13. Stephenie LaGrossa
Second season: Guatemala
Stephenie was America’s sweetheart when she appeared on Survivor: Palau in 2005. She was the first person to ever be on a tribe of one after Ulong lost every single immunity challenge and she beat Bobby Jon in fire making. She eventually was absorbed by the dominating Koror tribe and ended up being the third member of the jury.
Stephenie was so popular that production brought her back as soon as possible, inventing the captain twist that became a staple in the Dark Age seasons. She and Bobby Jon returned as captains in Guatemala and we actually got to see Stephenie play the game. She did it really well, making it to the end, but losing to Danni in a 6-1 vote.
I debated if I wanted to include Stephenie on here. On the one hand, she played a strategic game, controlled things throughout, and made it to the end as a result. On the other hand, Steph’s reputation took a hit. She was beloved for her underdog story on Palau, but she definitely came off as more of a bully on Guatemala, especially with the way she treated Lydia.
Stephenie’s performance in Guatemala would have been enough in a new school season to win her the game, but the older school seasons weren’t necessarily about that. Juries didn’t always vote based on game play, but also took into account strong social games and they also tended to be more “bitter” as well.
Stephenie showed she could play a good game and that’s why her second chance was beneficial to her, even if her third appearance didn’t go so well… but we don’t have to talk about that.