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

2. Lauren Beck

Though Lauren had a quiet edit heading into the Final Nine, much like every other visitor to the Island of the Idols, she got a major visibility bump after meeting the season’s titular idols. Though we’ve been heaping her praises in our power rankings for weeks, she finally gave a breakout performance where just one unforced use of an idol made her come up short of a perfect week.

Her island test displayed her impeccable read of the tribe, illustrating her game awareness as she declared the strengths and weaknesses of others. She also used the information of the next Immunity Challenge to convince 6/9 players to sit out and eat instead of competing for immunity, and her two guesses of Noura and Elizabeth to win immunity were the final two of three competing in that challenge.

It reflects the game skills we saw her utilize with the Molly blindside, as we’re seeing Lauren branch out her own resume. Sure, she played an idol, but when Karishma was poised to block seven of nine votes at Tribal Council, it’s better to use an idol good for only another Tribal than to go home and hold onto an idol she might not have needed anyway.