Survivor fans are used to watching moving moments on the show. Throughout the show's 48 seasons, players have overcome incredible obstacles, formed close bonds with others, and shared their stories with audiences around the globe. Many fans have connected emotionally with those stories.
The waterworks got started early in Survivor 48. In the season premiere, Eva Erickson of the Lagi tribe connected with Joe Hunter and shared how autism has affected her. She also asked Joe to help her when the game becomes overwhelming. Joe was moved to tears in an in-the-moment interview about the situation. It's clearly the most moving moment of the season so far.
In the new episode of the On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast, Jeff Probst, Jay Wolff, and Rachel LaMont talked about the moment in the season premiere. Jeff revealed that there are even more moving moments to come from the Survivor 48 cast.
"This won't be the last time this season you cry," Jeff said. "Survivor's evolved in a lot of ways, and we talk about a lot on this podcast, but Survivor now is an intentional journey. When players leave and I say, 'somebody's going to go on a journey,' we didn't say field trip. We said 'a journey.' These words matter."
As a series, Jeff is right that Survivor has evolved in a lot of ways, and this is one of them. The type of players they are casting now are probably different than the players they used to cast, and Jeff referenced that as he continued talking about those emotional moments.
"But, the key to every season is the player who takes on that game," Jeff continued. "And, one of the biggest changes is the type of people we put on the show. Who is fitting into that tapestry? We want players who are compelling, who can tell their story, who are willing to be vulnerable, who will play to win."
I think the thing that stands out, honestly, is just how much being on the show means to these people. Eva and Joe shared this incredible moment, but we all know from watching previous seasons of the series that, if the time comes, someone might have to make a tough decision. And, that's what makes it so heartbreaking at times.
There are so many recent situations to point to that transcend the game, even in the recent seasons. In Survivor 46, Kenzie Petty helped Ben Katzman through his panic attacks and night terrors throughout the game. Charlie Davis and Maria Shrime Gonzalez seemed to be incredibly close, but then things happened in the game that spilled over into real life.
In Survivor 47, Andy Rueda had a, for lack of a better word, meltdown after the first challenge, and he grew, adapted, and overcame those fears to nearly pull off a stunning victory. If he gets to the end of that season, I don't know if anyone has a better story than him among those remaining players. Anika Dhar had one of the most stunning and heartbreaking exits in Survivor history, and it's simply because it matters so much to these players.
Even in the sneak peek for Survivor 48 episode 2, "Humble Traits," which airs on Wednesday, March 5, Mitch Guerra, who is the first Survivor player with a speech impediment, shares a moment with Jeff before the immunity challenge. CBS shared the clip before the episode.
So, get ready for even more emotional moments in Survivor 48!