The Survivor 44 premiere introduced several new twists and advantages into the game, including the complex "Inheritance Advantage." The latest installment of the show is continuing the show's "new era" with a 26-day game and three starting tribes. Part of the show's new era has been the introduction of numerous unique wrinkles into the game, like the "Shot in the Dark" and "Choose Your Champion" advantages, and its latest, the Inheritance Advantage.The Survivor season 44 premiere saw Chicago-based consultant Sarah Wade become the first recipient of the new tool, when she represented the Tika tribe on the first "Risk vs. Reward" journey of the season. The journey differed from previous seasons, as it forced the contestants to risk their vote for an advantage at least once, before having the option to risk another vote for a second shot at the advantage. Sarah lost one vote in her first attempt, but came out with the Inheritance Advantage the second time she took the risk.
Jeff Probst Has Cleared Up The Inheritance Advantage Rules
The rules of the Inheritance Advantage are a bit complicated, but host Jeff Probst has clarified how the new game mechanics work. In an interview with EW, Jeff confirmed that the Inheritance Advantage gives Sarah the opportunity to inherit all idols and advantages that are played at a single Tribal Council. However, she doesn't negate their use by playing her advantage.
Sarah has to secretly play the advantage in the voting booth at her chosen Tribal, before any advantages are played. Then, according to Jeff, once the other players' advantages are played and Tribal is over, "those same idols or advantages are secretly given to the holder of the advantage with the same full power."
The Inheritance Advantage Could Backfire For Sarah
On the surface, it certainly seems like the Inheritance Advantage is very overpowered. For instance, if Sarah made the choice to play the advantage at a Tribal Council where numerous Hidden Immunity Idols were played, she would secretly receive all the idols after Tribal ended. However, it will take a great deal of skill and knowledge to play the advantage successfully.
Sarah would have to have a strong awareness of the tribe dynamics for her use of the advantage to result in a windfall of fresh trinkets at her disposal. She could easily inherit a Hidden Immunity Idol that she knows will be played by a tribe target. However, for her to come out of one Tribal with numerous advantages in her pocket would require incredible skill, or a substantial amount of luck. Furthermore, if she is unable to keep the advantage a secret, the other players will undoubtedly perceive its existence as a major threat. They will work to eliminate it, and Sarah, from the Survivor game.
It will be interesting to see how the Inheritance Advantage plays out in Survivor 44. It's certainly the most interesting new idea in the show so far this season, as it could lead to a number of outcomes. If Sarah is part of a majority alliance, it could be used to further solidify her standing, and if she finds herself on the wrong side of the numbers, she could use it to give herself a major leg up. Either way, the Inheritance Advantage is sure to come into play at some point down the road.
Survivor 44 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
Source: EW, Jessica Lewis/Twitter