PicoBlog

I used to be a big “Survivor” fan. At some point in college, I stopped watching it and instead became an obsessive fan of “Grey’s Anatomy.” But earlier this year, my colleague ran into host Jeff Probst at Sundance and wrote this great piece on the show’s 40th season, which featured past winners of the series. So of course, I tuned in. When it was over, I was really sad because it was one hour a week where I was guaranteed to not think about anything else other than game play.

Anyway, I decided to look back at Season 13 (Cook Islands), where the tribes were initially divided by race and ethnicity. Yes, four tribes, white, Black, Latino and Asian. It was the most diverse season of “Survivor” so far. The first two episodes were pretty cringe-y as you watched them realize the premise of the season and have awkward confessional interviews about “representing” their communities. I, of course, was rooting for everybody Black — and then they lost the first immunity challenge! They sent home Sekou Bunch.

The second contestant to go was Billy Garcia on the Latino tribe. Ozzy, who ultimately was runner-up on the season, convinced the team to throw the challenge because Billy wasn’t pulling his weight at camp. It was a shrewd move, but hey that’s what “Survivor” is all about.

The “race wars” of it all quickly ends by the third episode — well, kinda — when the tribes merge into two diverse tribes. But old alliances die hard. In the ninth episode, contestants get the option to “mutiny” or to switch tribes. LO AND BEHOLD, the two white contestants on Aitutaki (Candice and Jonathan) flip back onto the other tribe with the other white contestants. Leaving Ozzy, Yul, Becky and Sundra, all people of color, against a team of EIGHT on Rarotonga.

I lost my mind when this happened.

But the joke was on Candice and Jonathan and the rest of Rarotonga. The Fantastic Four sent Candice to Exile Island at least three times to make her pay for jumping ship. (I lived for their vengeance!) And then they picked off the other Rarotonga tribe members one by one by one until the very end. Yul ended up winning the season in a narrow 5-4 vote, but Ozzy’s dominance in the challenges really won me over.

Of course, it was a wild time to revisit “Survivor: Cook Islands” as several creators and actors try to course-correct for past racist moments and missteps in casting. I doubt CBS would use this gimmick today for any of its reality competition shows. But the network has a LONG way to go in terms of diversity on its series. Several cast members have been speaking out about the lack of progress on “Survivor.” My HuffPost colleague Leigh Blickley talked to three of the contestants about the season, “Survivor” diversity and where the series needs to go. Their thoughts are worth your time.

Yes, my girl Sundra Oakley made it to the final four. I was rooting for her even though I knew that she wasn’t going to win. Sis came onto the show with her fresh cornrows, stuck close to her alliance, and well, lost out in a really really long and terrible attempt to make fire against Becky. I was impressed by her last quest for immunity, where she stood atop a wooden pole in the middle of the ocean for what seemed like forever.

But Sundra’s star power was there before she even made it onto Cook Islands. I kept looking at her with some level of familiarity, and finally Googled her a few episodes in.

Come to find out Sundra was an actress and had appeared on … “Sex and the City.” Yes, Sundra portrayed Adeena, the sister of Samantha’s black boyfriend, for that one hot mess episode with references to “big black cocks” and affirmative action. (It’s Season 3, Episode 5, if you need a refresher.) “I don’t see color—I see conquests,” Samantha says in the episode. But Adeena doesn’t want her brother dating a white woman. This image should immediately take you back to that episode.

Two years ago, Sundra talked to Yohana Desta at Vanity Fair about the episode and called it a “surreal” experience. It was her first on-screen role.

Since “Survivor,” Sundra has appeared on “Days of Our Lives,” “Girlfriends” and “All-American.” Needless to say, I’m hanging on to my memories of her as Sundra the “Survivor.”

Commercial Break: Shoutout to Philip Lewis for interviewing one of my fave actors, Giancarlo Esposito. Have y’all seen him in “Fresh” as Esteban? Good God. (Also, sign up for Phil’s newsletter, Per My Last Email.)

I’m all caught up on “Love & Marriage: Huntsville;” Season 2 premieres on July 11. Still watching “Gilmore Girls,” and we just finished Season 3. I’m loving “I May Destroy You;” Michaela Coel is brilliant. “The Baby-Sitters Club” on Netflix is SO GOOD. I cried and the actors — especially Mary Anne (Malia Baker) and Claudia (Momona Tamada) — were so so so good.

OK, I’ve finally thought out my schedule a bit. I started “The Leftovers” and just started Season 2. It’s not really a live-tweetable show, so I will have lots of thoughts for an upcoming newsletter. “Mad Men” will be on Amazon’s iMDB TV for free starting July 15, so I will start that then. I hope I can get into it.

Since I hope to do these quasi-weekly, I’ll revisit some of my favorite Black TV series to fill in the gaps. So if you’re waiting for “Martin,” “My Brother & Me,” “Living Single,” etc., STAY TUNED.

Next week: “The Leftovers,” then I’ll revisit “The Game.” So sign up or share this newsletter with friends.

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