'Survivor' - greatest theme-based seasons as of now

4. Survivor: Panama - Exile Island (Season 12 - 2006)

Technically, Exile Island was not a new concept when Survivor centered an entire season around it for season 12, as it was used during season 10 in Palau. In addition, the hidden immunity idol was introduced the previous season in Guatemala. However, when the two elements combined, it started a new era of Survivor and formally introduced two of the game's greatest elements.

At the time, if you found yourself at tribal council during the tribe portion of the game, there was absolutely no form of protection. In addition, once the merge hit, if the individual immunity necklace was not around your neck, your neck was on the line because you were as vulnerable as everyone else. However, that all changed when Exile Island was introduced.

Each week, at least one castaway was sent to Exile Island to live alone with no food, no drinkable water and no shelter. However, hidden somewhere on the island was the most powerful item the game had ever seen, a hidden immunity idol.

While on Exile Island, castaways had the opportunity to search for the idol with the help of clues. The player who ends up finding the idol has until the final four to use it, and here's how the idol worked. If you are the person with the most number of votes at tribal council, you can play the idol once all the votes are read, and instead of you going home, the person with the next highest number of votes is the one who gets a torch snuffing.

Exile Island is, by far, the most influential theme in the history of Survivor. Hidden immunity idols have been used on every season since, evolving along the way, and Exile Island has been featured on six additional seasons, not including the so-called Exile Island from Game Changers.

Not only did Survivor: Exile Island pave the way for seasons to come, it also happens to be a well-executed Survivor season. The new twist added to the ambiance of the game rather than depleting it, and unlike in today's Survivor where new twists are added a mile a minute, this one twist was captivating enough to keep the viewer's attention for the entire season.

Even when Exile Island was not necessarily needed because the idol had been found, the idea of seeing a castaway live on their own, away from camp life and their tribemates was compelling. You didn't need to, all of a sudden, add another advantage or create some way to twist up a twist. All you needed was a castaway to believe that they could still possibly find the idol, even if they have a good inkling it's already been found, and watch them search aimlessly for it.

While hidden immunity idols recently have gotten way out of hand, as now too many are implemented each season, without them, Survivor would not be the same. Exile Island might not have had the result the producers were looking for because the immunity idol was not even played, but Survivor: Panama - Exile Island certainly provided a history-making theme.