Bring Back the Classic ‘Survivor’ Reunion Show

Before 2020, every Survivor season would end with a reunion show with a live audience in either New York City or Los Angeles. Host Jeff Probst would read the votes to crown a winner and the cast would discuss their perceptions of the show while reflecting on what occurred months ago. Unfortunately, due to COVID, Survivor was forced to tape the reunion show immediately following the final tribal council in Fiji, not even giving the final three a chance to shower and change out of the clothes they'd been wearing for the past 26 days.

While COVID restrictions have been lifted since Survivor 41 debuted the new reunion show, there has been no impetus to revert to the old format. Instead, Jeff Probst has championed the new style and expressed his view that not only is it here to stay, but it's also better. Fans disagree, however, as the new format lacks depth due to it occurring immediately following the final tribal council. The finalists are not allowed to change, nor can they process how they just won or lost the game. The castaways are unable to provide context to their game because they haven't seen it play out in the episodes yet and can only go based on hearsay and conjecture from the jury. The pre-jury castaways aren't even invited, which defeats the purpose of calling it a "reunion." Ultimately, the new format serves little purpose to both the castaways and the viewers to wrap up the show in a meaningful way.

A Reunion Show Without Perspective Is Useless

Before Survivor 41, castaways who made the final tribal council would have to wait months before getting to know the results of the final vote. This would allow them to watch the show and see what errors they may have made or how their game was perceived by players and viewers alike, making the sting of losing more palatable. Since Survivor 41, those who lose the final vote are now forced to explain their game which they have not gotten to witness or speak about mere hours after realizing they won't be winning a million dollars. Survivor 43 losing finalist, Owen Knight, was visibly shaken during the reunion show where he was still coming to terms with not receiving a single vote as Jeff Probst attempted to ask him questions about his game and force Fijian pizza onto him.

There is also no follow-up when a reunion show is immediately following the final tribal council. The audience was left in the dark as to how Charlie Davis moved on from Maria Shrime Gonzalez's betrayal of not voting for him to win after being close allies throughout Survivor 46. Instead, Jeff Probst forced Charlie to discuss the matter without him speaking to Maria, leaving little to extrapolate from his nebulous answers. Asking questions to castaways without allowing them time to process the events or witness the edit given to the viewer makes any answer irrelevant.

Even the lighter moments of the reunion show are lost in the new format. Someone like Solomon "Sol" Yi, who was a surprise fan favorite on social media during Survivor 47, received no content on the reunion show, as production had no idea the impact Sol would have on audiences until the show aired. Pre-jurors are also not able to speak about their experience on the show, leaving out valuable closure for the viewer.

A Live Audience Adds An Integral Layer to the Viewing Experience

The new format lacks spectacle. Gone are the days of Jeff Probst riding in on a jetski with the votes while hundreds of fans cheer as they anxiously wait for the winner to be crowned. Now, the winner is greeted solely by the applause of their peers, not getting to feel the weight of their win in front of their many fans. It's also isolating to be the winner surrounded by everyone who was voted out, forcing the winner to act humbly while the jury showers them with praise to make the winner feel better.

There is also little drama with the new format, thanks to the jury not having seen the season yet. With the older format taking place months later, confrontations occurred with castaways demanding apologies for statements made in confessionals or blindsides they didn't realize were made against them. It was thrilling to see how relationships were brought together or forced apart by the airing of the episodes. Perspective is integral to a successful reunion show and the new format does not allow for that.

With Jeff Probst pushing the new format as superior and CBS saving money keeping it in Fiji, it's unlikely the reunion show will ever appear in its original format again. Unfortunately, viewers will receive nothing more than shallow reflections mere moments after the final tribal council. Survivor continues to provide quality content in terms of gameplay and social discussion. It's only fair that they provide a quality reunion show in return. Survivor is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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