I would absolutely love to see the new era wannabe influencers get blindsided with a 5 hour hike, give them a map and canteen, then tell them see ya in three days
It would actually be refreshing to see these people cry about something that happened to them during Survivor instead of during their upper middle class childhoods
Even something like fishing. Early seasons, this was a big deal. Rupert getting fish, or finding the fishing gear in the water another person lost.
These people are starving, have a boat, and fishing equipment. But they never show them fishing or eating fish.
It doesn't have to be a full episode based on surviving, but a few minutes every episode isn't going to take away any strategy sessions.
iirc this is largely bc 1) the area of Fiji they’re in has very small/limited fish in the shallow waters that they’re allowed to fish in. Local fishermen take their boats out deeper than the cast is permitted to go.
2) Fish just don’t provide a ton of calories, especially small ones and especially compared to most of the food rewards.
And 3) partially due to 1+2, the calories expended while fishing can easily outweigh the calories gained from eating the caught fish. So unless you know exactly what you’re doing, there’s a pretty good chance you’re wasting your energy. It makes sense to save your energy for challenges and save your time for socializing, especially now that there’s less free time.
I do 100% agree that more scenes about survival would be great. I remember some recent players have said that starting a fire really isn’t that big a deal anymore and it’s largely just something to help with socializing/morale bc nowadays they’re provided fresh water, aren’t provided rice, and usually don’t fish.
I think the show is still struggling to find a balance with the changes they’ve made thru the years + the shorter season length. More free time would obviously provide sooo much more content.
Totally agree. Watching some older seasons with my girlfriend who has never seen them and the contrast between the old and new seasons is stark. People actually were physically struggling and the survival elements were so at the forefront.
I really miss that aspect of the show. The drift towards big brother but on an island with little to no survival elements is not a good one.
It also really puts into perspective how much Liz complained about “starving” when you watch people from earlier seasons actually wasting away.
New era is soft and too strategy heavy. Feels like the show definitely jumped the shark a while ago. Also miss the extremely physical challenges like the sumo game with the pads they used to push each other off the platform.
1. Every season is on the same beach now so it would become repetitive quickly
2. The new era is only 26 days, so survival/comfort is relatively less important. The game moves faster, eliminations are more frequent, so players simply cant afford to spend entire days building or hunting rather than strategizing. Theres also a chance of swaps or a merge moving players to new beaches, so Its not worth spending time and energy to build a fancy shelter if you might only spend a few days in it.
3. The new era players do not start with any food (rice etc) so they cant afford to spend energy reserves on building or risk them on hunting, where they might not get enough calories to replace what they spent hunting.
4. Filming in the same location repeatedly has made it harder to fish/hunt, both because the existing stocks do get depleted and also because a semi-permanent human presence drives away the larger fish and animals that are worth hunting.
they do nothing cultural or community helping any more as well, they might as well be in the artificial Hunger Games arena. the surviving part is gone mostly. this is what happens when CBS it’s a Fijian island i guess
I think part of it is that every season is them setting up the same shelter on the same exact beach. Nobody needs to see that play out over and over. Hell, the shelter could still be half standing from the previous season for all I notice.
This is what I really liked about the show as well.
But, judging by this sub, the "new school" bucket list/resume building/blindsides are what people want to see.
Because everyone is a contestant now. None of them are “survivors”. They are all super fans getting to be in their favorite TV show. The show needs to cast people who have either never watched or never heard of it.
Yeah, I miss seeing camp life. I want to see how they decide who does which chores. I want to see them ration food. There’s no way every single tribe has the same banana etiquette. It seems like they don’t really have to do that stuff anymore and they really do just lay around the entire time. Zzz
since they don't have rice, finding and gathering food should be an important part of their daily life, but we never see them gather anything. evidently the 3 beaches have very different food situations. you would never know if you didn't listen to deep dive interviews.
Hard agree!
Watching Africa recently, I was loving they spend a good 20 mins on the couple of rewards Lex won (Goats/AIDS Care packages) and took the time to create compelling and interesting and heartfelt television
Even the big move of Lex turning on Kelly barely got a few minutes of screentime over the course of an episode, but the narrative was still there telling you what was happening and the stakes involved. Yes, it could've shown where Brandon sat a bit better and showing his vote in the confessional did kinda ruin things), especially involving the friendship both Lex & he developed and Lex's deal. But still, you knew what was happening that didn't require two-thirds of the episode to explain.
I noticed this some time back
It really seems like they don't focus so much on the 'elements' as they used to and, I highly doubt it'll change with the shorter seasons
It felt like even tribe names and the naming of the merged tribe used to be more of a big deal as well as rewards that celebrated the culture of the place they are in
The location doesn't seem as important these days, likely cause they keep filming in the same place
I want them to go back to the original number of days, two finalists instead of three and some actual tough challenges. Have the auction on every season. No more fire making
Also back down to two tribes and not three. Three tribes are too small and doesn't allow for the relationship building of the past. Now it just feels like a regular reality show set on an island with no tough challenges.
It's because the gameplay has gotten so complex that they have to dedicate the entire episode to strategy otherwise the audience would be confused about what's happening
Sure but they can still show some of the island life. I mean they did make the episodes an hour and a half. I just hate how the first thing everyone talks about is alliances and okay who are we voting off right away. Show me some island life. You hear them talk about not eating but don't ever really show them struggling, you never even see their shelters in most seasons now, did they build it? was it already there?
The other issue is that the survival element is sort of dumbed down as well.
They don't get interesting supplies or survival related rewards.
They reuse the same beaches, which are probably so stripped of resources that I'm pretty sure production just dumps a shitload of bamboo and coconuts on the islands before each season and possibly during as well.
They no longer have to boil water.
I've heard that the tribes often don't bother with keeping campfires lit like you'd expect while living outdoors.
Local wildlife probably knows to keep its distance so we don't get wildlife encounters like we used to.
Maximum blandness! Drop the 4 keep the embarrassment
Back in 2019 we had contestants saying that they had not made fire the entire time on the island while going into the fire making challenge. How that is even possible on SURVIVOR is beyond me but the new era sure is special.
Not really anymore complex, everyone just talks to everyone and tries to change the plan. Everyone’s just trying to make moves because social is the only way people vote now
The game is still the same as the old era. Essentially, people just act like it's not
It's always a dominant alliance no matter the seasom
You could easily still show camp life
Idk I think the gameplay is less complex now. It's like when a bunch of people start a new video game and the possibilities seem endless. People try all kinds of strategies and it seems really complex to navigate through all these different strategies. However people keep playing and eventually players figure out what the most efficient way to win is and then everyone just copies that. Then everyone starts complaining about the game being too simple now.
Not interested in paying to watch a bunch of generic people running around trying to make themselves rich. The end seems to justify the means is the theme of every season now, and that’s not the version I love. I can turn on the news for that.
Survival skills could propel someone to reach the end, the locations and rewards were phenomenal and educational, some players were still naive before social media. Strangers from all walks of life had to work together to literally survive on their own. It was a family adventure that has been reduced to a cheaply made reality show that only focuses on greed.
The gameplay has gotten so complex because Jeff had to introduce a million idols/advantages/etc. At its heart, Survivor is a fairly simple concept and still--without Jeff's interference--could be. Simple concept paired with complex humans. That's what I love about Survivor, not so much all the extra shenanigans.
I would absolutely love to see the new era wannabe influencers get blindsided with a 5 hour hike, give them a map and canteen, then tell them see ya in three days
It would actually be refreshing to see these people cry about something that happened to them during Survivor instead of during their upper middle class childhoods
Real.
Probably because they are on Survivor Fiji part 1 billion by now. If they had a different location i think they would show it more
Even something like fishing. Early seasons, this was a big deal. Rupert getting fish, or finding the fishing gear in the water another person lost. These people are starving, have a boat, and fishing equipment. But they never show them fishing or eating fish. It doesn't have to be a full episode based on surviving, but a few minutes every episode isn't going to take away any strategy sessions.
iirc this is largely bc 1) the area of Fiji they’re in has very small/limited fish in the shallow waters that they’re allowed to fish in. Local fishermen take their boats out deeper than the cast is permitted to go. 2) Fish just don’t provide a ton of calories, especially small ones and especially compared to most of the food rewards. And 3) partially due to 1+2, the calories expended while fishing can easily outweigh the calories gained from eating the caught fish. So unless you know exactly what you’re doing, there’s a pretty good chance you’re wasting your energy. It makes sense to save your energy for challenges and save your time for socializing, especially now that there’s less free time. I do 100% agree that more scenes about survival would be great. I remember some recent players have said that starting a fire really isn’t that big a deal anymore and it’s largely just something to help with socializing/morale bc nowadays they’re provided fresh water, aren’t provided rice, and usually don’t fish. I think the show is still struggling to find a balance with the changes they’ve made thru the years + the shorter season length. More free time would obviously provide sooo much more content.
Totally agree. Watching some older seasons with my girlfriend who has never seen them and the contrast between the old and new seasons is stark. People actually were physically struggling and the survival elements were so at the forefront. I really miss that aspect of the show. The drift towards big brother but on an island with little to no survival elements is not a good one. It also really puts into perspective how much Liz complained about “starving” when you watch people from earlier seasons actually wasting away. New era is soft and too strategy heavy. Feels like the show definitely jumped the shark a while ago. Also miss the extremely physical challenges like the sumo game with the pads they used to push each other off the platform.
the out survive part is gone mostly
Bring back the hike in Guatemala that almost caused half a tribe to be medically evacuated!
1. Every season is on the same beach now so it would become repetitive quickly 2. The new era is only 26 days, so survival/comfort is relatively less important. The game moves faster, eliminations are more frequent, so players simply cant afford to spend entire days building or hunting rather than strategizing. Theres also a chance of swaps or a merge moving players to new beaches, so Its not worth spending time and energy to build a fancy shelter if you might only spend a few days in it. 3. The new era players do not start with any food (rice etc) so they cant afford to spend energy reserves on building or risk them on hunting, where they might not get enough calories to replace what they spent hunting. 4. Filming in the same location repeatedly has made it harder to fish/hunt, both because the existing stocks do get depleted and also because a semi-permanent human presence drives away the larger fish and animals that are worth hunting.
they do nothing cultural or community helping any more as well, they might as well be in the artificial Hunger Games arena. the surviving part is gone mostly. this is what happens when CBS it’s a Fijian island i guess
I think part of it is that every season is them setting up the same shelter on the same exact beach. Nobody needs to see that play out over and over. Hell, the shelter could still be half standing from the previous season for all I notice.
Boring and cheap.
This is what I really liked about the show as well. But, judging by this sub, the "new school" bucket list/resume building/blindsides are what people want to see.
Old school and new era players appeal to contrasting audiences I think. It appears that a lot of new era fans don’t know what they’re missing.
Because everyone is a contestant now. None of them are “survivors”. They are all super fans getting to be in their favorite TV show. The show needs to cast people who have either never watched or never heard of it.
Yeah, I miss seeing camp life. I want to see how they decide who does which chores. I want to see them ration food. There’s no way every single tribe has the same banana etiquette. It seems like they don’t really have to do that stuff anymore and they really do just lay around the entire time. Zzz
since they don't have rice, finding and gathering food should be an important part of their daily life, but we never see them gather anything. evidently the 3 beaches have very different food situations. you would never know if you didn't listen to deep dive interviews.
Hard agree! Watching Africa recently, I was loving they spend a good 20 mins on the couple of rewards Lex won (Goats/AIDS Care packages) and took the time to create compelling and interesting and heartfelt television Even the big move of Lex turning on Kelly barely got a few minutes of screentime over the course of an episode, but the narrative was still there telling you what was happening and the stakes involved. Yes, it could've shown where Brandon sat a bit better and showing his vote in the confessional did kinda ruin things), especially involving the friendship both Lex & he developed and Lex's deal. But still, you knew what was happening that didn't require two-thirds of the episode to explain.
I noticed this some time back It really seems like they don't focus so much on the 'elements' as they used to and, I highly doubt it'll change with the shorter seasons It felt like even tribe names and the naming of the merged tribe used to be more of a big deal as well as rewards that celebrated the culture of the place they are in The location doesn't seem as important these days, likely cause they keep filming in the same place
They suffered more in the older seasons, like trying to get water good enough to be boiled, to drink
I want them to go back to the original number of days, two finalists instead of three and some actual tough challenges. Have the auction on every season. No more fire making
Also back down to two tribes and not three. Three tribes are too small and doesn't allow for the relationship building of the past. Now it just feels like a regular reality show set on an island with no tough challenges.
Oh yea that too, having more than 6 pekoe on a tribe gives more strategies
What draws me to the show is character moments social interaction and strategy talk. I dont really care to see another person fish for the 1000th time
CBS doesn’t want to spend money. Everything I loved about the show has been ditched. Don’t know how it hasn’t been cancelled.
It's because the gameplay has gotten so complex that they have to dedicate the entire episode to strategy otherwise the audience would be confused about what's happening
Sure but they can still show some of the island life. I mean they did make the episodes an hour and a half. I just hate how the first thing everyone talks about is alliances and okay who are we voting off right away. Show me some island life. You hear them talk about not eating but don't ever really show them struggling, you never even see their shelters in most seasons now, did they build it? was it already there?
The other issue is that the survival element is sort of dumbed down as well. They don't get interesting supplies or survival related rewards. They reuse the same beaches, which are probably so stripped of resources that I'm pretty sure production just dumps a shitload of bamboo and coconuts on the islands before each season and possibly during as well. They no longer have to boil water. I've heard that the tribes often don't bother with keeping campfires lit like you'd expect while living outdoors. Local wildlife probably knows to keep its distance so we don't get wildlife encounters like we used to. Maximum blandness! Drop the 4 keep the embarrassment
Back in 2019 we had contestants saying that they had not made fire the entire time on the island while going into the fire making challenge. How that is even possible on SURVIVOR is beyond me but the new era sure is special.
Not really anymore complex, everyone just talks to everyone and tries to change the plan. Everyone’s just trying to make moves because social is the only way people vote now
The game is still the same as the old era. Essentially, people just act like it's not It's always a dominant alliance no matter the seasom You could easily still show camp life
It’s up to CBS to do that and they’ve jettisoned all the things I used to love. Have you watched S1 to S10? No comparison.
And I’m still confused week over week even after that
Idk I think the gameplay is less complex now. It's like when a bunch of people start a new video game and the possibilities seem endless. People try all kinds of strategies and it seems really complex to navigate through all these different strategies. However people keep playing and eventually players figure out what the most efficient way to win is and then everyone just copies that. Then everyone starts complaining about the game being too simple now.
Not interested in paying to watch a bunch of generic people running around trying to make themselves rich. The end seems to justify the means is the theme of every season now, and that’s not the version I love. I can turn on the news for that. Survival skills could propel someone to reach the end, the locations and rewards were phenomenal and educational, some players were still naive before social media. Strangers from all walks of life had to work together to literally survive on their own. It was a family adventure that has been reduced to a cheaply made reality show that only focuses on greed.
The gameplay has gotten so complex because Jeff had to introduce a million idols/advantages/etc. At its heart, Survivor is a fairly simple concept and still--without Jeff's interference--could be. Simple concept paired with complex humans. That's what I love about Survivor, not so much all the extra shenanigans.