It’s too darn sizzling! Jeff Probst says an “oppressive warmth” plagued the primary 10-15 days of filming Season 49, making for the most popular season since Season 31, Survivor: Cambodia. Probst’s exhaustion will likely be seen within the pre-merge episodes. As for the 18 gamers, he says, “It hit their cognitive capability so quick” and significantly impacted technique.
“The merge hits, the climate cools down, and the sport play ignites,” the Emmy-winning host assures. “The again half of the season is bonkers.” Within the first half, some “polarizing” personalities will emerge. “Out of the gate, there are a few gamers that completely, capital letters Can’t Learn the Room,” Probst reveals. Might one in every of them be the Marvel producer, or maybe one of many two alternates put into the sport 12 hours earlier than filming started? Possibly it’s the pair that will likely be again in Season 50, whose identities are nonetheless secret.
Survivor Season 49 premieres Wednesday, September 24 at 8/7c on CBS. Right here, Probst teases what’s to return, together with an in-depth rationalization of why they requested two gamers to return again and play once more in Survivor 50 simply weeks after 49 wrapped filming.
You’ve mentioned that the 2 gamers pulled up for 50 made such an impression that you simply needed to convey them again. What makes them stand out?
Jeff Probst: It’s a extremely good query as a result of it’s so subjective, however actually what occurred was we went into 49 not totally locked with our forged for 50. We had been open to the concept that if a participant actually impressed us in 49, we might invite them into 50, after which that might be a extremely stunning bookend to have anyone, Jenna [Lewis-Dougherty], from Season 1 after which anyone from 49. However we had been by no means going to power the difficulty if anyone didn’t step up. Across the merge, we began actually trying on the gamers to see if there was anyone, and there have been a couple of gamers, however two did stand out.
What we had been in search of is those who we thought might match into what we knew we had been constructing for 50, which was this composite of our complete historical past. I feel that’s one factor that possibly loads of followers aren’t actually clear on. This isn’t a season that was going to be categorized by phrases like “legends” or every other factor. It was merely, in case you have a look at 25 years of Survivor, let’s attempt to style a little bit of all of that. And so the gamers we had been in search of in Survivor 49 can be the essence of the brand new period. And the essence of the brand new period is a sooner, extra harmful type of gameplay. What we search for is gamers who’re prepared to play this sport to win. And that’s very completely different from taking part in to not lose.
Even at the moment within the new period, we nonetheless find yourself with gamers who I can see get tentative the longer they final. We had been in search of individuals who had been doubling down the longer they lasted. We discovered that, and two gamers emerged virtually on the identical time. We weren’t anticipating two gamers. We actually thought if we get fortunate, we’ll discover one individual from 49. However there have been two and we couldn’t actually determine between the 2 of them. So we simply ended up increasing what number of gamers we had been going to take for Survivor 50, which then made room for one more participant or gamers who had been within the combine and hadn’t but been placed on the forged, so it was this state of flux.
You’re in search of two gamers who wish to play Survivor and that you simply suppose can combine it up with folks from all completely different eras and generations and types of gameplay. That’s what we’re in search of in 50: taking gamers, going again to the primary season, however placing them within the new period sport. So with gamers from 49, you needed individuals who represented that. Who’re the gamers which are prepared to indicate up, double down, go for broke, understanding they could lose, but additionally understanding the one option to ever win is to play with out the concern of dropping? We noticed that in two gamers, and it grew to become increasingly clear to us that they need to be on 50.
Do you suppose viewers will be capable to predict who these two gamers are in some unspecified time in the future within the season?
I feel it’s going to be a really enjoyable sport to play alongside, in all probability beginning across the merge as to who you suppose the 2 gamers are and possibly much more importantly, why as you’re doing all your armchair evaluation of this enjoyable sport referred to as Survivor. Who would you placed on? I feel that’s what loads of followers are going to be asking. “I might put that individual on and right here’s why,” and “I might by no means put that individual on and right here’s why.” I don’t know if followers will be capable to guess which two we picked, however I do suppose they may agree with the 2 we picked. Once you see the announcement of who’s on 50, I feel it’s going to make sense. I feel folks will likely be excited to see them play.
Robert Voets / CBS
Does this season have a villain?
Villain’s a extremely fascinating phrase to me. It retains getting introduced up. I feel it’s in all probability as a result of loads of different exhibits within the style forged for villains, and we used to try this, too.
You had an entire season about it.
Sure, precisely. We had Heroes versus Villains. We don’t try this anymore. So for me, I don’t ever see folks in a class like that, however I completely perceive the essence of the query. The place I feel at the moment’s villain comes from is subjective. One individual’s villain is one other individual’s hero. That’s not me dodging the query. It’s actually a distinct manner to have a look at who you placed on the present. The group will determine who the villain is, and it’s fascinating to me. In actual fact, to your query, I can consider one person who I feel will likely be very polarizing when it comes to folks both completely loving them and the way in which they play the sport or pondering they’re a villain and subsequently not liking the way in which they’re taking part in the sport. And that’s what’s enjoyable as a result of it actually doesn’t matter what the viewers thinks. It issues what the gamers are in a position to discern about how all people else is seeing them.
For those who can see that you simply’re perceived as a villain by this individual, however as a trusted confidant by this different individual, then you definitely’re going to do effectively within the sport. For those who’ve acquired a blind spot and also you’re stuffed with hubris and you may by no means think about anybody seeing you as a villain, then you definitely’re in all probability going to be out early. The sport assessments your capability to learn the room. Simply pondering of myself, I’m totally conscious that if I performed Survivor, not everybody would love me. Some folks would see sure qualities about myself that I feel are nice, and so they may discover despicable. But when I can perceive that, then I’ve acquired a shot.
How shortly does that polarizing participant emerge?
I might say early on. There are specific gamers which have a manner of talking or they arrive from a background that leans into an early judgment, only a knee-jerk evaluation. Oh, I wager they’re going to be like this. I wager that lady’s going to be the sort of individual. Or I wager that man thinks he’s all this. But when they final lengthy sufficient, you get an opportunity to see all their layers. When you begin to see the depth of an individual, you start to grasp why they’re the way in which they’re. And infrequently you may have extra empathy and extra compassion, and also you understand, OK, I suppose we’re not that completely different in any case. Nevertheless it’s typically that first impression that you simply make in these first few days with a bunch of strangers that may set your course for the sport. What you’re going to see in 49 out of the gate, there are a few gamers that completely, capital letters Can’t Learn the Room.
They don’t see how they’re being perceived by others, and so they simply maintain going merrily alongside their manner. The savvier participant is ready to see in a short time, that dialog didn’t go as I meant. I now must take a second and determine find out how to re-approach that very same individual and get well what I’d’ve simply misplaced and begin to construct what I’m seeking to create with them when it comes to a relationship to construct one thing new. And that occurs straight out of the gate.
Robert Voets / CBS
As well as, this season is so sizzling. I do know that doesn’t sound like a lot of a headline, however I’m telling you, this was the most popular season I can keep in mind possibly aside from Cambodia [Season 31], the place we had three folks go down at one problem. It was so sizzling, however I felt it, and also you’ll see it in me. You’ll see moments the place I’m exhausted and was struggling to recollect names and I’m sweating by way of my shirt. And I’m anyone who’s going residence at evening and having dinner and going to mattress, and I’ve air con and all the comforts. Once you take what’s already a really tough sport in the course of a jungle and also you add this oppressive warmth, it hit their cognitive capability so quick. And now the check turns into, can I current the kind of persona I wish to current once I can barely keep in mind my very own identify?
You’re going to really feel that. After which the merge hits, the climate cools down, and the gameplay ignites. The again half of the season is bonkers when it comes to alliances and fluidity. What’s true at the moment is 100% not true even tonight, neglect about tomorrow. I do suppose there was a correlation between how tough the primary 10 or 15 days had been, after which once they acquired some aid from the climate, all people stood up and went, oh, I’m able to go.
You’ll see within the first 5 episodes. I can’t keep in mind precisely the place, however I discussed it a couple of occasions. At one level, I feel at a problem, I made some extent of claiming to them, I simply wish to be a witness to what you’re going by way of. This warmth is oppressive, and it’s impacting me. And I’m struggling, too, as a result of I’m remembering 18 names and I’m making an attempt to comply with many, many, many various tales which are taking place in actual time at a problem or post-challenge or at Tribal [Council], and I’ve to be sharp. And I, too, was struggling at occasions asking myself, wait a minute, what’s their tribe identify? That’s how sizzling it was.
And also you’re fed.
I’m fed and I sleep effectively. I’m not having anyone conspire in opposition to me. It’s very uncommon after a problem for anybody on our workforce to method me whereas we’re dissecting what simply occurred, but it surely grew to become recurring for one in every of our Dream Teamers to return give me a cup of water after a problem was over.
I assumed, wow, that’s how sizzling it’s. You’re form of breaking by way of this interior circle of the workforce post-challenge since you’re apprehensive that I want a cup of water. Oh my God, how are these gamers going again to that camp possibly with no provides in any respect to endure one other evening of making an attempt to determine who’s going to go residence at Tribal Council? Hope a storm doesn’t come. There is no such thing as a meals. Chances are you’ll not have flint, which implies you haven’t any hearth. Your shelter sucks. And my workforce is looking for me, the host of the present. It was fairly telling.
The factor about warmth, it’s not bloody, it’s not a damaged bone. It’s not one thing you possibly can see. In order that’s why once I say the warmth was an element, it doesn’t sound like a lot of a headline, however it’s. You possibly can solely see it in conduct. You possibly can solely see it in how a tribe walks as much as a problem on day eight, and so they’re already exhausted and we haven’t even run the problem. Or once I ask a quite simple query: “Inform me what occurred at the moment once you acquired again to camp.” You see a participant asking me, “What was the query once more?” That’s the place you see it. It’s a really refined factor, however I feel in case you look ahead to it and attempt to think about what that might be like, then it turns into very clear the affect that it’s having.
Survivor, Season 49 Premiere, Wednesday, September 24, 8/7c, CBS