‘Survivor: Game Changers’: Should the Legacy Advantage or Reward Steal return?
Tonight marks the first time since September that there is not a new episode of “Survivor” coming on the air — in other words, this is a very depressing night, indeed! We certainly are awaiting already the premiere of “Game Changers,” but let’s be honest — it’s going to be a long time until we see it. The show’s March premiere is the latest in recent memory that the spring season has started, and hopefully the presence of so many all-stars makes it worth it.
Since CBS has not officially confirmed the entire cast just yet, it doesn’t seem prudent to get too much into that at the moment. Instead, let’s take a look at the two new twists to the game, as introduced in “Millennials vs. Gen X,” and figure out of they could be applied to this or any other season moving forward.
The Legacy Advantage – Given that this season filmed over the summer before season 33 even aired, nobody would even know about it were it not for the fact that Michaela (and potentially someone else) were a part of this season. It was a cool idea for someone who makes it that far in the game to get this sort of twist, but in the end this felt like a sad trombone. It wasn’t just that the person who had it in Ken ultimately did not need it, but it was also that it was something as boring as immunity. We would’ve preferred if the twist was an advantage in a challenge or something that the player with it could mess up. That is what was fun about the extra vote or the vote steal; they could be used badly, and something wrong could still happen to you. (Don’t we all love to watch things go horribly awry?)
If this is used again, we think it’s a little more interesting to specify what it is since that opens up some more strategic possibilities as to whether or not you want to tell anyone in fear that it makes you a bigger target. This still isn’t the greatest twist the producers have ever come up with, given that someone could end up with it without any real effort at all. Let’s say a great strategic player is voted out at the final seven, and then just gives it to a bump on a log because they’re friends. All of a sudden, a great idea is completely wasted. We prefer twists to be more earned, so maybe if the Legacy Advantage is sent out of the game you merely hide a new one like an idol.
The Reward Steal – This is fun to us just because it’s something that can be so petty, but it can be used in so many ways since we at home don’t often realize how important rewards are to people out there. You feel rejuvenated when you go on them, and frustrated when you don’t. While we think for the most part having this advantage is a kiss of death (other than a reward in the form of an advantage, it has no real ability to help you in the game), it became a key component in some great moments this season between Jay, Adam, and eventually David. Since this showed at the very least to be an interesting component to the story of the season, it’d be great to see it brought back again — maybe not in “Game Changers,” but another season or two down the road. It’s an asset to the social game.
The good news is that neither one of these twists is bad like the Medallion of Power or the living arrangements in the first “Survivor: Fiji.” There is hope for the future!
To get some other news regarding “Survivor,” including our recently-updated winner and season rankings, head over to the link here. (Photo: CBS.)