The Big Picture

• Survivor's focus on excessive advantages in recent seasons has changed the game dynamics drastically.
• Survivor 46 highlights exceptional social gameplay over flashy moves, proving the core essence of the show.
• The show's evolution from physical prowess to social strategy showcases the shift towards player dominance over game interference.

The last decade of Survivor has been known for its desire to keep the players on their toes by integrating an excessive amount of advantages into the game. Almost like a "trinket of the week," so much time would be spent trying to teach both players and fans about a new advantage and force the players, who have been instilled to make a big move by Jeff Probst, to utilize it not only to fit their game, but for television moments. The world of Survivor could look different had a moment like Survivor: Game Changes not sacrificed Cirie Fields during Advantageddon. Different results could have come out had the Idol Nullifier or Fire Tokens never existed. While five players have been voted out with idols in their pockets this season, the lack of other outside forces and influences has allowed the game play on Survivor 46 to be reminiscent of the Old School Era of the game. And it proves Survivor is still great and does not need to rely on production interference.

In the early days, it was all about physical prowess, social currency, and strategic wits. There were no outside forces that altered the game. But as the game evolved, new mechanics were introduced to break up the monotony. Through Hidden Immunity Idols and an assortment of advantages, voting out one another had new factors to consider. The base of the game has remained present, but these new forces have changed it. They've had a heavy hand in the game, which has kept Survivor exciting, but Survivor 46 proves that should a major twist of an advantage-less season be introduced, Survivor would still remain exceptional.

'Survivor' Hasn't Always Been About Advantages

In the New Era of Survivor, the show has focused so beautifully on the characters that are playing the game. Through the unique ability to story tell through flashbacks, viewers are granted a wonderful insight into the individuals playing the game and why they are out there playing the way they are. Gone are the days when recruits and wannabe actors and models muddy the game. Survivor is a celebration of the people who have grown up with the show and championed it for years. Sure, there may be a stray player or two who is not super fan status, but the New Era has been near exceptional in the casting department.

At its core, Survivor is the greatest social experiment to ever come to television. 46 seasons in, the game will forever be different thanks to the individual makeup of who is playing the game. For the first time since its 32nd season, Survivor: Kaôh Rōng, Survivor 46 had a grand total of zero idols played during the entirety of the season. What this has displayed is that the threat of someone using their idol at Tribal Council still looms. An even bigger strategy has been how to use social prowess to ensure someone is feeling safe enough so they don't use their idol. And it happened five straight times this season. Every single individual who held the idol, Jem Hussain-Adams, Hunter McKnight, Tiffany Nicole Ervin, Venus Vafa, and Quintavious "Q" Burdette, walked out of the game without using it because they all felt safe enough not to use it. An exceptional social game is how to succeed in this new version of the game. Each one of these players felt they were personally insulated by the people who ultimately blindsided them. No sneaky moves or wild vote splitting resulted in their demise; it all came down to how they were made to feel.

For a long time, Survivor focused on physical threats and exceptional geniuses as the types of players who were most deserving of winning in the end. Cementing a resume with either a flashy move or winning an exuberant number of challenges tended to be what the juries would reward at the Final Tribal Council. As the New Era of the game has played out, many of the winners have had those elements, but their ability to build a wonderful social game as well has allowed these individuals to win in the end. Erika Casupanan didn't have an edit that favored a remarkable resume, but her ability to connect with her tribe mates secured her win on Survivor 41. Maryanne Oketch was a beautiful and jovial person that the jury was proud to reward on Survivor 42. Yam Yam Arocho was able to recall some of the most intimate details of his tribe mate's lives, proving his personal bonds were worthy of a win on Survivor 44.

Even with idol plays and Immunity Challenge wins, they're not what their games have been remembered for. There has always been a question mark regarding the validity of Michele Fitzgerald's game on Survivor: Kaôh Rōng as it was more socially heavy than anything. Had she played that game now, she would have received the praise she deserved. There will always be a debate regarding whom the queen of Survivor is. Sandra Diaz-Twine has won twice using a more passive game and a strategy of "anybody but me." Parvati Shallow made an explosive move by handing two idols to her allies during a crucial Tribal Council on Survivor: Heroes vs Villains. Parvati had a flashier resume. Sandra did not. Yet Sandra won over Parvati because of her jury management, having a better social game with the fallen Heroes Tribe members. Fans have felt Parvati was robbed, but if that happened now, a different conversation would arise. Advantages don't lead to automatic victories.

Excessive Advantages Have Fundamentally Changed 'Survivor'

Many individual games throughout the show have been severely affected by the use of advantages. Yes, part of being smart and witty on Survivor is to know where advantages might be and who might be holding them — that's why the Knowledge Is Power advantage was introduced. But when advantages essentially destroy someone's game because they all get played at once, it is simply unfair and something that can be controlled by the individuals in the game. Fans were up in arms and called for better regulation of advantages in the game when Cirie Fields was forced out of the game on Survivor: Game Changers because every usable advantage was played at once, and she became the only option of someone who could leave the game. For the second time in her Survivor career, a twist has destroyed her highly likely Survivor victory. It's in cases like Cirie's when fans beg for a back-to-basics game. Cirie is one of the smartest players with one of the best social games. But when outside factors override a legend, it causes Survivor to become a mess.

Speaking of messy and unfair, let's discuss the Shot in the Dark. Introduced during Survivor 41, and remaining to this day, this advantage was the game's way of complicating Tribal Council and the majority alliance by giving players on the bottom one last chance to stay in the game. Should a player want to utilize the Shot in the Dark, they have a one in six chance of having safety by sacrificing their vote at Tribal Council. There has only been one majorly successful usage of it, thanks to Survivor 45's Kaleb Gebrewold. It did cause a brilliant television moment, but all it did was ensure himself one more day, as his time was cut immediately after. The Shot in the Dark is a fine instant twist, but it does not truly do anything for the player in the game after. Unlike a Hidden Immunity Idol, when they're used or leaves the game in someone's pocket, it often returns to the wild for players to hunt for. The user of the Shot in the Dark only gets to use it once, so, unlike the idol, they can't go re-hunt for it in hopes of finding it again. This twist proves it is only a complication to the overall game and is not necessary to continue with.

'Survivor 46' Is Being Dominated by the Players, Not the Game

The longer Survivor has been on, the more creative the show's producers have to be to keep the game fresh. While much time had been spent exploring various themes or locales, the actual in-game factors were dependent on what new elements were thrust into the wild. The advantages became central to how players would play. They wanted to find them not only to have power over their fellow castaways, but they knew a big move could result in becoming a staple in the Survivor highlight reel. Tony Vlachos will forever be known as a unicorn for his chaotic yet successful game, but his claim to fame began thanks in part to his infamous spy shack he crafted during his brazen idol hunts.

Whether it was an advantage found in the wild or during journeys, everything from an Extra Vote to Safety Without Power, Idol Nullifier to the Legacy Advantage, these pervasive elements controlled the game, rather than the individuals themselves. When they became too powerful, the show had to figure out a way to take a step back in the New Era by implementing the Beware Advantage, which forced the players to do something first before they were awarded their various idols or advantages. Whether it was saying silly phrases at challenges to activate idols or gathering all their tribe mates' beads first, the show had to fix their mess by putting their players at a disadvantage. And it caused some players to not go advantage hunting as they believed it could be detrimental to their game.

Survivor 46 has been a strong season. While many fans have been infuriated by the bewildering moves, this season has been dominated by the players, not the game. And in a way, it felt correct. This is the game Survivor fans fell in love with. Life isn't fair, and neither is Survivor. But when the game does not get bogged down by factors outside the players' control, the social experiment shines. There's no questioning why this person found this advantage at that time. There's no questioning what would happen if this advantage didn't exist. The only question is why did this person not save themselves when they could! The psychological implications of Survivor are sometimes more engaging for a viewer to watch. It would be an incredibly hard ask for Survivor to ever return to a Season 1 idol-free game, but Survivor 46 has allowed everyone to see that this game is doing just fine when controlled by the castaways.

Survivor is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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