The Yanu tribe on Survivor 46 set a new record for futility and suffering by losing the first four immunity challenges of the season.
That means that not only did Yanu have to go to Tribal Council and vote someone out three times — only saved from a fourth time due to a medical evac — the tribe also did not have flint for the first 11 days of the game.
Without flint, Yanu was not able to make fire, meaning they could not cook food.
Eleven days is the longest a tribe has gone without flint in the new era, which began with Survivor 41. Yanu’s three remaining members were cold, hungry and miserable before they finally won immunity by placing second in the season’s fifth immunity challenge.
It may seem cruel to deprive castaways of the bare essentials for so long, but one of the mottos of the new era is “earn everything,” so don’t expect a rules shake-up in the near future.
Host Jeff Probst was asked about that on “On Fire,” the official Survivor podcast, following the Wednesday, March 27, episode.
Producer Jay Wolff wondered if, perhaps, withholding flint from tribes until they win immunity was a little too harsh.
“Does it at all make you rethink the flint penalty?” he asked.
Probst played with listeners a little bit, first saying, “Absolutely,” then pausing briefly before adding, “Not.”
“Let me get a bullhorn,” he added. “The new era is here. Everyone earn everything. Penalties for losing. Yeah, expect more of that. This is what Survivor is about. If you want a ‘fun’ experience, go find another show. This is Survivor.”
Probst often says the game is meant to test castaways, pushing them farther than they’ve ever been pushed before.
“This is why people want it, because there is a penalty for losing, because you have to survive without a flint or whatever the condition is,” he said.
Probst has even taken some joy in keeping flint from the tribe he so often refers to as “the losers.”
“I loved keeping their flint — not because I love inflicting pain, but because it’s a consequence, and Survivor has a lot of consequences,” he said. “The biggest one is you get voted out and your game is over. So you lose an immunity, you lose a player, you lose your flint, you lose your morale, suddenly you’re hungry or you lose your patience, and it just makes a moment when you do win, like this one, so satisfying.”
While the Siga tribe lost their flint in the most recent episode, their suffering will likely be short-lived. The preview for next week’s episode indicated that the merge is coming, and the three tribes will come together as one to compete in challenges individually.
Survivor airs on CBS Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, with “On Fire” releasing immediately after.
