Survivor Review, Season 26, Episode 11 “Come Over to the Dark Side” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Survivor fans love players who make big moves and don’t coast to the end. They’d much rather see a strategist like Rob Cesternino jumping alliances and shaking up the game then watch a dominator like Kim Spradlin. It …
There are many Survivor episodes where the outcome is predictable, and it’s fairly easy to describe what just happened. Those are the norm because players rarely stray from the safest move to go forward. Living in a different universe are the outliers that leave even the most able-minded fan yelling “what just happened?” This week is one of those wonderful episodes. Malcolm overplays his hand and seems destined to go home, but a desperate play to get Reynold’s idol keeps him safe. What he doesn’t know is that he isn’t getting any votes. Worried about her own security, Andrea leads the charge for a safer plan and gets the majority to take out Michael.
Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 8 “Blindside Time” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Brilliant. Thrilling. There isn’t enough hyperbole to describe the excitement of this week’s episode. It provides a clear reminder of why Survivor continues to shine. The editing has been promising a showdown between Phillip and Corinne for weeks, and she …
Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 7 “Tubby Lunchbox” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS The “Fans vs. Favorites” concept on Survivor is tricky because there’s such a big difference in playing as a newbie. The returnees are savvier in both game play and hogging the camera, so it pushes the fans into the background. Such is …
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 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 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: 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 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 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 …