Survivor: Five old school production twists that need to return

The Survivor production team continues to implement new twists, but they’re overlooking some ingenious ideas from the early days.

There’s no doubting that the game of Survivor has radically changed since Borneo. Hidden Immunity Idols, early merges, Extra Votes and other secret advantages are common place in today’s game but didn’t exist in the beginning.

It’s easy to get lost in all the modern day twists, forgetting about some of the great ideas from earlier seasons. Although nowadays there’s definitely more twists and a wider range of unique concepts, old school Survivor had some of the best ideas ever. Here’s our top five.

5) Kidnapping twist

Before the age of early merges or multiple swaps, production had a different idea in mind to play with tribe dynamics. This twist was usually associated with a Reward Challenge, as the winning tribe would select someone to “kidnap” from the other tribe for a day or two before returning.

Different seasons had various flavors of this twist revolving around when they returned to their tribe and why they were sent. While none of those moments were exceedingly memorable, I feel like this is a twist that would work better in modern day Survivor. We’re past the stage of sticking with original alliances, so a player spending time with another tribe would be perfect for blurring tribal lines early in the season.

4) Premieres with a unique spin

The first episode of every Survivor season brings excitement and curiosity, but recently, production hasn’t switched it up. The cast is introduced, Jeff attempts to justify the season’s theme and then there’s either a marooning or a Reward Challenge. It doesn’t hold a candle to the creativity of old school season openers.

For example, Pearl Islands had both tribes barter and haggle with local villagers in an attempt to gather enough items to survive on the island. That is still one of the most captivating scenes in Survivor history.

Guatemala had both tribes compete in a brutal race to get to their beach, as the first one there wins flint and a better campsite. This 11-mile trek lasted more than an entire day and caused a few scary injuries.

After a weird ceremony put on by the natives, the cast from Vanuatu had to locate their beach in the pitch black. Micronesia had the castaways race to find an Individual Immunity necklace, and Tocantins presented a unique twist that gave the suggested “weakest link” an intriguing advantage.

I’m sure there are more premiere ideas that I left out, but you get the point. The start of the season had some character to it and put the castaways in a situation they weren’t expecting right from the start.

3) Mutiny

This is a twist that can either be completely pointless or incredibly epic. In Survivor: Thailand, Jeff asked if anyone wanted to switch tribes, advising them that they could just get up and move. No one budged. The same happened in Pearl Islands.

However, in Cook Islands, viewers got to watch this shocking twist take effect. When Jeff popped the question, Candice Woodcock decided to return to her old tribe. Although this was a bold move, she was returning to her showmance partner Adam Gentry. It was shocking when Jonathan Penner followed her.

This created a legendary moment in the show’s history, and I would love to see Jeff offer up this twist again. I could see why this twist could cause controversy, but if timed correctly, we could have yet another epic mutiny that can change the game.

2) Fake merge

Although Thailand is commonly known as one of the most boring seasons ever, the production twists were brilliant. When there were ten people remaining, without saying the word “merge”, Jeff told the castaways that the two tribes would be going to one beach together. Everyone was convinced that they merged, only to get surprise later that they were still two tribes.

It’s true that players today would probably catch onto Jeff’s tease, but the fascinating part was the social dynamics it created. With a merge imminent, two tribes living together is bound to complicate allegiances. Once again, I could see this twist being much more compelling nowadays, with the increased willingness to blur tribal lines and form new alliances.

1) The entire cast beginning as one tribe

When you think of Season 14: Fiji, the first thing that may come to mind is that lame twist where one tribe lived in luxury, while the other had to suffer in poor living conditions. However, it’s easy to forget the ingenious way this season began.

All of the castaways got to the beach together without any sign of Jeff. For two entire days, the contestants had no clue what to do other than building a shelter as instructed. It was only by Day 3 when Jeff intervened and two tribes were made.

Imagine all of the social and strategic implications from beginning a season as one tribe. For the first two days, there would be no tribal lines, allowing the castaways to get to know each other and start building strategic relationships. This twist would only increase the fluidity of the season and make for more meaningful votes down the line.

It’s true that the newer seasons already have more than enough twists, but these five old school ideas should not be overlooked as they hold the power and creativity to make a positive impact on a future Survivor season.