Having 18 castaways stranded on an island without technology will undoubtedly lead straight to drama, excitement and misunderstandings. Survivor 47 doesn’t disappoint.
Survivor 47 continues with 90-minute episodes, and there should be no change to this. It’s a great way to expand on what the players are going through and acting on. For each episode, there must be more than 24 hours worth of footage. That means viewers miss a lot of what the castaways go through and only see the notable moments. So, the additional 30 minutes – compared to one-hour episodes in older seasons – is an added benefit to understanding more of what’s happening.
However, there’s still a drawback. Seeing more interactions but not seeing some of the best parts of their days isn’t the way the 90 minutes should be completely filled. Some of the additional time being filled with how cast members interact with one another is the way it should be. However, as revealed in On Fire with Jeff Probst: The Official Survivor Podcast, the challenge in episode six had the teams choose their spots for the challenge – but this process wasn’t shown in the episode.
The challenges that lead to someone being voted out make Survivor better than all the game shows, reality television shows, and other reality competition television series. The challenges show weaknesses and strengths drawn out. When a team loses, it can make those players emotional on a whole different level. In contrast, those who win can feel carefree for the night. The challenges push players to their limits, and any chance to see additional moments of the buildup to this should be shown.
There’s been snippets of showing teams choosing their spots in past seasons, and it adds a layer of complexity to the show. Plus, it can show players start their demise from the choices made, or it’ll show how they’ll come on top and win.
This specific challenge led to the end of Rome Cooney, who was originally from the Lavo tribe. He got put in the last part of the challenge. where he needed to work with a teammate to solve a maze with obstacles. Once again, this time in episode six, Rome didn’t have a strong finish and thus didn’t receive a shot to fight for immunity — safety to prevent being voted out of the game.
However, even though it’s his last tribal council, where one competitor gets eliminated from the show, Rome made some history. Survivor host, Jeff Probst, lets Rome take over his seat during tribal council, where Probst leads and mediates each tribal. Because everyone agreed to vote Rome out before tribal, it’s obvious it was going to be him. But giving the boastful Rome another moment to shine is the best way to go out. He may not have won, or made the jury to vote for the winner, but Rome will still always be the contestant who got to lead a tribal council for a few moments.
Earlier in the season, one castaway did the unthinkable. Andy Rueda from the Gata tribe found a Beware Advantage that without a doubt would lead to an idol and give him immunity during a tribal council. But for some reason, he put it back. For the first time in Survivor history, a player didn’t take the Beware Advantage. This is among the most shocking Season 47 twists. And, of course, someone else in the tribe found it and didn’t hesitate to take it. So, when Andy returns to see if it’s still there, it’s gone. Thankfully for him, he didn’t end up needing it and survived multiple tribal councils. But the question must be asked: why on Earth would any player not take some type of advantage in a game where they’re seen as a loose cannon?
Speaking of idols, this season is full of knowledge being shared among everyone. When a player from each tribe returns to camp after a journey, where three competitors go to another island and see if they can get an advantage, two of them tell their entire camp everything. That includes having an advantage. The castaways either 100% trust everyone on their tribe (which is doubtful) or they’ve never seen a season of Survivor before. The majority of people only tell a small handful of others on their team, but this season is full of surprises.
It also contains a lighthearted side on top of the competitiveness. This season of castaways finds a way to put having fun and enjoying their time possibly on top of having the game come first. Now, don’t let that fool you – these players constantly are on edge and talk about game strategy. However, viewers get to see the other side of each person.
This season’s version of the merge reflects the happy-go-lucky vibe from the players. Before each tribe merges into one giant tribe to start the individual portion of the game, they are placed on a beach together. On the beach, there’s a sign that says there’s an advantage, but a lot of them simply connect and grow bonds with one another — another huge aspect of the game. After tribal council is when the players are completely merged, and it’s time for individuals to start showing their true alliances and strengths.
In the next half of this season, let’s hope fans will see the other side of Probst – his sassy side. In the earlier seasons, Probst had a remark for everything. Then, for a little while, he mellowed out, but in some of the new era seasons, he has made a comeback. If it stays on the incline, Season 48 may be able to top the current season.
Additional drama will unfold in Survivor 47 episode seven and beyond, from secrets being figured out, with them hopefully being spread to cause some chaos. After all, how else will they choose who to align themselves with and vote someone out?
