Survivor: Redemption Island premieres tonight with some familiar faces--Boston Rob Mariano and alleged spoiler Russell Hantz--and a brand-new twist.
Our eyes glaze over during regular Survivor shows whenever Jeff Probst explains challenge rules, so the new Mad Max-meets-Hunger Games concept was a lot for us to absorb. Fortunately, we had a little help from the experts: producer Mark Burnett and Probst himself, who walked us through their new rulebook for season 22....
PHOTOS: Meet the Castaways of Survivor: Redemption Island
Burnett says Probst conceived the idea of Redemption Island four years ago, long before Hantz started burning socks and collecting Hidden Immunity Idols like so many garden gnomes. So when the rivalry developed between Russell and Rob during Heroes vs. Villains--with Rob declaring to Russell at the finale, "I'd gladly go back and kick your ass all over the island"--the producers realized they had the perfect arena for a rematch between the former tribemates.
The game begins tonight with Russell and Rob's dramatic beach landing by helicopter, which comes as "a surprise," Burnett says, to the 16 Castaways, who at that point assumed they'd form two eight-member tribes. The famous foes take their places on opposite tribes, and Jeff explains that instead of going home after Tribal Council, castoffs will be sent to R.I.
"In episode one, one person is voted off," Burnett explains, and is sent to Redemption Island, enduring the same deprivations and limited food rations they experienced at camp--except they are "completely lonely and alone."
Burnett goes on: "In episode two, another person is voted off," to join the original castoff at R.I. "In episode three, [the first and second castoffs] compete in the first challenge of the episode, a face-to-face duel...The loser goes home, and the winner stays on Redemption Island" to fight the next castoff in another duel on week four. (That means our first Castaway exit interview won't take place until March 3!)
"Some" members (Burnett wouldn't say how many, or how they are selected) of the tribes will have the opportunity to witness the one-on-one duel on Redemption Island, confronting firsthand the person they had a hand in voting out. "For the first time ever, we've got people who've been blindsided, kicked out, unwanted, and revengeful seeing those people who had a hand in it." (Imagine Lex van den Berghe confronting Rob again after his infamous All-Stars betrayal.)
"Technically [a Redemption Island castoff] could win head-to-head, one-on-one challenges week after week," Burnett said. "If they can keep their energy and survive, technically that person could come back...and win the game."
When we asked Jeff Probst for more specifics about how and when a R.I. victor rejoins the others, he said, "We aren't revealing everything about how Redemption Island will work in relation to people coming back into the game. But I can tell you that it works smoothly, and once you see how it plays out it will make perfect sense...on the surface it might seem confusing, but it's not."
Meanwhile, the two tribes will need to decide whether to "use" Rob and Russell's experience (which Burnett estimates to be 150 playing days between them) to get them the end--or "fear it and get rid of them." So it's possible, if not probable, that we'll see the mighty Rs dueling each other on Redemption Island for a chance to stay in the game.
Considering Rob's dominance in Heroes vs. Villains--by singlehandedly carrying his feeble Villains tribe to important victories over the physically dominant Heroes, he carved the seats in the finale for Russell, Parvati, and game winner Sandra--this could be the ideal forum for His Awesomeness to earn the Sole Survivor victory that has eluded him in three previous attempts.
Survivor: Redemption Island premieres tonight (yes, it's still on Wednesdays-and still in Nicaragua) at 8 p.m. on CBS. Are you Team Russell or Team Rob?
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