Survivor: Worlds Apart's merged Merica tribe eliminated Dan Foley, a Blue Collar player, from the game during last week's twelfth episode of the CBS reality competition's 30th season.

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Dan, a 47-year-old postal worker from Gorham, ME, was the thirteenth person voted out of the game and therefore became the season's sixth jury member. His Merica tribe got him out on Night 35 at the season's thirteenth Tribal Council session.

Dan was given the boot after he played the two-vote advantage he had won at a Survivor auction and then Carolyn Rivera dropped a bomb by playing her hidden Immunity Idol. Dan voted for Carolyn and she was gunning for him, so the votes against her didn't count and he had to go.

In an exclusive interview with Reality TV World, Dan talked about his Survivor experience. Below is the concluding portion. Click here to read the first half.

Reality TV World: What made you believe so strongly that Mike Holloway was a liar and had just become so paranoid out there in the game? Was it Rodney flipping out on Mike or was Mike's stunt at the Survivor auction in which he almost faked you guys out to get the advantage enough for you to change your mind about him?

Dan Foley: It was all about the Survivor auction. There's a difference between bluffing and lying, and it's easy to sit at home and say, "Oh, you should do this," or, "Oh, well, you should do that." But when you're out there and you're starving and you're missing your family and you're making bonds with these people -- you're making these connections.

Some people come out there and they don't make them. I'm the kind of person that, you know, I tend to make bonds with people. I tend to make friends with people or I piss you off so much that you hate me with a passion that will never subside. It's one or the other from it.

I felt like there was a real connection there with Mike and when he actually turned his back on that letter, to take that from everybody, oh no, that was way beyond pissed -- way beyond.

And, yeah, I was hurt. [Rodney Lavoie Jr.] said it best: "That was a moment where the game's on pause. Let's read our love letters." I mean, I get it, it was a good play, you know? But it was still a crappy thing to do. I said it 100,000 times and I'll say it 100,000 times more.

There's four things in this life that are earned and not given -- trust, respect, forgiveness and family. And when you wrong somebody, you're supposed to earn that forgiveness, and Mike wronged me. But he kept coming at me, telling me that I had to earn his forgiveness. And the more he said that, the more it pissed me off, because I didn't do anything to have to earn it. He did. But he never acknowledged that.

Reality TV World: Many castaways I've talked to this season had no idea Rodney was strategizing so much and had orchestrated the core alliance of himself, [Tyler Fredrickson], [Will Sims II], and Carolyn. He was also ready to flip at the drop of a dime if he needed to or wanted revenge on someone. Did you view him as a goat while you were out there? And if so, would you admit that was sort of a mistake?

Dan Foley: I didn't view Rodney as a goat, but I certainly didn't give him enough credit. And that's for damn sure. I don't know if he's a brilliant strategist per se. (Laughs) Even Tyler said it a couple times, I mean, Rodney jumped ship from us and I think Rodney was perceived as the guy you want to bring to the end.

When Rodney started doing impersonations for that episode -- when he started impersonating Mike and me -- oh, Rodney's stock value went through the roof. It went way through the roof. All of a sudden, people started to question whether it's a good idea to bring Rodney to the end or not.

Reality TV World: Because he was becoming more likeable.

Dan Foley: Yeah.

Reality TV World: So if Rodney actually made it to the Final 3, do you think he'd have a really tough time convincing the jury of any big moves he made? It seems like people wouldn't even believe he was behind some of the gameplay he had.

Dan Foley: I think that would've been an uphill battle for him because of the perception from some of the people in the game, yeah, especially the people that were already on the jury at that point. Because you've got [Joe Anglim], [Hali Ford], [Jenn Brown], and [Shirin Oskooi]. They were never a part of what Rodney had done.

And, you know, it's easy to say, "Oh, no. Rodney, I would have voted for you if you made it to the final!" But when it comes time to put the rubber to the road, would they really have voted for him? Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know. But they never saw what Rodney actually did, so I don't know.

I think Rodney can be charming in his own way when he wants to be. I don't know. If he started busting out some Mike impersonations or a few other impressions he does so well, he might have actually charmed his way into a million dollars. I don't know!

Reality TV World: You were considering taking Carolyn and Will to the Final 3 at one point. What other plans were you running through your head? And were you telling ever person in your alliance you'd be taking them to the end?

Dan Foley: Well you have to. You can't just talk to one person and then talk to nobody else, because then you look like [Max Dawson] and Shirin, you know? And that's what ends up happening. So, yeah, of course you've got to run around and tell people. But I was considering all of them.

Obviously I was thinking about a Blue Collar finish with me, [Sierra Dawn Thomas] and Rodney. And I was also thinking about me, Rodney and Will. At no point was anybody considering going to the end with Mike. Nobody wanted to go to the end with him.

Reality TV World: Sierra remained loyal to you and the Blues despite having so many offers to switch things up and make big moves. What do you think of her gameplay and were you actually surprised she stuck with you guys on every vote?

Dan Foley: I'd be lying if I said I was surprised that she stuck with us. I really was. Honestly, it helped my game. It certainly got us further. I mean, she could've flipped at the mix-up, and you know, that could've been the end of us -- the end of me, Mike and Rodney. But she stuck with us.

The gameplaying that we had was solid, throwing challenges and getting rid of really strong players. That's when we got rid of [Joaquin Souberbielle], which was my idea. Sierra and Mike wanted to get rid of Joe and I convinced them otherwise. And that's when I knew that Rodney was making moves because him and Joaquin were tight.

So, all of a sudden, this whole White Collar plus Rodney was five. That's a dangerous number in this game. So, I was definitely surprised. I was grateful. But, you know, I love Sierra. I do. I love that girl with all my heart, and she played a great game in my mind. Other people may see it differently, but I think she played a great game.

To read the first half of Dan's exclusive interview with Reality TV World, click here.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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