From the first episode, Survivor 44 won over fans by reversing behind-the-scenes decisions to give them exactly what they wanted. In recent seasons the show was disappointing as it shifted its editing to be more family-friendly, introduced brand-new advantages that didn't work, and shortened its competition days from 39 to 26. While the new Survivor era has caused skepticism about the show's future, the new season premiere gives hope for a better season.
Hopefully, Survivor season 44 will be better than Survivor 43 after an anticlimactic finale that crowned Mike Gabler the winner. In only the first episode, Survivor season 44 had three medical emergencies, introduced three new advantages, and had one contestant successfully use their shot in the dark. Although the Survivor 44 premiere does not necessarily ensure an overall good season, the glimpse of gameplay from the competitors shows some promise.
The Survivor 44 Premiere's Focusd On Gameplay
In recent Survivor seasons, the show gave more screen time to cast member introductions rather than focusing on the complex gameplay, which explains why competitors make their decisions. Overall, the reduced time spent on the cast's background in the Survivor season 44 premiere was better. In a Reddit thread started by u/crto12, one commented, saying, "I don’t care to know the player's life stories, I wanna see you outwit, outplay, and out last." During previous seasons, there were mixed reviews about Survivor's sob story editing because it took away from the Survivor gameplay. Another Redditor agreed, "I would rather we see more of their conversations with each other. More of the player they are in the game."
Survivor 44's premiere won over fans by focusing on the episode's gameplay rather deep-diving into each contestant's story. Yamil "Yam Yam" Arocho sharing how living in Puerto Rico helped him withstand the humidity, and Carolyn Wiger confessing her awkwardness shows how viewers can get to know more about the Survivor cast without going into their entire life story. Hopefully, this format will continue since it benefits viewers who want to learn more about the players and others who want to see how the gameplay goes down on Survivor 44.
Fans Call The Survivor 44 Premiere One Of The Best
On Reddit, many fans said Survivor 44's premiere is one of the more interesting ones compared to other recent seasons. One fan commented, "Definitely one of the best first episodes I’ve ever seen." Another agreed, saying, "This was a blast. Fun cast, gameplay, and strategy. It felt like people playing survivor." While fear influenced Survivor 43's cast, the Survivor 44 premiere gives hope that the new competitors are playing to win. During the first Survivor tribal council, it was apparent the new cast were fighting for their lives in the game, refusing to be the first ones sent home.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
Source: u/crto12/Reddit