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Plus: Was he tempted to quit in Episode 2?
Perhaps nothing on Survivorthis season has more pointedly illustrated the difference between the Millennials and the Gen Xers than the challenge on Wednesday night's episode, in which the Millennials quickly figured out that they could blow through the balance beam portion by having one person carry everyone else's weighted bags, while the Gen Xers fell behind as they each (well, one person, really) strove to complete every portion of the challenge individually.
But Gen Xer Paul Wachter, who was voted off in Wednesday's Tribal Council, tells TVGuide.com that there was one key component to the challenge that viewers at home weren't privy to.
"What you don't see on TV is we had already all agreed not to do that," Paul says. "We had already all agreed that, if you couldn't do it, just drop the bag. I mean, I did it. I ran it, I got three-quarters of the way across the thing, I dropped the bag and Chris ran it across. So, we all agreed that to save time, we were going to do that ... for the good of the tribe."
For reasons that are unclear, CeCe decided to forego that part of the plan - but there's no hard feelings on Paul's part.
"CeCe felt that she had something to prove to herself about finishing that challenge," he says. "CeCe felt, to her credit, that she had to do it that way. Now, yes, it definitely cost us the time and the challenge. ... If we'd have had that extra three to five minutes, I think we would have won again, and I wouldn't be talking to you right now. (Laughs). That was a decision she made. She's confident with the decision. But CeCe, she's a bright lady. She felt she was doing the right thing, and afterwards she might have regretted it or not. I don't know. You'd have to ask her."
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TVGuide.com: Was it difficult for you to watch last night's episode and see all the conversations that were taking place behind your back?
Paul:
When you're not a Hollywood person - and I'm not a Hollywood person - you go on the show and you think you know everything, and you think you know what you're gonna see. In the premiere, when I first saw myself on screen, I almost couldn't watch it. I was kind of looking away. ... It's very surreal to watch yourself, because you don't look like you think you look, you don't talk like you think you talk. It was very surreal. (Laughs) It was really weird. And as the episodes go by, Tuesday was a day of no sleep for me, because Wednesday the show was coming on. ... What you don't see is the great conversations I had with Ken and David and all the friendships we made. Then when you turn your back, they're all talking bad about you. So, it's the game. It's what you sign up for. And anybody that says they got their feelings hurt shouldn't be on this show. You're going to get your feelings hurt.
Going back two episodes, can you take us through your health scare when the medical crew was called out?
Paul:
As you saw on the show, I was very dehydrated. What happened that I did not anticipate - that I don't think you can - is, I went from being really tired and weak to being flat on my back and totally out of control. I was getting very bad cramps, very bad Charley horses. I was dry heaving. It was very eventful. But thank goodness for Jeff Probst and the crew. I don't know how they got a medical team there that quickly, but they did. I was dizzy, I was disoriented. I don't really remember falling backwards, when I lay back there. But when I looked up and I saw [Dr.] Joe, who I know from the previous episodes - I hadn't even met the man, but from the previous seasons - I said, wow. I'm thinking to myself, am I that guy? Am I the guy lying on the beach? It was a real out-of-body experience. But I knew I was in good hands. They take very, very good care of you. There's nothing unreal about Survivor. It's real, and they're not coming unless you need them. But if you need them, if it comes down to it and you need help, the time and the passion they deliver is incredible. It cuts right through all the crap. They are there to make sure you're ok. Once I saw Joe ... I was awesome.
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Who do you think is the biggest threat on your tribe going forward?
Paul:
The two biggest threats would be Chris and David. There's not one. There's two. I think David's a great underdog and he's got a great game, and I think Chris is a big, silent giant. He's a very smart man. I think he can go all the way.
Would you play Survivor again? Paul: I would definitely play again if I had an opportunity.