Starts tomorrow. I’ve seen nothing about the new season. Are episodes back to 60 minutes or the full 90 like last year, which was during the strike?
Bonus Info: Over in Australia, they are either filming or about to film their next season. I mention it because it is Survivor AU vs World.
Confirmed to be playing for “world”: Parvati, Cirie, and Tony Vlachos!
Not a bad episode. They’ve gotten the ability to report on the three tribes down.
I liked the multi-layer Beware advantage. Some good strategy there.
For the first time, I actually care about two of the contestants - the Pod Save America guy, and the one from Rob Has A Podcast. I hope they make it long enough to get more details from them.
I didn’t watch this new episode yet. Have we seen anyone in a previous season reject the beware advantage? Every time someone picks one up, I say, “Don’t open it! You’ll lose your vote!”
I wouldn’t open one if I was in the game. Nope.
I’ll let you catch up 
Level 1 Beware Advantage - Idol good for the next TC.
Level 2 Beware Advantage - Idol good for the next 3 TC’s.
Level 3 Beware Advantage - Good until Final 5.
Pretty sure it’s 90 minute episodes (followed, eventually, by 90 minute episodes of The Summit).
Thanks, we’ll watch tonight. I always wait a day to skip ads.
Looks like a great season. Smart people - not too annoying. Diverse.
Good challenges, good Beware Advantages.
SUPER bummed Jon went home. My wife and I said 'anyone but them and so, of course, it was them. Curious if politics played a part - it’s pretty taboo on the island.
Um…
hee hee hee.
My wife was wondering if they’re deliberately choosing contestants who are emotionally fragile and prone to break down early. A very cynical take, but given Andy’s episode last night, and that weird guy last season, it’s hard to dispute.
Certainly would not put it past them. The show must go on!
I caught it today. Disappointing they didn’t get rid of the guy(Andy?) who collapsed and then complained and whined.
Still, glad the show is back. New-Era is a step down, though. We haven’t had a single truly great season since All-Star game #2 that Tony won.
I think they need to go to 39 days and maybe even just reverse some current trends and rules. Make Survivor 49 “Throwback”. No Bewares, No Hidden Immunity Idols.
Bring back the auction fully. Bring back late-game family visits.
Thanks for this.
So, a new season has started, and looks to be much the same as the previous. Too early to tell if the cast will have a ton of interest or not.
Mostly I’m curious about the first ouster. Why did Gata decide to book Jon Lovett? Yes, he is undoubtedly physically weaker than the guy who seems to have already mentally unraveled over just a couple days, but is he clearly weaker than the three women members of the tribe? I don’t remember seeing his shown as being obviously obnoxious in other ways, even to the limited extent of the “bossiness” of one of the women.
So, why was he targeted? I’m not at all a follower of podcasts, so his name didn’t have any ‘fame’ connotations for me, but maybe it did for the much younger than me cast members? In which case it might simply be fame implies wealth, wealth means he doesn’t NEED to win the prize, so I feel less bad about dumping him than anyone else?
Along those lines, in the previous season (or maybe the one before that) there was a player who made statements that basically added up to “I already have (or am making) all the money I need so I don’t care about the pot at all.” And many previous players have made efforts to downplay their past that might cause other to have similar feelings of resentment/envy/don’t want you to win feelings in other less financially secret players,
For example, there was a professional football player. I wonder if there isn’t a better way for a rich player (or one who fears he would be regarded as being rich whether true or not) to offset this potential negative aspect? Suppose Richie Rich announced, “Yes, I’m rich. So if I win, I will divide the prize money in half and give one share each to the other two finalists.” Now the other players can see a possible benefit to leaving the rich guy alone: instead of just all or nothing at the end, they can hope to get HALF a million dollars if they just do their best to keep Richie in the game.
I never understand how they are always “We need strength! Gotta keep the team strong!!” after they just lost a physical competition with the supposedly “strong” player on their team. Whatever “strength” Andy has didn’t do shit to make them win.
I think this has come up before, and that there is a rule specifically forbidding the players from making any financial deals with each other.
In 41, Genie found one and Shan convinced her not to open it. Then she secretly went back and took it for herself.
Jon was a favorite with me too. Perhaps he should have kept his mouth shut about who he was and what he did–and “haven’t you heard of me?” stuff. In some ways he sort of walked himself into his elimination.
TPTB obviously picked very small boats for the Immunity challenge, so there was a very good chance that they would tip over with six people in the boat plus the heavy chests.
Not sure if I like challenges where the tribes are setup to fail.
There definitely is and it isn’t just this show. The idea of splitting up the prize rewards would be too tempting for people on many shows.
You could form an alliance of four and then just split the 300k-400k each. Something like that, anyway.