The On Fire podcast is back for Survivor 49, with Survivor host Jeff Probst, producer Jeff Wolfe, and Survivor: Cambodia winner Jeremy Collins. In the latest episode, they cover the penultimate episode of the season, including the strategic decisions throughout it, and their culmination at that explosive Tribal Council. Plus, Probst answers some questions, including whether the Loved Ones’ visits will ever return.
Firstly, Wolfe asks Jeremy about the unwritten rule that someone votes out their closest ally to garner favour with the jury. Jeremy responds that, in a scenario where a player has a noticeable, less-than-stellar resume, the other players in the same alliance should be prepared and therefore expect a blindside in the event of a flip.
Later, based on what transpired during the episode, Probst gives his opinion regarding people not wanting any twists in future seasons. He says he finds it hilarious when people clamour for the good old days without twists. However, this decision would lead to predictable gameplay and boot orders.
Then, Wolfe asks Probst whether the iconic Loved Ones visit will ever return to the show. Probst replied, “Yeah, they could. For real, they could. It’s not that we don’t want to do them. We have been watching what the letters do, and the letters are a different experience. But a lot of the players say that in some ways, it’s more powerful because you’re looking at handwritten letters… love, in some form, will always be part of the show.”
Afterwards, the advantages debacle is brought up, with Wolfe asking Probst about it. Probst explains the first ‘why’ behind the Block-a-Vote advantage: production wanted to force the player who had it to play it before Tribal Council, using the limited information they had as a new twist. The second ‘why’ was because they knew it could impact the Knowledge-is-Power advantage, which would also be in the game.
As to whether Sophi misplayed the advantage, Probst says that’s how it will go down in the history books, but it was because she didn’t know the new twist about Steven playing it before TC. Probst also warns future players that this could happen again in a future season.
Lastly, Probst answers some fan questions. Probst is asked why we have seen the Sanctuary less this season, and he responds that they want to use it only for special occasions, rather than overuse it. He’s also asked whether players are allowed to speak while casting votes, and he responds that they can’t to keep the game fair.
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