Besides having great casting and editing, the creators throw in twists every once in a while to keep the game fresh. Take what happened on the “reunion” show, when host Jeff Probst announced that the audience would select a second $1 million-dollar winner, based on whatever criteria the audience members wanted.

Is it a gimmick? Of course. Did it bring in oodles of extra money by getting more people to tune in Thursday to the follow-up show? You bet.

But it also created a legacy.

You can bet that in the next several “Survivors,” contestants will go out of their way to appeal to the audience — just in case that $1 million bonus pops up again. Maybe it will be with kindness and effort, the way Rupert did, but it could be with some other strategy to make themselves stand out, as sneaky Johnny Fairplay did in the previous “Survivor.”

In any case, it adds another element of intrigue, and might make the audience feel more involved. And, as a side element, you can bet that contestants on “The Apprentice” and any other Burnett shows might think about the possibility of some audience vote coming up in their show, too.

When you pleasantly surprise employees, as “Survivor” is doing, the benefits can last a long time. Regular bonuses often get taken for granted, but surprise rewards can reap benefits for years.