Survivor’s 51st season is just around the corner, and with it, the long-running reality series is entering its next evolution. Coined the “Open Era,” Survivor in the 50s will see every past twist, advantage, and format wrinkle on the table, with any or all available to make a return.
So, what twists from eras past should make a comeback? The Inside Survivor team each picked an old twist they’d like to see return in this new phase of the game. Check out our choices below.
Gia Picks Eat or Play
I must admit I struggled to whittle down my Survivor Wish List for this Open Era that begins in September. This isn’t because I’ve had trouble thinking of twists… quite the opposite. My struggle was trying to find the one twist I felt the most passionate about that I also felt could be reasonably implemented into the show again.
I almost went with Exile Island (which I do still feel strongly about returning to the game in its original format), but that felt too vague for this prompt. After much thought, I realized the game mechanism I most want to see Survivor is a simple one: Eat or Play.
While never given a formal title, Eat or Play refers to the dilemma offered to players in the past during individual immunity challenges. Players can choose not to participate in immunity and feast for the duration of the challenge, or they can play for immunity and miss out on the goodies. Neither guarantees your safety, but those who feel the safest are often the ones who choose to eat.
On the surface, Eat or Play seems like an inconsequential twist that allows cocky players to gorge on fast food while the others fight for their lives, but it has the potential to be so much more than that. Much like choosing who to take on reward, Eat or Play offers players the opportunity to challenge the status quo and learn more about one another.
Eat or Play exposes flaws in players’ games and gives everyone a chance at vulnerability. Choosing guaranteed instant gratification over potential in-game safety? Will the players’ choice expose their overconfidence, or showcase faith in their game relationships? Will choosing to play help castaways survive another day, or be the final nail in their coffin? There are a myriad of possibilities, and it’s all dependent on the cast we are given each season, meaning this twist can be used repeatedly.
While production appears desperate to try any and all twists they can come up with, perhaps the best ideas will come from the past. If we must endure the endurance challenges every episode post-merge, why not shake things up in a simple way that could stir up some drama? Eat or Play, I have missed you dearly. Please come back to us in this Open Era of Survivor; the show will be better for it.
Mariana Picks First Impressions
I have to be honest, the second I heard about the Open Era, I was downright confused and slightly scared. The fact that every Survivor advantage, twist, or conundrum could potentially return didn’t excite me in the least. However, once the dust settled, I recognised the potential this opportunity might bring.
While wondering what twists I would like to see return, I couldn’t help but turn to the infamous First Impressions Twist. First seen on Survivor: Tocantins, this twist led the players to publicly judge one another based on initial impressions, with no take-backs.
Sandy Burgin and Sierra Reed were singled out by their tribes for being the oldest and sickest-looking, respectively. The women were then flown directly to their camps by helicopter, where they could look for an idol while their tribes trekked to them. Both held grudges against everyone else throughout the game, and neither recovered from this judgment, which eventually led to their eliminations.
In Survivor: Blood vs Water, Candice Cody (née Woodcock) and Laura Boneham met a similar fate. Candice became a late addition to the season, which didn’t allow her to pre-game with other returning players, therefore making her an easy target. Laura was deemed the weakest of the Loved Ones tribe, and both women were the first voted out. A twist allowed their loved ones to switch places with them, but Candice, her husband Cody, Laura, and Rupert Boneham were all voted out pre-merge.
Lastly, in Survivor: Cagayan, the twist was best utilised in my opinion, as it led to hilarious and catastrophic consequences for all involved. All three tribes had to choose a captain (Brains went with David Samson, Brawn elected Sarah Lacina, and Beauty voted for LJ McKanas). The captains then had to name their weakest tribe member, which led to Garrett Adelstein (Brains), Trish Hagerty (Brawn), and Morgan McLeod (Beauty) being singled out. These decisions paved the way for several rivalries throughout the season, and they ultimately led to all of these players being voted out.
This twist brings unpredictability, chaos, and messy gameplay that can lead not only to good TV but also to a much-needed shake-up of the game, which proclaims to thrive on unforeseeable circumstances. However, a hindrance this twist does have is that it leads to women being targeted for being perceived as less athletic, weaker, or as a liability than their male counterparts. While this is obviously a gender bias that contestants have shown in the past, with or without a twist, it could be circumvented by choosing a woman and a man from each tribe, thereby giving these unknown duos an unexpected gameplay layer.
While this twist return is unlikely given Survivor’s new focus on being a kids’ show per the host’s insistence, the players already judge each other based on first impressions regardless. So, why not bring the audience into these preconceived notions as well? In my eyes, it would be a win-win and an amazing opportunity to bring back a bit of the old-school Survivor-era vibe.
Cory Picks Mutiny
When I think of the potential of the Open Era (outside of just repackaging awful New Era twists and calling it a day, which is my ultimate fear with the 50s), I think of bringing back classic old school twists that didn’t get a fair shake in past seasons or could’ve given us even more iconic moments. So… why not bring back the Mutiny?
Now, the twist hasn’t really been a consistent success. It was one of maybe five interesting things about Cook Islands and delivered all the drama you could want there, but it was totally ignored every other time it was offered. However, let’s consider that the types of players cast in the modern day are a bit more game-savvy and self-interested, and many of them are hungry to make a legacy for themselves. Is there a much bigger moment than knowing you’re going home next, giving your tribe the middle finger, and joining another tribe? It’s better odds than banking on a Shot in the Dark to save you.
And there are so many little possible quirks to the twist that we haven’t even seen because its use has been so limited, such as:
- People mutinying between both tribes at once.
- A mutiny in a three tribe format where mutineers have options.
- Someone mutinying in an attempt to take down a rival tribe from the inside.
- A mutineer needing to jump ship to get an idol on the other tribe’s beach.
- Someone mutinying out of a decent position to make good TV and stupidly going home.
- Someone saving themselves with a mutiny and playing a great game if not outright winning because of it.
- Returning players being incentivized to mutiny to join pre-existing relationships while pissing off new ones.
- A whole tribe mutinying at once to force an early merge (a bit insane and production will have a way to prevent it I’m sure, but come on, it’d be hilarious).
And if production is worried it won’t get any bites, they have options too. Have the mutiny decision be private until it’s revealed by everyone at once. Have the mutiny be an option on Journeys akin to how it was offered on Exile Island in Tocantins so that Journey interactions might lead to something huge. Tie the ability to mutiny to an advantage you earn in the game, as seen with Diplomatic Immunity in Survivor South Africa. Just as the players will have options, so will the producers if they think outside the box and aren’t afraid to try a few variations to keep it fresh and unpredictable. Because if we have to be told forced fire-making and the entire copy-paste New Era format somehow have more gas in the tank, no shot the Mutiny is running on empty.
Martin Picks One World
I’ve argued this before, and I will argue it again, but the One World twist is one of Survivor’s biggest missed opportunities. Given all the twists that have been allowed to return over the years, it’s shocking to me that One World hasn’t been deemed worthy of a second chance.
I understand that putting all castaways on the same beach could be overwhelming for viewers, especially when trying to keep track of 20+ players. However, the format opens up so many gameplay opportunities, from cross-tribal alliances to advantage swapping and more. The original One World cast just didn’t have the drive to fully explore its potential. But a modern-day cast with more superfans? I think the format could deliver an exciting, dynamic switch-up to the regular Survivor formula.
It might work better with returning players, since viewers will already be familiar with the castaways and can more easily keep track of who’s who. And that’s fine. If what Jeff Probst said is true and he’s more open to returning player seasons in the 50s, then feel free to save the One World twist for the next all-star edition. It would also solve the problem of legendary players not actually getting to interact if they’re all on the same beach.
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