Spring reality TV dates 🌷 Survivor, Traitors, TOC recaps 📰 lots of news
Dear newsletter friends,
As I write these words Friday morning, I am just exhausted!
It's all from good stuff—recovery from two great weeks in L.A., plus too much TV I want to watch, too much I want to write about. It's all things I'm enjoying, just a lot that piled up at once.
I think I'll take a cue from our two new(ish) kittens, who are currently sprawled across my leg sleeping, and take a nap soon, and maybe a screen-free day this weekend just to reset.
And just looking ahead at what's coming this spring—there's so much that I'm excited about, both to watch and to share with you.
Before we get to that, let's get to what happened this week!
🏝️ Three recaps & three reviews
🦸‍♂️ Recaps!
The Traitors: Phaedra and Shereé’s friendship was tested in a poignant—and phunny—penultimate ep
Survivor 46: A legend is born on Survivor 46: Backstory Island
Tournament of Champions: How TOC V handled Darnell Ferguson and Amanda Freitag’s battle
đź’Ľ Reviews!
Deal or No Deal Island on NBC and Peacock
American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders on Netflix
🔪 True crime
Two more reviews:
🗓️ Spring reality TV
I just published my fresh new quarterly guides, which I'll update over the next three months as official premiere dates are announced.
Behold:
You can get a preview of the week's premieres and highlights in your inbox most Sundays—and support reality blurred!
đź’¬ Comments of the week
On my Survivor recap, Melissa wrote:
I was also underwhelmed. I dare say, I think 2 hours is too long; 90 minutes is mostly perfect.
I did really like the giant heavy stuffed gecko though! I thought it was weird that Probst was yelling at them that they couldn’t pull it over the wall. Was that a rule? Or were they just taking soooo long that he stepped in with helpful advice?
and David wrote:
My biggest disappointment was the editing. As you said, too much tell and not enough show, but even what we were shown at camp life was kinda boring. In previous seasons of the new era, I think they did a pretty good job at introducing everyone on the premier. This time? Not so much. I feel that most of the players were repeating variations of the same things.
On this review, Heather wrote,
I listened to the book on New Year’s Eve, which was the same day I had finished all the back-episodes of her podcast, which I binged in the previous week (such holiday cheer). I liked it, but your points are well-taken. It wasn’t as good as the podcast. But it did inspire me to make a donation to the scholarship fund set up in Stephen Smith’s honor.
🗞️ Reality TV and true crime news
In my February reality TV news round-up:
Rachel Leviss sued Vanderpump Rules co-stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix
Leah McSweeney sued Andy Cohen and Bravo
Queer Eye replaced Bobby Berk with Jeremiah Brent
The Challenge: All Stars season four was finally announced, almost a year after I first reported about its cast
···
In Best Evidence's February round-up:
Serial season 4's focus and premiere date
“Hotel California” lyrics theft
Channing Tatum's new role
Elizabeth Holmes and Jen Shah's friendship?!
🤩 I recommend
The finale of The Floor, which had some dramatic wins and losses
The mission on the penultimate Traitors US 2, which made Alan Cumming laugh and laugh
I hope you have a delightful and restful weekend ahead. See you next week!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is issue 372 of reality blurred’s weekly newsletter, first sent on 1 March 2024, and it declares that we're all Survivor legends.