Russell Hantz to Survivor Jury: You Were Wrong!

On last night's Survivor finale, Natalie White somehow outwitted, outlasted and outplayed Russell Hantz to claim the season's million-dollar prize.

Viewers groaned when the game's best player had to settle for second place, as Hantz was clearly the dominant contestant throughout the season.

It's a fact Russell himself wasn't afraid to speak on during a post-finale interview with TV Guide Magazine. A few excerpts follow...

On being named Fan Favorite: It's wonderful because that shows the jury that even the fans knew that I played the best game. And it shows them that they did make the wrong decision. The people are telling you, you made the wrong decision.

On the jury: I thought they would respect the game enough, because we go through so much out there, that they would vote for me. That’s why I was so confident, I thought that they would respect the game. But I was dead wrong on that. I played with a bunch of people who never should have played the game.

On his strategy: I don’t know how I’m going to play game until I start planning out who I’m playing with. I see if I can manipulate them, or if I have to follow somebody for a little while, to get rid of that person... I don’t know if I would play differently or if I would play the same. I don’t know that I would do it again.

Look for Russell Hantz to be included on the upcoming Survivor edition, which pits heroes against villains. It premieres on February 11.

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Natalie White Outwits, Outlasts Russell Hantz on Survivor: Samoa Finale

We demand a recount!

On last night's live finale of Survivor: Samoa, Natalie White was overwhelmingly voted the latest series champion. She takes home one million dollars for her efforts, even though most viewers agree that Russell Hantz controlled the game - and White, really - throughout the season.

After the jury voted, Russell - who took home the $100,000 fan favorite prize for Player of the Season - said "the nice girl outwitted and outplayed" him.

As often happens on Survivor, the contestants refused to reward the grand prize to the person that actually played the best game.

Russell was shocked and disappointed by that decision.

"It's amazing to me how people play the game," he told E! News. "You want to be honest, have integrity, in the game? You ever play Monopoly, where you take people's houses and kick 'em out in the street? That's a game. But it's part of it, I guess."

In other words: shame on you, jury, for not acknowledging that Survivor is like any other game. The most skilled player, not the nicest individual, should come out on top.

White, of course, claims her kindness was a strategical skill.

"I made it my mission to get to... try to figure out what the voting criteria was going to be. I think because of the genuine relationships that I built, they wanted to give it to someone they truly know and will do well with the money."

Survivor returns on February 11 with an edition titled Heroes vs. Villains. No doubt Russell will be included in the latter group - and we'll be cheering him on the entire time!

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