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Tina Wesson
Tina Wesson, the nurse from Knoxville, the pixie with the smile of steel, the lady who has never been seen in the same room with Elly May Clampitt, walked off with the million-dollar prize last night on "Survivor: The Australian Outback." By a vote of 4 to 3, Wesson was elected over Texas hunk Colby Donaldson, whose extraordinary success at immunity challenges failed to sway the jury of fellow contestants. She joins Richard Hatch, last summer's more manipulative winner, in the "Survivor" game hall of fame.
After taking the final immunity challenge, Donaldson may have lost the million dollars by selecting Wesson, and not the less popular Keith Famie, to go with him before the jury. Maybe he felt Wesson, a Tennessee mother of two, truly deserved a shot at the money; and maybe he had a secret strategy that backfired. The answer, of course, will be revealed in the countless media appearances he and the rest of the "Outback" cast will be making on CBS in the coming months. The clock has only just begin ticking on their 15 minutes.
As a television event, the finale saved its best moments for the last 10 minutes. Immediately after the last tribal council filmed back in December, the uncounted votes were sealed, and then they were opened on live TV. We saw host Jeff Probst get in a helicopter in Australia, then we saw a commercial, and then we saw him land on a roof in LA and carry the votes onto a stage designed to look like a council fire. Putting a positive spin on the tacky set, which included a live band performing the "Survivor" theme song, Probst called it "a surreal and yet still authentic new `Survivor' world." Indeed. Dramatically, Wesson and Donaldson held hands as the votes were counted, having waited months to hear the results.
The live segment gave the otherwise lethargic finale a much needed jolt of adrenalin. Faced with two hours of airtime and many high-paying advertisers to fit in, producer Mark Burnett and his editors had already wasted over an hour on a long goodbye that felt like recess without a bell.
Last year, the final days were charged with competitive spirit, as Hatch and Kelly Wigglesworth struggled to suppress their contempt for each other. But the three Australia finalists were polite and affectionate until the end, in a warm cameraderie that has distinguished the entire season. While the soundtrack tinkled and swelled like an aural Hallmark card, they mourned their imminent farewell, sang one another's praises, and micro-analyzed their strategies.
Then, in a long, unnecessary sequence, they passed markers with the names of their "fallen comrades," while we were shown gauzy flashbacks of Jerri playing the bongos, of Kimmi sticking her tongue out, of Alicia waving her finger, of Elisabeth crying. It was tedious and turgid.
The jury scenes were a little more interesting. Colby and Tina delivered brief, wholly unimpressive speeches, but it was dishy fun to watch them squirm while the jury asked tough questions. ("I'm in a position of power again, and I like it," Jerri Manthey noted. We liked it, too.) Such passion and confrontation were quite welcome. Not surprisingly, though, the "Outback" finale held no moments that approached Susan Hawk's classic snakes-and-rats speech.
Maybe next time around. Last night, we also learned that the third "Survivor," which will air in the fall, will take place in Africa.



LOUIS VUITTON LV REPLICA. MURAKAMI, PINK CHERRY BLOSSOM PAPILLON, MONOGRAM, CROISSANT. 5-STAR (AAA+) - sweetbags 13:57:22 08/16/03 (160)
The biggest North American Business & Overseas Chinese Scholars Recruiting Conference is coming soon - David 09:05:40 09/18/02 (42)

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