By Sophia Doan
[WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD]
During the spring and fall months, every Wednesday night my family awaits with baited breath for the drama, action, and hilarity of the popular game show: Survivor. With shocking blindsides, hilarious quips from the host, Jeff Probst, and an unpredictable cast, the show is hard not to love. Questions have arisen about the continuation of the reality show as they begin their 47th season, however, with the “new era” revamping of the show, fans have not gotten bored yet.
In the first few episodes, the biggest liability of the season immediately stood out. Andy Rueda, a 31 year old AI research assistant, had a breakdown at the first challenge. He screamed at his tribe mates for “not clapping or cheering when he opened a coconut” and expressed feelings of outcast. He went on to reveal his strategy to vote out his closest ally to every member of the cast, betraying the only person he could trust. While Andy seems like a good person who maybe experienced a hard moment, this mentality is a liability for anyone he plays with and will overall hurt the cast.
As the seasons progress, so do the complicity of the hidden immunity idols. As of the first few episodes, the infamous “beware advantage” had a new twist attached. After completing a task to open a locked box, the player who found the advantage had a choice: to take an idol good for one tribal council or complete more tasks in order to obtain a longer lasting idol. With twists on classic advantages never seen before, an air of mystery outlines this ongoing season.
With a cast of troublesome characters, mysterious advantages, and larger than ever challenges, season 47 of Survivor is gearing up to be better than ever before.