The 17th season begins with 18 castaways marooned in Gabon, Africa, and divided into two tribes: Fang and Kota. For immunity, the teams maneuver through an obstacle course while chained together and then solve a puzzle. The first person is voted out at tribal council. Next, the tribes compete for fishing gear and immunity by each pushing a heavy boulder through a race course and retrieving keys that unlock a chain fence. At tribal, the second person is sent packing.