“Survivor” has changed a lot since Rob Mariano – better known to fans as “Boston Rob” – made his series debut on the hit reality competition series’ fourth season, “Survivor: Marquesas,” in 2002.
Now, 23 years later, Mariano has appeared on the show a record-breaking five times, having played more days than any other castaway in the series’ history, and remains, arguably, the most prolific “Survivor” player to date.
CBSNeedless to say, the former “Sole Survivor” is a big fan of the show — but that doesn’t mean he’s loved every change its producers have implemented since he unofficially retired from the competition after appearing on Season 40: “Winner at War” in 2020.
Boston Rob Calls ‘Survivor’s Hourglass Advantage ‘Unfair’
“A few seasons ago, they had a twist called ‘Turn Back the Time’ where basically someone got an opportunity to reverse a decision that was made in the game,” Rob told Eyal Booker and Lonnie Marts – the hosts of E!’s “Hot Goss” – on Thursday (Dec. 11). “I just think it was really unfair for all the people that were involved.”
Mariano added that he thinks the twist should be “banned” from future seasons.
The format change, officially known as the “Hourglass Advantage” or the “Change History Advantage,” was originally introduced during Season 41, and allowed exiled castaway Erika Casupanan to effectively reverse the results of an immunity challenge held earlier in the episode.
Erika ultimately elected to use the advantage, stealing safety in the game from those who had previously earned it, to protect herself and her fellow vulnerable tribemates instead. While the twist was widely considered to be “cutthroat” and controversial, Casupanan eventually emerged victorious from the season, earning the title of “Sole Survivor” and the $1 million prize.
Thankfully for Mariano, the twist was retired after the following season, and has not been put into play by the show’s producers since.
Dylan Efron Thinks New Era ‘Survivor’ Has ‘Too Many Idols’
That being said, Boston Rob isn’t the only one who’s got a bone to pick with “Survivor”s copious new era advantages.
Dylan Efron, who starred alongside Mariano on “The Traitors” Season 3 before rising in popularity as a finalist on “Dancing with the Stars” Season 34, added that he thinks “Survivor” has too many Hidden Immunity Idols in play.
While Efron has never played “Survivor” himself, he and Mariano have celebrated an epic “bromance” in recent months, and, more recently, debuted their very own reality web series, “Everything’s a Competition,” on YouTube.
Getty“I don’t love all the hidden immunities, immunities on immunities,” the “Traitors” champion told E!. “There’s too many immunities. It’s a little confusing for a new person to get into ‘Survivor’ with all these different awards on the island.”
For context, “Survivor” introduced its first-ever Hidden Immunity Idol during 2005’s “Survivor: Guatemala.” At the time, it was one of only two advantages castaways could receive on the island. By comparison, the show’s currently-airing 49th season has more than half a dozen, including Hidden Immunity Idols as well as the Beware Advantage, Knowledge is Power, Block, Steal, and Extra Vote advantages.
“I also don’t like when they get a reward and then there’s an immunity on that reward,” Efron continued. “That’s only, like, four people [that] might get that. It’s swaying the balance too much.”
His suggestion for correcting the current influx of advantages and idols? Efron recommended “stripping it down” to make the series “a little bit more like the old school ‘Survivor’” that launched Mariano to reality TV stardom.
