Despite snakes being a part of the Survivor lexicon from the beginning, this week’s episode of Season 49 gave them a whole new context. Contestant Jake Latimer underwent one of the show’s most shocking medical incidents, as he was bitten by a venomous sea krait while down at the shore of his tribe’s camp.
When Jake informed his tribe members of what happened, their faces dropped — and so did the fourth wall. What followed was the biggest look behind the curtain we’ve seen in 25 years of the veteran reality series, as he was brought to production base camp to get tended to by the medical team. What followed was a tense, but emotional sequence, where Jeff Probst and the on-set doctor had to inform the correctional officer that, while seemingly not having any venom in his system, he would not be allowed to continue in the deprivational controlled environment of Survivor.
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“It’s pretty rare when we break the fourth wall and take you behind the scenes of production,” the host and showrunner tells Parade in an exclusive interview. “We only do it when we feel it is truly necessary. Once we had time to evaluate everything, we decided that every element that happened was a key element in telling the story. Then the question became how best to structure it so that you can let the audience experience it on an emotional level.”
Read on for our full interview on Jake’s medevac with Jeff Probst, including whether his departure could have triggered an early swap, and if the show is interested in having Jake return in the future.
Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 49