S48.E01: The Get to Know You Game

[kav]

6 hours ago, fishcakes said:

I feel the same way. It's one thing to aggressively lock in a first-day alliance, but then she puts all her history on Joe and tells him what she needs for him to do for her if she has an episode. And now Joe is saying he's willing to sacrifice his game for her. It just feels manipulative to me, although probably unintentionally.

It might feel that way to you, the neurotypical person, but to Eva it probably was putting her needs out on the table, which is not easy for someone on the spectrum to do.  Joe is not being manipulated, he is being understanding and caring.

[kav]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

 

Eva has autism? It must be the mildest form I've ever seen. She's no Rain Man that's for sure. 

 

You can not judge someone who is on The Spectrum from watching a few clips on TV, and every single person on the Spectrum is just that, one single individual person who acts and needs unique different things. 

[Skooma]

6 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Eva has autism? It must be the mildest form I've ever seen. She's no Rain Man that's for sure.

People with autism are on a spectrum.

[iMonrey]

49 minutes ago, kav said:

You can not judge someone who is on The Spectrum from watching a few clips on TV, and every single person on the Spectrum is just that, one single individual person who acts and needs unique different things. 

Yes and I know people who are on the spectrum and Eva exhibits no symptoms whatsoever. Granted, it's early days. But my point is that she - or the show or a combination of both - seem determined that it will be her characterizing feature, which is weird because if she wasn't telling us over and over again she has autism we would never know it.

I expect it will come into play eventually, one way or another. I'm merely saying it seemed odd to make it her "thing" right out of the gate when it didn't affect anything one way or another. 

[bankerchick]

19 hours ago, TVFan1 said:

the Vula tribe

I can't be the only person to see team Vulva.  Sorry.  That was a bad name choice.

[Chicago Redshirt]

57 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Yes and I know people who are on the spectrum and Eva exhibits no symptoms whatsoever. Granted, it's early days. But my point is that she - or the show or a combination of both - seem determined that it will be her characterizing feature, which is weird because if she wasn't telling us over and over again she has autism we would never know it.

I expect it will come into play eventually, one way or another. I'm merely saying it seemed odd to make it her "thing" right out of the gate when it didn't affect anything one way or another. 

What symptoms of autism are you looking for her to exhibit?

Because her focus on harvesting bamboo seems to fall with one category of focusing on one task and repeating it.

She also self-described being overstimulated and needing to engage in soothing and self-soothing behavior as well as an inability to read social cues. Those are all autism symptoms. But were you looking for that to be shown to us rather than told to us?

Also:

https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-symptoms

Quote

Masking autism symptoms

Some autistic people suppress or hide their autism symptoms in order to be accepted or meet societal expectations. This is called masking or camouflaging. Masking might look like pushing through your sensory discomfort in a loud room or forcing eye contact during a conversation. Research shows that masking is more common in girls and women and can cause mental health issues.

It is quite likely that wherever she might be on the spectrum normally, she is engaging in specific masking behavior because she wants to try to win a million dollars. How long she can mask her autistic nature is part of the challenge for her.

Edited Friday at 12:14 AM by Chicago Redshirt

[Tvfl]

Darn I would have preferred Sai leaving. She’s exhausting. 

[ItsJessMe]

2 hours ago, kav said:

It might feel that way to you, the neurotypical person, but to Eva it probably was putting her needs out on the table, which is not easy for someone on the spectrum to do.  Joe is not being manipulated, he is being understanding and caring.

I don’t think she meant it as manipulative at all. But the end result, regardless of intent, is that he has been given or has taken on an added responsibility that could affect his game. I don’t fault her, I just didn’t like that it happened.

[violet and green]

I think Eva and Joe were just being who they were in that moment, which was nice to see. He really showed his very good heart.

I'm slighty bummed as I love the Californian Girls, and at some point Thomas will be forced to lose his ally Bianca, as Joe won't budge over Eva. Star is an amazing challenge beast. There is no-one to cut from Lagi - so their only way out of this conundrum is to win every immunity challenge, which I hope they do.

[DEL901]

Seems the shoulder injury was worse than it seemed :  https://ew.com/survivor-48-jeff-probst-reveals-unaired-premiere-medical-intervention-11686712

[violet and green]

Yeah, they didn't have time to show his shoulder dislocation as they had to fit in all those people clasping their face and gasping and hyperventilating about being cast. Riveting viewing.

[Arkay]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I'm merely saying it seemed odd to make it her "thing" right out of the gate when it didn't affect anything one way or another. 

 I think that in itself may be a manifestation of autism, in that she may not be as aware of the social cues that could suggest not to lay this all out immediately.

 

I loved it, though, because it was a real moment. Obviously Eva is high-functioning, and from first appearances Joe seems to be a genuinely compassionate person. In his profession he is a bonafide lifesaver and maybe this is just his nature.

Edited Friday at 02:29 AM by Arkay

[choclatechip45]

The only ones who stood out to me were Joe and Sai for opposite reasons. Hopefully Sai can be a fun villian. 

[30 Helens]

Unless you’re a person who lives with autism or has specialized knowledge about autism, I think you should refrain from discussing whether someone’s symptoms are worthy of the label. As has been mentioned, autism exists on a very wide spectrum, with associated characteristics that vary from person to person. You can’t compare two people and say one is more or less autistic than another, because everyone is different.

As for Eva, I think her high functioning attributes are a given, because how else could she play the game? You couldn’t drop Dustin Hoffman’s Rainman character into an environment like this, unless every challenge was about going slow on the driveway. That doesn’t mean she won’t have difficulties or look to others for support. That’s not manipulation, that’s just her coping.

And Joe offering to be that support does not mean he’s being manipulated.  He’s a grown-up, he can make choices. He can give his heart without sacrificing his head. And he can change his mind at any time. 

It’s Day One, guys. Let’s give the autistic lady a break. So far she seems like a lovely person. And who knows, maybe we can all learn something from watching her journey.

 

[fishcakes]

I apologize to everyone who I offended with my use of the word "manipulative." I don't think she is being deliberately manipulative and I thought I was being clear, but looking at my original comment, I could have phrased it better, and I regret that I didn't.

The point I was clumsily trying to make was that I simply don't like the idea that Joe is now solely in the role of watching out for her -- however that situation came about. He's clearly a caring person; he most likely would spontaneously have helped her if he saw that she was in distress even not knowing what her situation is, as I believe most people out there would. We saw a similar situation two seasons ago with Ben and his panic attacks. Kenzie, Charlie, and Liz all would sit up with him and keep him company until he was feeling better. I have no reason to think that Eve's tribe wouldn't also be supportive of her.

Edited Friday at 04:00 PM by fishcakes

[iMonrey]

17 hours ago, bankerchick said:

I can't be the only person to see team Vulva.  Sorry.  That was a bad name choice.

At least Jeff explained what the tribe names mean. Most of the time the show doesn't even do that anymore.

11 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Unless you’re a person who lives with autism or has specialized knowledge about autism, I think you should refrain from discussing whether someone’s symptoms are worthy of the label.

You are missing my point entirely. This episode made a big freaking deal out of Eva being autistic. Why? Explain how it was important to this episode. It felt very exploitative to me. "Look, our first autistic Survivor!" The touchy-feely moment between her and Joe obviously had the desired affect, seeing how everyone seems to be running to defend, internet shame and express moral outrage on her behalf to anyone who dares point this out.

17 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

What symptoms of autism are you looking for her to exhibit?

I'm not looking for anything, that's the issue. If she didn't tell me she had autism I wouldn't know. 

There are going to be lots of people who watched this, and said "huh?" No need to get panties in a twist over it or be didactic about it. The show's going to do what the show's going to do with it. It doesn't call for excuses or scolding.

Edited Friday at 05:34 PM by iMonrey

[rr2911]

3 hours ago, fishcakes said:

I apologize to everyone who I offended with my use of the word "manipulative." I don't think she is being deliberately manipulative and I thought I was being clear, but looking at my original comment, I could have phrased it better, and I regret that I didn't.

The point I was clumsily trying to make was that I simply don't like the idea that Joe is now solely in the role of watching out for her -- however that situation came about. He's clearly a caring person; he most likely would spontaneously have helped her if he saw that she was in distress even not knowing what her situation is, as I believe most people out there would. We saw a similar situation two seasons ago with Ben and his panic attacks. Kenzie, Charlie, and Liz all would sit up with him and keep him company until he was feeling better. I have no reason to think that Eve's tribe wouldn't also be supportive of her.

No need to apologize.   I questioned Eve telling Joe about her condition.  Now there might be some harder decisions on his plate because he might feel obligated to look after Eve.  

[Chicago Redshirt]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

You are missing my point entirely. This episode made a big freaking deal out of Eva being autistic. Why? Explain how it was important to this episode. It felt very exploitative to me. "Look, our first autistic Survivor!" The touchy-feely moment between her and Joe obviously had the desired affect, seeing how everyone seems to be running to defend, internet shame and express moral outrage on her behalf to anyone who dares point this out.

I'm not looking for anything, that's the issue. If she didn't tell me she had autism I wouldn't know. 

There are going to be lots of people who watched this, and said "huh?" No need to get panties in a twist over it or be didactic about it. The show's going to do what the show's going to do with it. It doesn't call for excuses or scolding.

I'm not scolding you, getting panties in a twist or being didactic. I was literally wondering what symptoms you would be looking for/expecting.

I'm fine with your answer "None."

[eel2178]

23 hours ago, bankerchick said:

I can't be the only person to see team Vulva.  Sorry.  That was a bad name choice.

My first thought was the women of Vula should band together and have The Vulva Aliance.

It's good to know I'm not the only one that perverted.

[kav]

On 2/27/2025 at 6:15 PM, iMonrey said:

Yes and I know people who are on the spectrum and Eva exhibits no symptoms whatsoever. Granted, it's early days. But my point is that she - or the show or a combination of both - seem determined that it will be her characterizing feature, which is weird because if she wasn't telling us over and over again she has autism we would never know it.

I expect it will come into play eventually, one way or another. I'm merely saying it seemed odd to make it her "thing" right out of the gate when it didn't affect anything one way or another. 

Autism can be an invisible disability where most symptoms are not seen from the outside and unless you are aware might not be observed by most people, but they are always there on the inside.

Edited Saturday at 01:17 AM by kav

[30 Helens]

14 hours ago, iMonrey said:

You are missing my point entirely. This episode made a big freaking deal out of Eva being autistic. Why? Explain how it was important to this episode.

I didn’t feel the episode made a big deal out of Eva being autistic. It just seemed to be part of her introduction. As to why it was important? There are a number of reasons. One, it forms the backbone of Eva’s alliance with Joe. She chose to share that with him even though she’s not looking for it to be broadcast. But because she decided to trust him, they are bonded. And if we hadn’t seen that share, we would not know why.

Two, there’s a very real possibility that Eva may respond to certain people and/or situations differently than some might expect. And now we have the context to understand why.

Three, it’s an interesting story. And if you’re trying to get people to watch the season, you don’t hide your more interesting people until episode 3. And I didn’t find it exploitative at all. They didn’t present her as someone to gawk at, or hold her up as the face of Autism. They just introduced a contestant and gave us a little of her story.  

Besides, Eva was certainly not the only person we got to meet. We learned about Kyle’s deep shame and paranoia over being a lawyer. (Or at least being outed as one.) We saw Sai play too hard and too fast, while hiding from no one the fact that she’s playing too hard and too fast. And we saw Kevin complain about his shoulder like nobody’s ever bumped a knee and had to suck it up before, except Kevin didn’t just bump his shoulder, he actually seriously injured it which we would have known about if that footage had been shown. (See, context is important to understanding!)

But the one thing that I can’t believe nobody is talking about is that ridiculous opening montage of people getting the call to come on the show, like they’re finding their goddamn Big Brother house keys stuffed inside a pile of laundry while some random cameraman pops in at that exact moment just to capture their glee? Can we all just agree to hate on that little sequence instead?

Edited Saturday at 07:43 AM by 30 Helens

[lilysmom]

I think some posters have made a much bigger deal out of Eva's autism than Eva did. You can't judge the severity of someone's diagnosis by watching maybe 5 total minutes of video.  To judge by that and say that she shows no signs of autism is unfair.I think we forget we see such a small portion of what has been filmed and what they go through each week. She knew at some points during this experience she would need someone to help her calm herself and she found Joe, who she felt she could trust to do just that. She didn't make a huge announcement to the whole tribe.  I don't know about anyone else, but when I saw his reaction, I think I fell in love with him!

[Gabs66]

On 2/27/2025 at 10:54 AM, cowgirlwen said:

I'm soooo over the lame, repeated challenges in this show.  The first few seasons had so much more variation.  Surely the producers could come up with more mental, rather than physical, challenges.  Or more unique physical challenges.  Anything would be better than the same old, same old that we've seen for literally 15+ years now!!  

I have been watching old seasons, 16/17 and the challenges WERE more interesting and varied. So many of them could be done in Fiji with no problem. I used to LOVE the challenges, but now meh.

[blackwing]

Green tribe is doomed.  They don’t have a single person that is physically strong.  Red tribe has David the stuntman.  Purple tribe has the firefighter and Shahin.  Green has nobody.  They have Kevin who admitted he is small and weak, the surgeon who almost looks ill, like Randy Jackson post-bariatric surgery, and a guy that doesn’t look strong.  Then they also have a small Asian woman and Sai who doesn’t look strong.  The producers should have swapped Shahin and Kevin. 
 

Sai is super irritating.  I wish they had blindsided her and gotten her and her idol out. 

[iMonrey]

4 hours ago, blackwing said:

Green tribe is doomed.  They don’t have a single person that is physically strong.  Red tribe has David the stuntman.  Purple tribe has the firefighter and Shahin.  Green has nobody.  They have Kevin who admitted he is small and weak, the surgeon who almost looks ill, like Randy Jackson post-bariatric surgery, and a guy that doesn’t look strong.  Then they also have a small Asian woman and Sai who doesn’t look strong.  The producers should have swapped Shahin and Kevin. 

They really need to stop having three tribes of six, it's gotten way too predictable. Even these people knew enough to immediately secure a core four. Going back to two tribes of nine would create a greater variety of alliances and sub alliances, and wouldn't leave one tribe so obviously weaker than the others.

[JudyObscure]

On 2/28/2025 at 12:34 PM, iMonrey said:

This episode made a big freaking deal out of Eva being autistic. Why? Explain how it was important to this episode. It felt very exploitative to me. "Look, our first autistic Survivor!" The touchy-feely moment between her and Joe obviously had the desired affect, seeing how everyone seems to be running to defend, internet shame and express moral outrage on her behalf to anyone who dares point this out.

You have my sympathy, iMonrey.  Now you know how I felt a few years ago when everyone decided I was a racist because I complained about this show's heavy handed treatment of diversity.  When the person everyone had planned to vote out had to be changed at Tribal "because of the optics" (after they found out the other tribe had just voted out a black person)  I got fed up. 

I'm all for diversity. I've voted in favor of it since it was called affirmative action, and I'm glad the show has figured out diverse means more than just color, but it has always needed to be a little more subtle about it, and Jeff needs to quit with the self-conscious glee over every heartfelt moment of connection or whatever he calls it.  I say that even though I like those moments, I just don't want him to stand and point at it.