Survivor megathread

[7,052,770]

the reality is that 95 percent of the time, the jurors will just vote for the person they either like the best, or hate the least. And they will come up with any random sometimes assbackwards justification to do so. Even though if they just simply said "i just simply liked them the best and was probably always voting for them" I can guarantee 99 percent of the audience would eventually get over it.

Very rarely do jurors actually vote on strategy I have grown to realize. I think that's the issue with Gabler's win. Not the win itself but the fact the jury doesn't have the balls to say "I liked Gabler more than Cassidy and Owen, and was probably going to always vote for him as long as he showed a modicum of self awareness." If they simply would say it, nobody would care after the first 48 hours.

I agree with this. The jury just votes for whoever they want and makes up a justification if needed. Like, it's completely unreasonable to expect Cassidy to give up immunity to make fire against Jessie. 15 years ago, Erik give up immunity at the F5, got voted out, and we still laugh at how dumb he was 29 seasons later. If Cassidy had given up immunity and lost (or had Heidi lost in season 44), I really see no difference in that and what Erik did.

Of course, the flip side is that the jury wasn't "really" expecting her to do that. They just wanted to vote for Gabler and needed an excuse. If she'd done it, they would have made up some other reason to vote for Gabler.

Another example is that somehow 4 PREVIOUS WINNERS(!) voted for the first person voted out to win over Tony himself. There's no justification for that beyond "yeah, I just like Natalie better than Tony," but at least none of those 4 ever really denied it.

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Looking forward to tonight's finale. While you could say that Dee seems like the obvious winner pick (in the same was Jesse was a year ago), I'm going to go way, way out on a limb and pick ... Jake. It's just the feeling I get in the back of my mind from watching the show.

[7,052,770]

Also for the second straight season, there's no need for a chart, because they all come across as Democrats.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I guess with this thread bumped, I'll give a quick recap of the past seasons I've been binging.

-Vanuatu: possibly the most boring season ever, even more than how I remember. When the biggest source of drama was Twila swearing on her son (which personally didn't bother me) you know it's a lame season. I love Eliza and her eyerolls though.

-San Juan Del Sur: not as good as the first Blood vs. Water season, but still pretty good.

-Second Chance: I enjoyed this season much more than I remember from my first time watching it. And I think it has more to do with some of the contestants I was less familiar with, or faded from my memory, being fresher in my mind since I've bedn rewatching almost every season. That applies mainly to Kimmi, Savage, and Varner. It was a great cast, though I would personally have preferred Shane Powers be in it over f***ing QAnon psycho Joe Anglim, the golden boy who was the biggest mistake to ever have that title.

-Kaoh Rong: this is another season that improved on rewatch. Still another lesser second edition of a gimmick theme, but better than I remembered especially since I knew Michelle's surprise win was coming this time. I still think Aubry should have won though. But I'm not beat up about it. Jason and Scot were also effective villains who never quite crossed into problematic territory as others have been in the show.

-Millennials vs. Generation X: this season is probably the one that elevated the most in my estimation. The gen X cast began kind of dull, but the millennials were always amusing to watch. And when the tribe swap and merge happened, the season really got good. There was a lot of great gameplay and great interactions between players. I particularly enjoyed the frenemy relationship between Adam and Jay. And obviously Adam deserved his win beyond his sob-story, which was fenuinely touching and made me cry a bit alongside him in the reunion show. My only real gripe with the season is all the discourse on generational differences, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. Are there really that many inherent differences between the oldest millennial on the show and youngest genXer? That aside, I don't know why this season was so forgettable to me when it first aired. It's possibly a top ten season, and definitely one of the best of the 2010s.

-Game Changers: I never really understood the hate this season gets, even after watching it again. Sure, some of the more entertaining players got voted out early, the Varner-Zeke incident is horrifically uncomfortable, and Cirie's elimination was bullcrap. But I was entertained throughout still, and that's all I care about in the end. Hell, one of my favorite moments ever is when Sandra's tribe refuses to kill and eat the goats. However, it is one of the weaker all returnee seasons for sure, and I guess that's the underlying problem. It's called "game changers" but only really half the cast meets that standard. I mean really? Haley, Culpepper, Sierra, and Varner were "game changers?" Essentially it was just a cast of whomever production could get to return, which is fine, but I guess kind of misleading with the theme they applied to the season.

Also for the second straight season, there's no need for a chart, because they all come across as Democrats.

I don't know, Dee is Cuban from Miami. And maybe Julie could be conservative?

And related, Dee absolutely wins if they let her get to the final three.

[MasterJedi]

Looking forward to tonight's finale. While you could say that Dee seems like the obvious winner pick (in the same was Jesse was a year ago), I'm going to go way, way out on a limb and pick ... Jake. It's just the feeling I get in the back of my mind from watching the show.

I like Austin/Jake, Katurah I don’t mind really but she’s just there. I don’t care about Mama J, just don’t like Dee, gives me bad vibes.

[Progressive Pessimist]

When I heard more about her backstory I began liking Katirah a bit more, but she f***ed up again tonight and basically handed Dee a million dollars.

She deserved it though, I think. I was really kind of hoping Jake would get at least one vote. Like Carolyn he is a gem of a no-vote finalist that I hope to return in the future.

This was probably the best season of the new era, and I hope they continue with ninety minute episodes. That might have made the difference.

[7,052,770]

Looking forward to tonight's finale. While you could say that Dee seems like the obvious winner pick (in the same was Jesse was a year ago), I'm going to go way, way out on a limb and pick ... Jake. It's just the feeling I get in the back of my mind from watching the show.

Oh, oops. 0 votes for Jake. I think he might have gotten some votes if Katurah hadn't ruined it at F5 for him.

[7,052,770]

Also, you could have a solid returnee season just with 0-vote finalists now, that fits all casting requirements.

Drop Spencer for Jake since Spencer has apparently gone completely insane.

[7,052,770]

Also for the second straight season, there's no need for a chart, because they all come across as Democrats.

I don't know, Dee is Cuban from Miami. And maybe Julie could be conservative?

Yeah, it's possible that Dee or Julie or someone else could be conservative. With 18 independent probabilities, I'm sure it's better than 50-50 that someone on the cast is and it's not an 18-0 clean sweep. But going person by person, I put all 18 as more likely Democratic than not. I could be wrong, though, since I'm not following anyone on social media or anything, just going by the general vibe.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Also for the second straight season, there's no need for a chart, because they all come across as Democrats.

I don't know, Dee is Cuban from Miami. And maybe Julie could be conservative?

Yeah, it's possible that Dee or Julie or someone else could be conservative. With 18 independent probabilities, I'm sure it's better than 50-50 that someone on the cast is and it's not an 18-0 clean sweep. But going person by person, I put all 18 as more likely Democratic than not. I could be wrong, though, since I'm not following anyone on social media or anything, just going by the general vibe.

Julie is in her late 40s, from Tennessee, and clearly culturally Southern.  I'd guess that she's a Republican.  And, Dee might be as a Cuban from Miami.  There are a few others who could be conservative, but Julie and Dee are the only two I'd guess.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Maybe they can bring Jelinsky back for season forty-several in the fall.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Jelinsky's incompetence saved this episode for me. I felt like Hunter and was getting really aggravated by all the energy and positivity. I truly am an old man, even though this cast is mostly my fellow millennials.

And is that woman's real name "Soda?" Or is it a nickname? If it is her given name her parents must be big 'Seinfeld' fans. That's all I could think about. She won me over by referencing her "sodar" though.

[MasterJedi]

Jelinsky's incompetence saved this episode for me. I felt like Hunter and was getting really aggravated by all the energy and positivity. I truly am an old man, even though this cast is mostly my fellow millennials.

And is that woman's real name "Soda?" Or is it a nickname? If it is her given name her parents must be big 'Seinfeld' fans. That's all I could think about. She won me over by referencing her "sodar" though.

Per a quick search it’s her actual name. Going to assume she has immigrant parents, who I will generally give the botd on names over Americans who should know better.

[SnowLabrador]

I love how there's a guy on this season named Q. Yes, I know it stands for Quintavius. But it just cracks me up given that this is a political forum. And yeah, Jelinsky was very entertaining - as soon as he threw that hourglass on the ground, I strongly suspected they were setting him up to be the first boot. It was glorious.

[7,052,770]

Mississippi representing pretty well, with Hunter and Q seeming like strong early candidates for Sole Survivor. We'll see if it lasts.

[Progressive Pessimist]

We celebrated my dog's several birthday today.

But for real, as for the latest episode, it's interesting to finally see some friction in the tribes again. Except for the green tribe, pretty much. They're getting along better and that's why they've been the most boring so far.

Two hours was a bit much though between the drawn out leadup to tribal council and the Metallica-Swift showdown. Ninety minutes is the sweet-spot.

[7,052,770]

After 2 episodes, here's how I'm putting everyone into tiers by their winning chances. I didn't put a huge amount of thought into these ratings, just kinda based on quick vibes:

Tier 1 - top contenders
1. Hunter - good at challenges, good socially, stays away from drama
2. Maria - well positioned in the tribe but probably won't be seen as a threat
3. Tiffany - well connected within the tribe, has an idol, seems like a good strategist with a good edit

Tier 2 - secondary contenders
4. Tevin - similar to Hunter, but not quite as smooth
5. Charlie - well-positioned, but will probably be 4th if it comes to his 4-person alliance
6. Moriah - getting subtlely good vibes from her

Tier 3 - dark horses
7. Venus - in a bad place currently but if she makes the merge or a swap could be really good
8. Ben - I'm a little worried in the short term for him, but seems like someone who could go far
9. Q - great on paper, but also a hothead who shouts at people
10. Jem - ??
11. Tim - ??
12. Kenzie - seems way too overconfident and full of herself

Tier 4 - seem like big longshots already
13. Soda - I just don't see her going far
14. Liz - weird vibes from her
15. Randen - outside the majority alliance, currently has no vote, allying with a pariah
16. Bhanu - bad position in the tribe, awkward socially, overly emotional/hothead

I'm sure these would shift a lot from week to week. I had Q at #2 last week and now I think it's generous to put him at #9. And I probably never would have ranked the winners of 41, 42, or 43 in the top half at any point of those premerges.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Liz has final three goat in the making. She has less self-awareness than Jelinsky.

[7,052,770]

I'm not crazy about what happened to Randen tonight. On Australian Survivor, you are allowed to leave for up to 24 hours to get medical attention and can return to the game if it's safe.

Last year on Australian Survivor, one of the biggest legends of the show was injured (completely at production's fault, not his) and had to go get an MRI on his neck in episode 1, but then returned once it was all clear. (Actually, the show let him skip tribal council altogether, which I didn't like. US Survivor shouldn't be that lax.) That was a great season, and probably wouldn't have been under American rules where he just would've been out.

They really should have let Randen return to the game once he got the all-clear.


Also, I'm going to have to drop Hunter down from #1 in my rankings. He's just too overtly good that I feel like there's no way they're letting him make it all the way to the end.

[MasterJedi]

I'm not crazy about what happened to Randen tonight. On Australian Survivor, you are allowed to leave for up to 24 hours to get medical attention and can return to the game if it's safe.

Last year on Australian Survivor, one of the biggest legends of the show was injured (completely at production's fault, not his) and had to go get an MRI on his neck in episode 1, but then returned once it was all clear. (Actually, the show let him skip tribal council altogether, which I didn't like. US Survivor shouldn't be that lax.) That was a great season, and probably wouldn't have been under American rules where he just would've been out.

They really should have let Randen return to the game once he got the all-clear.


Also, I'm going to have to drop Hunter down from #1 in my rankings. He's just too overtly good that I feel like there's no way they're letting him make it all the way to the end.

His arm did need the rest and likely wouldn’t have gotten better in the game. I pinched a nerve in my neck/arm in October of last year while sleeping and while it’s almost 100% it’s still a bit off. No way his (which was way worse than mine) is getting better in the game.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Yeah, it was kind of a frustrating episode last night.

In spite of that, it inspired my new signature quote. I laughed so hard when Bhanu said that.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Not sure if there are any Amazing Race fans in here too, but CBS showing Bhanu's meltdown and Maya & Rohan's 80-point turn on the same night is...something.

[7,052,770]

I'm not crazy about what happened to Randen tonight. On Australian Survivor, you are allowed to leave for up to 24 hours to get medical attention and can return to the game if it's safe.

Last year on Australian Survivor, one of the biggest legends of the show was injured (completely at production's fault, not his) and had to go get an MRI on his neck in episode 1, but then returned once it was all clear. (Actually, the show let him skip tribal council altogether, which I didn't like. US Survivor shouldn't be that lax.) That was a great season, and probably wouldn't have been under American rules where he just would've been out.

They really should have let Randen return to the game once he got the all-clear.


Also, I'm going to have to drop Hunter down from #1 in my rankings. He's just too overtly good that I feel like there's no way they're letting him make it all the way to the end.

His arm did need the rest and likely wouldn’t have gotten better in the game. I pinched a nerve in my neck/arm in October of last year while sleeping and while it’s almost 100% it’s still a bit off. No way his (which was way worse than mine) is getting better in the game.

I watched the RHAP interview with Randen, and he said he definitely couldn't have come back. I do think allowing people to briefly leave the game (maybe do like an 8-hour limit instead of Australia's 24) to seek medical treatment would be fine for other situations though.

[Flats the Flounder]

I came back to Survivor to watch 45 after having not watched it since Winners At War in 2020, and am now watching 46.

I honestly feel like I'm in the minority here, but I'm really enjoying 46 a lot so far, certainly more than 45. It's so refreshing to see people openly disliking each other for once and actually plotting to take each other out, as opposed to how goody-goody everyone seemed in 45, to the point that the final few episodes that aired that season felt so flat and predictable to me.

I'm glad everyone's here to play the game and make some good TV this time, and not just to "make friends" and "discover themselves."

[7,052,770]

I came back to Survivor to watch 45 after having not watched it since Winners At War in 2020, and am now watching 46.

I honestly feel like I'm in the minority here, but I'm really enjoying 46 a lot so far, certainly more than 45. It's so refreshing to see people openly disliking each other for once and actually plotting to take each other out, as opposed to how goody-goody everyone seemed in 45, to the point that the final few episodes that aired that season felt so flat and predictable to me.

I'm glad everyone's here to play the game and make some good TV this time, and not just to "make friends" and "discover themselves."

42 is pretty good if you want to check out another recent season. I thought 41, 43, and 44 were all fine, but nothing special.