Survivor: Island of the Idols

Survivor: Island of the Idols is the thirty-ninth season of .

Production
Starting with this season, Canadian citizens are eligible to apply for Survivor.

The mentors, Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine, were given creative control over the happenings on the Island of the Idols, from the lessons they will teach and how they will go about them. Host Jeff Probst stated that production would have built a shelter for Rob and Sandra, but the two refused and insisted to relive the Survivor experience and built their own shelter. Rob and Sandra also attend Tribal Council, albeit in secret. They have a special hiding place in one of the huts in the Tribal Council set where they watch the proceedings.

Twists/Changes

 * Mentors: Two former Survivor winners, Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine, would return for this season as mentors to the castaways this season. Neither mentor is in contention to win the million dollar prize. The mentors also get to attend Tribal Council in a hideaway spot near the fire pit.
 * : A selected castaway will be sent to the eponymous Island of the Idols where they will be taught survival skills and game strategies by Rob and Sandra. The castaway may choose to be tested on what they learned from the mentors for a chance to win an advantage in the game. However, losing the mentors' challenge will disallow them from voting the next time the player attends Tribal Council. Host Jeff Probst describes the island as a "Survivor boot camp."
 * Hidden Immunity Idol: A Hidden Immunity Idol is hidden at each camp. In addition, temporary Hidden Immunity Idols may be offered on the Island of the Idols which are only usable for two to three Tribal Councils after obtaining them.
 * Vote Blocker: The castaways sent to Island of the Idols on Days 9 and 15 were eligible to win a Vote Blocker. Unlike its previous appearance where it had to be used at the following Tribal Council regardless if the holder would attend that Tribal Council or not, the Vote Blocker was reworked so that it could be used at any Tribal Council the holder attends up to the final six.
 * Tribe Switch: On Day 12, a Tribe Switch occurred, spreading the sixteen remaining castaways across two tribes of eight.
 * Safety Without Power: The castaway sent to the Island of the Idols on Day 17 would be eligible to win an advantage that allows them to leave Tribal Council before the vote, effectively making them immune, at the cost of not voting. This advantage is usable until the final seven.
 * Early Merge: The merge occurred with thirteen players remaining.
 * Double Elimination: The Lumuwaku tribe was briefly split into two groups (one of six and one of five) with each group attending a separate Tribal Council to vote out a member. Following the Immunity Challenge, one group remained at the Lumuwaku camp while the other was sequestered at the old Lairo camp for the afternoon.
 * Extra Vote: The castaway sent to the Island of the Idols on Day 34 would be given an option between this, an Idol Nullifier, or a Hidden Immunity Idol good for the next Tribal Council, if they win the mentor's test.
 * Idol Nullifier: The castaway sent to the Island of the Idols on Day 34 would be given an option between this, an Extra Vote, or a Hidden Immunity Idol good for the next Tribal Council, if they win the mentor's test. The Idol Nullifier is usable until the final five.

Season Summary
The twenty castaways were divided into two tribes: Lairo and Vokai. Multiple castaways were sent to the for the afternoon and were mentored and challenged by former Survivor winners and legends Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine in exchange for game advantages.

A cohesive unit, Vokai dominated the challenges challenges, with Tommy Sheehan and Lauren Beck secretly running the show. On the other hand, Lairo was fractured by excessive politicking, with Missy Byrd being the brains behind most of the strategies taking place and Karishma Patel being the decoy target. The Tribe Switch allowed social in-roads between the tribes, with several players jumping ship despite initial uneasiness.

The merge was initially marred by controversy due to Kellee Kim's accusations to Dan Spilo of inappropriate touching. The other women came forward to exclaim they also felt violated by Dan, though Missy and Elizabeth Beisel fabricated their claims for strategy. Dan was later expelled from the game for a separate but similar offense.

Tommy and Lauren's bonds with the outsider Lairos resulted to eliminate the remaining Lairo's until only Dean Kowalski remained. Dean however made a resurgence by way of winning Immunity Challenges and finding or receiving Hidden Immunity Idols and advantages.

On the penultimate day, as a precautionary measure in case he failed to win the Final Immunity Challenge, Tommy convinced Noura Salman to take him to the Final Three. Noura did so, leaving Lauren and Dean to compete in a fire-making challenge. Dean defeated Lauren and secured his spot at the finals.

At the Final Tribal Council, Noura was praised for her multiple challenge wins, but was overshadowed by her personality quirks and volatile gameplay. Dean on the other hand was lauded for his strong endgame, but the jury felt his social game was poor. It was Tommy's harmless yet effective strategic and strong social game that won the jury over, winning him the title of Sole Survivor over Dean and Noura in an 8-2-0 vote.

Trivia

 * Island of the Idols marks the first time a country is used seven consecutive times.
 * The mentors wear Buffs from their winning seasons. Rob Mariano wears a Murlonio Buff from, while Sandra Diaz-Twine wears both Balboa and Yin Yang Buffs from and  respectively.
 * This is the first season since to start with two tribes and not introduce a third at a Tribe Switch.
 * This season is tied with, , and for the most LGBT contestants with 3: Elaine Stott, Missy Byrd, and Vince Moua.