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Ahead of Survivor Season 43 premiere, legendary host Jeff Probst revealed which popular twists would not be making an appearance in the new installment. As per his statement to Entertainment Weekly, Change History and Do or Die are the two twists that viewers will not get to experience as the new season comes up with many recurring twists and interesting challenges.
Survivor has always been known for several twists and challenges that have evolved over the years. The production has tested newer challenges and introduced twists that have been beneficial to some castaways and a disadvantage to others. With the new season and the abbreviated 26 day installment, it is bound to get even more interesting.
What are the Change History and Do or Die twists on Survivor?
Change History, or the Hourglass twist as it was popularly called, was first introduced in Season 41 of the franchise. All the players before the merge were to be separated into two teams to take part in the challenge.
The winning team will automatically receive Immunity from Tribal Council, giving them an easier entry into the merge. The losing contestants would then take part in an individual immunity challenge from where one of them would be voted out.
However, there is a twist. The winning team can choose one of the two players who didn't compete to come to their side. The other Survivor contestant would then be sent to Exile Island, where they were granted the power to "make history by changing history." The castaway would be given an hourglass and a hammer to reverse the course of the challenge, marking the losers safe and vice versa.
The twist was deemed extremely controversial, with fans and former contestants raising concerns over the same. Former Survivor contestant Danny McCray, who won the first season of The Challenge: USA, raised the issue with the twist in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, said:
"The fact that he was able to lie to us, to trick us and make us work as hard as we did just for it to be taken away from us, it just wasn't cool with me. And his response, you know, it was what it was. I won't really get into that, but it just didn't float with me. So I didn't like it."
Although the rules of the Change History twist were tweaked in Season 42, with one from the winning team having the power to go to Exile Island instead of the losing team member, it still didn't sit well with fans.
The Do or Die twist on Survivor was introduced in both Season 41 and Season 42 and essentially gave players the option to compete or sit out of a challenge. If they sat out, they would have no shot at immunity. However, if they compete and were the first person to lose, they would have to play a game of chance that if they lost, would eliminate them from the competition.
For the game of chance, the castaway will be called up to the podium and presented with three boxes by the host. They will be asked to predict which box has the "safe" symbol. After the prediction is made, the host will open the second box, leaving one box unopened yet. The contestant will then have a chance to change their choice depending on the result.
If chosen correctly, the castaway continues on their Survivor journey. However, if incorrect, then the contestant is immediately eliminated.
Speaking about the removal of the twists, host Jeff Probst said:
"I can already hear some fans celebrating and others saying we caved to criticism! We love fan feedback, and the feedback on Change History was amazing. People either really liked it or really hated it, but not a single person said 'Eh, I could take it or leave it.' And with Do or Die, the drama was electrifying but we also felt that was one twist we could put on the shelf… for now."
Survivor Season 43 will air a two-hour premiere episode on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 on CBS and a 90-minute episode the following week on September 28. Host Jeff Probst told Entertainment Weekly that "things like small tribes, earn the merge, no food, risk/reward dilemmas, Shot in the Dark, are here to stay," and other twists will come and go depending on the season.
