Survivor Edge of Extinction new idol twist: Two halves make a whole

Survivor producers dreamed up another new version of a Hidden Immunity Idol to compensate for the player returning from the Edge of Extinction.

Production continues to play with the power of an idol in the merge episode of Survivor: Edge of Extinction. Following a dramatic challenge that saw Rick earn his way back into the game, it appeared that he would have no protection. Unknown to the rest of the cast, Rick found a secret letter in his bag revealing an idol with a twist.

This special advantage featured two halves of a Hidden Immunity Idol that isn’t immediately usable. It requires Rick to give half to another person. If both Rick and the person he loans it to survive the next Tribal Council, the idol will become an official Hidden Immunity Idol that can be used for the rest of the game up until the Final Five.

Rick’s conservative decision paid off

There are a couple of strategies that come with this special idol, and one in particular that feels like production was aiming for.

Using the idol as leverage. The tactic that is the most intriguing is using this tool as a bargaining chip to stay in the game by giving half to a player who could sway the votes. This is a high risk, high reward ploy that best fits desperate players. So although Rick received votes, he wasn’t the target that Kama was gunning for.

As Fishbach pointed out on RHAP, if Rick did give half to someone like Julie, there’s a chance she would have told her alliance about this twist. Knowing that he could possess an idol if he stays around, the Kama 6 might have changed their vote to Rick that night. Or if Julie didn’t tell her allies, there’s no guarantee she would give the idol half back.

Giving the half to a close ally. Instead of risking that gamble, Rick chose the safe play by giving half to his most trusted ally, David. Out of the people who made it to the merge, David is the most likely to return the second half back to Rick. Now with a shared idol between this strategic duo, they have the power to take Kama by surprise.

Is this advantage unfair?

The simple answer is no, for the second straight season it looks like production has released a balanced advantage. One of the toughest situations to judge is whether or not a player coming back into the game is deserving of an advantage to help them survive their first Tribal Council.

I’ve always felt that giving an Individual Immunity for a player re-entering the game is a fair price, which is exactly what happened for the Outcasts twist in Survivor: Pearl Islands. That way it ensures that a returning player isn’t voted out immediately due to the time they missed out of the game. This idol doesn’t do that.

However, with all the over the top hype of Extinction Island being a tough experience, it seems unfair to just give a player immunity when they come back. Instead, production gave Rick with a handicapped idol.

It still gave Rick the power to save himself from the first vote, but only if he presented a persuasive case to the right person. Advantages that encourage conversation are definitely a step in the right direction.

As this season progresses, it might feel that Rick and David’s idol was earned too easily. However, both of them received votes and either of them could have gotten their torch snuffed. This wasn’t an easy Tribal Council to sneak out of by any means, so Rick earned his right to have a legitimate idol.

I think the only thing wrong with this advantage is how easy the Edge of Extinction twist was. The eliminated castaways had flint, rice, a machete, and fishing gear, which isn’t too far away from what a regular tribe receives. Yes, Rick had to beat Chris in a challenge, but that was it. One eliminated player was guaranteed a chance to return, unlike the Outcasts twist.

Overall, this new type of idol is a great way to put a twist on an old idea. It’s also a good way of handicapping it’s power without limiting the Tribal Councils it can be used for as seen in recent years. Hopefully production can find a way to insert this new idol in seasons without an Extinction Island type of twist.