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Survivor Season 42: Starts Wednesday March 9, 2022 (2 Viewers)

Gotta say, I'm not loving this season. Although it is fun to see everyone scrambling due to the "twists," it seems like they're overdoing it. Too many twists really changes the game.

Instead of the usual merge, you have to earn the merge (and immunity). After you do so, a single person can change it all on a whim. Suddenly, immunity is not immunity. But you have an idol. Whoops, it's stolen. Well you still have an alliance with a majority of the votes. Whoops, there's a steal-a-vote and/or an extra vote out there. It's a totally different game. And not necessarily a better game. It's chaos.

Maybe they felt like the game was stale or people had too good a strategy. Idols and idol-nullifiers were introduced over time but this season everything is on it's head. Is this really needed to keep Survivor interesting or is it just jumping the shark?
All valid points.

 
I'm not ready to call this season a full shark jump, but I'm getting there.

Obviously they had to change some stuff due to covid, so I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.  But between all the stupid twists (I honestly can't even keep up) and the way they're going with casting (I'm certainly for a diverse cast, but not at the expense of an interesting cast) its just not good.

Bottom line....I want to be entertained.  This season has not been entertaining at all. 

 
I may have missed the explanation for this.....but what is up with the rebus puzzle thing they keep showing every once in a while.....wife and i paused it last night and it basically says.....

"can I have your jacket"....

they have shown it a couple times in other places but it was on the roof of the hut at the winner's feast....

 
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I will say I'm all in on the all black alliance. I like the strategy.  They all seem pretty even keeled so could easily be the final four.  

 
Right, I meant at least the others had a chance to "earn" merge, but Naseer and her "started the individual game!" with no say on their own fate in the game. 
Actually Naseer is the only one who had no say in his fate at the merge, at least Erika can reverse everything.

 
I may have missed the explanation for this.....but what is up with the rebus puzzle thing they keep showing every once in a while.....wife and i paused it last night and it basically says.....

"can I have your jacket"....

they have shown it a couple times in other places but it was on the roof of the hut at the winner's feast....
This is the "game within the game" that Jeff mentioned in the first ep.  I think it is supposed to be a bit tailored to kids to figure them out.  I think they can go online once they figure it out, but I don't know what happens then.  I paused the recording on the first ep to figure it out, but then stopped trying after that.

 
This is the "game within the game" that Jeff mentioned in the first ep.  I think it is supposed to be a bit tailored to kids to figure them out.  I think they can go online once they figure it out, but I don't know what happens then.  I paused the recording on the first ep to figure it out, but then stopped trying after that.
My kid does them each week, but I don't think there's anything big that happens at the end.  Just a fun puzzle for younger viewers I think.

 
Gotta say, I'm not loving this season. Although it is fun to see everyone scrambling due to the "twists," it seems like they're overdoing it. Too many twists really changes the game.

Instead of the usual merge, you have to earn the merge (and immunity). After you do so, a single person can change it all on a whim. Suddenly, immunity is not immunity. But you have an idol. Whoops, it's stolen. Well you still have an alliance with a majority of the votes. Whoops, there's a steal-a-vote and/or an extra vote out there. It's a totally different game. And not necessarily a better game. It's chaos.

Maybe they felt like the game was stale or people had too good a strategy. Idols and idol-nullifiers were introduced over time but this season everything is on it's head. Is this really needed to keep Survivor interesting or is it just jumping the shark?
agree all the way around.

and I think this is an attempt to spice up a game/show that has settled into tried and true strategies- good and bad. tbh, the show has felt too rinse-repeat for me to be that interested, so I'm actually kinda liking this- even though I genuinely can't follow along with all the stuff that's thrown out there. This idol can't be played now, but only later, but you risk this that or the other. :loco:

I will say, I don't have a problem with the cast... doesn't feel much different than normal, except- they're all seemingly hyper-aware of the show at a meta level. and the show is trying to hard to reflect that in their edits- "oh, this is the hardest season yet", "the show has never had anything like this before". it's a lot of screen time spent seemingly selling the audience on the show that to me becomes goofy and a waste of time.

 
Dinsy Ejotuz said:
My kid does them each week, but I don't think there's anything big that happens at the end.  Just a fun puzzle for younger viewers I think.
Yah, I was filling them out too, kinda missed the point that it was for younger viewers at first 🤣 I might keep going just to see if there is any payoff, but kinda doubt it. It's also a little spoilery if you care about that, because Jeff prompts a "what would you do" in his video but it's about the next episode. 🤦‍♂️

 
El Floppo said:
agree all the way around.

and I think this is an attempt to spice up a game/show that has settled into tried and true strategies- good and bad. tbh, the show has felt too rinse-repeat for me to be that interested, so I'm actually kinda liking this- even though I genuinely can't follow along with all the stuff that's thrown out there. This idol can't be played now, but only later, but you risk this that or the other. :loco:

I will say, I don't have a problem with the cast... doesn't feel much different than normal, except- they're all seemingly hyper-aware of the show at a meta level. and the show is trying to hard to reflect that in their edits- "oh, this is the hardest season yet", "the show has never had anything like this before". it's a lot of screen time spent seemingly selling the audience on the show that to me becomes goofy and a waste of time.
I don't know if it's be better to try to find cast members that are not regular survivor viewers and so don't know all the ins/outs of the game (and don't plan to watch the entire show once they are cast), or to keep changing it to keep those who do off balance. I don't mind superfans now and again, and I wouldn't even mind an "all superfans" season. Or maybe superfans vs. noobs.

I've been ok with most of the casting so far myself. Took a bit to warm up to folks, but it always does for me, I rarely have a survivor favorite right away.

Definitely not a fan of Jeff talking to the viewers directly/narrating.

 
El Floppo said:
they're all seemingly hyper-aware of the show at a meta level. and the show is trying to hard to reflect that in their edits
They've been casting mostly people "hyper-aware of the show at a meta level" since S33 (Millenials vs. GenX), but the edit had never leaned into that aspect as hard as it has been this season. 

 
El Floppo said:
than normal, except- they're all seemingly hyper-aware of the show at a meta level. and the show is trying to hard to reflect that in their edits- "oh, this is the hardest season yet", "the show has never had anything like this before". it's a lot of screen time spent seemingly selling the audience on the show that to me becomes goofy and a waste of time.
Totally agree.

One of my problems is that they (the producers/editors) seem to be taking the easy way out in telling us that everything is so hard instead of showing us.  There's no coverage of the everyday life kind of things on the islands, so we really don't see evidence of how little they're eating, for example.  They have fishing gear but only one quick sequence where one contestant is fishing.  Nobody shown scavenging.  Nobody on the one tribe shown taking advantage of what they learned from the visit they won from that guy.  But a mention of a food reward or merge feast and we're told nobody has eaten in days and it's the hardest thing they've ever done in their lives.  

I'm not feeling it.

 
Totally agree.

One of my problems is that they (the producers/editors) seem to be taking the easy way out in telling us that everything is so hard instead of showing us.  There's no coverage of the everyday life kind of things on the islands, so we really don't see evidence of how little they're eating, for example.  They have fishing gear but only one quick sequence where one contestant is fishing.  Nobody shown scavenging.  Nobody on the one tribe shown taking advantage of what they learned from the visit they won from that guy.  But a mention of a food reward or merge feast and we're told nobody has eaten in days and it's the hardest thing they've ever done in their lives.  

I'm not feeling it.
Spot on. Really poor choices with editing the show together.

 
I will say I'm all in on the all black alliance. I like the strategy.  They all seem pretty even keeled so could easily be the final four.  
It’s a great idea especially coming from multiple tribes and let’s be honest, in today’s social media world people are going to hesitate to really go after that alliance. Might as well use that to your advantage in an individual game.

I’m with other people above that I’m not a huge fan of all the advantages. I’m having a hard time keeping up with how many extra votes, idols and advantage takers there are out there now.

Heck, based on how much CBS got dinged for lack of diversity and how much they clearly tried to make up for it, you start to wonder about advantages. I mean, I’d question the most powerful advantage so far being given out when the two black women are on the hike. It was given out right after the tribal where even if you didn’t know for sure before, you now know 3 people who have the idol. That advantage has way more power than an extra vote and you can easily swing the game with it if you want to try and steer a winner. I’m not saying they did but that ship’s wheel is the one place where the show has finally has a chance to actually hand someone exactly what they want to steer the game.

 
It’s a great idea especially coming from multiple tribes and let’s be honest, in today’s social media world people are going to hesitate to really go after that alliance. Might as well use that to your advantage in an individual game.

I’m with other people above that I’m not a huge fan of all the advantages. I’m having a hard time keeping up with how many extra votes, idols and advantage takers there are out there now.

Heck, based on how much CBS got dinged for lack of diversity and how much they clearly tried to make up for it, you start to wonder about advantages. I mean, I’d question the most powerful advantage so far being given out when the two black women are on the hike. It was given out right after the tribal where even if you didn’t know for sure before, you now know 3 people who have the idol. That advantage has way more power than an extra vote and you can easily swing the game with it if you want to try and steer a winner. I’m not saying they did but that ship’s wheel is the one place where the show has finally has a chance to actually hand someone exactly what they want to steer the game.


yeah it will be interesting to see the reaction now to the "all color alliance" that was formed at the end of the last show....(using their words I think, not mine, not exactly sure how they said it)....the people of color deciding to get together to team up against the rest because of the color of their skin....in this time of treating people the same and awareness and diversity....this seems a little like going against the grain....if people of "other color" on the show did this everybody's head would explode....

 
yeah it will be interesting to see the reaction now to the "all color alliance" that was formed at the end of the last show....(using their words I think, not mine, not exactly sure how they said it)....the people of color deciding to get together to team up against the rest because of the color of their skin....in this time of treating people the same and awareness and diversity....this seems a little like going against the grain....if people of "other color" on the show did this everybody's head would explode....
So you don't understand the difference?

 
Eventually, they'll have to turn on each other.

Maybe sooner than later.
Survivor has always been a much more individual game than Big Brother. Especially in the past 10 years or so. It's rare that people shown making final-4 deals at the merge actually become the final 4. I'm not expecting anything different this time. 

 
I will say I'm all in on the all black alliance. I like the strategy.  They all seem pretty even keeled so could easily be the final four.  


Yeah, because racism should be the determining factor in what contestants get to the end.  You know this happened in the last season of Big Brother too, right?

 
Gotta say, I'm not loving this season. Although it is fun to see everyone scrambling due to the "twists," it seems like they're overdoing it. Too many twists really changes the game.

Instead of the usual merge, you have to earn the merge (and immunity). After you do so, a single person can change it all on a whim. Suddenly, immunity is not immunity. But you have an idol. Whoops, it's stolen. Well you still have an alliance with a majority of the votes. Whoops, there's a steal-a-vote and/or an extra vote out there. It's a totally different game. And not necessarily a better game. It's chaos.

Maybe they felt like the game was stale or people had too good a strategy. Idols and idol-nullifiers were introduced over time but this season everything is on it's head. Is this really needed to keep Survivor interesting or is it just jumping the shark?
:goodposting:

I agree with all of this. To put a finer point on the new twist... not only is a single player able to unwind, but a player who was selected to be on the outs/unsafe in current state. The twist is engineered in a way that makes it unfathomable *not* to be employed.

 
Xander with some very strong plays tonight.  Evvie can't be happy with him or Tiffany rolling the dice with her life on the line.  Not sure if Tiffany gives the idol back to Xander.  Will not miss Sydney one bit, arrogant as can be.

People I Like:

  • Danny
  • Xander
  • Shan
  • DeShawn
  • Naseer
  • Evvie
People I Don't Care About:

  • Erika
  • Tiffany
People I Don't Like:

  • Ricard
  • Liana
  • Heather
 
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Have they said anything about these signs the keep showing that are randomly placed on things? May have missed them explaining them. Been one every episode I think. They are only.on the screen briefly usually as the pan into a shot (ex: on the roof of the hut the winners ate the reward meal in).

They look like word puzzles with a shape + or - a letter. I have never paused to read them. 

 
Have they said anything about these signs the keep showing that are randomly placed on things? May have missed them explaining them. Been one every episode I think. They are only.on the screen briefly usually as the pan into a shot (ex: on the roof of the hut the winners ate the reward meal in).

They look like word puzzles with a shape + or - a letter. I have never paused to read them. 
They did something like that I think in the Rob and Sandra coaching season where they had to see markings and find an idol.

 
Xander with some very strong plays tonight.  Evvie can't be happy with him or Tiffany rolling the dice with her life on the line.  Not sure if Tiffany gives the idol back to Xander.  Will not miss Sydney one bit, arrogant as can be.

People I Like:

  • Danny
  • Xander
  • Shan
  • DeShawn
  • Naseer
  • Evvie
People I Don't Care About:

  • Erika
  • Tiffany
People I Don't Like:

  • Ricard
  • Liana
  • Heather
I unfortunately didn’t see the next week’s preview in case it showed something different but at tribal Evvie didn’t seem mad at all. She was really worried but after the last vote she went and hugged Xander like the plan worked. It was a chance but those three’s best hope was to not lose the idol and have Sydney go home and she seemed happy that it worked. Now they can work on Erica and Naseer, except that both of them seem 100% oblivious that they are clearly on the bottom of their side. Those two need to switch alliances before it’s too late.

I will miss Sydney because she seemed like a pretty strong competitor and unlike “finding herself” Erica and “just happy to be there” Naseer, who I still like, Sydney had her obvious social flaws but she was very well aware of her position within her alliance. If she won the flag, last night would have been really interesting and Deshawn’s gone.

 
Liana scrambling at tribal to not look bad was awful. I kept saying to Xander, why are you saying so much but I loved his play. They had been making him look stupid and he’s clearly not (at least now). Since they didn’t even hint at a fake idol, he played it perfectly at tribal and was smart about sticking to his guns about not playing the idol.

Also, man Shan is over the top controlling. Liana was acting like she was a mastermind and Shan was steering her like a boat. That’s going to bite her in the butt at some point. I think Ricard sees it but is still on her side but Liana thinks they are two peas in a pod. I think Shan will sacrifice her in a heartbeat.

 
Liana scrambling at tribal to not look bad was awful. I kept saying to Xander, why are you saying so much but I loved his play. They had been making him look stupid and he’s clearly not (at least now). Since they didn’t even hint at a fake idol, he played it perfectly at tribal and was smart about sticking to his guns about not playing the idol.
The amount of tv time given to Xander and team giving away their plan to Liana and team only meant they were playing them...at least to the wife and I.

I didn't watch the last season or 20. How long have they been letting players do side-bar conferences at tribal? I'm not into it..but admit it's because it's new (to me) and  how it changes the strategy in ways I don't yet really understand. Feels like it's now all about having backup plans and that the blindside (which is one of the better parts of the show) becomes next to impossible.

 
The amount of tv time given to Xander and team giving away their plan to Liana and team only meant they were playing them...at least to the wife and I.

I didn't watch the last season or 20. How long have they been letting players do side-bar conferences at tribal? I'm not into it..but admit it's because it's new (to me) and  how it changes the strategy in ways I don't yet really understand. Feels like it's now all about having backup plans and that the blindside (which is one of the better parts of the show) becomes next to impossible.
I figured they were trying to fake them out but when he pulled out the fake idol, I was thinking he really was dumb. I don’t think I recall ever having a fake idol used where they never showed making or or talking about making it like we had an inside joke. They edited it well to make it surprising.

To be honest, from the before scene they showed it looked like he had a whole row of fake idols but they didn’t even show the materials for a fake idol anywhere.

I am not a big fan of the side bars. I mean, that was a great move but Jeff let a full huddle where you could go through the whole plan happen. That alliance never even discussed splitting votes. I don’t mind the quick whispers and such, but you can’t let a surprise happen and then a complete strategy session. I’d much rather see what happens when you don’t get to coordinate. You’d likely get a plan A, B and C being thought about before but imagine if Syd was plan B and found out or Naseer realized he was plan C if Sydney got immunity.

Also, I think think idol stealer stuff should have to be done after the vote or while you are on the beach. There’s no fun if you get to do all that and then strategize. Last night should have been a big surprise but it really wasn’t because that big alliance still got their chance to work it all out. The more opportunity for true blindsides the better.

 
agreed.  I can't stand those side-bars at Tribal.  I liked it better when people had to rely on their backup plans.   

Maybe they end up using the hour-glass at tribal for that kind of stuff... you guys get 30 seconds from the first time you huddle up.  I know those tribals are really long, who knows how long they huddle up to discuss everything.

 
agreed.  I can't stand those side-bars at Tribal.  I liked it better when people had to rely on their backup plans.   

Maybe they end up using the hour-glass at tribal for that kind of stuff... you guys get 30 seconds from the first time you huddle up.  I know those tribals are really long, who knows how long they huddle up to discuss everything.
Maybe you can’t leave your seat except to vote. Makes people sit together which also potentially tells the bottom folks where they are. I think it’s less interesting with no flopping and scrambling. More wildcard votes would be fun. Even with the surprise, this still looks like a big group that will grind away the non-alliance folks then the bottom folks and then maybe more fun at the end but that’s not fun to watch. Maybe Xander stays an extra week with the idol but that group can keep splitting votes, etc. 

 
They did something like that I think in the Rob and Sandra coaching season where they had to see markings and find an idol.
It’s just weird they haven’t referenced them yet. They make it pretty obvious but you would definitely need to pause to read them. 

 
Liana scrambling at tribal to not look bad was awful. I kept saying to Xander, why are you saying so much but I loved his play. They had been making him look stupid and he’s clearly not (at least now). Since they didn’t even hint at a fake idol, he played it perfectly at tribal and was smart about sticking to his guns about not playing the idol.

Also, man Shan is over the top controlling. Liana was acting like she was a mastermind and Shan was steering her like a boat. That’s going to bite her in the butt at some point. I think Ricard sees it but is still on her side but Liana thinks they are two peas in a pod. I think Shan will sacrifice her in a heartbeat.
here was the dumb thing about last nights show..
They knew he knew about the "Steal an idol" advantage and how it worked.. So..

They really believed he was stupid enough to show the real idol, knowing they could steal it??  :doh:

At that point they might have screwed up by asking Evvie, but at least that would have been a decent guess.

Asking Xander was just stupid. 

 
agreed.  I can't stand those side-bars at Tribal.  I liked it better when people had to rely on their backup plans.   

Maybe they end up using the hour-glass at tribal for that kind of stuff... you guys get 30 seconds from the first time you huddle up.  I know those tribals are really long, who knows how long they huddle up to discuss everything.
I don't understand why people from the other side don't just walk over to the sidebar and listen in

 
Have they said anything about these signs the keep showing that are randomly placed on things? May have missed them explaining them. Been one every episode I think. They are only.on the screen briefly usually as the pan into a shot (ex: on the roof of the hut the winners ate the reward meal in).

They look like word puzzles with a shape + or - a letter. I have never paused to read them. 


This is the "game within the game" that Jeff mentioned in the first ep.  I think it is supposed to be a bit tailored to kids to figure them out.  I think they can go online once they figure it out, but I don't know what happens then.  I paused the recording on the first ep to figure it out, but then stopped trying after that.


Game within the game.

Solve the rebus for each episode and you get a quick video from Jeff explaining the reference.  Then I think you get part of a unscramble puzzle.  For example, click episode 6 and put in "can I have your jacket".

 
The one thing I can't figure out is what number season of Survivor this is.

;)
Exactly. They continue to burn SO much screen time on the players talking about this season and how different it is, instead of showing them talking about strategy, gathering food or other elements of camp life. We get it...this is S41 and it's different. At least we didn't have to see camera man filming another cameraman filming Jeff yelling the audience about how different S41 is this time. I'm fully expecting to see them show Jeff and other producers talking about it in upcoming episodes in place of the actual players playing the game.

 
Xander with some very strong plays tonight.  Evvie can't be happy with him or Tiffany rolling the dice with her life on the line.  Not sure if Tiffany gives the idol back to Xander.  Will not miss Sydney one bit, arrogant as can be.


With the way Tiff said at TC "it's your idol, how do you want me to play it", I bet she does give it back.  And kudos to her for doing it that way.

 
here was the dumb thing about last nights show..
They knew he knew about the "Steal an idol" advantage and how it worked.. So..

They really believed he was stupid enough to show the real idol, knowing they could steal it??  :doh:

At that point they might have screwed up by asking Evvie, but at least that would have been a decent guess.

Asking Xander was just stupid. 
Agreed. I should have known it was fake because he knew. They’ve just been showing him telling people stuff when he shouldn’t have all season. Also, Tiffany actually had the idol so even if they asked Evvie she didn’t have it.

I didn’t see the preview so I might be a little off, but Shan convinced Liana and I think that may strain things if Liana realizes that they aren’t BFFs and Shan is just trying to steer her a lah Boston Rob.

 
Agreed. I should have known it was fake because he knew. They’ve just been showing him telling people stuff when he shouldn’t have all season. Also, Tiffany actually had the idol so even if they asked Evvie she didn’t have it.
totally agree that Xander's been a bit of a dunce this season- at least with running his mouth. if it had just been him, Id have been more inclined to have agreed with you about the surprise. but with Evvie and Tiffany both in on it- no way Evvie in particular was going to be that dumb about it.

 
Agreed. I should have known it was fake because he knew. They’ve just been showing him telling people stuff when he shouldn’t have all season. Also, Tiffany actually had the idol so even if they asked Evvie she didn’t have it.

I didn’t see the preview so I might be a little off, but Shan convinced Liana and I think that may strain things if Liana realizes that they aren’t BFFs and Shan is just trying to steer her a lah Boston Rob.


Shan is also the whole reason the steal didn't work, since she was stupid enough to ask Liana about it right in front of Tiffany in that earlier episode.

 
Shan is also the whole reason the steal didn't work, since she was stupid enough to ask Liana about it right in front of Tiffany in that earlier episode.
I thought Tiffany pushed her way into asking about it... and not Shan. but I could be misremembering.

 
I unfortunately didn’t see the next week’s preview in case it showed something different but at tribal Evvie didn’t seem mad at all. She was really worried but after the last vote she went and hugged Xander like the plan worked. It was a chance but those three’s best hope was to not lose the idol and have Sydney go home and she seemed happy that it worked. Now they can work on Erica and Naseer, except that both of them seem 100% oblivious that they are clearly on the bottom of their side. Those two need to switch alliances before it’s too late.

I will miss Sydney because she seemed like a pretty strong competitor and unlike “finding herself” Erica and “just happy to be there” Naseer, who I still like, Sydney had her obvious social flaws but she was very well aware of her position within her alliance. If she won the flag, last night would have been really interesting and Deshawn’s gone.
not unless Tiff played the idol for Evie.  She had 4 votes to Deshaun's 3.

 
Also, I think think idol stealer stuff should have to be done after the vote or while you are on the beach. There’s no fun if you get to do all that and then strategize. Last night should have been a big surprise but it really wasn’t because that big alliance still got their chance to work it all out. The more opportunity for true blindsides the better.


It really wasn't because Shan is an idiot.  Remember, she was the stupid one to open her mouth to Liana in front of Tiff.  If she hadn't done that, Tiff doesn't know about Liana's advantage and thus no one else at camp would know.  Liana would have been able to simply play it and steal the idol from Xander.

 

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