It's been a few weeks since the first look Survivor 49 trailer premiered during the season 48 finale and most of the speculation around it has fallen to wondering which two cast members will be joining Survivor 50.
Watching the trailer back, there are actually a few hints buried within the b-roll that suggest the next season of Survivor could exceed our expectations.
As we know, new era seasons have adopted a production schedule that doesn't allow the players currently on the island to watch the season that came before them. Because of this, the back-to-back odd and even seasons have showcased reflections in each other as they flesh out what performs well both on the island and at home with audiences.
For example, seasons 41 and 42 both introduced the hourglass twist that was later scrapped because fans did not feel it added anything to the show. But then season 44 introduced a million advantages and twists that were not included in Survivor 43 because it's rumored that production wasn't happy with how that season ended. They drastically pivoted in an attempt to create a new outcome.
Survivor 49 is the beginning of a new production cycle, so there is potential for a lot of new production-led gameplay
The imagery featured in the trailer, as well as the season's logo, very clearly suggests a theme of pirates, which immediately had me thinking back to Survivor: Pearl Islands. It was definitely a memorable season as we were introduced to a lot of notable (and infamous) players who would end up returning for years to come.
But the season also featured a lot of interesting production setups that we haven't seen in a while, like looting, buried treasure, and kidnapping. We also got the Outcasts twist, which began the evolution of later season themes like Exile Island, Redemption Island, and Edge of Extinction, and the final four competing for immunity against the jury.
There are a lot of ways Survivor 49 could adapt some of these ideas to really change things up from what the new players might be expecting and give us a really interesting game:
Looting: It's been a while since the original version of the supply marooning where tribes had mere minutes to gather as much as they could and jump ship. If this were to be reintroduced, rather than actual rewards being won in challenges, tribes could win the opportunity to "loot" from the losers. Then as supplies dwindle in the first half of the game, you'd not only need to win to get resources, but to make sure you also don't lose what you have.
Buried Treasure: I imagine the beware advantage will be returning, but it would be so interesting to see misleading puzzles as well. Maybe there are five "treasures" buried at each camp, and while one contains the beware advantage that everyone is hunting for, you might accidentally spend all your time solving puzzles to unlock a cup of rice or a hammock. Not bad things to get, but definitely not the same satisfaction as getting an idol.
Kidnapping: Rather than journeys, which have become either too stale or too dangerous over the last few seasons, I would love to see the winning tribe have the opportunity to kidnap a member of the losing tribe after an immunity challenge. That player would gain safety and have the chance to make social connections as they return to camp with the winning tribe until Tribal Council is over, but it also means their alliance loses their vote, and it puts a major target on their back down the road.
Host and executive producer Jeff Probst has stated that Survivor 49 features a "likable and quirky" group of castaways, and that makes me feel like their personalities could only be enhanced by integrating them into a new ecosystem of Survivor with social gameplay elements like the ones I listed above.
Whatever the case, I'm optimistic that we're getting a good season this fall that will only amp up fan excitement for Survivor 50 next year.