If one thing is true about Survivor 48, it's that there has been a lot of talk about what is considered poor or bad gameplay this season. While I don't necessarily subscribe to that idea, Survivor 48 is definitely a season of fewer post-merge blindsides and players identifying moves and then choosing the perceived "safer" options at Tribal Council. It's opened this group of players up to a lot of criticism from fans and even death threats, according to Survivor 48 player Mary Zheng.
In a new interview with The New York Post, Mary, who was just voted out of Survivor 48 in episode 11, revealed some Survivor 48 players while the season has aired. Mary defended her fellow Survivor 48 players and explained that everyone was trying their best to play the game.
Here's what she told The New York Post:
“When you’re watching a show, you wanna be entertained, right? But when you’re playing the game, you wanna feel safe, you wanna feel seen and you wanna win. And those are two completely different objectives. I think everybody brings into the game everything from their past. Their strengths, their traumas, their egos. Everyone is literally playing the best that they can. Nobody should be getting death threats.”
It's abhorrent that we, as a society, continue to harass and abuse people online. These players, for the most part, are simply competing on a reality TV show to win $1 million to help their families. We just saw at the Tribal Council where Mary was voted out that these players all have a very important reason they are trying to win the game and money.
Mary also revealed that she had not received any death threats and didn't hold any ill will for how anyone played on her season. Here's what she told The New York Post:
"Everybody was playing for the first time, and everybody was just trying to make the moves that they thought were best for them. And I don’t want anybody to think that I’m holding anything against anyone for the way that they played. Everyone’s just out there trying their best.”
Some of the criticism of the Survivor 48 players has definitely crossed the line. These players left their families and lives for a period of time to be incredibly vulnerable on an island where they are followed around for 24 hours with cameras. They barely have any food. They barely sleep. It's a hard game. Plus, they have no control over what actually makes it on TV. That's chosen by storytellers who work for production companies and a TV network. If you feel so compelled to be angry about it, well, there are lots of places to seek help!
There are a lot of emotions hanging in the balance, and sometimes, those emotions get in the way of making "good" moves in the game, which is something that seems like we've seen in Survivor 48 so far. But, even what's considered good gameplay isn't the same for everyone. That's the whole point of the show. Different people from different places and with different experiences have to decide who wins based on a different set of criteria. This is a game, and if you can't understand that, you're missing the point every single week when you watch these episodes.
Someone is going to win Survivor 48, and they will be a very deserving winner. The end.
Find out who makes the Final Four and who wins Survivor 48 during the season finale on Wednesday, May 21, on CBS and Paramount+.