What I meant about a “staple” in the game is when players embark on any season now there are certain elements they should come to expect. Puzzles, Idols, Tribal Switches to name a few. I respect particular viewers may not be fans of a given “staple,” but players HAVE to be prepared to encounter each and every one of them. Some castaways will search harder than others. Gavin flat-out said at TC he didn’t invest a whole lot of time in looking for idols, so guess what...he ain’t finding any. It was also clearly noted that Rick “outworked” his competition, so guess what...he found them.

Even though harder work and proactivity should be rewarded over lame passive approaches, you are correct to note that luck comes into play every season. As Kingfish referenced, it is virtually impossible to completely eliminate the element of luck in any competition. That being said, I’ve always believed you have two types of luck: Luck you can “create” for yourself, and your old-fashioned dumbass luck that gets placed in your lap—figuratively...and sometimes literally.