Survivor: Guatemala

Survivor: Guatemala, also known as Survivor: Guatemala — The Mayan Empire, is the eleventh season of the U.S. reality show Survivor.

Danni Boatwright was crowned the Sole Survivor after beating fellow finalist Stephenie LaGrossa in a 6-1 landslide, only losing the vote of Rafe Judkins.

Development
Applications were due January 14, 2005. Around March, 800 applicants were selected for an interview by CBS. Out of these 800, 48 semi-finalists were selected to go to Los Angeles sometime around April 2005. There, 16 of the nominees were chosen to participate on the show. Shooting began in June and ended in August.

This season also features the return of fan favorites Stephenie LaGrossa and Bobby Jon Drinkard, raising the number of contestants to 18. Other notable contestants include former beauty queen and model-turned radio announcer Danni Boatwright and ex-NFL quarterback Gary Hogeboom.

Alternates include contestants Michael Skupin and Rodger Bingham, Palau contestants Jonathan Libby and Wanda Shirk, and  contestant Hunter Ellis. Hunter declined, while Michael, Rodger, Jonathan, and Wanda were cut.

Twists/Changes

 * One Returnee per Tribe: Two former contestants return for another chance to win, one for each tribe.
 * Tribe Switch: On Day 10, a tribe switch occurred.
 * Double Tribal Council: On one occasion, both tribes have to attend Tribal Council. They play for reward, with the winners competing for individual immunity and the opportunity to observe the losing tribe's Tribal Council, and vote for one person to receive immunity.
 * Hidden Immunity Idol: Located around the Xhakúm campsite is a small wooden totem that can be used as a form of individual immunity. Clues are given to winners of challenges. The idol is played before the vote to detract particular voting blocs from targeting the player in question. Once the idol is played, it is discarded.

Season Summary
Sixteen players were split into two tribes named Nakúm and Yaxhá after two Maya cities. Each tribe was joined by a contestant from, Bobby Jon Drinkard, who was assigned to Nakúm, and Stephenie LaGrossa, who was assigned to Yaxhá. Nakúm started the game winning the first Reward Challenge, which was an 11-mile trek, but it proved to be physically taxing to its male members, which eventually cost them the Immunity Challenge. Jim Lynch, the most ailing of the men, was unanimously voted out. Nakúm then dominated in challenges, sending Yaxhá to Tribal Council twice, where they eliminated the least productive members of the tribe. During this time, Gary Hogeboom of the Yaxhá tribe struggled to conceal his former past as a former NFL quarterback when he was outed by Danni Boatwright from Nakúm.

A Tribe Switch occurred on Day 10, leaving Bobby Jon, Danni, Blake Towsley, and Brandon Bellinger in the majority at their new tribe - Yaxhá. The new Nakúm had four original members left, and they were joined by four Yaxhá. Immediately after the switch, Stephenie and Jamie Newton formed an alliance with Judd Sergeant to take control of Nakúm, prompting Judd to betray his original tribemates. However, Yaxhá went on a losing streak, and the former Nakúm members proceeded to eliminate the original Yaxhá, as well as Blake, due to his crazy frat stories. Thus, they entered the merge with a 6-4 deficit.

Upon merging, the new tribe was informed that a Hidden Immunity Idol was located in the jungle. The numerical advantage the post-switch Nakúm had allowed them eliminate Brandon at the first post-merge Tribal Council. The following day, Judd received a clue to the whereabouts of the Hidden Immunity Idol after winning a Reward Challenge. It said that the Idol was hidden somewhere above the ground. To distract the other players, Judd told the other contestants the opposite of what the clue said. Gary, however, wasn't fooled. He followed Judd into the jungle, and saw where he was looking for the Idol. Gary then found it before Judd could, and used it to save himself from being eliminated. This made post-switch Nakúm vote out Bobby Jon, who became the first member of the jury.

Meanwhile, Jamie was becoming increasingly paranoid, and the majority alliance decided to turn against him and spare Gary one more time. Using Judd's lie to his advantage, Gary tried to convince Stephenie's alliance to keep him in the game, but this time it didn't help, and he was the next out. Gary's words did however convince the former Nakúm members that Judd could not be trusted. This, combined with his obnoxious behavior, got him blindsided at the next Tribal Council.

With five contestants remaining, Cindy Hall was given an opportunity to gain everybody's favor at a car Reward Challenge. Jeff Probst reminded Cindy of the infamous "Car Curse", and offered her to give up the car she just won, and give a car to everybody else. Cindy refused and opted to keep her reward. This act did not sit well with Danni and Rafe Judkins, and they convinced Stephanie and Lydia Morales to vote her out. Lydia, the most likeable of the final four, was next to go. At the Final Immunity Challenge, Stephenie was unable to beat Danni, leaving Danni to decide whether to take her to the Final Tribal Council instead of Rafe. Danni was told by Rafe that she did not have to stay true to a deal they agreed upon earlier, according to which she would take him to the Final Two. Danni decided that she would fare better against Stephenie, and eliminated Rafe.

At the Final Tribal Council, Stephenie was berated for her multiple betrayals, losing to Danni in a 6-1 decision, praising her effective, stealthy game despite being the last person from her alliance.

Trivia

 * This is the first season of Survivor to include both new players and returning players.
 * This is the first season of the "one returnee per tribe" format.
 * This is the first season where a new player defeated a returning player in the Final Tribal Council.
 * This season has the most unanimous votes at Tribal Council with ten.
 * This is the first season of Survivor to feature the Hidden Immunity Idol.
 * This is the only season thus far with no African-American contestants.
 * This is the most recent season of Survivor to have a Final Two without any evacuations or quitters.