Entertainment- Every season of "
Survivor ," fans complain about changes and ask to go back to the "old-school" game. - Season 41 is no different, but I actually think some of the players make it one of the best yet.
Season 41 has introduced different twists and advantages to intrigue a new era of viewers, but many fans are asking to go back to the "old-school" game — but I don't think it ever left.
Although this season has new advantages, some of the competitors are truly playing a classic game of "Survivor" that doesn't make me miss old seasons so much.
Fans who say they miss the old 'Survivor' are forgetting that the show is really about the players
As long-time fans know, old-school "Survivor" refers to the seasons in the early 2000s when the game was straightforward and simple — you just had to survive.
For the first 10 seasons, there weren't even hidden immunity idols and the game focused more on physical and mental challenges. Many say that old-school "Survivor" ended after season 20, "Heroes vs. Villains."
Season 41 has been especially criticized by viewers for relying on too many twists, advantages, and idols.
This season alone has introduced the "Beware" advantage — an idol that someone from all three tribes must find a piece of before it's activated — and the "Shot in the Dark," in which players forfeit their vote for a one-in-six chance at immunity at tribal council.
But it's natural for a show to change after 41 seasons — and "Survivor" isn't all about the production. It's about the people playing it.
What makes old-school "Survivor" so appealing are iconic players who shaped the game, like "Boston" Rob Mariano, Parvati Shallow, Russell Hantz, Sandra Diaz-Twine, and Rupert Boneham.
It had an abundance of competitors you loved or loved to hate. It also had plenty of drama, like Russell hiding the machete on "Heroes vs. Villains" or Parvati convincing Erik Reichenbach to give up his immunity necklace before voting him out (one of the wildest moments on "Micronesia").
And season 41 has plenty of players that are sure to make "Survivor" history.
This season has some serious drama and strategy that feels pretty classic to me
This season, there are a handful of competitors who seem to be playing with old-school strategy in mind, most notably Shantel "Shan" Smith, Liana Wallace, and Xander Hastings.
In her "Survivor" bio, Shan wrote she's "probably going to play the game most like Kim [Spradlin-Wolfe]" but that she's "got some Parv in me too."
Shan hasn't mastered Kim's low-profile game but is definitely playing like Parvati — she's getting through the season with a sweet demeanor but is quick to backstab anyone she needs to.
She even convinced Jairus "JD" Robinson to give her his extra vote to build trust, then went on to vote him out.
Her ally, Liana, started off the game strong by creating a core alliance with Evvie Jagoda and Tiffany Seely. However, she jumped ship on Yase (her original tribe) as soon as the merge hit. Her "Parvati move," as she called it, blew up in her face when she tried to use an advantage her old tribe already knew about against them.
Xander is also playing the game like an old-school castaway. He started out by keeping a low profile by not sharing his advantages with the entire tribe nor going idol hunting with other castaways.
And even though his tribe tried to vote him out, Xander wanted to keep "Yase strong" after the merge, an old-school mentality. He was even willing to use his idol to save Evvie.
He really became a player to watch after he made a fake idol, in turn tricking Liana into flushing out her advantage.
In terms of tribes, Luvu also showed some old-school game when they attempted to throw a challenge in order to vote out one of their own members.
Giving up safety to get rid of a player is something we've seen in older seasons like "Cook Islands," "China," and "Africa." It might not be the smartest move — or always work — but it's definitely classic and certain to cause drama.
Old-school 'Survivor' is really about the love of the game, which this season's cast delivers in spades
One of the best parts of old-school "Survivor" is how much the players love the game, and season 41's competitors are certainly living up to that.
This season's confessionals are deeper than ever and explore how "Survivor" has impacted the players' lives.
So many competitors said the series got them through the COVID-19 pandemic and turned them into superfans. JD said the show shaped him into the person he is today, and Naseer Muttalif recounted learning English by watching "Survivor."
Above all, we need to stop comparing the game to what it was in the early 2000s and start looking at the players.
Jeff Probst will continue to dish out twists, but we'll always be able to see glimpses of the players we love in the new seasons' casts because old-school "Survivor" has shaped them all.