Beginning tonight, some of these fan-favorite Survivor contestants are going to dreaming about getting a third chance.
Yes, the culmination of all of the hype that started this past May comes to fruition, with the 90-minute Premiere Episode of “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance” on CBS. Before Season 30 even drew to a close earlier this year, Jeff Probst announced the premise of Season 31, that fan voters would choose the entirety of this season’s cast, and instantly those that were included in the final cut of voting began campaigning for their spot on the show. The fervor was real, and it created one of the most exciting Live Reunion Shows maybe ever (although sadly taking time away from the Worlds Apart cast), as Probst revealed – live – who made the cast and who, sadly, did not (still not over the exclusion of Shane Powers…but I digress).
What casual fans may not know, is that the game started for many of them even before they were revealed to have made the cast. Looking for any possible advantage, many would-be contestants formed alliances well before the Reunion Show even took place. This over-awareness and effort to right their past wrongs definitely sets the stage as far as what to expect going into tonight’s first episode, and the type of gameplay we can expect…these players are out for blood, none of them wanting to squander their second – and maybe final – chance at winning the game that they love.
I’ve already posted an article called “Everything you need to know heading into the ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ premiere, so start there for even more prep heading into tonight. I for one am incredibly excited to see how this season plays out, and how many of these players meet, exceed, or fall short, of all the expectations placed on them.
Let’s face it: If Chaos Kass makes it through even one vote, many will think she over-achieved this season. Others, like Keith and Woo, have already won by just making the cut over other more deserving returnees (in my opinion). Several, like self-proclaimed “Survivor Know-It-All” Stephen Fishbach, have large question-marks looming over their heads. Many considered him to have played a great strategic game the first go-around, but positioning himself as a Survivor guru over the past several seasons brings a soul-crushing amount of pressure and expectation to his game. It will definitely be fascinating to see how these old-school and new-school players mix it up with one another, who gets along and who clashes. It will also be interesting – as the season rolls along – to discover in the exit interviews if any of the pre-game alliances held strong, or played into the eventual outcome.
No predictions here today, but next week I will be podcasting with XfinityTV.com’s Survivor Insider Gordon Holmes, who was out in Cambodia during the first three days of filming. Usually Gordon joins me for a Season Preview podcast, but this season we thought it would be fun to be able to discuss the Premiere Episode, and have him offer his first-hand insights based on what he saw out on the island. Look for that early next week.
But don’t let that stop you from posting what you think will happen! Who do you think has what it takes to make good on their Second Chance? One thing I do know: There are about to be 19 contestants that will, once again, be left to wonder what might have been.
Make sure to check out the 90-minute Premiere episode tonight on CBS and come back here later for my full recap, analysis and of course, my exclusive interview with the voted-out castaway tomorrow!
Important Note! Be sure to subscribe to this column (above) or follow me on Twitter, @tomsantilli. This week – and every week throughout the season – I will post an Episode Preview article (like this one) every Wednesday morning. Then after the episode airs (usually by around midnight EST), look for my full episode recap as well as my analysis of what just happened in the episode. Finally, you won’t want to miss my exclusive one-on-one exit interviews every Thursday afternoon, with the person who was just voted out. Following me on Twitter or subscribing (where you would get email alerts every time a new article posts) are the best ways to stay tuned-in with all things Survivor as we progress through the season…and thanks for reading!
