Survivor: Ghost Island interview: Donathan Hurley on his underdog journey, final vote

Donathan Hurley started off Survivor: Ghost Island as one of the show’s signature underdogs. He was a small-town guy who loved the game, but was an easy target pre-merge due to his lack of obvious challenge prowess. Yet, over time he built confidence and formed good alliances, really to the point where he became a significant disruptor close to his final days. There were concerns that he could ruin Domenick and Wendell’s game, and really by the end it felt like he was eliminated out of respect.

So what did Donathan have to say about his experience out there, and some of the big moves that he made along the way? We break some of that down in our exit interview with him.

CarterMatt – As a Survivor nerd myself, I love watching people who come on as underdogs and really become a big player over the season. What was it like for you to watch your whole Survivor journey and your confidence grow over time?

Donathan Hurley – I didn’t really know that was my journey out there even though I lived it, but while watching it back everyone was so thrilled to see me make it this far. A lot of people didn’t think I would (laughs). I got to prove a lot of people wrong and at the end of the day, I was satisfied with what was shown.

Let’s start with the vote. Why did you choose Wendell?

I had a day or two to take myself out of the game and look at it from the outside. I was a big fan of the show and I didn’t want to go into the final tribal bitter. A lot of people are probably going to look at me as bitter, but I really wasn’t. Wendell played a great social game, and there really isn’t a lot of screen time for great social players anymore. He had a lot of people wrapped around his finger, which is why I think he had more votes towards him than what Domenick had. Everyone really saw Wendell as a bigger threat. Domenick was a little more transparent and everyone could see right through him; Wendell was a little more of a smooth criminal. I do not regret ever writing his name down. He played a fantastic game out there.

You threw so many truth bombs out there in hopes of trying to stir things up. Did you ever feel confident that any of them were working?

I was hoping so! I wanted to be remembered as someone who went out there and played against these two big bulldogs while I was this chihuahua trying to bark at them. I knew who the threats were and I wanted them to feel some heat. They had loaded pockets and I was trying to do anything to make something happen.

Let’s say that some of your bombs end up working. Do you think you had a good chance if you made it to the end?

I think I would have had a good shot! It’s like with Sandra in Heroes vs. Villains — she had these two big players beside her and she made a case that she was trying to help the heroes. I was trying to do something to change things up for other players, so I think I definitely would’ve had a great pitch if I made it there.

What made you and Laurel want to trust Dom and Wendell for a while, especially since ‘Naviti strong’ was such a huge mantra for this season?

I was always on pins and needles! They could’ve easily just gotten together with some other people and taken one of us out. I think it shows that our social game was good to make it as far as we did, but you just live day to day out there. You never know where the cards are going to fall. Our feeling while we were out there was that we knew who the threats were and I thought that at one point, Laurel would flip me and do something because she’s a big superfan, as well. It just never happened.

Was there any move in retrospect you wish you would have made?

I kinda wish I had tied it up at the final eight. A lot of people tell me that and I do at times agree — but I never would have went to rocks because I wasn’t willing to jeopardize my game that much. I’d jeopardize it by being loud and using my voice (laughs), but I wouldn’t have gone to rocks. I just wish that I had tied it up so I could have been like ‘this is your time to show people you are playing.’

Do you want to play the game again?

Oh yeah, for sure! 100%.

Related – Be sure to get some other interviews from the finale!

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