Survivor is considered one of the best reality shows of all time, and has had a long, wildly successful run on CBS (and streaming with a Paramount+ subscription). The series is showing no signs of slowing down, with Jeff Probst confirming that the upcoming Season 50 will feature returning players. And iconic winner Rob Mariano just clued me in on Survivor alliances that go on behind the scenes before the game even starts. Someone cue the theme song!
Alliances are a big part of Survivor gameplay, as folks team up to vote out their competition at Tribal Council. But it turns out that in returning player seasons, some of these voting blocks are established before contestant even set foot on the island. Boston Rob was on the cast of Deal or No Deal Island, but some fans want to see him return to Survivor in a future seasons. While in an interview with EW, the four-time competitor spoke about pre-game alliances, offering:
I'm stirring it up on social media like I like to do. So slide into the DMs, all you former players, and we'll let you know whether or not you can get in the alliance or not. Actually, talk to my secretary, Sandra. She's fielding all the requests.
The Survivor community is a large one at this point, as we're gearing up for Season 47 of the show. And while Jeff Probst has gotten nominated for an Emmy again, former castaways are sliding into each other's DMs in case they end up being asked back for Season 50. Clearly the series is showing no signs of slowing down.
The preseason "gameplay" of Survivor emerged in more recent seasons, where returning players tried to form bonds to protect them at least through the early stages of the game. In the same interview with EW, Mariano revealed how he learned this the hard way for Season 40 aka Winners at War. As he put it:
Now, I understand, like on Game Changers, Sandra told me on 39 that everybody out there had their pre-existing alliance before they got to the beach and if you weren't a part of it, then you were gone, one, two, three, four, and that might happen to me.
Indeed, that seemed to happen throughout Winners at War. We saw beloved contestants like Parvati Shallow and Ethan Zohn voted out early, seemingly due to pregame alliances made with the more recent contestants. So if Boston Rob is going to possibly return yet again, he's going to need to keep up the DM conversations with fellow players.
The cast of Survivor 50 is a mystery for the time being, but the 47th season will premiere September 18th. In the meantime, check the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
