Survivor history: Determining the six eras of gameplay

The Transitional Era (Seasons 9-14)

The next six seasons would serve as a transition for Survivor. They don’t bring the nostalgia of the classic era, while also not providing the pure greatness of the era that comes after it. These seasons are essentially the ¨tweeners¨, with overall mixed ratings. The castaways were nowhere near as iconic as the preceding era.

These six seasons tried out numerous twists, and many of them would fail miserably. Jonathon Libby and Wanda Shirk never got to play the actual game in Survivor: Palau. The first season with returnees as captains was held. Cook Islands featured the controversial tribe assignments by race, in addition to an unfair double elimination. The survival aspect was completely abandoned for one tribe in Survivor: Fiji, who, of course, would dominate the pre-merge.

Despite the bad twists, perhaps the number one twist ever was created in this era. This is, of course, the Hidden Immunity Idol. The rules of the idol would change multiple times until it reached its present-day abilities. After several twists gone wrong in this era, the idol added unprecedented excitement.

The transitional era featured Survivor embracing itself as a game, and not as a survival mission. Multiple gimmicks were implemented, one of them becoming a staple in modern Survivor. The idol would allow Survivor to be set up for its prime.