Survivor history: Determining the six eras of gameplay

The Dark Ages (Seasons 21-24)

The best run of seasons was undoubtedly followed by the worst run. The Dark Ages saw plenty of useless and awful twists enter the game. These were gimmicks, not the Survivor we are accustomed to.

The Medallion of Power was incredibly irrelevant, not even counting its cheesy name. The One World twist looked good on paper, but the additional men versus women twist ruined it. Both twists were quickly abandoned, and the seasons never picked up the pace.

Redemption Island ruined the intense endings of every episode. The castaways could come back; the dramatic Tribal Councils had less significance.

Redemption Island and South Pacific both coupled the Redemption Island twist with returning captains. Three out of the four returning players dominated the successive seasons. The viewers were robbed of seeing new players. The recurring players were forced onto our screens.

Boston Rob’s victory is almost seen as illegitimate because of how much he walked over the newbies who barely fought back his advances. Sophie’s win over Coach is the lone bright spot in this era.

Redemption Island is the consensus worst season of all time. All four of these seasons easily fit into the bottom tier of Survivor seasons. The traditional era featured several poor twists, but the Hidden Immunity Idol was its saving grace. The Dark Ages, on the other hand, featured only negatives.