"Big Tom" strategy surviving
BY JOE TENNIS
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Mar 18, 12:00 AM EST
"Big Tom" Buchanan won yet another week on "Survivor: All-Stars" when his Chapera tribe gained immunity on Wednesday’s episode.
The tribe also won a challenge, giving them a fishing spear and some rice from its opposing team, Mogo Mogo.
Buchanan, 48, is a contestant to win $1 million on the CBS-TV reality show.
A cattle farmer from Smyth County’s portion of Rich Valley, Buchanan spent a few weeks late last year filming the "Survivor" contest at a tropical setting near Panama.
This week, Buchanan’s old friend Ethan Zohn was sent off the show. Two years ago, Zohn and Buchanan were long-time allies when they were contestants on "Survivor: Africa."
Zohn won the "Africa" contest. Buchanan tied in a second-place finish, along with Lex van den Berghe, a Californian who is also on "Survivor: All-Stars."
Buchanan’s sister, Rachel Buchanan, said, "Ethan rode Tom’s coattails" during the "Survivor: Africa" contest.
"Tom and Lex should have been the top two in Africa, not Ethan," Rachel said.
"Tom played the game well in Africa - he and Lex both. But they got screwed basically. This time, he’s decided to lay low and play a different way ... But he’s doing well."
Raymond Buchanan - the father of Rachel and Tom-said his son’s "Survivor" strategy seems to be rooted in remaining a figure in the background.
"I think he’s just playing it pretty smart, just backing up and kind of letting things go," Raymond said. "He’s just letting it ride along."
This week’s episode turned out to be a rather low-key appearance for the usually colorful Buchanan.
"He was more up front last time," Rachel said. "And he was doing more."
For one, Buchanan sat out during a barrel-rolling contest.
"But I think, if he had been on that barrel, I thought he had done good on that barrel rolling," Raymond figured.
"Back on the farm, we’ve all walked on logs when we cut poles or something," Raymond added. "It didn’t roll, but we walked the logs."
Still, Raymond was disappointed as he watched his son fail in an air-dart contest.
"It was embarrassing to all of us," Raymond said, laughing.
As a series, "Survivor: All-Stars" is being shown in weekly installments, with one contestant being eliminated on each episode. Until the show ends, however, Buchanan is not allowed to speak about his adventures.
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