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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

‘SURVIVOR’ SURVIVAL GUIDE: Fresh Editing Styles and Game Mechanics Cement New Era of ‘Survivor’

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When host Jeff Probst said to “drop the four and keep the one” about season 41 of “Survivor,” he was not joking. While the show has largely retained its traditional format, its latest season has taken a new approach in both the editing room and in introducing new twists into the game — all of which are much-welcomed upgrades to the show. 

The new editing style of “Survivor” immediately became visible during the premiere when, less than an hour into the episode, the show profiled the backgrounds of the entire cast, a stark change from the premieres of earlier seasons. Previously, opening episodes only did backstories on the central players of the game, but in “Survivor 41,” we got personal content showcasing photos and footage of all the contestants’ lives back home. 

These segments explaining the stories and hardships of the competitors added much-needed depth to the cast and their motivations for being on “Survivor.” For example, one of the first profiled contestants during the premiere was Sara Wilson, who applied to the show after losing her grandmother to COVID-19. Wilson was eliminated first from the season, but her vote-off was all the more gut-wrenching because the audience knew she wanted to be on the show to feel close to her late grandmother. 

I feel as though these personal introductions are a crucial change to the show, and they really help pull the audience into the lives of the contestants, instantly forming more personal connections with the three tribes of the season.

For instance, the viewers got to learn about Genie Chen’s relationship with her family, as she was nervous to talk to them about her sexuality, even though they fully accepted her upon coming out to them. Tiffany Seely’s introductory clip also highlighted the emotional cycle she underwent throughout the casting process, as she went from an alternate player to an official cast member only hours before flying out to compete in Fiji. Seely also discussed her mother’s battle with breast cancer and her experience undergoing a preemptive double mastectomy to prevent the same form of breast cancer from becoming a serious risk to her health.

In terms of gameplay, one change I thoroughly enjoyed was the introduction of new twists, like the “Shot in the Dark”and the prisoner’s dilemma.

The “Shot in the Dark” allows any competitor to give up their vote during Tribal Council for a one in six shot in safety during the vote-off process, and I believe this new mechanic will promote many more blindsides because it creates the possibility of safety for every tribe member. I also enjoyed the prisoner’s dilemma summit, where members of different tribes come together every episode to compete in the prisoner’s dilemma to earn or lose votes. 

It is really interesting to see the formation of cross-tribal alliances, what choices the contestants make during the prisoner’s dilemma and how, or if, they explain their decisions to the tribe. However, I feel a lot of time was given to this twist in the second episode, which could have been cut down given the audience already knows how this game works from the premiere.

I am also very intrigued by another new twist this season regarding hidden immunity idols, which typically grant the user safety from being voted off during Tribal Council. In “Survivor 41,” idols are only valid once they are found across all three tribes, and all the holders say certain secret phrases at challenges to activate them. Moving forward, I am curious to see if contestants will be much more analytical of the dialogue during challenges and other parts of the game. 

By the end of these refreshed first episodes, it seems to me that the frontrunners are Ricard Foyé, Evvie Jagoda, Tiffany Seely and Shantel Smith because of their strong social and tactical games. However, I do think we have some potential dark horse winners in Liana Wallace or Naseer Muttalif due to their under-the-radar strategic games. If these first two episodes of the season are any indication of the surprises in store for “Survivor” fans this fall, the show is sure to employ more twists and turns for the castaways this season that could potentially cause some chaos for these perceived frontrunners. 

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