We’re just a few weeks away from the official start of Survivor’s Open Era. If that phrase sounds familiar, it’s probably because the show has been saying it loudly and aggressively. Longtime host and showrunner Jeff Probst has talked about it in interviews. The show has hyped it in the marketing materials. Everyone involved clearly wants fans to understand that things are about to change. We are officially entering The Open Era.
But what is The Open Era? Probst has said it’s a new phase of the game in which anything, including twists we’ve seen from every era in the past, is in play to potentially be used. Obviously that sounds great, but it’s also extremely open-ended. It’s gotten me thinking a lot too. Yes, I want change for the sake of change, but there are some specific changes I especially want to see. So, let’s go over them.
We Need More Two Tribe Seasons
Every season between 41 and 50 started with three tribes. Every season between 41 and 49 started with three tribes consisting of six castaways on each one. I’m not against seasons with three starting tribes. It typically makes the merge a lot more interesting and prevents the dreaded Pagonging, where one side with larger numbers votes out the other one at a time, but there is also one huge downside to three tribes: a lack of animosity.
Popular New Era player Sam Phalen from 47 recently said that his biggest issue with The New Era is the lack of an us-versus-them mentality. When there are three tribes, and you lose the immunity challenge, the losing tribe tends to blame themselves. When there are two tribes, the losing tribe often fixates on the other tribe that’s beating them. That can create a lot of animosity and bitterness, which makes the immunity challenges more interesting and can make the inevitable merge a lot more contentious.
With the loud exception of Survivor 46 and a few smaller exceptions here or there, The New Era has really missed that negativity and that edge. Some of that is because producers don’t want to cast any true villains anymore, but some of it is because of the format. Thankfully, we know Survivor 51 is at least starting with two tribes, so that should be a big step in the right direction. It should also, hopefully, mean we don't get a disaster tribe either, which is a recurring problem with the three tribe format.
More Physical Contact
Back in the day, a really healthy percentage of Survivor challenges involved the castaways, either in teams or as individuals, directly competing against each other. Nowadays, almost all of the challenges involve people competing parallel to each other. So, instead of trying to throw a shared ball into each other’s goals, nowadays they usually throw their own balls into their own goals. Instead of knocking each other into the water, they try to balance on top of the water for as long as they can.
No doubt the show pulled back on the physical intensity because of injuries, but Survivor is supposed to be a rough game about literally surviving in the wilderness. A little physical intensity is good, and if someone occasionally gets injured, that’s an unfortunate side effect of competing in a hard-nosed competition. Even if the show doesn’t want people wrestling and dragging each other to competing mats, there are still physical competitions they can do that aren’t likely to result in injuries. Think giving each other pillows and knocking opponents into the water. Think log rolling against each other.
Whether because of lawsuit risks or some sketchy prior incidents or simply the times a changin, Survivor has gotten really shy about castaways having any physical contact with each other. They’ve reportedly even made a rule against cuddling. I get it. I want everyone to feel safe, but at the same time, it’s Survivor and not summer camp. We need to also let adults be adults and get out there and compete.
More Themes
Because of budgetary and production issues, Survivor now exclusively films the show in Fiji. Arguing that it should pack up and go to exotic locations again is a losing battle, but if that’s not going to happen, we at least need to bring themes back. Once upon a time, you could distinguish a season of Survivor based on the location, imagery or casting philosophy. Yes, sometimes that meant Australian Outback, but sometimes it also meant Millennials vs Gen X or Blood vs Water or even something like pirate-themed challenges, graphics and imagery (Pearl Islands).
Right now, if someone says Survivor 45, I have to remember the actual players to distinguish it from the other seasons around it. Back in the day, however, we would get multi-season runs like Heroes vs Villains, Nicaragua, Redemption Island, South Pacific and One World. Each one of those seasons feels different, even apart from the players. We need that level of reinvention each season. We need some level of individuality in theme and structure to keep things fresh.
Give us stay-at-home parents versus working parents. Give us West Coast vs East Coast vs Midwest vs South. Give us a season with all siblings or a season with separated couples or a season of returning finalists who got zero votes.
To Sum Up
I’m ready for The Open Era. I’m glad Survivor is pushing back against the uniformity of The New Era and being aggressive about its desire to change. As a loyal viewer and a superfan, I’m open to anything that feels unique and original, but for the show to really maximize its potential and get back to the version we all loved so much, I think we really need to see the three suggestions above. Thankfully, we know we’re starting 51 with two tribes. Fingers crossed we get more physical contact and more aggressive theming moving forward, too.
We can all find out what The Open Era looks like when the show hits the TV schedule on Wednesday, September 23. You can watch it on CBS or stream via Paramount+.
