In addition to having two Survivor legends on the Island of the Idols, we can expect an island full of advantages, twists, and of course Hidden Immunity Idols.
Ever since Exile Island was introduced nearly thirty seasons ago, production has loved the idea of planting idols and advantages on islands away from camp. So much so that they’ve made entire themes out of this notion, first with Ghost Island and now with Survivor: Island of the Idols.
Besides Boston Rob, Sandra and their hilarious monuments, we don’t know for sure what twists and turns are set up on the Island of the Idols. Let’s preview a few advantages that we will probably see in season 39.
Expect idol clues and temporary idols
If Island of the Idols is anything like Ghost Island, or the current season of Survivor SA: Island of Secrets, production will likely throw games of chance at the castaways. So instead of just getting a freebie idol or advantage, the exiled player will have to select between three chest-like containers, or maybe risk their vote at the next Tribal Council if they decide to open a chest.
I doubt that a full Hidden Immunity Idol will be up for grabs at the island. More than likely castaways will have the opportunity to win clues to a Hidden Immunity Idol. From Ghost Island to David vs. Goliath, production has enjoyed playing with the limits of on an idol, so if there is an idol to be won, I would expect it to expire within a few Tribal Councils. Plus, there’s always the chance there could be a regular idol hidden on the island itself.
Vote Steal or Extra Vote is a lock
Each of the past five Survivor seasons has featured either an Extra Vote advantage or a Vote Steal. Since we saw two Extra Votes in Edge of Extinction, we could see the Vote Steal this season instead. The only season that saw both of these advantage varieties put into play was in Game Changers, so based on the current pattern it feels like we’re going to see either the Extra Vote or the Vote Steal, not both.
Could the Idol Nullifier return?
As exciting as it was to watch Carl use the first Idol Nullifier perfectly, it was relieving to see production take a season break from this new idea. Remember that Carl did find this powerful advantage on Exile Island, so maybe it will return to be found on this season’s island. That said, we might not see the Nullifier until season 40 which producers are hinting at being a special season.
Other gadgets we could see up for the taking on the Island of the Idols include:
- Reward steals
- Advantages in a challenge
- The Legacy Advantage
- Letters from home
- Food rewards
- Safety from a Tribal Council
- A version of the Advantage Menu
There’s also the chance that some castaways might receive nothing but advice from Sandra and Boston Rob. Whatever production has in store for us, let’s hope that this season won’t get inundated with twists and idols as we’ve seen recently.