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Survivor fans everywhere were heartbroken when they watched Mike Gabler’s fire break the rope and eliminate Jesse Lopez from season 43. Jesse was a favorite among viewers due to his strategic game and cutthroat moves. He was a likable villain, which is a rare thing to see in the show. Consequently, many hope Jesse returns to Fiji in a future season.

Jesse Lopez, who starred in 'Survivor' Season 43 on CBS, watches as host Jeff Probst is about to snuff his torch. Jesse wears a muted red tank top and light blue 'Survivor buff around his neck.
Jesse Lopez | Photo: CBS

Jesse Lopez didn’t win ‘Survivor 43’

Survivor 43 had a handful of great players, from Karla Cruz Godoy to Cody Assenmacher, but Jesse took the cake. He laid low when he started on the Vesi tribe, forming connections with Cody, Dwight Moore, and Noelle Lambert that secured his safety until the merge. But Jesse also controlled the early votes alongside his number one ally Cody.

Once the castaways hit the merge, Jesse continued to play under the radar while also making big moves. He convinced Dwight to let him hold on to Jeanine Zheng’s immunity idol and then voted him out. And at the following Tribal Council, Jesse took out Jeanine.

However, Jesse was forced to show his cards when he realized he couldn’t win sitting next to Cody. So he used Cody’s idol, which he had given to Jesse for safekeeping, during the final six Tribal Council on Owen Knight. Spooked by the play, Karla used her own idol, even though everyone else was targeting Cody. After that night, it was clear that Jesse was playing the best game.

Jesse “punched his ticket” to the final four with Jeanine’s idol. However, that left him vulnerable the next day. Cassidy Clark won the final four Immunity Challenge and sent Jesse and Gabler to fire. Gabler beat Jesse during the Survivor 43 finale, making him the last jury member. Later, the jury crowned Gabler the Sole Survivor.

Jesse contemplates returning to ‘Survivor’

Following the Survivor 43 finale, Jesse spoke with Entertainment Weekly about what the future holds. Fans certainly want him to return to the game, but is that what Jesse wants?

“Absolutely. One hundred percent,” Jesse said. “I will have to play a very different game, but absolutely 100 percent.”

Earlier in the interview, Jesse also reflected on his Survivor experience and the love he’s receiving from fans.

“I think the word to describe it is really bittersweet,” he explained. “And it’s mainly because when you’re out there in the game, you think, ‘Oh, I’m playing a great game.’ Or you think that you’re playing a good game, at least. I thought like, ‘Man, I’m playing pretty good out here.’ But then to have it confirmed and to watch it back and be like, ‘Oh wow, I was really playing a really good game.’ It’s amazing.”

Jesse added, “But I also know where it’s heading and where it’s leading. And so there’s some emotion to it. It’s like, ‘Wow, I played this really excellent game. I just couldn’t quite stick the landing.’ And so it’s been a bittersweet experience for sure. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Related

‘Survivor 43’: Cassidy Reveals Why She Lost — The Jury ‘Made Their Decision Before They Got There’

When will CBS air the next ‘Survivor’ All-Stars season?

There is no doubt in our minds that Jesse will get the chance to play Survivor again. The producers love him, as well as the viewers. So the only question that remains is when will the next Survivor All-Stars season premiere? Sadly, we don’t have a concrete answer.

Survivor 44 will feature 18 new castaways battling for the $1 million grand prize. So the earliest we could see returning players is in season 45. But there’s no guarantee that will happen. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long to see Jesse and other former castaways play again.

Survivor 43, starring Jesse Lopez, is available to stream on Paramount+. Survivor 44 premieres on March 1, 2023, on CBS.

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