Jesse Lopez recently opened up about his gameplay and strategy during Survivor season 43. Between his icy gameplay and his constant double-crossing, Jesse became the most ruthless player to come out of Survivor 43. He may have been the strategic powerhouse of the season, but his time on the island was cut short after the eventual winner of the season, Mike Gabler, was able to eliminate him in a fire-making competition. Jesse’s ability to backstab his closest allies became one of the storylines of Survivor 43 but ultimately led to his demise, a day short of the million-dollar prize.
Many fans believed Jesse would win Survivor 43 due to his incredible gameplay, but he revealed it wasn’t as easy as he made it look. In an interview with EW, Jesse explained the moment when he took his number one ally, Cody Assenmacher, out, saying, “My heart was in my throat…Not only are you playing an idol on Survivor…I’m also turning my back on this guy who I’ve been with from the very start.” While the move was ruthless, Jesse claimed the Survivor jury didn’t see it as a bad thing. As he put it, “When I get back to Ponderosa, the reaction was incredible…which was really amazing considering how brutal I was.” Survivor fans praised Jesse on Twitter, including @ShannonGaitz.
Survivor’s Jesse Reveals How His Reunion With Cody Went
Cody was not the only Survivor 43 player that Jesse double-crossed. He was also able to vote out Dwight Moore, after Dwight had given Jesse a hidden immunity idol, which originally belonged to Jeanine Zheng. Jesse explained that the reveal of Jeanine’s idol helped Cody come to terms with the betrayal. He said, “What he told me was that as soon as I pulled out Jeanine’s idol, it all made sense for him.” While some Survivor fans wondered if Jesse’s ruthless gameplay would affect his friendship with Cody, Jesse explained, “He was just happy that I hadn’t taken him out sooner. So I think it smoothed over pretty easily.“
Survivor fans went back and forth over whether Jesse made the move on Cody too soon in the game. He was ultimately left vulnerable at the final four because he didn’t have any extremely loyal allies. According to the Survivor 43 jury, Cody had a great shot to win the game if he had made it to the end, so Jesse’s move may have been the best idea, even if it didn’t lead him to the win. While Jesse may have been voted out unanimously if there was a vote at the final four, it added extra salt in the wound to see him taken out by the fire-making twist that Survivor has done for the past eight seasons.
Jesse was easily the defining character of Survivor 43. The audience was with him through every big move, blindside, and betrayal. He made the game look effortless, and it hurt many fans to see him fall short right at the end. Jesse had an inspiring backstory on Survivor on top of a near flawless game. When it comes time for a future All-Stars season of Survivor, Jesse should be the first person they call.
Survivor is available to stream on Paramount+.
Sources: EW, @ShannonGaitz/Twitter