, I have to keep some secrets.
 
 
HitFix: Tell me a bit about that injury and whether you think it impacted you early on, specifically the number of challenges that you didn't participate in in the first half of the season...
 
Abi-Maria: Absolutely. The injury had everything to do with how I played the game. I went in with amazing intentions. I wanted to be charming, loved, a Brazilian delight! But I got injured at the fishing boat and I didn't know what the injury was. I didn't want to be too vocal about it, because I didn't want them to think that I was worthless at challenges. So I was just trying to work my way into staying in the game and then Pete approached me with the numbers in the alliance that he was trying to build and I'm like, "You know what? I'm gonna just stick with the guy here, til I can't stick with him no more," because before the Merge, he was still saving me.
 
 
HitFix: You say you wanted to be charming and a Brazilian delight, but personality-wise, did you think that you were still being that, despite the injury?
 
Abi-Maria: No. After I got injured and I was there fighting with my injury, I was absolutely not a Brazilian delight. I was a royal bitch and that was playing into that.
 
 
HitFix: How would you have played differently, do you think, if you had been yourself, if you hadn't been injured? How would you have interacted with people differently?
 
Abi-Maria: The perfect scenario would be me not being too close to my Evil Three alliance. It would have been me just mored balanced and being more charismatic. It's such an intense game. When you're there, you're watching people, you're watching body language. I would have done it a lot differently. I wouldn't have been so emotional, so attached to Artis and [muffled]. I would have been more lenient, as well. I would have probably given RC the chance to talk to me. But I didn't. I acted abrasive and passive-aggressive and it just got worse by the day.
 
 
HitFix: What has it been like watching the season? When you watched those first few weeks play out on TV, did it look like you remembered it? Or was it a completely different thing?
 
Abi-Maria: It's so foggy, to be completely honest with you. It's like a dream, because I was in so much pain. I tore my ACL. I was in so much pain and I was so tired and so hungry. You just become a little delusional. When you're asking me questions that's why I'm trying hard to think, because it's like a dream, so foggy. I literally don't remember much of it. Watching on TV, I'm really surprised. I joke that every Wednesday night, I have to go through about two bottles of wine just to watch myself, because it's embarrassing at times.
 
 
HitFix: What has embarrassed you as you've watched it?
 
Abi-Maria: Oh my goodness. Like when I got back from Reward? "Oh, I'm feeling like a princess! No, like a prince! No, more like Cinderella!" That's pretty bad. And then my interactions with Lisa. Jesus. That wasn't nice. Yes, she was wishy-washy, but my approach was poor.
 
 
HitFix: How about watching those early episodes and when you saw that Pete was behind your Immunity clue fight with RC, what was your reaction there?
 
Abi-Maria: I thought it was funny.
 
 
HitFix: But there was a lot of drama that came out of that. How much did you wish that you could have avoided that drama? Or was it unavoidable?
 
Abi-Maria: I wish I could have avoided it, but RC is great, super-intelligent, she's awesome. But she's abrasive in her own way, so it's like two very high-strung personalities fighting for the game, so it was like a cat-and-mouse situation. It was either her or me.
 
 
HitFix: So even if Pete hadn't done what he'd done, eventually there would have been a blow-up over something?
 
Abi-Maria: Regardless. Yeah.
 
 
HitFix: There was, of course, that Tribal Council that suddenly became everybody unloading on you and you seemed blindsided by the whole thing. How hard was that at the time?
 
Abi-Maria: It was so hard. Now, watching it, I understand why people hated me so badly, but when I was living it, I didn't think people hated me so much like they did. It was really hard to see that. That was genuinely -- and then everyone makes fun of me when I say "genuinely" -- I was genuinely hurt. It was pretty real. Of course, we see more of my negative side, but I feel like I did have some good moments, too. You know? Some charismatic days.
 
 
HitFix: Do you want to share any of those? Any of those charismatic days that we didn't see? Things that we didn't see that might have painted you in a different light if we'd seen them?
 
Abi-Maria: We would make a lot fun of my English, so we'd laugh about it a lot, little mistakes I would make and I would try to say the little American phrases. It was funny how I'd put it together and they would make fun of me, so that was funny. We had some good moments. And I made some really good beans! They didn't show me cooking. I was actually the chef there. I fed everyone until I got fed up.
 
 
HitFix: Out there you were saying that you thought that there were cultural reasons for why people weren't responding well to you, but now it sounds like you have a different view of things?
 
Abi-Maria: I do not want to blame it on culture and I do not want to blame it on editing. I want to take it as a big girl. I did say those things and I did act poorly at times. Brazilians, we are intense and passionate people and we say how it is, but ... You know ... I do not want to blame my gameplay on my culture or on CBS editing at all. I want to take it. 
 
 
HitFix: "Survivor" always likes to go with things like "heroes" and "villains." When you look back on how you played this season, do you think you were a villain out there?
 
Abi-Maria: Uhhh... Pretty clear. I was laughing when they were praying. Come on. That's pretty devilish. I was like "I wish she'd die. I'm here for a million dollars and not to make friends" and she had two bite marks on her neck. That's pretty mean.
 
 
HitFix: You did say earlier that you didn't want to give away too much of your end-game in case you got another chance to do this again. If you get that chance to do this again, would you be a villain again, do you think?
 
Abi-Maria: Well, it would be an honor, for sure. 
 
 
HitFix: But do you think you'd be a villain again?
 
Abi-Maria: That's the thing. When I went into the game this time around, I didn't go with the intention of being a villain and totally turned. So it's really hard for me to answer your question, because I may tell you, "Yeah, I'm gonna go back there and I'm gonna be a total bitch all over again," but then you don't know what kinda people I'm gonna be put on the island with. You don't know what's gonna happen. There are so many factors that have to do with how things end up. So for now, I would try and use a different approach, a different strategy, but who knows?
 
 
HitFix: And are you looking forward to the reunion show on Sunday?
 
Abi-Maria: Hopefully no one will kill me... But yes!
 
 

 

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Dan-feinberg-sm
Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
Related Searches: Interview, Survivor, exit Interview, Abi-Maria, Abi, Abi-Maria Gomes

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  • Geekfurious_avgf_3d_3_talkback_profile

    Razorback

    She played one of the worst games in the history of Survivor. RC was loyal to her and she burned her FOR NOTHING. She is one of those wannabes. She wants to be an intellectual. She thinks she is very smart. But she's just paranoid and stupid. I don't mean dumb because I think she has brains, but her actions were completely stupid.

    Also, I believe she had a major injury like her fellow competitors believes she had a hidden immunity idol. She says it so many times in your interview, she's clearly trying to use it to deflect from her stupidity... and trying to sell you and the readers something.

    December 15, 2012 at 2:45AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Haynie

    Her knee looked good when she decided to finally put forth some effort and win Immunity. Unless she shows us the surgery scar at the Reunion Show, I'm calling bullshit on that excuse.

    December 15, 2012 at 7:53AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Gizmo_bigger_talkback_profile

      dan Haynie - That Immunity challenge, if you'll recall, required her only to walk/crawl and untie knots. If she had been forced to do the more physically demanding legs of that challenge, it's entirely possible (probable) she wouldn't have reached the end.

      -Daniel

      December 15, 2012 at 12:41PM EST
  • Dwight-schrute_talkback_profile

    sauloccl

    Her tribe should have lost one or two immunity challenges and voted out some tribemates before the merge. Look at Malcolm and Denise: an alliance of only two, but it worked just fine. When you look at the tribe, still intact at that point, and the several days of "baggage" (to use a word Jeff mentioned) among them, it was inevitable that the alliance would fall apart.

    If they (the Evil three) didn't have enough numbers, Malcolm would never become part of their tribe, so maybe he would have been blindsided early in the game. Anyway, they'd be forced to stick with someone like RC or trust (and don't be rude with) Lisa. It seems like they felt too comfortable to start playing a strong social game.

    I like Abi - I enjoyed her villainy more than I did with masterminds like Russell or Boston Rob on previous seasons. She is far, far behind contentants like Parvarti or Sandra, but as the "crazy" player of the season, she had way more strategy in her than Colton or Phillip or Naonka - or "worthy competitors" like Man-Dana Carter. It's a shame that she only started to play the game after Pete's elimination, when it was already too late. I'm rooting for Malcolm or Lisa to win - and respect Denise and Skupin's game - but Abi was definitely the highlight of the season.

    If she is invited back, they should bring Denise as well and force them to work together. That'd be fun, right? Especially now that Denise is also a vampire!

    December 15, 2012 at 9:49AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Jimbo

    Abi-Maria wasn't a good player, and she was quite bitchy, but at least she owned it. Usually, everyone has a ton of excuses during their exit interview circuit. The knee injury sounds legit considering it got mentioned multiple times this season.
    Oh, and if you see the Ponderosa videos, you'll see that R.C. might be even crazier. Abi actually tried to apologize to her (yes, Abi does have something resembling a soul) and it just led to another R.C. blowup (she's reeeaaally bitter). I predict a catfight this Sunday at the live reunion.

    December 15, 2012 at 12:47PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Jeff_avatar_2_talkback_profile

    Mulderism

    If she was as injured as she claimed, how come that didn't show up more clearly? I imagine each person has a cameraman following them around all the time and that there are hours of unused footage. Did she really hide a serious injury from everyone?

    December 15, 2012 at 3:16PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Gizmo_bigger_talkback_profile

      dan Mulderism - Abi's injury was a point of discussion in at least one early episode. It was mentioned, but maybe it never had to be a serious on-camera issue, because she was NEVER participating in challenges. And when she did participate, she was inept and mocked. I have no problems accepting it was at least a thing that existed...

      -Daniel

      December 15, 2012 at 3:25PM EST
    • Jeff_avatar_2_talkback_profile

      Mulderism So basically she had a serious injury but was able to cover it up such that it wasn't obvious to her tribemates around camp?

      And rather than admit she was injured she volunteered to sit out of challenges in order to hide the truth - risking the wrath of her tribemates and ridicule from Probst?

      If she knew she was going home, why didn't she admit that at tribal? Tell everyone she had been playing through incredible pain the whole time? That might have garnered more sympathy and respect than antagonizing her tribemates.

      She did a terrible job of trying to convince people she had a HII and a professional job of covering up a debilitating injury. Colour me skeptical.

      December 15, 2012 at 8:45PM EST
    • Default-avatar

      SC Mulderism,

      There were multiple episodes that referenced Abi having some kind of knee injury (I think in the immunity challenge she won, two of the eliminated contestants discussed how they didn't think she'd be able to climb quickly because of her knee injury).

      Now, as to the severity of it, only Abi and her doctor probably know. Still, the cast clearly knew she was injured (likely a reason she was kept out of other challenges instead of Lisa) to some degree.

      December 16, 2012 at 9:28PM EST
    • Gizmo_bigger_talkback_profile

      dan Mulderism - She didn't cover it up. She just didn't go home. Jeff Kent also said he tore his ACL out there. Everybody knew Abi was hurt and, in early episode, everybody knew that her injury was impacting her personality. It was never atop anybody's priority list because who cared about Abi? But she didn't attempt to pretend she wasn't hurt. It was on the show and it's in my recaps...

      -Daniel

      December 16, 2012 at 10:57PM EST
  • Default-avatar

    Liria

    Not gonna lie, i'd like to watch her on Survivor again. I actually think she has some game skills, and it was stupid and moronic of her tribe mates to keep Denise instead of her. She probably would have had a couple votes at the end too, I can see Artis voting for her.

    December 16, 2012 at 10:39PM EST Reply to Comment
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    gloing75

    very good website:

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    December 17, 2012 at 12:00AM EST Reply to Comment

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