With Survivor season 44's premiere approaching, all signs indicate that the upcoming installment of the show will be a step above its predecessor, Survivor 43. Season 43 was a mixed bag for the long-running reality competition series. It featured some incredible game moves, and at least one legendary moment, when Jesse Lopez blindsided his closest ally, Cody Assenmacher. Unfortunately, the finale of season 43 led to immense backlash, when Mike Gabler pulled off a shocking victory over Cassidy Clark. The season was unsatisfying, thanks to unbalanced storytelling.
Survivor season 44 will introduce 18 all-new castaways competing for the title of Sole Survivor. The season is set to continue the "new era" configuration of the show, which began in season 41. That format includes a three-tribe setup to begin the game, a 26-day game rather than the traditional 39, and an on-location finale after-show, instead of a traditional live reunion.
Survivor 44 Promises To Be An Amazing Season
Survivor 44 has a strong chance of being one of the show's greatest seasons. Even with the limited information that CBS has shared about the season so far, it's clear that the production team is extremely confident that the installment will be a major hit with viewers. In the season 44 promo that host Jeff Probst shared during the Survivor 43 finale, he promised that season 44 would be, "one of our most intense, unpredictable, inspirational, and entertaining seasons."
That quote followed previews of what appeared to be two harrowing moments in the season, one involving contestant Matthew Grinstead-Mayle falling off of a rock face into the ocean. Another scene showed Jeff stopping a challenge, and urgently calling for the medical team to check on a fallen player. In addition to the element of danger being promoted by the show, the season also appears to feature an incredibly dynamic cast of players, with major potential to be strong characters and strategists.
Jeff Probst Is Confident Survivor 44 Will Be Great
Though Jeff is rarely publicly critical of players or seasons, his praise of season 44 stands in contrast to some of his comments about 43. Jeff had indicated a bit of frustration with the cast of Survivor 43's fearful dependence on social contracts during the game, and that frustration seems contrary to Jeff describing 44 as, "intense" and "unpredictable." It is Jeff's job to promote the upcoming installment, so there could be some embellishment in his hype for season 44. However, it is relatively rare for Survivor to be as direct in assigning superlatives to upcoming seasons as it has been with season 44.
Hopefully, Survivor 44 lives up to its promise of being one of the show's best seasons. It wouldn't be very difficult for the season to improve upon the controversial season 43. Perhaps with a more satisfying winner and more dynamic gameplay, the 44th installment will eclipse its predecessor, and be recognized as a truly great season of Survivor.
Survivor 44 premieres Wednesday, March 1, at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
Source: Survivor/Instagram