Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers interview: Devon Pinto on fourth-place finish, game strengths

We know we have said this a few times over the course of the season, but we do believe it to be true — Devon Pinto was the best player on Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. He had this Jeremy Collins sort of vibe to him where he constantly made people feel good about him, really to the point of them wanting to keep him around much longer than they should have. Were it not for a twist at the final four with the fire-making challenge, there’s a good chance that we would be referring to him now as the winner of the season.

We kick off this Survivor interview with Devon by discussing that challenge, plus also a few other major events that transpired during his time in the game. (Mike was also on the phone for this interview, hence why you also hear from him at one point.)

CarterMatt – I don’t know if this is a hot take or not, but I think you were the best player overall this season and you just got a dose of really bad luck at the end. Are you frustrated at all with the way you went out?

Devon – I’m not frustrated. I’m happy with the results and what happened. Everything happens for a reason and I think that’s something that had to happen and I think that Ben deserved to win the million. I’m happy for him and his family.

Did you think that you had a good shot to win had you made it to the very end?

Devon – Mike’s been actually convincing me that I could’ve beaten them, so I’m starting to think more and more that I would have.

Mike – I think he would have killed him. I don’t think that Chrissy and Ryan would’ve gotten enough votes if they were against Devon.

Devon, I think in general there is this tendency for guys like you to get sort of pigeonholed into being a challenge guy, but you didn’t necessarily win a lot of immunity challenges. What we saw from you was a willingness to change and adapt throughout the season. Did you constantly feel as though you needed to be that way? Did you ever feel comfortable?

Yeah, I was actually feeling comfortable a lot in the game, which is actually kind of scary. Whenever you feel comfortable in the game of Survivor is most often when you are going home. I just got to know everyone personally beyond the game. I formed a connection on a soul level with each person and every single person out there trusted me at some point. That was my game.

You were the Ben whisperer in that you were able to figure out that he was going to play an idol at the final five, which allowed you to cast that vote against Mike. Was there anything he did that gave that away?

I saw Ben give up. That just wasn’t a Ben thing. There’s no way that Ben would give up. He wouldn’t be like ‘well, I’m just going home.’ I just had a feeling from that and I just went with my gut.

Based on everything that I’ve heard the Hustlers tribe was a hot mess. There was so much chaos, so how were you and Ryan able to stay tight while the target moved towards people like Simone or Patrick?

Ryan and I, we had a sort of secret alliance at the very beginning of the game. We just decided that we were together and nobody would suspect that we were together because we were so opposite (laughs). We each picked the other players’ brains and we would have secret meetings and tell each other what the other people were thinking. We had each others’ backs.

Would you go back? If you did, would there be anything different about your game that you’d change?

I would go back — I’d have to go back with my mom. I wouldn’t change the way that I played the game. I’m really happy with the way that I played, but I may have to change it because everyone’s seen my game now. It’s out there.

Want more Survivor interviews?

Then check out our finale interviews with Mike, Ryan, Chrissy, and Ben!

To get some more Survivor news, be sure to like CarterMatt on Facebook. (Photo: CBS.)