Over the last 25 years of Survivor history, it has felt like fans of Jeff Probst’s beloved reality show have seen it all. After all, even new fans who are figuring out which seasons to watch first will know that the show has featured heartbreaking medical evacuations. On top of that, there have been incredible seasons of Survivor that have featured iconic players and truly fantastic winners. As a result, even though some players have refused to return, everyone assumed Survivor 50 would be a typical all-stars season.

What nobody predicted was that the landmark season would be titled Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans and that viewers would have some control. While fans voting on some topics could ruin Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans, there is no denying that the unique season is exciting. After an episode of Survivor 48 proved the potential of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans‘ fan vote, the upcoming season seems even more exciting.

Shauhin Davari’s Survivor 48 Exit Proved The Brilliance Of Survivor 50: In The Hands Of The Fans’ Fan Vote

Ever since fans learned that Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans was going to be a big deal, there has been a lot of discussion about the season. For example, when it was revealed that Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans will feature all-returning players, there was a lot of discussion about who should play.

Similarly, when Jeff Probst revealed that fans were going to be able to vote on parts of the landmark season, fans went wild considering the options. Furthermore, each time a new round of topics fans could vote on was revealed, the choices were passionately debated.

However, there were some aspects of the fan vote that a lot of viewers didn’t put any thought into. One of the things that many viewers didn’t consider about the Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans fan vote was proven to be brilliant during Survivor 48.

During Survivor 48, the last aspect of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans that fans could vote on was scary to consider. Fans were given the power to choose whether Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans will have immunity idols or not.

To be blunt, if fans voted for there to be no idols, that will be a horrible thing for Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans. In that case, it would have been a huge mistake for Survivor’s producers to allow fans to vote on the status of idols.

However, it should be obvious to fans that having no idols would give players a lot less options, which could make the season boring. Assuming that fans can trust that idols will be part of the season, as should be the case, allowing fans to decide whether there will be idols was brilliant.

To prove how brilliant that fans voting on whether there will idols was if viewers made the right choice, viewers should look at the exit of Shauhin Davari.

During Survivor 48, Kyle Fraser and Kamilla Karthigesu tricked Joe Hunter and Eva Erickson and convinced them to turn on Shauhin. Part of how Kamilla and Kyle did that was by lying to Joe and Eva and claiming that Shauhin had an immunity idol.

The reason why Kyle and Kamilla’s immunity idol ruse against Shauhin, Joe, and Eva was so effective is simple, Survivor players fear idols.

That fact is what reveals the potential brilliance of fans getting to vote about whether Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans should have idols.

The thing about Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans’ fan vote that many viewers haven’t really put thought into is how mysterious the season now is for the players. The reason for that is that the team behind Survivor won’t reveal any of the results of the fan votes ahead of time.

That means that Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans’ players won’t be able to know if there are idols until they find one themselves or witness one being played. With that information and the events of Survivor 48 in mind, the possibilities are tantalizing.

Since the players won’t know if there are idols at first, their potential power in the game will almost certainly be increased. After all, if a player makes it seem like they can confirm that there are idols, that will give them perceived knowledge and power. Conversely, since the players will want to know if there are idols, convincing a player that their close ally kept the truth about whether there are idols from them could easily leave them feeling betrayed.

With that in mind, if players can convince their tribemates that an ally has an idol before anyone plays one, that could easily be a great way to have your enemy voted out. Fortunately, the way that Kyle and Kamilla tricked Eva and Joe provides a great potential blueprint of how to pull that off. Of course, that is only one of the possible ways that players could use the immunity idol mystery to their advantage.

What Other Elements Of Survivor 50: In The Hands Of The Fans Will Be A Mystery For Players?

During Survivor 48, there were four rounds of fan votes for Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans. Unfortunately, some of the things fans could vote on won’t affect the game, like tribe colors. On the other hand, as a result of the fan votes, there are some important aspects of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans that the players won’t be able to anticipate.

In April 2025, an Entertainment Weekly article about the third round of the fan vote revealed that viewers got to control how powerful advantages will be. Needless to say, what fans chose for that could make a huge difference during the season.

In March 2025, Entertainment Weekly reported that fans were allowed to decide whether Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans will have a pre-merge swap. Additionally, that round of voting allowed fans to choose if there would be many or few advantages and what the final four challenge will be.

As a February 2025 Entertainment Weekly article reveals, the first round of the fan vote allowed viewers to decide if there will be a final four firemaking challenge. Additionally, that round allowed fans to choose whether there would be an after-show or reunion. Between the various rounds of votes, fans also got to decide if players would be given rice, and whether they would start their game with tools like a pot and their machete.

Between all that and the fourth round deciding if there will be idols, Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans players will have to wonder about a lot when the game starts.