Survivor Season 50 (2026)

[Timewalker]

And... we're nearly out of sleeps! The 3-hour premiere is tonight (as I mentioned in the previous thread, I'm gonna need extra pizza for this).

I found a website with a list and photos of the cast: Survivor 50 cast

Any favorites off the bat? Predictions? People you don't want to win?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I enjoyed the premiere.

Spoiler: First episode

Although it sucked that Kyle went home that way, he was playing one of the best games so far.

I would have liked to see Jenna longer but she made her own bed, just throwing out names without understanding the relationships first.

Right now I think I'm pulling for the Colby/Stephanie/Genevieve alliance and the Christian/Devens/Emily nerd alliance. But I don't have anyone I'm really rooting against, anyone I didn't like the first time is more likable so far this time like Q.

Colby seems to be playing a dominant social game so far. Everybody has bonded with him. I think Aubry's the most in trouble, and so is Savannah.

Joe I think might not last as long because he's going to have trouble with the more vicious play this season, and Chrissy also seems to be on the hit list.

 

[Timewalker]

Christian/Devens/Emily nerd alliance

I like all three of those. I actually named a character in one of my stories after Devens (female cook/housekeeper in a medieval castle; changed the name slightly so she became "Mrs Devensy").

Is Emily wearing the same top she wore in her previous season? How on earth would she have had anything left that wasn't ripped to shreds or so dirty that it would have been unsalvageable?

Yep, Jenna really blew it. Not that I don't want to see Cirie go as fast as possible. This was just the wrong way to do it.

Opinions about Coach? He's still got that "Dragonslayer" thing going, but seems to have acquired a lot of self-awareness over the years. I'd still like to see him win, or at least be in the top 3.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I think it's going to be hard for Coach to recover from Keygate. I don't think he did anything wrong, he made no promises that whoever knocked it off got to keep it. But perception is reality in Survivor and he lost a lot of stock.

Spoiler: This week

I was kind of hoping Joe would go but I don't mind losing Savannah. I respect Cirie's gameplay for deflecting the heat off Ozzy. I liked Joe in season 48 but he's coming off as self righteous here, not willing to work with anyone except a straightforward down the line alliance.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I've also been watching through season 40 right now and I almost forgot just how one sidedly the 'old school' players got voted out immediately. I'm currently watching the challenge for the eliminated players to get in at the merge. I remember Natalie won the one to get in later but I forget completely who won this one. But whoever gets in they will be the only player left whose first season was before 20.

It's looking in season 50 so far like it might break that pattern with Colby, Coach and Ozzy being in positions of power. But you kind of wonder if this season will turn out that way too.

From what I've watched lately I'm starting to feel like Survivor gameplay peaked in the 3X seasons.

 

[Timewalker]

Coach's view of honor and others' view of it are evidently different things. But while Coach wasn't nice about what he did, he wasn't actually wrong to do it. No promise was made by him, so he wasn't obligated to keep someone else's promise. No matter how dismissively Ozzy treated him about it.

I didn't like Savannah in Season 49 and I'm glad she's gone. If I were there, I'd have voted for her simply due to that massive verbal wall of text she kept spewing.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

So I can't put a finger on Emily's game at all.

On one hand, she was dumb to divulge all the information about the Aubry idol. On the other hand, I have no idea how the hell she managed to convince Ozzy to vote Q. At the start of the episode I was thinking Q was playing a great game, I was a little surprised how fast it turned against him, but I guess he lost it by reading Emily wrong and overplaying his hand.

Emily is a very emotional player but it might be a smart move for her to keep Christian trusting her as he's a power player that could take her a long way and then take the hit for her. She's not a deliberate player but she might just be in position to get deep in the game through her ability to make people trust her.

 

[Timewalker]

As I recall, I detested Emily for much of her last time on the show, and she managed to turn that around by getting a much-needed ice-water bath of self-awareness. It looks like she panicked because Christian didn't have time to tell her everything about Aubry's idol and get her fully on the alliance's side.

So far the people I want to win include Christian and Charlie. Coach, as well, though that's probably a long shot.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I liked Charlie the first season but he's starting to make me not root for him this one. Just how bitter he is about Maria and how petty he was turning against Rizo for making a similar vote. He's bringing his personal grudges into the game and I don't like that.

Right now I'm rooting most for Christian, Devens, Colby, Genevieve, Kamila.

 

[Timewalker]

I'd forgotten about Devens. I'd be fine with him winning. I wonder how long it's going to take for someone to find that fake idol he planted.

 

[Timewalker]

Could someone please enlighten me about this Zac Brown person and what's so special about him? I honestly was not remotely blown away by his mini-performance.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I used to frequent a bar down the street from Fenway Park and I was keenly aware when he was playing there cause a country music crowd would mob the place after. I've never heard his music but apparently he's popular.

I liked the way they edited the episode telling the story of why Mike went home.

 

[Timewalker]

Yeah, it's best when it doesn't seem to come out of nowhere and leave the viewers wondering. I did like him, and he seems to be a good sport about it.

Mind you, from what I've heard, he's already wealthy and doesn't need the money. He's only doing these for fun.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Oh yup, White Lotus is a great show. If I met him I would pepper him with White Lotus questions until he got annoyed with me.

I'm currently in season 41 in my re-watching. This is the first season since 30 I have no idea who won. There's a bunch of people I know didn't win, like I'm pretty sure Shan was 8th and Ricard was 5th, I know Cydney and Danny from Challenge and I don't think either of them won. And a couple others I'm 90% sure didn't win. But nobody I remember as winning.

Whereas I think even though the other seasons in the 40s weren't super memorable I'll recognize the winner immediately. Literally the only other season I didn't remember who won right away was 30.

 

[Timewalker]

I don't remember who most of the winners were. For that matter I don't even remember some of the people who are in this current season.

That's the problem when they start casting model-types or people who look too much alike. It takes weeks for me to match names and faces, and unless they stand out in some way, chances are that I'll forget them 10 minutes after the finale/after show are over.

Such is life without access to a channel or service where I can rewatch the entire series.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

For me the problem with current casting is more they have less diversity of personality types. They are casting a lot of podcaster personalities, who feel like they're there to promote themselves and gain clout and not just be themselves and play the game.

And a lot more emotionally fragile people who break down from basic competition stress, almost like they're going explicitly for those 'Heartwarming' moments Jeff loves so much. Less self confident strategically oriented people.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Spoiler: This week

So as you know I'm rooting for Christian. I was 90% sure he was going home today. I was pleasantly surprised he did not, because Angelina is a nothing player.

I'm also impressed with Rizo pulling himself out of the fire convincing three players. And with Coach for how many trusted alliances he's managed to build.

 

[Timewalker]

^I agree with everything you've said. I'll have more to say later.

 

[Evil Robert]

So I can't put a finger on Emily's game at all.

Emily is an agent of chaos.

Her first season fandom loved her for the whiplash she caused going 180 from most hated to beloved in the space of... 3 episodes?

It was never for her gameplay.

She made one good move in 45 (in getting out Bruce) and proceeded to put foot in mouth straight away by bragging enough to get on Dee and Julie's radar.

She is entertaining as heck, but her gameplay has always been fairly sloppy and chaotic.

And I say this as a big fan of hers!

I will admit she has plenty of 'what if we do this' moments that we as fans love to hear (even if that would make little sense on the island itself).

 

[Timewalker]

So as you know I'm rooting for Christian. I was 90% sure he was going home today. I was pleasantly surprised he did not, because Angelina is a nothing player.

I'm also impressed with Rizo pulling himself out of the fire convincing three players. And with Coach for how many trusted alliances he's managed to build.

(Taking the spoiler code off, since we're past the 24-hour no-spoilers mark.)

I would have been unhappy to see Christian voted out. I hope he gets his Shot in the Dark back from Ozzy. That can't have been a permanent arrangement.

I didn't even remember Angelina. She's an example of one of those players who looks like half a dozen other people and I'm not good with matching names and faces when there are too many similar ones.

Rizo is like controlled chaos, and has the advantage in that none of the other players know how much controlled chaos he's capable of.

I'm not happy about Charlie going. But he got an idea stuck in his head and couldn't shake it loose. And now that I've seen his exit interview on the RHAP channel on YT, it turns out that he was lied to anyway. At least he's not bitter about it.

I like that Coach is just slightly over the top this time, rather than all the way over the top. Going by voice tone and body language, I have a suspicion that the guys he gave nicknames to may just be humoring him, rather than being truly honored. That said, I have come to like Coach and hope he ends up as one of the finalists.

And what did everyone here think of Jeff's skills at doing impressions of the various cast members? I thought he did really well!

At this point I'm going to ask who Billie Eilish is. Obviously this is another pop culture icon I've never heard of.