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After more than a year without Survivor, the CBS reality competition series is back and contains more twists than ever. In Survivor 41, host Jeff Probst announced that one of these twists, “Shot in the Dark,” would come into play at Tribal Council. But what exactly does this twist mean for the game? And how do the castaways use it? We have all the information you need to know regarding the “Shot in the Dark” twist in Survivor 41.

'Survivor 41' host Jeff Probst wears a black button-up shirt and a 'Survivor' hat. He stands in front of a 'Survivor 41' sign, a season with many new twists, including one called 'shot in the dark.'
Jeff Probst | Photo by Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images

‘Survivor 41’ is a new era in the game

Jeff Probst announced in the season premiere of Survivor 41 that it would be a new era of the game. And he has kept his promise so far.

Instead of the standard 39-day season, this new cast of contestants has only 26 days to outwit, outplay, and outlast. This shortened season means that everything is faster-paced, the castaways get less food, and there are fewer reward challenges. Plus, Survivor 41 has introduced many twists to the game, including the “Beware Advantage” and the aforementioned “Shot in the Dark.”

Explaining the new ‘Shot in the Dark’ twist in ‘Survivor 41’

Jeff Probst explained the “Shot in the Dark” twist during the premiere of Survivor 41. The contestants can only use the “advantage” at Tribal Council. At the voting booth, the castaways each get a die, and if they feel like they might be the one the tribe is targeting, they can roll the dice. If they play the “Shot in the Dark,” they lose their right to vote at that Tribal Council. And it sounds like they can never roll the dice again.

Once a player rolls their die, they have a one in six shot at gaining immunity for that Tribal Council. It’s sort of like when the players are forced to draw rocks, but instead, you want to pick the odd one out to get safety. Of course, one in six odds is not that great, and no one wants to lose their vote at Tribal Council, hence why the twist is called “Shot in the Dark.” Probst even described the play as a “Hail Mary,” so it really should only be played when a castaway feels like they have no other options.

Now, what happens if all tribe members play the “Shot in the Dark” in Survivor 41 and lose their right to vote? Would the Tribal Council get negated, and would everyone return to camp? Probably not, because this is Survivor.

Per a Reddit thread, fans have speculated about if that scenario were to occur. One Reddit user said, “I would think they would treat it as a tie. Anyone who got safe has immunity.” So, the players who didn’t get safety from “Shot in the Dark” would go to rocks. If that were to happen, there’s no doubt that that Tribal Council would go down as one of the best in Survivor history.

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Has the ‘Shot in the Dark’ been used in ‘Survivor 41’ yet?

Five episodes into Survivor 41, and no one has used their “Shot in the Dark” yet. Of course, players have been tempted to, and many probably should have (looking at you, Genie). But no one has felt that desperation yet when they go to Tribal Council. And we have no idea how long the twist will be in play, so the clock is ticking.

There’s no doubt that “Shot in the Dark” will be a factor in later episodes because the Survivor 41 producers would not have introduced it for no reason. We’ll just have to wait and see who will be the first person daring enough to roll their die.

Survivor 41 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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