(“‘Survivor 51’ marks a new era of the television competition series.”)
Kaitlyn Renda
Connector Contributor
Outwit. Outplay. Outlast. The three words Jeff Probst has repeated in every season of “Survivor” for the past twenty-six years. Over the last 50 seasons, CBS has sent over 750 contestants around the world to live in remote locations, compete in challenges, and betray their alliances, all for the chance to win one million dollars.
For generations, “Survivor” has shocked and fascinated viewers. The idea of normal people leaving their families to live with strangers from all over the country is something that has always fascinated many. But there has been a slight rift in the “Survivor” fandom over the past 5 years. Many fans think the newer seasons of “Survivor” (season 41 and on) have changed compared to what the game used to be.
One of the biggest factors in this thought is the game itself. In Season 41, the game was shortened from 39 days to 26. While the change was initially made because of COVID-19 production restrictions, it fundamentally changed the way contestants experienced the game. With 13 fewer days to form relationships, build alliances and experience food scarcity, players had less time to develop the social dynamics that had defined earlier seasons.
Another addition to the new era of “Survivor” that wasn’t well received by fans is the abundance of advantages and disadvantages now in play. Contestants very rarely just receive an Immunity Idol anymore. It always has some extra pieces added to it. This has been seen throughout the New Era, but it was extremely prominent in “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans”.
During this season, there were many new advantages and idols introduced to the game that were inspired by celebrity fans of the show. The biggest one introduced was the Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol. This idol, when found by a player, was required to be sent to a member of another tribe. If that player was voted out, the idol would boomerang back to the original player who had found it.
While still interesting, many fans miss the original concept: when a player finds an idol, they keep it. This applies to the many other advantages and disadvantages added to the game over the past few years.
Although many longtime fans have considered the New Era to have flopped, the newest season has been looking promising. While the new era of “Survivor” has divided longtime fans with shorter days and increasingly complicated twists, Season 51’s “Open Era” may signal a return to the unpredictability and simplicity that made the show successful in the first place. With this brand-new era of “Survivor”, a new phrase has been introduced along with it: “Permanent Uncertainty.”
This phrase leaves both players and viewers uncertain of what could happen next. One thing we are aware of is that any twist, hidden immunity idol, or advantage from any of the previous 50 seasons could be put into play.
As of Episode 2 of “Survivor 51”, we have already seen some old school additions to the game. For example, the players started the game by marooning, something that hasn’t been done since “Survivor 38: Edge of Extinction”. Instead of starting out by immediately competing in a challenge, the players worked all together to collect as many materials as possible of the boat and swim them to shore.
Production has also created higher stakes for the Open Era as well. Following last season, the infamous MrBeast-sponsored coin flip seems to be still in use over the next few seasons. At some point in “Survivor 51”, a player at Tribal Council will be given the chance to flip a coin. One side doubles the prize money from one million to two million, and the other side eliminates the player from the game. If the player ends up being sent home, the money will be transferred to the next season, making the next coin flip worth three million dollars. The money will keep moving from season to season until someone successfully increases the prize money.
While we have only seen a few episodes of “Survivor 51”, the seasons look promising for fans who miss the original “Survivor”. However, with so much uncertainty surrounding the direction of newer seasons, there is truthfully no way of knowing how this season will ultimately play out. For now, fans can only wait and see whether “Survivor 51” can bring back the excitement and authenticity that made the earlier seasons so memorable.
