Survivor Officially Ditching Controversial Twist Ahead of Season 43

By Charlie Ridgely

In 2021, Survivor returned after a 16-month hiatus to start a "new era" of its competition. Seasons 41 and 42 followed up the Winners at War-themed 40th installment, and introduced a lot of new elements to the game. With all-new competitors, Survivor introduced a shorter game filled with a ton of different twists, almost experimenting with new formulas. Those seasons, which filmed back-to-back, were essentially guinea pigs for certain ideas, and the production team has now had a chance to listen to feedback and evaluate how well those changes worked. Some of the themes and twists are staying around. The most controversial of them all, however, won't be returning when Season 43 debuts next week.

We're talking, of course, about the "Change History" element, better known amongst fans as the hourglass twist. The hourglass was highly controversial amongst fans and players alike, and host/producer Jeff Probst confirmed to EW that the twist wouldn't come back in Season 43.

In both of the last two seasons, there was a twist surrounding the merge that significantly altered the course of the game. The remaining castaways were split into two teams for a pre-merge competition, though two people were left without a team. The winning team got to choose one of the two that didn't compete and everyone in that group was safe following the merger. The losers went to tribal council to vote someone off and the castaway who wasn't picked went off to a remote location and was given the chance to change history by smashing an hourglass and swapping the results of the challenge. Those who won and thought they were safe were sent to tribal, while the person smashing the glass was granted immunity, along with the players on the losing team.

Season 43 alum Danny McCray famously addressed the twist on the show, saying it wasn't fair to those who competed because it was less of an actual twist and more of a total lie. Many fans felt the same way, and Survivor is moving forward without the hourglass, at least for the time being.

When Does Survivor Season 43 Premiere?

Survivor is back to its twice-a-year schedule, which is certainly good news for longtime fans of the reality franchise. The 43rd season, which again includes an entirely new cast, premieres on Wednesday, September 21st on CBS.

Are you looking forward to the return of Survivor for Season 43? Let us know in the comments!

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