Survivor 44 Discussion Thread

[Jedijax719]

I think THE reason people praise this season of Aussie Survivor over US Survivor is because we have someone like George. Pins and needles every episode hoping that they finally get rid of him. Wasn't that kind of why Survivor started off with a bang the first season. If Outback was the first season (pretty boring in retrospect), the game may not have been what it is today unless Hatch's season came quickly. When there's someone you REALLY want out week after week and they are playing a great game (sorry, Jerri, but while you were a villain in Outback, you weren't playing a good game), that person usually either (a) wins, (b) makes the finals but loses, or (c) is the last one to leave. And the editing usually makes it that way. But even Rob and Tony were NEVER like George and Rich was never condescending toward people the way George is. So I think that George is way over the top to actually win, simply because he thinks he already has won. But he has the case to make to the jury if he is there against pretty much everyone left.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I think THE reason people praise this season of Aussie Survivor over US Survivor is because we have someone like George. Pins and needles every episode hoping that they finally get rid of him. Wasn't that kind of why Survivor started off with a bang the first season. If Outback was the first season (pretty boring in retrospect), the game may not have been what it is today unless Hatch's season came quickly. When there's someone you REALLY want out week after week and they are playing a great game (sorry, Jerri, but while you were a villain in Outback, you weren't playing a good game), that person usually either (a) wins, (b) makes the finals but loses, or (c) is the last one to leave. And the editing usually makes it that way. But even Rob and Tony were NEVER like George and Rich was never condescending toward people the way George is. So I think that George is way over the top to actually win, simply because he thinks he already has won. But he has the case to make to the jury if he is there against pretty much everyone left.

I think that people are loving Survivor AU because it's allowing us to see the whole story. We see the conversations, the plans, the betrayals, the change in plans, etc. We enter tribal council with a good idea of where people stand and what the possible outcomes are. It's exciting and they leave just enough out (i.e. who will play their idol and for who) to keep it suspenseful.

Compare that to Survivor 44's first episode. Does anyone know what was happening with that vote? It doesn't help that explanations from exit interviews are all over the place. Survivor US has to be surprising every single time to the point it just feels random too often.

The great thing about Survivor and reality TV is it's not predictable. We can root for great gameplay while simultaneously screaming at everyone else to vote that person out. Sometimes it's a "happy" ending and sometimes it isn't.

It's fun to watch and analyze because it's so difficult. We see people make a big move and then become a target. It's such a fine line of playing a winning game but not becoming a threat at the wrong moment.

 

[PUSH]

Compare that to Survivor 44's first episode. Does anyone know what was happening with that vote? It doesn't help that explanations from exit interviews are all over the place. Survivor US has to be surprising every single time to the point it just feels random too often.

The great thing about Survivor and reality TV is it's not predictable. We can root for great gameplay while simultaneously screaming at everyone else to vote that person out. Sometimes it's a "happy" ending and sometimes it isn't.

It's fun to watch and analyze because it's so difficult. We see people make a big move and then become a target. It's such a fine line of playing a winning game but not becoming a threat at the wrong moment.

I miss the days of sometimes having straightforward boots. The blindsides were actually surprising, rather than confusing. We knew why they happened and who was part of them.

I feel like Survivor went through two real "golden" eras. Seasons 15-20 were pretty great, minus one or two. And then seasons 25-33, minus one or two. In both eras, there were minimal idols and advantages. And when they were used, they were exciting. When they're used every other episode, it's not fun anymore. Once or twice a season was great. Both eras had good character development, and we knew who the players were (again, minus one or two seasons).

It's become more about moving pieces on a gameboard than interpersonal relationships, and a 26 day format doesn't help.

I'm literally typing this thought as it comes to my mind, so don't bash me for it. I'm not sure if I fully buy into it. But I wonder if casting primarily "super duper fans" is taking away from the game a bit. They are so aware of how to play the game, that it leads to confusing gameplay, or underwhelming winners because they know to take out the true players. They play so fast, when it really needs to slow down a bit to make it more understandable for the viewers. Again... I'm not sure I believe in this theory, but it's something to ponder.

 

[Jedijax719]

I think that people are loving Survivor AU because it's allowing us to see the whole story. We see the conversations, the plans, the betrayals, the change in plans, etc. We enter tribal council with a good idea of where people stand and what the possible outcomes are. It's exciting and they leave just enough out (i.e. who will play their idol and for who) to keep it suspenseful.

Compare that to Survivor 44's first episode. Does anyone know what was happening with that vote? It doesn't help that explanations from exit interviews are all over the place. Survivor US has to be surprising every single time to the point it just feels random too often.

The great thing about Survivor and reality TV is it's not predictable. We can root for great gameplay while simultaneously screaming at everyone else to vote that person out. Sometimes it's a "happy" ending and sometimes it isn't.

It's fun to watch and analyze because it's so difficult. We see people make a big move and then become a target. It's such a fine line of playing a winning game but not becoming a threat at the wrong moment.

I have to be honest, the first season of 44 was SO forgettable to me. But I see what you are saying. There were missing pieces (a lot of them) in the past few seasons of US Survivor. Some of the relationships needed to be made clearer for the story to feel like a story. For example, we needed to see Erika and Heather's relationship very early on in 41, but they focused SO much on Shan/Ricard. Likewise, we needed to see more of Maryanne's relationship with Omar and with Lindsey. (although 42 was much better edit-wise than 41.)

But I think we all can agree that Winners at War was an OUTSTANDING season. Definitely top 3 for me. Going back, David vs Goliath was a pretty great season as well. That was some great casting!

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I miss the days of sometimes having straightforward boots. The blindsides were actually surprising, rather than confusing. We knew why they happened and who was part of them.

I feel like Survivor went through two real "golden" eras. Seasons 15-20 were pretty great, minus one or two. And then seasons 25-33, minus one or two. In both eras, there were minimal idols and advantages. And when they were used, they were exciting. When they're used every other episode, it's not fun anymore. Once or twice a season was great. Both eras had good character development, and we knew who the players were (again, minus one or two seasons).

It's become more about moving pieces on a gameboard than interpersonal relationships, and a 26 day format doesn't help.

I'm literally typing this thought as it comes to my mind, so don't bash me for it. I'm not sure if I fully buy into it. But I wonder if casting primarily "super duper fans" is taking away from the game a bit. They are so aware of how to play the game, that it leads to confusing gameplay, or underwhelming winners because they know to take out the true players. They play so fast, when it really needs to slow down a bit to make it more understandable for the viewers. Again... I'm not sure I believe in this theory, but it's something to ponder.

I wonder about the 26 day format, but until we have someone actually play in both formats can we know how different it actually is? They've cut down on reward challenges so we still get the immunity and tribal council in the same day, which has always been standard (I think).

I also think they need a mix of player types. Give the players options on who to work with, and see how that strategy plays out. We saw that with Jesse and Cody, with Jesse working with someone who was less hardcore and he knew that was someone who would be loyal and wouldn't turn on him first.

There's so much strategy in finding those other players who can be loyal "pawns", using people as shields, and working with other like minded people.

Going back to All Stars Rob C thought it would be a good plan to work with Boston Rob because they're both smart players, whereas Boston Rob decided he didn't want to be a smart duo, he wanted to be the smartest person still in his tribe.

If everyone is a super fan, it's not always interesting.

 

[flynnibus]

So I think that George is way over the top to actually win, simply because he thinks he already has won. But he has the case to make to the jury if he is there against pretty much everyone left.

Isn't this Russel in a nutshell? but could never win the jury because he actually just played them all too well?

 

[flynnibus]

I think Suvivor is trying to 'shake it up' and condense the action.. and it's becoming a rapid fire onslaught as a result.

Shorter... too many modifiers... too many stunts.

I liked when they broke-up alliances that were just boring and unbreakable.... I still think tribe swaps are the best tool to break up the pattern, but it does often cost players who had earned a good spot to become instantly vulnerable.

These current 'risk your vote' adventures are dumb and played out.

 

[Jedijax719]

Isn't this Russel in a nutshell? but could never win the jury because he actually just played them all too well?

Russell was a bummer to be around. He was always to serious and took himself too serious. Contrast that with Tony who played an equally great game but was fun to be around. George is probably somewhere in between and always seems to give those on the bottom a bone. It's just that since the Russell and Tony days, the US contestants have their radars on.

 

[PUSH]

I think Suvivor is trying to 'shake it up' and condense the action.. and it's becoming a rapid fire onslaught as a result.

Shorter... too many modifiers... too many stunts.

I liked when they broke-up alliances that were just boring and unbreakable.... I still think tribe swaps are the best tool to break up the pattern, but it does often cost players who had earned a good spot to become instantly vulnerable.

These current 'risk your vote' adventures are dumb and played out.

I liked not swapping tribes in season 41. But by season 42 it grew stale, and it's become pretty mundane in the premerge. I'm also over the 6 person tribes to start a season. Give us two tribes of 8 or 10 players. When there are six, there's nowhere to hide. So it usually ends up being a weaker tribe member, which the smaller and/or older women are usually viewed as.

I think the ideal format is...

Start with two tribes of 10
One premerge tribe swap
Merge around 10 or 11 players left
One active idol per tribe, possibly limiting how many times they reenter the game, so we don't get a Ben/Devens scavenger hunt each episode

Also, I know people complained about the rewards being uneventful. However, back in the day they provided a lot of good entertainment and strategy. They were a place to build bonds and showcase interpersonal relationships. They need to bring back rewards where they take the Survivors to different places, or go on different adventures like helicopter rides. Not just a makeshift "Survivor Sanctuary". I'm thinking about Amanda, Danielle, and Colby in HvV, or Sophie's alliance watching the movie in South Pacific. Go back to hiding idols or idol clues at the rewards.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Isn't this Russel in a nutshell? but could never win the jury because he actually just played them all too well?

George by all accounts is not on the scale of Russell in terms of being actively disliked. However, he can be antagonizing and it could be enough.

He's also someone who has turned his Survivor personality into a career, doing appearances and such. He plays for the camera accordingly.

 

[PUSH]

Now that was a good Survivor episode. I felt like we got a lot of camp life, especially early on. The bird cage created some interesting social scenarios. We got some really fun character moments with Carolyn. I'm bummed by who went home, but I didn't want anyone on this tribe to leave. They're such a fun group of characters.

Like I said, the beginning of this episode felt like an old season of Survivor. We saw tons of camp life, and we got to see who was bonding with who, and where the relationships were shifting. We saw who was on the outs with every tribe, as well as who is clicking. We saw Matthew's strategy, Kane's predicament, Matt & Frannie's relationship, and everything with the purple tribe.

The bird cages were fun. Danny played it really well by not telling anyone. Carolyn's find was hilarious. And nobody expected her to have it. I'll just say now that I absolutely adore Carolyn. She's so fun. She's probably the weirdest character we've ever had. She's weirder than Noura. She's more likable than Noura, too, because she's so self aware. She knows she's quirky and weird, and she realizes how that's affecting her in the game. Her falling over when Carson came to talk to her was so funny.

Speaking of Carson, I really like him, too. I was worried for him, being so young, coming into this game. But he's done a really good job of integrating himself with the tribe. He controlled this vote. They've done a pretty good job of casting under-21 players lately.

One complaint... it's time for Survivor to switch up the puzzles and mazes. It's getting a little old hearing how players are creating and practicing the puzzles at home, only to come on the show and ace them. That's not very interesting TV.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Now that was a good Survivor episode. I felt like we got a lot of camp life, especially early on. The bird cage created some interesting social scenarios. We got some really fun character moments with Carolyn. I'm bummed by who went home, but I didn't want anyone on this tribe to leave. They're such a fun group of characters.

Like I said, the beginning of this episode felt like an old season of Survivor. We saw tons of camp life, and we got to see who was bonding with who, and where the relationships were shifting. We saw who was on the outs with every tribe, as well as who is clicking. We saw Matthew's strategy, Kane's predicament, Matt & Frannie's relationship, and everything with the purple tribe.

The bird cages were fun. Danny played it really well by not telling anyone. Carolyn's find was hilarious. And nobody expected her to have it. I'll just say now that I absolutely adore Carolyn. She's so fun. She's probably the weirdest character we've ever had. She's weirder than Noura. She's more likable than Noura, too, because she's so self aware. She knows she's quirky and weird, and she realizes how that's affecting her in the game. Her falling over when Carson came to talk to her was so funny.

Speaking of Carson, I really like him, too. I was worried for him, being so young, coming into this game. But he's done a really good job of integrating himself with the tribe. He controlled this vote. They've done a pretty good job of casting under-21 players lately.

One complaint... it's time for Survivor to switch up the puzzles and mazes. It's getting a little old hearing how players are creating and practicing the puzzles at home, only to come on the show and ace them. That's not very interesting TV.

Crazy how much better this was compared to episode 1, with it's 'what is even happening here?' tribal and making us suffer through things like Sweat or Savvy again.

We got so much. A tribal where different outcomes could occur. We knew what was being discussed, so it wasn't an audience blindside, but they still maintained the suspense of what the outcome would be.

I liked the different approaches of keeping one's skills a secret, versus outright stating you built a snake maze in your backyard.

Repeating puzzles is an interesting question. On the one hand, maybe people should be rewarded for doing some basic preparation. I do agree it's repetitive and not super interesting when they're solved super quick.

 

[surfsupdon]

I am really enjoying the characters this season. Lots of fun, very engaging, and they are playing hard.

 

[PUSH]

I also have to say that I'm really enjoying the On Fire podcast with Jeff Probst. It's a fun and interesting insight into the game.

 

[surfsupdon]

I also have to say that I'm really enjoying the On Fire podcast with Jeff Probst. It's a fun and interesting insight into the game.

I have been listening too. I have found it very interesting. Love me some Probst and behind the scenes fun.

 

[PUSH]

I realized the other day that it was my 10 year anniversary of watching Survivor back in February. My first season was Caramoan, which premiered on February 13, 2013. Since then I've seen seasons 1-40 twice. And then every episode of seasons 41-44 that have aired.

I consider myself to have three obsessions: Walt Disney World, the Green Bay Packers, and Survivor.

 

[Jedijax719]

I realized the other day that it was my 10 year anniversary of watching Survivor back in February. My first season was Caramoan, which premiered on February 13, 2013. Since then I've seen seasons 1-40 twice. And then every episode of seasons 41-44 that have aired.

I consider myself to have three obsessions: Walt Disney World, the Green Bay Packers, and Survivor.

Geez! It's already been 10 years since Cochrane won!

 

[Jedijax719]

Another great Aussie Survivor episode. I hope they keep putting them on YT. For some reason, there was only a really bad recording of episode 18 and it went away quickly.

 

[artvandelay]

Did Carolyn hold up the coin and say that this is the real idol and the beads were a fake idol?

 

[flynnibus]

Where are you sll watching the oz version? Torrents?