On Feb. 26, a new Survivor season aired: “Survivor 48.” This season features the new generational twists, such as three tribes and fighting to gain supplies. This season also has an added twist where fans can vote on a feature season’s elements that play into the game for the next season: Season 50.
A fan favorite aspect in the game, the length of the season, was controversially shortened. The seasons, which previously lasted 39 days, were shortened down to 26 days.This new length has occurred through seasons 41-48. The host of “Survivor,” Jeff Probst, said there is no possibility of extending the days this coming back to the game, as the production team has made a final decision to implement this permanently. Despite the statement made on Entertainment Weekly, and the announcement that the budget is not high enough to continue, fans still have high hopes this will return.
The first episode received high ratings as fans enjoyed being able to control more things in the show by voting on the tribe colors each player would be given (clarify exactly how the tribe colors were chosen), whether the players would be given rice or not, if there would be fire making in the final four and if there would be a live reunion in Los Angeles. During Episode One, fans voted on the following: tribe colors, whether players will be given rice, fire-making in the final four, as well as if there will be a live reunion in Los Angeles or not.
In recent seasons of “Survivor,” an addition to the game since season 35 has been fire-making before the final tribal. In each of the seasons, among the four players the winner of the final immunity challenge chooses one player to sit next to them at final tribal, while the other two remaining players are forced to make fire. Many fans seem to enjoy this part of the show, as it adds to the intensity of the game. Others have shared that instead of fire-making, they feel voting the final person out would make the game more competitive.
Players in recent seasons have gone without rice for most days, sometimes for the whole season. Rice used to be given to the tribes in a starter kit on day one, which would significantly increase their mood and stamina throughout challenges. Many fans chose to give the players rice, with only 38% voting not to. The last season to include a live reunion in Los Angeles was “Survivor 39,” as the reunion for “Season 40” was canceled by the pandemic. The live reunion has since been replaced with an immediate aftershow in Fiji, which keeps the emotions of the players still intact. Although fans prefer the reunion show due to the lively crowd, others enjoy the new Fiji aftershow as it shows the raw reaction the winner of the show has.
The voting aspect of Survivor has added a new way for fans to engage in the game from home, allowing them to change the player’s fates in the game. This new twist is a great way to incorporate fans and add new twists to Survivor.
