I’ve been watching Survivor since the beginning. For me, the first half of the season is learning who the players really are, the second half is following the political machinations and the middle half, where the two collide, is really the best part. You’ve had time to judge the players, it’s still anyone’s game and there’s a lot of wheeling and dealing going down.
But Survivor: All-Stars just isn’t doing it for me. I already know who everyone is and so do the players. Agendas seem to have been set very early on, the voting seems to be more about past performance than what is happening in the current game, and the players don’t seem as mentally tough. Fast-Forward is what keeps me going.