26. Guatemala — The Mayan Empire (Season 11)
Bobby Jon Drinkard and Stephenie LaGrossa of Palau returned one season later to play on Survivor Guatemala — The Mayan Empire. LaGrossa ultimately made it all the way to Final Tribal Council but was emphatically defeated in the final vote, losing 6-1 to Danni Boatwright.
If you remember one thing about Guatemala, it’s that one of the biggest staples of the modern game was first introduced in the 11th season: the Hidden Immunity Idol. After the merge, Probst announced that the first-ever idol was hidden back at camp and explained the rules concerning it that we all know by now. Judd Sergeant won the challenge to earn the clue for the idol, but former NFL quarterback Gary Hogeboom sneakily and savvily was able to get to it before Judd. It ultimately just saved him briefly, though, and he went home even before Sergeant.
What the introduction of the Hidden Immunity Idol hides, however, is a season that was quite uninteresting. There weren’t many players—if any—that resonated with viewers throughout the 39 days while there were also plenty that wound up being despised by fans. That’s not ideal, clearly, and mars the legacy of what should’ve been a monumental season in the show’s history.