1. Does bringing back two former cast members really count as two twists?
2. Does it even count as one?
3. Anyone else tired of challenges that involve boat races, shooting clay targets, obstacle courses and/or putting puzzles together?
4. Were they ever that interesting?
5. Was it misleading advertising to use a dangerous, threatening crocodile in this week's promo?
6. Especially when the croc was sighted, ignored and forgotten by the first ad break?
7. Bobby Jon and Blake's strategy-talk-while-peeing: gratuitous? or ground-breaking?
8. The teams get switched around: anyone else not care so much?
9. And have trouble remembering who the original teams were anyway?
10. Do Stephenie's eyebrows arch like that naturally?
11. How many episodes until Gary's "deny deny deny" strategy comes back to haunt him?
12. Will you still be watching then?
13. Anyone still holding out hope re the twins thing?
14. Doesn't Bobby Jon just look like he smells?
15. Judd's use of the word "male-tosterone": heat-induced confusion? or stupidity?
16. Judd's strategy: heat-induced confusion? or stupidity?
17. Remember when they used to make them eat bugs in challenges?
18. Ah, weren't those the good old days?
19. Anyone else just tuning in out of habit?
20. And actually contemplating leaving the house on Thursday nights?
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Survivor poems, celebrity snark and more, at long plastic hallway
Article comments
1 - Georgio
ummmmm thought it was just me
2 - El Bicho
Too much physical, not enough mental challenges.
You can't be as dumb as Judd and have strategy. He would rather be no better than 5th on a new team of strangers than at least 4th on his own team
Gary is an idiot.
I liked that they switched the teams up this early to see how they will react. Bobby John's team should have thrown it since they had the numbers 4 to 3.
3 - parker
Maybe they do need to break new ground. I want to see how they poop. I want to hear different conversations. I want more exciting challenges. Why not a grab an alligator by the tail challenge? They did it on fear factor. Make them climb a tree. Gosh, we do need something new.
4 - Triniman
I sometimes watch out of habit, but the show is dull as your points illustrate.
Jeff the host is leaving next year, apparently. Maybe he knows when a good thing is over.
5 - Bennett
Good points all. I only got to watching this sillyness two years ago, so it was pretty new stuff for me, my first *reality* show.
It is much less this year, almost sorry I offered to cover it, but I'll stick it out just for the fun of erasing the cast members from the group photo as they get eliminated.
I missed the piss-bonding, so there's one good thing.
Good call on Stephanie's eyebrows, they creep me out. She creeps me out.
Plus, no one is exposing themselves this year. I need those fuzzed out thrills!
Bah!
6 - Joanie
I think the next challenge should somehow involve the howler monkey.
I totally missed the twin thing. Bad Joanie. Shame on me.
7 - Phillip Winn
Wow, this show is still on the air? Yawn!
I'm with you, 'Tart!
8 - teletart
I say we provide a service to the Survivor producers, and suggest some format changes. For instance, I've often wondered why they've persisted with the two-team system. Sure, I get the competitive element, but it only results in the same thing happening every year: weak members generally go first, unpopular members go once teams are switched round, and strong members go once the merge happens. Why not have one dog-eat-dog team from the start? And force them into twos or threes for some of the challenges?
I also offer these brilliant suggestions for jazzing up the show:
1. Survivor Xenophobia: into each team, integrate an aboriginal person from the country that Survivor takes place in. See how long it takes the contestants to go from respectful deference, to plotting against them. Added twist: these people are revealed to be the sole members of the jury.
2. Survivor International. English speaking contestants from around the world compete. Cultural misunderstandings abound! Alliances take on wider political meanings! Will we find world peace - or start some new wars?
3. Survivor Red vs Blue. As above, but dividing the teams along red state/blue state lines. See if the liberals really like to share power! See if the conservatives can actually tolerate each other!
Note to Survivor producers: you know you want me. And there's plenty more where that came from. ;-) Feel free to contact me through blogcritics for any well-paid consultancy jobs you might have lurking around.
9 - DrPat
Richard Hatch gave me an idea -- how about Survivor - Strip Poker? Instead of contestants leaving, they stay, but their clothing gets voted off the island, one article at a time.
See how strong the strongest stay without pants!
10 - Bennett
Not bad DrPat! But based on the news a week or so ago...
Heh! Oops, forgot to declare that $400k from the TV gig...
11 - teletart
I'd just like to step in and fully endorse Dr Pat's idea. Not that I have the power to fully endorse anything... but if I did, that'd be it.
12 - Steve S
1. Does bringing back two former cast members really count as two twists?
2. Does it even count as one?
Does that really count as two questions? Just kidding. (although the same applies to questions 5 and 6)
Seriously, I thought the cast members were one twist (granted, a weak one), and then the race to the better camp was another twist (another weak one).
Anyone else tired of challenges that involve boat races, shooting clay targets, obstacle courses and/or putting puzzles together?
I understand physical challenges as well as mental challenges, but yeah, the writers need to exert a little more mental challenge themselves and come up with different competitions.
A lot of people I talk with, say this season is too boring. I dunno, while it's not riveting, it sure beats crap like Everybody Loves Raymond or Ghost Whisperer.
13 - Temple A. Stark
Late notice but,
This post was chosen by the section editor as a BC pick of the week. Go HERE (link) to find out why.
And thank you
- Temple