Hantz's discovery of the necklace emerged as the leading highlight from the show, which covered life among the contestant-castaways last summer on days four through six of their competitive 39-day adventure. Possession of that immunity necklace will likely prevent any of his tribemates from banishing him from the show until deep into the season, securing Hantz a powerful advantage toward claiming the $1 million prize that comes with designation as the "ultimate survivor."
The owner of Hantz Tankering in Dayton, Texas, Hantz has shaken the popular television series by describing himself as a multi-millionaire who is just playing to "show those morons how it's done." Although filming ended some time ago and all the players have returned to their stateside lives, Hantz is precluded by contract from disclosing what happened on Samoa while CBS replays highlights from the 39-day competition each Thursday night. The winner is revealed at the end of the year. Each program ends with banishment of another contestant by vote of their tribemates at a melodramatic tribal council.
But Hantz now can use his hidden immunity necklace to veto any vote against him, if he ever needs to play it. Usually the Survivor contestants wait for the show's host to provide clues about the hidden idol's location. But Hantz seized the initiative Thursday night by searching the terrain around his tribe's campsite prior to delivery of any clues, and he found the necklace hidden inside a rotted tree stump.
"These people are so ignorant," Hantz told the audience through the diary camera in a conversation the other contestants can't hear. "Whatever I want to happen will happen."
Thursday night's show saw the exit of this season's two oldest contestants, as a 62-year-old chef from California was airlifted out after suffering a near heart attack during the program's rugby-like immunity challenge contest. Then Hantz's Foa Foa tribe banished a 48-year-old female cop from New Hampshire in a vote-out organized by Hantz because she had questioned his loyalty to their secret alliance agreement.
"Betsy threatened me," Hantz, 36, told the audience before the climactic vote. "Now she's going home."
For next week, the Survivor narrator promised, "Russell's mind games continue."
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