Fans of Survivor rejoice! Season 51 of the hit reality TV show premiered on Wednesday, Sept. 23rd, and has completely flipped the game upside down.
Starting with a nod to the very first seasons of Survivor, the game began with contestants on a boat surrounded by supplies. As Jeff Probst, the host of the show, introduced the new season, he remarked that it was the beginning of the “open era,” a time of permanent uncertainty. Probst went on to explain that this meant any rules, twists, and advantages from the previous 50 seasons are in play and can appear at any time without warning. When contestants did finally make it to the beach with their supplies, there was no direction on what to do or where to go, so they got to introducing themselves. There seemed to be a giddy buzz in the air, as cast members quickly made acquaintances and formed the beginnings of alliances.
Once one of the contestants realized there was a sign further down on the beach, they all ran over to see what it said. Surprise, surprise, the first twist of the game: one contestant must start their game separated from the others on the other side of the island. As expected, none of the contestants wanted to volunteer to go, since they know socialising in the first couple days of the game can be crucial.
However, eventually, Lewis Kelly stepped up. Kelly, 28 years old and from Ireland, quickly realized his misfortune as reached the other side of the island, there was a sign reading, “Welcome to Exile Island.” Originally introduced in season 10 when a contestant was the first person to drop out of an immunity challenge, Exile Island places a contestant in total isolation, usually for one night. Since then, it has become a recurring element of the show, being featured on numerous seasons.
After Lewis’ departure, the rest of the contestants were split into two tribes, Savu, represented by the color purple and Toka, represented by the color yellow. As buffs were distributed amongst the players, they were also instructed to pick one representative to negotiate for supplies. Savu chose Kristin Flickinger, a 49-year old-crisis manager and lawyer. Meanwhile, on Toka Danny Kilby, a 30-year-old game designer. Ultimately, Savu got the flint, a machete, and fishing gear, while Toka got building and shelter supplies. After that, the two tribes made their way to their respective beaches where small fractures began to form within the groups.
Meanwhile, on Exile Island, Probst visited Kelly and presented him with a challenge. At the top of a wooden mast was an immunity idol, presenting Kelly with a machete, Probst explained that if Kelly could chop through the mast he could get the idol. Kelly could not climb the mast or shake it to get the idol down, he had to cut through the thick wood, relying on his own strength and stamina. Of course, to make the stakes even higher Probst presented Kelly with a sand-filled hourglass, creating a time constraint for the challenge.
For the two tribes, at the challenge Jeff presented yet another new feature of the open era. As seen in season 50, when Mr. Beast presented the coin-flip opportunity to Rick Devens. Then, the stakes were he would either win individual immunity for that vote, get an immunity idol, and the prize money would double to $2 million, or he would be eliminated from the game. Famously, Devens called heads, and heads landed. In this season though, at some point, a player will have to flip a coin and, if called correctly, the prize money will double to $2 million.
If the side is called incorrectly, instead of the extra money going to this season, it will go to the next season, and so on. Essentially, the prize money continues carrying over until the correct side is called and then a lump-sum of extra money will be added to the prize.
This first episode is an intriguing, eventful start to the season that keeps fans on the edge of their seat throughout the episode. With so many new and familiar twists, it’s intriguing to see how the contestants react and what decisions they make. New episodes of season 51 will air on CBS at 8 p.m. every Wednesday until Dec. 16th, when the finale will air and a winner be announced.
