It’s a tale as old as Survivor: Borneo.

The Fallen Angel. The Final Juror. The player who made it so close to Final Tribal Council only to fall short. Whether by the final vote or by fire making, this player does not see the end of the game, does not have the chance to plead their case to win a million dollars and the title of Sole Survivor in front of the jury. In many cases, the Fallen Angel was likely the winner, often considered the best player. But whether they would have won or not, the tale of the final juror is tragic to watch unfold. Every season.

How can we not love it?

I wanted to write this after watching Jesse fall short on the latest season, Survivor: 43. I suspected it was coming for a while. Jesse just felt like too much of a mastermind with a dominant edit to win in this era of Survivor, especially after his flashy move to vote Cody off. As I watched Gabler’s fire inch higher and higher as Jesse’s fire barely got started, I knew it was over. Jesse was this season’s Fallen Angel.

It was particularly tough to watch how emotional Jesse was. We saw throughout the season how much pressure he put on himself to win the money for his family. It was brutal to watch the tears stream down his face and his torch get snuffed out. But this is how the game goes. Jesse was an incredible strategic and social player, and everyone knew it. So of course, no one would want to take him to the end to lose against him. This is how Survivor has always worked. At the final four (or in the final three in the early seasons) the players target the biggest perceived threat to win the game.

The funny thing is, Survivor has been trying to combat the Fallen Angel since season 13, Survivor: Cook Islands when they changed the final 2 format to a final 3 because the favorite players or the most strategically savvy usually went out as the Last Juror in the final 3. But players caught on quickly and took out the bigger threats earlier. To combat this, producers took action again on season 35, Survivor: Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers and introduced the final 4 fire making challenge. Instead of voting, whoever won immunity would choose two players to make fire. Whoever won would advance to the final 3. The loser? The Final Juror. It was Devon, a Fallen Angel beloved by the fanbase, who was the first to fall in final 4 fire making against Ben, the alleged producer favorite.

All of this is to say that Fallen Angels are often beloved, by fans and producers (in the case of HvHvH Ben was a guaranteed Fallen Angel before the twist). I am of the opinion that even if a Fallen Angel wasn’t the strategic mastermind of the season or the biggest root-able underdog, and was a quieter player like Heather, Sundra, or Keith or a less-than-pleasant player like Rodney, it is always one of the most compelling arcs to watch over the course of the season. Who will come up just short? Being the Final Juror is such a devastating position, because of the feeling of being *so close.*

It’s a tragedy. I was starkly reminded of that as I watched Jesse overcome with emotion at his loss. Tragedy compels us, as hard as it is for the players to endure it. Of course, there was backlash to Jesse’s loss, backlash to the concept of final 4 fire making, backlash to the players who targeted him. But this is the game. Jesse is not the first beloved player to just miss out on pleading his case to the jury and he won’t be the last.

As mentioned, the Fallen Angel goes back to the very first season of Survivor. When Kelly won the final immunity challenge and voted out Rudy, the Navy veteran that everyone was rooting for, because she knew he would win in a landslide. Kelly would ultimately lose to Rich, the man who owned his villainy throughout the game, in the final 2. Rudy became the game’s first Fallen Angel, but who could hold the decision against Kelly? She did what she had to do to give herself the best chance to win, and that was not by going against Rudy. This is what the Survivor is. You build alliances and relationships, and you also must play to ensure that it will be you sitting at Final Tribal Council. Fallen Angels may be tragic to watch, but it should never be held against the players responsible for their ousting, as they are only playing the game for themselves. Relationships are tested this way, and that is part of what makes this show so great.

Watching the Fallen Angel get their torch snuffed and walk out of Tribal Council has always, in my opinion, made for some of the best reality television. While it is always tragic and compelling, the story is never the same. Lex in Survivor: Africa, the strategic mastermind, voted out by the mother figure of the season in a heart wrenching decision between him and Ethan. Kathy in Marquesas, who had an incredible arc of growth from the annoying mom of the tribe to the greatest threat to win, voted out after a brutal betrayal by Vecepia. Rob in Amazon, who in many ways invented modern Survivor with his new gameplay, voted out as Jenna finally got her revenge on him for his betrayals. Jonny Fairplay in Pearl Islands, the man who lied about his grandmother’s death to gain sympathy in the game, and was a real threat to win, finally gets his comeuppance for all of us to enjoy. Scout in Vanuatu, part of one of the most dominant women’s alliances in the show, taken out by the last man standing. Terry in Exile Island, the beloved underdog challenge beast, could not clinch the last immunity challenge, and so he goes. Yau Man on Fiji, an ultimate fan favorite and idol finder, going out in one of the show’s more controversial moments, but despite it all he did fight to the bitter end.

I can go on and on about every season, but since I’m approaching Cirie’s season I will discuss her more in depth. I’d consider Cirie this show’s ultimate Fallen Angel. She has played four times, played well each time, and somehow never won. Her vote-out in Micronesia is one for the ages. She, Parvati and Amanda believed it would be a final 3. It wasn’t. It was a final 2. Amanda won immunity and she got to choose. She voted out Cirie and was in tears as she did it. Seeing Cirie, a mom who famously “got off the couch” to play Survivor and was so good at the game and so personable and beloved by the fans, go out at the eleventh hour, losing a chance to plead her case, it is brutal.

And it never gets easier (though on occasion you may smile a bit at the Fallen Angel, I’m looking at you Rodney, it does not make for a less compelling tale). Matty in Gabon. Jerri on Heroes vs Villains (the once ultimate villainess became the biggest jury threat for being likable!). Ozzy’s absolutely devastating final challenge choke and boot at the final 4 in South Pacific. The beloved Malcolm in Philippines. Rodney in Worlds Apart, one of the loudest misogynists to ever play this game, losing fire making to Carolyn and becoming the final juror. Kelley Wentworth, who had one of the most impressive idol plays ever, going out at final 4. David’s underdog story coming to an end in Millennials vs Gen X. Heather on 41 who was done so dirty in her edit but watching her come so close to winning in fire and then losing, it was devastating.

Maybe I’m just recapping the entire show now, and there are many Fallen Angels who I did not mention because of course there are 43 seasons and I’m not looking to write a book. But every Fallen Angel is different and that is what we can love about Survivor. We see a new story unfold every season, a new tragedy as someone comes up just short. Will they be a great underdog? The strategic mastermind? A quiet player but a great social one? A villain who goes down in flames? Or just the nicest player of the season? I don’t know, but I enjoy all of their stories. I look forward to seeing the next player who misses out on Final Tribal Council.

But one thing is true of all of them. From Rudy to Jesse. They gave it all they got.