Survivor 43 Scoop – Week 12 Recap: Winners, Losers, Top Moments

Posted By: John Powell

December 7, 2022

Survivor 43 Scoop – Week 12 Recap: Winners, Losers, Top Moments

Mike 'Gabler' Gabler, Cody Assenmacher, Owen Knight, Jesse Lopez, Karla Cruz Godoy, and Cassidy Clark. Photo Courtesy: CBS.

John Powell – GlobalTV.com

Survivor 43 has its final five.

As we head into next week’s final it will be either Jesse Lopez, Owen Knight, Mike Gabler, Karla Cruz Godoy or Cassidy Clark who becomes the Sole Survivor.

“Tonight’s blindside will be the biggest of the season. There is no doubt about that,” said Cody…and he was right.

In what will go down as not only one of the biggest moves of the season but one of the biggest Survivor betrayals ever, Jesse took out his trusted ally in the game Cody at tribal council. What is not clear is if Jesse played Cody’s own idol against him or not?

Cody and Jesse had been inseparable since starting on the Vesi tribe together. They played the game as an unstoppable power pair. That all came to the end though when Jesse realized there was a chance that Cody could be credited with all the moves he planned or made and he couldn’t win the money for his family, which is understandable.

Mike ‘Gabler’ Gabler, Cody Assenmacher, Owen Knight, Jesse Lopez, Karla Cruz Godoy and Cassidy Clark. Photo Courtesy: CBS.

“Cody’s plan is great for him but taking out Karla, the biggest threat in the game, would boost his resume. We are at six now and I cannot be seen as Cody’s number two and they see that I made the same moves as Cody. He is a little bit louder. It might be time to be openly cutthroat but at the same time there is a lot to think about. I love Cody and he might take me to the end but I have to wonder if I can beat him. I’ve got two kids at home. I have a wife. People are out here saying this is so much fun. No matter what, we’ve already won. They want the million but this is all about the experience. For me, no. The experience is great but for me, I need to secure my family’s future,” he explained before tribal council.

I cannot argue against Jesse’s reasoning either. I agree with it. I would be the same way. Making friends, playing the game, having the experience in an exotic setting would all be secondary, a bonus. Like Brian from Thailand I would be there on a “business trip”, to take home the money for my loved ones. Those people would be my priority over a group of strangers I have known for just a couple of weeks. That might burn me in the end. That might gain me some respect. It all depends how the coconut splits.

Jesse not really owning up to his backstabbing at tribal council this week garnered a strong reaction from the jury. They rolled their eyes. They shook their heads. What is clear is if Jesse makes it to the end he must own his game and own his moves with the explanation he just gave tonight. If not, he might not get a single vote from this jury who believed in and fell for a social contract, the “player paralysis” that many of the Survivor state existed this season.

In case you missed it Survivor fans, Peacock’s version of The Traitors reality show will feature not only Brandi Glanville (Celebrity Big Brother USA), Cody Calafiore (winner of Big Brother 22: All-Stars), Rachel Reilly (winner of Big Brother 13) but Cirie Fields and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick from Survivor too. The Traitors has aired previously in Australia and is currently airing in the UK.

Heading in the finale Karla looks to be in rough shape. I wish they had given us a medical update on the show so we could know how hurt Karla really is. Will she even be able to compete in the upcoming challenges on the finale? Will Karla survive to make the final tribal council? Stay tuned, folks.

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Moment # 5: A Topsy-turvy challenge.

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Moment # 4: Cody plots against Karla.

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Moment # 3: Karla cries for the players, cameras.

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Moment # 2: Jesse explains why he has to betray Cody.

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Moment # 1: Cody is blindsided.

Cody Assenmacher

Cody was a wily Survivor player who got burned because he trusted Jesse far too much but even that wasn’t a mistake because why wouldn’t he trust someone who had his back for the entire game? There was no way Cody could see that betrayal coming.

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Strategic Gameplay

Cody Assenmacher. Photo Courtesy: CBS.

Cody worked with Jesse throughout the entire season removing their targets from the game. Even on his own though, like when he went on the raid earlier in the season, he was a mastermind in his own right. He got more dangerous as the season progressed.

Rating: 4 / 5

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Social Gameplay

Cody Assenmacher and Jesse Lopez. Photo Courtesy: Robert Voets/CBS.

Cody was the iron hand in the velvet glove personified. He was a calculating player who had a smile and kind word for everyone.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

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Entertainment Value

Cody Assenmacher and Jeff Probst. Photo Courtesy: CBS.

It was shocking to see Cody just blown out of the water like that. He was a well-rounded player who also was a larger than life, dynamic character I hope returns one day to give the game another try.

Rating: 5 / 5

Final Rating: 13.5 / 15

Who played it cool and who proved themselves to be a fool? Every week John Powell makes his picks for the worst and best players of the week.

Karla may have pulled the wool over the eyes of a lot of people. Even without the idol she is still a threat especially if she makes it to the end. She did nothing this episode to mitigate any of that.

Jesse may have overplayed his hand this episode by betraying Cody. Will anyone trust him any more or will they see him as someone who is perfect to sit beside at final tribal?