Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Unobtrusive Underwood stays in fray

BY ZACH DIONNE, Special to the Morning Sentinel

Maine's own Ashley Underwood found herself mostly out of the spotlight on Wednesday night's "Survivor," and not in a bad way.

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Members of Ometepe, including Benton native Ashley Underwood, front left, assemble during episode 2 of "Survivor: Redemption Island" on CBS.

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The 26-year-old Benton native garnered little screen time as other players were busy making questionable moves and flaunting their crazy sides. CBS also opted to lend much focus to returning contestants "Boston" Rob Mariano and Russell Hantz, whom Jeff Probst called two of the show's "most villainous rivals."

Ashley's placement on a tribe with four-time "Survivor" player Boston Rob — and her lucky or deft maneuver into his good graces — should prove lastingly fortuitous. In last week's column, I opined that Rob, the onetime Godfather of this competition, was more benevolent, less Brando. I'm happy to admit I was wrong.

While Boston Rob has softened up a bit in his past two "Survivor" appearances, the guy we came to know in 2002 is back in full force, expertly plotting his game and exploiting the personalities on his tribe.

"Every day Rob impresses me," said long-locked blonde Matt. "It is unbelievable how well he can just talk to people and play this game and see what they need and fulfill that need. It's absolutely amazing." It is indeed stunning, not to mention entertaining. It's also why Matt was voted out without a single inkling he was in danger.

Ashley joined Rob and teammates Grant and Natalie in an early seismic move for the Ometepe tribe, nixing Matt by orchestrating what host Jeff Probst dubbed a "vicious blindside."

While Ashley seemed chummy with her fellow young blonde Andrea in last week's premiere, she was smart to dial down that relationship on Wednesday, as Andrea already had aligned herself closely with the soon-gone Matt.

But is it goodbye, or just farewell for now? The mystery game-play element of Redemption Island will tell in time. In the brief glimpses we saw of Redemption Island, inhabited by last week's loser Francesca, we learned it's a place of solitude where one ration of rice is delivered each day. Ousted contestants can parlay a way to re-enter the game eventually, though precisely how and when remains to be seen.

Mainers only vaguely tuned into "Survivor" — and fans who know Ashley Underwood from her past as Miss Maine and a basketball star at Augusta's Cony High School and the University of Maine — will be pleased to know she delivered an exceptional performance in this week's immunity challenge, a grueling test of swimming, jumping and ladder-climbing. While Ashley's tribe failed, her athleticism gained the team an early lead, and the loss was no fault of hers.

Curiously, the introduction of Redemption Island in this 22nd season of "Survivor" means two episodes have come and gone without anyone actually being sent home. Which means, of course, that I don't need to have a shocked "Ashley got voted out last night" column prepared to print on a dime. Which is a good thing.

Zach Dionne is an entertainment editor at AOL's PopEater.com in New York City. He is a graduate of Messalonskee High School in Oakland and the University of Maine. This column will run Wednesdays and Thursdays for the duration of Ashley Underwood's time on "Survivor: Redemption Island," airing on CBS Wednesdays at 8 p.m.