The worst 16 months of my life.
A man without a purpose.
At one point, it was fair to wonder.
Jeff Probst on ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
Honestly, I started to feel bad for taking the best TV show on planet Earth for granted.
And perhaps I should chill out with making so much fun of the Medallion of Power….
I can’t do that.
The three tribes get ready to compete on ‘Survivor 41.'.Robert Voets/CBS
It’s too hilariously stupid, and I need to have that last one.
The point is, I missed the show beyond belief.
Now, finally, 16 months later,Survivoris back.
Eric Abraham competes on ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
I have no idea.Waaaaaaaytoo early to tell.
But it’s back.
I’m talking aboutJeff Probst,that glorious orange-hat-wearing bastard!
Best host on the planet.
That’s looney tunes.
His degree of difficulty and ability to seamlessly navigate those obstacles is simply off the charts.
The dude once got knocked over by a massive wave while calling a challenge.
What other host has to deal with stuff like that?!?
I’m not gonna lie: Probst does some wacky stuff this episode.
He’s walking and talking like he was auditioning for aWest Wingreboot.
He’s periodically ignoring the contestants to chat with us at home instead.
(Takethat, Brad and JD!)
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
But I’m not going to focus on any of that right now.
I want to focus on something else: the smile.
Look, I have watched a lot ofSurvivor.
And I have been on location during filming too many times to count.
(That’s a lie.
It’s 17 times.)
Grinning from ear to freakin’ ear.
And can you blame him?
It had been close totwo yearssince theSurvivorcrew had last filmed.
Maybe Probst and the crew took for granted what they had.
Maybe we viewers did as well.
And nowSurvivoris back, and it is smiles all around!
Well, maybe not for Sara.
She looked kind of devastated, which tends to happen to people voted out of their tribe first.
But for everyone else, it was Mr. Roarke on steroids SMILES, EVERYONE, SMILES!
By the way, are you still reading this nonsense?
Then let’s keep on smiling and go through everything that went down in the return episode ofSurvivor.
Probst started off with a message to viewers (“It’s been a while.
line (apparently “26 days” just doesn’t have the same ring to it).
I’m sure some people will be up in arms over these changes.
(Well, at least two tribes did.
This week, both of us came up empty.)
I can’t tell you how much I amdyingto make fun of them for this blunder.
It’s so up my alley!
Both tribes chose the latter, and both duos were ultimately successful in doing so.
I’m not sure the twist ultimately paid huge dramatic dividends.
Nor was it the masterful production and editing job that was the log challenge.
Step right up, David Voce!
Let’s just let him have this one, shall we?)
Or, you know, Danny.
If all three chose Protect, nothing changed.
If all three chose Risk, they all lost a vote at their next Tribal Council.
I get why Danny chose Protect.
Had he not, he would have lost his vote because Xander and JD both chose Risk.
So in that sense, the decision is a bit of a no-brainer.
As a production element, I dig it.
Again, force players into difficult decisions and then see how they handle the aftershocks.
And you’d have reason to think that.
But I actually kinda dig the Shot in the Dark Die… even the somewhat unwieldy name.
Is giving more people more immunity at Tribal Council something we want?
Everyone has it and everyone knows anyone else can use it at any time.
End of an Era (Error?)
Suffice it to say, no more guys will be coming in.
Everyone agreed, leading Probst to point to the camera and proclaim the matter decided.
Only it wasn’t.
“I’m with you,” announced Probst.
“I want to change it.
I’m glad that was the last time I will ever say it.”
Ah, but what will henowsay?
I’ve drawn up a few options for his consideration:
- Come on in!
)* Come and get it!
Okay, I’m clearly still in the workshopping stage here for new intro lines.
Say it with me for the millionth time: IT’S.
It’s amazing how few players grasp this basic concept.
), but it’s not very good either.
Of course, the real fireworks were at the second Ua Tribal Council.
Only problem is, standing right next to him were… Sara and Shantel!
Let me double-check I am absolutely 100 percent crystal clear on this.
I don’t mean Sara and Shantel snuck up behind him.
I don’t mean he was unaware they were in his vicinity.
I mean he said their names with complete and full knowledge that they werestanding right next to him.
WHO DOES THAT?!
And the Winner Is…
Sometimes an immediate pick just leaps off the screen.
This is not one of those times.
But I feel it: This time will be different.
So who am I picking?
So Evvie it is.
And I guess (4000 words later) that almost does it for my firstSurvivorrecap in 16 months.
How do we feel so far aboutSurvivor 41?
(I mean, besides generally ecstatic that the show is back.)
Pretty good, I think!
There’s no Edge of Extinction, so that’s a massive mark in the plus column.
Because you know what?
If they don’t work, you just go back to the way you did it before.
Or some other way.
But I’ll tell you whatisa big deal.
We haveJeff Probst giving his take on all our burning questionsfrom the two-hour premiere.
There’s some great stuff in there in terms of why the show made the changes they did.
I heartily encourage you to check it out.
Also, did you notice the exclsusive deleted scene at the top of the post?
Well, then scroll back and notice it.
I also have exit interviews with bothAbrahamandSaraup on EW.com, so enjoy those.
