Genevieve Mushaluk loved playing “Survivor” — and hated watching herself on it.
“The whole part of watching myself on TV has been like a true nightmare,” the 33-year-old corporate lawyer exclusively told The Post after being eliminated in fifth place on Season 47.
Mushaluk also told The Post how she felt about Sam Phalen ratting out her fake idol, why voting out Kishan Patel took such a toll on her emotionally and if she would return for Season 50.
Read Mushaluk’s full interview below.
New York Post: How do you feel that you’re out of the game the week before the finale?
The whole part of watching myself on TV has been a true nightmare. So I am very happy. The first three episodes when I was the purple princess, I was in my glory just loving watching my friends go on TV. I’m low-key pretty happy. It’s an amazing journey, amazing experience. But this part is for the fans, so I feel like the final four will get the time they deserve and I’m happy just to watch with my popcorn on my couch and be like, “This is what they should have done!”
Did you have a plan of how to contend with Sam ratting out your fake idol? And did you expect him to do that?
No, I didn’t. It’s so crazy. I was guarded the entire game, which really helped me plan ahead, see things strategically. And then as soon as I started making friends, Sam, incredible, all of a sudden not guarding myself, assuming my friend’s not going to do this. It’s my own fault because I did not see myself as a threat. I didn’t see why he would be motivated to do that. So I had a total blind spot for that move because of the relationship and just how I wasn’t accurately perceiving myself. But yeah, I was not prepared.
Was there any way you and Sam could’ve concocted a plan to save both of you?
Yes! This is the pitch I gave him: “Sam, let’s use this idol to spook them.” Now, here’s the problem with this plan though, because we didn’t know Sue had an idol. So this plan would have only worked against Teeny, and I really wanted to use it on Sue. But the plan is, “Sam, if they think this idol is real, they’re going to be nervous to pile the votes on one of us. Because if we play the idol correctly, we get to pick who goes home out of Sue and Teeny.” Even when Sam blew up my game, I was still trying to make that pitch to them and also to Teeny and say, “Guys, if we take out Sue, you’re both guaranteed to set at final tribal. Rachel and I got this issue with each other. We want to take each other out. You’re guaranteeing your spot.” But I didn’t see them thinking I was such a juicy target that they had to get me out.
Did the narrative about you being a huge target begin after you turned on Sol?
It didn’t really manifest as everybody after Genevieve. It really only was Teeny. I think if Teeny didn’t have such an explosive reaction. I mean, you see in the episode, Gabe and Andy wanted to make it clear, like, “This is all Genevieve.” Very transparently setting it up to be like, ‘We’ll get her out next, right?’
Teeny and the big reaction they had and the discussions they had with people afterwards really fanned the flames. I think I could’ve mitigated that better. I think the timing was right for the Sol vote because even raising my threat level then it’s like, “Yeah, but Gabe’s here tomorrow. Kyle’s here tomorrow. Sam’s here tomorrow. People are going to be be more interested in these guys so they can call me a threat as much as they want, I still don’t think I’ll be the next one to go.”
We saw you talk about how the Kishan vote affected you emotionally. Can you talk about that?
It’s so interesting because I went into the game thinking I’ll have a couple ride-or-dies. There were things that happened early on Lavo beach that made it clear that I was really no one’s No 1. So I was like, “OK, I’ve just got to look out for myself.” And with the Kishan vote, his reaction afterwards, I guess I was just expecting everyone to be like, “It’s a game. Good game,” like compartmentalize it sort of the same way I had.
So as people started to have these strong emotions of betrayal or hurt or Teeny when they’re furious with me, it’s so different than how I view the game and how I compartmentalize it. Those emotions felt so real and then I took them on and I was like, “But is it a game? If I’m hurting people, then that’s a personal thing and I wouldn’t want to do that.” So it’s difficult to reconcile, or at least it was for me.
How would you have presented your case if you made it to final three?
I never practiced my case and I haven’t really thought about it that much since I never got there. I think what I would have tried to lay out and explain first and foremost is the journey and why I was so cold to people, because I think that would have mattered to some of the jurors. And then the way I look at it is sort of, there’s these three pillars of the game: social, strategic and strength. I had a decent performance in challenges, particularly at the end when I won one. Strategic I think would have spoken for itself. Social I would have been able to explain. So I would have hit on those themes and then just tried to be the best advocate I can and really pull up my lawyer skills. By then, the jury didn’t know I was a lawyer. So maybe I do like, “I’m a lawyer, and if anybody cares,” and they would be like, “We don’t care.”
Are you interested in returning for Season 50?
I believe that if anyone gets an opportunity to play “Survivor,” you should. It is the hardest thing you’ll do, but it’s also the most rewarding thing you’ll do. So if I got invited back, although I would be terrified because now I am very aware of how hard it is, I would say yes. Any time that they would ask me, I would want to be there.
The “Survivor 47” finale airs next Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
