Survivor Edge of Extinction: What happened to the returning players?

Survivor: Edge of Extinction is shaping up to be the first season with returning players where none of them make Final Tribal Council!

Coming into Survivor: Edge of Extinction, many were bracing for another returnee to dominate this type of season. Out of the seven seasons that pinned returnees up against newbies, all seven had at least one veteran player making Final Tribal.

That might not be the case for Edge of Extinction. There’s always the chance that someone like Joe can return to the game and go on an Immunity run, but that doesn’t change the fact that all four returnees got voted out before the Final Eight!

The crazy part is that three of the four were brutally blindsided by first-timers. Both Aubry and Wentworth, two savvy players, went to the Edge of Extinction with an idol sitting pointlessly in their pockets. What has made this season so different from the other seven?

Survivor has evolved with a focus on strategy

There is a big difference between the castaways in the Redemption Island seasons and in Edge of Extinction. Ten seasons have passed since the last newbies versus returnee format, and you can definitely tell.

The game of Survivor has evolved to the point that strategic gameplay is viewed as the crown of success. Basically, every castaway has adapted to this mindset, leading to players basing decisions on strategy instead of purely emotional impulses.

Even the goats understand the need to make a move, which definitely wasn’t the case in Boston Rob’s winning route. Take for example Julie from this season. On paper and based on some of her confessionals, she might appear to be a typical goat that people want to bring to the end.

That being said, she understands the need to get rid of dangerous returning players. She even played a role in gathering the numbers to blindside Joe. With the overall level of play improving, it’s become harder for a player to dominate a season as we saw with Tyson and Boston Rob.

Even in Survivor: Philippines we saw players gunning for the returning veterans. Philippines is the latest season to feature three or fewer returnees, and for the first time, you really felt the urgency of eliminating a returning threat like Penner. A few first-time castaways including Jeff Kent were bent on taking out the veterans.

Fast forward over ten seasons and you come to Edge of Extinction where basically every newbie is now seeking an opportunity to get rid of a returnee. So you can see why it’s exponentially harder for a second or third-time player to make it to the end in this generation of Survivor.

More recognition for big moves

Another way Edge of Extinction has showcased Survivor’s growth is the attitude towards blindsides. Not only in this season, but in David vs. Goliath and other recent seasons we have seen the castaways encourage dramatic blindsides.

That’s not to say some players aren’t upset when they are voted out, but there is a lot more respect and appreciation for making a big move. Players are seeing Survivor more and more like a game of chess, resulting in less bitterness between the castaways.

So when you combine increased strategic play and the hype of making a big move with returning players, they now become massive targets that everyone wants to be responsible for eliminating. Of course, the honus doesn’t simply lie with the newbies playing a smart game.

While David simply found himself on the wrong side of the numbers, Joe, Wentworth and Aubry were all overconfident about their position in the game when they were blindsided. They fell for the oldest trick in the book.

It’s really surprising to watch veteran players go down like this. Timing was a key role for all three, because at that specific moment, they each appeared to have control over a majority alliance, and that false sense of power made them feel safe.

Whatever the case may be, the newbies have schooled the returning players for the first time in Survivor. It will be interesting to watch them duke it out now that the obvious targets are all sitting on the Edge of Extinction.