Survivor: One World: Kourtney Moon, “I knew it was broken”

Kourtney Moon of Survivor: One World - (c) 2012 CBS

Although the new season of Survivor got underway on Wednesday night under the title of Survivor: One World, Kourtney Moon of Texas was forced to leave the game early due to injury.

For the 24th season of Survivor, fans saw the popular CBS reality series throw in a new twist where the two tribes – men and women – were forced to live together in one world on one Polynesian island. Although the men and women settled into their respective tribes (“Manano” and “Salani”) on one beach next to each other, it was the first Survivor immunity challenge that produced an unexpected twist.

When the Survivor contestants had to jump from a platform to a net below in order to make their way to a balance beam, Kourtney Moon of the Salani tribe landed on hard and broke her wrist. After receiving medical attention and X-rays, Survivor host Jeff Probst later revealed at Tribal Council that Kourtney would not return and that no one from Salani would be eliminated.

So, how awkward was it for Kourtney to leave the game early and go out on a medical note? When The Deadbolt spoke with Kourtney the next day, it was strange indeed.

“It was really awkward. In fact, the whole experience was pretty awkward.”

Although the Salani tribe and Survivor viewers at home had to wait until Tribal Council to learn the fate of Kourtney after her X-rays, the men of Manano were safe. In fact, given how the immunity challenge had to be stopped, the men were given the option to either continue the challenge fair and square or send the women to Tribal and face elimination.

Interestingly, despite the wait to hear her fate in the game, Kourtney admitted to The Deadbolt that returning to Survivor: One World was never a real possibility.

“No, I knew it was broken from the very moment I rolled off that net and I tried to pull my hands back from under my arm. I wasn’t going anywhere.”

When the Survivor women of Salani finally made their way to Tribal Council to learn the fate of Kourtney and potentially send one of their own home, simmering tension got the better of the tribe in front of Jeff Probst. Salani was a tribe divided due a prior deal that Christina made with the men of Manano to get fire in exchange for shelter. Christina’s Survivor deal didn’t sit well with Salani tribe mate Alicia.

So, after seeing how the girls of Salani threw each other under the Survivor bus, was Kourtney glad she didn’t have to go through the Tribal drama?

“Actually, I was really looking forward to going to Tribal Council. I was really looking forward to kind vent and tell some of the girls how I felt about them.”

In her brief time on Survivor: One World, Kourtney also told The Deadbolt that she did make a few strategic alliances before her injury. And although Kourtney left Survivor with a broken wrist, the Austin, Texas native did find the positive in forming relationships while on Survivor.

“I was in the underdog alliance at the moment. I had a pretty good, solid bond with Monica and I was confident with Christina and Nina, but that was it. I met some amazing people, both contestants and crew members.”