It's time to look forward to Wednesdays again because Survivor is back! The beloved, long-running competition reality show returned on Sept. 18 with the premiere of season 47, where we get to meet a brand-new batch of 18 hopeful contestants. Each contestant believes they possess qualities that will lead to them being the last one standing, but of course, there can only be one winner. Who will walk away with $1 million at the end of this? Well, we've got a long way to go to find out!
The first episode of Survivor 47 is jam-packed with action, just like any Survivor premiere, as the contestants begin their difficult journeys out in Fiji. Host Jeff Probst returns for what's bound to be another exciting season.
WARNING: Spoilers from the Survivor 47 premiere are below.
In Survivor 47, the contestants are split into three tribes: the blue group is "Tuku," the yellow group is "Gata," and the red group is "Lavo." As the players begin to get to know each other, it doesn't take long for them to spot each other's strengths and weaknesses. It's only week one so a lot can happen, but we do know one contestant who is out of the game moving forward.
Jon gets eliminated in the Survivor 47 premiere
After Gata loses the immunity challenge, Andy tells everyone he feels like his tribe is going to send him home. He also surprises the players when he confesses he considered throwing Jon under the bus for his advantage. So what ultimately happens at the end of the Survivor 47 premiere? After some politicking and scheming, it seems like the majority of Gata is divided on whether to send Andy or Jon home.
At the tribal council in the final scene of the Survivor 47 premiere, the members of the Gata tribe open up about their experiences so far to Jeff, and unsurprisingly, it's been tough. Anika has become the apparent leader of the group, while Andy is the most insecure among his fellow tribe members.
During the vote, three members vote for Jon to be eliminated, while one votes for Anika. This means Jon is the first elimination of Survivor 47.
The challenges
As soon as the contestants are put into their tribes at the start of the episode, the action begins as they're put to the test with their very first challenge. They head closer to the jungle and see the setup right outside the trees, which Andy describes as a "gladiator's arena." Okay, maybe it's not that intense, but the first challenge of Survivor 47 definitely puts the contestants' physical and mental abilities to the test. Going in pairs, the players must crawl under a muddy net, race into the jungle, retrieve two puzzle pieces from one of the three obstacles, and successfully solve the puzzle.
Though there are three tribes, the first challenge of the season only has one winner, and those lucky contestants will receive important supplies such as a machete and map to begin working on their camp. Of course, it's a major advantage, and there's no second or third place. Although Gata gets to the final part of the challenge last, they are able to put the puzzle together the quickest, and they win the challenge. As for Tuko and Lavo, they now have to earn their supplies another way. One person per tribe will take on the next challenge, though they're not told anything about what it entails ahead of time.
Tuku chooses TK to participate in the challenge, while Lavo picks Aysha. While the two embark on the unknown, the three tribes begin setting up their camp and get to know each other. Some friendships and alliances already begin to form and we learn some of their personality traits.
Aysha and TK battle it out for the supplies, and their challenge is a race to collect keys they can find through clues on a map. The fourth and final key is in the ocean, and although it's close, TK ends up winning. He brings the supplies to the camp for Tuku.
The next challenge all 18 contestants participate in is the first immunity challenge of the season, which will see the winner and runner-up safe for the week. The challenge consists of more physical and mental tasks, seeing the players start out in the ocean on a platform, swim to a boat, paddle the boat back to shore, collect chests, and use the keys in the chest to solve a puzzle. The first-place winner receives immunity for the week, as well as a fire-building kit. The second-place winner also gets immunity for the week, along with a small tool kit.
The third-place winner isn't so lucky, of course. Gata finishes last in the immunity challenge, which means one of their members must be eliminated.
This challenge is far more difficult than the first, and the players really struggle, especially while in the water. That said, the two other tribes come out on top, with Lavo coming in first place and Tuku coming in second. During the challenge, Andy is examined by a medical professional after Jeff sees him lying on the ground. Fortunately, he's okay, and Jeff gives him a quick pep talk. Andy is certain his tribe is going to vote him out, which, understandably, upsets him. The pressure is starting to get to the players, and they've still got a long journey ahead of them.
Jon gives Survivor a shot in season 47, but unfortunately, it's not the game for him.
New episodes of Survivor 47 premiere every Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET, airing on CBS and streaming live on Paramount+. Check back with us at Surviving Tribal to read our coverage all season long!