The Survivor season 48 premiere aired on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, and it exceeded my expectations! After so many seasons, it could be difficult to keep things fresh and vibrant, but this cast is already winning me over.
Survivor is a competition reality TV show that sends a group of strangers to a remote jungle or beach. For season 48, eighteen castaways are split into three tribes: Civa, Lagi, and Vula. The castaways focus on social, political, and physical strategies to outlast their fellow castaways. They compete in mental and physical challenges, hoping to become crowned the Sole Survivor and win the one million dollar prize.
The first episode included two challenges, both of which the Lagi tribe absolutely dominated. Winning the first challenge secured them a pot, machete, and flint, so it was up to Vula and Civa to battle for the remaining supplies. Vula member Kevin Leung hurt his shoulder, but he still decided to compete on behalf of his tribe in the supplies challenge against Civa’s Kyle Fraser. Part of the course involved filling up a jug of water, and Kyle accidentally shattered his jug. Instead of reacting with frustration, he decided to help Kevin, his opponent, finish the challenge and secure the win for Vula.
In the immunity challenge, Lagi again took first place, keeping them safe from Tribal Council and even scoring a prize full of tools. Civa, the second-place team, also won a few tools and earned immunity. The three tribes so far seem relatively even-matched in terms of physicality and puzzle-solving, but I feel that the camaraderie amongst the Lagi tribe members helps to set them apart.
Saiouna “Sai” Hughley found a “beware advantage” and was luckily able to solve the puzzle, leading her to secure the first individual immunity idol of the season. Sai has come into the game with a very dominant strategy, going as far as to say, “I’m taking big swings because this is my season.” After what seemed like just a few hours on the beach, she was already asking other members of the Vula tribe to create an alliance with her and criticized passive gameplay. I think that her overly assertive tactics won’t get her very far in the game, so I predict she will either pivot her strategy or be eliminated. How will an alliance have longevity if you don’t even know the person? After a few days, what if they’re the tribe member you clash with most?
My favourite part of the episode, by far, was the heart-to-heart between Lagi tribe members Eva Erickson and Joe Hunter. Eva felt an immediate bond with him and decided to open up about having autism. She was concerned that other castaways could use this against her because she can struggle with social cues and finds it difficult to tell whether people are being honest or not. Joe was honoured to be a safe person for her and immediately went into dad mode. He even teared up, saying that this was bigger than the game and it would be okay to get eliminated early in the game if it meant protecting Eva.
The end of the episode saw Vula going to Tribal Council. Stephanie Berger played the “shot in the dark” advantage, which gives users a one-in-six chance of safety if they sacrifice their vote, but unfortunately, it failed. Although there was back-and-forth as to who should be sent home, she was ultimately the majority vote and the first person to be eliminated from Survivor 48.
Overall, the premiere was entertaining, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. There are a lot of strong, outgoing personalities that are fun to watch! I am particularly drawn to Eva, Joe, and Vula member Mary Zheng, so I hope that they go far in the game.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 5:00 PM PST and hits streaming services such as Paramount+ and Global TV the following day.