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Survivor: Guatemala, also known as Survivor: Guatemala — The Maya Empire, is the eleventh season of Survivor.

Filmed among the ancient Mayan ruins, the season pitted 16 new castaways against returning players Bobby Jon Drinkard and Stephenie LaGrossa, who had become famed during their outing on Palau for weathering the Ulong tribe's decimation. The season also saw the birth of the Hidden Immunity Idol twist, which would become a permanent fixture of Survivor from this point forward.

In the end, Danni Boatwright's combination of stealthy social gameplay and tenacity as the final member of her alliance earned her the title of Sole Survivor after beating Stephenie in a 6-1 landslide, only losing the vote of Rafe Judkins. To date, it has produced two returning players (Danni Boatwright and Stephenie LaGrossa) for subsequent seasons.

Production[]

Originally, this season was supposed to be filmed in a location on the Indian Ocean, with scouting taking place in Madagascar, Southern India, and Sri Lanka in November 2004. However, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami forced the plans to be scrapped. Guatemala was chosen as the backup location.[2]

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 Survivor: Palau 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.

Twists/Changes[]

  • One Returnee per Tribe: Two former contestants, Bobby Jon Drinkard and Stephenie LaGrossa, returned for another chance to win. Each tribe was assigned one of the returning players.
  • Tribe Switch: On Day 9, a tribe switch occurred.
    • Summit: As part of the tribe switch mechanic, two members of each tribe were sent on a picnic where they could get to know each other before they returned to their respective tribe camps to find that the tribes had been switched.
  • Double Tribal Council: On Day 15, both tribes attended Tribal Council. They played 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 was a small wooden totem that could be used as a form of individual immunity. Clues are given to winners of challenges. The idol was to be played before the vote to detract particular voting blocs from targeting the player in question. Once the idol was played, it was discarded.

Castaways[]

Contestant Tribe Affiliation Finish Votes
Against
Original Tribe Switched Tribe Merged Tribe
S11 jim t Jim Lynch
63, Northglenn, CO
Retired Fire Captain
Nakúm 1st Voted Out
Day 3
8
S11 morgan t Morgan McDevitt
21, Decatur, IL
Magician's Assistant
Yaxhá 2nd Voted Out
Day 6
8
S11 brianna t Brianna Varela
21, Edmonds, WA
Retail Salesperson
Yaxhá 3rd Voted Out
Day 8
7
S11 brooke t Brooke Struck
25, Hood River, OR
Law Student
Nakúm Nakúm 4th Voted Out
Day 11
5
S11 blake t Blake Towsley
24, Dallas, TX
Real Estate Broker
Nakúm Yaxhá 5th Voted Out
Day 14
5
S11 margaret t Margaret Bobonich
43, Chardon, OH
Nursing Practitioner
Nakúm Nakúm 6th Voted Out
Day 15
7
S11 brian t Brian Corridan
22, New York City, NY
Ivy League Student
Yaxhá Yaxhá 7th Voted Out
Day 15
7
S11 amy t Amy O'Hara
39, Revere, MA
Police Sargeant
Yaxhá Yaxhá 8th Voted Out
Day 18
4
S11 brandon t Brandon Bellinger
22, Manhattan, KS
Farmer
Nakúm Yaxhá Xhakúm 9th Voted Out
Day 21
6
S11 bobbyjon t Bobby Jon Drinkard
28, Los Angeles, CA
Palau
Nakúm Yaxhá 10th Voted Out
1st Jury Member
Day 24
8
S11 jamie t Jamie Newton
24, North Hollywood, CA
Water Ski Instructor
Yaxhá Nakúm 11th Voted Out
2nd Jury Member
Day 27
10
S11 gary t Gary Hogeboom
46, Grand Haven, MI
Former NFL Quarterback
Yaxhá Yaxhá 12th Voted Out
3rd Jury Member
Day 30
8
S11 judd t Judd Sergeant
34, Ridgefield, NJ
Hotel Doorman
Nakúm Nakúm 13th Voted Out
4th Jury Member
Day 33
5
S11 cindy t Cindy Hall
30, Naples, FL
Zookeeper
Nakúm Nakúm 14th Voted Out
5th Jury Member
Day 36
6
S11 lydia t Lydia Morales
42, Lakewood, WA
Fishmonger
Yaxhá Nakúm 15th Voted Out
6th Jury Member
Day 37
10
S11 rafe t Rafe Judkins
22, Pittsburgh, PA
Wilderness Guide
Yaxhá Nakúm 16th Voted Out
7th Jury Member
Day 38
2
S11 stephenie t Stephenie LaGrossa
25, Toms River, NJ
Palau
Yaxhá Nakúm Runner-Up 2
S11 danni t Danni Boatwright
29, Tonganoxie, KS
Sports Radio Host
Nakúm Yaxhá Sole Survivor 1

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 Survivor: Palau, Bobby Jon Drinkard, who was assigned to Nakúm, and Stephenie LaGrossa, who was assigned to Yaxhá. Yaxhá struggled early on, losing two of the first three Immunity Challenges to Nakúm.

After a tribe switch on Day 9, Stephenie, Rafe, and Jamie formed a new alliance with Judd to take control of Nakúm, prompting Judd to betray his original tribemates. However, Yaxhá went on a losing streak, with the former Nakúm members opting to eliminate the original Yaxhá members. Thus, the original Yaxhá entered the merge with a 6-4 deficit against Nakúm.

Upon merging, the new tribe was informed that a Hidden Immunity Idol was located in the jungle. Judd received a clue to the whereabouts of the Hidden Immunity Idol after winning a Reward Challenge. However, Gary found the idol and used it at Tribal Council prevented him from being eliminated.

The threat of the Hidden Immunity Idol made the post-switch Nakúm vote out Bobby Jon, though Gary soon followed after the idol was used. Danni survived this Pagonging by winning immunity on Day 33 and making a deal with Rafe. Eventually, Stephenie, Danni, and Rafe worked together and reached the Final Three. When Danni won the Final Immunity Challenge, she voted Rafe out after he released her from their prior deal.

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

Episode Air date Challenges Eliminated
(Vote)
Finish Viewers
(in millions)[3]
Rating/Share
(18-49)[3]
Reward Immunity
1 "Big Trek, Big Trouble, Big Surprise" September 15, 2005 Nakúm Yaxhá Jim
(8-1)
1st Voted Out
Day 3
18.41 6.6/19
2 "Man Down" September 22, 2005 Nakúm Nakúm Morgan
(8-1)
2nd Voted Out
Day 6
16.98 6.1/17
3 "The Brave May Not Live Long, but the Cautious Don't Live at All" September 29, 2005 Nakúm Nakúm Brianna
(7-1)
3rd Voted Out
Day 8
17.29 5.7/16
4 "To Betray or Not to Betray" October 6, 2005 None Yaxhá Brooke
(5-3)
4th Voted Out
Day 11
17.92 6.3/17
5 "Crocs, Cowboys and City Slickers" October 13, 2005 Yaxhá Nakúm Blake
(5-2)
5th Voted Out
Day 14
17.85 6.5/18
6 "Big Ball, Big Mouth, Big Trouble" October 20, 2005 Nakúm Rafe Margaret
(6-1)
6th Voted Out
Day 15
17.78 6.1/17
[Gary]1 Brian
(5-1)
7th Voted Out
Day 15
7 "Surprise Enemy Visit" October 27, 2005 Yaxhá Nakúm Amy
(4-1)
8th Voted Out
Day 18
17.38 6.2/17
8 "The Hidden Immunity Idol" November 3, 2005 None Gary Brandon
(6-4)
9th Voted Out
Day 21
18.28 6.6/17
9 "Secrets and Lies and an Idol Surprise" November 10, 2005 Judd
[Bobby Jon,
Stephenie]2
Jamie Bobby Jon
(6-2-1)
10th Voted Out
1st Jury Member
Day 24
18.98 6.9/19
10 "Eating and Sleeping with the Enemy" November 17, 2005 Danni,
Gary, Judd,
Stephenie
Rafe Jamie
(6-2)
11th Voted Out
2nd Jury Member
Day 27
18.82 6.4/17
11 "Everything Is Personal" November 24, 2005 Cindy
[Rafe]
Rafe Gary
(6-1)
12th Voted Out
3rd Jury Member
Day 30
19.54 6.6/20
12 "Price for Immunity" December 1, 2005 Survivor
Auction
Danni Judd
(4-2)
13th Voted Out
4th Jury Member
Day 33
20.21 7.0/N/A
13 "Big Win, Big Decision, Big Mistake?" December 8, 2005 Cindy
[Stephenie]
Stephenie Cindy
(4-1)
14th Voted Out
5th Jury Member
Day 36
19.82 7.1/19
14 "Thunder Storms and Sacrifice" December 11, 2005 None Rafe Lydia
(3-1)
15th Voted Out
6th Jury Member
Day 37
21.18 7.7/17
Danni Rafe
(1-0)
16th Voted Out
7th Jury Member
Day 38
Jury Vote Stephenie
(6-1)
Runner-Up
Danni
(6-1)
Sole Survivor
15 "Reunion" 15.21 5.7/14
Notes:
^1 Rafe had the right to assign individual immunity to a member of Yaxhá, in which he chose Gary.
^2 Every castaway received a different meal based on how they placed in the challenge. Judd chose to share the first place meal with Bobby Jon and Stephenie.

Voting History[]

Original Tribes Switched Tribes Merged Tribe
Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Voted Out S11 jim t
Jim
S11 morgan t
Morgan
S11 brianna t
Brianna
S11 brooke t
Brooke
S11 blake t
Blake
S11 margaret t
Margaret
S11 brian t
Brian
S11 amy t
Amy
S11 brandon t
Brandon
S11 bobbyjon t
Bobby Jon
S11 jamie t
Jamie
S11 gary t
Gary
S11 judd t
Judd
S11 cindy t
Cindy
S11 lydia t
Lydia
S11 rafe t
Rafe
S11 stephenie t
Stephenie
S11 danni t
Danni
Vote 8-1 8-1 7-1 5-3 5-2 6-1 5-11 4-1 6-4 6-2-1 6-2 6-1 4-2 4-1 3-1 1-02 6-1
Danni Jim Blake Brian Amy Jamie Stephenie Jamie Gary Judd Cindy Lydia Rafe Jury Vote
Stephenie Morgan Brianna Brooke Margaret Brandon Bobby Jon Jamie Gary Judd Cindy Lydia None
Rafe Morgan Brianna Brooke Margaret Brandon Bobby Jon Jamie Gary Judd Cindy Lydia None Stephenie
Lydia Morgan Brianna Brooke Margaret Brandon Bobby Jon Jamie Gary Judd Cindy Danni Danni
Cindy Jim Lydia Margaret Brandon Bobby Jon Jamie Gary Lydia Rafe Danni
Judd Jim Brooke Margaret Brandon Bobby Jon Gary Gary Lydia Danni
Gary Morgan Brianna Blake Brian Amy Jamie Cindy Jamie Cindy Danni
Jamie Morgan Brianna Brooke Margaret Brandon Bobby Jon Gary Danni
Bobby Jon Jim Blake Brian Amy Jamie Stephenie Danni
Brandon Jim Brian Brian Amy Jamie
Amy Morgan Brianna Blake Brian Bobby Jon
Brian Morgan Brianna Blake Bobby Jon
Margaret Jim Lydia Judd
Blake Jim Brian
Brooke Jim Lydia
Brianna Morgan Lydia
Morgan Lydia
Jim Margaret
Notes:
^1 For winning the individual Immunity Challenge, Rafe was given the opportunity to cast a vote to one member of Yaxhá that would receive his Immunity Necklace; if that player received enough votes to be voted out, all votes cast against that player would be negated, with the player that received the next highest number of votes being voted out instead.
^2 Rafe and Stephenie did not vote as they could only vote for each other. By virtue of winning the Final Immunity Challenge, only Danni voted.

Trivia[]

  • Guatemala 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 only season with the "one returnee per tribe" format to contain a female returnee.
    • This is the first season where a new player defeated a returning player in the Final Tribal Council.
  • Guatemala is the only U.S. season with no African-American contestants.
  • Guatemala is the most recent season of Survivor to have a Final Two without any evacuation or quit.
  • After Danni was voted out on Winners at War, all of the castaways from Guatemala have been voted out at some point.

References[]

Survivor (U.S.) Seasons
BorneoThe Australian OutbackAfricaMarquesasThailandThe AmazonPearl IslandsAll-StarsVanuatuPalauGuatemalaPanamaCook IslandsFijiChinaMicronesiaGabonTocantinsSamoaHeroes vs. VillainsNicaraguaRedemption IslandSouth PacificOne WorldPhilippinesCaramoanBlood vs. WaterCagayanSan Juan del SurWorlds ApartCambodiaKaôh RōngMillennials vs. Gen XGame ChangersHeroes vs. Healers vs. HustlersGhost IslandDavid vs. GoliathEdge of ExtinctionIsland of the IdolsWinners at WarSurvivor 41Survivor 42Survivor 43Survivor 44Survivor 45Survivor 46
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