Survivor: Why There Will Never Be A ‘First Boots’ Season

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Over the years, Survivor has featured several seasons with returning players, but it has yet to have a "First Boots" season and, unfortunately, probably never will. The theme is often bandied about by hopeful fans, but it has yet to become a reality. Instead, the show has developed several other returnee season themes over the years. In fact, 13 of its 41 seasons have featured returning players in some capacity.

The first returnee iteration was season 8, Survivor: All-Stars, which pitted the most popular players of the early era against one another in an unprecedented season. Because it was the first to feature players entering the game with pre-existing relationships with one another, All-Stars became extremely personal and uncomfortable to watch at times. Survivor went on to establish other returnee themes, like "Heroes vs. Villains" and "Second Chance" that, unlike All-Stars, became some of the greatest seasons in the show's history. In addition to full all-star seasons, many seasons also feature Survivor vets competing with new players.

Related: Survivor: Why Amber Mariano Is An Underrated Winner

When it comes to pitching potential returnee-themed seasons, one of the most commonly proposed ideas is a "First Boots" season, a returnee season that would feature a cast comprised entirely of players who were the first voted out on their initial outings. Unfortunately, the idea will almost certainly never come to fruition. The hook is inherently compelling: former first boots get a second chance in a season in which one former first boot would, by virtue of the theme, go from being the first eliminated to winning the game of Survivor. The primary hindrance to crafting such a season, however, is the impracticality of