These days, pop culture seems to be rated in the following ways: something is “in”, it’s “five minutes ago” or it’s “out”. Many would argue that “Survivor” is definitely “out”. It’s the grandfather of reality TV. You know what? I don’t care!
This is the 20th season in the 10th year and all the players on this season’s show are people that have played the game previously. Some have played a few times. Some have won the million dollar prize. Some have met some excruciating ends to their time on the show. (Hey James, you’ve got two immunity idols, you may want to play one tonight!) The amusing (if not fascinating) element to this season’s collection is that most of the characters were so memorable and entertaining in their respective seasons, CBS brought them all back to compete in a mix this time! One team of “heroes” from seasons past, and one team of “villains”. Good vs. Evil. Sportsmanship vs. Treachery. OK, I’ll bite. It’s a fun premise, and I must admit, I’m still a sucker. It feels a bit like watching Raiders of the Lost Ark; it's a little dated, it feels like you’ve seen it all before and you have - but man, it still tickles you in all the right moments.
I’m watching tonight’s episode, and the characters are flown in by chopper to their beach in the South Pacific. Stoic host Jeff Probst stands them up, shoulder to shoulder in a cartoon-like cluster firing-line and explains to the rookie viewers why each contestant is on the tribe they’ve been assigned to. “Boston” Rob blurts out, in his now famous, sarcastic Back Bay drawl: “I’m a villain?” Classic. Love that guy.
Through the two-hour season premier, if you’ve watched the show for years, you find yourself feeling like you’re participating in some bizzaro high school class reunion. You know all the faces, you think you know all the stories, then someone walks away from the pack, the palms go up in front of mouths, and the conniving starts. It’s always a fun social experiment to see how this will all shake down and who is ultimately left standing at the end. It’s rarely who you think, and that’s a big part of the fun. This is a goofy novel that won’t let you skip to the last few pages to see how it ends; you have to sit through the whole shooting match.
Episode 1 gave us a reward challenge that featured a wrestling-rugby-type game in the sand that featured Stephenie’s shoulder popping out of place and Rupert breaking a toe. Calendar pin-up girl “Sugar” has her bikini top conveniently torn off in the tussle. Upon winning her Baywatch-audition-tape sprint to the finish-line, she turns and gives a middle-finger salute to the other team. Later on, "J.T." snapped a chicken’s neck with his bare hands. If the censors wouldn’t show us Sugar’s topless touchdown, they sure weren't going to let you see the Kentucky Fried Massacre.
It’s early. The tribes are already starting to fracture and break-up into smaller alliances. Poor Sugar - not only did she lose her top and helped lose an immunity challenge when the Heroes were so far ahead of their competitors, but she was also the first to be sent home from the game. We'll miss her tears. Heck, the teaser preview of next week’s show features Boston Rob walking in the woods and appearing to pass out! Man, don’t leave me now! We’re only one episode in! I was hoping he’d be around at least until spring break. See, now you know I’ll have to tune in next week to see what happens. And if you read to the end of this post, chances are, you probably will too.
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