Survivor 41: The big takeaways from the Survivor season 41 premiere

Well, Survivor fans, the time has arrived, one of the most anticipated seasons of Survivor has begun.

The season premiere of Survivor 41 kicked off Sept. 22, so my fellow Survivor fans let us not wait any longer let’s get this review started with the biggest takeaways from last night’s episode and yes, the tribe once again has spoken.

Did the Survivor 41 cast lack a wow factor in the premiere?

First, is it just me or did any of the players not stand out or not have that “WOW” factor?  In previous seasons there was always someone right from the get-go that stood out among the rest. You either loved them or hated them, but you wanted more of them, such as Boston Rob, Russell, Pavortti, Jerri, Sandra, Tony, Ruppert, etc. You get my drift, right?

I just feel like no one really wowed me this week, maybe my expectations were set too high from the excitement and the hype of the “most anticipated” season premiere ever! Setting that bar high was natural because this is Survivor and we all love and expect great things from our favorite show!

Survivor 41 premiere lacked gamesmanship

Is it just me, or was there not enough gamesmanship in the Survivor 41 premiere? What I mean by that is they really didn’t show a lot of the mental and social game aspects of Survivor, which we are accustomed to seeing.

Sure, we saw some discussions and conversations, but remember in the past they showed a lot of the actual gameplay, and, for me, the strategy/social game is the best part of Survivor. The conversations and heated discussions, talking strategy, forming alliances, and so on are all about the “head” game which is just as important as the “physical” game if not more so and I wanted more!

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That to me is what makes the game so great, so compelling and so addictive! The mantra of is “Outwit, Outlast and Outplay” in every aspect and, to me, there wasn’t a lot of that going on in the premiere.

It may have been the accelerated pace creating confusing and hard to follow challenge details. It may have been the numerous changes in the game. It very well could have been the hype that went along with the long-awaited season that left me a little disappointed. The one thing is for sure I’m not throwing in the towel yet, I will be dead center in front of my screen next week hoping for what I crave, character development and good old fashion classic gameplay!

Survivor 41 brings an unexpected change

Lastly,  is it just me or did Survivor make a decision to brew up a storm to outdo even the fiercest forecast Fiji could muster?

It seems the social climate of the world today is dictating 20 plus years of traditional, classic, and familiar game phrases generations of fans love and adore. I have no problem with social awareness, none at all, but for Jeff Probst to change a catchphrase that is forever tied to Survivor is just plain wrong and totally unnecessary.

The phrase “Come On In Guys” means only one thing, “Come On In Player’s.” So now Probst will instead say “Come On In”,  it kind of sounds like a phrase from an old game show The Price Is Right,  “Come On Down”! I mean, come on man!

I am not sure the true reason for the change I just hope it doesn’t set a precedent for the future and ruin our beloved game!

On the positive side of things, there was an awesome immunity challenge and it really showed the true spirit of Survivor as LUVU came back from a major mistake to win the challenge and survive elimination on Day 3.

UA was in the driver’s seat during the challenge, but made a huge mental error and did not empty all of their puzzle pieces, which allowed LUVU to come from behind and win the challenge.

Now moving on to the two tribal councils. You have a blindside on one side and a semi meltdown on the other side. What Survivor fan doesn’t love to see that?

Yase Tribe claimed its first victim in voting off Abraham, which was a classic blindside!  The blindside has become a stalwart in tribal councils and it was awesome to see this shock and awe blindside.  But, was it smart to vote off a strong player right off the bat?  Time will tell,  all in all, it was a perfectly executed blindside.

It was the UA Tribe’s turn for their tribal council. This one was a big surprise, as the tribe basically pulled the kumbaya card and it was looking like it would be a noneventful tribal council, and then the meltdown began,  that kumbaya moment didn’t last very long at all!  The first victim for the UA Tribe was Sarah in a semi-dysfunctional tribal council.  What Survivor fan doesn’t love a little chaos among friends.

So, my takeaway is that CBS is trying to balance keeping things the same for the old school Survivor fans like myself, but also trying to incorporate new ideas for a younger more modern follower.

Before the season started I was one of those old school Survivor fans, that hoped they would not try to change things too much, because it could really affect the game I’ve come to know and love.

So far, I am liking and enjoying the game changes. I’m hoping and counting on the creators of Survivor to keep the foundation of the game traditionally strong so it can weather any storm and withstand any climate and remain my favorite show!