48 Seasons: Survivor’s Still Surviving
Image Credit: Robert Voets/CBS
Whether you’re a superfan, somebody who hasn’t watched in a decade, or someone that hasn’t watched at all, you’ve likely heard something about the 24 year-old TV show Survivor, in which 16-20 contestants play a social-strategy game on an island to gain a million-dollar cash prize. Personally, I’ve always loved Survivor, and over the years my love for it has developed even further. This social strategy game has played a part in many lives including my own, and in this article I’ll be giving my overall review of the most recent season to have been completed, Season 47. Season 48 has now premiered with its first episode, on Wednesday, February 26th.
Please note that I’m not a full-on Survivor “superfan.” I enjoy the show and know a decent amount about it, but I’m not a Survivor machine that can tell you anything about any season.
What is Survivor?
Survivor is a reality-television show where contestants compete against each other on an island to earn one million dollars. In the beginning, contestants will be divided into teams separated by different islands. At certain points, all the teams will come together to compete in Immunity Challenges. The losing team(s) will go to Tribal Council, where they will vote someone out off the island. The contestant with the most votes will leave the island immediately. Then, after a certain number of eliminations, contestants will merge together on one island. The contestants are no longer in teams, and will instead compete for individual immunity in challenges. The winner of any Individual Immunity Challenge will not be eligible to be voted out in the following Tribal Council. When players are voted off the island after the merge, they will enter the jury. When 2 or 3 contestants remain, the players on the jury will vote to decide the winner. The winner gets one million dollars and the title of “Sole Survivor”.
Should you watch the most recent season?
It depends. I wouldn’t recommend watching this as one of your first few seasons. Ever since season 41, Survivor has shifted into what is described as the “New Era.” This was a pretty big change for the formatting of the game, and I think newer fans should experience older seasons before watching this shift. Additionally, I’d recommend researching more about the New Era in general before watching Survivor 47 (or any New Era season) just so you don’t feel lost. One major thing about the New Era seasons is that they can definitely feel a bit formulaic, so if your favorite part about Survivor is the weird themes, then you might not like any of the New Era seasons. It’s a pretty big shift.
Another thing you might want to know about Season 47 is that it seems to focus a bit less on casual social moments. Most of the shown interaction is strategy-focused. If you are someone who cares heavily about interpersonal dynamics, it might not be the season for you. I’d still give it a try though.
Other than those two things, I think it’s a pretty good season. I would recommend it to anyone who has a decent grasp of Survivor as a game. If you do plan on watching, you should be able to search up “Survivor 47 CBS” to find a list of all the episodes for free (with ads).
Personal Thoughts About Season 47
I like Survivor 47, even if it suffers from issues I have with the New Era. I think Survivor 47 has managed to be interesting in terms of strategy, casting, and editing. Most of the cast genuinely seemed in it to win it. The cast is also varied with different types of personalities, making the show feel more dynamic. There are people stealing rice from challenges, crying over coconuts, lying about their age, and even spitting fish on another person’s back.
In addition to the cast, the strategy has also been great on Survivor 47. Unlike Survivor 46 (hilarious season by the way) where five people got voted out with Immunity Idols (an item that can prevent someone from being voted out if played before the votes are read) in their pockets, the players of Survivor 47 were smart strategically. I personally think the strategy aspect is the most interesting part of Survivor. It’s probably why I don’t really mind the lack of social conversation shown on screen. I just believe that seeing differences in approach is the most exciting part about the show, like seeing the contrast of people who try to fly under-the-radar with people who play aggressively.
I also love the editing of Survivor 47. The editing of a season can contribute a lot to viewers’ enjoyment. Despite Survivor being reality television, it still has a story to tell. Survivor 47 did a nice job with showing how impactful the community’s perception of you can be. The editing of Season 47 is a huge part of the reason why it is able to have such interesting characters and enjoyable moments.
If I had to point out one main flaw with the season, I’d probably mention the number of people that lose their votes. It starts to get really annoying when there’s at least one person without a vote every one or two Tribal Councils. Most of the time, it doesn’t even affect the game. I’m fine with twists like this a few times a season, but this is honestly absurd. There have been more tribals where people in the New Era lose their votes than in the first 40 seasons of Survivor!
Notwithstanding its flaws, I think Survivor 47 is a solid 7.8/10. It was fun to watch as it aired, and I think I’ll look back on it fondly in the future. It didn’t have any huge or alarming moments that made me jump out of my seat, but I still liked it a lot. I hope anyone who decides to watch it enjoys it as much as I do (or more)!