I have watched every season of Survivor. Not just what’s in the U.S, but also Australian Survivor, New Zealand, South Africa. It’s a family thing for me, a standing dinner date with my sister.

No BS Review. Survivor, season 39. Island of the Idols.

I have a simple rating system: DON’T SEE IT, SEE IT, WHATEV.

Over the last few seasons of the show, the exit interviews from blogs, media outlets and podcasts have turned towards the show adding social elements that are outside of its history. Contestants expressed that women, minorities, LGBTQ were being abused in a producer type of way. Not enough airtime, editing that didn’t fairly tell their ‘story’, women noting they found statistically fewer idols.

The previews of this season inferred that this was going to remedy that. And here we are. From the first episode, the intent was clear.

The male characters were selected so as to not be a threat, physically or in social game play. They are clunky, disagreeable. Not the type that can be endured for 39 days. They are easy cast outs.

One male player feels that “doo rag” a common name, and a trademark given to a head covering worn by many folks such as bikers, athletes and Black people, is a racially charged term, and he seized upon this to lecture a vulnerable young male white player. Doo rag ain’t offensive. he should seek counseling.

The women discovered the producers intended game play, a convenient ‘kind of’ all girls alliance. Its opportunistic, not a strategy, it was handed to them.

To address idol finding injustice, idols are now given out, dispensed.. Only one player who visited the magical island of the idols walked away empty-handed of an immunity or an advantage. “If you don’t want to look for them, here ya go”.

The challenges also are easy, meant to negate a strong physical player either female or male or any other iteration. These are not ‘survivor’ challenges, they are company team building exercises.

The women are mostly meh players, a few standouts in a very weak pool.

Each episode, up to number 8 where the season is now, has incorporated a social ‘teaching’ moment, gay, Black, women, all edited onto a soapbox.

Survivor is/was a game of outplay, outwit, outlast. And now, outgrievance. Middle class people competing for who has been societally abused the most has never been a part of Survivor. Now it is.

I can endure all that if it was a good season, but it’s not. It’s been carefully managed in a way to produce ‘moments’ and then beat a viewer over the head with them, and the players are so bad, it makes it more aggravating.

The fabled Island of  the Idols is the residence of Sandra and Boston Rob, both of whom try and fake the season into something riveting, they fail. How do they stay so fat. Its survivor, they aren’t playing, they shouldn’t be there. But, as the cast is weak, they need the boost

So, my review, hard to type cos I’m a superfan, but…
DON’T SEE IT