Ryan Medrano reveals the reason he was always fishing on Survivor

Ryan Medrano was really, really good at catching fish. Exceptional, really. Ryan thought his fishing prowess would be the key to sticking around on Survivor 43, actively avoiding extended strategy sessions in favor or providing for his tribemates. But, in the end, Ryan's isolationist tendencies and lack of social, strategic connections did him in as his was the second torch to get snuffed in this week's double elimination episode.

Why was Ryan so averse to spending more time with the tribe? We asked the third jury member exactly that when we caught up with the 25-year-old warehouse associate to talk all about his journey both in and out of the water, and if he noticed anything… ahem… fishy before his final Tribal Council. Watch our exit interview with Ryan above or read it below, and also make sure to check out our exit interview with James Jones.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Okay, Ryan. What happened?

RYAN MEDRANO: I got voted out last night at Tribal Council. I got blindsided. I thought it was gonna go one way and it went the other. So it was a split. Two people had immunity. I was on the side where Cody was playing and he's a good competitor and I just slipped at the beginning of the challenge. I lost my balance and I could not outlast him, man. He's great.

We kept seeing these scenes, sometimes on the show, and sometimes in these secret scenes on EW.com where you were working so hard but the other players seemed a bit perplexed that you would keep isolating yourself and not talking game. In hindsight, do you think that was an issue?

I noticed very early that it was a lot of pandemonium in the first hour and a half. And I noticed I would sometimes put my foot in my mouth and say, or almost say, things I shouldn't. So I thought, "Let me talk to people that I trust, let me talk to everybody, see where their mind is at." And I personally consume a lot of calories, and one of the things that I wanted to do when I went out there was completely do myself. And I looked at that ocean and I was like, I probably might never get a chance to do this again. I wanna experience that to the fullest and also play the game the way I wanna play it. So I talked to the people that I trusted, it worked for a couple of Tribal Councils. I was dodging bullets.

And then the last one, there were only five people, so three votes to send you home. I completely thought I was good. I talked to Gabler, talked to Jesse, and talked with Cody, and I seemed solid. And that day I actually didn't go out fishing. So I think there was a bit of a conflict there because I would isolate myself and it seems like they might have thought I was comfortable, but it was more of my way of escaping the amount of stress you're under and also providing, which is what I wanted to do going out there.

I said that from the beginning. So I was extremely happy out there. I know a lot of people are stressed, they come back from Survivor and are like "That was extremely hard." I was like, "Yeah, it was hard, but I enjoyed every second of it," and that's what I wanted. I didn't wanna have any regrets and be like, "Oh, I wish I went fishing cause they sent me home." I stayed true to myself.

One of the main reasons I fished so much is because before my grandfather passed, he was a great fisherman. And I told him as a kid, about 14 years old, "I'm gonna take you fishing on the ocean." And he passed before I was able to do that. So I saw that water and I got this warm feeling in my heart every time and I thought, I'm gonna be out there with him. And it was like a zen moment of my life where I was able to enjoy something I'd never enjoyed. And it felt so natural. It felt so surreal that I wanted to be out there, and I wanted to work and I wanted to put myself up to a task.

And one of the reasons that wall was built is 'cause it was so windy. You didn't notice it, but it was so windy at night that it would get cold. And I had a back injury before going out, so I couldn't sleep on bamboo like everybody else. So I slept on the beach every night, and I didn't wanna be freezing cold at night. And when I made that one, while everybody came down and as you see under the secret scene, Elie's like "It worked!" And it did! It worked very well, and we were able to put the tarps down and most everybody slept on there.

So it was my way of escaping so I could gather my thoughts and really reflect on what people have said and what people have done. Because with my mild cerebral palsy, sometimes I miss things. And if I go back over it in my head, it helps me go, "Okay, this person might be lying to me," or "This person didn't have very good body language." So it was a way to separate myself to process all the information, but also getting work done that needs to get done, in my opinion.

It's interesting hearing you talk about judging body language and the way people were interacting. In hindsight, were there any clues that it might be you either before or during that last Tribal? Did you notice anything?

Actually, I would have to say, yeah. I would say Cassidy's body language wasn't as in the past Tribals where she thought she might get some votes and was more antsy. That's bound to happen when you're not necessarily paranoid, but anxious. So whenever you think your name's on the line, your body is gonna change. Jesse and Cody seemed pretty calm and collected.

I didn't know Jesse and Cody were like this because when Cody came to the Coco beach to see stuff, he said Nneka was his number one. So I was like, "Oh, okay. His number one's gone. He doesn't seem to be in with Dwight too much. Maybe he's on the bottom." So I had thought we're almost on equal playing field, but obviously, I was wrong.

So it was the amount of time people spent talking with other people. I thought the plan was so solid because there was a top seven group, and the folks at the top were Karla, Cass, and James. So I thought, "We take out James on one side, we take out Cass on the other, and all that's left is Karla." So I was like, "It's a no-brainer." But I guess they saw me more as a threat or they thought, "We get him out now, we're going to gain some trust for these people and we'll have more numbers to move forward." So it was a strategic play on their side and I think that's how it went down.

What was your reaction when you saw James had been voted out?

I had heard some things. I had talked with Noelle. I was actually close with Noelle and I had thought she was gonna use that Steal-a-Vote. The way she used it though, stealing Owen's vote, scared the crap out of me watching it on TV. I already knew it was gonna happen, but still! WHAT?!? Why are you using it on Owen of all people?

James probably didn't see it coming whatsoever. So I was thinking that was gonna happen, and it did. And that's why it was such a surprise that they didn't take Cass over me. But again ... I'm only one vote. If they keep Cass and Karla together and happy and they didn't have anything to do with the James vote-out, that means they don't have any bad blood on them. They got two numbers instead of one.

You obviously have a very inspirational story being born with cerebral palsy and being told all the things you could not do, and then going and doing them. Have you heard from any folks who have been inspired by your story?

Honestly, that is one of the greatest things, and it was unexpected to me because, like them, I haven't met many people with cerebral palsy, or, in my case, mild cerebral palsy. And hearing how many people were inspired, how many people or parents were like, "My child was born with CP and seeing you do the crazy things you do on TV is so inspiring. It's really gonna uplift us and help us keep going."

And I responded to every single person that reached out to me. I had more than a hundred messages about people being inspired, and it was jaw dropping ... It was great to see, and I was able to actually ask people how they're doing and try to give some tips of how my mom approached therapy for me. And it felt like, not that I felt alone, but I felt different than everybody else. And to have so many people have that same disability or the same mindset of "This is what's happened to me, but I'm gonna keep pushing" — it was very uplifting for me and I had nothing but positivity come from the show after being back.

What's something that did not make it onto an episode that you wish we had seen?

What I miss is the amount of connection and the amount of familiarity you get with each character. We didn't learn about Cass until this last episode, and she's been in there for so long, so it sucks. Not necessarily sucks, and I understand that they have less time — you have to get things on TV — but it was nice to grow an attachment to each player and see like, "Oh, Sandra can be mean. And she knows she uses her mouth very well and she plays the game very well. That's the person she is." And it's that lack of being able to get into the depth of each Survivor that I miss personally.

And, obviously, I did a lot of work. I was the only person on my team that could cut bamboo. So it's the amount of work we put in the stuff to survive and be comfortable and to be able to keep going with all this mental stress and all this physical stress that I wish they would portray and show the audience, so they can understand that these decisions they're making are made under high stress and these situations because they're doing all this work. And then they're going through this challenge and then they have to think mentally about 12 other people and what they're gonna do. So that helps give perspective because at home you see everything, and out there you only see with these two eyes.

Often players leave with idols and advantages in their pocket. Did you leave with any fish in your pocket?

[Laughs] That's actually funny 'cause the way I carried the fish in the water was in my cargo short pockets. So I left with a lot of fish in my heart and they got some very good shots. That one that you'll see I think in episode 8 where I'm coming up and Gabler was fishing with me — that was one of my best memories. I went down, I saw this butterfly fish swimming. It was swimming with another one. It was about 15, 20 feet under water. I point at the cave where it's at and I swim and I slide in and I let go of the spear and it hits it. And I turn around and Gabler's going [makes two thumbs up motion] underwater. So I left with a plethora of fantastic memories and experiences that I hope I get to experience again. But I'm glad to say I have experienced them.

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