I know there’s a lot of time left in Survivor 50. There are still 10 players yet to be voted out and the impending MrBeast distraction. Just the same, this question has been gnawing at me ever since Survivor started the hoopla over S50. What will they do stimulate interest AFTER this season, especially since it has been hyped for more than a year?

This time last year, we were already being pounded by rumors about the S50 cast. Probst announced in 2024 it would feature all returning players. Fans were already voting for vitally important things like tribe colors and what the Immunity necklace would look like. Coach had already displayed his unquestionable integrity by announcing there was no way he’d be playing again. Rizo and Savannah hadn’t even started playing Survivor 49, yet some were already spreading spoilers about the S50 cast.

But so far, there hasn’t been so much as a whisper about Survivor 51. Seasons 51 and 52 are positioned like Dee and Savannah this season – almost zero chance to make a big impression.

Historically, there has always been a drop off after a landmark or anniversary season. Fan interest always wanes a little. It’s hard to get excited over a new season when you’ve been treated to an all-returning player season full of familiar faces. In a way it’s unfair for the rookies playing in such a follow-up season. How many players can you name from S21: Nicaragua without looking it up? (Hint: Only one of them has played twice). Is it really a surprise that nobody from Survivor 41 came back for this season?

Survivor has been hit and miss with these types of seasons. Here’s a historical recap of Survivor’s attempts to follow up a high-profile season.

S9: Vanuatu - Survivor gave us a treat by making Season 8 the first All-Stars season featuring all returning players (including four previous winners, and this season’s Jenna Lewis-Dougherty). As a follow-up, they repeated the men vs women approach it used in S6: The Amazon. The casting dept. did a good job by finding eye-rolling queen Eliza Orlins, who along with Ami Cusack would return to play in S16: Micronesia. That season’s winner Chris Daugherty turned in what I consider one of the 10 best games ever played. The season isn’t regarded highly among most fans due in part to the ugly game play turned in by Twila Tanner, Rory Freeman, and Mia Galeotalanza. There weren’t any significant Producer twists or enhancements but they did include the first-ever player with a prosthetic leg in Chad Crittenden.

S11: Guatemala - Survivor didn’t create a lot of hoopla over the 10th season in Palau, but they did follow it up with some new twists. First, they brought back two popular players from S10 (Stephenie LaGrossa-Kendrick and Bobby Jon Drinkard) and added them to a cast of 16 rookies. It was also the first season Survivor included a former pro athlete (ex-NFL quarterback Gary Hogeboom). But the biggest innovation was the introduction of the Hidden Immunity Idol. The execution was a little awkward. This Idol (found by Hogeboom) had to be played before anyone voted, so it was probably the least interesting Idol in Survivor history. Producers changed the Idol rules for the next season (S12: Panama: Exile Island) but made it too powerful by allowing it to be played after Probst read the votes. They finally got it right in S14: Fiji, requiring Idols to be played after the votes have been cast, but before they were revealed.

S21: Nicaragua – It was next to impossible to match the intensity and popularity of S20: Heroes vs Villains which included all of the most popular Survivor players at the time (Rupert, Colby, Jerri, Boston Rob, Parvati, Amanda, Cirie, Coach), and its newest star Russell. But their attempts were laughably bad. For Nicaragua, Survivor decided to divide the tribes by age – 40 and older vs 30 and younger. The “innovative” twist was the addition of the Medallion of Power (MOP), which would give a tribe an advantage in the next Immunity Challenge. Once used, the MOP would be surrendered to the opposing tribe. The MOP (first found by Brenda) didn’t prove to be much of a factor at all. Unfortunately, any momentum the season had was killed when two players quit on day 28 and were allowed to stay on the Jury. Those two provided the winning votes for Jud “Fabio” Birza, one of the worst winners in Survivor history. Because of the quitters, Survivor changed the rules which now prevent any quitters from serving on the Jury.

S27: Blood vs Water – Survivor didn’t make a big deal out of their 25th season (Philippines), which brought back three previously medevaced players. In S26: Caramoan, they repeated the previously used (S16) Fans vs Favorites concept, and as expected, the veterans rolled over the rookies. But in S27, they put a new spin on that concept by starting with one tribe of popular returning players and pitting them against a tribe of their loved ones rookies. This presented an intriguing strategic dilemma. How hard would you play if you knew your success could spell your loved one’s failure? This twist worked so well (have you heard yet? Ciera voted out her mom!), they used it again in S29: San Juan del Sur.

S31: Cambodia – Again, there wasn’t much hoopla over Season 30 Worlds Apart (likely because of the ugly game play and behavior displayed by most of its players), but Survivor did try something completely new for Cambodia –which was actually shot AFTER S32 Kaoh Rong. Survivor let the fans vote for which players would be included in the cast…sort of. Producers picked 32 previous players and let the fans vote on which 20 would be included in the cast. Fans could vote for 1 male and 1 female player once a day. Candidates included some playing in Worlds Apart which was still airing. Those on the ballot (except the S30 players) launched online campaigns for votes via social media. The concept worked perfectly, and I’m still wondering why it hasn’t been tried again. Maybe Probst was upset when some of his Alpha Male favorites (Brad Culpepper, Troyzan, and Mike Holloway) didn’t make it?

Survivor 41 – The Survivor fan community had been clamoring for an all-winners season for years and finally got it in S40: Winners at War. This meant it would be virtually impossible for S41 to match it. There was a guaranteed drop off. Just the same, Producers made the most drastic changes ever. The game was shortened from 39 to 26 days, mostly because of post-COVID-19 protocols. There was little choice here. But Producers don’t have any excuses for the other awkward twists, some of which are sadly still in place. Additions like the Do or Die dice, Earn the Merge, which gave half the players Immunity (whether they earned it or not), the Hourglass twist (which as Danny McCray accurately said made a blatant liar out of Probst), Journeys that all but guaranteed someone would lose their vote, and goofy phrases players were forced to repeat to activate an Idol. These additions simply sapped the players’ ability to make their own strategic decisions. It’s not a surprise that the two best strategic winners of the New Era (Dee and Kyle) played in seasons that largely minimized or eliminated these twists.

Can Producers come up with something interesting for Survivor 51 and S52? I hope so. If they don’t have something new in mind, I say do a New Era Blood vs Water with some of the standout players who didn’t make it into the season 50 cast. Or better yet, build in some guaranteed fan approval by letting fans vote for the cast members again. Cambodia was a great season. Why not do it again?

Now a couple of notes from my rewatch. During the second part of the Immunity Challenge, I noted how when Christian fell out, only Devens and Emily clapped for him. What I didn’t notice was that everyone except Jonathan clapped when Emily, Stephenie, Dee and Joe fell out. That made me wonder how some of these people are feeling about Christian. Do they really like him and were too disappointed to clap? Was their lack of applause because they don’t want him to advance and didn’t want to rub it in? Maybe some are trying to hide the closer connection they have with Christian. I really don’t know what to make of this, it just seemed odd that so few people clapped for his effort but applauded everyone else.

There was one mystery rolling around my head. Last week, we saw Coach openly volunteering information and voting strategy to Devens. I wondered how Devens earned Coach’s trust? They weren’t on the same original tribe, or the swapped tribe. They haven’t even been on the same team in any split squad challenges. But then I realized after the swap, Jonathan decided Devens was the only trustworthy one between him, Cirie and Rizo. Jonathan probably told Coach that Devens could be trusted because Devens voted with him against Rizo when Charlie was booted.

The lines have been drawn (at least for the “integrity” crew of Coach, Chrissy, Joe and Jonathan). Did Coach’s meltdown earn himself the next seat on the Jury or will the real power players in the “middle” (as Coach has dubbed them) Christian, Devens, Emily, Cirie and Ozzy) spare us viewers from future Coachisms? Will Rizo, Stephenie and Aubry (who Coach also thinks is part of his army) cut him loose? Or since Coach is probably drawing dead, will his challenge beast partner Jonathan pay the price for fighting with Dee? Will Tiffany continue her tunnel vision quest of getting revenge on Coach (like Stephen Fishbach did with Joey Amazing in S31: Cambodia, and Venus did with Hunter in S46)? We all know how successful they were, don’t we? Let’s find out.

And away we go…

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30 seconds in, and I’m already sick of seeing Coach so smug.

Jonathan: “We got Queen Dee out.” Uhh Jonathan, Sandra is the Queen. Didn’t you read last week’s column?

Wait, Tiffany said Dee was her #1? I thought her #1 was Aubry.

Chrissy to Tiffany “For the record, I have no idea who voted for you.” That’s a horribly transparent lie, Chrissy. You’d be better off not saying anything at all to Tiffany.

Coach to Jonathan: “Who is the scapegoat? Me! It’s bananas.” Uh, no Coach. Dee played with Johnny Bananas on The Challenge.

Stephenie thinks Cirie and Ozzy are part of the “integrity” alliance. As Queen Sandra would say “I don’t know about thaaaaat.”

Jonathan, Stephenie and Chrissy huddle together, then suddenly split up when they see Christian coming? Naaah, there’s nothing obvious about that at all. Christian won’t be the least bit suspicious. That splashing noise you hear is the drip of sarcasm.

Look at Ozzy making a good social move and getting Tiffany on his side. Explaining why he voted for Tiffany in private is smart. Charlie did that with Venus in front of the whole tribe in S46. It prompted Q to chastise him. Charlie didn’t get Q’s Jury vote. I bet Cirie sent Ozzy on this mission, but I’d love to be wrong. Ozzy making a smart adjustment is something I haven’t seen before.

Another boat means the Producers are sticking their noses in again.

After Ozzy and Rizo got Immunity by going to Exile, now everybody wants to get on the boat. For the first time, I think it’s a good idea to get on the boat too.

Cirie gets to sit out, and she knows she’d probably be the last one picked. But she goes to Exile with immunity. The last time she went to Exile alone was in S16: Micronesia where she came up with her plan to blindside Ozzy.

Everyone asks Joe how they handled in in S48, and he tells his first lie. He says they handled it like adults and discussed it fairly, but in reality, Joe immediately grabbed Eva, David took Mary, Shauhin grabbed Kamilla and Kyle picked Chrissy Sarnowsky before Mitch and Star knew what was happening. I’m proud of you Joe, even if you don’t know you made a smart move by lying about it.

Devens’ reputation finally catches up to him, and he has finally become a target. And Ozzy of all people throws his name out. I didn’t see that coming.

Coach thinks Tiffany won’t find out he was driving the vote? Good lord, Coach is stupid. And Tiffany calls him out just like Dee did and asks, “So who DID throw out my name?” Coach’s silence spoke volumes. Coach is a horrible liar. He never thinks ahead about how to cover his tracks.

I’m straight up hoping Coach and Chrissy leave so we can put a merciful end to this obnoxious “integrity” alliance. I bet Joe is pissed off because now he has to try and keep Tiffany safe.

Rizo is the only one who has used that spoon to lift the ball out of the birdcage. I think that gives him and Emily a slight advantage.

Probst: “But you can only vote for a pair.” Chrissy realizes how fucked she is for partnering with Coach.

One of the pairs is leaving? That means Cirie is safe again. She’s been getting some good luck breaks this season. It’s almost the opposite of how things usually go for her. This is yet another reason to take all of your stuff with you to challenges.

I wonder if Ozzy or Rizo plays an Idol does it protect two people? Oh, it does? Thanks Probst. Does Ozzy want to protect Stephenie? Does Rizo want to protect Emily? Will Cirie’s Extra Vote come into play here?

And just like that, Coach and Chrissy start off in last place and never recover because he sucks at basketball.

Joe and Tiffany win Immunity, which probably means Coach is gonna push the vote towards Aubry and/or Devens.

I like the consequences of the coconut challenge for Cirie, but watching it was as fun as watching Stephenie holding her arm up for an hour.

Edgic fans are gonna say this segment means Cirie wins the game. I’ve never bought into edgic, but I am a big Cirie fan. Now she can tell Ozzy and Rizo how to vote.

Emily sees the obvious choice for her alliance right off the bat. But she hasn’t been able to swing a vote yet this season.

Ozzy thinks Cirie will push to remove Devens and Aubry? As Queen Sandra would say, “I don’t know about thaaaaaat.”

Aubry: “I think I can get Tiff (to vote for Coach).” Really Aubry? You think there’s a chance Tiffany wants to vote for Coach? Not a chance (there’s that drip of sarcasm again).

Joe admits he voted for Tiffany, then promises he won’t ever vote for her again? If Joe is lying again, I’ll be even more proud of him. But telling Tiffany he wants Aubry out might not have been smart.

Chrissy tells Coach to calm down, then starts pushing the vote herself? Talk about somebody who needs to take her own advice.

In confessional, Chrissy is patting herself on the back. She did that a lot in S35: HHH.

I agree with everyone who is saying this vote will decide how the rest of the season will go. Whoever comes out on top might be able to control the rest of the game.

I hope this extended Coach segment is his Colby-esque sendoff.

And just as predicted, Cirie straightens out Ozzy’s strategic brain. “You can knock out the middle (players) whenever. When are you gonna get Chrissy and Coach at one time?” And just like that, the votes are going where Cirie wants them. Like I said in my Episode 3 column: Cirie is the best manipulator Survivor has ever seen.

Aubry: “Cirie is able to point votes a different way.” Aubry must have read my episode 3 column too.

Tiffany tells Aubry she’s voting for Chrissy, adding “She’s (Chrissy) the mastermind of the whole thing.” In my book, Tiffany just labeled Chrissy a “leader.”

Chrissy asks Cirie to vote for Rizo. This season, that’s like asking Cirie to vote for herself. And Rizo is smart enough to know if he confronts Chrissy, he’d be killing Cirie’s game. If that were Emily next to Cirie, Chrissy would be clued in within 10 minutes. This is why it’s so important to choose reliable allies.

Rizo also sees the wisdom in including Joe on the plan. But it’s Cirie who makes the pitch to Joe with Ozzy and Tiffany by her side. This is why I said Kamilla should have been with Dee when she did damage control with Jonathan. Cirie brought some backup. I think that’s why Joe didn’t tell Stephenie and Jonathan that Cirie was doing the pitching.

20 minutes for Tribal Council. This should be fun.

Coach singing about someone getting their comeuppance could be the greatest irony Survivor has ever seen.

Hmm ... Devens isn’t sitting close to where he hid his phony Idol. How is he gonna pretend to find it?

Coach destroys Chrissy’s strategy of telling Coach to shut the fuck up by telling everyone about it. Ozzy made the same mistake S23: South Pacific. So naturally, Coach bugs the crap out of everyone by babbling again at Tribal Council. Is there a better way to seal your own fate?

I think Rizo was smart for bringing Joe in on the plan. Now everyone can say they didn’t lie to him.

In S20: Heroes vs. Villains, Tyson told Coach not to wear feathers at Tribal Council. He still hasn’t gotten the message.

Ahh, Devens makes up a story about a phony Idol clue.

My thoughts exactly Dee.

Coach seals his fate by insisting on reciting another annoying quote.

Devens in the booth “Aubry’s gonna be pissed when I don’t play it.” Why not just whisper to her it’s a phony?

Coach plays his Shot In The Dark, but Chrissy doesn’t increase their chances by playing hers. I’ll say it now. Bye Coach and Chrissy.

Why does Chrissy have to get snuffed first? Is Coach’s departure better for ratings? Does this mean she gets less money than Coach?

Shane Powers (S12: Panama - Exile Island) said it perfectly: “Cirie is a gangster in an Oprah suit.” This vote was 100% Cirie. Maybe Devens deserves an assist, but I really think Coach and Chrissy were cooked before he pulled out his phony Idol. It was a great bluff, but I think it only changed Stephenie and Joe’s votes. There were eight solid votes against them as Tribal Council began.

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Recap

Normally, I’d wonder if this moment would rocket Cirie to the top of the hit list. She jumped off that boat and swung the vote to Coach and Chrissy faster than Queen Sandra got rid of Tony in S34: Game Changers. But like one of Rizo’s Idol bluffs last season, Devens totally owned the moment. So, my first question is who made themselves a bigger target? Cirie or Devens?

I think Christian played this brilliantly, too. He had Jonathan convinced he’d fall in line. He’s got plausible deniability and can claim Devens’ “Idol find” forced him to change his mind.

I’m thinking this vote effectively ends the game for Stephenie and Jonathan too. Jonathan chose wrong at the Kamilla vote, then he drew a line in the sand with Dee. He can’t cross back now. Stephenie should have started cozying up to the “middle” players when Coach had his meltdown last week, starting with Cirie.

Joe might have a shot since he fell in line. He hasn’t been driving anything, and everyone knows he’s afraid of going to the fire challenge (if there is one). Why vote him out over Jonathan, Cirie, Christian or Devens? He could sneak into the finals unless everyone realizes he’d be a lock to get jury votes from Coach, Chrissy and Jonathan. You know what? Never mind. That’s actually the best reason to put all of the “integrity” members on the jury. He/she who pisses off the fewest of them would probably win.

But did you notice after Devens “found” an Idol, Joe told Tiffany he wouldn’t vote for Coach? He’s gonna get caught in this lie. That could cost him a win in Mike Turner S42 fashion.

In a way, Coach was the Abi-Maria of this season. He got so annoying, people were tempted to carry him deep as a goat. But when he got even more annoying, they just cut him loose. But at least Abi-Maria made it to the final 7 twice.

I REALLY wish there were Ponderosa videos. I’m dying to see how Dee and Coach interact on the jury.

What do you think? Did Chrissy sink her own ship by trying to push this vote or was she dead as soon as she and Coach lost Immunity? If all of the “integrity” players end up on the jury, which of the remaining players will be the first to leave? Which power trio will prevail? Cirie/Ozzy/Rizo or Christian/Devens/Emily? I’m thinking Emily will spill something that will turn the tide. How do Aubry and Tiffany fit into this now? Let me know in the comments.