Given that Survivor has been on the air for over 20 years, it’s understandable that not every season is going to be top-notch. While you have some seasons with interesting contestants and exceptional gameplay (we’re looking at you, Survivor: Cambodia), there are certainly those seasons in which the players seem to be asleep and the gameplay falls flat (sorry, Survivor: Redemption Island). Well, according to the show’s host, Jeff Probst, Season 44 will right the wrongs of past duds.
Jeff spoke for all of us when he explained that the casting process has needed more attention in recent years, and Season 44 rectifies that. Probst has said, “Here’s the truth about Survivor — great players make for great seasons. It’s really that simple. I think we got it right this time!” Given that the show’s production company has recently pledged to be more diverse in their casting, we trust that this season’s contestants will be more representative of the population watching.
One of the issues in previous seasons was contestants would save their big moves until the end, leaving audiences bored while the first half of the season lacked gameplay. Jeff feels that the twists implemented in Season 44 will force players to make bigger moves earlier on. “You cannot play to not lose, you have to play to win. If that means using an idol or Shot in the Dark earlier than you thought, then that is what you must do. The key to the game is you have to survive the vote. If you can do that, then anything can happen when you return to camp.”
At the time of writing, only one episode of Survivor’s 44th season has aired, and medical has already needed to be called in twice! Whether the changes made to the show will be good or bad is yet to be seen. One thing’s for sure, though — we’re certainly off to a wild start!