S36: Wendell Holland

[Whimsy]

Wendell Holland (Naviti Tribe)

Age: 33
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Current residence: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Occupation: Furniture Company Owner

Three words to describe you: Witty, intelligent, and competitive.

Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor?
I'm good with people and likable. I'm very diplomatic and can connect with people from different walks of life. I'm also not the biggest and strongest looking person, though I can compete with the best of them. That will get me past the first few votes. Then, my athleticism and skill at puzzles will help me win challenges when it becomes an individual game.

Finally, my persuasive skills in front of a jury will win me the million. Boom.

Wendell Holland's Full Bio

[LanceM]

Gordon Holmes interview

https://my.xfinity.com/blogs/tv/2018/02/07/survivor-castaway-wendell-im-not-devil-im-not-russell-hantz/

[LanceM]

Josh Wigler interview

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/survivor-ghost-island-wendell-holland-preseason-interview-1079634

[ByaNose]

Since, I’m from the Philly area Wendell is my winner pick. Hopefully, he’ll play way well & go far. It sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders. It looks like a pretty well casted season , too. Only, two more days. I love me some Survivor!!!

[Special K]

So far, he's my favorite.

[marys1000]

All the pundits seem to think he has what it takes.

[peachmangosteen]

I like him and I have him on my fantasy team, so I hope the pundits are right.

[LadyChatts]

I'm glad he finally got some airtime tonight.  When he was talking about strategizing at TC, I loved when Probst asked him how you pull someone into the living room from the kitchen, and he paused and said 'good question.'  Also, he didn't seem as flustered by Morgan's blindside.  I really like this guy so far.  And I can't say there's a ton of people I'm rooting for in this cast right now.

[KimberStormer]

Wendell trying to achieve detente between Dom and Chris is exactly the sort of thing that makes me love him.  That, contra Jeff, is how you do it on Survivor.  I felt like he came on a little too strong at Jenna and Libby, but he's a great player that I love to watch.  And yes I have had a crush on him since he built those beautiful traps in the first episode.  Funny voting confessionals are just the icing on the cake!

Edited April 12, 2018 by KimberStormer

[KimberStormer]

10 hours ago, SuburbanHangSuite said:

Wendell is continually making me love him more each week.  The dominance at the reward challenge then the refusal to even attempt those larvae.  I love how he seems to be having fun this entire time.  It is a game and while he's killing it so far, he doesn't seem to take it too seriously.  

This is a common denominator among almost all of my favorite players: having fun.  Kim Spradlin was having a ball.  Cirie just absolutely loves it.  Parvati.  Cao Boi.  Jeremy.  Malcolm.  Ciera and JT, love them or hate them.  Ian.  Taj and Brendan.  Tom Westman is almost the opposite of everything I like in Survivor but I like him, just because he was so evidently having the time of his life out there.  The only really big exception is Courtney Yates, but really her misery and hating-it-ness sort of went so deep and profound that it came back out the other side into a kind of ironical surreptitious enjoyment, I'm convinced.

Anyway, yes, I agree, this episode especially, Wendell seemed to be enjoying himself a lot, and that's great.

Edited April 21, 2018 by KimberStormer

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, Nashville said:

IMHO Donathan’s "I'm gonna vote for Dom over you” ploy was the most transparent form of blackmail - and my impression was Wendell was not so much butthurt at Donathan’s hamfisted tactics, as SERIOUSLY pissed off.

Oh yea, he was pissed off for sure. And it was not a good look on him imo. His whole reaction to Donathan's actions was nagl imo. He came off so pouty about it, like he did when Laurel won the IC he thought he should've won. He came off to me like he thinks he has everything in the bag and he's not happy about anything that even mildy tests that.

Edited May 20, 2018 by peachmangosteen

[violet and green]

37 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

He came off to me like he thinks he has everything in the bag and he's not happy about anything that even mildy tests that.

Spot on. Wendell's a sulky puss when things don't go his way. He had a similar expression after he blew his dad off to go to Ghost Island for an advantage and then it still didn't win him the challenge.

[Coco88]

I love Wendell.  I love the edit they have shown.  It (IMO) shows a multi-faceted person.  I get frustrated with the edit Survivor gives a lot of AA men.  Either lumping them into the angry, lazy or crazy category.  So I appreciate the edit Wendell has been given mostly chill,   But capable of being annoyed by bad raps and blackmail attempts.

[ByaNose]

I sort of give the edge to Wendell. It's just what the editors have shown about him versus Dom that makes me think that. The (almost) blackmail of Donathan to Wendell and "losing" immunity to Laurel. It seems like they want to make a point that Wendell is a nice guy and also competive. I could be totally wrong. The only thing that will save this season is if Wendell and Dom are in the Final 3. Otherwise, it will be kind of obvious who wins if only one makes it there. IMO!

[Nashville]

IMHO if either Dom or Wendell are in F3 against anybody else other than each other, it’s a cakewalk.  If both Dom and Wendell are in F3, though, it’s anybody’s guess.  Dom could probably make a better Master Strategist pitch, but Wendell probably beats Dom in the Personal Relationships department. So it might come down to how much caffeine the Jury has before FTC as to whose pitch they buy into more.

[ProfCrash]

I like Wendell. I think he has played a pretty cool and calm game. I have no issue that he shows some frustration from time to time. I would be annoyed with myself if I had an advantage and time to practice and I lost individual immunity. I would be upset that I lost an immunity when I was done. He didn't get pissed and yell at Jeff about it. He acknowledged that he did not call for a check, which the rules say you have to do. He was upset but more uypset with himself and letting immunity slip through his hands. Everyone on the jury and still in the game is annoyed with Donathon. You can see it on their face at tribal and you can read about it in the interviews. Donathon's game play was not well received out there. I think they like him as a person but the way he is playing the game is annoying. 

I like players who are mutli faceted and I have no problem with them showing emotion or being annoyed as long as they handle it well. I thik Wendell has handled it well. 

[peachmangosteen]

9 hours ago, Nashville said:

Wendell probably beats Dom in the Personal Relationships department. 

Who does Wendell have a personal relationship with besides Dom, Laurel, and maybe Sebastian?

[ByaNose]

4 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Who does Wendell have a personal relationship with besides Dom, Laurel, and maybe Sebastian?

Isn't that enought? LOL!!! I really don't know because they haven't shown too many other conversations. He's had a lot of one on ones with Dom & Laurel.

[peachmangosteen]

Yea, we don't really know if he has personal relationships with anyone. None besides those 3 were really shown, but that doesn't mean anything. And with Sebastian they never actually showed them having a relationship, people are just assuming because of the seashell thing. Are exit interviews suggesting he has personal relationships with the jury?

[violet and green]

I think he has garnered a lot of general admiration and appreciation, just for his building skills and ingenuity in setting up the camp comfortably, alone. He seems like a fairly personable guy, also.

[KimberStormer]

They never really show anyone building personal relationships with anybody.  We feel that way every season with someone's social game.

[LadyChatts]

From what we've heard in interviews I feel like we're missing a lot.  Maybe it's to keep the winner in suspense, but I can't really make a clear argument for anyone left winning.  Wendell's edit has just confused me this season.  He does seem like he's gotten a positive reception in interviews, however.  But that could mean anything in terms of an outcome.

[MerBearHou]

Beyond thrilled for Wendell.  He is one of my all-time favorite players — and now winner!  All season long, I’ve loved his smooth,  steady, both cerebral and athletic, quietly confident gameplay.  Cheers to Wendell!  (Plus I think he is super cute - yes, shallow!)

Wait till the other players find out he’s more than a furniture builder — he’s also an Ivy League educated attorney.

I loved that Dom got his props too with the tie vote and then it came down to Wendell’s consistent, sisterly relationship with Laurel (which had its tough moments like brothers and sisters do) and how she stayed loyal — well-done, Laurel.

Big year for Philly competitors — Super Bowl, NCAA men’s basketball and now Survivor!

Edited May 24, 2018 by MerBearHou

[Special K]

It's kind of embarrassing how much I love Wendell.

[peachmangosteen]

I started out liking him a lot, but his attitude at the end was bothersome. And I'm disappointed he won when he straight-up gave up at FTC, sulking like he did when he fucked up at the IC and Laurel beat him. 

[Coco88]

I adore Wendell also!  It tells me a lot that the jurors who spent the most time with them, voted for Wendell.  They probably thought they were evenly matched in game play and with that being said, they voted for for the one they liked the best.  

Edited May 25, 2018 by Coco88

[LanceM]

"I was very surprised that I got Chelsea’s vote. Dom convinced Chelsea that they were going to the end together, so for us to get rid of her at eight left a sour taste in her mouth. But also I respected Chelsea’s game. She didn’t get a lot of airtime; she didn’t get a lot of confessionals. But she talked to a lot of people. She was great in challenges; she won two individual Immunities. We realized she could continue this trend. I realized she was a threat, and although she didn’t get as much airtime as one might desire, it was time to get her out of there. But get her out of there while respecting her game. She has to know that you respect her game, so I think I communicated that to her. It wasn’t on camera; she knew I was intimidated by the player that she was."

 

I thought this was an interesting quote from from an interview today for two reasons:

1. It shows great jury management to someone you are about to vote out.  To let them know you respect them and respect their game.. And they kind of showed this in the episode with the "good battle sir" and "good battle lady" exchange they had.

2. Chelsea edit remains an enigma to me.  The only thing I can come up with is she is good at playing Survivor but not good at playing Survivor on tv.

[CarolMK]

Being from the Philadelphia area, I'm thrilled to finally have had a winner here. But I really liked Wendell, and thought he had a good friendship with Dom and Laurel. It was interesting to find out Laurel is from Cherry Hill, fairly close to where I'm from and live now. Wonder how she ended up in Minnesota. 

[Jextella]

21 hours ago, CarolMK said:

Being from the Philadelphia area, I'm thrilled to finally have had a winner here. But I really liked Wendell, and thought he had a good friendship with Dom and Laurel. It was interesting to find out Laurel is from Cherry Hill, fairly close to where I'm from and live now. Wonder how she ended up in Minnesota. 

Funny.  I went to high school outside of Atlantic City.  We always did our school shopping at the Cherry Hill Mall.  I landed in Minnesota for college.   Maybe I'll run into Laurel!  Spencer's girlfriend had ties here, too, if I'm not mistaken. 

[Lamb18]

My guess is there was a good job opportunity for Laurel here (Minneapolis) and she took advantage of it. There's always the possible romantic reason, too.  I checked to see if Laurel and I have the same employer, but we do not.