Stranded in Venezuela is the 19th season of Stranded and the widest range of casting so far. With over 40 applicants the stage was set for some of the most dramatic and eclectic cast members yet and no one disappointed. The tone for the season was established during the first Tribal Council when the tribe flipped the vote last minute on the king pin, John, making for one of the most influential first boots in Stranded history. As the spiritual sequel to Mongolia, Venezuela saw the return of the “Khaan” twist this time renamed as the Cacique. The Cacique was voted on in a special council the first night and was granted Immunity throughout the merge. In return for Immunity, they had to complete missions designed to pit them against their tribe mates. Fortunately for the series we saw two distinct leaders chosen from the beginning: Sarah and Kim J.

In the first Immunity Challenge, it asked for Caciques to throw the challenge, and while Kim J quickly integrated herself with her tribe, Sarah seemed to do everything wrong. Kim J claimed there was a family emergency and her tribe mates forgave her, while Sarah said she had to go swimming and from that point forward turned her tribe against her. In true Sarah fashion, it didn’t faze her as her tribe mates demanded she give up Cacique. On Tamanco, Diane was quickly seen as the outsider for being too talkative and an alliance called “The Big Five” formed and bullied her every chance they got. Kim J was Diane’s #1 ally, but was feeding information to the Big Five. On Mariche, Patricia gained control of the game after flipping the first boot on John in order to save Sean.

Having such a brilliant cast meant that each boot had an impact, even early boots in Peter, Diane, John, and the General made an impact on the game. When the tribes switched, the game was sent into overdrive as Sean made fake Hidden Immunity Idols to bluff his tribe. It worked to such a degree that Kim J was willing to give up her Immunity and title of Cacique to Sean in one of the most shocking game moves of the season. Frank became a huge character in the swap as well attempting to get the other tribe to throw the challenge to save him. Ultimately his arrogance was too transparent and everyone overthrew the king.

In the merge, Sean was able to continue his Idol bluff through the final 8. Meanwhile, Sarah became the prime target as her Immunity was lifted, but fortunately she was able to go on a small Immunity run keeping her safe. Ironically, as Sarah became less and less vulnerable for being unlikable, Kim J became the bigger target for being more likable as Cacique and was voted off first. Kim P and Lindsey were sent away from the Big Five in the swap marking the end of their alliance. They soon teamed up with Gina and were able to mend fences with Sarah as they formed a foursome. Gina and Sarah’s relationship went from targeting each other in the first vote to becoming close allies to splitting up again. Gabriel and Patricia played both sides of the fence in an attempt to bounce between the two alliances. Their game was successful as it turned Sarah against Gina and Lindsey, resulting in Sarah’s departure. Sean soon followed her only after finding a real Hidden Immunity Idol but losing a crucial Immunity Challenge. Linda became infamous for her numerous breakdowns as a result of the flip flopping allegiances and Lex became known for being a know-it-all. Despite being generally likable, Lex soon fell by the wayside for his likability. In the finals, Lindsey managed to sneak past all the rest and make it to the final 3 amongst stiff competition in the Lex, Gabriel, and Linda alliance. The jury rewarded her with the win.