Sure, first impressions are important. But sometimes, last impressions make even more of an impact. Just ask the cast of Survivor 48.

When Entertainment Weekly spoke to the contestants in Fiji in the days before filming began, several of them referenced the last Survivor season they had seen before leaving, and that was Survivor 46, which aired its finale just a few weeks before the new batch of players left home. And what they had on their mind after watching was not the dramatic break-up of Charlie and Maria, nor the first nationally televised game of hide-and-seek. It was all those people getting voted out with idols in their pockets.

Jem, Hunter, Tiffany, Venus, and Q were all ousted while holding an unplayed immunity idol — with the last four all occurring in a row. While many 48 contestants referenced the onslaught in their bold pre-game predictions, the question now is: Did that end up impacting the course of the game? After filming, we went to the Hostmaster General himself for answers.

“Yeah, the players in 48 definitely were very aware of the power of an idol,” Jeff Probst tells EW. “The history of idols in 46 made an impact. I think it was ruminating in everybody’s head that ‘If I have an idol and there’s even the slightest question that I’m in trouble, should I just play it to ensure that I’m here tomorrow?’”

Now, a course correction swing in that direction could lead to a lot of wasted and unnecessary idol plays. And those gambles one way or the other really are at the heart of Survivor. “What players saw in 46 is playing a risky game is part of playing Survivor,” Probst says. “Playing a risky game with an idol — that’s a big roll of the dice because they’re very hard to get, they’re very powerful, so you don’t want to waste them. You also definitely don’t want to go home with one in your pocket.”

Sometimes it is simply a case of damned if you do, and get voted out if you don’t. “I think that dilemma is so fun to watch play out because there’s no right answer,” the host says. “You don’t know the truth, you don’t know who’s voting for you — so if you play it and you didn’t need it, people are going to say you wasted it. And to that, I would say that’s just your definition. I would say ‘No, I’m using it as a weapon. Turns out I didn’t need it, but I used it as a weapon.’”

As for how Probst himself would handle an idol? “I don’t know what I would do in that situation. I’ve contemplated it many times. Those are the big money rolls that either get you to the next day or get you sent home.”

Even outside of idols, the host says to expect lots of big money rolls throughout the game. It’s one of the reasons he and producers have been so high on the season since it filmed in the summer of 2024 — even higher than what they thought they had with the acclaimed Survivor 47.

“Every season has its own vibe,” Probst notes. “47 was kind of a slow burn, started simmering, and then it started building in more intensity, but 48 comes out pretty fast with some big players. We knew 47 was going to be good. We knew the back half was great with the gameplay. We were a little surprised by how quickly people took to the group. We were happily surprised, because we can’t always tell.”

But he feels they can tell pretty clearly with the next installment. “I don’t have any reservations about 48. I think it’s a great season. Great players. I love the gameplay. I’m really optimistic about this season.”

Probst says Survivor 48 has the abundance of big moves that he loves… even if this particular writer has questioned whether some of those moves actually serve the players’ best interests when it comes to winning the game. “I go back to something you used to harp on all the time,” Probst says. “You used to say, ‘Probst always says that he wants you to make big moves.’ I’m still saying it to this day! Yeah, making big moves is a way to get your name in the Survivor Hall of Fame, but I stand by it. You cannot win this game by playing a passive game. So I like that.”

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In fact, the host has some unique — and he believes, freeing — advice he would like to impart on all future contestants. “If I could do anything, it would be to brainwash every player with this statement: Accept the fact that you’re going to lose. Because the minute you accept it, you have nothing to lose, and now you start to trust your gut a little more. When you’re worried about losing, you get tight and you start second-guessing, ‘Should I do that? Should I do this?’ That’s why second-time players are always going to be better than first-time players. ‘I’ve been here before, I’ve played in the Super Bowl. I know what the nerves feel like.’”

Of course, there is another not-so-subtle reason to play fast and play hard, even if it leads to an early exit. “The players who do it get rewarded every season, and even if it means you’re voted out early, you’re on our list to come back. So it’s always a win-win.”

Survivor 48 premieres Feb. 26 on CBS.