Jeff Probst gets real about “polite” players in the New Era

(Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Surviving Season 47 Episode 9.)

There is a certain evil missing in the new era Surviving. Players still betray each other to win as they always have, but there has also been a lot of support among the castaways in recent seasons. They congratulate each other on individual immunity wins instead of feeling the competition intensify. It’s good sportsmanship that you’d see in the real world, but there are fans of the racing series who would like to see that killer energy return. This is meant to be a grueling fight for $1 million, after all. Jeff Probst addresses the topic of “polite” players in the new era in the latest episode of On Fire podcast, which you can listen to in its entirety below.

The Reward/Individual Immunity Challenge i Surviving Season 47, Episode 9, which aired on Wednesday, November 13 CBSended with the losing players hugging the winners with big smiles on their faces. Podcast co-host Jay Wolff asked Probst if he’s ever been “surprised” to see opponents play nice like this. Probst revealed that fans may not agree with his feelings on this, as it is his “dream scenario”.

“Well, this is where I feel like I always lose half the audience because I love this part of the new era,” Probst said in On Fire. “Honestly, this is my dream for Surviving. But let me explain why. Before you start throwing things out on the field, we create a game that we design to push you further than you probably ever have or will ever go in your life. So we’re going to test you in ways you can’t predict or replicate, and we’re going to do it while you’re living in a jungle with no food, no shelter, with strangers conspiring against you. You will learn things about yourself that you didn’t know. You will surely impress yourself and in doing so you will inspire others.”

He continued: “You’re also going to let yourself down, and you’re going to do it all while playing the most amazing game of deception where it’s not just OK to lie, it’s mandatory. And the question is how good are you at it ?And then hopefully when it’s over, you’ll make some new life-long friends because you’re the only people who will ever know how it felt. when people can play hard and still be able to celebrate others, it lights me up.”

Probst clarified that this does not mean he wants to see less betrayal on the show. He wants the camaraderie, the murderous strategy and the heartache to coexist.

“This is what I want to be clear about: It does not mean that something like a blindside at tribal is and should not be devastating like Anika’s. Devastation. Mind you, it took a whole minute after I read the poll before she could even go get her flashlight. She was so crazy. At that point, I don’t even expect or wish for a player to just say, oh, no problem, and chuck it out. This is situational and it would reduce the huge stakes of the game if you didn’t respond, honestly. Me, I would be devastated if someone I really trusted lied to my face.”

The host then revealed that Anika’s elimination in Season 47 Episode 5 has produced more personal fan reactions than he’s faced in a while. That made him curious about the player’s perspective on polite players, so he asked the cohost Charlie Daviswhich came in second place in Season 46.

“It’s been a long time since fans commented on me on a blindside like they have with Anikas,” Probst said. “I was just at a dinner the other night and 20 people were there and they said they loved it and they said they loved it because it was a real reaction. I said, I don’t know that hint that the other reactions are fake are true or not but I’m going to ask someone on our podcast who’s played the game. So Charlie, that’s my question. Are there new expectations in the new era that you’re supposed to be polite or is this just every player still individual and you answer as you answer?”

“I think it’s the latter, but bear with me for a second because it’s more complex than that,” Davis replied. “Because when you go blind or lose Survivinghowever you lose Survivingthere are so many emotions that a player feels. It’s because of the stakes. It’s because you’ve dedicated your entire being to playing the game, playing your best, fighting every day. And so when everything comes crashing down, your torch is out, you’re feeling so many things at once and some of it might be pride or recognizing, oh, they got me, that was a threat, so I’m going to stick to . But part of it might be latching onto an Anika-type reaction or whatever other reaction a player might have. You cannot convey 20 different emotions in 30 seconds a minute if you are Anika. Maybe she could have gotten another feeling in there, but she felt that feeling of betrayal so strongly. I’m sure she was thinking too, you know what? I played hard out here and somewhere inside I’m proud of what happened, but what overwhelmed her in the moment was just the shock. It’s different for everyone.”

What do you like? Surviving castaways play well? Let us know in the comments section and check out the full episode of On Fire below.