During the penultimate immunity challenge during Survivor 46, something happened that put me off. I don't remember it happening in the previous 45 seasons, and it should not have been allowed when it happened this time either.
The fact it happened at such a crucial juncture in the game made it even more distasteful and we can all hope it never happens again.
During that all-important immunity challenge, the cast members were nearing the end of the challenge in which a completed puzzle provided part of a combination to a lock that would give victory to the first to finish. The other part of the combination came from a plank used earlier in the challenge.
All the players forgot to grab the plank. Kenzie got to the point where she needed her plank, and she had run into a mental wall as to how she should proceed. Eventually, Liz remembered, sprinted back onto the course, grabbed Kenzie's board, and helped her finish ahead of Maria, Ben, and Charlie.
No one knows if Kenzie would have eventually remembered the plank, or if she would have done so quickly enough to beat everyone else. The point is that she got significant and direct help from Liz, which led to a win.
Should helping others during individual challenges be allowed on Survivor?
This clearly goes against how that should have played out. That was for individual immunity, not team, or pair immunity. Survivor cannot allow players to cooperate in individual immunity challenges. It defeats the whole purpose. It gave the ending of the season a tainted feel to it.
What if things had been allowed to run their natural course? What if Maria had figured out she needed the plank before Kenzie did, without any help from Liz? If Maria wins that challenge, she most likely takes out Charlie, and then she's not on the jury to stab Charlie in the back and hand the win to Kenzie. There is a good chance she will make it to the final three and win it in final tribal if she wins that challenge.
In general, Survivor is too loose with the rules even during team challenges involving puzzles. In truth, when a player, or two, or three, or however many, have the duty to complete a puzzle, the others not involved with that task should be silent. They shouldn't be allowed to yell instructions from the sidelines. At that point, it might as well be a team puzzle. Why bother designating X number of people to work on the puzzle if anyone can verbally help those putting it together?
Liz helping Kenzie felt like cheating at the time, and Jeff Probst never batted an eye. People helping those designated to solve puzzles from the sidelines seems like cheating. If these things, especially the Liz and Kenzie scenario, are allowed moving forward, it will eventually cause chaos, and probably not the good chaos Survivor normally likes to cultivate.