A Survivor contestant's journey has come to an end before it could even really start.
In the two-hour season 42 premiere on Wednesday, March 9, tears were shed, a shoulder was dislocated and a castaway was sent packing. Suffice to say, it was one of Survivor's most dramatic premieres ever.
The episode kicked off like any other, with the Taku tribe chatting around the campfire during their first night on the island. During the discussion, healthcare worker Jackson Fox shared that he initially auditioned for Survivor as a female, before undergoing gender confirmation surgery. And though his parents previously opposed his decision, they got to know the real him when he moved home to care for his terminally ill mother.
"My father would ask me, 'Why'd your mother get sick?'" Jackson privately explained to the cameras. "And I'd say, 'Well, I think this was the plan. You and I got a relationship and Mom got to know who I was.'"
He added that his experience prepared him for the competition, explaining, "Survivor makes you take everything and peel it off, be vulnerable and open and for me, that's a huge testament for someone who's always hid who I was. My goal is to get to a million dollars, but if that doesn't happen, the fact that I tried it is a huge testament to someone who hid their whole life."
But Jackson's journey was cut short when Jeff Probst showed up the next morning to ask why he chose to share an important detail in his medical history, which needs to be accurate and complete, 24 hours before they started filming. When Probst broached the situation with Jackson, the contestant came right out and admitted that he'd been taking lithium to cope with anxiety over his mother's illness, but didn't tell producers "because I was trying to just quit it completely because I didn't need it anymore."
Jackson added that there's a stigma surrounding lithium, which is commonly used to treat bipolar disorder, so he hesitated to share this detail in fear of the repercussions. "Everyone hears the word 'lithium,' and they go way back in time and they're like, 'That was a huge drug back in the day,'" he said, before admitting, "That was a scary drug to be on."
Moreover, Jackson said that people assume he was on lithium because of his transition. "I'm like, 'That had nothing to do with it,'" he explained. "If that was the case, I would've been on lithium 20 years ago because I was so unhappy. But that wasn't the case."
And when Probst questioned why he's being forthcoming as cameras recorded, Jackson said, "I'm not ashamed to say I need help with certain things. That's life."
Nonetheless, Probst shared that the producers didn't think it was a good idea for him to stay on the island in light of the harsh conditions the contestants face. "That's where our concern came," the host explained. "The cumulative effect of the show would have a potentially very bad impact on you. And we don't want that. Your safety is paramount. We can't do it."
Though disappointed, a tearful Jackson understood, telling Probst, "It's weird that I'm getting emotional about it but even to test yourself for 48 hours, it is such an adventure. I take this with love. I know I will be friends with these people."
And while the tribe had only known each other for less than 48 hours, contestant Maryanne Oketch burst into tears. Sure, this is one less person to compete against, but she has a heart!
Another dramatic moment was when Daniel Strunk dislocated his shoulder in a challenge, an injury that would elicit screams from the average human but the cancer survivor barely winced. Of course, doctors were onsite to pop it back into place.
Then, a second castaway was sent home, with the contestants voting Zach Wurtenberger off the island.