The “New Era” ofSurvivorstands out against its “Old School” predecessor in a few key ways – from the debut of the Shot in the Dark and the Beware Advantage to the faster-paced gameplay brought on by a shorter 26-day format. These novel twists help keep things exciting on the iconicreality competition show, as changing things up has been part of howSurvivorhas maintained relevance for over twenty years. Still, there is a fundamental aspect of the game – one that sits at the heart ofSurvivor– that has been distinctly missing fromNew Era seasons, and it’s related to the more, well,survivalcomponent of the show. Recent seasons have pointed to a New Era trend:Survivordoesn’t show players fishing and foraging for food to feed themselves or their tribe anymore. LongtimeSurvivorfans miss this aspect of the show and what it brings to the game.
New Era ‘Survivor’ Castaways Are Seldom Shown Working for Food Outside of Challenges
Last week’s episode ofSurvivor 48featureda tribe swap, and the original Lagi, Vula, and Civa tribes are no more. As the newly formed Civa – a mix of old and new Civa members – arrived at the Civa beach,Mitch GuerraandChrissy Sarnowskyshowed the newcomers what life had been like at their camp.The new memberswere in awe when Mitch and Chrissy produced a handful of cassavas, revealing that the Civa tribe had been fueling up on the starchy root vegetable so far this season.What they didn’t reveal, however, is where they got it from. Did they forage for it? Which of their tribe members found it, and how did they know what to look for? Similarly, the pre-tribe-swap Civa and Lagi tribes won fishing gear at an immunity challenge inEpisode 3, butthere has yet to be any footage of anyone fishing, catching fish, or eating fish so far this season. After the tribe swap, the new Lagi tribe was shown sharing a pot of crabs over their camp’s fire, but viewers never saw how they got there.
Fishing gear remains a staple reward across seasons in the New Era, but viewers have seldom seen it in use.Survivorplayers are provided with limited food provisions, usually of rice or beans, and sometimes theywin food in challenges. But they clearly still fish and forage for additional sustenance – like crabs and cassava – something thatSurvivordoesn’t show anymore in the New Era.Rachel LaMontattempting topocket a handful of riceat a challenge last season proved thatthe New Era castaways are still hungry, and fans want to see what they’re doing about it.
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Procuring Food Is a Key Component to the Game of ‘Survivor’
Watching players likeOscar “Ozzy” LusthandRupert Bonehamshowcase their survival skills and be the ultimate providers for their tribe is not only captivating,it can also affect the social and strategic elements of the game. For example, Ozzy used being a provider for his tribe as a strategy inSurvivor: Game Changersto make it far into the season, and Rupert was “kidnapped” by an opposing tribe on behalf of aSurvivortwist inPearl Islandsspecifically because he was such an asset to his tribe for keeping them well-fed with fish he caught on a daily basis. Fans ofseasons pasthave also enjoyed watching players procure food in other ways besides fishing, likeTai Trang’soutstanding ability to climb trees for coconuts or that iconicSurvivorscene whenNatalie Whitefound a rat at camp, clubbed it, and ate it with her tribe.
Including these moments in the showdemonstrates the resourcefulness of players as well as the extreme conditions they’re under, how hungry they are, and how that can affect the decisions they make in the game. It can also give context as to whycertain tribes thrive over others, like the Civa tribe this season, who have been eating cassava roots and have yet to lose a challenge inSurvivor 48.New EraSurvivoris all aboutstrategy and twists, which help keep things interesting, but the show is lacking what makesSurvivortruly stand out from other reality competition shows and feel like actual survival. By not showing the role that procuring food plays in the show,Survivoris missing an important component to the game, and fans want it back in the New Era.
