When Did It First...in "Survivor"? Quiz

Answer: Guatemala

While Hidden Immunity Idols never appeared on the show until the eleventh season, their frequency after their first appearance (in "Guatemala") became astounding to a degree; many later seasons featured multiple, sometimes hidden in camps and sometimes hidden elsewhere. Almost always, players have been able to locate hidden idols using clues given to them by various means. Depending on the seasons, idols could be played before or after votes have been cast; sometimes they could be played on one's self and sometimes they could be played on others.

Many have even made fake idols to trick other players.

Answer: Panama

Although Exile Island appeared once in "Palau" (subsequently leading a contestant to remove themselves from the game post-merge), it became a fairly regular fixture thereafter, first appearing during season twelve in Panama where one castaway would be sent to the isolated locale between the Reward and Immunity Challenges (or, in some cases, missing Tribal Council). Exile Island has often hidden some important Immunity Idols.

It reappeared in "Cook Islands", "Fiji", "Micronesia", "Gabon", "Tocantins", "San Juan Del Sur", and "Kaoh Rong", in some cases not being an island at all (as was the case in "Tocantins").

Answer: Cook Islands

The show's thirteenth season was the first instance in which the Final Two of the finale was expanded to a Final Three, a move done to avoid having less likelihood of an utterly unlikable final Tribal Council. The move was unnecessary; the winner that season was Yul, generally one of the most-liked winners of the game, who faced off against fan favourite Ozzy and Becky.

The Final Three became the typical finale expectation thereafter though Final Twos were still seen in "Micronesia", "Tocantins", and "Cagayan".

Answer: The Australian Outback

The Survivor Auction, somewhat of a staple as far as Reward Challenges go, occurred late into the show's second season set in "The Australian Outback". While this challenge gives players to opportunity to indulge in comfort foods and essentials by bidding with money given to them at the start of the game, sometimes they've also been offered calls or letters from loved ones, game-changing advantages, and gag prizes. Often times, with their bodies away from food for so long, the rewards end up being more pain than they're worth (as was the case for many in the outback).

Answer: Blood vs. Water

While the returning players gimmick was used as far back as "Survivor: All-Stars" (season 8), "Blood vs. Water" (set in the Philippines in season 27) was the first to bring back castaways and pit them against their own kin, splitting them onto two different tribes from day one.

The dynamics proved to be popular with viewers and the Blood vs. Water twist was used yet again for season 29 in "San Juan del Sur". The first voted out and the ultimate survivor, the Anderson sisters, were twins who previously competed in two seasons of "The Amazing Race".

Answer: Cagayan

Until "Cagayan", "Survivor" had only experimented with more than two starting tribes a few times beginning with "All-Stars" (with three), continuing with "Panama" and "Cook Islands" (four each) and having three again in "Philippines". But "Cagayan" sought to split its players into camps based on athleticism, intelligence, and attractiveness.

This does, of course, lead to debates in and of itself, but the split proved a winning formula and it returned for "Kaoh Rong". Another three-tribe split in the show's run: the class divide of 'white collar' vs. 'blue collar' vs. 'no collar' in "Worlds Apart" in season 30.

Answer: Fiji

Earl ended up winning the $1,000,000 prize against Cassandra and Dreamz in the finale of "Survivor: Fiji", during which only one vote was cast against him in a previous Tribal Council; nine voted for him to win the million in the final episode. His feat was topped a few years later when, in "Tocantins" in season 18, eventual winner J.T. won the final Tribal Council with all the votes without having had a vote cast against him during the entire season. John did the same in "Caramoan" several years after that.

Answer: The Amazon

The sixth season overall, "The Amazon" was the first to feature the gender-based tribal split, a gimmick that would be repeated in "Vanuatu", "Panama", and "One World". Interestingly, in both "The Amazon" and "Vanuatu", the eventual winners were the only one remaining of their gender during a significant run of the game. Jenna (winner of "The Amazon") was the final girl by Day 36 of 39, beating out four final men and Chris (winner of "Vanuatu") was the final man by Day 27 of 39, beating out six final women.

Answer: Palau

"Palau" was a particularly unique season in that one tribe, Ulong, lost every single Immunity Challenge they were placed into, resulting in a final two fire challenge at Tribal Council for Bobby Jon and Stephenie (both of whom returned for the "Guatemala" season) and the winner, Stephenie, simply moving into the opposing tribe's camp on Day 22.

She was eliminated on Day 30. There was no logistical way to have a merge with only one castaway on the Ulong tribe.

Answer: All-Stars

Up until the eighth season, "All-Stars", all games started with two tribes of eight teams. When "All-Stars" released, eighteen returning players joined up into three tribes of six, competing as three tribes until the Saboga tribe was split in two and absorbed into the Chapera and Mogo Mogo tribes on Day 13. Two Saboga members (those on Mogo Mogo) were eliminated by the merge on Day 25; the other two made it to the final four.

The three tribe split wouldn't return for another eight years-- not until "Survivor: Philippines".