Of the many new Survivor twists, the Shot in the Dark has the most potential, but it needs a few tweaks to fulfill its game-changing promise.
Of the many new twists in the modern era of Survivor, the Shot in the Dark is the one with the most potential. Seasons 41 and 42 have introduced countless new twists to the game, with many of them not being well-received by fans. The Shot in the Dark, however, has added some legitimate intrigue to the game, but hasn’t been totally successful yet. The twist grants each player a chance to cash in their one Shot in the Dark opportunity for a one-in-six shot at immunity during Tribal Council. This gives each underdog one last hope for safety, while incentivizing the players to orchestrate thrilling blindsides so targets don’t play their Shots in the Dark.
Through its two-season run, the Shot in the Dark has yet to pay off for those who play it out of desperation. Of the five times players in Survivor 41 and Survivor 42 have utilized the Shot in the Dark in last-ditch efforts to stay in the game, it hasn’t paid off once. Every player who has used their Shot in the Dark so far has been unlucky in their attempt, and subsequently voted out.
Although it’s already a great Survivor twist in many ways, the Shot in the Dark can be further tweaked to maximize its impact, and to fulfill its potential as a Survivor game mechanism. It has added a level of complexity and strategy to the game, but it will face diminishing returns unless its major flaw is addressed in future seasons. The primary issue with the current version of the twist is that the odds stay the same throughout the game, remaining at one-in-six despite how many times players in the season have cashed in their Shots in the Dark. This means that there is no sense of escalating tension as the number of contestants dwindles, and the drama intensifies.
A simple fix to this mechanism would be for the odds to increase in the player’s favor every time the Shot in the Dark gets played unsuccessfully in the season. For instance, if a player at the first Tribal Council unsuccessfully cashes in their Shot in the Dark, the next player to cash in would have a one-in-five chance at safety, and so on, until it finally gets played successfully and resets. This alteration would drastically improve the twist and further complicate the dynamics on the island. The players would be even more incentivized to plan blindsides, and the power structure would have a much greater chance of being thrown on its head with a successful Shot in the Dark play.
With Survivor 42 nearing its finale, and season 43 currently filming, fans will have to wait until the fall to see if the Shot in the Dark returns, and what changes may or may not have been made to its implementation. Hopefully, the Survivor creative team can recognize the twist’s potential, despite its shortcomings so far. The twist’s minor flaws, such as its clumsy presentation at Tribal Council, can be ironed out with time, but its basic structure is in need of a major tweak to maintain its effectiveness. Some viewers and commentators have categorized the Shot in the Dark as a failed twist, but it could easily become a Survivor staple with some small and simple adjustments.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
About The Author
