Episodes 3-5: Weaponizing journeys: Good stories and bad luck

Survivor 48 Episodes 3-5 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: April 1, 2025

Episodes 3-5 of Survivor 48 had outcomes almost entirely dependent on a single journey. There were strong storytelling moments throughout the latter two episodes, and a big emotional moment that is what Survivor does best, but also an increasing dependence of the game itself on pure luck.

Episode 5: The unpredictability factor, or Why you don’t get cocky

Survivor 48 Episode 5 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: March 27, 2025

Damnbueno backs up last week's comparisons to Cirie with a journey through Cirie's greatest hits, then takes you through Episode 5 of Survivor 48's two challenges, big emotional moment, and last-minute Tribal Council decision-making. Did the move make sense?

Episode 4: Cirie-level manipulation

Survivor 48 Episode 4 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: March 20, 2025

The Episode 4 swap in Survivor 48 placed two allies at a numerical disadvantage on their new tribe, but as Damnbueno recaps, they used a combination of deception and idols to emerge victorious, in an episode worthy of the greats.

Episodes 2-3: Pointless

Survivor 48 Episodes 2-3 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: March 15, 2025

The lengthy Tribal Council in Episode 3 of Survivor 48 was advertised as 'historic.' And sure, it was the first time one person's vote decided who went home in Episode 3 of a season. Congrats, I guess? But I have another word for it: Pointless.

Episode 3: What did I just watch?

Survivor 48 Episode 3 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: March 13, 2025

First, a guided tour through players who played too hard, too fast, then Damnbueno gets into the stumbling, bumbling, blindfolded collisions of Episode 3 of Survivor 48. Did anyone on Vula (except Mary) play this right?

Episode 2: Big move-itis strikes again

Survivor 48 Episode 2 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: March 6, 2025

Damnbueno reacts to the many, many public idol hunts and advantages (or lost votes) in Episode 2 of Survivor 48, but mainly to an attempt to make a big move that made sense ... except for the timing.

Episode 1: Heroes vs Heroes

Survivor 48 Episode 1 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: March 1, 2025

As premieres go, Survivor 48's was solid, if a bit unspectacular. As the eighth new era premiere, most of the rough edges of the rejiggered format have now been sanded off, and it chugged along under its own power pretty well. There were some great, deeply emotional moments along the way, though.

Episode 1: First impressions can be deceiving

Survivor 48 Episode 1 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: February 27, 2025

After finally getting to see the Survivor 48 cast together and competing in the season premiere, Damnbueno finds that same pre-game impressions didn't hold once the game actually started. Who's playing too hard, too fast? Who's falling behind?

Pre-season: Two Jeremys, a Devon, and another Rome?

Survivor 48 Pre-season cast analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: February 15, 2025

As the new season approaches, Damnbueno evaluates the new Survivor 48 contestants based on their pre-game interviews, and projects how they'll fare in their tribes and in the game as a whole.

Pre-season: The best Survivor winner's moves ever

Survivor Multi-season analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: January 27, 2025

With Survivor 48 still a month away, Damnbueno has combed through all the winning games and compiled a list of the top 20 moves made by Survivor winners in their victorious seasons (plus a few from the not-so-great list). Whose move(s) will reign supreme?

Episode 14: Closing out Survivor 47

Survivor 47 Episode 14 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: December 23, 2024

Survivor 47 ended well, even if the final result seemed obvious going in, because the contestants made it a real battle, although the non-Rachel ones were unable to forestall the inevitable. A solid ending to one of the better new-era seasons. Even so, a few things could still be improved in the format. Let's discuss.

Episode 14: A fitting ending for a fitting winner

Survivor 47 Episode 14 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: December 19, 2024

Damnbueno gives his reactions to what really was the second half of the Survivor 47 finale: A single, albeit historic, immunity challenge win, the most unsatisfying fire-making challenge yet, and a seemingly tightly fought Final Tribal that delivered a (correctly) lopsided jury vote. He then asks: Who will be back for 50?

Episode 13: It's semifinale week on Survivor 47!

Survivor 47 Episode 13 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: December 15, 2024

With all the voting out complete on Survivor 47, it feels a bit weird that there's still one elimination left, plus the jury vote. Why was the season split this way? An answer that attempts to complete the season's edit puzzle.

Episode 13: An early log-on for Rachel?

Survivor 47 Episode 13 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: December 12, 2024

After an In Memoriam for Wardog's log, Damnbueno gets into the Survivor 47 semi-finale two-hour extravaganza, with a whole lot of both big and delicately balanced gameplay from Rachel: immunity wins, idol and advantage plays, surprise blindside and somewhat muted F5 exit. Who is now poised to take the million?

Episode 12: Could Andy actually win now?

Survivor 47 Episode 12 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: December 8, 2024

Sometimes a Survivor episode is so well put together, a seamless synthesis of strategy and storytelling, that everyone loves it. "Operation: Italy," Episode 12 of Survivor 47, is exactly that. A taut, perilous heist film that actually pans out, despite ridiculous odds of somebody catching on and everything falling apart.

Episode 12: They bought it!

Survivor 47 Episode 12 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: December 5, 2024

Damnbueno gives his real-time reactions to the implausibly well-executed "Operation: Italy" scheme in Survivor 47, Episode 12, as Andy finally pulls off a big move and shatters both the (one episode old) Underdogs alliance and the last remaining strong pair. How did it all go so right?

Episode 11: Rachel's big episode

Survivor 47 Episode 11 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: December 1, 2024

As Survivor 47 episodes go, Episode 11 didn't have a ton of mystery - once Rachel won the IC, it was pretty clear Kyle was headed to the jury. Despite that, there was still fun to be had, particularly from of all the places the journey. It was also an episode that dramatically raised Rachel's profile as a player.

Episode 11: Perception vs. Andy's reality

Survivor 47 Episode 11 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: November 28, 2024

Damnbueno pushes back on Andy's edit in Survivor 47, with a deep dive on the disparity between Andy's view of his own game vs. how his tribemates describe his game. Then Damnbueno runs through the extremely Rachel-centric events of Episode 11, from a fast-moving journey task to slow and patient immunity win.

Episode 10: Live by the edit, die by the edit

Survivor 47 Episode 10 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: November 23, 2024

It took five post-merge episodes to get there, but Episode 10 of Survivor 47 finally had everyone cast votes, and the biggest alliance was fractured, and the contestants also managed to dismantle an unwelcome New Era twist by collectively abandoning a nearly useless New Era trinket. Power shifting all around! (Plus how the editing shapes our view of contestants.)

Episode 10: Mid-season report card

Survivor 47 Episode 10 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: November 21, 2024

Before getting into the events of Episode 10, Damnbueno assesses the chances of winning of the final nine. Then it's off to the rice-fueled slithering races, and seeing how the numbers realign themselves as Tuku tumbles.

Episode 9: Think big, Survivor

Survivor 47 Episode 9 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: November 18, 2024

In Episode 9 of Survivor 47, a fan favorite character joined the jury after a chaotic strategic scramble. While the ending was exciting, getting there through all the production-laid hurdles was tiring, if pretty to look at. How to fix that? Read on.

Episode 9: Politely, WTF?

Survivor 47 Episode 9 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: November 14, 2024

Damnbueno tries to assign credit for the last episode's boot, then dives into the chaos of Survivor 47, Episode 9's messy Tribal. (It was Genevieve.) But was it a good move, long-term?