In these dark and cold days of winter, we all need something to look forward to. Look no further than the reality-competition show, Survivor. This classic show has been airing on CBS for 25 years and is coming up on its 50th season. The show works by bringing 18 castaways to a remote island in Fiji. They are broken up into 3 tribes and left to survive on their own. They compete in challenges to win immunity, and if they lose, they must go to Tribal Council and vote someone off the island. Along the way, there are immunity idols, which can keep people safe from a vote, and other fun challenges and twists. When there are three people left on the island, eight of the castaways that have been voted off form a jury to choose the final winner, who receives 1 million dollars. While it may have a tacky set and be a little cheesy sometimes, here are some reasons why this show is exactly the thing you need to spice up your weekly routine.Â
- Watch With FriendsÂ
Trust me when I say this is THE show to watch with a group of friends. Every week I gather with around 10 other people to watch the newest episode of Survivor, and the vibes are always unmatched. It’s also a perfect show for people to get involved in. Before every season, we send out a Survivor poll to guess who will win, who will get voted out first, and who we think will be the most annoying. Even if nobody in your group has ever seen Survivor before, it is the perfect show to make fun of people and laugh when they do really stupid things.Â
- Boost Your Ego
While watching Survivor, you will see people make tons of seemingly obvious mistakes. Whether that’s going home with an idol in their pocket, thinking they’re fooling everyone when they’re not, or simply wiping out during a challenge, you will be sitting on your couch thinking, “I could do better than that.” Even if you definitely couldn’t, who doesn’t need an ego boost every now and then? You’ll be yelling at players for trusting someone they shouldn’t, of course knowing you would never be that foolish. As long as you never actually go on the show, it’s fun to live in the illusion that you could easily win challenges, know where the vote is going, and win the game.Â
- For the GossipÂ
The whole point of Survivor is to vote off other people so that you can win one million dollars. This is the perfect breeding ground for some insane gossip. Every week, people are lying to each other, making fake immunity idols, whispering about someone behind their back, spreading rumors about someone they deem a threat, and sometimes even rummaging through each other’s bags. It’s like the high school cafeteria on major steroids. Following the gossip and the rivalries and sometimes even the romances is so fun, and there are crazy backstabs and drama at every turn.Â
- The Social Dynamics
Survivor takes 18 people from totally different backgrounds and forces them to work together. The castaways are stranded on an island with no access to technology or the outside world, so they are forced to be together 24/7. With all of these competing personalities and forced proximity, there are bound to be some interesting characters and crazy conversations. Every season, I end up having a few castaways that I love, and some that I literally despise. One of the most unique parts of Survivor is that the players who are voted out become part of a jury and ultimately decide the winner at the end of the season. So, the social dynamics are always interesting to watch. Players have to find a way to vote people out without being hated and form an alliance they can trust to actually tell them the truth.Â
- The Strategy
There are so many ways to approach Survivor, and it’s always interesting to see how different people choose to play the game. Some people, especially the lawyers, choose to lie about themselves to seem less threatening, while others choose to be completely themselves. Some people decide to form super tight bonds and stick with their alliances, while others lie to everyone and turn people against each other. It’s always interesting to watch how different people approach the game, and keeps each season new and interesting even though the show uses the same format.Â
- The HistoryÂ
Since Survivor has been on for so long, there are so many seasons you can go back and catch up on. Some of the old Survivor seasons have fun themes and twists and have a totally different dynamic than the newer seasons. This season (48) is especially fun because during each episode, fans get to vote on different elements for the upcoming season 50. Season 50 will be a cast of entirely returning Survivor players, so now is the perfect time to start watching and catch up before next Spring! You can watch every Wednesday starting at 8:00pm on CBS!