Survivor Winter Park: Halloween Spooktacular

## Cast

***Halloween Spooktacular*** is the tenth main season of *Survivor Winter Park* and the fourth season in the second era.

*Halloween Spooktacular*'s gender-divided season saw both tribes exist on the same camp, complicating the dynamics of both leading into the merge. In order to deliver the first female winner since *Redemption Island*, Sarah Riess and the former Mokalo tribe systematically eliminated all the guys of the Honua tribe for an all-female Final 3, leading to her unanimous 7-0-0 victory over followers Isabella Coronado and Melissa Geller.

## Production

With the casting dilemma created by *Island of Desolation* when it was for August of 2021, Cole and Thorin Groth decided to push the season all the way back to December of that year, with two new primarily newbie seasons being planned to introduce a larger casting pool for the future. And thus, *Halloween Spooktacular* was born. Originally planned under the name "Nations Divided", Thorin would take back the hosting helm after ceding it to Cole for the previous three seasons. The One World twist (from Survivor U.S.' eponymous 24th season) and the gender-divided tribes were part of the structure for the season from the beginning. The "Nations Divided" title would be changed when the season was finally set to take place during Halloween, with the more appropriate current title being selected. Due to the gender-divided tribes, physical challenges were discarded, instead focusing on mental challenges that were more fair for both tribes.

This season would be the first after the creation of the official Survivor Club at Winter Park High School, with the club meant to be a gateway for new players to compete in the season while having an official outreach from outside the realm of the four main guys (Cole, Thorin, George Stedronsky, and Jacob Thigpen). The majority of players for the season were members of the club.

Notable players who were cast and then dropped include Delaney Gardner, Felix Rotax, Susan Mallen, Van Nguyen, and William So (all of whom would later compete in *The Forest Enigma*).

The male players were instructed to wear a pink shirt (or pink-adjacent), while the female players were instructed to wear blue, reversing the colors typically associated with either gender and making the tribe photos more uniform. This was the first season to truly focus on the head shots of players (*Exile Island* began this but in a much less uniform matter). The second day had a Hawaiian dress code, while the third originally had a costume theme but was dropped due to a lack of interest from the cast.

## Twists/Advantages

### **Twists**

* **One World:** Both tribes existed on the same camp at all times, a *Survivor Winter Park* first (although the Lotai and Vanto tribes split the primary camp during the pre-swap phase of *Good vs. Bad vs. Neutral*). Every two rounds, the tribes would both move to a different camp, with a different idol for each tribe hidden at both camps.
* **Two Immunity Necklaces:** At the merge, a player from both former tribes had the opportunity to win immunity.
* **Split Tribal Council:** At the Final 8, the remaining players were randomly split into two groups of four. Both groups competed for a separate immunity necklace and would vote a player out before re-grouping.

### **Advantages**

* **Hidden Immunity Idol:** Two Hidden Immunity Idols were hidden at both tribe camps at the start of the game, with a fifth being added into circulation upon the merge. The last time they could be used was when there were six players remaining.
	+ **Gendered Immunity Idols:** The four idols of the pre-merge were all designated for their specific tribes. A member of the Honua tribe could find the Mokalo idol, but they could only play it on a member of that tribe. However, a member of the Mokalo tribe could play their idol on anyone, including a member of the Honua tribe. Finding their own idol would go as normal.
* **Immunity Gift:** At the opening challenge, an advantage was hidden for both tribes to find, which would allow the holder to grant immunity to a player of their choosing on the opposing tribe. The advantage expired at the merge. Adam Holbrook and Isabella Coronado found the gift for their respective tribes, but neither would end up using the advantage.
* **The Box:** Placed in the middle of the primary camp was a locked box, with a key hidden somewhere in the jungle.
	+ **Tribal Exchange:** Hidden inside the box was an advantage that allowed the holder to replace themselves at Tribal Council with a member of the opposing tribe, granting them immunity from that vote. This advantage expired at the merge.

## Season Summary

*Halloween Spooktacular* began with a *Survivor Winter Park* first: both tribes were divided by gender. Each helming two returning players, the majority of the pre-merge saw the outcast members being picked off while the tribes would alternate going to Tribal Councils. It wasn't until the last Tribal Council for both tribes that a major returning player would be picked off, seeing the rise of the outcasts taking over the more dominant players.

At the merge, both tribes were heavily divided in their previous groupings, despite having spent the entire pre-merge together at camp. It wouldn't be until Dorian Holt flipped to the girls to begin his revenge mission against everyone who voted out his girlfriend that the game would shift in favor of the former Mokalo tribe. With their backs against the walls, the Honua tribe would quickly begin to crumble, despite being given another chance following the Split Tribal Council that took out two key Mokalo members. It wouldn't be enough, as the in-fighting between them would continue to see their demise at the hands of the new power duo of Isabella Coronado and Melissa Geller, two players with no chance of winning who were intent on having a female Sole Survivor, the first since *Redemption Island*. Seeing her opportunity, Sarah Riess, as the last remaining returning player, would push the guys further against the duo, resulting in all their subsequent eliminations for an all-female ending.

At the Final Tribal Council, Sarah would be credited with her ability to maintain the divide between their tribes to her personal advantage, yet she was criticized for her occasionally untrustworthy nature. The jury was vehemently against both Isabella and Melissa, however, viewing them as passive players who made no attempt to actually win the game. Sarah would be awarded the title of Sole Survivor in a unanimous 7-0-0 vote.

## Trivia

* *Halloween Spooktacular* is the first season since...
	+ ...*Season 2* to not feature a tribe swap
	+ ...*Season 2* to feature a Final 3 unrelated to a twist (as *Bloodlines*'s Final 3 was due to the twist of that season)
	+ ...*Edge of Extinction* where no finalists are male
	+ ...*Redemption Island* to produce a female Sole Survivor
	+ ...*Redemption Island* to have an irregular elimination
	+ ...*Heroes vs. Villains* to not be hosted by Cole Groth
	+ ...*Heroes vs. Villains* where no jury members were replaced

## Future return list

* None for *The Forest Enigma*
* **1 for *Island of Desolation*:** Dorian Holt
* **2 for *March Madness*:** Adam Holbrook and Garrett Walker
* None for *Lord of the Lads*
* None for *Guild of the Girlies*
* **1 for *Clash of the Champions*:** Sarah Riess
* **1 for *Dynamic Duos*:** Keyes Rodriguez
* **2 for *All-Stars*:** Adam Holbrook and Jesse Roldan
	+ **Total returns:** 7 returns across 8 seasons (an average of 0.875 returns per season)