Survivor 45 Discussion Thread

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It's time for another season of Survivor! Survivor 45 premiere with a 90 minute episode on September 27th.

The preseason has begun as CBS has officially released the cast. You can read the player profiles by clicking the link below.

Meet the cast of 'Survivor 45'

We've got the exclusive bios, photos, and video of the new 'Survivor 45' cast.

ew.com

I'm super excited for a new season! The layoff between the spring and fall seasons is always so long.

 

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Executive producer MatT Van Wagenen said the 90 minute episodes will remind us of old school seasons. He said super fans will really like it.

Survivor Producer Says 90-Minute Episodes Will 'Remind Fans of Older Seasons' - Inside Survivor

Survivor executive producer Matt Van Wagenen opens up about Survivor 45's expanded 90-minute episodes and what fans can expect.

insidesurvivor.com

 

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Jeff announced that the main titles are back! I'm so happy!

 

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Every preseason I make my winner picks, but I choose one man and one woman. I'll be honest, this is the least I've listened to preseason coverage in years. I've just been super busy. So my picks are based on other people's opinions, as well as the podcasts I've listened to while very distracted. Here we go...

Male pick: Jake
Female pick: Sabiyah

I was going to pick Kellie, but I feel like I always pick her archetype and get burned. So just know, that Kellie is my #3 pick!

Here are some of my previous winner picks. I bolded my correct picks. Last season I did two male picks, knowing that Matthew may have been medically evacuated.

31 - Vytas
32 - No winner pick
33 - M: Adam, F: Figgy
34 - M: Malcolm, F: Andrea
35 - Winner: Ashley, Runner-Up: Desi
36 - M: Brendan, F: Kellyn
37 - M: Dan, F: Alison
38 - Returnee: Kelley, Newbie: Victoria
39 - M: Tommy, F: Molly
40 - M: Jeremy, F: Parvati
41 - M: Ricard, F: Sara
42 - M: Hai, F: Chanelle
43 - M: Jesse, F: Elie
44 - M: Matthew (medevac backup: Yam Yam), F: Helen

 

[SAV]

Not a fan of Emily. Terrible attitude. Would totally bring me down.

Very bothered by what happened at tribal. What a waste of a spot that was just given up. So many people who would have loved to be in that spot were passed over. I wouldn't even bring her to the finale.

 

[flynnibus]

I had to turn the show off... I couldn't stand listening to the yellow tribe moaning and whining and being babies that much. I get it's emotional for people.. but I feel like they must be drafting and encouraging these people KNOWING they are going to be a mess just for TV... because this was next level stuff yesterday.

Seriously after the challenge and they went back to camp and the blonde was all over the place with saying send me home, etc.. I just had to turn it off. I couldn't take the snowflakes anymore.

 

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I thought it was a decent premiere. Not the best we've ever had, but some fun characters. The yellow tribe is a mess. Kaleb and Sabiyah have to be wondering how they got stuck on that tribe.

Sifu was the one who annoyed me the most. His personality just got under my skin.

Hannah quitting was obviously not good. She mentioned nicotine withdrawal in the episode, which may have played a part. Shane Powers even wanted to quit early in Panama, according to Rob or Owen on their podcast last night. I'm not using that as an excuse, just a reason.

I like Sabiyah, Kaleb, Katurrah, Kellie, Brando, and Kendra so far.

Emily is an absolute mess, but her archetype has been missing from Survivor for so long.

I'm excited to see where we go from here.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I thought it was great and the longer episodes really allow for characters to be fleshed out.

Recent installments have been criticized for just having gamebot players who all get along for the most part.

I like seeing people who clash in ways and have to find ways to adapt and work together. That's been a hallmark of the show since day one.

The quit was a letdown from the perspective that there were interesting dynamics at play and a vote is always more interesting than an individual decision.

It's easy to judge from the couch, and apparently online discourse has been vicious, but who are any of us to sit in judgement over an experience we cannot possibly fully comprehend.

Someone quitting is still interesting. It's not new and it speaks to the difficulty of the game.

 

[flynnibus]

Someone quitting is still interesting. It's not new and it speaks to the difficulty of the game.

But after what... one or two nights? It's not like these people were snatched off the curb and dropped on this island. It shows incredible weakness IMO to not even be able to function after such a short period.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Can we put the sweat vs savvy thing to rest?

Now that it's established that they still get the supplies the next day, why are players forced into this grueling endurance task that forces a minority group to be isolated from their tribe?

Having said that, two tribes doing it together is a decent change that allows for more cross tribe integration.

 

[Jedijax719]

I had to turn the show off... I couldn't stand listening to the yellow tribe moaning and whining and being babies that much. I get it's emotional for people.. but I feel like they must be drafting and encouraging these people KNOWING they are going to be a mess just for TV... because this was next level stuff yesterday.

Seriously after the challenge and they went back to camp and the blonde was all over the place with saying send me home, etc.. I just had to turn it off. I couldn't take the snowflakes anymore.

That was the first impression I got of a lot of the people this time. A lot of crying and whining. Stuff you might find on day 27 or something but THAT much from the get go is a bit nauseating. Not sure if the casting is to blame or not for that one.

Right now, Katurah is the one that stands out to me at the moment. Her and maybe Kellie and Kaleb and perhaps Dee. The others I could take or leave and most of them definitely as a leave.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

That was the first impression I got of a lot of the people this time. A lot of crying and whining. Stuff you might find on day 27 or something but THAT much from the get go is a bit nauseating. Not sure if the casting is to blame or not for that one.

Right now, Katurah is the one that stands out to me at the moment. Her and maybe Kellie and Kaleb and perhaps Dee. The others I could take or leave and most of them definitely as a leave.

There's a lot of overblown negative reaction out there to something most people have never experienced. It has been pointed on RHAP and perhaps other places that those first few days are actually the hardest. It's a shock to the system. No nicotine, no food, no sleep, and no shelter.

Hannah is not on social media but she said in her RHAP interview people are still finding ways to contact her to harass her. People are posting negative comments as reviews on the Google page for her business. It's unhinged behaviour.

In this thread she and others are being called snowflakes, the go to insult for cruel people who don't posses empathy.

It's fine to be critical. If I were to rank the 700+ people who have played Survivor she'd be at or near the bottom. We just need to consider what it's like from the other side and not make it personal.

 

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There's a lot of overblown negative reaction out there to something most people have never experienced. It has been pointed on RHAP and perhaps other places that those first few days are actually the hardest. It's a shock to the system. No nicotine, no food, no sleep, and no shelter.

Hannah is not on social media but she said in her RHAP interview people are still finding ways to contact her to harass her. People are posting negative comments as reviews on the Google page for her business. It's unhinged behaviour.

In this thread she and others are being called snowflakes, the go to insult for cruel people who don't posses empathy.

It's fine to be critical. If I were to rank the 700+ people who have played Survivor she'd be at or near the bottom. We just need to consider what it's like from the other side and not make it personal.

I agree with what you're saying. Does it make me feel good that she quit? No. But there's no way she went all the way through the casting process with the intention of quitting. She said she wanted it through the whole process, but didn't expect it to be what it was. There's no real way to prepare for it, and some people can't do it.

Like you said, the first 5 or so days are often the hardest. The body isn't used to no food or sleep, and in her case, nicotine. On top of that, the reality is setting in that there's no contact with your family or loved ones, and nobody to support you. You don't have a single person you can trust or fully be yourself around. I'd bet there are so many more players who have thought about quitting, but never vocalized it.

It sucks that she quit. You never want to see that, but would you rather her stay and not fully be into it? That would bring the quality of the game and show down. And it's not like she's defending herself. When Rob tiptoed around the word "quit", Hannah specifically said he can call it a quit, and she says it's a quit.

Like you said, it's okay to be critical and not agree with what she did. But the name-calling and harassment she's receiving is not okay. If you're going to be so upset that you're going to do that, then you probably shouldn't be watching reality TV. These are real people, not fictional characters.

 

[flynnibus]

In this thread she and others are being called snowflakes, the go to insult for cruel people who don't posses empathy.

empathy? You mean for the person who knew she was going into such a physical challenge... and couldn't bother to maybe try to sleep outside and not eat for a day or two in an attempt to prepare?

Yes, no sympathy for people who completely run blind into things for no reason what so ever when there literally two decades of information out there to prepare with.

 

[flynnibus]

Like you said, the first 5 or so days are often the hardest. The body isn't used to no food or sleep, and in her case, nicotine. On top of that, the reality is setting in that there's no contact with your family or loved ones, and nobody to support you

If I've never done anything like this... and was going on the line for $1million dollars... you know they have these things called CAMPSITES? You can go out in the woods in isolation... and try it out?

These people act like they never slept outside a bed before and can't cope. Uhh... prepare?

 

[Jedijax719]

Okay, without getting into tonight's episode yet, I will say that the 90 minute episodes (besides being a commitment), have really hashed out players and their personalities and alliances a LOT better that most previous seasons. I feel like I have a good handle on where everyone sits and can make better predictions about who might win or come close. This is especially true with having 90 minute episodes with only one challenge. Right now, none of the tribes are being ignored and nobody is invisible. We also have clear alliances on each tribe, for however they may last.

 

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This was a good episode tonight. I really felt the effects of the 90 minute length. We got a confessional from every single player. When has that ever happened? I feel like I know every player, and we know who is aligned with each other. It's amazing and refreshing. This is what we wanted from Survivor, but haven't gotten in at least 10-15 seasons.

I knew we were getting the main titles back, which was AMAZING, but I was so happy to see the "Previously on Survivor" segment return. It just felt right. I felt like the episode flowed much better because of it. The flashbacks were fun at first, but as they kept going, they felt forced and unnatural. Better to recap the previous episode in a "previously on" segment.

I thought Emily did a good job taking Kaleb's advice. I also thought Kaleb did a fantastic job tonight. He seems like one of the more level-headed players we've had in a while. He's a calming presence, but I also feel like he's too perfect.

I'm also still liking Sabiyah. The idol hunt was actually fun, which I haven't said in a while. I think it was because of the characters who were finding the idol. Sabiyah is a lot of fun. I hope she goes far, and not only because she's my winner pick.

I am here for the Kellie, Kendra, Katurah, and Brando alliance. Kellie was #2 when I was making my winner picks, and she seems to be in a good position with a good head on her shoulders. Katurah is a great narrator, and I love the one-sided feud with Bruce.

Speaking of Bruce, he's a big goofball. How did he get put on the Tika tribe last season, when they already had so many other massive characters? He was mellow in comparison.

Drew is an interesting guy. I feel like his confessionals could either set him up to be a mastermind, or to fall really hard.

As for the vote, I probably would have made the same decision. Brandon had been such a liability in the challenges, and you need to win something in these small tribes. If they keep Brandon, they probably lose next anyway, and then Emily is gone. At least now they might have a shot. I think it benefits Kaleb the most with the relationship he's been building with Emily. You never know if that relationship could prove huge down the line.

I'm excited to see where this season goes!

 

[Jedijax719]

Sabiyah definitely has the best edit from her tribe. Kaleb's is pretty good too. Emily seems like she may have a Kathy (S4), Aubrey (S32), and David (S33) edit that is one of a redemption/growth arc but falls short.

I have to pay close attention to members from the other tribes because certain players from tribes not going to tribal may be important (alas Erika). So from the red tribe, I am particularly interested in Dee (funny scene plus implicated in alliances), Drew (although he seems full of himself), Julie(but often times the one making the alliances is not the one who goes all the way). On the blue tribe, my eye is on Katurah, Brando, and Kellie.

 

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The right person went home. Brandon brought nothing and was a liability. Kudos to Emily for changing her game up. We really need a different tribe to go to Tribal to spice things up. Also, why didn't Sabiyah just put her wax idol by the fire at tribal? She told everyone about it already. It just said it needed to be melted away, not where it needed to be melted away.

 

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The right person went home. Brandon brought nothing and was a liability. Kudos to Emily for changing her game up. We really need a different tribe to go to Tribal to spice things up. Also, why didn't Sabiyah just put her wax idol by the fire at tribal? She told everyone about it already. It just said it needed to be melted away, not where it needed to be melted away.

I don't think Emily knows about it. But she will know something is up, after only 2 votes were enough to get rid of Brandon. I did wonder how that will play out.