According to Jeff Probst, the two most recent seasons of Survivor have been the dawn of a new era, which meant debuting many new advantages to this modern era of Survivor strategy and gameplay. Generally speaking, the newer seasons of Survivor have continued to add twists, some of which brought drama to the castaways. Meanwhile, there have been other twists that fans were steadfastly against.
Survivor is an ever-evolving game, and what started out as a social experiment has grown into one of the most popular reality TV shows of all time. Many diehard Survivor fans appreciate the old ways of playing the game, which didn't include so many different twists and led to more focus on the social game. Others enjoy the level of entertainment that has been introduced by these new twists. While Survivor 41 angered fans with some of the more convoluted new twists, there were also a few twists that fans would be happy to see again.
Best: Redemption Island
Old-school Survivor is said to have transitioned to new-school around season 20, and Redemption Island was a major twist introduced in season 22 of the show. Overall, it was an extremely divisive twist to the game. Some viewers love seeing more challenges in each episode and getting to watch their favorites get another chance to fight in the game. Others think that it distracts from players still actively playing the game in their tribes. Alas, its became one of the better twists on Survivor: Blood vs. Water, where a loved one could take the other person's place in each episode's duel for added drama.
Worst: Edge Of Extinction
On the other hand, Edge of Extinction had one of the worst twists in Survivor history. It led to Chris Underwood winning season 38 despite only being active in the game until day eight. He was then brought back on day 35. When it was brought back on Survivor: Winners at War, there were even fewer eliminations, as everyone had to survive off of the land instead of an elimination challenge each week, lessening the drama of being voted out.
Best: Risk Or Protect
There have been several new advantages added in Survivor 41, which became hard to keep track of at a certain point. A twist like the Risk or Protect your vote with the ship wheel were great additions to the season that added drama and felt intriguing to watch. Overall, it gave Survivor castaways from different tribes a chance to form an alliance and get to know each other, while also raising the stakes by having the consequence that they either gain an extra vote, stay the same, or lose their vote depending on what the other person chooses. The initial Sweat or Savvy twist to win supplies in recent seasons is also an interesting twist, as it shows the castaways' personalities and skillsets before the first challenge even happens.
Worst: Turn Back Time
Meanwhile, the Turn Back Time advantage felt extremely overpowered and hurt the integrity of Survivor. It is largely credited for leading Erika Casupanan to win Survivor 41 after she had the opportunity to change the outcome of a challenge, thus saving herself and causing everyone in the winners' circle to be up for elimination. It did not have any ramifications for Erika and was seen as extremely unfair by many Survivor fans.