Survivor Needs to Bring Back the Villains

"My new rule is that if you hear the word "strong" after a tribe name, it's going to be a boring season, and Survivor 49 has become as predictable as Jeff Probst's wardrobe choices. It started with the decimation of Kele, the weakest of the three tribes. Ever since, the two remaining Kele members have been floating under the radar (paging the Tika Three) while the two dominant tribes take shots at each other."

"Episode five was the worst, with the Uli majority pretending to debate whether they'd vote out Jason Treul, the only remaining old Hina, or turn on their own and get rid of Jawan Pitts, who annoys the hell out of Savannah Louie. Of course they didn't. Of course they stayed Uli strong. Of course they played the safest game possible and booted Jason."

"Whenever there is anything wrong with a reality show, it's usually down to casting, and that's what's happening here. Probst said last year that he doesn't want to cast villains anymore. He wants to focus on the fun aspects of the game, casting superfans who've been watching the show their whole lives and dream of playing. It's the talking-about-how-much-this-means-to-you-and-your-father-who-is-going-blind era. Probst said, "By merely changing the type of twists we put into the game, we can create negativity." But production isn't doing that."

Survivor 49 opened with Kele's decimation, leaving two Kele members marginalized while two dominant tribes drove the narrative. Tribe swaps failed to prevent a Hina-versus-Uli storyline from dominating episodes. Episode five showed the Uli majority feigning debate over eliminating Jason Treul or Jawan Pitts, then choosing the safe option and voting out Jason. Savannah appears inclined to shake up the game, but surrounding players consistently favor alliance-safe, conservative moves. Casting decisions emphasize superfans and emotional personal stories over villainous, confrontational competitors. Production choices and twist implementation have not produced the intended unpredictability or conflict.

Read at Vulture