We're Finally Playing Some Survivor "We're finally playing some Survivor", is the phrase that many longtime viewers have used to explain the reason why many Survivor fans were excited about this season. Well, we can agree with them on that. And I also agree that the editing of the first episode made me think that Survivor is back and there is no better way to watch this new season than to play as a survivor. The fact that they chose a returning contestant, someone who played in our favourite season and a good ol' fashioned player and not, for example, a popular game show host with an attitude or with some quirky life event (the way they picked Russell because they wanted to play without anyone knowing they were a cast member beforehand is perfect) makes this season already more interesting than I expected. First the show itself, then the players. The Season The season is set in Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef. The host, Mark Burnett, wanted the show to have a location that hasn't been visited before, and he also wanted to choose an uninhabited location because of the possible safety hazards of a deserted place. The first episode shows that this won't be easy for the 16 castaways (only 6 of which are women). In fact, the show features the same cast member who was voted out the most during Heroes vs Villains, one of the most voted-out of the past seasons, Russell Hantz. What makes this season more interesting than all the others before it is that we get to see a survivor living alone on an uninhabited island, but without any luxuries that would help him survive. It's like a real survivor situation (only that he's on TV), a survivalist situation and not a fake situation! We will watch him trying to survive in a physical (which is what most of us expect from Survivor), mental and maybe even spiritual way. Who are the 16 castaways? This season's cast includes one person who was voted out in Survivor: Blood vs. Water (Tony Vlachos), one person who was part of the Final Tribal Council in Survivor: Cagayan and one person who has already played in many editions of the show (Rupert Boneham), but never in a main role as a player. And we will also meet a young medical doctor who recently left her position in the hospital and will probably struggle to find her place on the island. A teacher, a farmer, a carpenter and a student will also join the players. There are already a lot of castaways in this season. What is amazing is that, while it might not seem that obvious, there are very few who seem to be in this game for the fame and the money. This season is also the most diverse, if you compare it to Survivor's recent past. Of course, there are people there who already have more than one million dollars in their bank account, but still you can't help but notice that this season seems to attract a big number of people that are willing to play the game out of pride and for the thrill. Not to mention that all of the survivors are over 40. Maybe because a lot of them thought that they won't be able to play again if they were under 40, so it's better that they get a chance now when they have a better physical condition. The show seems to be a lot more interesting because of the castaways who, at first glance, might seem to be less interesting than usual. Maybe because of this, the show will get better ratings when it airs in the USA later this year. While we all know about the show's big numbers when aired in Australia, we can imagine that the younger generations won't find the show interesting or funny and won't even notice it. A good looking lady, a man with a strong personality and a lot of experience and money and an old retired man, all of these should help this season have a bigger impact on the minds of the young viewers. How will the show work? According to the producers, the 16 castaways will try to divide themselves into tribes, while playing with a hidden immunity idol, until the end of the season. They will be divided into three different tribes: the Sele, the Tiva and the Tadhana. And they will be facing three challenges every week in each of the tribes: a puzzle-like physical challenge, a competition between two members of the tribe to see who is the most talented member and a contest where all of the players will be part of and will try to win as many advantages as possible. (The challenges will show two of the episodes each week. So, we can expect to see the show five or six times a week, instead of twice.) Who will win Survivor: Island of the Idols? In order to know that, we have to play... I mean to watch it... I mean to predict who will win the show. Well, if you look at the cast, there are a few good players. Like Tony, the one who played in Survivor: Blood vs. Water and he was voted out at the end, yet he was a good player; and Chris, the one who had to go through a lot of hardships in order to be part of this season. Another good player is Lauren, who has a lot of personality and is going to be pretty entertaining to watch. She was one of the last few people in the original cast. And then there is the young carpenter, who may not be able to do anything with a lot of wood but looks like he has a good heart. Now you probably want to know how the rest of the cast is. Well, most of them have good personalities. And there are a few who are really tough and look like they can really win this game. And this is all we know about this cast. Well, it seems like there will be a lot of physical challenges and they seem to be quite a few competitions, so I'm guessing it won't be that physical between all of them, at least some of them. The ones who are always strong are the ones who are really tough to play with, so I'm really looking forward to seeing who wins. The show hasn't aired yet, but even from what we have seen, we can say that there will be some good drama, a lot of fun for the viewers, a lot of physical challenges and a lot of competitions. It is a season to watch and I'm excited to see what's going to happen this season and I can't wait to see the final results. React! That's right. You have your chance to interact with me. I want you to tell me which contestants you would like to see in the finale. And, before you vote, let's look at what is possible at this stage: There can only be 4 people from the Tiva tribe. Lauren is already in, so you have to pick from someone from the Sele tribe or from the Tadhana tribe. The only thing that is possible now is to choose two contestants from the same tribe. The Sele can only have 8 people and the Tadhana 12. After all of this, only six will remain in the final three. And you have two weeks to decide. Who will you choose? Watch the show and join me on Wednesday to know the winner. And here's a video about the season: So, what do you think of the cast? Are you going to watch it? Do you think that Russell will make a big impact on the show? And who is the potential winner of the game? Tell me in the comments below.