[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Survivor Season 47 Episode 12, “Operation Italy.”]
Survivor paid homage to Ocean’s Eleven and the heist film style in its newest episode, made doable by an incredible plan referred to as “Operation Italy” hatched by Andy. Within the On Fireplace aftershow podcast, Jeff Probst confirmed that the editors made deliberate references to Ocean’s Eleven montages for the episode and shared how the concept got here to life in post-production. (Take heed to the complete episode of On Fireplace at no cost with out advertisements under.) In response to Probst, a superbly executed plan like “Operation Italy” deserved nothing much less.
Andy has been voting with an underdog alliance for a number of episodes now, however with only some days left within the recreation, he knew he needed to make a splash if he has any probability of successful the $1 million within the two-part season finale. He introduced Sam and Genevieve — who’ve been on the backside for some time — into the fold throughout a reward on the sanctuary, gaining their belief by revealing Rachel’s Block a Vote benefit that everybody however them knew about. (Rachel was the appropriate particular person to focus on; she’s the strongest participant of the season up to now.)
They referred to as the plan “Operation Italy” as a result of their sanctuary meal featured Italian meals. Right here’s what Andy pitched: collectively they construct suspicion that Genevieve or Sam had an idol, which might make the underdog alliance wish to cut up the votes, after which Andy would flip by betraying the underdog alliance and voting with Genevieve and Sam. Their objective was to take out Rachel, however then Rachel gained particular person immunity. They set their sights on Caroline as a substitute.
Earlier than the immunity problem got here an Ocean’s Eleven-inspired montage that confirmed Andy, Genevieve, and Sam laying the groundwork for his or her huge scheme. Probst mentioned in On Fireplace that the concept for the montage and its Ocean’s Eleven-inspired transitions and music got here from co-executive producer Ryan Balthazor. Probst in contrast Balthazor’s work on this episode to that the profitable music producer Rick Rubin.
“On a present like Survivor, to be storyteller, you bought to have slightly little bit of Rick Rubin in you,” Probst advised cohosts Jay Wolff and Charlie Davis. “Rick Rubin is a really well-known Malibu, California music producer with the lengthy beard. He’s the Zen grasp within the nook … He says the band brings you a music, and you then provide concepts on tips on how to form it.” That’s what Balthazor was doing with “Operation Italy,” in line with Probst.
“What Ryan is doing within the subject is just like what any person like Rick Rubin would do within the studio. Ryan is listening to the music that Andy is bringing,” the host explains. “And now concepts are beginning to kind in Ryan’s head. However the music, ‘Operation Italy,’ it’s nonetheless unfolding. The band’s nonetheless within the studio, they’re nonetheless exploring. So Ryan’s focus continues to be the identical factor: simply pay attention. And he begins to ask questions. Andy, stroll me via it. So how would this ‘Operation Italy’ work? And Andy begins saying, nicely, the first step is that this, step two is that. Then Andy has to go and attempt to pull it off. Ryan’s nonetheless simply listening, observing to the music that’s nonetheless coming to life. And on this case, ‘Operation Italy’ turned out to be successful. It was an incredible concept by Andy, executed completely by these concerned. And the result’s they flipped the sport.”
That is when Balthazor may actually get to work. “Now his job turns into, what can I deliver to it as a storyteller within the edit bays?” Probst says. Balthazor and his colleagues determined that an Ocean’s Eleven reference was the proper solution to bundle this plan. “It’s bought all of the substances,” the host raves. “There are a number of steps that must be achieved. We’ve got a enjoyable group of gamers that we wish to watch attempt to obtain it, and we’re going to have rooting curiosity from the followers who’re going to need it to work as a result of it’s such a enjoyable concept and such an incredible title.”
Editor Plowden Schumacher watched the entire Ocean movies to organize for this episode’s post-production, Probst reveals. “If you return and examine, they recreated each transition from the film they usually captured that very same sense of heist and enjoyable and persona,” Probst shares. “We talked about it final week within the podcast. The important thing to all of that is, [Andy, Genevieve, and Sam] executed it. You possibly can have the concept, however they had been in a position to pull it off.”
Andy Rueda, Genevieve Mushaluk and Caroline Vidmar in ‘Survivor’ Season 47 Episode 11 tribal council (CBS)
Probst says this sequence “is one among my favourite sequences of the whole season, possibly of our whole run,” he admits. “And in case you’re questioning, yeah, it’s particular to Ryan and Invoice [Bowden, supervising producer who also worked on this scene] and Plowden. They have fun that. They realize it’s very particular to work on this present. They realize it’s very particular to be given the liberty to simply say, we bought to tackle this. It’s Oceans Eleven. After which when it really works and also you create one thing so enjoyable, you have fun. And simply to nod to future gamers: You wish to star in your individual model of a Survivor heist film? That’s the way you do it.”
Andy’s plan paid off huge time in tribal council. The trio’s efforts to dupe the opposite gamers labored, leading to a three-way cut up of votes between Genevieve, Sam, and Caroline. Andy’s flipped vote was the deciding think about Caroline’s elimination, and he took possession instantly by telling the shocked different gamers, “I’ll clarify.” The jury made notice of Andy’s huge transfer, and the gamers who had been tricked bore seems to be of impressed shock. On Fireplace cohost and Season 46 alum Davis mentioned it’s uncommon for any elaborate Survivor plan to go off with no main hitch.
“You can fill a graveyard of useless Survivor plans that fail someplace alongside the best way,” Davis says. “So many variables, and even simply the existence of so many variables makes folks slightly bit antsy to get on board with that plan … It’s very exhausting to get one thing like this off the bottom. However I’ll say similar to in Ocean’s Eleven, if you need that massive payout, the massive cash seize on the on line casino, you want a daring plan … Typically you want an enormous swing like this.”
It was an enormous swing, and it was removed from a miss. Andy could have simply taken the lead with simply two episodes left within the season. Discover out extra behind-the-scenes particulars about Survivor‘s newest episode within the On Fireplace embed under.
Survivor, Season 47 Finale Half 1, Wednesday, December 11, 8/7c, CBS