[Matthew.]

Didn’t watch this season but I see a few BBUS HG’s on twitter are raging that the returnee won

[iRyan]

I’m screaming at Sia dolling out thousands of dollars to contestants she stans again. I mean $100,000 to Devens for WHAT? I support her stanning Aurora though

[Headie]

There's 6 Ponderosa vids + Victoria/Lauren/Devens individual ponderosas as well, will watch later altho probs wont be as good as past years due to the format

Youtube video

Youtube video

Youtube video

[Macie Lightfoot]

I don't think I ever really posted my thoughts on this season because my life has been a combination of exhaustingly busy and exhaustingly disastrous lately, but this season was...... very enigmatic and mixed? I think we all went into this season having rock bottom expectations with the whole Edge of Extinction twist, and then the first few episodes were actually pretty enjoyable and the EoE twist was full of novelty and funny moments. It definitely wasn't Good Survivor, but it wasn't Bad Survivor either? But then we got to like episode 10 or 11 and everything just fell apart. Rick was shoved down our throats and would get a higher visibility than the rest of the cast put together, he'd have endless confessionals where he haughtily claimed that he was the only one PLAYING THE GAME and he WORKED HARD while everyone SLEPT and YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE despite the fact that he was a completely below average player. He was abrasive, isolated himself from any potential allies, voted incorrectly on a weekly basis, but because the show shoved him down our throats we had the Facebook audience loudly proclaiming him as the best player EVER (?!) or at least second best ever after Boston Rob (?!) It was puzzling and infuriating, especially when you couple that with the obnoxious Jury reactions including the infamous Julia twerk of 2019.

But then..... Rick lost because of the fire-making twist that was designed to give him a chance in the first place. And it was glorious??? Like, obviously Chris is such a questionable winner because he was literally voted out of the game by like Day 8 and then reentered on Day 35 or so with an Idol and endless information directly from the Jury, but he worked it to his advantage and played the heck out of the last four days. PLUS, he slayed Rick in humiliating fashion and completely broke edgic and The Game and it was just all too hilarious to me because Survivor isn't even a game you can take seriously anymore. We're fully at the point now where it's just Big Brother on an island, and if the oversized bust of Sandra Diaz-Twine in the Island of Idols preview didn't convince you of where this show currently stands, there's no point in even explaining it to you any further. There's no strategic merit in winning Survivor anymore, it's fully about if you rolled your ball into the slot in the table maze quickly enough and which hole in a tree you poked your hand into looking for an Idol.

And even when the show casts a bunch of newbies who do have strategic chops and played circles around all of the returning players, the subsequent season's theme is to have two returning players coaching the poor newbies who don't know how Survivor is played. It's comical at this point.

So overall... I'd rank this season definitely below average in the grand context of Survivor, but about average for the era we are currently in? The game is hilariously flawed and the editing makes a negative amount of sense, but there's still enough to keep me entertained from week to week except for a ****e endgame so I don't feel like I entirely wasted my time

[Joe.]

THE RIGGERY- Few quick thoughts as I watch the finale.

- 'Nice to meet you'- DAY 36- one of the most ridiculous moments on any reality tv shows EVER.

- Chris getting an idol at final 6- absolute farce.

- Devins going to get the re-supplied idol at final 5, ridiculous.

- Show has turned into a parody of itself- contestants should not 'expect' idols' to be re-supplied like stock at the mall.

- Devins is my most disliked player ever- so smug and contempt, being handed idols one after the other by production.

- Season satrted off so well, such a shame it ended awfully.

- Reem to return, was probably my favorite this season.

- I liked the edge of extinction twist BUT it should not go further than the merge episode, having the return in the last episode was RIDICULOUS!

[Headie]

https://thejuliacarter.com/2019/06/0...or-experience/

Julia spills the tea

[Headie]

Also someone said the N word twice during the show and it was covered up by production

Allegedly it was Joe as he's the only one she doesn't follow from Kama

[armand.kay]

finishing this season on now, it's honestly so ghetto idk why i'm even bothering...

[Headie]

Originally Posted by armand.kay

finishing this season on now, it's honestly so ghetto idk why i'm even bothering...

Hop aboard the Survivor SA train sis!

[reece(:]

Originally Posted by Hayden

https://thejuliacarter.com/2019/06/0...or-experience/

Julia spills the tea

I did not get a cool welcome like most did. My tribal council lasted a long time so by the time I got to Edge, everyone was asleep or did not want to talk to me. Reem was the only one who seemed interested. Luckily, I didn’t get Reemed. It was my first time meeting her, and I played no part in her being sent to Edge. So I was safe. I would be remiss if I do not mention finding a lifelong friend in Reem Daly on Edge. Reem and her family are family, and I am grateful to Edge for giving me them. That woman kept me sane, drove me crazy, made me laugh, but through everything, she maintained that I keep my positivity intact. She helped me work through demons, gave me life advice, and saw me as a person not as a competitor. She deserves all the credit in the world for trailblazing the Edge the way she did. That island was no joke dude, and she set the bar high. All hail Queen Reem.

QUEEN

[Headie]

There are only a few moments that I want to address IN the game.

First and foremost, I will call attention to the elephant in the room, RACE. No one ever wants to open the can of worms, stir the pot, and there is certainly less incentive if you find yourself in the majority. I was that person a long time ago, even though I am Black. Growing up in predominantly White communities where you are made to feel like you do not belong can indirectly teach you to silence yourself. Years ago, I made a vow to myself that I would no longer conform to be accepted by the majority, that I would be educated and informed, and I would not be silenced by anyone or myself.

I hit the Fijian sand ready to play. On the first night, I hear the word ******. Let me offer some context. The tribe was sitting around the fire playing a game where you quote a movie line, and others guess the movie. The line was “Look at that ****** on a horse.”; the movie, Django. As soon as the word hit the air, all looks either hit the floor with the quickness or subtly adjusted to me, the only Black castaway on Kama beach. Everyone shifted a little on their logs, uncomfortable to say the least. I say, “Django?” through gritted teeth. Ding, ding, ding. I win, huh? “Wow,” I thought. On day one, really? A social game, and we’re out here dropping racial slurs? Or is it okay because it was woven into a quote in a game? No one says anything, no one brings it up. Even me.

To be honest, I was shocked. If what I was feeling in that moment was reflective of the next 39 days, I was unsure if I was ready. I thought I was ready for anything… except this. I did not think I was going to have to hit the beach and fight against racism and bias. I do that enough in my daily life. Only 4% of all doctors in the United States are Black. I will be part of this statistic in a few years and have actively battled against education systems not built for me to be successful. I am biracial and have battled against the White side of my family for perpetuating racism; I lost and do not speak to many of them. I do this education and advocacy thing. But Survivor too? Damn.

There was one bright light in all of this, and his name is Ron Clark. Ron approached me a day or two later by the fire and asked me how I felt about hearing the word. I told him I was uncomfortable and annoyed, shocked that there would be such a lack of respect and awareness. I held back most of my true emotion, as it was still early on in the game. I didn’t want him to think that I was a race crusader or to see me as potentially bringing problems to the tribe. I still had a game to win. We talked, he consoled me, and told me about his students and his Black husband. I slept next to him every night moving forward – in the shelter and on Edge.

Days later, the word is said again. Same context (seems like this is a trend), quoting a South Park episode, where the Wheel of Fortune word is N*GGERS, and ******* is guessed although the correct answer is naggers. Never saw the episode, and at this point, I have no intention to. Furious is an understatement of how I was feeling in that moment. As I was about to bite whatever bullet was going to come my way and say something, Ron interjects and says, “You cannot say that word!” A villain to you, a hero to me. A weight was lifted off my shoulders as Ron, a White man, led the charge against racism in camp. I chimed in, recalling repeated instances of racial slurs and negative racial references being used at camp. The tribe ended up having a very healthy dialogue about race, each person contributing a different perspective. We talked about the Starbucks incident (which had occurred just before we left for Fiji), institutional discrimination, cultural competency training, and bias. I am not sure how much was actually absorbed, but it felt good to finally speak my peace with the support of Ron. The unfortunate reality of it is that it took Ron speaking up for the issue to be addressed. It often takes someone in the majority to support marginalized individuals in order for them to be heard and for anything to be done. It baffles me that the use of the word ****** rolled off of the tongue so easily, especially in the presence of a Black person. Was it because I was a woman? Would this person have repeatedly used this word if I was a Black male on the tribe? Whew, there are so many layers.

Of the many confessionals that I did that you at home did not get to see, this was a significant one. I was asked to do a confessional not long after the incident, and I already knew what to expect. As soon as I sat down for my confessional, I was in tears, expressing all of the emotion that I had pent up since I landed in Fiji. Not only were there only two Black castaways on season 38, we were separated, and I was the only one on my island. I was distraught, opening up about how saddening it is to have to deal with such overt racial differences during my once-in-a-lifetime Survivor experience. But worse than all of that was the fact that I had to deal with it all alone. I talked about how I could not say what I wanted to say and address the situation in the way that I would at home in the game. No one would understand, or even if they understood, it wouldn’t be a priority to them. No one but Ron even addressed what was happening. I was conflicted. Socially, I wanted to just shut down. Speak up and put a target on my back or bite my tongue in order to maneuver my way through the game without much attention? It hurt me to feel as though I was back in that place in my life where I felt so silenced, that I would choose $1 million dollars over defending myself. In that moment, I chose the game. I stand by that decision, but never again. In or out of game, you should always stand up for yourself. By the time I finished the confessional, the camera crew, who were from South Africa (one being Black), and the producer were in tears. I received an apology from production for having to deal with this and was given praises for how respectfully I handled the situation at camp. “I have had my whole life to train,” I thought to myself. Well over a one-hour confessional, and 0 seconds of it were shown. Some stories take precedent I guess, and once again, this teaching moment wasn’t worth opening that can of worms to the viewers. “Duh duh duh duh, NEWSFLASH: racism on Kama beach sparks controversial but enlightening dialogue amongst the castaways. Will never make the edit, but a great moment nonetheless, especially in today’s political climate.” I got up, stretched my legs, wiped my eyes, and walked back to camp. Smile, Julia.

I'm not surprised production covered it up, especially if it was Joe.

[Headie]

It is unfortunate that in a season with fourteen amazing new players who are all unique in their own way and all have a story, the first half of the season focused entirely on four returnee players who do not go nearly as deep in the game as the fans or production probably expected. Then, the second half of the season is focused on Rick.

CLOCKED!

[MB.]

So I was listening to an interview with Julie and her casting (hi)story is pretty wild: she made it far into the casting process for Africa (and her interview was in the same room and at the same time as Ethan's) but didn't make finals, then she went on an impromptu holiday to Spain to cheer herself up during which time she missed a call from Lynne Spillman inviting her to finals after all, then Lynne recommended that she apply for the The Amazing Race to make up for her not getting a spot on Africa, except 9/11 happened on the same day as the TAR2 finals and Julie's race partner had to go back to New York, then after about a decade Julie rediscovered Survivor and decided to stalk Lynne for four years, and then she decided to set up her Etsy shop as a last ditch effort to get on the show (knowing that she needed a more interesting selling point), at which point she finally heard back from casting

In summary, Etsy is good for helping you get on Survivor, Spanish holidays are not

edit: oh and because her maiden name was Goldsmith, she assumed for years that Kelly took her spot on Africa and held a grudge against her for it