Survivor 41 Storyline Anticipation Tournament!
Tribalcouncilblog.com presents the “Survivor 41 Anticipation Tournament”
390 + days, 40 seasons binged, 1 New Season. Survivors ready?
With the news coming out via Jeff Probst and Survivor on Twitter and Instagram about Survivor Season 41 coming this fall, the anticipation meter is through the roof leaving fans feeling like CBS just played an immunity idol on them to keep this 21 year, 40 season, 580+ episode institution alive.
Plus, could you think of a better number of days to be writing/thinking about this?? (390 Days) OR a better number to finally be publishing this? (think Season 2: Australian Outback - 420 Days)
It gets the me thinking about how to digest my anticipation for s41 this fall. So, naturally, I figured why not take some of the most tantalizing nuggets we have so far and throw them into another format that came back too, the NCAA tournament.
Thus, you have the “Survivor 41 Anticipation Tournament”.
Format
Now, I know what you you’re thinking, and the answer is no, there are not 68 tribes battling it out for the championship, but instead it we jumped right to the good stuff, the “Elite Eight” storylines heading into season 41 in this tournament. The storylines are comprised of ones I have thought about or seen elsewhere, and some will not come as any surprise.
After determining the seeds, they will square off in an 8-team single elimination bracket on social media until the sole storyline is victorious.
The Survivor 41 Anticipation Tournament Bracket.
Like Survivor, every detail counts. So, if you are doing a blog about season 41 storylines in NCAA tourney format, you have to have the bracket broken up into regions. In our final 8, we have two. The regions are appropriately named. I made qualifying one rule, you have to have won Survivor, twice!
TONY REGION
Like I said at the top, it has been 390 days since Winners at War ended and Tony Vlachos was crowned King of Survivor Survivor Winners at War: The Winners is Crowned! - YouTube
It’s only fitting that the Season 28 and 40 winner be given the honor of having a region named for him. Nobody creates mass panic, anxiety, and excitement out on the island quite like Tony, so he gets a region named after him, even with the Game Changers early exit on his royal resume.
SANDRA REGION
What can I say, “Queen stays Queen”. She had her own statue/bust for Season 39: Island of the Idols so why not a region of our bracket for Season 41. Though she would usually say “anyone but me”, I’d like to think she would be happy with this one being her.
Now that we have our regions we got to talk about seeding this tournament of anticipation. Is it giving you anxiety already?
The bracket and its regions.
Seeding
To make it onto this island to compete for sole anticipation storyline supremacy, it has to meet some criteria.
What are fans wondering about for season 41?
Is this something people would talk about in anticipation of Season 41?
In the spirit of the NBA and NHL playoffs being in full effect, combined with the NCAA tournament format, the final eight Season 41 storylines were ranked from 1 to 8 as if they battled a regular season to earn their playoff seed ranking.
Let’s meet our storylines.
#1 SEED - SURVIVOR DROUGHT
Coming in with the number one overall seed is the Survivor Drought. Like I said at the top, it has been 390 days since Winners at War ended! Basically, eternity. In the past 21 years, Survivor has never had a drought. Instead, we are used to it being there like the ketchup on the middle shelf of the refrigerator door. We expect it. We look forward to it. We are used to sharing this experience with others. We have our routine.
Now, does every able bodied and thinking person understand the pandemic has plagued the entire world, upending conventional living and routines we have all come accustomed to? Of course! Does the ability to cast, staff, film, and produce Survivor earn an exception to this? Absolutely not!
So, why is this deserving of the top seed? At the end of the day, plain and simple, having Survivor is better than not having Survivor. It’s like having Tom Brady quarterbacking your team, it’s going to be a positive result. Formats, advantages, locations, twists, challenges, characters and everything in between are all great and reasons why it has lasted 40 seasons, but in the end, Survivor the show, in my opinion, is bigger than any of those reasons. The show is bigger than any one cast away, host, or season theme.
SPORTS COMPARISON
Think of it this way. Does this notion of “Survivor, the show, is bigger than any one cast away, host, or season” ring any familiar bells?
Here’s another hint.
I’m thinking of a team that began its run of sustained excellence in 2000, had some bumps in the road the last 21 seasons, yet has become over that time the greatest organization in professional sports.
Need more?
They began their run, unknowingly, after taking a chance on a quarterback in the 6th round out of Michigan, in 2000. The same year that Survivor started its run. Also, they have had the same “leader” manning the ship for the past 21 years and 21 seasons just like a certain host we have known for 21 years and soon to be 41 seasons.
Got it yet? Ok, open up.
They won 6 Super Bowls in 21 seasons, and the standout quarterback won his 7th this past year (on a different team) by instilling a championship mentality and work ethic that permeated from the owner down to ball boy.
I think you got it.
The Patriots and Survivor have become successful fixtures in their respective industries.
Survivor, the show, is the New England Patriots! If you know anything about the Patriots dynasty the past 20 years it’s that nobody is bigger than the organization. No player. No coach. Nobody. Nobody is bigger than the team. When you’re with the Patriots, the motto is “Do Your Job” because the sum of the parts is not greater than the whole. The same is true for Survivor.
The Survivor Drought lands the top seed and rightfully so. Not having the show has been on the minds of every Survivor stakeholder for 390 days. We are starving. We are emaciated. Survivors ready? We are, and we are going to soon be reunited with the show.
The one potential weakness of the top seed is that we know the drought is ending soon. We know that in September, Wednesday, 8pm, we will be returning to Fiji with Jeff and a brand new set of castaways for our much needed hit of the greatest reality television show of the last 21 years. Could this spell trouble for the top seed in the Anticipation Tournament? We shall see...
#2 SEED - WINNERS AT WAR FOLLOW UP
How do you follow something great? It’s not easy. Often times it ends in failure. Think of “Joey” trying to follow up “Friends”. Think of being co-best man and following the other best man after he made the crowd roar in laughter and tear up with a heartfelt closing. Or recently, I heard Jay-Z share a story on HBO’s “The Shop” about having to follow the late DMX back at his peak while on tour together. Skip to 00:56 and enjoy.
Skip to 00:56 to hear Jay-Z’s story on following DMX on tour. via HBOMax
This is what season 41 is up against. It has drawn the short straw having to follow the success of Season 40: Winners at War.
Survivor‘s war between winners wound down on Wednesday night before 8 million total viewers and a 1.6 demo rating — the stalwart CBS series’ best numbers for a finale since Season 35. (https://tvline.com/2020/05/14/tv-ratings-survivor-season-40-finale-winners-at-war/)
It must follow the super-duper star power of season featuring all the icons: Tony, Sandra, Boston Rob & Amber, Ethan, Michelle, Tyson, Natalie etc. It must follow an unprecedented Survivor hiatus of over 480 days. Good luck following that!
That’s why it is slotted in at the 2 seed. Season 41 is up against impossible odds and unfair expectations. Do sequels or the follow ups ever have success or outdo their predecessors? Sure. Think “The Godfather Part II” (you can make a case), Steph Curry’s following his 2014-15 MVP season with being the league’s first unanimous MVP in 2015-16, or even Jeremy’s follow up performance in Season 31: Second Chance. It can happen. It can work out better. But, season 41 has it’s work cut out for it.
SPORTS COMPARISON
Think of the 2021 Los Angeles Lakers. They followed up their 2020 Championship run, LeBron’s 4th title, and defying all odds and COVID by winning the title in the bubble in Orlando. But, How did they follow it up this season? A first round, injury plagued, exit to a superior Phoenix Suns team.
Like the Lakers this season, Season 41 brings some familiar star power in “the show” itself, Probst hosting, and being located in Fiji. But, can it follow up it’s unprecedented success of Winners at War? Time will tell but I have a feeling that season 41’s torch will get snuffed out. Following WaW is too difficult.
#3 SEED - 39 DAYS 26 DAYS!
HUGE CHANGE ALERT!!! That’s right. The familiar sounds of Probst starting the season saying “39 days, ___ people, 1 Survivor!” will not be the case for season 41. 39 is out, 26 is in. 13 less days of battling the island, the elements, the drama, and the game. So many questions come to mind when learning about the change in the game’s duration.
Why is it 26 days?
How will this affect the game?
What will be the domino effect of the shortening of the format?
Will there be a double Tribal Councils aka Tribal followed by a challenge at Tribal and then another Tribal?
Will there be less episodes?
Is this all because of COVID-19?
Will there be stone cold reasoning for this major change?
Will this change remain?? (Holding my breath)
Changing a standard of Survivor is a big deal. For that reason, the change from 39 days to 26 days nabs the number 3 seed in the Season 41 Storyline Anticipation Tourney. Whether it’s the playoff format or schedule in sports, the awards given at the Oscars, or even where people sit at their dinner table, a standard is a standard. People know what they know and as a result get used to the standard they are accustomed to experiencing. The news of Season 41 breaking tradition and shortening this season for the first time ever (Season 2: Australian Outback was longer at 42 days) was surprising. At first thought you think that the Season 41 must return the show to what it was and be everything that people know and have been missing.
WRONG!
This ultimate curveball is spicy enough to get people talking. Whether people will like it or not is a different matter, but for our purposes, it was a zinger. In the end, I like that it’s a different length. I think it’s perfect given the circumstances. Everything in the world has been modified, changed, altered, adjusted the last 15 months, so why not Survivor 41. It’s good for the show. It makes the season unique. It puts 41 in a category of it’s own which is a good thing when following Winners at War.
The questions above will be answered in time but the main point is that the change from 39 to 26 creates uncertainty for Season 41 and I think Survivor fans like twists. Don’t you?
SPORTS COMPARISON
Survivor changing from 39 to 26 days, upending the standard, challenging conventional wisdom, and taking a chance without much proven evidence of it going to be successful is none other than Trey Lance.
With the 3rd overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers, selected Mac Jones, QB, of the 13-0 National Championship winning Alabama Crimson Tide Trey Lance, QB, of FCS (below Division 1) North Dakota State Bison, who only played 1 game in 2020 and 19 total in his career against inferior competition. The QB that is the safe pick from the safe school with the safe reputation was Mac Jones. Mac Jones is Survivor being 39 days. Instead, the 49ers decided to “draw rocks” with their selection of Trey Lance, the QB that is the risky pick, from the lesser school, with the potential for BUST! Trey Lance is the 26 day format.
But...
Trey Lance, like the 26 day format, could also be a major hit, change the sport/game, and make the 49ers/producers look like they know exactly what they are doing.
#4 SEED - 50% DIVERSITY
Back in November 2020, Survivor and other CBS reality shows pledged to cast 50% of their cast members to be people of color or of diverse backgrounds. https://ew.com/tv/cbs-reality-series-casting-representation/ This new proposal has been met with the recently released news of the cast for Season 41.
According to insidesurvivor.com the rumored cast are the 18 people below.
This change to the show is a good one. It’s more inclusive. It’s broadening the viewing audience. It’s bringing people from diverse backgrounds together that may have never otherwise interacted. It also feels like a way of bringing the show somewhat back to its root of being a social experiment. I like that angle. It’s a new angle. New angles are good for Survivor and all part of its evolution.
If these are the actual 18 competitors in Season 41, and I had to guess a “way too early” winner based on age and job description, I’ll lay my money on Ricard the flight attendant. His job involves serving others, keeping people calm, and having little meals during long periods of time in an isolated place. These all will serve him on the island.
SPORTS COMPARISON
When the news of CBS’s commitment to 50% diversity came out, I instantly thought of the Rooney Rule. The Rooney Rule has helped the NFL become more diverse in coaching positions and front office positions within the league. Obviously the NFL has many more people involved in its operation than the average Survivor cast, but in the end the Rooney Rule has helped the NFL just like the 50% diversity rule will help Survivor grow.
#5 SEED - NO TITLE
All-Stars, Redemption Island, Blood v. Water, Brains v. Brawn v. Beauty, Second Chance and so on. Which theme would we find next to Season 41? Would we see a repeat theme or something brand new for this long awaited Season 41 subtitle.
OR…
Season 41. That’s right folks. Just Survivor 41. No gimmick. No theme. No repeat. No newbie. Just plain old Season 41. According to insidesurvivor.com, the number season stands alone as the name of the next season, and like the change of days from 39 to 26, definitely has people firing questions.
Why is there no subtitle name?
Will they ever have another subtitle?
Will future titles be Survivor 42, Survivor 43, Survivor 44 etc.?
Is this a “back-to-basics” type approach?
Again, time will tell. Let’s take the last question and run with it. If calling this season, Season 41, is a way to hit a reset or refresh button on the series, I’m in. This season is going to be different and unique enough because of external factors related to COVID-19. How do they counter that? Ease viewers back in. Keep it simple. Back to basics. Run the football. Buy the bread, milk and eggs for the fridge.
Will future titles be just the number season? It’s possible, but my guess is that it won’t take away from the show and it will give the producers time to get back to basics themselves, nail down their routines in a post COVID production world, and in a couple seasons they can go back to taking chances with themed seasons.
SPORTS COMPARISON
Name changes can be controversial in Survivor and in sports. No name change was more controversial than the name change of the Washington Football Team. When the team was being forced to change its name by companies/sponsors threatening to distance themselves from the team, many including myself thought that the franchise would have to go with a new nickname like the Hogs to pay homage to the fans, or the Monuments to fit their hometown of D.C. They also considered keeping the prefix “Red” and adding a new suffix like the Red_____.
INSTEAD…
via Twitter.com/WashingtonNFL
Washington decided to put a GIANT middle finger up to anyone who cared to have an opinion of what their new team nickname should be and nicknamed themselves “Football Team” back in July 2020.
When everyone wanted them to change, they did, but on their own terms. The same is true for Survivor. They could have used a new gimmick, new theme, or new direction for 41, but instead they went back to basics and decided to just call it Season 41. I love it!
#6 SEED - Season 41 LOGO
Survivor 41 Logo. CBS
New season, new look, NEW LOGO! One of my favorite things about Survivor is the logo. I love that it changes. I love that each one is unique. I love the simplicity like something an average artist could conceive of and produce, as well as the cleverness like putting the torch (seen on many past logos) through the “I” in SURVIVOR, held up with an arm in the water.
Aka, “in this game fire represents your life, and when your fire’s gone, so are you” and the same is true for the series and for Season 41 and its logo. The fire on the series’ torch still burns, has not been snuffed, and presses on. The logo centering around the hand holding the torch is the only thing above water, fire still burning despite the storm and waves surrounding the torch is clever, appropriate, and hits the mark. In the distance, we see the sun peaking through for a new day, new opportunity, and new season lies ahead. With it, a chance to fight another day or in this case another season.
Lastly, the 41 stands alone front and center. Following the 40 that was front and center for the Winners at War logo, 41 stands even larger on the new logo. It should, it is the title of the season after all.
SPORTS COMPARISON
The 41 being the centerpiece of the logo reminds me of the Philadelphia 76ers logo. It’s a logo, but it’s a number. There are symbolic aspects of the logo but the 76 stands out above the rest much the same as Season 41’s logo.
Now, if naming seasons after the number season continues with 42, 43, 44 etc. the logo and idea it will be following is the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl had unique, colorful, and even host city inspired logos from Super Bowl I to Super Bowl XLIV. After that, the logo became generic. Silver, Lombardi Trophy, roman numeral. Giving yet another reason that people can tout that NFL does indeed stand for “No Fun League”.
The logo for a television show, professional sports team or any organization is a representation of it. It can be a symbol for what it stands for. It can showcase personality or limit it. It can bring people in or turn them off. 41’s logo is a good one. The Season 41 logo represents the state of Survivor well. It has been through a storm with the waves crashing overhead. However, in the distance a new day is beginning and the same is true for Survivor.
#7 SEED - JEFF PROBST’S LONG HAIR
via Twitter.com/survivorcbs
Remember the beginning stages of COVID-19? Everything shut down. Everything out of operation. The world was postponed indefinitely. Of course we don’t like to go back to that time, but one thing that many people found themselves doing, myself included, was growing our hair out suuuuuuuuper long. Like, longer than normal, beyond the comfort zone.
Well, Jeff Probst’s new look is a throwback to quarantine. His long hair is a new look for Season 41 as well and it will for sure have people talking. Will it garner the publicity of the drought or following WaW? definitely not, but that’s why we have it slotted in at the 7 seed.
SPORTS COMPARISON
Every great franchise looks to have a player that they can build around, put on the program, help sell tickets, and attract eyeballs. In 2021 the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the #1 pick in the NFL draft. With it, the Jaguars got their “franchise guy” and someone they can build their franchise around. Trevor Lawrence is “the guy” because he is immensely talented, has all the physical tools, has the prototypical size for the position, but perhaps most important of all he has swagger. I mean look at that hair. Come on. I think I know where Probst got his motivation from. Maybe Probst is a Clemson or Jaguars fan.
#8 SEED - 21 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
May 31, 2021 Jeff Probst posted a video on twitter to tease 41 but more so to celebrate the 21 year anniversary of Survivor…
The anniversary sneaks in the tournament as the final team as the 8 see. With the 8th seed comes a tough road to victory. Upsets over the #1 seeded Survivor Drought followed by a likely 2nd round matchup with 50% diversity makes it all but over for this Cinderella, and in this tournament there are no immunity idols to keep you around another day.
Like the rest of us, we celebrate our birthday. Survivor does too. May 31st is Survivor’s birthday. It’s when the Marooning began and Probst threw Pagong and Tagi off that boat in Borneo. Celebrating the “birthday” of the show earns it the number 8 spot and a chance to win this anticipation tournament.
SPORTS COMPARISON
In sports as in Survivor, sometimes we just have to show respect. Get up out of your seat. Clap it up. Pay your respect. Take a bow. In 1989, after 20 seasons in the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came out of his final game. He wasn’t the same player he once was but his longevity and sustained excellence is what people recognized that night.
We know that the 21 year anniversary of Survivor is not the most anticipated storyline. Hell, it barely made the tournament. But, out of respect we stand up, acknowledge that it’s still here after all those Tribal Councils.
There you have it. The bracket is set.
Survivor Season 41 Storyline Anticipation Tournament Bracket
Determining the Winner
I will be posting each matchup on social media so people have a chance to vote for the better storyline in anticipation of Season 41. Votes cast in each matchup are for a winner. Think Final Tribal Council voting.
The opening round will be:
(1) Survivor Drought v. (8) 21 Year Anniversary
(2) Winners at War Follow Up v. (7) Probst’s Long Hair
(3) 26 Days v. (6) 41 Logo
(4) 50% Diversity v. (5) No Title
After a winner is determined for each matchup, those storylines in anticipation of Season 41 will move onto the semi-final round. The semi-final round will then play out the same way as the previous round, leaving two storylines left vying for the championship of the Season 41 Anticipation Tournament.
Let the games begin.
The blog has spoken!
