As someone who has been a fan of the CBS reality television program Survivor for 15 seasons now, I can confidently say the show has fallen off. What used to be fun hour-long episodes with engagingly fast pacing and lovable casts has turned into long, dull, and drawn-out content that feels ingenuine at best. What a drag.
For those just joining the Survivor fandom, the premise of the show is quite simple: Survive 39 days on an island without getting voted out, and be chosen by the previously voted-off contestants to win $1 million. With such a dynamic competition that constantly changes with reward challenges, immunity challenges, and fun plot twists, the show was set up for unique success no matter who was playing.
I can’t say the same about the show now. The game has been reduced to 26 days of gameplay as opposed to the original 39. Hence, many Survivor fans refer to it as the “New Era.” The updated timeline creates a quicker-paced game that allows the production team to film more seasons. Within the structure of Survivor, this time change shouldn’t affect the sequencing of events. But ever since this new policy has been implemented, the show hasn’t been the same.
The Casts are Lacking
I felt it watching the three newest episodes of Survivor 46. The cast of competitors frustrates me. The two-hour-long episodes are drawn out and give too much focus on the survival aspect of the game rather than strategic gameplay. For example, I didn’t need to see who could name more Taylor Swift or Metallica songs between two tribemates. I want to see a strategy, a will, and a way to get $1 million. It’s go time, people!
I give my TV a disgusted look every time something happens that is just clearly a grab at content for some reality TV drama. Some of these players don’t even know how to correctly play the game anymore. This isn’t how the old seasons were. Seriously, Bhanu from Survivor 46 has made my teeth grind like no other competitor.
The New Structure is Dull
The old seasons were chock-full of blindsides, constant talking, reorganizing, strategizing, and, most importantly, challenges. The “New Era” has removed focus from the challenge aspect of Survivor where players must compete in physically brutal trials for minimal reward.
There used to be two challenges per hour-long episode, one reward-based and one immunity-based. Now, there’s one challenge per hour and a half episode that combines reward and immunity. Talk about a snooze fest.
Additionally, beginning with three smaller tribes as opposed to two larger tribes complicates the game. It separates players during the beginning when they need to make connections and allows for the same tribe to lose more frequently. I don’t mind the tribes diverging from two to three groups if it’s needed for balance, but starting with three makes the cast difficult to keep up with and prevents us as watchers from getting to know everyone.
Also, I’m not a huge fan of the Shot in the Dark advantage. Since the “New Era” began, every player receives a Shot in the Dark that can give them a one-in-six shot at immunity. It causes unnecessary complications for votes. It doesn’t exactly give anyone a serious advantage, yet “New Era” contestants treat it like it’s their lifeline. Put the advantage down and get strategizing!
Final Thoughts
This isn’t to say that Survivor hasn’t had a couple of recent hit seasons. Survivor 45 had a standout cast of players. If someone had to watch a “New Era” season of Survivor, I would recommend they start on that season. With properly paced episodes (despite being an hour and a half long) and constant twists, it was a joy to watch those intelligent players battle it out. It was so easy to connect with just about everyone on screen (specific shoutouts to Kaleb, Emily, and Drew — loved y’all dearly). I can’t say I have connected with anyone from Survivor 46 just yet. I hold out hope.
While I ultimately respect Jeff Probst, the host and executive producer, for shaking up the style of the game over 46 seasons, some good things don’t require that much change. Go back to hour-long episodes. Get rid of that Shot in the Dark. Bring back reward-only challenges. Start with two tribes. And most importantly, let’s pick out cast members that actually know how to play the game.
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