My Thoughts - Spoilers Ahead

I’ve never watched Survivor before so I went into this season blind; ignorant of Rob & Amber’s fame and notoriety from CBS’s other stalwart show. I greatly underestimated the popularity of Survivor as Rob & Amber were immediately recognized during the first leg and countless times afterward. To their advantage, they used their fame to help further them along while other teams struggled.

The other teams immediately targeted Rob & Amber as the ones to beat. This was especially true with Lynn & Alex and Susan & Patrick. Rob jokes they won’t be on many people’s Christmas card list.

The new rule introduced this season was the penalty during non-elimination legs. Last season they took away your money, but now they take away everything you have except your passport and clothes on your back. I thought the money thing was cruel, but taking away everything you have is just wrong. After losing everything, they carry around a plastic bag which is something…

Although Rob & Amber are the main draw, the season also focuses on the relationships of Uchenna & Joyce, Ron & Kelly, and Ray & Deana.

Again, we have couples using the show to test if their relationship will last. Okay.

Married couple Uchenna & Joyce have experienced hardship in their inability to start a family. They question if they are really meant to be together because of this. That’s a tough situation and I rooted for them from the beginning. The arc of the season finds them facing their hardship right on especially when they visit the orphanage and during Joyce’s head shave.

Ron & Kelly are the youngest of the couples. Rob was a prisoner of war, while Kelly was a former beauty queen. During the intros, I wondered if Ron was going to mention his military career whenever he could and he did not disappoint. He uses the military to prove what a man he is during the race. He immediately disengages with Kelly when she becomes upset during a challenge. He doesn’t seem to understand emotions and says that he didn’t have to worry about emotions in the military.

You can pin point the moment their relationship dies when he says he’d prefer to keep traveling rather than marry and have kids. Kelly breaks down crying, saying how difficult it is to love someone when there’s nothing there anymore.

Ray & Deana are the most tumultuous of the couples. They love each other, but hate each other and don’t know why their still together. They can’t explain it but they both sense there’s something there between them and hope the show might reveal something, good luck to them.

Brian & Greg are the neutral team in the group and befriend everyone they interact with.

Rob & Amber know how to play the game unlike any contestants I’ve seen before. They’re cunning and manipulate the other teams with ease and skill. They’re able to plant disinformation and scam everyone to their benefit. Somehow they’re also likable and charming.

Rob & Amber’s greatest achievement of manipulation takes place during one of the roadblock challenges where they have to eat four pounds of brains and other organs. Unable to finish the challenge, they take the four-hour penalty and convince one team after another to drop out of the challenge to secure they wouldn’t be eliminated. Phil actually congratulates them on the crafty idea.

A number of bilingual teams succeed traveling through South America. A great skill. However. Debbie & Bianca’s ability to speak Spanish doesn’t help them as they drive two hours in the wrong direction.

While exploring a cave during a challenge, Gretchen falls and injures herself. She remains in good spirits even covered in blood, and yells for Meredith to continue.

While driving, Brian & Greg’s vehicle flips over. A camera man is injured in the accident but recovers. All the teams, except Rob & Amber, stop to see if they’re okay.

Hoping they wouldn’t be eliminated, Brian & Greg strip down to their bathing suits before checking in on the mat (since non-elimination legs requires you to lose everything but your passport and the clothes you’re wearing).

Everyone arrives at the pit stop and greeted by Phil who tells them to keep going.

The elephant challenge was so chaotic I loved every moment. I loved how they threw Gretchen on top.

Teams received their next clue in the middle of the night while asleep on the train, how rude.

I didn’t know weighing people in public was so popular in Turkey?

First appearance of the Travelocity gnome.

The Sherlock Holmes challenge was a lot of fun.

It was so hard to watch Uchenna & Joyce beg for money in the Jamaican airport.