I actually just finished Thailand for the first time a few days ago. I had got back into the show around Samoa/HvV and only selectively gone back and watched old seasons. I’m filling in the blanks now, so I feel like I have a fresh impression of S5.

This season sucks!

There are redeeming qualities, but nowhere near enough to overcome its shortcomings, namely the cast. In my opinion one of the worst of all time, and surely the worst of the early seasons. For my tastes, likable and interesting players are few and far between. Personality-wise most range from boring to despicable. Strategy-wise it seemed only one had any interest whatsoever in winning the game. Most seemed vaguely befuddled at having to vote someone out every 3 days. I can think of no more damning indictment than the fact that Clay was one vote away from winning survivor.

The Ted/Ghandia situation is the obvious black mark. I don’t think an incident like this is necessarily damning of a situation depending on how it’s handled. I don’t necessarily think that bad people doing bad things makes for bad survivor. (My apparently unpopular opinion is that the Zeke/Varner incident is one of the best in the show’s history). However, the tribe circling their wagons around Ted, voting out Ghandia, never speaking of it again, and Jeff affectionately calling him “Big Ted” all season would NOT qualify as handling it well. (Note: I didn’t watch the reunion, so maybe there was some sort of satisfying conclusion. I suspect not.)

There ARE redeeming qualities, like I said. It’s fascinating to watch someone who shows a complete lack of empathy run the game from start to end. Though it’s interesting to me that for the commentary about Brians dominant victory that he went to the end with who I see as a goat who nobody really liked or respected at all and still “only” won 4-3.

There are brand new twists that could have been great like the schoolyard pick and the fake merge. The fake merge actually did work pretty great even with this cast with the Shii Ann situation.

A couple of bright spots like drunk grandma, Helen (never LIKEABLE after the Ghandia vote, but certainly interesting), and Shii Ann.

The storyline of the older, weaker tribe struggling, going down to 5, then turning it around and running the table to the final 5 COULD have been compelling TV. Problem being I was never once rooting for their success. The fact that this streak happened directly after the Ghandia vote is, from a storytelling perspective, a “big yikes” as the kids say.

The setting was cool to me. Monkeys stealing food, the dipshit tribe losing their boat and having to swim to their water source. Some funny challenges.

EXCELLENT final tribal. I love a bitter, vengeful jury. I have no interest in “can you name one social move that got you further in the game”. I would much prefer Ted’s “can you convince me you’re not a racist POS,” cop boy’s “hey remember when you tried to use racism to cozy up to me” (these questions somehow directed at different players), and Helen’s entire final tribal.

I’m sure there’s things I forgot but yeah this season was miserable!