Survivor Ponderosa: Island of the Idols finale jurors painfully came up short

A pair of fan favorites and potential winners ended up heading to Survivor Ponderosa to pour their hearts out before picking the Island of the Idols winner.

This post will discuss the events of the Survivor: Island of the Idols finale, including who was voted out and who won the game.

Though I will be proud of the win Tommy Sheehan brought to Survivor: Island of the Idols, I have to admit that for out-of-game reasons that were unfortunately blended into the gameplay, I had hoped Janet Carbin would win. Unfortunately, when she was made the hero of the merge episode only to slip back into the shadows, she didn’t have the edit required to provide the compelling win she would have deserved (in that scenario).

She had to make her way to Survivor Ponderosa eventually, but little did I know that the bastion of strength and a tough face throughout the entire game would find herself completely disheveled at the betrayal she faced from the Idol Nullifier. That’s not to say you shouldn’t cry if you lose a shot at a million dollars; in fact, it’s best to do it among friends who sing high praises.

You can tell from the way everyone interacted with her that Janet Carbin was a highly-respected player. She probably would have won the game had she been given a chance to make fire at the Final Four but, then again, if Dan was still in the game, she’d probably have been taken out at the Final Six. What got her out of the game was a swim with an Olympian, and I’m glad she eventually found peace amid the chaos of the moment.

Lauren Beck was a bit more guarded heading into her Survivor Ponderosa experience, which makes sense considering she made it all the way to Day 38 only to be betrayed by her “best friend” Noura. Elaine helped break her game facade down and brought her back to her core humanity, which is apparently “indoor puppy.” Goes to show even the most indoor person can brace themselves against the great outdoors!

Lauren has experience hosting for digital media, so it made sense that she hosted a Day 39 segment where she handed the members of the jury their emotional items in addition to a letter from a loved one back home. It was an emotional rollercoaster for the players days away from going home, as Lauren learned as much about herself as she did with the others hours before picking the season’s winner.