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Only four seasons removed from the last time he won Survivor, Wendell Holland is out to prove he can do it against the best the game has to offer. The Ghost Island champion, who secured the title of Sole Survivor by virtue of the show’s first and only tiebreaker, is aiming for a more resounding victory in his second attempt.
One of the more recent winners to join the star-studded cast of Winners at War, Wendell is most renowned for his airtight alliance with Domenick Abbate. The two controlled the game from start to finish, cutting bad rapper Chris Noble and young model Michael Yerger soon after the merge. After Kellyn Bechtold was eliminated in seventh, neither Wendell nor Domenick faced a revolt from the remaining contestants. Wendell won immunity at six and five, and when Domenick won the final immunity challenge, he pitted Wendell and Angela against one another in the fire-making challenge. In the final tribal council, sitting next to Domenick and Laurel Johnson, Wendell earned votes from the last five jurors – and then, from Laurel herself – to narrowly edge Domenick for the win.
Why Wendell will win
Wendell has played in a recent season, meaning he is accustomed to the quick pace of the gameplay that some of the old-school players may not be ready for. His first time out, Wendell proved most of all that he is loyal to his alliance. Among a cast where nearly everyone is known for deception, Wendell could have many people relying on him as a trusted ally. He has spoken about being more ready to lie and play a more manipulative game in his second time out, which will likely be necessary to win a season like this.
Why Wendell won’t win
The winners Wendell is playing with have just watched his season, which means his game is fresh in their minds. They saw how he was able to dominate the game so thoroughly without much of a target on his back. Because he has always played from a position of power, Wendell might find himself in trouble if he is on the wrong side of the numbers.
Prediction: 15th place: Wendell could be in a great position to go far in this game, with the friendships he’s already made with other winners combined with the fact that he’s playing with far greater Survivor legends than himself. The problem is that many of these bigger targets have already played multiple times and know what how to maneuver from the bottom of an alliance and utilize deception to their advantage. Wendell’s lack of experience in this department may be his downfall early on, as some of the older players conspire against some of the newer winners.
Survivor premieres Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
Source: ET Canada
