With all due respect to what’s going on in the currently airing Season 47, there’s nothing most Survivor fans are invested in more than the hypothetical cast for Season 50. The beloved reality show has already announced it will be bringing back all returning players for its landmark season, and many of the game’s most famous names have made it clear they’d love to return. The producers, however, haven’t been super forthcoming on what they’re looking for, at least until a recent interview Jeff Probst gave. Now fans have something to go on, and let the record show, a healthy percentage don’t seem too happy.
The interview in question was given to Entertainment Weekly. Longtime host Jeff Probst was asked what he’s looking for in an ideal returning player, and that’s apparently a “joyful attitude.” He said he wants Season 50 to be a celebration of Survivor and its long history. He wants fans to have fun watching it, which means he doesn’t want “disgruntled” former players who have grudges or a score to settle. You can read a portion of his quote below…
We want players who are also excited to be on it. This is not Winners at War. It doesn't mean we don't want players who are going to play hard. Of course we do. But it means we're also big-picture trying to celebrate 25 years, and that means joyful players who are in a good mood and want to play. We’re not looking for disgruntled players looking to settle a score. We're looking for players who want a second chance, who have something to prove to themselves.
If you’re one of those chronically online Survivor fans like myself who follow a bunch of Survivor accounts on X and listen to all the podcasts, I don’t need to tell you how many fans have reacted to these quotes. They play very well into a certain stereotype some fans have about Probst and the so-called New Era, but if you’re a normal person who isn’t perpetually neck deep in the jungle looking for idols, let me give a little context.
After Season 40 Winners at War, Survivor has very actively sought to reimagine itself. The fundamentals of the game are the same, but the show has pretty consistently cast nicer people and spent a lot more time talking about feelings. Some entire seasons have been absent any clear villains, as the producers have largely tried to replace castaway-driven drama with a steady stream of new advantages, disadvantages and unexpected twists. Some of these fans have liked, and some of these fans have hated. In general, however, the three loudest complaints from hardcore fans about the New Era are definitely 1) reducing the game from 39 days to 26 days, 2) introducing way too many advantages and 3) not casting enough villains.
As such, it’s hard not to read these new comments from Probst and think we might be in for another season filled with hand-holding and lots of conversations about feelings and overcoming the odds. Here’s a sample tweet that addresses that, which has more than a thousand likes…
🚨BREAKING NEWS 🚨SURVIVOR 50: HEROES VS HEROES CONFIRMED!!! Idols will officially be replaced with stuffed animals. Challenges will contest of holding hands and singing songs in a circle. Tribal councils will end with a participation award and a play date! https://t.co/X6pslGD8w2November 12, 2024
I wish I could say that tweet was an outlier, but unfortunately, that seems to be the mindset of plenty of fans. One tweeted out that he was sick and tired of trying to see castaways out there to prove things to themselves and instead wanted players out there to kill each other. Another tweet with more than 500 likes suggested they should just cancel the season if there’s not going to conflict and drama.
There are definitely some fans, however, who are taking his comments in stride. I am in agreement that some of the recent seasons of Survivor have been way too focused on personal growth and didn’t have nearly enough personality or age diversity. But the producers have seemed to get the memo on that. Survivor 46 was an extremely angry and bitter season filled with public meltdowns and personal animosity that still hasn’t healed. There’s also been a bit less emphasis on sad tragic backstories of individual players and more focus on actual gameplay, which is always welcome. There are definitely still too many advantages and wrinkles, but most of them have been smaller and Probst even admitted some of those early New Era twists went way too far.
So, these comments aren’t necessarily the worst thing in the world, and I also can kind of see where he’s coming from. I want contestants who play in a really cutthroat and sometimes mean way, but I don’t necessarily want contestants who whine and complain about the structure of the show or how unfair things were. I do want people who are happy to be there and excited to play. Once they get dropped off on the beach, however, I just want to see them behave like sociopaths.
Ultimately, I probably agree with this tweet more than any other…
Reasons why I don’t care what Jeff Probst has to say about #Survivor50:1. One of my all-time favorite shows is prepping to film its FORTY-NINTH and FIFTIETH SEASONS. He could cast every Survivor player I could never remember and I’d still watch because it’s a new season.November 13, 2024
I love Survivor. I get a little worked up and have strong opinions because I love it so much, but ultimately, any Survivor is good Survivor. So, I’m going to just hope for the best and wait until some real casting news breaks. I will, however, keep my fingers crossed that that cast includes plenty of people like Tyson, Coach, Russell Hantz, Johnny Fairplay and Chaos Kass.
