ONLY THE STRONG (AND SNEAKY): CBS has unveiled the latest cast of 18 competitors for Survivor 9: Vanuatu (Ring Of Fire!). Website, article.
Once again, it's Boys v. Gurlz, which leads me to wonder: is Survivor infinitely interesting? Are the machinations of elimination and strategery such that as long as you've put together enough people who know how to talk to the camera, that the show will be entertaining? Do they need to do more gimmick seasons to, um, survive?
We've had seasons that were relatively boring -- Africa, because of the level of deprivation, and the one that the Porn Guy won, because it was just so inevitable. But the two last non-all-star seasons may have been the best, because really duplicitous people (Rob C, Johnny Fairplay) were able to dominate (and talk about it), and because Rupert just bought into the program so well.
Then again, each of the last three seasons was won by a woman who largely flew under the radar, and wasn't a key leader/strategist/deceiver/challenge winner, which makes for unsatisfying narrative resolution. (Except to the extent that Boston Rahb really did win All-Stars, but just let Ambuh take the prize.) Every time, it's the same thing: let the strategists clear all the other alpha males off the path, then wait for them to run out of allies.
Is there a next stage to Survivor strategy? Is there a way to be The Schemer and still win? Or is the game always going to be more or less the same from here on out?
You tell me. And then we'll talk Race after 11p eastern.
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