Episode 13: Time to show everyone

Published: December 17, 2021

Ryan celebrates the winner of Survivor 41, and laments the show's continuing inability to tell the winning story of a female champion, despite the alleged new era. He also offers awards of his own, and looks ahead with trepidation at 41's probably evil twin, Survivor 42.

Episode 12: We might've made a mistake

Published: December 12, 2021

It's finale prediction time on Kaiser Island, and Ryan puts forth his predicted endgame outcomes: Who will fall at five? Whose flame will be snuffed for not making fire at four? And who will win? The answers may surprise you.

Episode 11: Wow, that drama was over quick

Published: December 3, 2021

Ryan looks at the bizarre final seven episode, where production tried to rob the contestants of a critical voting opportunity in favor of ridiculous box-opening theatrics, but also where the contestants once again rose above the mishmash of poor show decisions with compelling drama and discussions of their own.

Episode 10: Today is the day

Published: November 28, 2021

Christmas came early for Ryan, in the form of a (pre-Thanksgiving) complex, emotional, deeply-felt episode leading to an epic blindside of a superstar player: the perfect balance of pathos, scheming, and player-driven drama. (Also, Heather survives another week.)

Episode 9: I will literally kill you

Published: November 19, 2021

Ryan tries to make sense of the twin Tribals — a TMI one with the threat of advantages flying everywhere, and another not-enough-advantages performance from Xander. But in the end (or at least the one before the end), Ricard saves.

Episode 8: Don't shut me down when I speak

Published: November 12, 2021

This week's episode was all about being heard, and it featured a rare appearance by the elusive Heather – in camp, before challenges, nearly winning challenges, at Tribal, and in confessional (!) — and Ryan is here for hearing it.

Episode 7: Putting on her big girl pants

Published: November 5, 2021

With the merge finally completed, Ryan checks back in on the big surprises, the big non-surprises, and the big let-downs of the as yet unnamed red-buff tribe and their complicated first Tribal Council together.

Episode 6: Merge-atory

Published: October 29, 2021

Ryan is, shall we say, less than thrilled with the half-merge episode's unnecessary mucking about with the structure of the game, but he's happy for the few character-based moments that shone through the haze of host lies and unasked-for manipulation.

Episode 5: Master strategist

Published: October 22, 2021

Ryan looks back on another episode of Shan-tasy Island, where she faces one of the toughest decisions yet in the game, strong-arms her way into broccoli talk, and unleashes another dumb advantage on the game, all while opening up on some heartbreaking emotional content.

Episode 4: The best stripper you've ever seen

Published: October 15, 2021

The sun rose on a (hopefully) new era of Survivor episodes this week, with long-absent characters finally making appearances, emotional challenge finishes, baby turtles, the only advantage being one that was prevented from being played, and a massive blindside. Ryan revisits it all while hoping for more of this.

Episode 3: These things just fall out of the sky

Published: October 8, 2021

There were a lot of things raining down this week: advantages, more advantages, even more advantages, references to broccoli, but mostly the groans and curses of long-suffering Survivor fans like Ryan, who saw this top-notch cast shoved aside to make room for Advantage Talk Hour, all of which amounted to nothing.

Episode 2: She's a firecracker

Published: October 1, 2021

Ryan revisits the highlights of Survivor 41, Episode 2, aka "The Evvie Show," as he recounts the savvy Yase's Tiffany-whispering, Xander-wrangling, vote-protecting tour-de-force. With bonus hidden Brad, pretend Sri Lanka, and cheering Heather. A surprising paucity of butterflies, though.

Episode 1: Risk it, or play it safe?

Published: September 24, 2021

With a super-sized premiere, Ryan has a lot of twists, turns, decisions, and decision-makers to talk about in his first US Survivor recap in over a year. Will he take a shot in the dark, or talk directly to you, future Survivor players?

Pre-season: Swiping through Survivor Tinder

Published: September 1, 2021

While the Survivor 41 cast has only just officially been revealed, Ryan is already here with the hottest of takes: Who on this cast is dateable (making the merge), who isn't, and who gets a super like? That's right, the day has finally come for cast assessment via Survivor Tinder.