lwhy?

When Survivor kicks off its 44th season on Wednesday, March 1, the latest crop of castaways will include a bonafide rocket scientist, one of New York’s finest firefighters and — this could come in handy — a podiatrist!

Per CBS, the Fiji-set cycle will find the 18 contestants “divided into three tribes of six” and facing “a faster, more dangerous season from the moment they step on the beach.”

CAST:
Yamil 'Yam Yam' Arocho

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 36
Hometown: Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Current Residence: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Occupation: Salon owner

Matt Blankinship

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 27
Hometown: Albany, Calif.
Current Residence: San Francisco, Calif.
Occupation: Security software engineer

Brandon Cottom

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 30
Hometown: Newtown, Pa.
Current Residence: Newton, Pa.
Occupation: Security specialist

Kane Fritzler

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 25
Hometown: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Current Residence: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Occupation: Law student

Carson Garrett

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 20
Hometown: Rome, Ga.
Current Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Occupation: NASA engineering student

Matthew Grinstead-Mayle

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 43
Hometown:.Pickerington, Ohio
Current Residence: Columbus, Ohio
Occupation: Barbershop owner

Lauren Harpe

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 31
Hometown: Port Arthur, Texas
Current Residence: Mont Belvieu, Texas
Occupation: Elementary school teacher

Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 43
Hometown: Ponce, Puerto Rico
Current Residence: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Occupation: Engineering manager

Helen Li

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 29
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
Current Residence: San Francisco, Calif.
Occupation: Product manager

Frannie Marin

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 23
Hometown: St. Paul, Minn.
Current Residence: Cambridge, Mass.
Occupation: Research coordinator

Danny Massa

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 32
Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.
Current Residence: Bronx, N.Y.
Occupation: N.Y.C. firefighter

Bruce Perreault

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 46
Hometown: West Warwick, R.I.
Current Residence: Warwick, R.I.
Occupation: Insurance agent

Maddy Pomilla

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 28
Hometown: Huntingtown, Md.
Current Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Occupation: Charity projects manager

Claire Rafson

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 25
Hometown: Highland Park, Ill.
Current Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Occupation: Tech investor

Jaime Lynn Ruiz

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 35
Hometown: Mesa, Ariz.
Current Residence: Mesa, Ariz.
Occupation: Yogi

Sarah Wade

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 27
Hometown: Rochester, Minn.
Current Residence: Chicago, Ill.
Occupation: Management consultant

Carolyn Wiger

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 35
Hometown: North St. Paul, Minn.
Current Residence: Hugo, Minn.
Occupation: Drug counselor

Josh Wilder

Photo : Courtesy of CBS
Age: 34
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Current Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Occupation: Surgical podiatrist

AaronHernandez

Fun Fact: This isn't an actual human being on Season 44 it's an AI Creation that combined the DNA of Sami and Owen from 43

windom

Survivor: Island of the Uggos

Rob V

Maybe if Survivor put some more survivor type skills into the game, we wouldn't get every woke student and stay-at-home mom competing. That lineup looks like every Target commercial for the last 3 years.

lwhy?

Just a reminder that season 44 starts Wednesday.

GatorDeb

Wednesday
​​

lwhy?

Whoops! I'm off on my days.

Decker

I am going to be a day late every time. Once you get used to watching it on Paramount+ in 45 minutes with no commercials, it's too hard to go back.

Decker

And of course I only finished watching Season 43 about a month ago 🙃

Goldberg74

My sub ran out and I’m not going back until stuff builds up. Might have to watch this live or on the CBS app.

bluesix

So true man!

When the producers figured out that nobody wanted to watch seasons in Africa and Australia or someplace where the cast couldn't be stripped down in bikinis during water challenges didn't they agree that most people tuning in want to see HOT people wearing skimpy outfits wrestling around in challenges.

Not sure where things changed to ugly looking and boring normal looking people with Dad bods or way too many Tatts and piercings. I know the original casting director retired long ago and it seems like they can't find anyone who knows how to cast this show anymore.

I still DVR the show but now it's just become something I watch in the background while I'm doing other things. Sad.

lwhy?

CBS has a diversity rule: all future reality casts would contain at least 50 percent Black, Indigenous and people of color I'm sure that has affected casting, but by how much I don't really know. They seem to be casting a few too many superfans now though.

Damfino

Back in the early seasons I thought it would be funny if they did a season in Alaska. The cast would be bundled up like Eskimos camping on one of the Aleutian Islands.

Now that they are casting more average Joes and Janes it might be time to think about this?

No, just kidding.

I really don’t mind the new casting rules, but I do wish they would stop the men from stripping down to their underwear all the time and tell them all to bring a pair of board shorts or swimming trunks.

AaronHernandez

I don't get the average Joe's and Jane's sentiment here, I realize looks are subjective,but objectively almost all of the cast from an athletic standpoint are more fit then 90% of the general population. The guy who almost passed out in the immunity challenge was literally a former NFL player.

davidh777

I assumed it was getting harder to cast so they don’t have a lot of options.

Cardsfan111

I found the first episode to be entertaining. Carolyn (the very first one introduced at the start) looks to be a real nut job.

Probst announced on his podcast that Bruce would be invited back for a future season after needing to leave so early in this one.

HN

have you tried the free codes? See steps under "Free is better than cheap" here — https://www.techhive.com/article/618...-for-free.html (the most updated code is at the site they mentioned, here )

brainee

Yeah, Carolyn seems like the sort to drive her tribe-mates crazy once we get past this "getting to know you" stage.

There's not much new Survivor is doing, but the format still generally entertains me and it's an easy weekly watch. They did a good job at showing us a little from a lot of players (something the show hasn't done well in the past). The 2 hour episode with only one tribal council works well for that. This is the first season where the players saw the "Play it Safe" or "Risk your Vote" trips to the island on earlier seasons ... so I like that the show changed that up a little. It's nothing huge, but the new ideas for advantages/idols seem solid: "bank your vote", "inheritance". And that idol in a locked birdcage setup ... where it will be there for everyone to see when someone claims it.

I didn't like to see Maddy go so early, but she really only has herself to blame. Lauren sounded like an easy vote, but Maddy had to be overly aggressive and try to make a big move in the very first vote. Props to Brandon for sniffing out trouble and playing his idol.

GatorDeb

Uhm, wow, this worked! I went to cancel so that I didn't forget later and it offered me an extra month! Then I went to cancel again and it went through but it took the extra month off. I resumed the subscription and it gave me the extra month off again.

I'll just add a note on the calendar to cancel in time. Thanks!

Shannon Nutt

If any of you have time, the new podcast with Jeff Probst is pretty good (so far...there's only been one episode).

Decker

I listened. It's pretty good, but Jeff sounds little... off. This is a guy I've listen to talk for 22 years now and that just doesn't sound like him. My son insisted that it's a Probst sound-alike instead of the real guy.

chowderhead

Matthew has got to be the worst player as I picked him. He made an alliance with Brandon but then went Switzerland on the vote probably alienating his one ally. He also decides to climb a high rock for journey reasons and falling and then dislocates his shoulder making him an easy target. Bye

Goldberg74

I'm excited for tonight's episode.

I wanted to add that in the last week, I have binged the first 7 episodes of the current season of Survivor Australia: Heroes Vs. Villians and I am kind of in love with the 90 minute episodes. There is so much going on there that I love that we are getting more of the drama and the backstory... that and there aren't so many idols.

Also, JLP, the host, does look like the love child of Jeff Probst and Anthony LaPaglia.

Shannon Nutt

That happens to me on many podcasts. I'll sometimes start an interview with a celeb and think "that doesn't sound like them" at first...your ears need to adjust a bit. I think it has more to do with how our brains work (we're not yet connecting the image of the person with the voice, which is automatic in TV and film) than anything else.

Maxflier

I'd have to kill myself if I was on a tribe with Jam Jam and Carolyn. Just 2 super annoying human beings.

Funny and super awkward moment this episode when that lady sat out the challenge again.
"Is that a volunteer or a tribe decision?"
"Both"
"Huh..."