Survivor Season 32 - Episode 1

The Survivor top brass has figured out that medical drama creates interest and gets people watching and talking, so although the main theme of this season will be another installment of "Brawn vs Brains vs Beauty," the secondary theme will be "Medical Drama."

We were "treated" to two illnesses on the premiere episode of Season 32: Brain tribe member Aubry suffered through an anxiety attack exacerbated by heat exhaustion, while Brawn tribe member Jennifer experienced a thin but long bug burrowing itself in her ear canal, which caused bleeding and great discomfort. Luckily, both women pulled through their difficulties without needing medical assistance, and they each performed well in the combined immunity / reward challenge. 

There are six members in each of the three tribes, but I'm scratching my head over where three of the eighteen participants have been placed. Former Big Brother contestant Caleb is undoubtedly a good looking dude, but I think he belongs in the Brawn tribe, not the Beauty tribe. Alecia is a wisp of a girl that I would have put in the Beauty tribe, not the Brawn tribe. And no offense honestly, but Tai in the Beauty tribe? I would have put him in the Brain tribe. As someone who grew up in Thailand, he will probably be the most equipped to deal with surviving in this remote part of Southeast Asia.

The first challenge was grueling, especially considering that only the Beauty tribe had fire, so water must have been a concern for the other two tribes. The challenge involved diving for paddles, then turning a boat into a truck, then solving a puzzle. Brawn and brains were required for this event, and the Brain tribe came in first, winning immunity and a big basket of fire-making products. Brawn was sent to tribal council, mainly for two reasons: Darnell dropped the goggles at the beginning of the challenge, and Alecia was like a deer in the headlights when it came to solving the puzzle. So their tribe mates put the two of them on the chopping block. The first vote ended in a tie, but Darnell's torch was snuffed out in the re-vote. I think the tribe made a mistake. True, Darnell dropping the goggles was a costly error. But the Brawn tribe needs brawn, both at camp and in the challenges. Alecia is by far the least brawny person in that tribe.

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