The 43rd season of Survivor is set to air on September 21st and will surely bring with it new twists, a new cast, and new emerging strategies that can reshape the show as a whole. Yet, while many fans can see the visible changes between each seasons, not every detail is so obvious.
As a show that takes weeks worth of content and condenses it into just a few hours of television, there's a lot left on the cutting room floor. Some of it is just fun and interesting, but some details, only the true die-hard Survivor fans will ever really know.
Tony Shenanigans
Sometimes, after weeks trapped on an island, contestants need to have fun where they can. While they always need to be socially strategic with their fellow castaways, cameramen are a different story. In Winners At War, Redditor Important-Page-5369 says that "Tony scared a cameraman at night and the guy dropped his camera and yelled at Tony."
It's a pretty funny story, especially since it seems right in line with Tony's excitable nature. Given that he claimed he was toning himself down for Winners at War, it makes sense he would be taking out his energy elsewhere. Still, all pity for that poor production worker.
Kel Probably Had The Jerky
While all's fair in love, war, and Survivor, Australian Outback argued that smuggling food certainly isn't. While it was a major storyline in Australian Outback, most fans ended the season unsure of whether or not Kel really did smuggle in beef jerky. Reddit, however, says otherwise.
"He was caught at the airport with food sewn into some of his clothes, and other cast saw this happen. So it wasn't unreasonable for Jerri to think that production didn't find all of it and he still managed to smuggle some in," says a notorious Survivor villain, but it's also pretty funny in hindsight.
A Cast Mutiny
Long before Pearl Islands, it seems that Survivor had its first taste of mutiny. "Borneo’s “local bar” reward was constructed in base camp and full of crew exclusively," says Reddit Grungemaster. "The reward was thrown together last minute after the castaways revolted at a paltry reward of Bud Light, so production sweetened the deal."
A bottle of Bud Light certainly isn't one of Survivor's best rewards, and it's pretty unlikely that it's worth playing for. Still, it's pretty nice that the reward turned into one of the best of the season, as it enabled the runner-up to watch the first few minutes of the show she was starring in.
Multiple Attempts At A Twist
Of course, not every mutiny was aimed against the production team. In fact, production actually encouraged mutineers in the early seasons. "In most of the early seasons Jeff actually offered the tribes to mutiny, but nothing ever came of it until we saw it in PI," says jesuschristk8 on Reddit.
It makes sense that some of the show's twists have been tested before they've actually been seen on screen. After all, if the Shot in the Dark twist wasn't used, it's unlikely fans would have seen it at all. Besides, it helps keep the surprise open for later seasons.
Recruiting Via Tinder
While most Survivor contestants earn their spot through a long application process, others are a little luckier. "Joaquin got recruited because he got matched on tinder with someone from the production team and she thought he could be great TV," says Reddit magmakist_hod.
While recruits don't necessarily produce the best Survivor casts every time, having well-known players discovered through Tinder is incredibly funny. It also helps to introduce fresh blood into the game who may not be as familiar with popular strategies, which can change the outcomes of some tribals.
Pre-Game Disputes
While it can result in some controversial vote-offs, some Survivor tribal boots don't come because of in-game behavior."The split in Amazon was also created before the season started filming. Roger was mad because Ryan kept slamming the door in the hotel, and Roger could never get any sleep. So Roger was gunning for Ryan before they even got out in the game," says mariojlanza on Reddit.
It may be against the integrity of the game to vote someone off because of how they behave pre-game, but it isn't particularly different from pre-gaming for Winners at War. Really, if this teaches players anything, it's to start their social games before the game even starts.
Boiling The Water
Survivor is a show that heavily emphasizes the 'outlast' aspect of its motto. Players need to be able to last in a secluded location for weeks without most modern amenities. That means they have to build a shelter, scavenge for food, and even boil water. Or do they?
"The water from the well is good to drink as is," says Reddit Natemoon2. "They don’t actually have to boil it." Given that the show added a water well for players, it makes sense that they wouldn't need to. Still, it's probably a good idea anyway, since they can never know what kind of parasites can get into standing water.
Not Really Fans
While Fans vs. Favorites was a theme that produced one of the best Survivor seasons, Micronesia, it's since been discovered that not all fan cast were actually fans in the second iteration of the theme. "There was some controversy over the fact that in FvF2, most of the Fans tribe were the typical recruits and not all of them had even heard of Survivor before the show," says insubordinance on Reddit.
While the theme is typically unbalanced in favor of the favorites thanks to their experience in the game, it's incredibly unfair for fans to not even know the rules before being selected. There was no way a fan was going to win Caramoan as a recruit, which is somewhat disappointing.
Somewhat Rigged
A controversial take presented by Jerri on Rob Cesternino's podcast, production has interfered before to rig the results of the game. "The buffs in the urn in the All Stars swap were arranged intentionally to send Amber to the other tribe to get her eliminated, but it backfired," says Reddit springfieldmonorail.
If it's true, it's certainly a mark against the integrity of the game. Production should never try to step in to affect the results of the game that heavily. Still, it's proof that it doesn't always work. Clever players can still get around rigged results, just like Amber did by winning the season.
Camera Crews Give Away Idols
While players do have to find idols, there's a reason they don't always need hints. Though production doesn't mean to, they tend to give away the game sometimes. "A number of players have said that they can use camera crews to tell where idols are hidden, because the crew gets more focused and serious the closer they get, so it’s like a game of hot-or-cold," says Reddit FlippersSometimesWin.
It's how Russell Hantz managed to find so many idols, and it's why idols don't tend to go undiscovered. Just by keeping an eye on the production team, players can get their hands on advantages. While it is clever, it does take away some of the allure of their discoveries.