During the merge episode of Survivor 51, the show included a shot of Brady Booker peeing on a tree. It was only a glimpse of his back for a few seconds, but it still attracted some attention from the fanbase because you almost never see it. Castaways talk about using the bathroom a lot, but they’re very rarely shown actually going. It turns out that’s because most of the going happens in one of the two places the crew isn’t allowed to film at.
Fan favorite multi-time player Kelley Wentworth, who produces some of the best Survivor content out there, dropped a video this week explaining how filming works and where the camerapeople aren’t allowed to go. Apparently, at the beginning of each season, castaways are told the crew will never film you in the so-called Coconut Grove, and they’ll never film you at the med box. Let’s talk about those two places separately.
Coconut Grove is Survivor’s cutesy nickname for the spot where everyone goes to the bathroom (if they don’t aquadump in the ocean). According to Wentworth, the producers tell the contestants right after they arrive at the beach that they need to collectively designate a spot on the island that they’re going to use for relieving themselves. It’s typically some distance from camp, as the players want some level of privacy. Once it’s designated, it becomes off-limits for the crew, though they apparently do monitor enough to at least verify you’re not lying to production and using it as an excuse to strategize or hunt for idols.
Brady, however, didn’t use Coconut Grove during the most recent episode. He just let it rip on a random tree, which is why it was fair game for production to film him. Here’s how Wentworth put it…
Why were they filming him? Because he wasn’t peeing in Coconut Grove. He was just off pulling his thing out going to the bathroom on a tree right around camp… If you don’t go in the designated spot in CG, then yes, they absolutely can film you and they can absolutely put it in the episode.
To me, it’s pretty clear why Survivor decided to include the shot. They were building a narrative case in the edit that Brady was a big personality around camp that wasn’t always the most thoughtful, and that’s why, in addition to the peeing, we also got shots of his extreme eating and aggressive communicating, though in his defense, he did clarify that he thought he was alone.
In seasons past when we’ve seen contestants using the bathroom, it’s typically been related to building a narrative in the edit too, like when we saw Kathy pee on John Caroll’s hand after he was bit by a sea urchin, which helped her connect and find her place in the tribe or when we saw Christian accidentally poop his pants mid-conversation, which was a comedic and humbling moment. There's been clear purpose behind what we were shown, and I think there was in the Brady example too.
The other place Wentworth referenced that Survivor doesn’t ever film players at is the med box. Casuals may not know this, but the producers actually provide the players with some supplies that they’re allowed to use during the game. These might include things like contact solution, bug spray and medications the show’s doctors approved a particular contestant to take on the island. The women are also allowed to bring tampons, which one player famously used to smuggle in contraband. The show doesn’t want to break the immersive experience; so, that is also strictly a no filming zone.
Filming locations aside, Survivor 51 is, at least so far, one of the best seasons we’ve gotten of the show in a long time. The cast is filled with compelling personalities like Brady, and producers have shifted to a more unpredictable format that brings in elements from early seasons of the show (like gross food challenges). That combination has been a delight to watch, and if you haven’t given it a chance yet, I highly recommend you jump in. The water is warm this season, especially if someone is peeing right next to you.
