Survivor: All Stars premiered last night and I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed. It seems the strength of the premise (the strongest personalities from various seasons pitted against each other thus establishing a new dynamic) is also a weakness. Watching ‘Survivor’ is fun when you don’t know the personalities involved and its fun watching the group dynamics change with every episode. In this case, we already know these people. We already know Richard Hatch is a prick so there’ll be no surprises regarding personalities.
However it may get better. Hatch still fancies himself the smartest player in the game so that could be his downfall. Sure, he did realize from the first series that there was an easy way to control the game for your own gain by using alliances. Since that show, however, other players even more manipulative have come up so now Hatch, rather than the master, is more like Arnold’s aging, paunchy, kind of sad Terminator from T-3 going up against Liquid Metal or Liquid Hot Chick*. It may make for interesting television but right now, I’m not so sure when I haven’t even picked an early favourite.
Maybe I’m just cranky because it was on so late after the Super Bowl.
*I realize Arnold beat the bad guy in both films but I’m talking the extended DVD versions where he gets his woman-groping ass kicked (in my mind, anyway).
John from Saint John 
