TV Show Review: Survivor - Season 45

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great players in a game I love to watch

Cons: Too many advantages cut down on strategy in middle of season

The Bottom Line:

Eighteen more players

As new era continues

Still good overall

Another Fun Season Overall

I’ve been a Survivor addict since season 1 episode 1.  I look forward to every season of the show, and I enjoy seeing how the various relationships and tribal politics play out each season while knowing I’d never do well at it myself.  I take things too personally.  Season 45 aired in the fall of 2023, and it was another good one.

This season followed the standard set up we’ve had in the new era (aka after Covid).  18 people are stranded in Fiji on three tribes.  Each episode, they compete against other tribes for rewards and immunity, with the loser of the immunity challenge going to tribal council to vote someone out.  This season, there was a tribe swap before the merge half way through.  At the end of the 26 days, those voted out in the second half of the show voted on who the winner of the season was.

As far as the contestants, I was thrilled that they brought Bruce Perreault back this season.  He was injured in the opening moments of season 44, so it was nice to see them give him another chance to compete.

It happens quite often that the people I start out liking turn out to be people I want voted off by the end of the season and vice versa.  This season featured some real personal growth in one of the contestants, and I really was impressed by the personal journey that person went on.

There were other interesting stories and relationships this season.  I did really like some of the contestants, and I felt sorry for how the game round up stacked against others.  You know, it was a typical Survivor season.

I do feel like Survivor needs to limit the advantages that are in the game.  I get why they do them.  In the early seasons, it got rather boring when we knew a tribe had the numbers and was just going to vote out the other tribe for several weeks.  This keeps things unpredictable for us and the players.  But there was a point in the middle of the season where it was just too much.  The advantages need to be used sparingly to keep everyone on their toes without making it so any strategy goes out the window.

On the other hand, they brought back an old school staple with a modern era twist, and I loved it see it again and how it played out.

Ultimately, any fan of Survivor will be happy with this season.