|
 After
a long, hard struggle, endless twists and turns, headaches,
heartaches and even bellyaches, the lone Survivor has been
named. The last remaining Survivor and winner of the million
dollar prize is none other than T.J. Hooker.
Hooker
seemed to be the favorite from the outset with everyone in
the audience, but his fellow Survivors saw otherwise, judging
by comments made after the final Tribal Council.
"Nobody
could stand him after about three days," Dennis said,
having returned to the Survivor Island to take part in the
final decision. "He would stay up late at night, shouting
the lyrics to folk songs. We all thought he was delirious."
"I
really didn't want Hooker to win," said Vince Romano,
the most recent exile before Stacy. "He was such a jerk
to me the whole time. But there was that one night when Stacy
ate the rat with me off camera, and then tried to make it
sound like I was the only one–then I got voted off for
my eating habits. I had to get her back."
"Stacy's
my partner," Jim Corrigan said, "And without a doubt,
Hooker's conduct on the island got to be a bit insufferable
at times. But she entered into an alliance to vote off her
own father. That to me isn't just poor sportsmanship, it's
poor family values. I come from a very tight family. You just
don't do that to your family, especially not your father.
At least Hooker played a straight game."
 |
| Stacy
bests Hooker in the Olympic Pool Kayaking Challenge. |
Hooker's
strategy paid off during the final Immunity Challenges which
helped the final decisions. He specifically let Stacy win
the Olympic Pool Kayaking Challenge because, he says, "I
knew she would use the Island Bucks she won during it later
in the game. She was going to have more than me. I didn't
care. All I knew was, there was something coming up, something
big, and I was going to have to beat her with my wits rather
than with my back pocket."
It
was later, during the Property Challenge, that Hooker's words
became prophetic. In the Property Challenge, Hooker and Stacy
were allowed to "purchase" parts of the island in
an extreme version of Monopoly--and only the one with the
most property when time was called would be allowed to make
a precious phone call home to their loved ones." I knew
not getting that phone call would be a psychological blow
to her that she wouldn't recover from," Hooker said.
"And I had less money than she did. She tried desperately
to get me to sell one portion of my property–keep in
mind, this challenge went on for three whole days–and
I just wouldn't give in. Eventually, she landed on Island
Jail and that was it: I'd won." Hooker went on to detail
the incident that helped him keep his focus; it all came about
because of a lizard.
Stacy's
habit of being taken hostage by the natives worked to her
disadvantage as well, right up until the end. She had to be
rescued from one of the native tribes before the final Tribal
Council could be held, severely diminishing her chances with
the voting council. "This was the fifth time we had to
rescue her," Jim said. "It gets a little tiring
after awhile. I was so sick of it, I got into the Council
area and just voted her off right then and there. I didn't
even wait for final arguments or anything. It was tiresome."
[read Stacy's final words]
FINAL
WORDS: T.J. Hooker
 "I
can't . . . begin to tell you how amazed, proud, joyous .
. . thrilled I am on this occasion. There are times in a man's
life when things seem so hopeless, so desolate, just like
after we all got back from the war, not knowing where to go,
or who to turn to.
But then things like this happen, turn it all around. It squashes
a man's ego, yet lifts it up and lets it soar high and free.
And I weep . . . I weep for the little man, the downtrodden,
those who are less fortunate than most, that they may find
peace in what they have, not in what they don't.
"In
winning this amazing challenge, I have proven that the regular
man may find the courage within himself to triumph. And triumph
he shall. Thank you, thank you all, for this great honor."
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