# Survivor season 51 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [September 24, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333 "2026-09-24T01:20:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/1 "2026-09-24T01:20:49Z")
A new season starts tonight. First impression: Looks like younger players compared to other seasons. I’m also glad that they are all first timers. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/2 "2026-09-24T02:58:46Z")
Speaking of returning players; I see that Rick Devens from Survivor: Edge of Extinction and season 50 is on the current season of “Big Brother.” ETA. I see another Survivor cast member on Big Brother but I don’t know her name. Maybe they’re all former survivors. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/3 "2026-09-24T03:08:41Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > ETA. I see another Survivor cast member on Big Brother but I don’t know her name. Maybe they’re all former survivors. It’s Dee, former winner. Gotta say, Devens was made for Big Brother. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/4 "2026-09-24T03:50:17Z")
I don’t know if I’ve ever made it through an entire episode. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/5 "2026-09-24T19:18:01Z")
Interesting episode. Let’s see if they keep up with the returning-originality stuff. 1. Never volunteer on Survivor! But at least he got it out of the way. 2. Interesting competitions. Watching the big guys just manhandle those boxes was impressive. 3. Not much else to say. Still too many players to care about any of them. And yeah, a wedding photographer without a shot list? Highly suspicious. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/6 "2026-09-24T21:48:13Z")
I think I’m going to like “permanent uncertainty.” Gets away from people playing the same old games every season. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/7 "2026-09-25T04:12:30Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I think I’m going to like “permanent uncertainty.” I do not think that “anything can happen” is nig news. > [@Noelq](#): > > And yeah, a wedding photographer without a shot list? Highly suspicious. But she is one. I already dislike too many players. Starting with Devin. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/8 "2026-09-27T05:43:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I do not think that “anything can happen” is nig news. It’s a big break from the “new era.” We had 9 seasons that followed the same pattern of 3 tribes of 6, beware advantages, journeys, lost votes, final 4 fire, and final 3 tribal. Yeah, they’d throw some twists in here and there, but it was otherwise largely unchanged. The promise is now that the format itself is going to be unpredictable. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/9 "2026-09-27T05:45:10Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I already dislike too many players. Starting with Devin. I’m not rooting for him at all, but having a brash, sloppy, cocky villain is just good for the show. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/10 "2026-09-27T18:48:32Z")
I make pretty much zero judgments early. Often in the late portions of the seasons, I realize that we are following people the editors ignored early on. I’ll be very interested in what happens. Did Exile Island guy return in this episode? I can only imagine how long 30 hours felt for him. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/11 "2026-09-27T23:54:18Z")
FYI, Devin was in 8 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy in Season 16. 2019-20. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/12 "2026-09-28T03:07:39Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Did Exile Island guy return in this episode? I can only imagine how long 30 hours felt for him Nope. I imagine he’ll show up to the tribe that just voted in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/13 "2026-09-28T05:16:45Z")
It was an entertaining first episode at least. Too soon to form opinions on all the players, but so far there’s nobody I really like or dislike. I did enjoy that Devin fancied himself some big godfather, and in the end nobody was buying what he was selling. The look on his face when he realized it was great. Does Kilby remind anyone else of Charlie from _It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia_? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/14 "2026-10-01T01:57:41Z")
I thought this was an entertaining week. Brady is obviously crazy. We heard a producer speak 3 times. I don’t ever remember that happening before. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/15 "2026-10-01T16:58:33Z")
Yep. Except for the doctor visits, I have trouble recalling EVER hearing a non-Jeff voice talk. LOVED the competition again. I don’t know if they got a new obstacle-course designer, or they pulled in an intern, but they’ve been doing some fantastic jobs on making new and interesting trials. Really enjoyed the whales :). I’d never thought I’d see a partial thumb on Survivor. I think grey-haired lady is going to have issues with her foot/leg. I think Rob is going nuts from food deprivation. Or he’s just plain out-there. And you’d think Big Brother would have taught these folks to NEVER VOLUNTEER TO BE A DECOY VOTE. Anna.. barely knew you. And Arik was way too confident in not using his shot in the dark. I can’t wait to see the blow-up next week with Rob. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/16 "2026-10-04T03:11:43Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > We heard a producer speak 3 times. I don’t ever remember that happening before. Yeah, that was… weird. > [@Noelq](#): > > I think Rob is going nuts from food deprivation. To quote that great movie _Clue_! “Too Late!” Well, Ana certainly “created chaos”. Why would anyone want to do that unless they thought they were gonna be voted off? Just plain foolish, so bye! > [@Noelq](#): > > Really enjoyed the whales Those were great. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/17 "2026-10-06T14:40:59Z")
There are only 2 reasons for voting off the first-one-off: because they royally screw up the immunity challenge; or they have an _extremely_ annoying personality. The fact that Devin picked on the wedding photographer – who was very good at the puzzle – because he picked up some spidey-sense shadiness about her real world job (completely wrong, as it turns out), just means that Devin is an idiot. “Open era”, “chaos” means that we’re going back to Season 1 rules? Bringing back “Exile Island”? They might have over-sold it a bit. I’m not sure what Rob’s plan was. If he was allowed to vote for himself, how would it have affected the outcome? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/18 "2026-10-06T15:22:58Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I’m not sure what Rob’s plan was. If he was allowed to vote for himself, how would it have affected the outcome? I think Rob thought everyone was going to vote for the one woman (I forget which one) and then he would write his own name down and then give his Idol to her so his vote was the only one that counted. Not really sure why he thought would be some epic incredible move when he could just quit and get the same result… ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/19 "2026-10-06T15:34:30Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > “Open era”, “chaos” means that we’re going back to Season 1 rules? Bringing back “Exile Island”? They might have over-sold it a bit. It’s only two episodes in so we don’t know what’s all going to happen. But the “Open Era” will presumably last the next 10 seasons like the New Era did. The point is that they aren’t going to go through the same routine each season, it’s going to constantly change so you can’t plan just based on how the last few seasons have gone. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333/20 "2026-10-06T20:18:52Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I think Rob thought everyone was going to vote for the one woman (I forget which one) and then he would write his own name down and then give his Idol to her so his vote was the only one that counted. And then the idiot voted for the person he was trying to save with his numbskull idea. So far I’m not on board, this tribe has zero strategy. It’s just a bunch of people in chaos. I know it’s early but still… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-season-51/1033333.md?page=2)