Episode 14: A fitting ending for a fitting winner

Survivor 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 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 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 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 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 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?

Episode 8: Get ready to get happy

Survivor 47 Episode 8 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: November 11, 2024

Episode 8 of Survivor 47 brought back the fan-favorite auction (in new era shackles), and featured some brilliant emergent gameplay, with Rachel making use of her Shot in the Dark to assess whether she needed to play her idol. It was a struggle between tribes for dominance, and a struggle for the show to shave off some of its new era excesses.

Episode 8: When is unpredictable too predictable?

Survivor Episode 8 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: November 7, 2024

Damnbueno wades through Episode 8's auction, and finds the Survivor 47 version was very long and stubbornly retained all the same flaws found in 45's. But the post-IC maneuvering and a clever Shot in the Dark play elevated the rest of the episode.

Episode 7: Turning back time

Survivor 47 Episode 7 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: November 2, 2024

It's the merge! Everyone has purple buffs! But despite all that, Episode 7 of Survivor 47 sent the Tuku tribe back to Tribal Council, where their pre-merge power dynamics returned to control the vote. All because of a dumb twist, designed to impede the players from actually playing.

Episode 7: An unwelcome return with a championship twist

Survivor Episode 7 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: October 31, 2024

Amid minor distractions from the World Series, Damnbueno rounds the bases of Episode 7 of Survivor 47, an episode that returned the bag of rocks, random-drawn teams, and only six, er, five people voting (ugh), but at least gave Sol something fun to do, briefly.

Episode 6: Fiddling while Rome burns

Survivor 47 Episode 6 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: October 27, 2024

Survivor 47's not-quite-merge episode was enjoyable, thanks in part to almost the entire 13-member tribe being eligible to vote against and able to cast a vote. A defense of bringing that back, and a look back at the foreshadowing in the premiere.

Episode 6: Comeuppance is best served sweet

Survivor Episode 6 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: October 24, 2024

Damnbueno is here for the fireworks of Episode 6's almost-normal merge, with advantages and feasts and burning amulets and one big-talking player finally reaching the end of his soliloquy.

Episode 5: Pay attention to this twist, not that one

Survivor 47 Episode 5 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: October 20, 2024

Survivor 47 trotted out some pretty heavy-handed misdirection with its Episode 5-opening twist (two teams, not two tribes), but it mostly turned out for the best, as seven castaways were allowed to mingle and chat while eating exactly one hot dog apiece. Better than having their votes yanked away, at least.

Episode 5: A nice twist for a change

Survivor Episode 5 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: October 17, 2024

First, a detour through past challenge-throwing attempts, then Damnbueno evaluates the big twist of Survivor 47, Episode 5, and how the contestants handled it, plus Gata's big (non-thrown) challenge loss and final pre-merge boot decision.

Episode 4: Collusions of grandeur

Survivor 47 Episode 4 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: October 13, 2024

The fourth episode of Survivor 47 delivered just the right blend of cringe comedy and strategic maneuvering, as multiple contestants overestimated their abilities, while one previously hidden player emerged to seize control of the vote.

Episode 4: Shameless self-promotion ... perhaps

Survivor Episode 4 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: October 10, 2024

After another immunity loss (and another lost vote) in Episode 4 of Survivor 47, things get chaotic at Lavo, and Damnbueno evaluates the strategic implications of Genevieve's big move. Was it the right one?