Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 6 “Operation Thunder Dome” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS After last week’s meltdown from Brandon, it’s so refreshing to watch everyone return to focusing on the strategic side of the game. Crazy behavior makes for good TV, but Survivor works best when players are scheming to try …
Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 5 “Persona Non Grata” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS When Survivor announced their cast of returning players for this second “Fans vs. Favorites” season, the one that stood out was Brandon Hantz. Although he provided memorable television in his first appearance, he’s also an unstable guy who …
Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 4 “Kill or Be Killed” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS In the past 25 seasons of Survivor, there are several prime examples of hapless tribes. Last season’s Matsing lost the first four challenges and was quickly absorbed into the other two groups. Back in Palau, Ulong never …
Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 3 “There’s Gonna Be Hell to Pay” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS When Survivor premiered on May 31, 2000, it was set up as a social experiment where people with different backgrounds formed a new community in a remote setting. They were voting each other out, but …
Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 2 “Honey Badger” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS This week gives a clear reminder of the difference between liking Survivor and being an expert player. Even if these really are super fans like Jeff Probst claims, there’s still no substitute for game experience. Brandon Hantz may be …
Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 1 “She Annoys Me Greatly” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS For their second version of “Fans vs. Favorites”, the Survivor producers are clearly going for memorable television with their returning players. There are few examples of people who dominated their original seasons, and only one made the …
Survivor: Caramoan Preview Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Premieres February 13 In his interviews during the very entertaining Survivor: Philippines season last fall, Jeff Probst claimed that the next installment would be even better. While this could just be an attempt to draw viewers, it still raises the intrigue for the show’s 26th …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 14 “Million Dollar Question” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Approaching Survivor’s 25th season finale, evidence pointed to a final two that might benefit Lisa and Skupin if the chips fell correctly. The problem was that they were planning for a final three and setting themselves …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 13 “Gouge My Eyes Out” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Several weeks ago, a four-person deal was struck on Survivor that wasn’t in any participant’s best interests. It seemed unlikely that either Malcolm and Denise or Skupin and Lisa planned to honor the deal. Apparently, this oath was …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 12 “Shot into Smithereens” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS When watching Survivor at home, it’s easy to play armchair quarterback. The editing is basically designed to paint some players as doing the right thing while others flounder. A consistent narrative in the post-merge episodes has been Lisa …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 11 “Hell Hath Frozen Over” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS It’s been interesting this season to watch how each returning player has approached Survivor differently using his past knowledge. Russell Swan looked at his first appearance and decided to change his style. The problem was that he …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 10 “Whiners are Weiners” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS There have been plenty of cases on Survivor where interesting characters were lost in the shuffle. If the editors decide they aren’t pivotal to the story, they may provide a limited perspective on them. Artis is a good example …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 9 “Little Miss Perfect” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS After two crazy episodes, Survivor pulls back this week and delivers a more slow-paced affair. The final outcome is surprising, but it lacks the dramatic chaos of past weeks. This episode is all about Lisa Whelchel and her moral …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 8 “Dead Man Walking” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS That was awesome. After last week’s remarkable Tribal Council, it did not seem possible that the follow-up could be even better. The chaotic build-up to the vote is stunning and ranks among the most unpredictable finishes in Survivor …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 7 “I’m Not the Only Actor on This Island” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Now that’s more like it! The three-tribe structure was put in place this season to avoid the predictable exits of Survivor’s recent installments. By splitting the players into smaller groups, the producers hoped …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 6 “Down and Dirty” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS It’s a testament to Survivor‘s staying power when moments that haven’t been seen in the past still happen. Few shows make it to 25 seasons, so this is already unprecedented territory. This week’s reward challenge is a strange affair where …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 5 “Got My Swag Back” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS The opening four episodes of this Survivor season have spent a majority of time with the Matsing tribe, who lost every challenge. The battle lines have been drawn for the Tandang and Kalabaw tribes, but the conflicts haven’t …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 4 “Create a Little Chaos” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Russell Swan is a very competitive guy. He claims to strive for excellence in everything that he does. When he loses a challenge, it must be part of God’s plan, not because of the superior performance of …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 3 “This Isn’t a ‘We’ Game” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS It’s common on Survivor for one tribe to start slowly and lose multiple challenges early in the game. In a two-tribe contest, removing a few weaker players usually changes the momentum. The teams usually have eight …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 2, “Don’t Get Blinded by the Headlights” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS After 24 seasons of Survivor, it would seem obvious that players would recognize certain universal rules. In a tribe with only five players, cuddling up to one of them is not wise. Ever since Rob …
Survivor: Philippines Review, Season 25, Episode 1, “Survivor Smacked Me in the Chops” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS There’s something refreshing about the premiere of each Survivor season. There’s a new group of castaways with players who may become household names. Everyone is excited to jump into the game and hasn’t been worn …
Survivor: Philippines Preview Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS For its 25th season, Survivor heads to a new location in The Philippines for an outing that offers some new approaches to the formula. One major change is the split into three tribes with six contestants in each group. This move is designed to avoid …
Survivor: One World Review, Season 24, Episode 15, Reunion Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Although they tend to focus on a few contestants, Survivor reunions always include standout moments that make them worth the extra hour. This year’s has more than its share of highlights, with many coming from Jeff Probst himself. He …