Survivor Island of the Idols episode 12 power rankings: Fighting for family

5. Dean Kowalski

A lot of people have been giving Dean guff for both believing his fake Legacy Advantage gifted to him by Jamal was real and for making a second fake Legacy Advantage for him to use at this past Tribal Council to fake out his other castaways while holding his Jamal version until the Final Six.

In a season where idols look like pieces of yarn and a shell and Island of the Idols producing real advantages for those who pass tests, Dean is doing what any good Survivor player would do and roll with the punches. He’s even taking things one step forward by telling people he’s going to use the Legacy Advantage ahead of time, effectively telling others not to vote for him just in case.

Dean is playing his Survivor hand perfectly; it’s just he doesn’t have a great hand so far. I don’t know why he’s concerned about a goat army when he hasn’t won an Immunity Challenge, has failed to vote out Karishma four times, and had to rely on somebody else’s idol and strategy to avoid becoming the first member of the jury. He has a fair way left to go before becoming a winner contender.