Survivor no longer includes its bonus Ponderosa videos, which showed contestants' experiences immediately after being voted out of the game.
One of the key elements missing from modern Survivor is the "Ponderosa" bonus segment that was once a staple of the show. The term "Ponderosa" is what the show uses to refer to the resort, lodge, or hotel where players stay before the game and after being voted out. In the pre-COVID era, all the players who were voted out before jury stayed at Ponderosa until the jury started. Then, they would leave to go on the "pre-jury" trip, while the jury members began staying at Ponderosa.Beginning in Survivor season 16, the show began posting videos of jury members' experiences at Ponderosa after being voted out. It showed contestants meeting with the show's medical team immediately after leaving Tribal Council, seeing how much weight they lost in the game, eating their first meal, and interacting with their fellow jurors to discuss the game. The Ponderosa videos were a constant for the show from Survivor season 16 through season 41, but have been absent since Survivor 42.
Survivor's Ponderosa Videos Were An Important Part Of The Show
Survivor's Ponderosa videos were more than just bonus content. Often, they deepened the stories of the players and gave viewers more insight into how the jury felt about the players who remained in the game. Sometimes, the Ponderosa videos helped close the chapters of players whose time in the game didn't complete their emotional journey. One notable instance was the reconciliation of Andrew Savage and his nemesis, villain "Chaos" Kass McQuillen on Survivor: Cambodia, which represented Ponderosa at its best. It showed the contestants in a different light than the game itself did, and allowed them a chance to decompress from their Survivor experience.
It Remains A Mystery Why Survivor Scrapped Ponderosa Content
Survivor has never officially addressed why the show no longer shares Ponderosa content for new seasons. However, theories have centered on two possibilities. The first is that budgetary cuts led to the show deciding the Ponderosa videos weren't worth the money they were spending to film and edit them. The second possibility relates to a controversy that occurred among the Survivor 42 jury, which led the show to back off from the Ponderosa content.
Shortly after the Survivor 42 finale, which was the first season since season 16 to not feature Ponderosa content, contestant Omar Zaheer stated in interviews that his Ponderosa experience was deeply unpleasant, and that he was the victim of targeted mistreatment and bullying from another jury member. It's possible that the situation was bad enough that the Survivor team didn't feel comfortable with the tone of the content and decided to abandon the Ponderosa videos altogether.
Regardless of the reason for its absence, Survivor should consider reviving the Ponderosa videos. Though they aren't necessarily essential components of the show, they provide a unique window into the Survivor experience. The Ponderosa videos provide needed insight into the game and Survivor's compelling cast of players, and it would be a welcome surprise if the show were to bring them back.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS.
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