Bridging the Gap Physical Race

Survivor's 2nd season kicks off with the return of "Quest for Fire," which was also the first challenge in Borneo. I have to say, this version is a major improvement over the first season's simpler albeit more nostalgic design. There's a lot more to it this time, and everything about the challenge feels a lot more epic. I think it's a great way to open the season.

4/5

Tucker'd Out Miscelleneous Challenge

Just like in Borneo, the second Immunity Challenge of the season is a food eating competition— this is exciting. I like this version a lot better than Borneo's, because there are more foods to eat than just beetle larvae. This time, there is a wheel of food, and this adds an important degree of variety to the challenge. I do have one gripe with the wheel though, which is that it spoils all of the possible foods right out of the gate. It would be better if the items on the wheel were covered, but still, it's a very good challenge.

4/5

Lock Step Physical Race

This challenge is pretty straightforward, each tribe is tied together and they have to race through a series of obstacles to the finish. It's not the most inventive thing in the world, but it provides some entertainment nevertheless.

2/5

True or Falls Mental

Here is the return of the "Survivor Quiz Show," but this time, in tribal format. I don't think I like the tribal version as much, but it's still an enjoyable challenge as it relates to the season's location, and also, takes place in an awesome location, above a waterfall.

3/5

The Maze Physical Race

Here it is, the first big epic maze challenge of Survivor! This is going to become one of my all-time favorite Survivor challenges as it evolves in future seasons, but I wouldn't call the original Australia version spectacular. The maze itself is very generic and colorless, and I'm not super high on having this be a team challenge. It's still an impressive maze though, that Jeff explains took 2 weeks to build, but it's also going to get topped by every single maze that follows it.

3/5

Perch Endurance

This is one of the best challenges, by design, that the show has ever had. I can even see the argument that this is the best challenge the show has ever had. We're only going to see this version of it 3 times, and all of its occurrences happen within the first 10 seasons, but it's incredible each time. It's like "Hands on a Hard Idol," but even more willpower based; you don't lose this challenge by accident— I don't know if there's any other challenge on Survivor you can say that about. Who is willing to stand up there the longest? How quickly are certain castaways to give into temptation? Another thing I love about this is that whoever gets voted out after this challenge is run has to own that they willingly stepped down- they weren't "so close to winning," they made an active decision to bow out because they were confident in their position in the game. Jeff Varner is this season's victim. Also, clocking in at over 10 hours (underreported in my opinion!), this is the 2nd longest endurance challenge to appear on Survivor.

5/5

Don't Fence Me In Mental

"Dots and Boxes" doesn't make for great television. It's also pretty unfair as an Immunity Challenge in my opinion.

1/5

Hanging in the Balance Miscellaneous Challenge

I have to say, this is a really fun one. I'm surprised it's only appeared this one time. Essentially, there are 2 stages. The first stage involves using a rope to make your opponent fall into the water, and the second stage involves rocking an unsteady beam to make your opponent fall (something we do actually revisit in San Juan del Sur). I found this to be a joy to watch.

4/5

Fire and Water Miscellaneous Challenge / Physical Race

Here's a relatively obscure challenge that I really enjoy. In Borneo, I talked about how I don't like challenges where all you have to do is make a fire without any sort of twist– this challenge is the exact kind of "twist" I'm looking for. You have to build a fire, but you also have to use a water bucket to shift weight on the seesaw so that the fire rises to ignite a fuse. There's also a hole in the water bucket so you have to keep moving. I think it's great, I wish they would bring it back for another go.

3/5

Blue Plate Special Skill

I think this is a fantastic challenge. This is the first challenge we're going to see on Survivor that kind of encourages the "pecking order" to be revealed by the actions of players in the challenge. We are really going to see this explored Marquesas with the introduction of the "coconut-chop" style challenge, but what we get here is still great. Also, for weapons they use slingshots and "Australian macadamia nuts," get it? Because it's Survivor: The Australian Outback???

4/5

Fugitives Mental / Physical Race

It's the return of one of my favorite challenges ever, and for the first time, it's being run at NIGHT. Wow, "Folklore" and night time challenges, two of my favorite things put together! And this challenge has evolved quite a bit since the Borneo version, where everyone was running around with cameras. Maybe this isn't as "fun" as that was, but I don't think there's any doubt that it's better how they do it here. This time, they get a story about how Australia's original settlers were prisoners, and for added effect, everyone's limbs are shackled; completely unnecessary, and I love it.

5/5

Memory Mental

Here's one of the simplest challenges we've ever had on Survivor— a matching game. I have nothing against "simple" challenges, but I also don't think this challenge makes for very good TV, especially in a season that already has a very slow-paced endgame. The biggest problem here is that it becomes difficult for the audience to play along as they begin to edit the challenge down more and more as it continues. Survivor: China is going to introduce a much better memory challenge, but this isn't the last time we will see this one.

1/5

Fallen Comrades Mental

This is the only time we are going to get a "mental" challenge as the Final Immunity Challenge, and I think that's for the best. "Fallen Comrades" is a solid challenge, but it really doesn't feel climactic in the way that a Final Immunity Challenge should. I also feel like most of these questions in this version were too easy, which takes a lot of suspense out of the challenge.

2/5