Come on in guys! The greatest reality show of all time is back. Season 38 Edge of Extinction!

Ever since 2000 Survivor has been one of my favorite shows on television. This season I will be reviewing and giving my thoughts on each episode of the season.

All in on the Big Twist

The biggest takeaway from episode one is the Edge of Extinction twist. Survivor has survived 38 seasons and just like a great player the show adapts to an ever-changing landscape. The show consistently adds new twists without deviating too far from what the show is supposed to be. Spoiler alert as Reem (who we will dive into later) was eliminated she was given the choice to either go home or grab a torch, hop on a boat, and have a chance to stay in the game. This has to be a no brainer. I can’t see anyone not taking this opportunity. It will be interesting to see how the edge of extinction plays out. Will it be just a more extream version of exile island? Will a third tribe form there and eventually be reinstated back into the game? Will only one person rejoin the game from the edge of extinction? I have no answers but let me just say I am all in on this twist.

My prediction to win:

Okay, so let’s get right into it. My prediction to win is Lauren. The 21-year-old student at Baylor has physical strength, social strength, and strategy strength and this will be the reason she will be the sole survivor. While some may say Lauren is playing with fire after he early alliance with returning player Kelly Wentworth, this will ultimately work to her advantage. I think Lauren will ride this alliance deep into the game and at the perfect time make a power move that will lead her to a position to win the game. She is competitive enough that she will be able to compete for immunity idols but what really stood out to me was her ability to keep her emotions in check when being called out by Reem and Wendy. Lauren’s name was floated out and she remained calm and cerebral. She did not explode at tribal but instead let Wentworth fight off Reem for her while she calmly remained out of all the muck. This is what showed me she will play the game with strength but like a lioness in the grass will wait for the perfect moment to strike. You heard it here first folks Lauren will be the season 38 winner of Survivor.

Season Premier takeaways:

1. The Manu tribe is in trouble. 

In terms of the early game, it looks like the Kama tribe has quite the advantage. The Manu tribe (Who I hope is named after former NBA player Manu Ginobili) is very top heavy with Wentworth, Lauren, and Chris but does not have the depth in the tribe to compete with the Kama tribe. Returning player David will be a fun cast member to watch late game but as of now he does not have much to offer Manu in terms of winning challenges. Kama, on the other hand, is stacked. Having Joe as a returning player is huge, and along with Eric, Aurora, and Ron, Kama will be at a huge advantage when it comes to the merge.

2. Reem is an absolute wild card and I kind of love it

If Reem had any ability to play the game of Survivor she would not have been eliminated tonight. In a tribe where Wendy was self-sabotaging herself, and Kieth cannot swim it boggles my mind that she was not able to use one of these weaknesses to keep herself alive. Maybe going through and moving everyone’s stuff was not a great idea in the long run. However, in spite of all of this and her rant at Tribal, she is still in the game. If anyone can come back to throw a huge monkey wrench into this game it will be Reem. Is Reem the White Walkers from Game of Thrones?

3. Ron’s immunity menu could hurt him in the long run

You never want to go home with an idol in your pocket but you also never want people to know you have an advantage over them. Ron was able to pick up a “menu” with what seems to be some great advantages to help him. (Extra vote, Steal a reward, steal an immunity idol) However, he has to use these by the third tribal council. If he plays his hand correct he should not be in trouble by then and playing this can only make people distrust him. Obviously, if he is on the verge of being sent home then he needs to play it but I can see this causing some trouble for the teacher. I would be interested if he used the advantage to steal a reward. If he does this the tribe will love him for getting some comfort items and he will appear as a trustworthy guy. Too many people screw up early game power and we have to see if Ron falls into this early game trap as well.

Darkhorse to win it all

As you know I predicted Lauren to win it all. My darkhorse to win it all is Julie. I don’t really have any reason for this besides a gut prediction that she will do well.

Who is going home next?

My prediction for who will be sent home, or to the edge of existence is Wendy. I do not see the Manu tribe beating the Kama tribe in a challenge and there is no chance Wendy plays a smart game and saves herself. If this does happen we will see her reunion with Reem at the edge of existence and who knows maybe these two will be the wild card we need to keep season 38 going strong.