Rob Cesternino and Mike Bloom meet the thirteenth and fourteenth castaways from Survivor 46: Hunter McKnight and Liz Wilcox.[00:00:00] Hey everybody, what's going on? Rob Sestradino back here, day 7 here of our Survivor 46 preview series.
[00:00:09] We are going to be talking about a brand new tribe here with Mr. Survivor Preseason.
[00:00:16] Here he is. Give it up for Mike Bloom.
[00:00:21] Nah, me, me, me, me, me. Sorry, Rob. I'm just warming up as we of like our big entertainment magnet of the season, it might be Nami considering all the personalities involved here. Okay. All right. Well, let's dig right in. Of course, you could watch these videos. Of course, you we dropped the YouTube videos on the same day that we dropped these two a day podcast for you, but you're only going to hear the commentary here.
[00:01:41] Okay.
[00:01:42] So make sure you keep coming back to hear what Mike and I have to say.
[00:01:46] All right.
[00:01:47] Let's set up what's going on with Hunter. of age and occupation. Yeah, my name is Hunter McKnight. I am 27 years old, and I am a high school science teacher. Interesting, okay. So we talk in like physics, chemistry, chemistry, human AMP, and I teach some digital media as well, but that's not really science. Is this something you've always wanted to do? Well, I actually wasn't even introduced in like two survivors until I was a senior in college.
[00:03:02] I grew up growing up, I solved the show.
[00:03:05] I was like, oh, that seems really interesting,
[00:03:07] but it was reality TV, and my sister was going on maternity leave so I got to sub for her in the classroom. So I had the opportunity to really do that and I was like, hey, I love survivor. I've been a program director at a camp and I said, I want to do this with the kids, you know, before I go to
[00:04:22] medical school and in the fall. And so as I'm going to do this here, I ended up really of, yeah, you mentioned coming in with Kaga-yan, but did you sort of watch a bunch of scenes after? Oh, yeah, I did. So after I watched, like we binged to watch, the survivor was almost the reason I didn't have a 4.0 in college was because like, we were taking gross anatomy during that time, which is like, you cut up to dead bodies or whatever, so a very intensive class, but it was like, we're in the lab kind of bodies, then we're coming to watch the survivor,
[00:05:40] then we're, so I've watched through all that I can get
[00:05:44] my hands on.
[00:05:44] Wow.
[00:05:45] Yeah, and then whenever I had graduated
[00:05:46] and had all that free time, that semester, playing up the accent because to your point like there is this I feel like affiliation and assumption of like yeah this genteel kind aspect yeah I well I don't think I have a really big accent and maybe you're like yeah you do I mean I'm a you know Northeastern so I think any things on my right arm to your point yeah I like I use y'all and I say stuff like that it's not as it's not as sweet
[00:07:01] as JT's was yeah I know I I plan to play that up I don't I don't plan to advertise
[00:07:06] that you know I was going to medical my classroom. I've had kids from China, from India, like in my classroom before. So it's really like a weird melting pot in the middle of Mississippi, right?
[00:08:21] It's weird.
[00:08:22] And so I get to, and these kids already have
[00:08:25] kind of like trust issues.
[00:08:26] Like the adults in their lives Teachers might have that bivality to it that energy is that something you're gonna bring to the show. Yeah What the guy that won from the unspeakable seems I mean, yeah, yeah, he doesn't mention me. Yeah, I think I think there are a lot of attributes like You people like I'm a doctor. So I'm gonna be good at this game now Because patients want to live they're gonna listen to you like a lawyer's lawyers are like
[00:09:42] I've got this in a bag and it's like what yeah, of course your clients listen to what you say because you will hold a lot in your hands
[00:10:41] like challenges and stuff. Yeah, I've built a tribal council tree house
[00:10:43] with like rope bridges and stuff.
[00:10:44] I mean, listen, if you don't win this,
[00:10:45] like there might be a spot open in the art department
[00:10:48] if you are able to impress enough.
[00:10:49] Yeah, I like it.
[00:10:51] I would go off on a tangent on that,
[00:10:53] but yeah, I, I, it's different in caution.
[00:10:56] I think caution was for the intention of training.
[00:10:59] Yeah.
[00:10:59] Mine was more for like doing it for the kids.
[00:11:01] I practiced on them.
[00:11:02] You know, the final five chat or puzzle
[00:11:05] that they just did in the last one.
[00:11:07] The circle. I practice those different things just for fun. I mean, do you realize that essentially you produced the teenage version of Survivor that Jeff has always been wanting to do? I know, whenever he was announcing having the teenage version of Survivor, I was like, I don't know, man. They're kind of emotional. I'm just like, I just make me speech. Take kind of a mess. This is all I have to work with.
[00:12:20] But it's kind of a mess.
[00:12:21] Yeah, we'll take them out for like a week.
[00:12:22] And I really want them to compete in this during the summer
[00:12:25] or so at the Instant Avada.
[00:12:26] So I was like, look, I'll not play for the kids, but really I've asked leading questions to get through the think and that makes the mom so mad. Like don't try to ruin their game. Cause most of the reason I want to give you an example, I had set it up, you know, the way I do it to give you an idea.
[00:13:43] It doesn't end in a vote because it's high school. Right.
[00:13:44] They're just gonna vote for their friends.
[00:13:45] It's a popularity contest.
[00:13:46] And so what they're gonna do is as they get better out, but the parents did not like it. The parents of the boys did not like it. Interesting. But it happens. Well, let's translate from that version to this version. How do you think you're going to be perceived out here? By the players? Yeah. Well, I think I'll come across. I know how I want to be perceived. Apparently, I'm one of the bigger guys out here, which I didn't expect to be.
[00:15:02] Interesting.
[00:15:03] I didn't expect to be because in my normal life, I'm surrounded by, you know, I have to do some finagling before, like early in the game. I don't wanna be one who's pushing pretty hard, but I know that at least the pattern is people who aren't seen as challenged threats go off pretty early, but then right when the merch hits, it's like boom, boom, boom. Like it's open season on me, right?
[00:16:22] And so that's where I've got to somehow work that
[00:17:23] the challenges that we can maybe work together. And I can get that perception out there.
[00:17:25] Now, are you not afraid to let Mississippi blood
[00:17:28] run through these streets?
[00:17:29] You know, if we're looking at like a Jesse and Cody,
[00:17:32] we saw this with Carolyn and Jam Jam,
[00:17:33] like if it comes down to it,
[00:17:34] are you willing to cut a number one down the line?
[00:17:37] Yeah, yes, yes.
[00:17:38] But I, you know, I wanna be the JT and the JT and Steven.
[00:17:43] You know, I want to bring the Mississippi to the end
[00:17:47] and just have a better shot at him. wasn't quite sure about it. I feel bad talking about her, but it was only because she had sweatpants on that were in sync and I don't, I'm not sure of all the in sync stuff, but it said like no man, no cares. So I'm like, I'm a man. I don't know if I like that. I'm just not doing no cares.
[00:19:00] I mean, you don't want them in on the show.
[00:19:04] Like so I was like, I don't know about you.
[00:19:05] So keep an eye on her, but then I realized
[00:19:07] she's the only left-handed person Well, let me throw a scenario out to you that might play into that. So let's say, like, first few days you're at camp, boat pulls up, you know what's happening. Someone says something, says, pick one person to go on a journey. Is this something you want to do? Is this something you're trying to get someone else to go on? What's your strategy? I don't think I go on that. Because I think, and I'm not, like I'm not trying to hype myself up.
[00:20:21] Like, oh, look at me.
[00:20:22] I'm like a great survivor player.
[00:20:23] But I think people, I don't know, just have to trust the relationships. And that's what it's got to be. I mean, the people with the fake idols, nobody even used it last time. Right. That is it ended up going out. And the ones with the real idols, only a couple of them actually were played correctly. So what does an idol do other than get a target on your back? And I mean, anybody use it on themselves to say to themselves, Brandon did.
[00:21:44] Brandon did.
[00:21:44] At the very beginning.
[00:21:45] But yeah, the other, how do you use hers as well?
[00:21:47] Right.
[00:21:48] But she didn't know how the game worked. And I was still unsure as to like, these just seems like he's so mean, but I realize he's hilarious. Also, that season's not the funniest Tyson seasons.
[00:23:01] It's the previous one.
[00:23:01] Yeah, the cupcake belt and that was pretty much it.
[00:23:03] Yeah, that was it.
[00:23:04] But I remember getting so annoyed what I want to see and you were not playing. What do you think is your hottest survivor take? What do you think is your most controversial opinion about a person, a season, the show in general? I believe that Natalie deserved to be Russell. I know there's a lot of controversy there, but she played the game to win. And that's, I guess, I don't know how hot of a take that is.
[00:24:21] But when I went back and recently rewatched it,
[00:24:24] when I first watched it, I was like,
[00:24:25] oh, Russell did a lot of it.
[00:24:26] Looking back at how Natalie handled relationships the family visit though. I don't know. Yeah, I mean, like you're at a low moment. You could use someone to cheer you up and work with someone where if you're looking for advice, like, you know, there's no wrong answer here, really. There's no wrong answer. Fictional or not. I don't. That's one that, see, I like to really think about these kind of ones. Take all the time you need.
[00:25:40] Maybe I'm not like a fly by the seat of my pants
[00:25:42] kind of guys I saw.
[00:25:43] This is the one thing to hold you off.
[00:25:44] This is the one, like this is the most important question
[00:25:47] that's been asked from out in that like this has allowed us in many that I'm realizing is like, when people share experiences, it's like bonding, right? It's, and we've shared a lot of experiences, but the bonding hasn't happened because you haven't talked about it. They gotta sleep in these tents that have sat on a tub of a hill in the sun for like eight hours. And so you're getting this like an oven and you're like, oh my goodness, can we get some air in here?
[00:28:21] It's like it would be better to sleep out there,
[00:28:22] which is just funny.
[00:28:23] It's just funny thing in the laugh about,
[00:28:25] the plane ride over here or the boat ride. is a very good candidate to potentially look at to win the game. All right, tell me if this is too wild of a take. Okay. Let me let me let me go back to Hunter. Okay. How about this? Young Bob Crowley. Oh, well, as one CBS young character falls, another shall rise.
[00:29:43] Maybe we'll have a spinoff documenting his career before he becomes Bob Crowley. and you would as a doctor and decide support to sort of ask you that to follow his passion. And then also say on top of that, yeah, I also want him to play survivor against each other. Yeah, the part about where that the kids are playing survivor and the parents are watching, and then he's just like asking very pointed questions at tribal council and then the moms are getting upset
[00:31:04] like that.
[00:31:05] It's very specific challenge. It's almost like King and the nerds. I think did this right? We're like the eliminated contestants could Add our award advantages. Yeah one of the finalists. They couldn't be queath their fire tokens to people on the way out
[00:32:21] Exactly, but these fire tokens wouldn't just like buy advantages. They would be like, okay now you get this many puzzle pieces
[00:32:27] Revealed to you. I'm not entirely sure. Yeah two were obviously eyeballing each other because she happens to have an Ole Miss tattoo, which is his alma mater where he ran track where he played football. Hunter went to new Miss, right? Exactly. It's a real rivalry they have, but they haven't come in is the Miss. Hopefully they won't miss the opportunity to work together. But obviously this is like very unique for the two of them.
[00:33:43] And look, just looking at the two of them and the role they probably play in their tribe,
[00:33:46] I would imagine barring any than Jellies. Although I think we established that Q, we looked at his Combine stats wasn't like, yeah, yeah. I would have thought that he was like, okay, he was gonna be very tall.
[00:35:02] So, all right, so,
[00:35:03] but he's not like a Drew from last season, right?
[00:35:07] No, definitely not like a super smart guy. He's likable. Really, this could be a situation where I feel like that his only real weaknesses seem to come from a lack of weaknesses. That really is the case.
[00:36:20] Because I think obviously he has a lot of that
[00:36:23] sociability and people skills.
[00:36:25] I think he expressed really need to worry about Hunter. But again, this guy was the valedictorian of his high school. This guy had a 4.0 in college. This guy was on his way to becoming a doctor. He is incredibly intelligent. And this is one of those rare survivor contestants where like, I feel you truly cannot see that coming.
[00:37:41] Yeah, I wonder in the new era, have adept. You know, he's sly like a fox. And I think that Hunter has some of those similar characteristics. I mean, you talk about someone who was very underestimated but had a lot of intelligence under the surface. Marianne is a very clear example of that. And while I think
[00:39:00] some other cast members would compare themselves to Marian it, I think it might be Hunter. Yep, might be able to link
[00:40:20] up with Q and then be able to have another structure to fall into once he gets to the merge. Okay,
[00:41:24] that she wasn't the problem and that she just needed the right program, she started to get results. And now she's completely unstoppable and feeling so strong and confident.
[00:41:28] And I can do the same for you. On the Body App, subscribers lose 5-10 pounds consistently in
[00:41:34] their first month. And I bet you will too. In fact, CNN underscored just-name Body Best Fitness App.
[00:41:40] And right now, if you sign up for a one-year body membership, you'll get an instant $30 off. Liz, how could anyone describe Liz Wilcox in a blurb? She is truly one of a kind. Just look at her garb, bringing back the Shambo Mollet headband combo for the first time in like 15 years. As mentioned before, Liz is 35 years old. She's currently based in Orlando, Florida, but was quite nomadic in previous instances
[00:43:05] in her life as well, correct correct. So I
[00:45:22] I've always thought, hey, I think I could be on that show. I think I am a character.
[00:45:25] And about six months ago, I was watching with my daughter
[00:45:29] and you know, Jeff comes on the screen and he's like,
[00:45:32] all this could be yours, apply now.
[00:45:35] And I said, you know, I think I could do really well
[00:45:37] on the show.
[00:45:38] And my daughter, who was seven at the time,
[00:45:41] she said, are you gonna talk about it,
[00:45:43] or are you gonna do it?
[00:45:44] From the mouths of babes.
[00:45:45] Amen.
[00:45:46] And I said, I'm gonna do it.
[00:45:48] I'm really if you run into 90% of contestants, they'll say it's a bun on dare by a seven year old. Right, right, right. I'm not unique at all. So talk to me about your history of survivor because you talked about watching that casting announcement, but was this something that's been, you know, part of your viewing schedule for a while now? Yeah, on and off. I'm a little lonely. My husband was in the military. He was gone. And I started watching Survivor again. I said, oh, I used to love this show. And I got so into it. And I binged all seasons. I think it was 20 or 25 seasons at the time. And it brought me back to life. I thought, oh, I could be on that show one day. I'm just like so-and-so. Oh, I love Tyson.
[00:48:23] I love Russell, this and that. And then when I shock when he didn't win, and I was also in shock when he wasn't in the conversation of, Rob Goddess. I was like. He did get some sea of money in that moment, so. He did, and for me, Thai was able to convince everyone
[00:49:40] not to kill a chicken and eat a chicken
[00:49:42] when they were starving.
[00:49:43] So to me, I really relate And like Mike just said about, you know, oh, that person's just like jam jam. We just saw jam jam win. We got to vote them out.
[00:51:00] So I need that silly shield.
[00:51:02] Yeah. Just like I think Carolyn and jam jam
[00:51:04] and even Carson to an extent were each others.
[00:51:07] I was looking at it as silly shields. when somebody comes that they are deterred because they have a strong center of self. I don't think I've ever heard a couch like that, and that is so interesting to me that the confidence in yourself carries forward to the game, and I think that's, it's reliability is what it comes down to, just more so direct reliability and reliability to yourself, additionally.
[00:52:22] Absolutely, going back to what I said about Ty,
[00:52:24] one of the reasons I believe he didn't win
[00:52:27] was he was so worried about tripping up I'm allergic to like a few dozen things. I'm allergic to fruit. I'm allergic to chicken if I eat eggs I feel like I'm drunk It's so weird and it's incredibly rare and it took me years to figure out but now I'm so clear-headed That's why I'm gonna win, but anyway, I'm off the egg
[00:53:40] So I'm gonna win to the right party of like all right. We're going to a diner. Give me all the eggs you have a
[00:53:46] Tager bring the devil eggs
[00:54:43] Even we're doing this interview, they gave me lunch, there's tomatoes in it, I'm allergic,
[00:54:45] I'm just eating lettuce today.
[00:54:47] And I don't think the average person
[00:54:49] has that experience with food.
[00:54:51] Food is a delight, it's a pleasure in life.
[00:54:54] And for me, it's a very scary thing.
[00:54:57] And on the island, it's a very scary thing.
[00:54:59] And so I'm already prepared in that way.
[00:55:01] I can't wait to see these people crumble, honestly.
[00:55:04] No, have you done any research as to like local foliage
[00:55:07] and anything?
[00:55:08] I'm sure they've coconuts. I'm not gonna have to deal with that frustration of, oh my gosh, I'm so hungry, I can't get this open. Can you help me? I'm gonna be like, well, I'm just gonna go to the water well. Like, let's pray we win the challenge or I'm gonna go fishing or, you know, I'm gonna go find certain berries I can eat. And the last thing I'll say about the food,
[00:56:21] it's kind of ironic as a kid,
[00:56:22] I was definitely afraid of worms.
[00:56:25] Like, I would start screaming, crying.
[00:56:28] Very, I was that I'm never gonna blend in. I was born to stand out, but I wanna stand out in a good way. Oh, she's really friendly, she's personable, she's trying to get along, she's helpful to the tribe. You know, she's not the strongest, but she's not the weakest. So hopefully I'll be able to assimilate myself
[00:57:42] rather than blend in.
[00:57:43] I think that's how people will perceive me.
[00:57:46] Hopefully until it's too late. Wow, making that judgment from the beginning. Yeah, yeah. If people are not, if people are not, what's the word I'm looking for? Careful enough. Careful, savvy. Yeah, well let's go to the other side. I've been on the blank. Talking about possible enemies. Is there anyone that you're getting a not so good vibe from?
[01:00:22] There's a few people that I just have to get a read to know for sure. What's been your level of preparation coming out here? What's been your routine to try to get in survivor shape? I have done the opposite of what everybody else is doing. I feel like survivors come out here
[01:00:25] and they've crammed everything.
[01:00:27] Oh, I've never heard of anyone else emptying the jug. First I've heard of it certainly.
[01:01:43] Bet in the silly shield. You've heard it here first.
[01:01:46] You've been in so many terms in the dictionary before even playing. talk about like is the glass half empty or half full? I always say, I don't know, but I'm drinking it. I'm the type of thing. As long as it doesn't have eggs in it. As long as it's not chicken broth, or like watermelon juice, or salt, I'm gonna drink it. I love that, thanks Mike. So for me, I'm a very quick decision maker.
[01:03:03] For me, I asked my husband to marry me.
[01:03:06] When he said, I don probably let someone else go so that I can stay back. I can hear the accusations of are they telling the truth? Are they not? If I feel like I'm closer to the bottom or I'm getting bad read of other people,
[01:04:23] I'm rigging that rock draw and I'm getting my ass
[01:04:26] on the boat because I need a lifeline. So of course I'm gonna be out there looking for advantages, you know pushing my tribe to win those reward challenges and really just looking at Everything as an advantage trying to find a positive Spin for anything just like I said about you know the food allergies that in real life sucks But how can I turn it into an advantage in the game? Oh?
[01:05:43] Well, I'm used to starving so here we go hottest survivor take in your opinion. Could it be about a player, season, or the show? I love the Final Four firemaking challenge. Oh my god. I agree with Jeff. I think it gives that person who probably is the best player, that one final shot, making it to the end. Because if the other players are smart,
[01:07:00] they are going to band together,
[01:07:02] and they're going to vote dress out.
[01:07:04] So this gives you one final shot. And who doesn't like that? Well, let me give you one final question. If you could bring a celebrity or a fictional character out to the island as your loved one
[01:08:21] for a loved one's visit, who's it going to be and why?
[01:08:26] I would bring Will Smith.
[01:08:28] Okay. in person. Oh my gosh, it would be over for everybody else. Well, I'm so excited to see the wall that you will build by the end of all this. This was this was such a delight to get to talk with you. I'm so happy to have you out here. Your energy is just so fantastic for this. And I think it'll hopefully carry over to the beach as well. And, you know, for days and days and 26 days to come. This has been so, so great.
[01:09:40] Thank you so much.
[01:09:41] Thank you so much, Mike.
[01:09:42] All right, Mike.
[01:09:44] There you have it.
[01:09:44] The jug is empty.
[01:09:46] The jug is empty. That was the case that they brought chickens into this season. Liz has the best case to make for like, we gotta slaughter these things immediately because if that thing starts laying eggs, I have to be medevacked. Yeah, okay. Liz is so interesting to me because I think that, I love it when people's careers are going to really play a factor in what they do.
[01:11:00] And I don't think that she's going to be like,
[01:11:02] well, as an email marketer,
[01:11:04] but I do feel like there's a lot of people in this particular tribe and you can throw in people like Ben as well that are all about don't be a poser. You know, you got to be your true blue self.
[01:12:21] Liz talks about this in her one minute video that like she was bullied as a child to the
[01:12:25] point where she was mute and her mom basically told, and saying believe in or butch I should say, and saying believe in yourself. She should have brought the banner to the item as her emotional item. Yeah, listen, I'm always going to love somebody who ends up, you know, talking about Thai, who I think is one of the more underrated characters and players from the 30s in particular.
[01:13:40] And I thought she brought up some salient points about how Thai is somebody who had to who is hyperconfident because she wants to turn to you and say, okay, let's pull the trigger, let's do this epic thing, and she needs you to commit 100% just like her. Yeah, Mike, how do you think it is going to go for Liz? So I would say honestly, on any other tribe, it would be a bit touchy.
[01:15:00] Just because I would say Liz could definitely surprise me,
[01:15:04] but I'm know I have to
[01:16:22] get rid of her because she could be very scary in this game. the hotter hot takes I would say. Maybe the hottest yet. I don't know. There are a couple in there that we could certainly get into. But I definitely think one of the more like most talked about hot takes, I should say, of the final four firemaking. I mean, what has changed a bit is this new again meta aspect in the new era of picking off these big threats
[01:17:41] at a certain point, realizing, OK, you're too likable.
[01:17:44] You're too social.
[01:17:45] We have to get rid of you.
[01:17:47] You know, the first few or she will slaughter us. Again, I wonder in the wake of jam jam wedding is that the invoice that Liz has to pay. If not, I think that she could similarly make her way really deep in it. That food is no longer a luxury to her and that she is ready to point and laugh in the faces of her competitors. Like you with Malcolm. Exactly. She's going to make everybody feel like what she has to go through every single day. Exactly. So she'll gain a lot of empathy no matter what by the end of it.
[01:20:20] Hopefully some jury votes to boot.
[01:20:21] Okay.
[01:20:22] Mike, anything else on Liz?
[01:20:24] Liz has a master's degree in leadership. Well, yes, she didn't like his Seinfeld mullet. I don't think that she... The Seinfeld mullet. She did, you know, Jerry Seinfeld is fine. Now, is it hypocritical or is it more apt for her, the mullet rocker, to criticize someone else's mullet of a rocker? Yeah, um, I don't know, I don't know, but I just want to be very clear.
[01:21:41] She's not saying that she doesn't like him because he's like Jerry Seinfeld.
[01:21:44] Yes, Rob. Yeah. All right. Well, I'm very much looking forward to Liz and seeing what she has in store for us.
[01:23:02] OK, Mike, only four more survivors to hear from who's coming up tomorrow.