All kinds of data about how hidden immunity idols have affected Survivor—and which Survivor contestants have played the most idols successfully.
Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers
Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers comes to a twisty yet satisfying end
If you need a metaphor for Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, the final immunity challenge will be sufficient: a relatively straightforward game which fell apart every time it seemed like it was making some progress. If you need yet another example for why this season, its players, and/or its editing frustrated me, look no further… continue reading
Survivor is casting for these specific fan types to fill seats during the live reunion
A company that casts seat fillers has sent a casting request for fans to fill seats during the Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers live finale and reunion, and is looking for several specific fans, including some who may be interviewed by Jeff Probst on Wednesday’s live reunion.
Jeff Probst’s latest advice for applying to Survivor
During the double episode of Survivor on Nov. 29, Jeff Probst appeared during the commercials to encourage people to apply for the show. But he also offered some surprising advice on Twitter later that night.
Why Survivors drew marbles for the loved ones reward challenge
Why did Survivor forgo its beautiful, signature challenge builds, complex puzzles, and frequently physical challenges and replace them with a random challenge—choosing marbles from a bag—that was less interesting to watch than a coin toss?
On Survivor, ‘absolute chaos,’ absolutely dumb-dumb
A recap of Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers episode 12, “Not Going To Roll Over And Die,” during which everyone’s secrets were revealed and they played a drama-free game of marbles.
In three hours, this Survivor season turned itself around
Going into these three episodes of Survivor—the pre-Thanksgiving episode and the two-hour episode last night, amusingly titled “Buy One, Get One Free”—I expected the merged tribe to just burn through the remaining three people who were in the minority alliance: Cole, Joe, and Mike. Conveniently, they also happened to be the most grating personalities remaining. But… continue reading
Survivor and the problem of expectation
I was voted into a family last week. About an hour after our marriage license was signed, we gathered around a shiny dance floor surrounded by dinosaurs at a science museum, and my husband’s parents and brother surprised me with a reverse Tribal Council. They held up replicas of actual votes with my name on… continue reading
A twist of spaghetti gives Survivor HvHvH its best episode yet
A recap of “Playing with the Devil,” Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers episode 8, on which the reward challenge led to a dramatic scene at camp.
Survivor’s merge arrives, and brings product placement with it
“Are you worried that maybe something isn’t going to go the way it usually goes?” Jeff Probst asked the newly merged cast, and I leapt up from my couch and screamed, Yes! Yes I am so worried the back half of the game is going to be like more of spinning the same ball in a… continue reading
“You’re kidding me” should have been Survivor 35’s subtitle
“This is why you play Survivor,” Joe said as he found his second idol. But a more apt title for the episode, and for the season, was what Ali said as she was voted out by her tribe: “You’re kidding me.” Because as the season approaches its merge, it delivered a frustrating episode that had… continue reading
On Survivor, a powerful illustration of PTSD, followed by the usual
On Survivor 35’s fifth episode, Ben, a Marine, discussed his PTSD and life after service. And then the episode moved on to other, less-consequential things.
So far, the memorable Survivor 35 players are the bad players
A recap of Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers episode 4, “I don’t like having snakes around,” on which an advantage became a punishment.
Survivor is pretty, and pretty boring
I don’t know what to do with Survivor when it’s boring. It’s the show that’s kept my attention for 17 years, which is a remarkable achievement, considering my short attention span and high expectations—which are even higher for a show that has demonstrated its ability to be exceptional. I like character development. I don’t want the… continue reading
The hero of Survivor’s episode two: a puzzle
A recap of Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers episode two, “I’m a Wild Banshee,” which was full of the familiar, from Patrick’s crazy to Joe’s crazy.