Survivor megathread

[Sol]

This may be dangerous to post, as I don't want to be spoiled on anything, but I'm a long-time fan of Survivor. Grew up watching it with my parents up to a point.

Some years ago, I started watching the show from the first season, with plans to finally get up-to-date (the last season I remember watching live was One World, which was painful from my recollection), and just recently finished up Heroes vs. Villains (S20).

Might give brief thoughts on seasons 1-20 if anyone's interested.

Planning on starting up season 21 (Nicaragua) next time I have a decent chunk of time off work.

Would be interested in hearing those takes!

Hiding this in case you don't want to see this; general words about the seasons you haven't seen below (i.e. are they good or bad, no substantive spoilers):

Spoiler alert! Click Show to show the content.

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You have a pretty interesting road ahead! Some of the early 20s seasons are fairly rough (including 21 tbh), but the later 20s to early 30s is the strongest run in the show's history IMO. The later 30s are more hit or miss (and I would recommend outright skipping 39). I've been pretty tuned out of the show until pretty recently because of 39, but it seems like the 40s so far have been hit or miss as well.

If Nicaragua is a little too rough, here are seasons you haven't seen which could be a lot of fun:
-25: Breaks the run of weak seasons in the early 20s (I actually really like South Pacific but it's kind of an acquired taste) with fun and surprising stories and gameplay.
-27: Quite fun season with an unusual twist (pairs of relatives, one of whom are returning players).
-28: Probably the most popular season since Heroes vs. Villains. Really exciting and fun, very dynamic gameplay. Legendary among Survivor seasons, sort of a modern Pearl Islands.
-37: A standout season, fun characters and very memorable.

[7,052,770]

It looks like the next Australian season is going to be an Australia vs. USA all-star season. Wow!

My guess is that you won't see anyone who's a shoo-in for Survivor 50 (Carolyn, Yam-Yam, Maryanne, Jesse, Rick Devens, etc.) on it, so it will probably consist of legends from long ago if they can get them (Tyson? Boston Rob?) and notable New Era players who may not make the cut. Also, Australia has much more physical challenges in the pre-merge and values physical strength more. And certain players who've already burned bridges with US production and aren't likely to return could end up on the cast.

Here's me taking a random stab at the USA tribe (also note that Australia doesn't have a diversity mandate):
Men - Richard Hatch, Jonny Fairplay, Tyson, Jonathan (42), Hunter, Adam (33)
Women - Parvati, Sarah Lacina, Wentworth, Ciera, Erika, Cirie

Who knows though. I could easily be 0/12.

[MasterJedi]

Paging Harry in 3…2…1

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Paging Harry in 3…2…1

I'll say it for him:

PLAY YOUR IDOLS

[7,052,770]

Sorry I had to burst into flames for a while after watching the episode...

[Progressive Pessimist]

Sorry I had to burst into flames for a while after watching the episode...

BIG MISTAKE! BIG BIG MISTAKE!

(Sidenote: "BM" is an acronym for that-sums up the whole episode).

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Is this only the second time they’ve shown every voting confessional?

[100% pro-life no matter what]

I think I disagree with the jury's decision, but I think Kenzie played a really good social game.  I think Charlie's game was just slightly better.  However, even if it had been a tie, I think Ben might have gone with Kenzie (I'm still watching the reunion, so I don't know if it was addressed).

[Progressive Pessimist]

Honestly, Ben overestimating Liz and putting her in fire-making versus Kenzie, rather than Charlie, essentially screwed over Charlie. If the final three was Ben, Charlie, and Liz-I think Charlie wins in a landslide, maybe even sweeping. I also kind of feel cheated out of not getting to see how Liz would be in the final three.

As much as I was rooting for Charlie, Kenzie was still a deserving winner. Charlie still got $100,000 though, and can pay for one Taylor Swift concert with it.

Definitely the best post-40 season though overall, by a lot.

[7,052,770]

I've always been a believer in "it's impossible for the jury to get the winner wrong because the point of the game is that it's the jury's choice who wins."

And usually when there's a "bad" winner it's because the better player blew it with bad jury management (8, 19, 20, 23) blew it and we can see why, or it's because they all were pretty mediocre and the jury had to pick someone (17, 43). (Or you have the jury in 38, who I think we can all agree objectively made the wrong decision, but that's a special case that hopefully will never be repeated...)

But I'm really not seeing what Charlie did wrong in the jury's eyes here. He played really well strategically and socially, and I was thinking as Jeff was about to read the votes that he would make a top 20 winner. Kenzie's winner ranking is, what, #40 maybe?

[Farmlands]

Feels very much like Kaoh Rong, as in the more social player, who didn't really make any big mistakes like their 3rd place counterparts, got the win over the more strategic competitor (Charlie, Aubry). Still perplexed over Maria not voting Charlie, when he'd 100% vote and lobby for her in a reverse position.

[MasterJedi]

Feels very much like Kaoh Rong, as in the more social player, who didn't really make any big mistakes like their 3rd place counterparts, got the win over the more strategic competitor (Charlie, Aubry). Still perplexed over Maria not voting Charlie, when he'd 100% vote and lobby for her in a reverse position.

She thought she was better than them and was very mad he voted her out even though she wanted to do the same. Was happy she got voted out, got really cocky and needed to be hurled down a couple hundreds pegs.

[SnowLabrador]

Honestly, Ben overestimating Liz and putting her in fire-making versus Kenzie, rather than Charlie, essentially screwed over Charlie. If the final three was Ben, Charlie, and Liz-I think Charlie wins in a landslide, maybe even sweeping. I also kind of feel cheated out of not getting to see how Liz would be in the final three.

As much as I was rooting for Charlie, Kenzie was still a deserving winner. Charlie still got $100,000 though, and can pay for one Taylor Swift concert with it.

Definitely the best post-40 season though overall, by a lot.

I don't understand why Ben put Liz in fire. It was pretty clear the jury wasn't going to vote for Liz, at least from the comfort of my couch. Then again, "from the comfort of my couch" does some heavy lifting here.

[7,052,770]

Alright, it's time for me to be "that guy" again. Unlike 44 and 45, where all 18 contestants came across more or less as Democrats, I think there are probably at least a couple of Republicans on this season. These are based entirely on vibes - I haven't done any real research on this, and at least 5 of them wouldn't surprise me at all if I got the party wrong.

In order from right to left:

• Hunter - I'm the last person who would make the knee-jerk "white man from Mississippi = Republican" judgment, but he's also a graduate of and a teacher a conservative religious private school.
• Maria - This could go either way, but an Arab Christian (or is she Muslim? I don't know so?) from Texas and the strong "family focus" gives me Republican vibes.
• Kenzie - This is the toughest call on the cast, but I went with the demographics of working class white Southerner. I wouldn't be shocked with anything from dark blue to dark red.
• Randen - Who?
• Jelinsky - No real indication either way, so I'm just going by age and location.
• Liz - Another one that could go either way. The way she switched to a "black accent" when speaking to the black contestants was just very strange, but she still comes across as more of a Democrat. Also apparently not a millionaire at all - that was just something she made up to lower her threat level .
• Q - Playing the percentages with demographics here, but he definitely seems like someone who could fit the "black Republican" mold - brash, confident, successful businessman.
• Ben - Trump doesn't rock.
• Tim - Basically just going with demographics here.
• Bhanu - I guess I'm not 100% certain with him being an immigrant from India, but he just doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would like Trump.
• Jem, Moriah, and Tiffany - They all just come across that way.
• Tevin - Gay black Gen-Z.
• Charlie - Northeastern Gen Z lawyer who seemed to have some guilt about his white/male privilege and wealthy upbringing.
• Jess - I could be wrong, but I thought I remembered seeing this on a Reddit thread.
• Soda - There's just nothing about her that makes me think Republican.
• Venus - She's from Canada, but definitely seems like the type who would be outspokenly anti-Trump. She spent part of her interview with RHAP supporting feminist protests in Iran.

Overall I think the "New Era" skews around 90-10 Democratic or more. Part of this is a natural side effect of the diversity mandate, but I don't think recent seasons of Big Brother or The Amazing Race are as skewed.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Alright, it's time for me to be "that guy" again. Unlike 44 and 45, where all 18 contestants came across more or less as Democrats, I think there are probably at least a couple of Republicans on this season. These are based entirely on vibes - I haven't done any real research on this, and at least 5 of them wouldn't surprise me at all if I got the party wrong.

In order from right to left:

• Hunter - I'm the last person who would make the knee-jerk "white man from Mississippi = Republican" judgment, but he's also a graduate of and a teacher a conservative religious private school.
• Maria - This could go either way, but an Arab Christian (or is she Muslim? I don't know so?) from Texas and the strong "family focus" gives me Republican vibes.
• Kenzie - This is the toughest call on the cast, but I went with the demographics of working class white Southerner. I wouldn't be shocked with anything from dark blue to dark red.
• Randen - Who?
• Jelinsky - No real indication either way, so I'm just going by age and location.
• Liz - Another one that could go either way. The way she switched to a "black accent" when speaking to the black contestants was just very strange, but she still comes across as more of a Democrat. Also apparently not a millionaire at all - that was just something she made up to lower her threat level .
• Q - Playing the percentages with demographics here, but he definitely seems like someone who could fit the "black Republican" mold - brash, confident, successful businessman.
• Ben - Trump doesn't rock.
• Tim - Basically just going with demographics here.
• Bhanu - I guess I'm not 100% certain with him being an immigrant from India, but he just doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would like Trump.
• Jem, Moriah, and Tiffany - They all just come across that way.
• Tevin - Gay black Gen-Z.
• Charlie - Northeastern Gen Z lawyer who seemed to have some guilt about his white/male privilege and wealthy upbringing.
• Jess - I could be wrong, but I thought I remembered seeing this on a Reddit thread.
• Soda - There's just nothing about her that makes me think Republican.
• Venus - She's from Canada, but definitely seems like the type who would be outspokenly anti-Trump. She spent part of her interview with RHAP supporting feminist protests in Iran.

Overall I think the "New Era" skews around 90-10 Democratic or more. Part of this is a natural side effect of the diversity mandate, but I don't think recent seasons of Big Brother or The Amazing Race are as skewed.

The only one I'll disagree with is Kenzie. Kind of just based on her tattoos and personality she comes across a bit as more likely to be left-leaning. Maybe it's just because she reminds me of my sister.

Also Bhanu is gay, I think. Definitely puts him more likely in the left-leaning category.

And Liz really made up the millionaire thing to be a smokescreen? Somehow she is even more deluded than she came across. I hate her so much, but love her as an entertaining character. I hope to see her back.