rianengelen

I started watching this show as a teenager; from season 1. Interestingly I find myself having evolved along with it. Season 1 the contestants and consequently the unseasoned viewer seemed to think it was more about surviving, being a hero in challenges, providing for your tribe and making people like you, etc than it was about social politics, strategy and the journey of self discovery that these people must go through as they battle the elements and literally starve for 39 days. It feels almost that in the earlier seasons, naivety in the human condition prevailed as contestants and viewers alike were trying to figure out how to balance their real life morals with the fact that they were in a game that ultimately required them to betray almost all of the values we applaud as a society. To me this is the beauty, real people with real emotions will inevitably form real connections and will ultimately need to betray those relationships... there is no way around that fact.

By season 36 I am witnessing a different game. The die-hard fans and contestants have evolved. Now we know it is a game and we know how to play it, but the human factor, the emotional side - the relationships they form, etc are still REAL. The strategy is on a "whole-nother" level. The savvy-ness and emotional manipulation required to be successful at this game is intriguing. The twists and advantages that the creators come up with are nothing short of brilliant; fueling this excitement and intrigue. Some of the Jury miss the point and sit there overwhelmed by the emotion or their feeling of being betrayed; instead of applauding the hand that dealt the blow, others "get it", they understand that this game needs to be played personally but never taken personally - even just this observation to me is interesting to witness.

In terms of exploring human psychology and realness, there isn't, nor has there yet been, any other reality competition show out there that is as brilliant, addictive and REAL as Survivor.

I'm a fan for life.