In the game of “Survivor,” the only surefire way for a contestant to guarantee their safety is to secure Immunity.
Whether it’s tribal immunity, an Individual Immunity necklace, or a Hidden Immunity Idol, there are plenty of ways for a castaway to ensure, without a shadow of a doubt, that they’ll live to see another day on the island. That being said, plenty of former castaways have taken advantage of that power by crafting fake – albeit convincing – fake replicas to lull their enemies into a false sense of security.
As the show’s milestone 50th installment begins, longtime “Survivor” host Jeff Probst revealed his hopes that the record-breaking cast of all-star competitors will employ the seldom-used tactic to pull off an array of show-stopping blindsides this season.
Jeff Probst Wants Players to Capitalize on ‘Unpredictable’ Nature of Season 50
CBSSpeaking to Parade, Probst argued that the “In the Hands of the Fans” theme of “Survivor 50” – which allowed fans the opportunity to directly influence the season, from whether or not they contestants started the game with rice and supplies (They didn’t.) to whether or not never-before-seen advantages would be available on the island – gives its players the perfect opportunity to sew chaos and misinformation.
“That’s why the fan vote is so fun,” Probst said. “We’re not in charge. I’m used to having control. Like, ‘This is when an idol is going into the game, and this is how it works. And this is the new twist we’re putting to the game, and this is how it works.’ This is the audience saying, ‘We’ll let you know about the twists and advantages, Probst. We’ll get back to you on that.’”
The premiere episode alone introduced new advantages like the “Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol” and the unexpected return of Exile Island. It is exactly this, the threat of the unknown nature of the season, that Probst hopes the players will utilize to their advantage.
“I think what’s interesting for the player, at least the clever player, is knowing that nobody knows,” Probst continued. “So I can tell you anything I want as a fellow player. They could make up anything they want. I can tell you, ‘I just ran into Probst in the jungle. I had a margarita with him. No, it’s a new thing. It’s called Drinks with Jeff.’ And who knows if that’s true because [the fans] could’ve voted for anything. That’s what I think is fun.”
A Brief History of ‘Survivor’s Fake Immunity Idols
CBSWhile Probst suggested that the “Survivor 50” players could lie about a number of advantages and twists, the concept of a fake Immunity Idol is well-established in the franchise, with the first-ever powerless replica appearing in 2005’s “Survivor: Guatemala.”
The fake was crafted by castaway Gary Hogeboom, who similarly made history as the first-ever “Survivor” player to discover a Hidden Immunity Idol on the show. While the replica was never discovered by the other castaways on the season, and indeed, was never shown on air, it goes to show that fake idols are just as long-lived and integral as the real ones.
It wouldn’t be until “Survivor: Fiji” that castaway Yau-Man Chan would make history with the first fake idol to be shown on screen, though, once again, the replica was never found.
Since then, the tradition of crafting fake Immunity Idols has become a “Survivor” staple, despite its varied results.
On “Survivor: David vs. Goliath,” Season 50 returnee Angelina Keeley crafted a fake idol in an attempt to humiliate her long-time rival Alison Raybould at the Final Five. However, after Alison was eliminated in a unanimous vote, regardless of the fake idol play, Angelina’s power play only succeeded in souring her reputation with the jury, leading to her third place finish on the season.
Fellow Season 50 returnee Chrissy Hofbeck also crafted a fake idol during her time on “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers,” though it only resulted in breaking the trust between her and the season’s eventual winner Ben Driebergen.
Rick Devens, also on the “Survivor 50” cast, made history as the first castaway to create two fake idols in a single season on “Survivor: Edge of Extinction.”
“Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” returns to CBS next Wednesday, March 3 at 8:00pm ET.
