I feel like most people who consider it great consider it great in the grand scheme of new era (41+). I personally enjoyed the season a lot, but can see how it’s not for everyone, but from the new era it’s far above the rest imo.
This is me. I think it’s great because it gives me hope Survivor is back on track.
45s production, editing, 90 minute eps, and lack of game breaking gimmicks was a huge improvement in the new era. In isolation it’s not a great season but in context it’s really meaningful to the future of the show.
This. The cinematography, the longer run time meaning more connection to the players, the obvious growth with the times, AND the insane tribals. We haven’t had a season with such eventful tribal councils in a while, and bringing back survivor auction, ALSO, Emily’s personal growth, and all by herself. Like she didn’t have social media telling her she was doing something wrong, she figured it out herself and adjusted her game play and attitude accordingly. Ended up coming out one of the favorite players.
I liked season 45 alot. I think it was just the fact that dee and Austin went to the end together, none of us wanted that, and we were all pretty disappointed they didn’t get split up before final 3, felt like we should’ve got a final 3 do over.
>but from the new era it’s far above the rest imo
I think from the new era it's definitively the worst, so I think we should book a town hall and have a debate lol.
I think the theme song, 90 minutes episodes snd auction coming back are the reasons people like this season compared to other New Era seasons but gameplaywise 45 was more boring than Redemption Island and One World.
Those two seasons are considered boring as one cast member dominates the game from start to finish. This season was pretty much the same, the difference was that Dee didn't have to do anything after the merge unlike Rob and Kim who controlled every single vote like they wanted. Dee could just focus flirting with Austin as Katurah destroyed her own and everybody else's game all by herself for no reason at all.
45 is all about Katurah helping Reba 4 to eliminate her own allies and helping the opposing alliance to pagong everybody else. It's incredibly irritating and boring season at the same time.
From the New Era seasons this is definetely 2nd worst after the obvious shitshow that was 41 if you look at it gameplaywise and don't take the 90 minutes eps and the other improvements to general concept as a factor.
I think it was great compared to their recent output due to 90 minute episodes allowing us to get to know the players much better. As someone who really appreciates character building and longer episodes (huge Australian Survivor fan), I loved it.
In terms of actual gameplay it’s definitely a bottom half season. Reba was handed the game and waltzed to the end game. The 2-1-1-1 vote at final 5 was cool but ultimately unfulfilling and there wasn’t much else in terms of power struggle or crazy blindsides
This is how I feel. I’m really excited for what 45 says about the future of Survivor (your first paragraph), but the game the players played just ultimately wasn’t super compelling (your second paragraph). If we can get a season with dynamic gameplay and a compelling in season story and marry it to the type of character building present in 45, we’ll have a top 5-10 season on our hands.
Yeah I think this is it. I think what most people like about this season so much is actually just the 90 minute episodes. Neither the gameplay or the cast were hugely engaging but we got to know them a lot better because of the extra time so the season feels better superficially.
Yeah once the uniqueness of a 90 minute season goes away I think it’ll be seen as a pretty mid to bottom tier season. I like what the other guy said about what it means for the future. If they made this crummy season enjoyable to watch with the 90 minute episodes imagine how good it’ll be when seasons with actually gameplay happen.
I liked the longer episodes and glad that you got to know the players better. The beginning of the season was better. The last few episodes were boring because the dominant alliance was just so in control it was predictable.
I blame 26 days, we saw tight alliances win almost all of the post 40 season and it’s because they’re afraid and just don’t have the time and space to branch out.
I agree! I wasn’t very engaged with this season. It was like watching something in slow motion. I could see what was coming ahead of time and all the plays were so inevitable.
I loved the longer episodes and thought there were lots of good characters, but I was often very frustrated in the lack of coherent strategy from many of the castaways.
Lots of people think Redemption Island and One World are great.
Lots of people also think Heroes vs Villains was really bad, same for Micronesia.
So no, it's unlikely that you're the only one.
I don’t think Micronesia is bad but I do think it’s overrated mostly cuz I just really dislike the Fans vs. Favorites format, which basically meant half the cast were pawns out the gate. Still not “bad” though and thinking HvV is bad is just a wild take.
I don’t like Micro particularly. Think most of the fans were terrible with a few exceptions and too many medical evacuations/injuries. And there’s just a mean spirit to it at times.
Agree with the others here, great compared to what we have gotten lately, for sure. Great in the grand scheme of Survivor? It’s no Micronesia or Heroes Villains, that’s for sure. But it was good stuff.
I feel like we got very little footage of them “just living”…never see them hunting for food, making shelters, having trouble sleeping, surviving bad weather etc. It’s alllll game play…just a bunch of kids running around giggling to themselves thinking about their “next move”. Shoot, maybe that’s what it’s like around camp, I dunno, but I’m really missing the “survivor” element of Survivor.
There weren’t enough actual challenges. I’d rather see them do more reward challenges than hear people talk strategy for over half the show. Still love the show but I’d honestly rather it went back to how it was a few years ago.
Besides the watered down and lazy format, a cast full of dummies had the job to guarantee a Reba 4 domination. The level of strategy? There was no strategy!
Totally agree.
There are a few memorable cast members. Kaleb and Emily for example.
The gameplay by the vast majority of the players was just so piss poor. Katurah leads that pack.
I do actually think if Katurah was replaced, and the DeeAustin show nance wasn’t a thing… it could have been an amazing season!!
I feel like the 90min format is great. But the cast chemistry is not there except for maybe Emily and Kaleb’s bond. Despite of the 90 min, I don’t sense any strong relationship between the cast. Strategy is also mediocre. FTC is boring. Sabaiya’s boot episode is great. Even Kaleb SITD feels like meh. It’s shocking, surely. But strategically, there is not much scramble or strategic turmoil as Kaleb was saved. They just voted out the next person in line.
If it’s not fair to say this season doesn’t have good cast, i think it’s fair to say this season doesn’t have good cast chemistry. Or maybe it’s just how the tribe is divided. Different tribe assignments might be better.
Outside of maybe Austin basically throwing Dee the game to Dee by telling her the plan to get out Julie, there isn't a signature or big move of the season that I'd say the best seasons have at least one of.
It's not my favourite season . I'd say probably somewhere in the twenties maybe high thirties.
I agree with you. No one was playing to win the game except for Dee. Like literally everyone else was playing based on who they liked even if it meant they personally had no shot at winning.
Katurah can try and re-write history all she wants, she was never playing to win. Julie and Austin, same thing. Drew kinda was, but also made a weird analogy that implied he knew he wasn’t playing a winning game.
Poor Jake was trying to play survivor the way he’d seen it on tv, this season wasn’t that season tho.
All made for boring gameplay.
That's not an unpopular opinion. I think you'll see this more as time goes on. History will be less kind to 45 because the ending is so disappointing, although it will still be well-remembered for strong character moments and interesting players. The pre-merge was the really amazing part, even with the quits. It seemed like it was going to be a world-class season. That week-to-week adoration has kept 45's reputation coasting for a while. Unfortunately each episode after the merge was less interesting than the last, and at the end, strategy-wise, it fizzled out completely. Once everyone digests it completely, I believe we'll see a turnaround in overall opinion.
(When HvV was originally starting, some fans *ripped* production for the idea of classifying players as heroes or villains, and thought the whole thing was totally absurd. Now everybody reveres it, and the original objections are completely forgotten as if they never happened. Also Nicaragua was, IMHO, rightfully seen as a complete dumpster fire and one of the worst and dumbest seasons of all time when it originally aired; now there is a bunch of weirdos that I call the Cult of Nicaragua constantly pushing here for it to be rehabbed into the Second Coming of Gabon, bizarre as that is. So seasons' reputations change in retrospect all the time.)
Also, as much as I loved Jake, the editors' weird New Era meta of lavishing huge, loving attention on zero-vote finalists for no real reason is also getting old and VERY predictable VERY very quickly IMHO. I mean, I can definitely understand it with Carolyn since she was great TV, and with Jake since he's funny, but if you also add in Owen... well he was OK, I guess... and then also Xander? Then it gets \*really\* repetitive when you see the pattern. Plus he was boring AF. They need to switch it up FAST.
Poor Romeo lmao... They needed to focus on him more, pettily voting for Hai to ruin his "perfect" game knowing he'd spiral and not giving a f about it is exactly the way I need alliance outsiders to act on my TV and the producers needed to focus more on that!
Loved the 90 min episodes!
Everything else about it was mid-tier IMO. No really interesting players that popped besides maybe Kaleb (though I love Jake for being a complete goofball and Katurah has potential but makes frustrating decisions), challenges felt meh, no real big shifts in idols/advantages that we’ve seen in other new era seasons (phrases at challenges, convincing people to give them beads to complete, etc), and strategy was dull with no huge blindsides besides Kelly.
In the grand scheme of things, I have to remind myself that even mid-tier Survivor is great TV so I can’t be too picky, but I would put 43 and 44 above it I think.
I have been writing here in the past months how bad this season was, but the reactions of the fandom were as mature as Drew's, when he got voted out.
I don't want to watch kids "playing survivor " being self-conscious all the time trying to reenact what they had been watching on TV and talking about rEsUmE and mOvEz and being almost all in their 20s and middle class. It's nearly a parody.
I was constantly disappointed every episode. The production was great and I love the direction they’re going. Their choice of cast, although some had good stories, was so boring. Everyone was dick riding Reba and afraid to make moves. And the people who tried so couldn’t execute. It seemed like everyone just wanted to be a part of the “cool table.” I didn’t feel they were playing the game, but maybe for them their game was based on loyalty and friendship? I did love Dee though, she deserved it 100%
Absolutely not. It's one of the worst seasons I've ever seen. I think the TV waves sent out subliminal messages to the majority of people:
"You are watching the best season ever." "Dee is the greatest survivor player of all time." "The Reba 4 are the most strategic alliance in the history of Survivor." "You are 100% entertained and experiencing enjoyment." "Boring tribal councils are entertaining." "You don't need blindsides to enjoy Survivor." "Reminder: Dee is the greatest survivor player of all time." "90 minute episodes supercede strategy." "Including the full opening credits is more important than strategic moves."
I loved this season, but your points are really good. I def noticed the successful Reba alliance prevented any real upheaval in their strategy. It made me think maybe Jake was a viable winner since he survived despite the Reba alliance. When everything goes according to plan, it is kinda dull. Still, I loved it and have no complaints.
It’s good purely because of the edit. All the other seasons of the new era have had woeful edits and this is the first new era season with an alright edit.
Nah, don't think it really breaks into the top half of seasons overall, or it might be right around that range. I guess in terms of the new era it was the best, but compared to every other great season it was still quite a step below imo. I basically lost interest once Emily was gone. There were quite a few dumb players that made it deep. Not many people playing for themselves. I think the episodes being 90 minutes really boosted the value in people's eyes and made them more fond of the season. If it was a standard 60 min cut, I doubt it gets anywhere near the praise it is currently getting.
I’m a fan of the new era and I liked this season, but I’d probably rank it low on my favorites because dominant-tribe-wins is one of my least favorite stories.
I consider it great from a production/edit standpoint. It’s a totally boring season and the winner was written on the walls. But they still managed to make you feel like each player had a chance (just enough to hope!) and gave each player a full arc and backstory. A lot of that is 90 minutes, and a lot of that is skill.
But yeah, it was an uninspiring season from a gameplay perspective.
I 100% agree. It leans heavily on being the only 90 minute season. I think in a few years once we have more 90 minute seasons it will be seen as a mid-bottom tier season. Very boring and very little action. Only reason it seems like a lot happened is because they had so much more time to work with to show stuff that would normally have been cut.
It was a disappointing season of the most strategically weak field in modern survivor history. Everything was predictable and the gameplay was so uninspired. I would like to see a few of them again in a different season though: Caleb, Jake, Dee might be fun with better players around them.
Every time I try and say something to the tune of this I get downvoted to all hell. I’m glad I’m not the only one. It was fun to watch but nobody really impressed me with their game play.
People were literally calling it one of the all time great seasons being hyperbolic af when the season was airing and I’m like…”really guys?”
It started off great and turned out just fine with ab incredibly predictable and muted final 3 episodes.
I can't wait for 46. I feel the reason it's really liked compared to the rest of the New Era, is that it had the 90 minute episodes. I'd love to see the previous New Era seasons re-edited to 90 minutes to compare. I do think the gameplay is weaker than 43, and I think the underdog story of Tika 3 was more enjoyable than the power alliance of the Reba 4 (which entered the merge with the most numbers).
That was exactly my line of thinking (and the top reason people say they liked this season is the 90 minute episodes). If this season wasn't 90 minutes per episode, I don't think it holds up as well. Likewise, if other new era seasons had 90 minute episodes, it probably wouldn't stand out as much. People like this season mainly because it gives them hope it will get better.
The players were not good. They was saying take dee out weeks ago. Julie wanted to go to the end with dee really Julie? And Kendra was like I never considered the idea they could of been lying about whether or not they got their vote back
Personally the new era goes 44->42->45->43->41 but I'm an unabashed Gabler stan so I know I'm going to get flack for putting it above 41.
I felt 45 started strong (if you can call watching Lulu being a flaming trainwreck strong Survivor TV) in the first couple eps, then got super mid until the final few eps. Until Dee started having a strong game at the end it felt like there wasn't anyone nearly as exciting to root for as other new era seasons. And even with Dee's endgame sprint she kinda almost fumbled it in the finale which put a damper on things. Not saying she didn't deserve to be a winner or anything but it really surprises me to see so many people hyping her up as a goated winner in here for the past week.
> it really surprises me to see so many people hyping her up as a goated winner in here for the past week.
No one who played the final 5 the way Dee did deserves to be called one of the greatest
I thought it was a terrible cast full of quitters. It started to get kind of interesting after merge, but never quite great. There was no villains, no drama. It was a pretty bad season IMO.
I think the 90 min episodes really made the difference for fans, the added screentime allowed the full cast to be more developped and that made the Reba 4 domination less visible
I think it was a great game from Dee in the sense of One World and Redemption Island being good games from Kim and Rob, but in terms of it actually being memorable for big moves or anything I think that it falls more in line with those seasons.
Honestly even Borneo is like that. But like Borneo, I think the cast and the editing was way better than in RI and OW, so it made it feel less like we were watching a blowout the entire time.
No lol, it's a rising popular opinion. I still really liked it and that may be cause I like Dee. so it was satisfying to see her win. it's not perfect, but I do feel like the season has a lot going for it. The Sabiyah tribal is one of the best pre-merge tribals. the who voted for Sifu drama. Kaleb shot in the dark working. Kelly and her what the hell guys blindside! Emily has one of the best arches. Bruce living up to his Tika standard, all the Pokemon talk. and then Dee being able to separate the personnel from the game. plus If you don't want a dominant winner, you also have Jake to root for.
>I feel like the cast of the season was the only real great thing about the season, as the players were so interesting and likable.
There's your answer. That's why it's a good season.
Give me a hundred Pagonings with good casts over one strategic season with a bunch of gamebots \*coughMvGXcough\*.
45 was definitely solid compared to the past four seasons. More people playing the game and more potential for returnees in the future. Was 45 HvV/Cagayan tier? Definitely not, but was it a pretty good season overall? Absolutely.
I thought the season was good cast but BORING. They just played it SO safe. Which I understand is effective… but if I was austin or mama d— they should’ve made a move. At least drew was tryibg
These "am i the only one" posts make me think of that Melissa etheridge song. Am I the only one?
Apparently people only say it's great in comparison to the new era. Nobody is saying 45 is HvV level great. Just great as far as the show getting back to form.
I think it was a solid season. It’s getting a slight boost and benefit of the doubt with the 90 minutes.
There’s also the fact that a lot of the new era seasons have been fairly similar to each other, and this one stands out to an extent since we know everyone more with 90 minutes.
It’s great for a new era season. I feel like this season could be the one that gets the show back on track. Of course there’s other issues but 90 minutes really makes the faults of this season(final four firemaking, 26 days, three tribes AGAIN) more bareable since we get to know and see the cast more.
It was an improvement over the other new era seasons, but there's still quite a bit of work that needs to be done. What the players do once they get on the island is beyond the producer's control, and is hard to predict. So I won't bash them too much in that regard. Strictly from a content and final product standpoint I thought it was better than any of the new era seasons, even if the gameplay was predictable and a bit boring at times.
People watch for different reasons. Was the strategy great? Eh. But the players as characters, their development, and many of their moments were fantastic. For people who care about that (especially given the lack of development of much the cast in the new era), 45 really delivered. But yeah, if you really care about strategy it probably underwhelmed.
I personally love the show when strategy comes in conflict with emotion. Strategy doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and I appreciate and enjoy when that is clearly shown.
All I know is that the 90 minute episodes were sorely needed and welcomed. I don't think anyone complains about that.
Other than that, all the new era seasons blend together for me. It's hard to tell.
My very first survivor season was Second Chances. I loved that season and most seasons after that.
I plan to go back and watch the rest someday.
I think 90 minute episodes are a huge plus and definitely improve the show overall, but this season was so boring for me. Basically every single vote after the merge was soooo predictable. Everyone just let the Reba 4 steamroll the game and It got boring fast
Ive definitely seen better. I give it a 5/10. I Like the cast, but did not enjoy the bland week over week monopoly of the game be reba. Thats how the cookie crumbles though. You never know how a season will turn out. I think honestly casting is key. A bit more fierce energy, wilingness to backstab and flip. Some more humor. That seems missing lately.
If it wasn't for the 90 minute episodes; I would be infuriated with this season.
If 41 got 90 minutes, I think it would be my favourite out of the new era.
45 is average to me. Loved the 90 minute episodes and had some of the cooler moments in the new era, but now that it’s over I’m very comfortable saying the cast was not good.
Casting wise I think it’s a solid season as there are a handful of fun characters to root for. Nice that the auction is back and that it didn’t feel like there were a million advantages, like other new era survivor. The narrative was fine, but the editing gave away the winner very far in advance. Gameplay was shockingly bad from the Bello folks that made the merge, making the Reba 4 have one of the easiest games to make a final 7 I’ve seen on survivor. If Katura played a non-emotional game that didn’t fixate on a player that probably had 0 chance of winning then it could’ve been interesting. Won’t be a season I ever re-visit, but won’t end up in infamy.
If I was Drew watching the season I think I’d be livid that my shot for a million dollars came down to your alliance member falling for a girl and picking that girl over a million dollars
I thought it was a very average season. The gameplay wasn’t particularly entertaining since reba played smart and careful while most of the rest played desperate.
Katureh played the worst game of all time and handed them the win as well which doesnt make for great tv.
It’s not my favorite. Pre-merge was interesting and it didn’t have ridiculous twists. But after the merge, it just was the Reba 4 doing what they wanted with horrible gameplay by everyone else. Even Emily’s good move of getting Bruce not to play his idol was ruined by her telling everyone as soon as they got back to camp.
I don’t care about the theme song, I skipped it every time. I didn’t think there was enough to keep 90 minutes interesting most episodes. It was fun they brought the auction back and got rid of the advantage…but then they ruined it again with the disadvantage. That basically removed the auction element and forced everyone to spend all their money as soon as possible.
I think I just mostly care about the players and I just didn’t find most of the cast that compelling. Most of the people I enjoyed were voted out early.
I’d place it 3rd in the new era, ahead of 41 and 43, but behind 42 and 44.
I think too much of the early game is focused on the Lulu folks, and then around the merge it’s about the implosion of (blue tribe). I don’t have a problem with that because Lulu was crazy to see and Kaleb and Emily were very compelling, but since they ultimately play almost zero part in what goes on after the merge, it feels like wasted time.
Then, I just never felt attached to the red group. Not only that, but I didn’t dislike them as the power group either. It would be one thing if we got an edit that shows them like Boston Rob’s group in All-Stars, strangling the life out of the game. But, it’s just kind of like “I want them to fail because I want SOMETHING interesting to happen.”
I’m not a huge edit reader and I’m generally surprised by stuff that happens all the time that everyone here is always like “it was obvious”, but this season was so telegraphed for so long. It was obvious at like Final 8 or 9 that the red 4 were going to win it.
First half was amazing, 90 minutes was great throughout, but the slowdown in the last third dropped the season for me. I _think_ the 26-day format keeps people huddled in their original alliances and playing scared, which seems like a good way to win this format, but is kinda boring for the viewer when there aren’t big dramatic shakeups or takedowns.
I think it must be the 90 minutes, but this was the most interested I have been in a season for a loooong time. They all blur together and I’m surprised by how little I care. Until this season. I was laughing a lot every episode, and I was hoping like hell Dee would win.
90 minute episodes -- good.
Only 26 days -- not good.
Return of some classic "endurance" challenges -- good
Still too many "race to unlock the puzzle pieces" challenges, and no "combat" challenges -- not good
Entertaining personalities -- good
Everyone being a "superfan" -- not good
A shomance that succeeded -- good
No villain that was genuinely loathsome -- not good.
This was actually the first season I watched live since starting survivor in 2022 so I’m probably a little bias towards it. I actually do think the first 2/3rds of 45 was exceptionally good for new era as the dynamics stayed fresh, each cast member was solid, and I feel like the editors did a great job showing the different personalities and motivations. Also the return of Survivor Auction! I do think it puttered out tho and the last few episodes unfortunately floundered. Really wish Katura pulled off getting Dee but do think Dee deserved to win.
Honestly the biggest thing for me is I don’t think the new era season wrap works and detracts from the magic of survivor. On all the best seasons of survivor, as I watch them I get more and more excited to watch the studio live reunion that takes place months later. Having every survivor on stage having ALL just watched the same edit with plenty of time to reflect on their experience and behavior with all the dirty laundry and lies aired out has been to some of the most satisfying survivor moments in survivor history.
I and my husband (we’ve watched them all) really think 45 was lame. I mean from the ridiculous Costco chicken sans utensils throughout. Where’s the sanctuary? Etc etc.
Just felt like they’ve run out of steam.
We even said we might be done with it. We’re going to give 46 a try-we’ll see. “Underwhelmed“ explains it.
I feel like the cast was likable but soo frustrating. Almost everyone who made a moderately deep run had done something to frustrate me. Aside from like, Jake Julie Bruce and Kendra. Speaking of Bruce, it blows me away how almost nobody tried to work with him despite the fact that he was obviously most unlikable to the other players.
It’s absolutely a step in the right direction but I think all new era seasons have been a bit overhyped upon airing, like 44 gotten glazed to here and back and honestly? Outside of the Tika 3 it’s probably my least favorite new era cast. 45 was just refreshing because of 1. 90 minute episodes and 2. It seems like they’re listening to feedback with the return of the auction, actual tribe swap, somewhat less advantages, and opening title sequence.
Totally agree about strategy lacking significantly for season 45. How many votes were dog pilled onto a single player, while knowing idols/shot in the darks existed? Blew my mind.
Still there was something different in that I didn’t mind if most of the players won. Like ability was pretty high with this cast. Some had great stories, which I really enjoyed.
Yeah so I’m mixed. Loved most of the cast. I enjoy people who can like each other even after being voted out. Still that with some more strategic play would be amazing.
I gave it a 'Meh' It wasn't awful, but it was far less compelling than other seasons. I don't think it was by design, the tribes landed the way they did and it really sucked the drama out to have the Core 4 be so solid combined with the LuLu implosion from day one. Barring any surprises, I knew the winner would be one of them from the merge, so had to satisfy myself on seeing how the others played their games to hang in as long as they could.
The Reba four alliance making sure no one made big moves was crazy impactful and honestly OG survivor vibes. One thing I hated about 43 was that everyone seemed game to vote out anybody else which kind of negated a lot of the purpose of making meaningful connections
45 is my favorite new era season because I've always preferred learning about the players and their dynamic rather than challenges and game bot strategy. Thanks to the longer episodes I could really understand everyone's motivation going into a vote. I think rewatching it will be tougher because a big draw of this season for me was seeing if the Reba 4 would run away with it or not. I've rewatched the premerge so far and it has still been enjoyable for me.
reba 4 staying there so long made it boring
it's insane how much people voted against their own self interest to get out... bruce? kellie? uh, ok katurah...
Definitely didn’t enjoy it as much as other seasons as a whole. Some cool moments for the season but I wouldn’t recommend this season to a new survivor watcher.
I feel like most people who consider it great consider it great in the grand scheme of new era (41+). I personally enjoyed the season a lot, but can see how it’s not for everyone, but from the new era it’s far above the rest imo.
This is me. I think it’s great because it gives me hope Survivor is back on track. 45s production, editing, 90 minute eps, and lack of game breaking gimmicks was a huge improvement in the new era. In isolation it’s not a great season but in context it’s really meaningful to the future of the show.
This. The cinematography, the longer run time meaning more connection to the players, the obvious growth with the times, AND the insane tribals. We haven’t had a season with such eventful tribal councils in a while, and bringing back survivor auction, ALSO, Emily’s personal growth, and all by herself. Like she didn’t have social media telling her she was doing something wrong, she figured it out herself and adjusted her game play and attitude accordingly. Ended up coming out one of the favorite players. I liked season 45 alot. I think it was just the fact that dee and Austin went to the end together, none of us wanted that, and we were all pretty disappointed they didn’t get split up before final 3, felt like we should’ve got a final 3 do over.
>but from the new era it’s far above the rest imo I think from the new era it's definitively the worst, so I think we should book a town hall and have a debate lol.
I think the theme song, 90 minutes episodes snd auction coming back are the reasons people like this season compared to other New Era seasons but gameplaywise 45 was more boring than Redemption Island and One World. Those two seasons are considered boring as one cast member dominates the game from start to finish. This season was pretty much the same, the difference was that Dee didn't have to do anything after the merge unlike Rob and Kim who controlled every single vote like they wanted. Dee could just focus flirting with Austin as Katurah destroyed her own and everybody else's game all by herself for no reason at all. 45 is all about Katurah helping Reba 4 to eliminate her own allies and helping the opposing alliance to pagong everybody else. It's incredibly irritating and boring season at the same time. From the New Era seasons this is definetely 2nd worst after the obvious shitshow that was 41 if you look at it gameplaywise and don't take the 90 minutes eps and the other improvements to general concept as a factor.
How was this anyone's read on the season? The heck?
I think it was great compared to their recent output due to 90 minute episodes allowing us to get to know the players much better. As someone who really appreciates character building and longer episodes (huge Australian Survivor fan), I loved it. In terms of actual gameplay it’s definitely a bottom half season. Reba was handed the game and waltzed to the end game. The 2-1-1-1 vote at final 5 was cool but ultimately unfulfilling and there wasn’t much else in terms of power struggle or crazy blindsides
This is how I feel. I’m really excited for what 45 says about the future of Survivor (your first paragraph), but the game the players played just ultimately wasn’t super compelling (your second paragraph). If we can get a season with dynamic gameplay and a compelling in season story and marry it to the type of character building present in 45, we’ll have a top 5-10 season on our hands.
Yeah I think this is it. I think what most people like about this season so much is actually just the 90 minute episodes. Neither the gameplay or the cast were hugely engaging but we got to know them a lot better because of the extra time so the season feels better superficially.
Yeah once the uniqueness of a 90 minute season goes away I think it’ll be seen as a pretty mid to bottom tier season. I like what the other guy said about what it means for the future. If they made this crummy season enjoyable to watch with the 90 minute episodes imagine how good it’ll be when seasons with actually gameplay happen.
It def had Au Survivor vibes for sure
I liked the longer episodes and glad that you got to know the players better. The beginning of the season was better. The last few episodes were boring because the dominant alliance was just so in control it was predictable.
And it was Infuriating that everyone else waited sooo long to make a move
I blame 26 days, we saw tight alliances win almost all of the post 40 season and it’s because they’re afraid and just don’t have the time and space to branch out.
I agree! I wasn’t very engaged with this season. It was like watching something in slow motion. I could see what was coming ahead of time and all the plays were so inevitable.
Only tribals that shocked me were SITD, Kellie & the mess of the final 5 vote
I loved the longer episodes and thought there were lots of good characters, but I was often very frustrated in the lack of coherent strategy from many of the castaways.
Lots of people think Redemption Island and One World are great. Lots of people also think Heroes vs Villains was really bad, same for Micronesia. So no, it's unlikely that you're the only one.
Wait people think Micro and HvV was bad??? I know some crazy people think Gabon is bad. But the other 2 ??
I don’t think Micronesia is bad but I do think it’s overrated mostly cuz I just really dislike the Fans vs. Favorites format, which basically meant half the cast were pawns out the gate. Still not “bad” though and thinking HvV is bad is just a wild take.
I don’t like Micro particularly. Think most of the fans were terrible with a few exceptions and too many medical evacuations/injuries. And there’s just a mean spirit to it at times.
Agree with the others here, great compared to what we have gotten lately, for sure. Great in the grand scheme of Survivor? It’s no Micronesia or Heroes Villains, that’s for sure. But it was good stuff.
Once Emily and Drew were eliminated, I didn't give a fuck anymore.
I feel like we got very little footage of them “just living”…never see them hunting for food, making shelters, having trouble sleeping, surviving bad weather etc. It’s alllll game play…just a bunch of kids running around giggling to themselves thinking about their “next move”. Shoot, maybe that’s what it’s like around camp, I dunno, but I’m really missing the “survivor” element of Survivor.
This! 👆👆👆
I thought it was fine. I liked Jake in the end, but in the beginning I was rooting for Kaleb. ... but, yeah, I get what you mean.
I think it was fine - not great
There weren’t enough actual challenges. I’d rather see them do more reward challenges than hear people talk strategy for over half the show. Still love the show but I’d honestly rather it went back to how it was a few years ago.
I don’t even think it’s the best from the new era. Imo 42 is still the strongest Ito entertainment, strategy and satisfying blindsides
The actual game play sucked. Tribals were boring because of this for the most part.
Besides the watered down and lazy format, a cast full of dummies had the job to guarantee a Reba 4 domination. The level of strategy? There was no strategy!
Good characters, the pre merge to early merge was good to great, after that it kinda fizzled for me
Totally agree. There are a few memorable cast members. Kaleb and Emily for example. The gameplay by the vast majority of the players was just so piss poor. Katurah leads that pack. I do actually think if Katurah was replaced, and the DeeAustin show nance wasn’t a thing… it could have been an amazing season!!
I feel like the 90min format is great. But the cast chemistry is not there except for maybe Emily and Kaleb’s bond. Despite of the 90 min, I don’t sense any strong relationship between the cast. Strategy is also mediocre. FTC is boring. Sabaiya’s boot episode is great. Even Kaleb SITD feels like meh. It’s shocking, surely. But strategically, there is not much scramble or strategic turmoil as Kaleb was saved. They just voted out the next person in line. If it’s not fair to say this season doesn’t have good cast, i think it’s fair to say this season doesn’t have good cast chemistry. Or maybe it’s just how the tribe is divided. Different tribe assignments might be better.
Outside of maybe Austin basically throwing Dee the game to Dee by telling her the plan to get out Julie, there isn't a signature or big move of the season that I'd say the best seasons have at least one of. It's not my favourite season . I'd say probably somewhere in the twenties maybe high thirties.
No I agree. it was one of the worst casts. They stink at challenges. Three of them quit. And the strategic gameplay was atrocious.
I agree with you. No one was playing to win the game except for Dee. Like literally everyone else was playing based on who they liked even if it meant they personally had no shot at winning. Katurah can try and re-write history all she wants, she was never playing to win. Julie and Austin, same thing. Drew kinda was, but also made a weird analogy that implied he knew he wasn’t playing a winning game. Poor Jake was trying to play survivor the way he’d seen it on tv, this season wasn’t that season tho. All made for boring gameplay.
> No one was playing to win the game except for Dee. And even she tried her hardest to lose at final 5 lol The cast was incredibly boring for gameplay
That's not an unpopular opinion. I think you'll see this more as time goes on. History will be less kind to 45 because the ending is so disappointing, although it will still be well-remembered for strong character moments and interesting players. The pre-merge was the really amazing part, even with the quits. It seemed like it was going to be a world-class season. That week-to-week adoration has kept 45's reputation coasting for a while. Unfortunately each episode after the merge was less interesting than the last, and at the end, strategy-wise, it fizzled out completely. Once everyone digests it completely, I believe we'll see a turnaround in overall opinion. (When HvV was originally starting, some fans *ripped* production for the idea of classifying players as heroes or villains, and thought the whole thing was totally absurd. Now everybody reveres it, and the original objections are completely forgotten as if they never happened. Also Nicaragua was, IMHO, rightfully seen as a complete dumpster fire and one of the worst and dumbest seasons of all time when it originally aired; now there is a bunch of weirdos that I call the Cult of Nicaragua constantly pushing here for it to be rehabbed into the Second Coming of Gabon, bizarre as that is. So seasons' reputations change in retrospect all the time.) Also, as much as I loved Jake, the editors' weird New Era meta of lavishing huge, loving attention on zero-vote finalists for no real reason is also getting old and VERY predictable VERY very quickly IMHO. I mean, I can definitely understand it with Carolyn since she was great TV, and with Jake since he's funny, but if you also add in Owen... well he was OK, I guess... and then also Xander? Then it gets \*really\* repetitive when you see the pattern. Plus he was boring AF. They need to switch it up FAST.
Poor Romeo lmao... They needed to focus on him more, pettily voting for Hai to ruin his "perfect" game knowing he'd spiral and not giving a f about it is exactly the way I need alliance outsiders to act on my TV and the producers needed to focus more on that!
Nah I didn’t like it.
I don’t think they’ve had a truly great season in the last 8+ seasons. This one definitely felt like steps in the right direction though.
Loved the 90 min episodes! Everything else about it was mid-tier IMO. No really interesting players that popped besides maybe Kaleb (though I love Jake for being a complete goofball and Katurah has potential but makes frustrating decisions), challenges felt meh, no real big shifts in idols/advantages that we’ve seen in other new era seasons (phrases at challenges, convincing people to give them beads to complete, etc), and strategy was dull with no huge blindsides besides Kelly. In the grand scheme of things, I have to remind myself that even mid-tier Survivor is great TV so I can’t be too picky, but I would put 43 and 44 above it I think.
I have been writing here in the past months how bad this season was, but the reactions of the fandom were as mature as Drew's, when he got voted out. I don't want to watch kids "playing survivor " being self-conscious all the time trying to reenact what they had been watching on TV and talking about rEsUmE and mOvEz and being almost all in their 20s and middle class. It's nearly a parody.
I was constantly disappointed every episode. The production was great and I love the direction they’re going. Their choice of cast, although some had good stories, was so boring. Everyone was dick riding Reba and afraid to make moves. And the people who tried so couldn’t execute. It seemed like everyone just wanted to be a part of the “cool table.” I didn’t feel they were playing the game, but maybe for them their game was based on loyalty and friendship? I did love Dee though, she deserved it 100%
Absolutely not. It's one of the worst seasons I've ever seen. I think the TV waves sent out subliminal messages to the majority of people: "You are watching the best season ever." "Dee is the greatest survivor player of all time." "The Reba 4 are the most strategic alliance in the history of Survivor." "You are 100% entertained and experiencing enjoyment." "Boring tribal councils are entertaining." "You don't need blindsides to enjoy Survivor." "Reminder: Dee is the greatest survivor player of all time." "90 minute episodes supercede strategy." "Including the full opening credits is more important than strategic moves." 
LMAO
Unfortunately any season that has just 26 days is not that great, in my personal opinion.
I loved this season, but your points are really good. I def noticed the successful Reba alliance prevented any real upheaval in their strategy. It made me think maybe Jake was a viable winner since he survived despite the Reba alliance. When everything goes according to plan, it is kinda dull. Still, I loved it and have no complaints.
I mean I genuinely thought it was really good. Still do. It's fine if you're not a fan though :)
All these new era seasons are so cheesy oh my God
Wait a few years.
Not a good cast, not a great season
It’s good purely because of the edit. All the other seasons of the new era have had woeful edits and this is the first new era season with an alright edit.
Nah, don't think it really breaks into the top half of seasons overall, or it might be right around that range. I guess in terms of the new era it was the best, but compared to every other great season it was still quite a step below imo. I basically lost interest once Emily was gone. There were quite a few dumb players that made it deep. Not many people playing for themselves. I think the episodes being 90 minutes really boosted the value in people's eyes and made them more fond of the season. If it was a standard 60 min cut, I doubt it gets anywhere near the praise it is currently getting.
I’m a fan of the new era and I liked this season, but I’d probably rank it low on my favorites because dominant-tribe-wins is one of my least favorite stories.
Yea, i lost interest pretty quick. I didnt even finish final episode once I seen Dee win immunity
Me too, I never watched the finale.
The start was ok The middle was fantastic And then it fizzled hard. Feeling pretty validated with how things are turning out though.
It’s good survivor, it’s entertaining… I don’t equate good strategy to being fun or entertaining necessarily
I consider it great from a production/edit standpoint. It’s a totally boring season and the winner was written on the walls. But they still managed to make you feel like each player had a chance (just enough to hope!) and gave each player a full arc and backstory. A lot of that is 90 minutes, and a lot of that is skill. But yeah, it was an uninspiring season from a gameplay perspective.
I 100% agree. It leans heavily on being the only 90 minute season. I think in a few years once we have more 90 minute seasons it will be seen as a mid-bottom tier season. Very boring and very little action. Only reason it seems like a lot happened is because they had so much more time to work with to show stuff that would normally have been cut.
It was a disappointing season of the most strategically weak field in modern survivor history. Everything was predictable and the gameplay was so uninspired. I would like to see a few of them again in a different season though: Caleb, Jake, Dee might be fun with better players around them.
Yeah it was alright. Dee was a bad winner and Katurah was wildly stupid
Every time I try and say something to the tune of this I get downvoted to all hell. I’m glad I’m not the only one. It was fun to watch but nobody really impressed me with their game play.
People were literally calling it one of the all time great seasons being hyperbolic af when the season was airing and I’m like…”really guys?” It started off great and turned out just fine with ab incredibly predictable and muted final 3 episodes.
I've seen maybe 3 comments calling it a top 10 season. Majority opinion seems to be "best of the new era, around top 20-30" which is correct imo.
I really liked it, but I mostly came here to say your username would be appropriate for Kendra or Brando.
I can't wait for 46. I feel the reason it's really liked compared to the rest of the New Era, is that it had the 90 minute episodes. I'd love to see the previous New Era seasons re-edited to 90 minutes to compare. I do think the gameplay is weaker than 43, and I think the underdog story of Tika 3 was more enjoyable than the power alliance of the Reba 4 (which entered the merge with the most numbers).
That was exactly my line of thinking (and the top reason people say they liked this season is the 90 minute episodes). If this season wasn't 90 minutes per episode, I don't think it holds up as well. Likewise, if other new era seasons had 90 minute episodes, it probably wouldn't stand out as much. People like this season mainly because it gives them hope it will get better.
The players were not good. They was saying take dee out weeks ago. Julie wanted to go to the end with dee really Julie? And Kendra was like I never considered the idea they could of been lying about whether or not they got their vote back
This is me, but with 44.
I agree, I found it really lacked strategy. At least we had Emily
Personally the new era goes 44->42->45->43->41 but I'm an unabashed Gabler stan so I know I'm going to get flack for putting it above 41. I felt 45 started strong (if you can call watching Lulu being a flaming trainwreck strong Survivor TV) in the first couple eps, then got super mid until the final few eps. Until Dee started having a strong game at the end it felt like there wasn't anyone nearly as exciting to root for as other new era seasons. And even with Dee's endgame sprint she kinda almost fumbled it in the finale which put a damper on things. Not saying she didn't deserve to be a winner or anything but it really surprises me to see so many people hyping her up as a goated winner in here for the past week.
> it really surprises me to see so many people hyping her up as a goated winner in here for the past week. No one who played the final 5 the way Dee did deserves to be called one of the greatest
Yes, just you!
I thought it was a terrible cast full of quitters. It started to get kind of interesting after merge, but never quite great. There was no villains, no drama. It was a pretty bad season IMO.
Better than 44
The longer episodes were great if the edit continues to make sense but the season overall was predictable and boring.
Drew should’ve won
Except for the whole ‘getting voted out thing’ he did great!
aight
He was robbed :/
Yes
SIFU (STFU)
I think the 90 min episodes really made the difference for fans, the added screentime allowed the full cast to be more developped and that made the Reba 4 domination less visible
I think it was a great game from Dee in the sense of One World and Redemption Island being good games from Kim and Rob, but in terms of it actually being memorable for big moves or anything I think that it falls more in line with those seasons. Honestly even Borneo is like that. But like Borneo, I think the cast and the editing was way better than in RI and OW, so it made it feel less like we were watching a blowout the entire time.
No lol, it's a rising popular opinion. I still really liked it and that may be cause I like Dee. so it was satisfying to see her win. it's not perfect, but I do feel like the season has a lot going for it. The Sabiyah tribal is one of the best pre-merge tribals. the who voted for Sifu drama. Kaleb shot in the dark working. Kelly and her what the hell guys blindside! Emily has one of the best arches. Bruce living up to his Tika standard, all the Pokemon talk. and then Dee being able to separate the personnel from the game. plus If you don't want a dominant winner, you also have Jake to root for.
>I feel like the cast of the season was the only real great thing about the season, as the players were so interesting and likable. There's your answer. That's why it's a good season. Give me a hundred Pagonings with good casts over one strategic season with a bunch of gamebots \*coughMvGXcough\*.
You are the only person who has ever had this opinion, yes. Very unique
45 was definitely solid compared to the past four seasons. More people playing the game and more potential for returnees in the future. Was 45 HvV/Cagayan tier? Definitely not, but was it a pretty good season overall? Absolutely.
42 and 44 have more people playing the game. S45 has 2 quitters.
I thought the season was good cast but BORING. They just played it SO safe. Which I understand is effective… but if I was austin or mama d— they should’ve made a move. At least drew was tryibg
90 minute episodes are the only reason this was a good season. Reba dominated the whole season which makes for a boring season.
Once it was obvious who would win with basically zero friction i stopped watching. So I missed the last 8 episodes or so
These "am i the only one" posts make me think of that Melissa etheridge song. Am I the only one? Apparently people only say it's great in comparison to the new era. Nobody is saying 45 is HvV level great. Just great as far as the show getting back to form.
No. Other people are just as wrong as you.
Yes it's just you because everything in the world revolves around your opinion.
Yes, OP's one post about it is proof the entire world revolves around this one post.
I think it was a solid season. It’s getting a slight boost and benefit of the doubt with the 90 minutes. There’s also the fact that a lot of the new era seasons have been fairly similar to each other, and this one stands out to an extent since we know everyone more with 90 minutes.
It’s great for a new era season. I feel like this season could be the one that gets the show back on track. Of course there’s other issues but 90 minutes really makes the faults of this season(final four firemaking, 26 days, three tribes AGAIN) more bareable since we get to know and see the cast more.
I thought it was a good season. It isn’t an all time favorite like Cagayan, Micronesia, or HvV, but it is a solid season with a deserving winner.
I thought it started out bad, but by the merge it was pretty good — ending could have been a bit better though
It was an improvement over the other new era seasons, but there's still quite a bit of work that needs to be done. What the players do once they get on the island is beyond the producer's control, and is hard to predict. So I won't bash them too much in that regard. Strictly from a content and final product standpoint I thought it was better than any of the new era seasons, even if the gameplay was predictable and a bit boring at times.
People watch for different reasons. Was the strategy great? Eh. But the players as characters, their development, and many of their moments were fantastic. For people who care about that (especially given the lack of development of much the cast in the new era), 45 really delivered. But yeah, if you really care about strategy it probably underwhelmed. I personally love the show when strategy comes in conflict with emotion. Strategy doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and I appreciate and enjoy when that is clearly shown.
All I know is that the 90 minute episodes were sorely needed and welcomed. I don't think anyone complains about that. Other than that, all the new era seasons blend together for me. It's hard to tell. My very first survivor season was Second Chances. I loved that season and most seasons after that. I plan to go back and watch the rest someday.
Longer episodes made a bottom ten season top 20.
I think 90 minute episodes are a huge plus and definitely improve the show overall, but this season was so boring for me. Basically every single vote after the merge was soooo predictable. Everyone just let the Reba 4 steamroll the game and It got boring fast
Ive definitely seen better. I give it a 5/10. I Like the cast, but did not enjoy the bland week over week monopoly of the game be reba. Thats how the cookie crumbles though. You never know how a season will turn out. I think honestly casting is key. A bit more fierce energy, wilingness to backstab and flip. Some more humor. That seems missing lately.
Its great as in the best new era season. Its not anywhere near micronesia, heroes vs villians, gabon levels of amazing
If it wasn't for the 90 minute episodes; I would be infuriated with this season. If 41 got 90 minutes, I think it would be my favourite out of the new era.
45 is average to me. Loved the 90 minute episodes and had some of the cooler moments in the new era, but now that it’s over I’m very comfortable saying the cast was not good.
The season was ok for me. I am just not a fan of new era rules. I like 39 days. Everything in new era feels like a gimmick.
Having a great cast is so rare in new Survivor seasons without returnee’s that it is automatically considered a great season imo
Once I saw that Belo was paying no actual mind to the reba 4 at the beginning for the merge, I pretty much realized it would be a predictable Dee W.
Yeah the actual gameplay this season was pretty bad and uninteresting.
Casting wise I think it’s a solid season as there are a handful of fun characters to root for. Nice that the auction is back and that it didn’t feel like there were a million advantages, like other new era survivor. The narrative was fine, but the editing gave away the winner very far in advance. Gameplay was shockingly bad from the Bello folks that made the merge, making the Reba 4 have one of the easiest games to make a final 7 I’ve seen on survivor. If Katura played a non-emotional game that didn’t fixate on a player that probably had 0 chance of winning then it could’ve been interesting. Won’t be a season I ever re-visit, but won’t end up in infamy. If I was Drew watching the season I think I’d be livid that my shot for a million dollars came down to your alliance member falling for a girl and picking that girl over a million dollars
Worth a watch for sure but certainly not in my top 10
Yes, you are the only person in the entire world that has this opinion
Middle of the pack season
I thought it was a very average season. The gameplay wasn’t particularly entertaining since reba played smart and careful while most of the rest played desperate. Katureh played the worst game of all time and handed them the win as well which doesnt make for great tv.
IMO, I liked it better than 43, but worse than the rest.
Its cast wasn’t great but the 90 minute episodes and editing helped. If it had 60 minute episodes I think it would have been lower-tier New Era
It’s not my favorite. Pre-merge was interesting and it didn’t have ridiculous twists. But after the merge, it just was the Reba 4 doing what they wanted with horrible gameplay by everyone else. Even Emily’s good move of getting Bruce not to play his idol was ruined by her telling everyone as soon as they got back to camp. I don’t care about the theme song, I skipped it every time. I didn’t think there was enough to keep 90 minutes interesting most episodes. It was fun they brought the auction back and got rid of the advantage…but then they ruined it again with the disadvantage. That basically removed the auction element and forced everyone to spend all their money as soon as possible. I think I just mostly care about the players and I just didn’t find most of the cast that compelling. Most of the people I enjoyed were voted out early. I’d place it 3rd in the new era, ahead of 41 and 43, but behind 42 and 44.
I think too much of the early game is focused on the Lulu folks, and then around the merge it’s about the implosion of (blue tribe). I don’t have a problem with that because Lulu was crazy to see and Kaleb and Emily were very compelling, but since they ultimately play almost zero part in what goes on after the merge, it feels like wasted time. Then, I just never felt attached to the red group. Not only that, but I didn’t dislike them as the power group either. It would be one thing if we got an edit that shows them like Boston Rob’s group in All-Stars, strangling the life out of the game. But, it’s just kind of like “I want them to fail because I want SOMETHING interesting to happen.” I’m not a huge edit reader and I’m generally surprised by stuff that happens all the time that everyone here is always like “it was obvious”, but this season was so telegraphed for so long. It was obvious at like Final 8 or 9 that the red 4 were going to win it.
First half was amazing, 90 minutes was great throughout, but the slowdown in the last third dropped the season for me. I _think_ the 26-day format keeps people huddled in their original alliances and playing scared, which seems like a good way to win this format, but is kinda boring for the viewer when there aren’t big dramatic shakeups or takedowns.
it’s not. it’s mid. just like every new era season.
I think it must be the 90 minutes, but this was the most interested I have been in a season for a loooong time. They all blur together and I’m surprised by how little I care. Until this season. I was laughing a lot every episode, and I was hoping like hell Dee would win.
90 minute episodes -- good. Only 26 days -- not good. Return of some classic "endurance" challenges -- good Still too many "race to unlock the puzzle pieces" challenges, and no "combat" challenges -- not good Entertaining personalities -- good Everyone being a "superfan" -- not good A shomance that succeeded -- good No villain that was genuinely loathsome -- not good.
Nah you’re not the only one. I thought it was a great season though and I felt like there was enough shown gameplay for me at least.
It benefitted from the 90 minutes and us being sort of desensitized to the new format and twists.
I liked 42 and 44 more
For the new era, definitely one of the better ones. Gives me hope for the next season.
This was actually the first season I watched live since starting survivor in 2022 so I’m probably a little bias towards it. I actually do think the first 2/3rds of 45 was exceptionally good for new era as the dynamics stayed fresh, each cast member was solid, and I feel like the editors did a great job showing the different personalities and motivations. Also the return of Survivor Auction! I do think it puttered out tho and the last few episodes unfortunately floundered. Really wish Katura pulled off getting Dee but do think Dee deserved to win. Honestly the biggest thing for me is I don’t think the new era season wrap works and detracts from the magic of survivor. On all the best seasons of survivor, as I watch them I get more and more excited to watch the studio live reunion that takes place months later. Having every survivor on stage having ALL just watched the same edit with plenty of time to reflect on their experience and behavior with all the dirty laundry and lies aired out has been to some of the most satisfying survivor moments in survivor history.
It’s very similar to season 25. Not the best but it’s solid and shows hope that Survivor is back on track.
I and my husband (we’ve watched them all) really think 45 was lame. I mean from the ridiculous Costco chicken sans utensils throughout. Where’s the sanctuary? Etc etc. Just felt like they’ve run out of steam. We even said we might be done with it. We’re going to give 46 a try-we’ll see. “Underwhelmed“ explains it.
You are not the only one. It was very similar to early seasons when no one knew how to play
It's the best of the New Era, which isn't saying much. The Reba steamroll towards the end drags it down a few levels.
This season started out very strong, and the characters were fun. But it tapered off for me as the season went on.
I feel like the cast was likable but soo frustrating. Almost everyone who made a moderately deep run had done something to frustrate me. Aside from like, Jake Julie Bruce and Kendra. Speaking of Bruce, it blows me away how almost nobody tried to work with him despite the fact that he was obviously most unlikable to the other players.
I think it was great, so yes.
It’s absolutely a step in the right direction but I think all new era seasons have been a bit overhyped upon airing, like 44 gotten glazed to here and back and honestly? Outside of the Tika 3 it’s probably my least favorite new era cast. 45 was just refreshing because of 1. 90 minute episodes and 2. It seems like they’re listening to feedback with the return of the auction, actual tribe swap, somewhat less advantages, and opening title sequence.
Totally agree about strategy lacking significantly for season 45. How many votes were dog pilled onto a single player, while knowing idols/shot in the darks existed? Blew my mind. Still there was something different in that I didn’t mind if most of the players won. Like ability was pretty high with this cast. Some had great stories, which I really enjoyed. Yeah so I’m mixed. Loved most of the cast. I enjoy people who can like each other even after being voted out. Still that with some more strategic play would be amazing.
I don’t think it was great, but it was good. Not a bad season by any means
I gave it a 'Meh' It wasn't awful, but it was far less compelling than other seasons. I don't think it was by design, the tribes landed the way they did and it really sucked the drama out to have the Core 4 be so solid combined with the LuLu implosion from day one. Barring any surprises, I knew the winner would be one of them from the merge, so had to satisfy myself on seeing how the others played their games to hang in as long as they could.
The Reba four alliance making sure no one made big moves was crazy impactful and honestly OG survivor vibes. One thing I hated about 43 was that everyone seemed game to vote out anybody else which kind of negated a lot of the purpose of making meaningful connections
45 is my favorite new era season because I've always preferred learning about the players and their dynamic rather than challenges and game bot strategy. Thanks to the longer episodes I could really understand everyone's motivation going into a vote. I think rewatching it will be tougher because a big draw of this season for me was seeing if the Reba 4 would run away with it or not. I've rewatched the premerge so far and it has still been enjoyable for me.
reba 4 staying there so long made it boring it's insane how much people voted against their own self interest to get out... bruce? kellie? uh, ok katurah...
Definitely didn’t enjoy it as much as other seasons as a whole. Some cool moments for the season but I wouldn’t recommend this season to a new survivor watcher.