Pre-season: Farmers, lawyers, sex toys, and therapists - oh my!

Survivor 51 Cast analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: September 17, 2026

Despite minimal pre-game content this season, Damnbueno once again attempts to assess the abilities of the 21 new players, and their chances of winning Survivor 51.

Pre-season: This is NOT an advantage (sometimes) - Twists, Part 2

Survivor 51 Pre-season analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: August 24, 2026

Damnbueno closes out his history of twists and advantages in Survivor with a focus on the mostly negative, disadvantageous twists that have cropped up in Survivor 35 and beyond. With the Open Era upon us, will production choose more often from their good or their evil bag of tricks?

Pre-season: Let's twist again, and again - Part 1

Survivor 51 Pre-season analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: August 17, 2026

With the dawn of the Open Era approaching, Damnbueno revisits (half of) the history of twists and advantages in Survivor. Which of these, if any, will we see again in Survivor 51 and beyond?

Episodes 13-14: Revenge, Redemption, Re-edit?

Survivor 20 Episodes 13-14 rewatch recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: August 9, 2026

S20: Heroes vs. Villains wraps up in fine form, as the final five gets whittled down to an all-time Final Three of Russell, Parvati, and Sandra, and the jury vote very much does not disappoint. But the season as a whole could still benefit from a minor editing refurbishment. Maybe for its 20th anniversary?

Episodes 11-12: Battle of the blowhards

Survivor 20 Episodes 11-12 rewatch recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: August 1, 2026

There's not a lot of elite gameplay going on in Episodes 11-12 of Heroes vs. Villains, which make up the bulk of the post-merge. The Heroes keep losing ground, although Russell pointlessly picks a fight with his own alliance, and Danielle and Amanda tussle over an idol clue. But it's fine, because at least there's more Sandra.

Episodes 8-10: Going down in Villain flames

Survivor 20 Episodes 8-10 rewatch recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: July 26, 2026

After Boston Rob's blindside in Episode 7, Heroes vs. Villains drags out the pre-merge for a couple more episodes, but that pays off with JT coming up with what the show itself trumpets as "one of the dumbest moves in Survivor history," which sets up the Villains for one of the most entertaining merge Tribal Councils in the show's entire run.

Episodes 6-7: Villains demolition

Survivor 20 Episodes 6-7 rewatch recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: July 21, 2026

As we enter Episode 6, the Heroes vs. Villains competition has been all but a blowout. Since Russell Hantz has an idol, it's time to force both tribes to vote someone out. Result: The complete collapse of the Villains tribe. Also, a plea for an editing re-do, with longer episodes?

Episodes 2-5: Now the game really begins

Survivor 20 Episodes 2-5 rewatch recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: July 17, 2026

Heroes vs. Villains chugs along a bit in its second and third episodes, with an obvious, simple majority boot from each tribe. But Episodes 4 and 5 offer an action-and-reaction pair of big game moves, powered by flip-flopping Hero JT, who manages to betray his entire tribe in the space of four days. It's a run that highlights both the edit disparities in this era and the lingering prevalence of stodgy gameplay from most of the cast.

Episode 1: Season 20 vs. season 50

Survivor 20 Episode 1 rewatch recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: July 10, 2026

With one big milestone season just aired, it's a good time to look back at the one from 16 years ago, and try to figure out why it worked so much better. That's simple: S20 mixed huge characters and players together, and watched what happened. Season 50 did everything it could to keep them apart.

Episode 13: Turning the page

Survivor 50 Episode 13 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: May 26, 2026

A final look back at Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans, an often-flawed, occasionally enjoyable season (but at least one that ended well), and its even more error-marred finale/reunion. Plus a look ahead as to what the "open era" could bring: More of the same under a different name, or actual change?

Episode 13: Happy for Aubry, meh for the finale

Survivor 50 Episode 13 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: May 21, 2026

The finale and live reunion of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans were intercut throughout the night, which rescued an otherwise unsurprising final couple of boots and jury vote. Damnbueno has the details of how that and the live reunion events went down, and some final thoughts on the season.

Episode 12: Two down, one to go

Survivor 50 Episode 12 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: May 18, 2026

After four straight weeks of major, game-disfiguring twists, Episode 12 of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans finally just let the players play. Normally, starting the actual post-merge portion of the game at final seven with just five days left to play seems like a bad idea, but we'll happily take it! And then ... in back-to-back days, we lost two of the biggest players and characters. Sigh.

Episode 12 - You say her name, you're cooked

Survivor 50 Episode 12 Power Rankings

By Ryan Kaiser | Published: May 17, 2026

It was one last run of Survivor for Cirie, and it's one last power ranking for Ryan. He looks ahead (not forward) to the depleted player pool in the finale, and projects his winner of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.