Escaping Reality

It's Redemption Island and redemption is certainly called for. We're unpacking Survivor Season 22: Redemption Island, but, honestly, it's less of an unpack and more of a narrow exploration into the one and only Boston Rob. 

We're spending a big portion of the episode talking about the man of the hour -- how he won, if it was impressive, why bring him back in the first place? But in a season that didn't have much (in our opinions) beyond the Rob-narrative, we've still got a handful of other topics to bring up. 

The addition of redemption island & returning players are discussed, but we're also breaking down the titular conflict of Episode 10: "Rice Wars" and revisiting the show's struggle with representation, and the handling of conversations that come up within the narrative regarding race. 

Lots to chat about for a season we didn't love. Plus, we're naming the entire cast (sans Boston Rob) as dishonorable mention... jk, but they might as well be. 

You can always follow for more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram and @EscRealityPod on Twitter. Be sure to rate/review/subscribe & tell all your Survivor-loving friends to listen! 

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We’re back at it! And, first season after Heroes vs. Villains, we’re not really feeling the high-on-Survivor vibes anymore. We still found plenty to talk about, though probably some tangents will be a surprise! In this episode, we're jumping in to discuss the success (or not) of casting post and All Stars season and why we should (or should not) rely on a tribe split based on age. 

We couldn't talk bout this season without the first (and maybe only) double and simultaneous quit as well as our love for Jimmy Johnson. We also discuss our absolute SHOCK that Chase didn’t win and that he does not mention his career in Survivor in his life in 2020 in country music. Chase, we need answers.  

We hope you enjoy this deep dive into a season that the franchise would probably rather forget.

You can always follow for more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter. Be sure to leave us a rating & review and share with your Survivor-loving friends! 

Thanks for Escaping Reality with us!

It's been 20 seasons and 20 episodes to discuss them ! Which means: it's time to close ranks. We're sharing how we each rank the first 20 seasons of Survivor & having some friendly discussion about why we each think our list is the right one. 

In ranking the seasons, we're also shedding some light on what factors affected the orders -- re-watchability, diverse casting, likable winners, etc. It's different for all of us (which means we're bound to have some disagreements). 

If you've been listening along as we covered seasons 1-20 on Escaping Reality, see if you can guess who ranks which season where based on what's already been said! You can always follow for more content (and opinions) on Instagram @EscapingRealityPod and on Twitter at @EscRealityPod.

Be sure to subscribe/rate/review our show & share with all your Survivor-loving friends! 

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to us all! We have almost made it to the end of 2020 and we are halfway through our deep dive into @survivorcbs. We’re almost as shocked as you are that we’ve come this far!

We're diving deep into our feels on what it means to be a hero or a villain and which strategy works better in the game. Plus, we're digging into what it is about this cast that makes us say, “All Stars could never.” We’ve got big, dumb moves and a second helping of Russell Hantz to dissect and argue about. Will your favorites earn their reputation as a hero or a villain? Or have they learned from their mistakes from the last time they played? 

This season was one for the ages and we had way too much fun breaking it all down (just look at the time stamp on the episode). As always, we’ve got our honorable mention and rapid fire questions! We threw in a dishonorable mention as well - do you agree?

If you found us after binging Season 20 on Netflix, we’re so excited to have you. Go back and listen to our recaps and conversations about the other 20 seasons to get the backstory on some of your favorites from Season 20. 

You can always find more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter. Make sure to rate/review/subscribe & let us know what you thought of this episode. 

Thanks for Escaping Reality with us! 

It's been 19 seasons and we're a little pooped. It took us a little while to warm up to Survivor: Samoa, but, once we did, we found plenty to talk about. In this episode, we're jumping RIGHT in to discuss the evolution of hidden idols, the importance of having a tribe leader, and the differences between winning the game and being considered the best player. 

We couldn't get into this season without talking about the iconic Russell Hantz - so, don't worry, we're doing that too! Plus, we go deep unpacking Natalie's winning 'strategy,' and final tribal performance. In a season jam-packed with wild moments, we're also taking time to talk through the controversial storyline of Ben--his aggressive behavior and racist comments--and production's lack of accountability for their offensive players and perpetual racist narratives. 

We get serious & we get silly - indicative of the rollercoaster of emotions we felt while watching this season of Survivor! 

You can always follow for more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter. Be sure to leave us a rating & review and share with your Survivor-loving friends! 

Thanks for Escaping Reality with us

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Escaping Reality Fam! We're back with another holiday bonus episode all about The Great Festive/Christmas Bake Off. 

We're getting into the holiday spirit by talking about the 3 seasons of Great Festive/Christmas Bake Off. We have a friend and fellow baker, Mel, joining us on the pod this week and she's here to share with us all her feels about the bakers and some of her baking secrets.  

On top of that, we're talking all about the format of a baking competition show, the difference between British and American competitions, and the beautiful judges named Paul and Prue. And, as always, you can hear all about the challenges during rapid fire questions! 

You can always find more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter. Make sure to rate/review/subscribe & let us know what you thought of this episode. 

Our friend of the pod, Melanie, is on Instagram at @mabcat.

Thanks for Escaping Reality with us! 

We're back to talk Survivor Season 18: Tocantins ! And WHAT an  iconic cast of characters we have here... 

We're diving deep into our feels on JT, Stephen, Taj, Sierra, Tyson and, of course, the man/the myth/the legend that is Coach. Plus, we're digging into what it is about this cast that enhances the season so much (even if we don't agree on the players themselves). Spoiler alert: we think it has to do with how pretty they all are. 

On top of that, we're talking all about the exile alliance, the warrior alliance, and the adorable friendship of JT & Stephen. And, as always, our honorable mention and rapid fire questions! 

You can always find more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter. Make sure to rate/review/subscribe & let us know what you thought of this episode. 

Thanks for Escaping Reality with us! 

For a season that the Escaping Reality team collectively described as 'meh,' we had a lot to say, and it mostly revolves around the host with the most Mr. Jeffrey Probst.  

We're talking about our perceived reason for Jeff's feelings this season, the return of the Exile Island twist, the brilliance of Bob's fake idols, and whether or not the castaways were "too mean." 

PLUS - the challenges this season were on another level and we break it all down. Let us know which one was your favorite on Instagram or Twitter! 

You can always find more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter. Make sure to rate/review/subscribe & let us know what you thought of this episode. 

Thanks for Escaping Reality with us! 

Welcome back to another extra-special BONUS episode of Escaping Reality! In this episode, we're joined by our new friends & fellow Survivor podcasters, Kaleb & Alex of the podcast: Speaking Llama, to play a little bit of Survivor-themed 'would you rather.' 

It's a game of get-to-know-you, and we're learning a ton about each other's Survivor preferences. Besides some friendly spats about those, we're getting into reasons why we would go on Survivor, what our strategies might be, and how we would align with (or betray) one another.

Be sure to check out Speaking Llama on apple podcasts & spotify to catch Kaleb & Alex having in-depth, Survivor debates. You can follow them on Instagram @SpeakingLlama for more! 

Follow Escaping Reality on Instagram @EscapingRealityPod and on Twitter at @EscRealityPod -- let us know: how would you have answered the questions from this episode? 

What did we ever do to deserve something so good as Season 16 of Survivor? In one of our longest episodes yet, the team is merely scratching the surface of this epic season (which is, collectively, one of our faves).

Where to even begin...? Is it the impeccable cast of returning 'favorites'? The thrill of quits & med-evacs? The savagery that is Jeff Probst commentary? There's just so much to cover. 

We're diving right into topics like Jeff's biased hosting tendencies, the (finally) good iteration of Exile Island, the brilliance that is Cirie and how she'll never win this game, and the overly-aggressive challenges that left our castaways wrecked. 

PLUS - everyone is picking their own individual honorable mention this season, or maybe dis-honorable, you'll have to listen to find out. 

You can always find more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter. Make sure to rate/review/subscribe & let us know what you thought of this episode. 

Thanks for Escaping Reality with us!