One of the staples of the new era of Survivor has been trying to simulate 39 days of deprivation and starvation within a 26-day period. As such, Jeff Probst and company made a choice not to offer the contestants rice to start the season (though, interestingly, that choice was “back up for grabs” as something fans could vote on for the upcoming 50th season). At a certain point, however, the host and executive producer would make the players a deal: If a certain number of people sit out the upcoming challenge, he’ll give them enough rice to last them the rest of their time on the island.
It was an offer they couldn’t refuse. Until they did.
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The first four seasons of the new era had players scrambling to figure out who to sit out, negotiating figures back and forth. Season 45 brought urgency to the proceedings as, in one of the most surprising moments in the host’s 25-year tenure on the CBS reality series, he pulled out a knife and stabbed the rice bag open. Season 46, true to their uniquely chaotic nature, refused to have the proper number of people sit out, making it the first time the rice negotiation was declined. And last season, in Survivor 47, the players surprised Probst yet again when they made a very different counter-offer, getting rice in exchange for everybody giving in their Shot in the Dark.
Survivor 48 had one of the latest implementations of the rice negotiation, bringing it in this week’s episode at the Final 8 Immunity Challenge. Perhaps it was because there was only a week left of the game at the time it was offered. Perhaps it’s that recent seasons have seen more food rewards up for grabs, meaning less desperation and starvation. Perhaps it’s just that this cast of very physical players didn’t want to ever sit out a challenge. But, without any discussion, it was an immediate “no” from the Season 48 cast.
Of course, Probst was asked about his reaction to the moment on the most recent episode of “On Fire: The Official Survivor Podcast.” And he was surprisingly matter-of-fact about a negotiation for a Survivor staple breaking down after about a minute of discussion.
Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 48
“Not only [was I] not surprised, I can say this is a situation where we anticipated this kind of moment would come,” he reveals. “So if you go back to the beginning of the new era, Survivor 41 and 42, when we made no rice part of the game, we assumed initially it would hit players pretty hard because they weren’t prepared for it. So it was an emotional shock to them, because for the past many seasons, there was always some sort of food staple. So we thought in 41 and 42 it’ll be a legitimate debate, because this is their first shot at rice. They’re going to want it.
“But then once you start having more seasons players now in 43 and 44,” he continues, “they know, ‘Okay, prepare yourself. There won’t be any rice.’ Well, that changes the mindset of the player, because they’re anticipating the hunger. And the minute you have one group say, ‘We don’t need it, you influence the entire game.'”
Indeed, when the cast of Survivor 48 flew out to Fiji to play, they had just seen the entirety of 46. So, to Probst’s point, considering they saw the rice negotiation end in a refusal for the first time ever, it’s possible that influenced them to realize that was entirely an option. And according to Survivor 47 winner Rachel LaMont, who serves as the alumni cohost for this season’s coverage, there could also be another element at play besides past precedent when it comes to sitting enough people out for rice.
“I do also think that the challenge at the rice negotiation matters,” she says. “It seems like the last few seasons, it’s a challenge that anyone could win. In this case, it’s stacking the blocks. And on my season, it was balancing balls on a plate. I think when you offer the rice negotiation before a challenge that feels like could be anybody’s win, it’s even less of a temptation.”
Related: Jeff Probst Reveals Why We Don’t See Epically Long Endurance Challenges on ‘Survivor’ Anymore
Considering how the Survivor 48 players didn’t even give a thought to the rice negotiation, it begs the question: Will production try to change things up moving forward? This is the latest in the season rice was offered to contestants. Would they try to futz again with the timing? Change the stipulations, perhaps leaning into what 47 did and have people sacrificing something rather than sitting out challenges? Or could this be an affirmation that they don’t need to do a rice negotiation at all?
“Here’s the secret to understanding how Survivor is designed,” Probst answers. “Just put yourselves in our shoes. So instead of seeing the game as you would if you were a player, or as you do when you’re watching, just become the producer and go through the thought process. It’s Season 49, you’ve got the creative team together. You’re discussing the rice negotiation. You see people say, ‘I think we can go without food.’ And then we say, ‘So what should we do? What does the game need? What result do we want to have happen?’
“There’s no master plan for producing Survivor,” he continues. “There’s no book that you opened up to Chapter 49 it goes, ‘Congratulations. Okay, here’s what you do today.’ We just try things. And if they work, we do them again. And if they don’t, we try something else.
Related: ‘Survivor’ Announces Fans Will Vote on Twists, Advantages and Other ‘Key Elements’ for Upcoming Season 50
