Pre-season: Survivor 50 cast preview, Part 3: The New Erans

Survivor 50 Pre-season cast analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: July 21, 2025

Twelve players down, twelve (er, ten) to go! It's the final installment of Damnbueno's voluminous Survivor 50 cast preview as we go through the many, many New Era players (minus the two whose games we have yet to see).

Pre-season: Survivor 50 cast preview, Part 2: The thirties

Survivor 50 Pre-season cast analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: July 15, 2025

Damnbueno returns to his Survivor 50 previewing with the second group of contestants, chronologically, those who first appeared in seasons 35-38. Or the non-New Era players who have only played once before.

Pre-season: All hail the new Survivor record holders?

Survivor 50 Pre-season analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: July 8, 2025

Survivor 50 marks the first all-star season since S40: Winners at War, and the nine-season gap between the two is the longest without returning players in the show's history. That means it's finally time to dust off the old career Survivor record books (er, web pages), because there is finally a reasonable chance some may be broken. Which titles are most likely to change hands? Read on.

Pre-season: Survivor 50 cast preview, Part 1: The returning returnees

Survivor 50 Pre-season cast analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: July 7, 2025

It's done filming and won't air until 2026, but Damnbueno is already recapping Survivor 50! In this case, he's reviewing the previous games of the first group of contestants, chronologically - those who first appeared in seasons 1-32, all of who have already played Survivor at least twice. These are the returning returnees.

Episode 13: Survivor 48 has ended, long live Survivor 48

Survivor 48 Episode 12 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: May 28, 2025

With the Survivor 48 finale in the rear-view mirror and the Survivor 50 cast just announced, it's a good time to take a final look back at 48, especially in light of the new information we've received since it aired: the exit interviews with the Final Five, and the news of the S50: In the Hands of the Fans cast.

Episode 13: Going out with a fizzle

Survivor 48 Episode 13 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: May 22, 2025

Survivor 48 has crowned its winner, and Damnbueno takes us through all the unnecessary advantage hunts, idol plays, and firemaking drudgery of the season finale, culminating in an ultimately game-reaffirming jury decision, maybe with a slight jury assist. And with that out of the way, on to 49!

Episode 12: Heading to the exit

Survivor 48 Episode 12 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: May 19, 2025

Survivor 48 is almost done, with just two challenges, one vote-out, and the jury vote left. Episode 12 suggested the strategic game might finally be turning into 'fun betrale.' Will the ending reflect that?

Episode 12: At least it was a move!

Survivor 48 Episode 12 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: May 15, 2025

Damnbueno celebrates someone (two someones, even) finally deploying some strategy in Episode 12 of Survivor 48, as the majority alliance is convinced to eat its own. Was the move enough to shake up the power structure, though?

Episode 11: Rage against the timid

Survivor 48 Episode 11 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: May 8, 2025

Damnbueno gives a history lesson on wishy-washy decision-making in Survivor, with examples of how to play decisively, then trudges through a second straight episode of Survivor 48 (Episode 11), in which people fail to follow through on their plotting.

Episode 10: My episodes are ploddin'

Survivor 48 Episodes 9-10 recap/ analysis

By Jeff Pitman | Published: May 5, 2025

A brief revisiting of Episodes 9-10 of Survivor 48, which tries to answer the central question of the season: Why does this all feel so slow?

Episode 10: The Ponderosa effect

Survivor 48 Episode 10 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: May 1, 2025

Damnbueno scours the sort-of revived Ponderosa videos for hints as to the jurors' feelings this season, then steps through Episode 10 of Survivor 48's almost-revolution that never really starts. What does this mean for the rest of the season?

Episode 9: Mid-season progress report cards

Survivor 48 Episode 9 recap/ analysis

By Damnbueno | Published: April 24, 2025

It took nine weeks, but Survivor 48 has finally turned into an actual game, just in time for Damnbueno's mid-season report cards. Damnbueno assigns in-progress grades, then recaps the maneuvering of Episode 9. Warning: He did not use a curve.