One player quit and ousted players returned, but the biggest surprise of “Survivor: Pearl Islands” may be yet to come.
The latest season of executive producer Mark Burnett’s CBS series ends in a two-hour finale Sunday. The show’s most crucial Tribal Council is followed by an hourlong reunion of all who competed off the coast of Panama for the $1 million grand prize. Series host Jeff Probst will preside over the reunion, to be televised (live in the eastern half of the country) from Los Angeles. The buccaneer theme of “Pearl Islands” was clear from the start, when the participants were thrown off a boat with only the clothes they had on, then were split into tribes Drake and Morgan). The first six people voted out of the game reappeared as a third tribe, the Outcasts. Along the way, Boston equity trade manager Osten Taylor made no secret of his wanting out. He got his wish when Probst dismissed him without the usual Tribal Council sanction.
“On a show like this, where you can’t control the outcome with a script, you have to have some impact with twists that you know will ensure the game will change every few weeks or so,” Probst says. Probst must be an actor to a certain degree, wearing a poker face to keep “Survivor” players from knowing in advance when the surprises will come.
“It’s a weird role,” he allows. “My job sometimes is to sucker somebody into moving left when I know we’re heading right. The producers tell me the stuff I absolutely need to know, but not too many details. That lets them keep their confidence with the players, who truly can believe the stuff they say is private. It also gives me the freedom to react honestly, which has made me better at my job.”
Some media watchers have credited Probst for being edgier with Osten and other “Survivor” contestants this season, and he’s glad they’ve noticed.
“I’ve gotten more comfortable on the show, and I’m more willing to take risks I might not have the first season,” he says. “CBS also has gotten more comfortable with my having a personality. They used to take out anything where it appeared I might have a point of view. They felt I needed to be neutral at all times.”
Tune in
Probst already is taping the next edition of “Survivor,” set to premiere Feb. 1 following CBS’ telecast of the Super Bowl. It will be an “All-Stars” version with 18 contestants drawn from the previous “Survivor” shows.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdispasquale@tribune.com) and Victoria Rodriguez (vrodriguez@tribune.com)
