For Sydney Segal, on Day 14 of Survivor 41, everything seemed just out of reach. She had won a team challenge the day before and a seemingly-guaranteed spot in the merge, only to have an Exile Island decision splinter things off onto a darker timeline. She nearly won individual immunity, but literally lost her footing and another round of safety. She became the first contestant this season to play her “Shot in the Dark,” but the odds were not in her favor, and she did not become immune. And to top it all off, her sacrificed vote could have potentially saved her, as she went home in a close 5-4-3 vote, making her one of the rare Survivor contestants to go out of the game without ever having put pen to parchment. That accolade is due to Sydney and her Luvu tribe’s absolute domination in the premerge. Sydney would be the first to talk highly of herself, and she had every reason to while sporting a blue buff. She seemed to become the provider of the tribe, catching fish to keep the group happy. And she was spearing targets as well, setting her sights on outsiders like Naseer Muttalif and Erika Casupanan. Unfortunately, one of the outsiders held all the power at the merge, as Erika “changed the course of history” and smashed Sydney’s safety wide open. Now one of five people vulnerable, she was told to remain calm, as a plan was hatched to steal an idol and vote off Evvie Jagoda. But when Xander Hastings was able to bluff Liana Wallace with a fake idol, the pseudo-merged tribe was thrown into whisper-fueled chaos. The Luvus were forced to cannibalize each other, as Sydney attempted to get the Yase idol played on her. And while her first Tribal Council was one for the ages, it would unfortunately be her last, leaving her cursing her fate on the path home. Now out of the game, Sydney talks with Parade.com about what happened in that tense Tribal Council that led to her playing her Shot in the Dark, the various friends and enemies she made in the premerge, and how she ended up becoming the unlikely provider on her tribe. To say these past two episodes were a roller coaster for you would be an understatement. What was it like watching everything back that led to you going out in this “merge-atory”? It was sick watching it back. I’m a narcissist, obviously. So every time I was on TV, I was like, “Oh my God, I love me! This is so fun.” With the Tribal Council, I went in thinking, “This is it.” But the way I got out was so incredible. Obviously, the craziest Tribal Council is the only reason I would go out. It was nice having that extra episode and using the Shot in the Dark. I actually called it a metaphor for how I played and would continue to play: With a lot of self-awareness and reading the room. It was surprisingly annoying. I wasn’t crying or [expletive] stoked, obviously. But I was like, “God, I [expletive] hate these people.” Which I don’t! Well, I hate some of them. On that note, in your final words, you say you’re glad you’re not on the jury because you didn’t want to see these people again. Was that anger at certain people for turning on you, or more so at the situation? It’s funny. No one actually turned on me. The people I actually wanted to work with had my back. I wanted to work with Evvie, Xander, Tiffany, Danny, and Deshawn. And those were the people who didn’t vote for me. Knowing that and looking back, I was exactly where I wanted to be! (Laughs.) I just never wanted to see them again in my life. I even told them, “You will not see me at the reunion show. If I never see you again, it’ll be too soon.” Luvu ends up not going to Tribal Council in the premerge. How much did that affect your gameplay once the next phase of the game hit? It was hard being on a winning tribe because the dynamics didn’t change. Imagine traveling with the same person–even if it’s your best friend–for two weeks. You’re going to be annoyed by the end. Being on the island for two weeks with the same [expletive] people who you’re designed not to like. I was so [expletive] over it. Even at the merge challenge, I wore a dress. I was so over it; I didn’t care to change. Jeff was like, “Drop your buffs; you’re merged.” And I’m like, “No, we’re not.” I just thought, “I can’t go on like this. I cannot go on with like Naseer running around for no reason like a mad person. Or Heather trying to mother me, or Deshawn being paranoid. I’d rather go [expletive] myself, over and over again. I just thought, “This is not fun anymore. Give me something else.” Obviously, there were people I wanted to meet. But I wanted to just move forward with my life. Not even in the game, with my [expletive] life. (Laughs.) You talked about having the self-awareness to play your Shot in the Dark. Did anything in particular at that Tribal Council tip you off to playing it ultimately? It’s two things. One, I really just didn’t think it was going to be a close vote. I thought it was going to go one way or another way. So I’m like, “I just don’t think my vote’s gonna matter that much.” Then, given the optics of the people that were left, the idols and the advantages floating around, and then where the alliances settled, I’m smart enough to know that leaves one person. It was a calculated risk that I definitely don’t regret taking. I also didn’t think Erika was going to vote against me because I assumed she didn’t have a vote. I only learned that months after I went home. Because anybody who had something to gain in this game had to risk something, I just figured that would be one less vote against me, which would help my case of risking my vote. At one point at Tribal Council, it was you, Evvie, Xander, and Tiffany on one side and everyone else on the other side, and those were pretty much how the groups voted in the end. Was it that obvious amidst all the whispering that’s what the dynamics were like? No, there was a lot more whispering that went on. I’ll be honest; I was tired. I was sitting there, and I didn’t really scramble. I’m sitting there just like, “I want to go to [expletive] bed, dude. I’m [expletive] tired!” I was so annoyed. I did get up at some point and talk to the other side. Danny definitely had my back. Deshawn, on the other hand, was a little wavering. But at that moment, they were my number one and two. I was not going to go against them that Tribal; there was just no way. But based on what I’m seeing, Danny would choose Deshawn over me. So there wasn’t a clear line in the sand. It was me just trying to balance all the people I wanted to work with. Talk to me about that dynamic between you, Danny, and Deshawn. How did that become your strongest alliance in the game? From moment one, it was me, Danny and Deshawn. We like bonded from the jump. We felt we needed a fourth, and we wanted to see how the challenge went. And in that first challenge, Erika was essential. So it’s like, “That’s our four, we’re good.” But then, as the men kept getting eliminated, Danny and Deshawn were nervous. And for me, I was like, “Okay, I’m with the men.” The only people that expressed interest in working with me were Xander and JD on their hike with Danny. So I figured Xander is still here. The women in my tribe don’t want to work with me. So I’m like, “I’m in the men’s alliance.” By the time we got to the merge, the four were me, Danny, Deshawn, and begrudgingly Naseer. I felt I could use Naseer for now. But I was very much trying to work with men. And people want to call me a woman-hater. I’m like, “Okay, let me just go hate myself, because that makes sense!” Let’s talk about the other Luvu women. Erika ends up targeting you in the premerge, calling you reactive and impulsive. What was your relationship like, and your reaction when you saw that comment? So we were close. She was my first friend on the beach when Danny and Deshawn were doing the water bucket challenge. One thing that people didn’t see was that it was actually Deshawn was the one who threw my name out. And Erika was not that down at first. And then Deshawn was like, “Oh, wait, if you have that doubt, this could blow up in my face.” So that’s why he was gung-ho getting Erika out. Erika had my back at that point, and I didn’t know it. That moment with the fire where I was “impulsive and reactive” had to be the least significant thing. I thought I got a great edit; I think they really showed the essence of my game. But I do think they extracted that comment from her in an interview. But I do you remember Heather making a comment like, “Oh, is that the example we want for our children?” I’m like, “Yeah, someone who gives a [expletive]! Someone who gets frustrated when they don’t do well. Not someone who fails in a Reward Challenge and wants a participation trophy and a pat on the back.” Second place is a first [expletive] loser. And I’m a [expletive] loser in Survivor. I’m sorry, is that the example you want? Someone who’s always going to go for the [expletive] win? Making a goddamn fire, swimming and getting a key, kicking [expletive] ass, or being the funniest person to play Survivor ever? Literally [expletive] off. We didn’t see much of your relationship with Heather, but it’s clear you weren’t on great terms. What was your dynamic like, and how much did that stem from her making up a dream about you in an attempt to target you? It kind of started with the dream. Looking back, that was even dumber than it was on the [expletive] island. Just say you want me out! Don’t say, “I want to say it’s a dream, and that dream is a premonition that I want you out. Therefore I want you out.” What’s the [expletive] point? It was a failed attempt to get screentime. But I think it was just clashing personalities. And I’ll take some of the blame for it. If there’s a mother out there, I’m going to tell her how much I want children, which I do, and I’m going to ask for life advice. But then it just became unsolicited. There are four words. It’s called “shut the [expletive] up.” And sometimes, people just need to live by those four words. I love to talk and sometimes like talkative personalities. Tiffany and I were just perfect harmony. But sometimes they clash, and I feel like I had a clash. As a woman outside of the show, I respect how she really started from the bottom. That’s another thing I find funny. She’s like, “I started from the bottom.” But there’s only one way to go: Up! Congratulations. Meanwhile, I have a long way to [expletive] fall. Honestly, maintaining greatness is so much harder than starting from the bottom. It’s interesting you say that you and Tiffany were thick as thieves, considering you did not seem to get on when you met in the premerge. How did that dynamic change? They didn’t really show this on the island when Brad, her, and I were out there. But it was my idea to be like, “Listen, there are so many advantages out there. Let’s just minimize it.” So I’m not going to be so dumb and assume everyone’s going to put tarp. Let’s pick one person. Tiffany’s playing Survivor hard. Calm down, woman! Let’s give it to Brad. This guy doesn’t lie; he doesn’t cuss. He’s a Christian man. So let’s just give it to him.” So I and Tiffany both chose to stick with the plan to build trust, because we wanted to work with each other. That was our way of saying, “Hey, listen, let’s work together.” And she’s like, “Okay, so we’re all locked in at the merge?” I’m like, “No, I don’t even know where you’re from, woman! I don’t know your [expletive] last name! What the [expletive] do you mean?” So when we meet at the merge, we tell each other that we took the tarp. It’s like blood. If she were a distant relative, I would not be surprised. It was this instant connection. Definitely one of my favorite moments on the show was my last night, with her and I laughing hysterically all [expletive] night. You end up becoming the fisher on Luvu. How much did that surprise you? It was so off-brand. Admittedly, I did take a selfless aspect in that. Before the show, I googled which fish I could eat raw and how to scale without tools. I’m going to catch them, and I’m not going to share them. But after one challenge, Danny fell over. He couldn’t stand up. It turns out he was acting because he didn’t want to come across to the other tribes that he was strong going into the merge. But at this point, I don’t know this. He couldn’t eat the breadfruit; he couldn’t eat the coconut because he had a gag reflex. So I remember being like, “I need to feed Danny.” And no one really knows how to be in the water except me. So suddenly, for me, it’s like do or die. Which is funny because preseason, I was literally googling how to eat [expletive] myself. There was one day I caught fish and didn’t even eat it. Call me Jesus Christ reincarnated! At one point, it was also less about being a provider and more about how I loved being out there. I loved being away from people. Like I love being one with my people, with my mermaids. But I did not expect to be a provider. And I was very surprised with how selfless I was on the show. You’re well-traveled and came to Survivor looking to challenge yourself. What was your ultimate takeaway from your trip to Fiji? I mean, it’s a stamp on my passport. Congrats, Feej, you made it to the passport! But it was fun. It was cool. It was unorthodox. And that’s what I like to do when I travel, something different. I want an adventure every time. And literally last week, I was in Mexico spearfishing. Now I love it! I did a whole spearfishing trip. I used a spear gun. I free dove 60 feet, but who’s counting? Besides lifelong friends and enemies, I definitely got tangible skills from Survivor. And that’s amazing. Next, check out our exit interview with Genie Chen, who was voted out in Survivor 41 Episode 5.
