Stranded in Patagonia marks the 5th season of Stranded to feature the partners twist. It is the 3rd season to feature second chance players pitted against new players to Stranded; following in the footsteps of the legendary Trinidad & Tobago, and Malaysia. This season predominately featured contestants from Season 13 on who had never before returned to the series. The major twist separating this season from the previous partner seasons was the mix-up in the very beginning combining the returning players with the new players. The game suffered some early blows when firecrackers Jane, Erica and Jimmy J went back-to-back. While the drama suffered from these early departures, the strategy was ramped up ten-fold. New players like Yve, Jill and Holly shined as they took control of the game.

Previously under-rated players like Jolanda and Ken took the spotlight as they went head to head with their formidable opponents. The most memorable moment of the season and a foreshadowing of the merge to come was the very first boot of the merge. In a Stranded first and potentially the first of its kind anywhere, there was a three-way tie. The three-way tie resulted in a revote, which then saw a second two-way tie. As per the Stranded rules, the contestants not involved in the tiebreaker then had to draw rocks. Wendy Jo became the unfortunate victim of this extraordinary event. Yve proved to be a threat by receiving and successfully playing a Hidden Immunity Idol. She went on to beat the sweetheart Jake and the backstabber Ken in a very close final vote.