Ladies and gentlemen, meet your latest “Survivor.” Yul Kwon, a 31 year old management consultant, was triumphant over Ozzy Lusth in the 13th season of CBS’ hit reality show ‘Survivor: Cook Islands.’ The 5-4 vote was as close as it gets, and host Jeff Probst said, ”It’s the first time I’ve ever felt bad that somebody didn’t win. It was so evenly matched.” Kwon took home the $1 million dollar prize Sunday night.
Evenly matched or not, Kwon was victorious over Lusth, and for the first time ever a third contestant. Becky Lee was included in the finale, but she turned out to be a non-factor. Her attempts to convince the voting tribe members that her social skills were deserving of the grand prize fell on deaf ears.
Yul Kwon’s strategic maneuvers are what carried him through to the end. While Lusth was the stronger physical competitor, smart play was the deciding factor. Of greatest importance was a hidden piece of jewelry Kwon found which guaranteed him one-time immunity. This strategy garnered Kwon the moniker “puppetmaster,” and he was even named one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive. It’s a catchy title, but he’s no Will Kirby.
For those who have forgotten, this was the racial segregation season of ‘Survivor.’ The producers were criticized for this, but in the end it wasn’t all that relevant to the game. The final four contestants (a black woman, a Mexican born man, and two Asian-Americans) were the core of the Aitu tribe, and methodically removed the opposing Raro tribe members each week. This is the first time there was no white finalist on the show.
