Tina Wesson, the winner of Survivor: The Australian Outback, has come up with a new idea for the future of the Survivor series. She proposes a season where the focus is on first boots, players who were the first to be voted out in their original seasons. Despite not making it into Survivor 40: Winners at War, she believes this format could lead to fresh and exciting content for fans of the show.
Wesson was the first to be eliminated from Survivor: All-Stars, and she thinks a season highlighting first boots could be an interesting experiment. At the same time, she admits the current idea might not offer the kind of dynamic gameplay that Survivor audiences usually expect.
Why first boots might not be the best idea
According to Wesson, many players who were first out are either socially awkward or just not interesting to watch, which could limit the appeal. While she mentions memorable first boots like Francesca Hogi (voted out first twice) and Chicken (Survivor: China), she says many of these players are eliminated because they don’t bring much to the game.
Wesson raises the question of how entertaining it would be to see past first boots such as Wanda (Survivor: Palau), Semhar (Survivor: South Pacific), and Wendy Jo (Survivor: Nicaragua) return to the island. She believes the current format might result in a season full of forgettable moments, and suggests a more refined version of her original concept.
A pre-merge twist instead
Instead of focusing only on first boots, Wesson proposes expanding the idea to include players who were eliminated before the merge stage of their original seasons. This would open the door to more compelling personalities and gameplay. Producers could include challenge veterans like Christine from Survivor: South Pacific and strategists like Mari from Millennials vs. Gen X.
A pre-merge season would reduce the chance of featuring too many uneventful players and maintain the variety that keeps Survivor fans engaged. It would offer more depth and intrigue compared to a season focused solely on first boots. This format allows for a mix of different personalities and skill sets, which adds to the excitement of the game.
Season 50 received criticism for its celebrity-heavy cast, and Wesson thinks it’s time to avoid celebrity seasons altogether. She encourages the show to try this new format, arguing it could be a better way to keep the game fresh and interesting.