Jeff Probst defends controversial Survivor 50 cast decision

We've known for months thatSurvivor 50will include two players fromSurvivor 49, but you know who didn't know that? TheSurvivor 49playersbecause they were actually playing for spots onSurvivor 50.

Jeff Probst broke the news to the players during the most recentepisode, "Blood Will Be Drawn,"after the three tribes became one at the merge.

Prior to the first immunity challenge, Jeff gave the players a pep talk and let them know spots forSurvivor 50were on the line. Well, on the new episode of theOn Fire with Jeff Probstpodcast, Jeff was asked by Jay Wolff if Jeff's little speech aboutSurvivorlegacies and spots inSurvivor 50changed the game.

“I did. I felt it. I think it was subtle in terms of what they revealed, but I do think you'll see the impact of that on the back half of this season," Jeff said. "And to be clear, I did not say one or two of you are going to be on50.I said the truth, which was we are still in a state of flux on who is going to be on50.So if somebody here really steps up and impresses, you might end up on50."

Jeff backed up his decision to reveal that information to the players.

"And the reason we did that was twofold. One, I wanted to make sure that these players knew you were not just the season before50.You are the 49th season ofSurvivor,and you have a shot to be on50,just like anybody else who has ever playedSurvivorhas a shot to be on50.

"The other reason was, yeah, it was a bit of a litmus test because to be on50,you really have to make your mark in some unique way. So what better time to make your mark than right now? Because Jeremy can attest to this. The hungry player does not get afraid at a moment like this. The hungry player is ready to devour any and everything it needs to.

"Today'sSurvivorplayer knows you have to play to win. You cannot win this game by playing not to lose. And if that's your goal and it works and you make it to the final three, you won't get any votes, and you won't get invited back. We are only interested in people who come to play and who are willing to lose in pursuit of their dream. That's why Jeremy got invited back.”

Survivor 49already had a weird feel to it, and it's even weirder now. For me, I want players to play to win, show their personality, and entertain us. I don't necessarily want players who are competing to get cast on future seasons if that makes sense. And, it almost goes against the logic of getting cast on the show.

Jeff has said so many times that he wants would-be players to be themselves, and that's how you get picked, if they think you'll be a good pick. I guess that doesn't necessarily translate to getting picked for a future season, but authenticity, while playing hard, is definitely my preference.

Overall, I think that's kind of the vibe ofSurvivor 50anyway. So, we don't really need reminders for these players that spots inSurvivor 50are on the line, either. The players who deserve that spot likely do not need a reminder to not play safe. While some of theSurvivor 50players have made mistakes in the game by playing safe, almost the entire cast is a group of gamers who love the game. That's more of the player fromSurvivor 49that will likely be picked to playSurvivor 50.

For me, again, I don't have a problem with Jeff trying to fire up the players or let them knowSurvivor 50spots are on the line. This season is different, and it's been a little bit less interesting in terms of gameplay than other seasons. We've seen a lot of predictable votes, but hopefully, that means that back half of the game is going to be wild because everyone was playing, basically, the same way to start the game, except for the curse Kele tribe.

The other surreal part of this entire seasons is that we already know, thanks to reports,theSurvivor 49players picked forSurvivor 50! We've mentioned it in many stories over the summer when it was originally revealed, but I won't reveal it now for spoiler reasons.

It's just a fascinating experiment playing out in real time. I don't think we'll see anotherSurvivorexperience like this one in a very long time.

Now, it's just going to be interesting to see how the players respond in the final few episodes before theSurvivor 49finale. Stay tuned for more news about the season.

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