5. Team Captains
This twist on the returning player has proven to be a mixed bag in terms of its execution.
Though not necessarily touted as a team captain theme, Guatemala saw Palau favorites Stephanie LaGrossa and Bobby Jon Drinkard return and join opposing tribes. Both veteran players faired fairly well, with Stephanie even making it to the final two. The former castaways added value to the season, bringing experience and expertise but still blending in with their tribemates. Guatemala proved producers could bring back a small number of past players and still have a successful season, opening the door for future team captain seasons.
The second and third outings for the team captain theme were far less successful, leaving fans scratching their heads about why producers chose the theme.
Redemption Island should have been titled Survivor: Boston Rob. The infamous player returned to go toe-to-toe with the notorious Russell Hantz after the two butted heads on Heroes v. Villains. From the get-go, it was clear Rob had the game in his hands as he manipulated everyone on the beach, securing an easy win at Final Tribal, while Russell had a challenge thrown by his tribe in order to vote him out. Unfortunately for fans, Boston Rob’s rule over the game resulted in a lackluster season, with many claiming the season had been tailored for a Rob win.
Betsided
The following season, South Pacific, once again brought back former castaways to lead the tribes, this time choosing Ozzy and Coach. Luckily, neither veteran had an easy ride to the end. Ozzy battled his way back through Redemption Island before having his torched snuffed a second time. Coach schemed and strategized his way to the end, continuing to be the “Dragon Slayer” everyone knew him as. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast was largely forgettable due to the strong narratives of Coach and Ozzy. Winner Sophie Clarke was arguably one of the least popular winners in the show’s history, leading to the negative reaction to the season. Hey, at least we got Cochran out of it.
Fortunately, Survivor producers seemed to learn from their mistakes when they brought back Mike Skupin, Jonathan Penner, and Russell Swan as team captains for Survivor: The Philippines. Each of the former castaways had been previously medically evacuated and were itching for another shot at the title. All three men took different paths to the end. Russell caused much dissension in his original tribe, leading to his being voted off before the merge. Penner played the strategic game he was known for, being voted out after the merge when he was pegged as too big a threat. Skupin proved he still had it in him, making it to the Final Tribal Council where he lost to Denise.
Survivor Philippines showed that the team captain twist could be implemented successfully as long as you had the right returning players, a solid cast of newbies, and avoided tailoring the game towards the veterans.