‘Survivor’ Season 43: Jeff Probst Removes Controversial Twists

When Survivor returned to air following a 16-month post-pandemic delay, it ushered in a model new, twist-tastic period: A 26-day recreation, extra various casting and smaller tribes weren’t even the half of it. However when Season 43 kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 21 (at 8/7c on CBS), viewers and its castaways are in for some massive modifications.

Whereas host Jeff Probst has been very clear about which facets of this new period are sticking round — the shorter recreation, small tribes, danger/reward dilemmas, incomes the merge and Shot within the Darkish are all right here to remain — he’s put the kibosh on one of the vital controversial twists in Survivor historical past: the hourglass twist.

“Right here’s what you received’t see in Survivor 43: Change Historical past and Do or Die,” Probst revealed to EW.

To refresh your reminiscence from Season 41, the gamers had been separated into two groups proper earlier than the merge, and had been informed that the winners would robotically obtain immunity, whereas the losers must compete in a person immunity problem, after which one in every of them can be voted out. Erika Casupanan (who would ultimately go on to win the sport) was despatched to Exile Island and provided the possibility to “make historical past by altering historical past.” If she selected to smash an hourglass with a hammer, the outcomes of the problem can be reversed. Those that received can be at risk, whereas those that misplaced (Erika included) can be fully protected. (In a transfer that shocked nobody, she smashed the heck out of the factor.)

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Unsurprisingly, not everybody within the solid was pleased with the choice. “Danny [McCray] mainly reamed Jeff out,” hourglass sufferer Sydney Segal informed TVLine after the episode aired. “He was like, ‘This isn’t a twist. It is a lie! You informed us that if we received the problem, we’d get immunity,’ and there was an extended dialog about it.”

After we caught up with McCray following his exit, he elaborated: “It was essential for me to let [Probst] know that the integrity of the sport is in danger when you’re the host and also you’re capable of deceive the contestants. When you go on the market and say, ‘Hey man, that is what’s taking place,’ sort of just like the Do or Die twist, then I can settle for that. However when you’re the individual that says, ‘Work onerous, dig onerous, you must earn every thing this season on Survivor,’ and you then earn it, actually simply to not earn it, it didn’t sit effectively with me. Being a competitor, it was troublesome for me to course of.”

The hourglass twist returned in Season 42. Rocksroy Bailey selected to take Jeff up on the supply, and Lydia Meredith grew to become the unfortunate castaway to search out the rug pulled out from underneath her.

The Do-or-Die twist additionally appeared in each 41 and 42, forcing Deshawn Radden and Lindsay Dolashewich, respectively, to play a recreation of probability at Tribal Council. They’d to decide on the one field out of three that may maintain them protected, and each gamers went on to outlive the night time.

Whereas I, for one, be a part of within the cheers which are fluttering all through the fanbase, Probst did suggest that twists will come and go because the present sees match.

“I can already hear some followers celebrating and others saying we caved to criticism!” he mentioned. “We love fan suggestions, and the suggestions on Change Historical past was wonderful. Individuals both actually favored it or actually hated it, however not a single particular person mentioned ‘Eh, I may take it or go away it.’ And with Do or Die, the drama was electrifying, however we additionally felt that was one twist we may placed on the shelf… for now.”

Are you excited to kiss the hourglass twist goodbye, not less than for now? Vote in our ballot, then gentle up the feedback!