Rafe Judkins has the unenviable task of bringing Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time to the small screen. Long before this incredible opportunity became available, Judkins was a contestant on Survivor, the long-running reality show where contestants try to outlast each other on a desert island, with someone being voted out at the end of each episode.
Judkins is trying to condense a massive 14-book series into a television show. It is a huge undertaking, but Judkins has shown toughness and resiliency before. In 2005, he was a contestant on Survivor: Guatemala. This was a landmark season for the reality show. That season, the show's 11th, was the first to introduce an immunity idol. The season also featured former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Gary Hogeboom plus two returning favorites: Stephenie LaGrossa and Bobby Jon Drinkard. Other players that season included Judd Sergeant and Jamie Newton.
How did The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins perform on Survivor?
Judkins wasn't as physically intimidating as Survivor players like Hogeboom and Drinkard were in season 11. Still, the slight Judkins managed an amazing four individual immunity wins. To highlight how incredible that feat is, no one in the 47 seasons of the show has won more than five. He emerged as an unlikely challenge beast.
Judkins' strategy and performance in challenges carried him deep into the game. As the game wound down, he found himself in the final three. Back then, only the final two went to the final tribal council. He joined Danni Boatwright and LaGrossa in the final immunity challenge and lost to Boatwright.
Judkins had a final two deal with Boatwright, but after that final challenge, he let her off the hook, figuring she would take him anyway as her closest ally. Boatwright thought she had a better shot at winning against LaGrossa, so she voted off Judkins, eliminating him just short of the final two.
No one knows if Boatwright would have stuck to her deal with Judkins if he hadn't let her out of that agreement. It is Survivor, after all! It is also impossible to know if the jury would have voted for Judkins over Boatwright had she taken him with her to the final tribal.
Judkins can be proud of his overall gameplay during Survivor: Guatemala. He played a strong social game, a layered strategic game, and a surprisingly physical game. He has never been on another season, but he graduated to bigger and better things with a thriving career in the entertainment world.
Everyone should be excited about the upcoming third season of The Wheel of Time, premiering March 3, 2025 on Prime Video.
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