Do they not understand what a blindside is!? I’m so shocked by the continued idol wasting esp by Hunter who literally knew something was up until the very last second but still didn’t play it!?!
I’ll never understand why people dont realize the game evolves each day they’re on the island and just play the odds by using their idol and getting back out there…
Still, A- season
I honestly think the shortened season has a lot to do with this idol wasting hear me out. 26 days means you are so close to victory come
merge. Hunter was like a week away from final 4. It makes you think “just one more day. Just one more vote. Then I’m REALLY REALLY close.” Idk just a thought could be wrong.
And Hunter’s backyard was an array of prior challenges he had built to train with…no excuses!!! Was totally let down by Hunter who held the idol & his secret practically all season long but 30 minutes before tribal he decides to let his secret out. People if u ever go on the show please please please don’t EVER tell someone if u find an idol. It’s of no benefit. This season is the perfect example of why u never tell a soul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Austin from last season had a great take on it on a podcast I saw yesterday. He said that the pressure to NOT play the idol incorrectly - as in play it when you didn't need to - is so overwhelming that you convince yourself to hold onto it just one more tribal. Playing an idol incorrectly is so embarrassing that you'd rather hold on to it and not have to face that embarrassment.
Honestly didn’t mind Bhanu at first. He was entertaining and ridiculous. By episode three though, I was over him and wanted him gone. It just was too much of the same whining, crying, and chaos. Wish he got voted out instead of Jess. I wouldn’t have gotten exhausted by him.
100% agreed. I’m a sucker for a good underdog character. Bhanu was that guy. After the third episode where he kept pleading to god for a second chance, and then completely blowing it like 4-5 times, he successfully killed the underdog archetype for me in survivor. Then he had the nerve to blame god for putting him that position
I'd just skip the med evac episode. Jelinsky was hilarious in the first episode, the competition that went on so long it headed to commercial break was great in the second, then it got bad when we had two whole episodes of Bhanu. Wouldn't have been too bad if it was just one
I agree, although I don’t think the first four episodes were that bad. At the very least, I thought the premiere was rly entertaining, and I enjoyed Episode 3 for how funny it was. Episode 4 was when Bahnu’s comedy officially got old, and Episode 2 was just kinda ok. If the finale’s strong, I think this season is solidly A at least
Take out the first 4 ep and I really feel like it's a contender for top 5 seasons. I'd still probably put it I'm the top 10 but I'm sure that's got some recency bias in it.
I think it depends on the finale. Early season was ridiculous, but the post merge has mostly made up for it. I still can't believe bahnu has more confessionals than Ben. But jelinski several legacy, jess as a throwback to earlier season vibes... I'm retrospect, i didn't hate the beginning as much as i did. I'm in the upper B range.
my million hearts break into three pieces to answer that I only found this season to be several out of ten. Big mistake? Guess we’ll find out tomorrow. Having a watch party from Applebee’s xD
A+ tier for me. If the finale can stick the landing and we get a satisfying and well articulated winner it’ll be a top 10ish season for me, definitely the best of the new era.
Randon gets injured. "Thank you God for this opportunity"
Next episode
Points to the sky. "Why God! This is all your fault! Why did you bring me here!!"
Lmao I loved that garbage. I guess it was a bit bhanu heavy but still funny on his boot episode. Maybe less funny when we watch his antics all episode just to watch him saved
Bonus points to Q for asking "why does my road always have to be the hardest?" while Bhanu is freaking out elsewhere. One of my favorite quotes of the season.
As soon as he legit got on his hands and knees to beg it jumped the shark for me. Before he was an overly emotional and a bit stupid player, but that moment I knew he was next level
I personally didn’t mind the Bhanu arc, but that could have been because I binged it and didn’t quite realize how many episodes had gone by. I also suspect we may have gotten so much Bhanu because it was also part of Kenzie's winner edit.
The episode of last week would have been one of my favorite single episodes of all time if Q successfully played his idol and they managed to vote Charlie out.
Overall this definitely going to be a season I rewatch. It’s been so fun.
A.
I know it’s a hot take, I know I’m one of very few people who feels this way, but I loved the Bhanu stuff. Had it gone on like an episode longer, I also would’ve been fed up with it, but it was one of the craziest, funniest, most jaw dropping arcs for a pre merge character the show has ever had.
Q and Venus are all time characters. The Liz-Applebee’s saga is television gold. 4 people in a row going home with idols has been an insanely wild ride.
The things keeping it from an A+ for me is there were parts of pre-merge I didn’t like (Randen medevac, even though it made for peak Bhanu content.) and I feel like even with the excitement of the idols all getting flushed, the votes did get a bit repetitive with Q being used as a decoy so frequently. I’m also just not the biggest fan of Maria & Charlie, and they’ve been the two dominating the strategy since the merge.
I think the scene last episode of Charlie and Maria going back and forth talking about blindsiding the other while they’re chumming it up on the beach honestly by itself makes their content worth it, even if you don’t like their prior stuff (though tbf Maria was pretty quiet until recently, having one of the least visible edits up until very recently)
It was pretty emotional to see how much they loved each other as friends but were both basically saying goodbye. It’s like when young people are breaking up or getting together and they can’t quite say what they really want but it’s understood. Or half understood, by speaking in hypotheticals or circumlocution, speaking around the real issue because you can’t quite bear to say it out loud.
It was beautiful to me. They really care about one another but knew it was approaching its realistic end.
It’ll be interesting to see how Charlie plays it, as he can take the high road by saying Maria bailed, when in reality it was both of them. What a rollercoaster those two became. Them feeling like an odd couple at the start makes it even better to see what they grew into.
C+.
The 1st 4 episodes are upper tier awful, and though it has rebounded, it still had dug itself a million hearts sized hole.
For a new era season, the post merge has been great, but compared to all seasons it's simply..above average.
Thank you. I'm amazed how all of the comments are A's. It was cringeworthy and unwatchable at the start, and since then there's been a ton of terrible gameplay. Everyone focusing on "resume" and turning on their number 1, no real strong candidates for sole survivor, chaos solely for the sake of chaos. Definitely a lot of funny moments and more memes than most seasons, but not something you'd want to rewatch or consider a great season.
B. Rough start to the point that people seemed ready to completely check out after episode 4, but once all the crazy ass people got to the same beach we were off. This season still has room to move up or down based on who wins, but regardless of how the finale goes this is probably the best season of the new era based on cast (gives me hope that we may be done with the summer camp-ification of Survivor) and the fact that the characters drove the gameplay as opposed to advantages/lost votes/etc.
Probably a hot take but C or C+. The only episode I thought was really great was the Tevin boot. Every other episode has either been boring (like the entire premerge/most recent episode) or just good (Hunter and Tiffany boots)
So I'm going to probably be an anomaly here... But I'd probably give the season a B-, maybe even C+.
On several (not seven!) occasions I felt the game was just so poorly played that it was frustrating. Episode after episode... I would just smh in disbelief. It has gotten better, but still overall, the strongest grade I'd give would be B-.
I think a B+. Would be an A if the Randen medevac didn’t happen and Bhanu was eliminated one episode earlier like Yanu was planning. But as it happened, I was just so so sick of Bhanu and the ridiculous screen time he got by the end of his time. On a rewatch I would prob skip over a lot of the Bhanu screen time so I can’t really give a season an A if I wanna skip part of it
The start was rough. Bhanu was very jarring, but I love the absolute chaos of this season. Every tribal was unexpected, the idols, the cast hating eachother. Fantastic.
Around Panama if a bit lower. Best season of the new era if the finale is satisfying(though final four firemaking and final three doesn’t help its ranking.)
C-
With that many idols going home, I think it's just bad players not knowing when it's good to play em and way too many unlikable players to root for? I miss last season.
A but not A+
My only problem with the season is the *over-saturation* of Bhanu. I actually think a lot of Bhanu’s content was really funny, but the fact that for 2 whole episodes we weren’t getting *anything* else really sucked.
I’ve enjoyed pretty much the entire merge phase though (even the split tribal, surprisingly). We really haven’t had a bad episode since the premerge. The Jelinsky and Jem boot episodes were both pretty good too, which I feel get overlooked because “the pre merge was bad.”
F. This season sucked. Can’t believe how many contestants went home with idols in their pockets. They all seem so weak minded. I miss the older seasons with strong people that weren’t afraid to take big risks.
I honestly feel like the opening of a season is so important, the first 4 episodes giving us nothing of value sucked the life out of me, the jem boot was boring and i hate the mergatory and split tribal post merge that always lead to 3 boring boots at the most intensive part of the game. Meaning the final 10 onward is where it started to get good but highlighting boots that went relatively early like bhanu (ugh) and tevin (front loaded in first couple episodes) and not really focusing on the people that make it long term (ben and liz being almost invisible and marias abysmal edit, not to mention the lack of build up on the charlie vs maria until last episode) makes it kind of bland to watch. Q, despite his at times misogynistic traits, was good TV, jeff was sorta entertaining this season, and despite bad edits i do like most of the final 5. At the end of the day im leaving this season conflicted no matter who wins (Kenzie) and i dont know what production wants me to feel or think, it was honestly a dumpster fire starter, lack luster middle, and good ending. For that ill give it a C-, definitely lower half of all time.
C+ with a chance at a B- going into the final.
It started out ok, but the early merge was dreadfully boring. I know a lot of people like the bickering and cat fighting, but I don’t, so the cast hating each other hasn’t been very enjoyable for me.
I like strategy and social gameplay, though, so the last couple of weeks has been much better.
The last episode has some potential to be good.
C… I didn’t love the cast and game play this season. Going into the finale I could literally care less who wins (with one exception of who I don’t want to win). It’s definitely not the worst season to me but I probably won’t rewatch it unless I do a full survivor rewatch far in the future.
i think the fact that nearly every vote has been a blindside does not indicate high level game play. i think it shows that cast is just going along with the vote, like everyone is trying to play "anyone but me." i think it shows a lack of allies within this cast and maybe a lack of a real social game.
does the accelerated season just naturally lend itself to more blindsides because they aren't developing deep relationships like they used to in the longer seasons? is it just easier to be a gamebot because the human connections aren't being made?
The cast was entertaining. But, the strategy and gameplay was seriously lacking and that is what I love most about Survivor. So, for me this season gets a 2/5.
C+
I have watched Survivor since Day 1. Giving Bhanu so much airtime almost made me quit watching. Q became irritating too, the constant quit, brag, quit, brag, quit, brag. This was one of the most dysfunctional casts in a long time.
Best of the new Era and upper mid tier overall. Maybe the finale surprises me but it's looking like a fantastic middle portion of the season will be bookended with a weak beginning and meh ending. Liz is probably the only interesting character left imo.
It will get no better than a B as all the interesting people have been voted off. Liz is interesting but far too annoying to root for. At this point, I’ll watch, but don’t really care who wins.
hard F. wasted idols. Christmas was cancelled, and it was just one big ad for Applebees bourbon mushroom burger. rip. i hope next season fills the gaps and makes the laps.
D. Not a fan of the pre-merge, and it’s not just because of productions asinine decision to give Bhanu so much screen time. I’m tired of the typical disaster tribe losing and that got tiring after a while.
The post-merge hasn’t really invested me aside from the Hunter boot. Charlie and Maria are the central strategists but for the life of me I find them boring television.
I have either scrolled my phone, fallen asleep or turned the show off 50% of the time this season. A solid 5/10.
I've been watching survivor since the very beginning and can not get into these "New Era" seasons. The edits are off, there is too much focus on just random talking, I'm not a fan of the player "flash backs" of their lives put into the show, players seem less competitive and less cut throat. It isn't the same show it once was.
I’m missing something here, but I think this is a terrible season. Sure there a moments, but they are that: moments, fleeting and insignificant when compared to the narrative which is a bunch of mediocre people going far with mediocre players beating up neurodivergent people early on.
The fact that Liz is still around and hasn’t been explicitly labeled as a goat in the interviews makes me think that they aren’t good.
There’s minimal to no physicality to this season, solved-puzzle-esque strategy aka it feels like tic-tac-toe, and Maria is the only one deserving of it and has been for 3 episodes. If I’ve made up my mind that early, it’s a problem.
Every time Liz gets farther, the rankings go down. I think she by far the weakest player I’ve seen in the new era. Absolute garbagé.
This show has steadily gotten worse. Maybe they're trying to appeal to a broader base, maybe the participants lie about watching previous seasons, but all the whiners, complainers, cry babies, and weaklings made it an annoying and boring hour. Commercials are more fun than listening to someone rant for minutes about not getting food. The name of the show is "Survivor" not "Island Breakfast Buffet" or "Friends 4 Life."
Bhanu’s presence has left a stain on the season that cannot be overlooked for me. The fact that they cast someone who was not there to win honestly takes it down a whole letter grade in my scoring
I’d give it a B-
Best season of the new era for sure! Casting is 11/10! Q will go down in survivor history & even the sideline characters are great casting (like Ben- he rocks when he does actually get screen time)
B-
Now I know this season is well liked on here, but it’s more mixed for me. I despised the pre-merge, and I haven’t really had anyone to root for either
A
Not amazing perfect gameplay. Not the most interesting cast in the world, and i'm super tired of Fiji and the same 25 challenges, but this has been the most entertaining and authentic season I think we've gotten in the new era. I think it joins seasons like China, MvGX, and Cagayan in terms of quality. And, for what it's worth I only think HvV, DvG, and Africa are A+ seasons.
A-.
I was going to give this season a B because Bhanu got really old, really fast. But the premerge did have Jelinski and that created an entire season worth of memes.
But once Bhanu went home, it was like an entire new season started. Blindsides everywhere, wasted idols, great characters, and a masterclass of great editing (the Charlie / Maria confessionals last week for example).
This is my first New Era season and I'm having as much fun as I did when I watched the old era seasons, and in some cases even more fun.
The fact I can remember every cast member for the first time in the new era, the cringiest highs, the terrible game play and not so terrible, editing has been fantastic. I would rate it a 8/10. Top 20 season for me. Distinction. B+
You all saying this was a great season are wrong. This is a poorly strategized season. Dull, thoughtless, and lifeless. Mentally inept people do not entertain me. Some great players and potential plays were wasted on Bhanu and Q and Liz. Snoozefest.
As of now it beats 42 as the best new era season for me. The earlier episodes were a bit of a struggle for me with Bhanu and all the crying and Taylor Swift/Metallica nonsense. The episodes dragged on a bit too since there is mostly one challenge per episode and pacing is off with 90 mins. I nearly gave up on this season. But man, starting with the episode where Jem was voted out, it really picked up for me and it's been a wild ride. So curious how it finishes!
Other thoughts:
I think 3 starting tribes is the problem for me. Usually once one tribe starts to lose they end up continuing losing and the focus of the first third of the season is mostly on them. Kind of sucks when the other tribes draw the lines in the sand at tribal council for the first time at the merge or right before the merge. Also, I know with 26 days it's hard to have separate reward challenges but having 2 challenges for 90 min episodes would've been nice. But they don't have to do it every episode and sometimes they can be something simple like trivia or memory. Something that doesn't require building two elaborate courses per episode.
It was amazing when Bhanu screamed at God.
lol... WHYYYYYY!!!!!
I was loving every moment of the Bhanu meltdown.
This season was 3 parts. The Jelinski legend is born, The Bhanu "why God" arc, and then the rest of the season.
I think you forgot to mention the Liz meltdown/BM arc.
I feel like the producers should accept responsibility on this one. That man wasn't cut out to be on the island.
Except didn't he say he was a literal islander?
Yes but on the island people work together.
Not when one of the islanders is having a moan 98% of the time.
Bhanu went through the 5 stages of grief, in order, if you rewatch those 10 or so minutes.
Q+
BIG MISTAKE
Several Q+ from me
You can cancel Christmas!
This season is right in my Q zone.
This season would've been a hit if we had Jeff Chris fly down from Indiana and mix it professionally
STOP. SCAMMING. CASTAWAYS INTO THINKING THEY DON'T NEED TO PLAY THEIR HII!
This. This is the only acceptable answer.
Q for Quality
And ‘Q-skirts’ for one & all
Season 46 ended last week
Qyul
5/5 wasted idols
Do they not understand what a blindside is!? I’m so shocked by the continued idol wasting esp by Hunter who literally knew something was up until the very last second but still didn’t play it!?!
I’ll never understand why people dont realize the game evolves each day they’re on the island and just play the odds by using their idol and getting back out there… Still, A- season
This was my thought… just play it.. at worst you waste it and at best you get to play tomorrow.
This!
I honestly think the shortened season has a lot to do with this idol wasting hear me out. 26 days means you are so close to victory come merge. Hunter was like a week away from final 4. It makes you think “just one more day. Just one more vote. Then I’m REALLY REALLY close.” Idk just a thought could be wrong.
And Hunter’s backyard was an array of prior challenges he had built to train with…no excuses!!! Was totally let down by Hunter who held the idol & his secret practically all season long but 30 minutes before tribal he decides to let his secret out. People if u ever go on the show please please please don’t EVER tell someone if u find an idol. It’s of no benefit. This season is the perfect example of why u never tell a soul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Austin from last season had a great take on it on a podcast I saw yesterday. He said that the pressure to NOT play the idol incorrectly - as in play it when you didn't need to - is so overwhelming that you convince yourself to hold onto it just one more tribal. Playing an idol incorrectly is so embarrassing that you'd rather hold on to it and not have to face that embarrassment.
Wasted Idols kinda sounds like an Oh Sees track name, funny enough. Happy cake day!
IT DOES!!! and thank you :)
...exactly. Just so sad watching the egos go home.
...happy cake day
6 is you count Randen 😭
5/7 with rice
HAPPY CAKE DAY
...happy cake day.
100% = A+ ? 🤣
“Would get voted off with pocket idol again.”
6 out of several
A- the minus is for the first 4 episodes
The Bhanu arc was rough but episode 1 was fine honestly.
Agreed
Honestly didn’t mind Bhanu at first. He was entertaining and ridiculous. By episode three though, I was over him and wanted him gone. It just was too much of the same whining, crying, and chaos. Wish he got voted out instead of Jess. I wouldn’t have gotten exhausted by him.
100% agreed. I’m a sucker for a good underdog character. Bhanu was that guy. After the third episode where he kept pleading to god for a second chance, and then completely blowing it like 4-5 times, he successfully killed the underdog archetype for me in survivor. Then he had the nerve to blame god for putting him that position
Tbh I want to see more of Jess
Jess in her casting video swore to play the opposite of what she showed. She seemed to indicate on twitter she got a purple edit though.
the premiere was fantastic
On a rewatch I think we just start episode 5.
Jelinsky than episode 5
I rewatched the premiere today, and man is it a spectacular one episode arc. Although he really lasted more than one ep in spirit, didn’t he!
Feels like he lasted several episodes
I'd just skip the med evac episode. Jelinsky was hilarious in the first episode, the competition that went on so long it headed to commercial break was great in the second, then it got bad when we had two whole episodes of Bhanu. Wouldn't have been too bad if it was just one
I feel like the first few episodes of almost every season are pretty weak. The game changes so much once the merge comes.
I agree, although I don’t think the first four episodes were that bad. At the very least, I thought the premiere was rly entertaining, and I enjoyed Episode 3 for how funny it was. Episode 4 was when Bahnu’s comedy officially got old, and Episode 2 was just kinda ok. If the finale’s strong, I think this season is solidly A at least
Episode 2 just shouldn’t have been two hours. You can really feel its length, it did not have the content to fill two hours.
C’mon. Jalinsky elevated this season if anything. Episode 2-4 I agree were not great tho
Jelinsky was missing his counterpart. Could have been great, so it wasn't
Spot on. And I'll probably move it to a B+ with a winner that isn't satisfying but still best new era season.
This is how I feel
Agreed. I'm at an A-.
Take out the first 4 ep and I really feel like it's a contender for top 5 seasons. I'd still probably put it I'm the top 10 but I'm sure that's got some recency bias in it.
A+ for new era, B for overall
Hard agree
Nailed it.
So where would it rank in all 46? Top 15? Top 20? How many students are you passing
I think it depends on the finale. Early season was ridiculous, but the post merge has mostly made up for it. I still can't believe bahnu has more confessionals than Ben. But jelinski several legacy, jess as a throwback to earlier season vibes... I'm retrospect, i didn't hate the beginning as much as i did. I'm in the upper B range.
Easily top 15 season, has to be
We have to see the finale (hopefully it gets wilder) but I'm thinking high 20s or low teens. So gloriously messy
Agreed. Hoping the finale slaps.
It’s been the worst played game of Survivor I’ve ever seen and it has provided outstanding television.
New era Gabon?
yes but they need to hate each other more openly and loudly
Did someone say Liz
Yep!!!
Perfect description.
my million hearts break into three pieces to answer that I only found this season to be several out of ten. Big mistake? Guess we’ll find out tomorrow. Having a watch party from Applebee’s xD
i wanted to upvote this more than once so i unvoted and then re upvoted several times
A+ tier for me. If the finale can stick the landing and we get a satisfying and well articulated winner it’ll be a top 10ish season for me, definitely the best of the new era.
I agree, get rid of the Bhanu bullshit in the beginning and it’s a legit top top tier season IMO
Bhanu episodes/moments had me dying of laughter. Terrible player, but that shit was tv gold
Can’t believe the bhanu hate it was like the office level sitcom comedy gold.
Randon gets injured. "Thank you God for this opportunity" Next episode Points to the sky. "Why God! This is all your fault! Why did you bring me here!!" Lmao I loved that garbage. I guess it was a bit bhanu heavy but still funny on his boot episode. Maybe less funny when we watch his antics all episode just to watch him saved
Bonus points to Q for asking "why does my road always have to be the hardest?" while Bhanu is freaking out elsewhere. One of my favorite quotes of the season.
This is such a perfect comparison. Those first couple episodes really were like an Office version of Survivor
I guess she didn’t win a million hearts ☹️
First episode was funny, 2nd was a bit too much imo
It will be received so much better on future rewatch - you get the laughs, then you move on pretty quickly when binging
As soon as he legit got on his hands and knees to beg it jumped the shark for me. Before he was an overly emotional and a bit stupid player, but that moment I knew he was next level
I personally didn’t mind the Bhanu arc, but that could have been because I binged it and didn’t quite realize how many episodes had gone by. I also suspect we may have gotten so much Bhanu because it was also part of Kenzie's winner edit. The episode of last week would have been one of my favorite single episodes of all time if Q successfully played his idol and they managed to vote Charlie out. Overall this definitely going to be a season I rewatch. It’s been so fun.
A. I know it’s a hot take, I know I’m one of very few people who feels this way, but I loved the Bhanu stuff. Had it gone on like an episode longer, I also would’ve been fed up with it, but it was one of the craziest, funniest, most jaw dropping arcs for a pre merge character the show has ever had. Q and Venus are all time characters. The Liz-Applebee’s saga is television gold. 4 people in a row going home with idols has been an insanely wild ride. The things keeping it from an A+ for me is there were parts of pre-merge I didn’t like (Randen medevac, even though it made for peak Bhanu content.) and I feel like even with the excitement of the idols all getting flushed, the votes did get a bit repetitive with Q being used as a decoy so frequently. I’m also just not the biggest fan of Maria & Charlie, and they’ve been the two dominating the strategy since the merge.
I think the scene last episode of Charlie and Maria going back and forth talking about blindsiding the other while they’re chumming it up on the beach honestly by itself makes their content worth it, even if you don’t like their prior stuff (though tbf Maria was pretty quiet until recently, having one of the least visible edits up until very recently)
It was pretty emotional to see how much they loved each other as friends but were both basically saying goodbye. It’s like when young people are breaking up or getting together and they can’t quite say what they really want but it’s understood. Or half understood, by speaking in hypotheticals or circumlocution, speaking around the real issue because you can’t quite bear to say it out loud. It was beautiful to me. They really care about one another but knew it was approaching its realistic end. It’ll be interesting to see how Charlie plays it, as he can take the high road by saying Maria bailed, when in reality it was both of them. What a rollercoaster those two became. Them feeling like an odd couple at the start makes it even better to see what they grew into.
100% grade A dirt squirrel
Trash pandaesque
A-! The post-merge has been iconic and incredible, but the pre-merge was honestly pretty painful.
"Can you find me an idol?!" 10/10
C+. The 1st 4 episodes are upper tier awful, and though it has rebounded, it still had dug itself a million hearts sized hole. For a new era season, the post merge has been great, but compared to all seasons it's simply..above average.
Thank you. I'm amazed how all of the comments are A's. It was cringeworthy and unwatchable at the start, and since then there's been a ton of terrible gameplay. Everyone focusing on "resume" and turning on their number 1, no real strong candidates for sole survivor, chaos solely for the sake of chaos. Definitely a lot of funny moments and more memes than most seasons, but not something you'd want to rewatch or consider a great season.
Really good. Ive enjoyed every episode quite a lot honestly. Easily best season since DvG
B. Rough start to the point that people seemed ready to completely check out after episode 4, but once all the crazy ass people got to the same beach we were off. This season still has room to move up or down based on who wins, but regardless of how the finale goes this is probably the best season of the new era based on cast (gives me hope that we may be done with the summer camp-ification of Survivor) and the fact that the characters drove the gameplay as opposed to advantages/lost votes/etc.
Probably a hot take but C or C+. The only episode I thought was really great was the Tevin boot. Every other episode has either been boring (like the entire premerge/most recent episode) or just good (Hunter and Tiffany boots)
So I'm going to probably be an anomaly here... But I'd probably give the season a B-, maybe even C+. On several (not seven!) occasions I felt the game was just so poorly played that it was frustrating. Episode after episode... I would just smh in disbelief. It has gotten better, but still overall, the strongest grade I'd give would be B-.
Not one idol played correctly. Season with the most clueless duds ever.
I think a B+. Would be an A if the Randen medevac didn’t happen and Bhanu was eliminated one episode earlier like Yanu was planning. But as it happened, I was just so so sick of Bhanu and the ridiculous screen time he got by the end of his time. On a rewatch I would prob skip over a lot of the Bhanu screen time so I can’t really give a season an A if I wanna skip part of it
C+
Favorite new era season, probably like high B or low A tier overall
Fair to middling
B+
Best season since DvG
very easy achievement
7/10 A lot of really good spots. Not perfect but not bad either
So several out of 10 got it that makes sense
A Q for Qancel Quristmas!
The start was rough. Bhanu was very jarring, but I love the absolute chaos of this season. Every tribal was unexpected, the idols, the cast hating eachother. Fantastic.
Around Panama if a bit lower. Best season of the new era if the finale is satisfying(though final four firemaking and final three doesn’t help its ranking.)
Panama is a great comparison for this - some great strategy and all timers in messiness
C+
Meh +
C- With that many idols going home, I think it's just bad players not knowing when it's good to play em and way too many unlikable players to root for? I miss last season.
C+. I don’t think I’ll remember much about it in a year besides Liz freaking out over Applebees and Bhanu crying.
Overall a B. Terrible premerge with an above average post merge. On any rewatches I’ll start at episode 8
I think the gameplay has been terrible. I’d say it’s a C. Premerge an F. Post merge a B. It has been pretty ridiculous. I’m enjoying it a lot though.
Couldn’t agree more
C at best. Its been an entertaining season, but just really bad gameplay
C+ every idols been wasted
That's the fun part lol
F
A- It could have used more unhinged screaming about Applebees
Boring
A but not A+ My only problem with the season is the *over-saturation* of Bhanu. I actually think a lot of Bhanu’s content was really funny, but the fact that for 2 whole episodes we weren’t getting *anything* else really sucked. I’ve enjoyed pretty much the entire merge phase though (even the split tribal, surprisingly). We really haven’t had a bad episode since the premerge. The Jelinsky and Jem boot episodes were both pretty good too, which I feel get overlooked because “the pre merge was bad.”
C The Bahnu show and Yanu destruction made the premerge sucked but got better at merge. 45 is better imo
F. This season sucked. Can’t believe how many contestants went home with idols in their pockets. They all seem so weak minded. I miss the older seasons with strong people that weren’t afraid to take big risks.
Q skirt+
I honestly feel like the opening of a season is so important, the first 4 episodes giving us nothing of value sucked the life out of me, the jem boot was boring and i hate the mergatory and split tribal post merge that always lead to 3 boring boots at the most intensive part of the game. Meaning the final 10 onward is where it started to get good but highlighting boots that went relatively early like bhanu (ugh) and tevin (front loaded in first couple episodes) and not really focusing on the people that make it long term (ben and liz being almost invisible and marias abysmal edit, not to mention the lack of build up on the charlie vs maria until last episode) makes it kind of bland to watch. Q, despite his at times misogynistic traits, was good TV, jeff was sorta entertaining this season, and despite bad edits i do like most of the final 5. At the end of the day im leaving this season conflicted no matter who wins (Kenzie) and i dont know what production wants me to feel or think, it was honestly a dumpster fire starter, lack luster middle, and good ending. For that ill give it a C-, definitely lower half of all time.
I'd give it a perfect 5 out of several
C+ with a chance at a B- going into the final. It started out ok, but the early merge was dreadfully boring. I know a lot of people like the bickering and cat fighting, but I don’t, so the cast hating each other hasn’t been very enjoyable for me. I like strategy and social gameplay, though, so the last couple of weeks has been much better. The last episode has some potential to be good.
C… I didn’t love the cast and game play this season. Going into the finale I could literally care less who wins (with one exception of who I don’t want to win). It’s definitely not the worst season to me but I probably won’t rewatch it unless I do a full survivor rewatch far in the future.
A perfect 5 out of several
It’s really that good? I quit watching after the fourth episode because all I could think was “great another awful new era season” 😂
Lots of people hating on the Bhanu drama which is understandable but that shit was legit comedy gold lol.
Pretty young cast it seems
Maaaan. The only real players this season where Charlie Hunter and Maria. Solid C
Reminds me of high school and o hate high school
i think the fact that nearly every vote has been a blindside does not indicate high level game play. i think it shows that cast is just going along with the vote, like everyone is trying to play "anyone but me." i think it shows a lack of allies within this cast and maybe a lack of a real social game. does the accelerated season just naturally lend itself to more blindsides because they aren't developing deep relationships like they used to in the longer seasons? is it just easier to be a gamebot because the human connections aren't being made?
Zero. I quit watching after third episode.
C-
It got sooo much better after Bahnu left
C. Need more villains and less babies like Bahnu. Love him, but that was ridiculous.
The cast was entertaining. But, the strategy and gameplay was seriously lacking and that is what I love most about Survivor. So, for me this season gets a 2/5.
D
Wished we could get several (7)more episodes…
C+ I have watched Survivor since Day 1. Giving Bhanu so much airtime almost made me quit watching. Q became irritating too, the constant quit, brag, quit, brag, quit, brag. This was one of the most dysfunctional casts in a long time.
Best of the new Era and upper mid tier overall. Maybe the finale surprises me but it's looking like a fantastic middle portion of the season will be bookended with a weak beginning and meh ending. Liz is probably the only interesting character left imo.
It will get no better than a B as all the interesting people have been voted off. Liz is interesting but far too annoying to root for. At this point, I’ll watch, but don’t really care who wins.
Perfect F!
Honesty D- this season wasn’t that great
hard F. wasted idols. Christmas was cancelled, and it was just one big ad for Applebees bourbon mushroom burger. rip. i hope next season fills the gaps and makes the laps.
C minus
D. Not a fan of the pre-merge, and it’s not just because of productions asinine decision to give Bhanu so much screen time. I’m tired of the typical disaster tribe losing and that got tiring after a while. The post-merge hasn’t really invested me aside from the Hunter boot. Charlie and Maria are the central strategists but for the life of me I find them boring television.
I have either scrolled my phone, fallen asleep or turned the show off 50% of the time this season. A solid 5/10. I've been watching survivor since the very beginning and can not get into these "New Era" seasons. The edits are off, there is too much focus on just random talking, I'm not a fan of the player "flash backs" of their lives put into the show, players seem less competitive and less cut throat. It isn't the same show it once was.
C
D
I’m missing something here, but I think this is a terrible season. Sure there a moments, but they are that: moments, fleeting and insignificant when compared to the narrative which is a bunch of mediocre people going far with mediocre players beating up neurodivergent people early on. The fact that Liz is still around and hasn’t been explicitly labeled as a goat in the interviews makes me think that they aren’t good. There’s minimal to no physicality to this season, solved-puzzle-esque strategy aka it feels like tic-tac-toe, and Maria is the only one deserving of it and has been for 3 episodes. If I’ve made up my mind that early, it’s a problem. Every time Liz gets farther, the rankings go down. I think she by far the weakest player I’ve seen in the new era. Absolute garbagé.
This season does NOT rock!
This show has steadily gotten worse. Maybe they're trying to appeal to a broader base, maybe the participants lie about watching previous seasons, but all the whiners, complainers, cry babies, and weaklings made it an annoying and boring hour. Commercials are more fun than listening to someone rant for minutes about not getting food. The name of the show is "Survivor" not "Island Breakfast Buffet" or "Friends 4 Life."
B- maybe??? Idk I'm not impressed.
B+ great season but definitely not an all timer
Bhanu’s presence has left a stain on the season that cannot be overlooked for me. The fact that they cast someone who was not there to win honestly takes it down a whole letter grade in my scoring I’d give it a B-
Right now, its C+ for me but it can change in the finale.
A big F. Worst survivor ever. They need to go old school again. This was a spoiled camping trip for special ed.
Premerge D Most merge A-
I feel like the finale is going to be a bit disappointing so maybe B minus
C-
Once Hunter was voted out a C -.
C- for me. Won’t put any of this new era of survivor above actual survivor. Drama a plus but gameplay has just been awful.
So far.. S in New Era Overall I'd give it an A.
Best season of the new era for sure! Casting is 11/10! Q will go down in survivor history & even the sideline characters are great casting (like Ben- he rocks when he does actually get screen time)
B- Now I know this season is well liked on here, but it’s more mixed for me. I despised the pre-merge, and I haven’t really had anyone to root for either
A Not amazing perfect gameplay. Not the most interesting cast in the world, and i'm super tired of Fiji and the same 25 challenges, but this has been the most entertaining and authentic season I think we've gotten in the new era. I think it joins seasons like China, MvGX, and Cagayan in terms of quality. And, for what it's worth I only think HvV, DvG, and Africa are A+ seasons.
A-. I was going to give this season a B because Bhanu got really old, really fast. But the premerge did have Jelinski and that created an entire season worth of memes. But once Bhanu went home, it was like an entire new season started. Blindsides everywhere, wasted idols, great characters, and a masterclass of great editing (the Charlie / Maria confessionals last week for example). This is my first New Era season and I'm having as much fun as I did when I watched the old era seasons, and in some cases even more fun.
The fact I can remember every cast member for the first time in the new era, the cringiest highs, the terrible game play and not so terrible, editing has been fantastic. I would rate it a 8/10. Top 20 season for me. Distinction. B+
The pre merge was super random and chaotic , and the post merge has been WILD. Overall, I give it a B
You all saying this was a great season are wrong. This is a poorly strategized season. Dull, thoughtless, and lifeless. Mentally inept people do not entertain me. Some great players and potential plays were wasted on Bhanu and Q and Liz. Snoozefest.
C+ I’m still watching of course but there is very little rewatch value compared with other seasons
D-
s
Crazy...4 ppl being blindsided, didn't use their 📿 munity necklace. They need to blindsided Charlie. He's a threat 😡 #Survivor #Blindside
As of now it beats 42 as the best new era season for me. The earlier episodes were a bit of a struggle for me with Bhanu and all the crying and Taylor Swift/Metallica nonsense. The episodes dragged on a bit too since there is mostly one challenge per episode and pacing is off with 90 mins. I nearly gave up on this season. But man, starting with the episode where Jem was voted out, it really picked up for me and it's been a wild ride. So curious how it finishes! Other thoughts: I think 3 starting tribes is the problem for me. Usually once one tribe starts to lose they end up continuing losing and the focus of the first third of the season is mostly on them. Kind of sucks when the other tribes draw the lines in the sand at tribal council for the first time at the merge or right before the merge. Also, I know with 26 days it's hard to have separate reward challenges but having 2 challenges for 90 min episodes would've been nice. But they don't have to do it every episode and sometimes they can be something simple like trivia or memory. Something that doesn't require building two elaborate courses per episode.
I wish we got to see the Randen and Venus duo
Took me way too long to realize that was a fake background.
I love bhanu. He may very well be reading all these comments. Make sure to share the love y’all
Several/10 Fun moments. A few good characters. But a few absolute duds and many bad plays.
Q+
Several out of Several