One of the most interesting new twists on Survivor season 44 is the show's innovative way of introducing fake Hidden Immunity Idols into the game. The current season has already debuted a number of new twists and advantages. They're designed to add drama, intrigue, and paranoia into the mix. So far, the "Inheritance Advantage" and the "Bank Your Vote" twist have been thrown into the game, and they are far from the only new wrinkles on Survivor 44.The most important twist on Survivor season 44 has been the placement of a public and locked birdcage (with a package inside) at each tribe's camp. Keys to unlock them are hidden somewhere in the jungle. A member of each tribe has found their tribe's key and unlocked the cage, revealing that the contents inside include a real Hidden Immunity Idol, and a fake one. However, the truth about the birdcage idols is far more complicated than it seems on the surface.
Survivor 44's Birdcage Idols Include A Clever Twist
When Danny Massa and Carolyn Wiger unlocked their tribes' respective cages, and secretly claimed their Hidden Immunity Idols in the season's second episode, the show suggested that there's a major twist involved in the birdcage idols. Though the show hasn't explicitly confirmed the twist, it's apparent that each tribe's real idol looks exactly like another tribe's genuine idol. So, Carolyn's real idol, which looks like a coin, is an exact duplicate of Danny's fake coin idol. Likewise, Brandon Cottom's real idol, which is a string of beads, looks exactly like Carolyn's fake idol. Danny's real idol, then, is a copy of Brandon's fake medallion idol.
Survivor's Fake Immunity Idols Will Cause Chaos
The twist on the idols is an incredibly clever concept that will undoubtedly lead to a chaotic series of events when the tribes merge. Players will assume fake idols are real, and real idols are fake. They'll do so based on the knowledge they have about their own idols. This confusion could result in some major mistakes and extreme strategy, which could have a crucial impact on the season's Tribal Council. It seems very likely that a player will mistakenly attempt to play a fake idol at Tribal Council. A savvy Survivor player might also dupe a competitor into believing that an idol is real when it isn't.
Though the twist certainly adds several layers of complexity to the game, it remains to be seen if it results in a better season, or just a more confusing one. It's already becoming more and more difficult to track the number of advantages, lost votes, and idols in Survivor's current era. Now, viewers will need to remember which player has which real idol and which fake one. This could just add more unnecessary confusion to the season. Hopefully, Survivor figures out a way to make this new element easy to follow, so that its impact on the game will live up to its potential.
Source: Mike Bloom/Twitter
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.