Survivor 50 Ought to Have Been Landmark Tv – Here is Why It Completely Stinks

It is not a very good signal for the legacy of “Survivor 50,” the landmark season of the long-running actuality TV competitors, that host and showrunner Jeff Probst straight-up spoiling the end result of a pivotal problem through the finale proved to be probably the most thrilling moments of that total season. It did not should be this manner, however Probst — or, because the eventual runner-up of the season insisted on calling the man, “Mr. Jeff” — and, I suppose, his fellow producers botched what actually ought to have been an unbelievable season of actuality tv. So what occurred? 

I am right here to carry out an post-mortem of kinds on how and why “Survivor 50” went from thrilling to exasperating throughout 13 episodes and some months, so first, let me present a little bit context. “Survivor 50,” subtitled “Within the Arms of the Followers” (a deceptive subtitle if I’ve ever heard one!), is the sixth-ever season to function solely returning gamers competing for the title of Sole Survivor and a money prize. (That money prize is, normally, $1 million; it was $2 million this time, and there is a actually silly purpose why. Put a pin in that.) After unbelievable returnee seasons like Season 20, “Heroes vs. Villains,” and fewer thrilling installments like “Sport Changers” (Season 34) and “Winners at Warfare” (Season 40), expectations have been very excessive for “Survivor 50.” 

As you might have gathered, I do not assume “Survivor 50” succeeded, and I additionally do not assume I am alone in feeling that manner. From Probst’s relentless meddling to nonsensical twists to a handful of genuinely painful celeb cameos, this is the place “Survivor 50” went mistaken.

The demise of “Survivor 50” stings for a variety of causes, particularly as a result of the premiere confirmed some severe promise for the season to return. Sadly, the season not often reached the highs of that first episode, and something that did work through the season was truly regardless of Jeff Probst, not due to it.

Whereas some gamers repeated historical past in good and unhealthy methods — Lusth and Flippen each received voted out in ways in which felt all too acquainted, whereas Fields, one of many present’s most beloved and iconic gamers, deployed a very masterful benefit play to avoid wasting herself earlier than sadly being despatched residence within the following episode — Probst was doing his very best to guarantee that “Survivor 50” felt like a gimmick relatively than an ode to 25 years of the long-running present. As a substitute of letting crafty strategists like Fields and problem beasts like Lusth, Joe Hunter, and Jonathan Younger exhibit the skills that received them invited again to play “Survivor 50” within the first place, we received to observe Zac Brown go spear-fishing for like, 20 full minutes. Billie Eilish, who could or could not have ever seen “Survivor” based mostly on a baffling assertion she stated about how a lot “math” is concerned with the present, received a “Boomerang Idol” that completed little to nothing, Jimmy Fallon “designed” a problem that pressured Christian Hubicki to vote for himself after shedding, and Mr. Beast received Rick Devens to flip a magical coin that elevated the prize pot to $2 million. This was all … insufferable to witness.

I do not even have the time or bandwidth to get into the entire irritating, overwrought twists — and the harm is completed. So how did it wrap up? Badly!

I really feel like a little bit little bit of a jerk saying this, however in truth, Aubry Bracco because the winner of “Survivor 50” type of sucks. We barely heard from her throughout a few of the season’s earlier episodes — it is no secret that the modifying by “Survivor 50” felt wildly lopsided and let loads of contestants fall by the wayside — and received manner an excessive amount of of her in direction of the tip as she instructed that the tribe oust Cirie Fields within the season’s penultimate episode. (Jeff Probst ought to write Fields a $2 million examine for her bother. He can afford it.) Nonetheless, Bracco was the absolute best choice, as a result of the ultimate three of “Survivor 50” have been flat-out horrible.

Bracco, who first competed on the present’s thirty second season, was the elder statesman in comparison with Joe Hunter and Jonathan Younger — in all probability her largest promoting level as a winner. Add in that Hunter barely even performed “Survivor” as a consequence of some bizarre beliefs about being “honorable” and that Jonathan had a depressing social recreation, and it is very easy to see how Bracco sailed to victory. (A giant spotlight of the “Survivor 50” finale, although, was Fields revealing that everybody needed to babysit Hunter earlier than every vote to get him to make the selection they needed, referring to this presumably depressing gig as a “Joetation.” She is ideal.)

Nonetheless, by any metric for a “Survivor” fan, Bracco, who received $2 million and a automobile for being the least unlikable individual within the remaining three, is a disappointing winner in a disappointing season. Sadly, “Survivor 51” will function much more twists and looks like extra Probst nonsense. Go stream previous seasons of “Survivor” on Paramount+ if you wish to watch one thing good.