Episode 12 Best Move/Worst Move

Every Thursday on FSG Blog, we will be posting at least three “Best Moves” and three “Worst Moves” from the latest episode. It’s up to YOU to vote for what you consider to be the best and the worst move. If you disagree with the three options for best or worst moves, then select “Other” and then write an explanation in the Comments section below of the move that you consider to be the best or the worst. The results for this poll will be posted every Monday.

Wendell volunteering to go to Ghost Island

The four men chosen to go on the reward with their loved ones were given the opportunity to forfeit the reward and go to Ghost Island instead, where they were guaranteed to receive an advantage. Although it would be difficult to say goodbye to a loved one after only spending a few minutes with them, Wendell made the right choice by volunteering to go to Ghost Island. Not only did he secure an advantage for the immunity challenge, but he also prevented the four women from having the chance to go to Ghost Island.

Domenick winning immunity

Domenick needed to win this immunity challenge. Although Laurel and Donathan still might have stuck with Dom and Wendell for this vote regardless of the outcome of the challenge, there was a chance Laurel would have been more comfortable blindsiding Dom than blindsiding Wendell, so she could have decided to side with the Naviti women. Either way, his win left the Naviti women only with the option to put their votes on Wendell, which made it easier for him and Wendell to predict how the vote would shake out.

Wendell deciding not to play his idol

The edit made it look like Wendell was in trouble, but the fact that he didn’t play his idol means Wendell must have read the room correctly and realized he didn’t need to play it. This move tooks some guts, and further demonstrates Wendell’s high level of social awareness.

Sebastian choosing only the men at the reward challenge

Choosing the wrong people to join you on the reward challenge can be detrimental to your game, especially in the loved ones reward, since it’s so easy to piss people off. Sebastian’s first choice to take Domenick on the reward challenge was smart because Domenick was in second place in the challenge, and it would have been cruel to keep him separated from his inconsolable wife. Taking Wendell wasn’t a bad choice either, since Sea Bass knew Dom and Wendell have the greatest power in the game. However, Sebastian blundered in his third choice by choosing Donathan because this left the four women alone on the beach to conspire against the men. For his third choice, Sebastian should have taken any of the three Naviti women to keep up the illusion of “Naviti strong” and to make sure the group left on the beach was a little less cohesive.

Kellyn marginalizing Laurel

Kellyn’s plan to vote out Wendell was a smart move; however, the reason it didn’t work is because Laurel doesn’t trust her. Kellyn obviously didn’t feel the need to foster a relationship with Laurel until it benefitted her, and by then it was too late. Although Laurel knows she will have a tough time beating Dom and Wendell in the end, she decided to stick with them over Kellyn, since Kellyn didn’t take the time to build trust with Laurel.

Wendell losing the immunity challenge

Just like Malcolm in Survivor: Philippines, Wendell used the advantage at the immunity challenge and still ended up losing. Wendell has been strong in most of the challenges, but this was his worst challenge performance since the gross food challenge.

Photo Credit: Screen Grab/CBS Entertainment 2018