Survivor seasons 35, 36 will retain Final Tribal Council twist
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly while on set for the upcoming 36th season of the show (slated to air this spring), executive producer Matthew Van Wagenen explains why he and Jeff Probst are continuing to give this change-up to the end of the game some play — and why it may stick around for good:
“I think it’s here to stay. I don’t see us going backwards. We rarely go backwards. And in this case, we strive to be real, and I know that sounds a bit clichéd or cheesy on a reality show, but we really do strive to have a very real experience. And I think having someone just stand up and ask you a question or talk at you is not as real as a discussion between a group of people saying who deserves to win.”
For the most part, the twist feels like a net positive since it allows some contestants to speak a little bit more freely, and it cuts out some of the inane jury questions that are filler in the Final Tribal Council. The one trade-off here is that you do potentially lose some of the epic jury speeches from people who plan them out and prepare to come into Tribal rather to burn someone to pieces. That could technically still happen, but it’s probably a little bit more unlikely than it once was since that person will have to put forth that extra effort to interrupt everyone.
Even if producers were a little more on the fence with the idea, it’s worth doing a couple more times. (Given that Van Wagenen is discussing season 36 here, it’s fair to assume that it will also be there in Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers this fall.) There are some ideas that do take some experimenting here and there before figuring out if they could work. For example, Redemption Island worked well in Survivor: Blood vs. Water. If producers had bailed on it after its less-enjoyable experiences, we would’ve never had Candice flipping off Brad Culpepper. In turn, maybe Brad doesn’t end up coming back like he did last season.
Do you think that retaining the Final Tribal Council twist is the right move to make, at least for the time being? Share below! (Photo: CBS.)