Outwit Outplay Outlast

Survivor is hit or miss for me. It depends on the edit of the first episode and if I find someone interesting. I don’t often find someone interesting in that first episode. I might go back and try a re-watch but more often than not I just wait until the next season. I don’t often watch a season in real time but this year I am and I love it. I am in the minority though – insert shocked face.

The complaints are that the season is boring. I can see why others think that, but since I am invested in people still remaining I don’t see it quite that way.

From episode 1 I wanted to root for Sai and for Joe. I figured both would bounce earlier than they did but each was a character that was attractive to me. Sai as a Philly girl, that was a no brainer. I would later find out that Mary is a current Philly resident but that is a later conversation. Joe is from Sacramento and I have a new-ish West Coast pride. He’s also kinda cute.

The early episodes to me were fun. There was 1 tribe who was a ‘super’ tribe and dominated. There was another who could not hit a win from a wet paper bag. When you run into those moments you can either tap out or become invested in the people. I chose to tap into the people and people are rarely boring.

How can you not enjoy watching Cedric, be the worst person besides possibly yourself at challenges and still last week to week? How could you now watch him vote out his entire tribe and not go how Sway? There was Sai terrorizing Mary. While I am not an advocate for terror, this particular edit worked. I mean the rest of the edits of the season kind of are meh – but the Sai/Mary story carried those first episodes.

There is the Joe and Eva alliance which brought me to tears. Actual tears y’all. There is the secondary rooting for Eva after her diagnosis revelation.

The people of this season work. Not David and his ‘strong’ alliance banter but rather production’s decision to display him as the less than he actually is vs who he wishes that we might view him to be.

While I mostly rooted for Joe from the beginning as the weeks go on he earns even more respect from me. I want him to win. He might not but I am Team Joe until they snuff the torch. I enjoy watching Kyle and Kamila even if I am weary of hearing them talk about the secret alliance that is not that secret.

What I think is boring about this season to some is watching 1 player – Joe – dominate physically and socially. My other favorite season was the Boston Rob win. In that season guess what…1 player dominated physically and socially. Is the issue that Joe is Black? I mean there are some who say they didn’t realize he was mixed race until the on screen reveal but to the coloreds we were able to tell our own.

I hear talk about Eva being cold or a bitch. I have to wonder if these people have friends or family on the spectrum.

I like this season. #shrug

Happy Mother’s Day if you celebrate