Nearly 25 years in, Survivor continues to evolve and stay relevant by deepening the emotional stakes. One of the most powerful shifts in recent seasons has been the focus on player backstories and how those personal stories affect gameplay. Watching Eva experience an episode in the middle of a challenge was difficult—especially knowing that no one could step in to help her. Jeff’s decision to allow Joe to assist her was not just a great production call, it was a genuinely human moment. It reminded us that while Survivor is a game, it’s also a window into real people navigating real challenges. Eva’s vulnerable and deeply personal explanation of her autism was both inspiring and educational. It should definitely resonate with viewers who face similar challenges and, hopefully, help the rest of us better understand the individual behind the label. Eva Takeaways Eva is a beast in the challenges. The target on her back just got way more complicated. Star giving h...

  Nothing screams adaptability like a tribe swap. I love this part of the season—it injects chaos, especially for players who’ve been cruising on winning tribes. Bianca , now the lone Lagi, has to fend for herself. Instead of keeping Charity as an ally, David seems ready to cut her loose. Meanwhile, Eva all but serves Star on a silver platter. The California Girls stayed loyal, but it didn’t matter in the end. As for the struggling Vulu tribe, they finally get a reset—and Sai is out for Cedrek’s blood. Speaking of Sai , I stand by my claim: she’s the new Boston Rob. You’re either with her or against her, and eventually, everyone is against her. Cedrek should have stuck with Pizza . Takeaways Mary and Sai realized they were better off as allies: “At what point do we stop fighting each other and start working together?” That’s a timely message for the nation (my public service announcement for the season). The swap created two tribes without a majority from previous tribes...

That was a thrilling finish! To be honest, Sai gets on my nerves, but she’s playing incredibly well. Her relentless game play and ability to convince Cedrek to flip his vote reminds me of Boston Rob . Pizza , on the other hand, didn’t contribute much to the game and left with a whimper. The ending left me with two big questions: Before reading the first round of votes, how long did the production team need to review the rules and ensure they handled the situation correctly? Why didn’t Mary tell Cedrek she didn’t want to work with Sai ? Would that have made him stick with his original vote? Takeaways Kamilla  defined a "Chad" for us: "... one of those big, muscular, manly men. They’re all muscle, they’re tall, and they get all the ladies." That explains why everyone keeps calling me Chad. I have so many conflicting thoughts about David and his girlfriend’s trailer park dilemma: I appreciate his humility and vulnerability. I don’t agree with social media cal...

  I enjoy cutthroat gameplay as much as anyone, but what I love most about Survivor are the human moments. Eva and Mitch are truly inspiring for their courage in sharing their disabilities on a national stage, knowing how harsh public scrutiny can be (some jackasses even mock players in their blogs). Yet, I also appreciate the thoughtful responses we’ve seen to their challenges. When Eva explained how she reacts to feeling overwhelmed, Joe asked how he could support her in those moments. Similarly, when Mitch struggled to complete a statement, Jeff gently asked if he preferred assistance. These moments highlight the importance of understanding each other’s uniqueness, and I’m grateful that Survivor gives us the opportunity to witness that. Now on to the snarky commentary. Takeaways I appreciate Sai’s assertiveness and direct nature, but she really needs to work on her “let’s get along” voice—it comes off way too insincere. Thomas is here to play. His immediate reaction to learn...

Season 48 came out fighting with strong personalities and game play!  Episode one proved there’s no one right way to play the game, as contestants brought a variety of strategies to the table: Sai came out swinging, aggressively searching for (and finding) an immunity idol, forming alliances, and targeting Stephanie. It worked (so far). Stephanie focused on building genuine relationships. It didn't work. Kamilla recognized her own vulnerability and opted to create chaos to distract from her weaknesses, making Charity her first target. Thomas is playing a quieter game, forming strategic alliances first with Bianca and then with the California girls. Justin and Kevin navigated the middle ground before finally choosing a side. Eva is putting her full trust in Joe, who seems equally committed to sticking with her for the long haul. It’s too early to predict which strategy will stand the test of time, but one thing’s certain—Season 48 is shaping up to be an entertaining season! Ta...

Welcome to Season 48 of Survivor, the greatest show in the 1000-year history of television! Over 47 seasons, we've witnessed blindsides, loyal alliances, brilliant strategies, clueless moves, unforgettable characters, irritating personalities, and a whole lot of starvation. I’ve been an armchair quarterback for every single season, eagerly sharing my opinions with anyone willing to listen. But while I talk a big game, I’m smart enough to admit that I don’t actually know how I’d fare on the island. Hunger, exhaustion, and social dynamics change everything. That’s what I love about the show—there’s no guaranteed path to the finals, and each contestant brings their own unique flair to the game. Of course, that won’t stop me from sharing my thoughts; just know that every bold prediction comes with a big, imaginary asterisk! Season 48 Preview I've done my due diligence and spent time this weekend watching interviews with the cast, and here are my thoughts: This season is distinctly...

I won’t say that this was the best season of Survivor, but it certainly ranks among the best. While the outcome was not terribly surprising, the finale was filled with suspense, beginning with Rachel coming from behind and winning the final challenge. Throw in an epic fire-making battle and the strong, bantering arguments from Rachel and Sam, and you have a very satisfying finale.  Perhaps my greatest joys of the season were the more articulate moments: Genevieve’s regrets about her decision to disconnect emotionally from her tribe mates Teeny’s reflection that her issues with Sam were about her own insecurities Sol’s realization that he had no idea what was going on in the game Rachel and Sam’s conversations about why they had not yet teamed up Sam’s rebuttal to Rachel’s claim that he was never targeted Rachel’s rebuttal that Sam couldn’t eliminate his biggest threat (her) Rachel explanation that she had everyone selling her game to the jury before she played her idol And let’s no...

I've said it before and will say it again, this has been an entertaining season! There have been so many blindsides and shifting alliances that every tribal council is filled with questions about who will go home.  On a double elimination night, Andy (Not Austin, retired) just couldn't help himself and set up his own demise. His effort to jury-manage Rachel looked more like ego; he didn't like being underestimated and needed Rachel to know how good of a player he was.  Genevieve was the right move for the remaining players, but I was sad to see her go. She is the only one who can challenge Rachel in the final tribal council.  At this point, I don't see how anyone can beat Rachel. Don't miss out on my world-premiere video near the bottom of this post! Takeaways  As they reflected on Andy's flip, I loved Teeny's realization:  "Andy's better at this game than we all thought, or we're all worse than we thought." Watching Teeny get sucked into A...

   Chapter 1:  Wow!  I can't believe their plan worked.  That was an incredible maneuver that resulted in one of the biggest blindsides in Survivor history.  This looked like an easy finish, with the alliance of five underdogs coasting to the finale, and now we have chaos.  And as we know, chaos makes for great Survivor television!  I'm giving a huge shout-out to the production team. Ocean's 11 is one of my favorite movies, and I loved that they turned the planning session into a Danny Ocean montage.  Chapter 2:  I am officially retiring (Not Austin) from Andy's name. He still annoys me, but he played that incredibly well and deserves credit for a huge turnaround in the game.  Chapter 3: On that note, this was an incredibly risky move for Andy (Not Austin, retired). Unless he thinks the underdogs will take him back, it is now a split tribe at 3-3. However, with Rachel's Block a Vote that needs to be played next week, it's really a ...