The ‘Survivor’ Season 50 Crossover Event With The Pod Has Spoken!

Summary

House of R — 'Survivor' Season 50 Crossover Event w/ The Pod Has Spoken!

Podcast: House of R (The Ringer)
Date: May 20, 2026
Hosts: Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson
Guests: Tyson Apostol & Riley McAtee (The Pod Has Spoken)

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Episode Overview

This joyful, wide-ranging crossover brings together House of R’s deep-nerd hosts with Survivor royalty — former champion and multi-time returnee Tyson Apostol, along with his podcasting partner Riley McAtee, creators of The Pod Has Spoken. It’s an in-person lovefest, half nerd-culture therapy session, half epic Survivor debrief, with the crew commemorating Survivor 50’s landmark season, swapping behind-the-scenes legends, and diving into spirited debates about gameplay, TV archetypes, and their wildest cross-nerd culture Survivor fantasies.

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Key Segments & Insights

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1. Setting the Vibe: Survivor Legends Meet the Nerdverse

[00:00–02:00]

• Excitement is high; this is the first time these two podcasting duos join forces in person.
• They joke about "immunity challenge" style hand-holding as an icebreaker.
• “We love to touch each other during podcasts. Like, let me feel how soft your skin is today. Once again, like a rose petal. Like a baby's bottom.” — Mallory Rubin (02:00)
• Immediate rapport, lots of laughter, and a tight-knit, inside-joke tone.

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2. The Pod Has Spoken: Crossover Appreciation

[05:00–08:00]

• Mallory recounts becoming a fan of Tyson and lobbying for his spot on The Pod Has Spoken.
• Discussion of the excitement around hosting exit interviews, recapping the magic of in-person versus Zoom interactions.

“You're my favorite Survivor player of all time. Thank you. As you know, as the Internet knows.” — Mallory Rubin (05:30)

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3. Survivor 50 Finale — BTS & Fashion Preview

[06:00–12:00]

• Geeking out about the first live Survivor finale in years.
• Red carpet talk: Tyson will wear an off-white Western shirt, leather vest, and leather blazer; Riley opts for a green (not blue!) button-down.
• Speculation on how CBS manages seating to keep Survivor frenemies apart.

“I did message CBS and say, please don't sit me next to these people. And they said, 'Noted.'” — Tyson Apostol (08:47)

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4. Podcast Impact & Survivor 50 as Event TV

[12:00–14:00]

• House of R crew showers praise on The Pod Has Spoken's exit interviews and real-time reactions.
• Survivor 50 is credited with bringing back event status: “It has had that zeitgeist animating monoculture effect. This is definitely the most Thursday morning water cooler conversation in real time.” — Mallory Rubin (13:28)

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5. Celebrity Appearances, Season 50 Twists & Live Gossip

[10:50–14:30, 28:30–31:15]

• Behind-the-scenes dish: Contestant invites, rumors about Richard Hatch and Brian Heidek not being invited.
• Debates about best and worst Survivor twists:
  • Mr. Beast’s successful, high-stakes coin flip challenge praised.
  • Jimmy Fallon’s forced "write your own name" twist reviled as “bastardizing...something sacred”—removing player agency.
• Lament at Survivor’s recent “celebrity overexposure.”

“...It bastardized something sacred about Survivor, which is you never write your own name down.” — Mallory Rubin (34:54)

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6. Emotional Highs & Lows: Survivor 50’s Most Memorable Moments

[37:00–44:15]

• Ozzy’s deeply personal story about his father and his devastating exit is a table-wide pick for most affecting storyline.
• Colby’s “passage of time” arc is highlighted for how Survivor tracks aging, growth, and vulnerability.

“The way that Survivor is genuinely unique in the way it allows us to feel the passage of time, you know?” — Mallory Rubin (41:49)

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7. MVPs & Hall of Fame Performances: Sarié’s Dominance

[45:01–49:13]

• Unanimous selection: Sarié. Her warmth, intuition, and social genius made her both un-targetable and in total control—even as she ultimately fell short of the win.
• Analysis of her alliance with Ozzy and Rizzo as a new peak in Survivor alliance dynamics.

“She led the game as this warm, joyful mafiosa.” — Tyson Apostol (45:30) “Watching her play...is like a type of witchcraft.” — Mallory Rubin (46:39)

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8. Riffing on Returnees: Survivor Season Design & Casting

[55:35–71:01]

• Debate: Should Survivor “return to basics” with casts of true newcomers, or is superfandom here to stay?
• Tyson describes how producers prefer superfans—they’re easier to “control” and more grateful just to get the opportunity.
• Several pitches for future returnee seasons:
  • “Oil and Water”: Pair Survivor rivals and force them to cooperate.
  • “Fans vs. Favorites” with actual superfans.
  • “New Era All-Stars” (seasons 41–50).
  • Olympic-cadence returnee seasons: major all-stars every four years, hybrid/fan seasons in between.

“You need a season of all honor & integrity... Just a season full of Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar.” — Tyson Apostol (79:02) “Do you feel like there's only downside to you going back?” — Joanna Robinson, grilling Tyson on a hypothetical return (82:54)

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9. Survivor Nerd-Culture Crossovers: Epic What-Ifs

[87:23–105:00]

Survivor Twists Inspired by Pop Culture:

• Riley invents a 'One Ring' idol (use it for safety now, but it curses you with extra votes later) ([89:29])
• Mallory invents Grogu-style, ultra-powerful advantages: force-move every item at camp, a "mulligan" to undo any mistake, or a mind-control “this is the way” twist ([91:32–95:08])
• Tyson suggests Jumanji-style “extra lives”—vote someone out twice to eliminate.
• Game of Thrones–themed season, Last Airbender (elemental tribes), Dune (survive the desert with 'stillsuits').

Which Fictional Character Would Win Survivor?

• Lord of the Rings: Legolas, for his stamina, wisdom, and agelessness ([108:27])
• Game of Thrones: Tyrion, Arya, Sansa, Oberyn contest the crown; Arya described as “a problematic winner—lone wolf.” ([109:52])
• Star Wars: Yoda for wisdom, Ahsoka for necessary decisiveness, Rey for resourcefulness ([112:25])
• MCU: No consensus, but Hulk's intimidation, Wanda’s mind control, and Peter Parker's likability discussed ([113:36])

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10. Mythical Weapons & Survivor Tools

[125:32–129:50]

• Blades debate: Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials—cuts between worlds), Catspaw dagger (Thrones—Valyrian steel), Oathkeeper (honor & integrity blade), Excalibur, and Sting.
• Tyson: “The real use of a machete is opening coconuts, not building shelter.”

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11. Survivor Snack Break: Wagyu Pastrami

[130:18–133:53]

• Inspired by Sarié’s podcast recommendation, Joanna brings wagyu pastrami sandwiches for the group.
• Group verdict: “That is really good!” — Riley McAtee

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12. Closing Banter: Invites, Alliances, and Survivor Bodily Functions

[134:24–140:00]

• Mallory and Joanna lobby for regular crossovers; Tyson and Riley leave the door open—pending results of LA finale travel.
• The eternal wedding invite callback is threaded through to the end.
• The episode closes with classic Survivor scatology: strategies for ocean and Coconut Grove bathroom breaks.

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Notable Quotes

• On Sarié’s dominance:
  “She led the game as this, like, warm, joyful mafiosa who was just like them. ‘Yeah, now it’s them.’”
  — Tyson Apostol (45:30)

• On the Soul of Survivor:
  “Survivor is genuinely unique in the way it allows us to feel the passage of time, you know?”
  — Mallory Rubin (41:49)

• On the Enduring Power of Exit Interviews:
  “...you decompress after the exit interviews. You discuss what they said, which no one else really does. And I love that.”
  — Joanna Robinson (13:55)

• On Casting:
  “They have the super fans on every season—they’re the easiest ones to control. If you’re a big Jeff Probst fan and Jeff Probst is telling you to shut up, you’re gonna shut up.”
  — Tyson Apostol (56:53)

• Best Fake Survivor Twist Pitch:
  “Grogu’s pretty overpowered, you know, mini midichlorian Jesus!”
  — Tyson Apostol (92:49)

• On Returning…or Not:
  “I just don’t have the bandwidth… I’m like an old cranky man… but then that becomes part of the narrative, right?”
  — Tyson Apostol (84:47)

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Timestamps for Key Discussions

• 00:00–02:00 — Opening banter: hand-holding and podcast chemistry
• 03:02–04:33 — Survivor 50 finale red carpet & behind-the-scenes
• 05:19–06:15 — The Pod Has Spoken origin story and mutual admiration society
• 10:50–12:32 — Finale invites, Survivor rivalries, CBS seating chart gossip
• 13:28–14:43 — Survivor 50 as monoculture TV; podcasting as event
• 28:30–31:15 — Best/Worst Season 50 twists: Mr. Beast & Jimmy Fallon
• 37:00–44:15 — Emotional moments: Ozzy & Colby’s arcs
• 45:01–49:13 — Sarié as MVP and all-time great
• 55:35–71:01 — Casting, superfan era, future Survivors (“Oil & Water” idea)
• 87:23–105:00 — Nerd-culture Survivor twists & fantasy casting
• 130:18–133:53 — Wagyu pastrami taste test
• 137:07–140:50 — End-of-episode: Survivor bathroom business & more jokes

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Final Thoughts

House of R x The Pod Has Spoken is the ultimate Survivor-nerd culture comfort food: affectionate, hilarious, brimming with history and inside jokes, but anchored by real insight and honest critique on modern reality TV. Whether you’re craving the platonic ideal of a Survivor podcast, contemplations of honor in a cutthroat world, or just want to hear which magical blade could best slice a Survivor coconut, this crossover delivers in spades.

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Subscribe to The Pod Has Spoken for exit interviews, game analysis, and more. Tune in to House of R for ficto-nerd deep-dives every week.

Transcript

[Mallory Rubin]

Foreign. And welcome to House of R. A Ringer verse podcast on the Ringer podcast network. I'm Mallory Rubin and I'm here with my number one, ride or die till the end always Joanna Robinson.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's because she thinks I'm a goat.

[Tyson Apostol]

All lowercase, all caps.

[Mallory Rubin]

Greatest of all time, baby.

[Joanna Robinson]

Hell yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

And it is the thrill of our lives to say that we are joined today for a special crossover event. A team up of our own design. The pod has spoken. Is here. Tyson is here. Riley is here. And that means the silver Trickster and the Wolf of quiet pines are here holding hands.

[Joanna Robinson]

Beautiful.

[Tyson Apostol]

That's how we do it. We don't get to record in person too often, so this is really recorded in person.

[Joanna Robinson]

This is the first time Ashley's here in spirit, I should say.

[Tyson Apostol]

Absolutely.

[Riley McAtee]

She's in the air on route.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Maybe we. Carlos, through the. The magic and power of editing, we can get a little producer Ash pop up at some point on the graphics package in the middle so that Ashley is actually here with us on the. On the final cut. We are going to explain what today's episode is.

[Riley McAtee]

I feel like it's a challenge. It's become a challenge of, like, who

[Joanna Robinson]

will break first flesh that when Ozzy was hitting on you. This is. This is even more of a. Whoa.

[Mallory Rubin]

Who's that? The blue eyes.

[Riley McAtee]

Oh, my God.

[Tyson Apostol]

The thing is, is I could do this forever. This is nothing to me. I could.

[Joanna Robinson]

Incredible.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm very comfortable with myself and with Riley.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, I. We can tell your bond is very important.

[Tyson Apostol]

He's going to make the challenge. Okay. It sounds like you did challenge me to go the entire three hours.

[Joanna Robinson]

This is like an immunity challenge. This is for. This is for immunity.

[Mallory Rubin]

Exactly.

[Tyson Apostol]

But Riley, if I am making you hands on your allies, if you are uncomfortable, I'll take. I'll remove my hand. You want me to remove my hand?

[Riley McAtee]

No, it's fine.

[Mallory Rubin]

Beautiful. Yeah. Riley's super delighted and thrilled. I mean, I.

[Tyson Apostol]

We, like, routinely, we love to touch

[Mallory Rubin]

each other during podcasts. Like, let me feel how soft your skin is today. Once again, like a rose petal. Like a baby's bottom. Beautiful. Delightful.

[Tyson Apostol]

Oh, he broke first. No, he.

[Riley McAtee]

No, I rotated.

[Tyson Apostol]

You complimented.

[Riley McAtee]

I rotated.

[Mallory Rubin]

And you knew that was strategic.

[Tyson Apostol]

You knew when you complimented that you swung my hands.

[Riley McAtee]

No, I didn't.

[Tyson Apostol]

I rotated and also reviewed the tape.

[Mallory Rubin]

We are.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, I'm sorry. It was Jonathan who actually stayed exactly.

[Tyson Apostol]

When I was a challenge. Everybody that shook my hand on the challenge was like, how are your hands so soft? But you're so good.

[Mallory Rubin]

But after they told you how manly and firm your handshake was.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, no, they never told me that. But I do. I'm 47. Of course I learned how to shake a hand. But look at no calluses, nothing pretty soft.

[Joanna Robinson]

Wow. The power move they'll like, slide afterwards just to make sure.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, that is nice. It's wonderful.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. People are surprised that I'm so good at reality game show challenges with having no calluses and super soft hands. I was like, I avoided manual labor most of my life.

[Mallory Rubin]

So there are many superpowers. We will learn more about Tyson's moisturizing routine, Riley's comfort with physical contact with his co host, and the flow of this delightful podcast right after this. This episode of hasslevar is presented to you by Target. Call it all trainers. The Pokemon and target collection celebrating 30 years of Pokemon is almost here and the lineup is kind of incredible. A few are sure to be fan

[Joanna Robinson]

faves, Pokemon starter jackets, mystery water type, Pokemon bottles, and even caboodles.

[Mallory Rubin]

Which feels perfect because Pokemon has always been about sharing the adventure and Target is bringing fans together to celebrate that spirit. Spirit.

[Joanna Robinson]

The first drop is in store May

[Mallory Rubin]

2 online May 3 with the second drop June 6.

[Joanna Robinson]

Explore [e-mail].

[Tyson Apostol]

This episode is brought to you by the Active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. That's a mouthful, but this, that's because it packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it, big or small. So whether it's buying tickets to the game and grabbing a coffee, it earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Say it with me. The Active Cash credit card from Wells Fargo. Be a 2 percenter. Learn more at Wells Fargo.com active cash

[Mallory Rubin]

terms apply okay, Silver Trickster Wolf of Qua Pines. Thank you for joining us on the house of our. Listen, we're trying to play it cool. This is the most excited that I've ever been about anything. When you guys did your pod about the Zach Brown episode and you were like, oh, you know, who would you be like, actually excited to have come to the beach and to meet. I remember this pretty vividly because your answer was quite surprising. Do you remember what you said?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, I do too.

[Mallory Rubin]

Carly Rae Jepsen.

[Riley McAtee]

I'm a big fan.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's like I've known Riley since he was a junior in college and, and this is a thing that I have learned about him today. But I was there listening and I was thinking my answer for this would be Tyson. Yes, my answer for this would be Tyson and Now here we are together in person at last.

[Joanna Robinson]

My answer would be Riley.

[Tyson Apostol]

I also do believe, and I could be wrong, that the reason I am here at the ringer and at the Pot has spoken is partly on.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's right.

[Tyson Apostol]

Because of you.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's right.

[Tyson Apostol]

Is it all because of you?

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, it was my suggestion. You're my favorite Survivor player of all time. Thank you. As you know, as the Internet knows and thought, you know, who's just great at talking and also knows a lot about Survivor and who is just Boston Rob.

[Tyson Apostol]

But we can't get him.

[Mallory Rubin]

He's busy. He's tied up. You know, he's got a lot going on. But what we do here at the

[Joanna Robinson]

reverse, we solve problems.

[Mallory Rubin]

We hunt for solutions, you know?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. So what a just genuine thrill. I mean, we've all been together on Zooms before.

[Riley McAtee]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

But never a person.

[Tyson Apostol]

Never.

[Mallory Rubin]

You guys are in LA for the finale. Tease your coverage. Plug your coverage.

[Tyson Apostol]

Oh, man. Okay, so we've got this.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Then we are going to the live finale. First live finale since not even Winners at War was live. They said it was live, but before that it was a live reveal of the winner.

[Riley McAtee]

It was a remote. Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

But via. Yeah. Remote. They literally for Winners at War because it was Covid.

[Mallory Rubin]

Right.

[Tyson Apostol]

They sent every contestant a laptop, and on the laptop they had one little button.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

And you pushed the. They had one icon in the center and you pushed that and it did all this stuff for you. And literally you sent him a video of you in whatever you wanted to wear for the finale, like doing reactions, like Brady Bunch intro reactions.

[Riley McAtee]

It wasn't even live.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, the only live was Tony and Natalie and Michelle.

[Riley McAtee]

Oh, wow.

[Tyson Apostol]

Everybody else we filmed before that, they still paid us our finale fee and they would.

[Joanna Robinson]

Did they give you direction? They're like, now look shocked. Now look.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, they were just like. Just do a bunch of different reactions. If we need something different, we'll do it. So, like, I did, like.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

This is. Some more I have not heard before. I thought you guys were all on.

[Tyson Apostol]

Nobody was.

[Mallory Rubin]

Huh.

[Tyson Apostol]

And I kind of preferred it. There was some tension there. I'm sure that season 50 contestants. There's some that would rather not be here for the live finale that will be there.

[Joanna Robinson]

Are you so excited to see that in person?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. The rage and resentment would even go over.

[Tyson Apostol]

But I also have tension with players who are going to be there. They weren't on 50. There's players that are going to be present that are gonna walk the red carpet. We're gonna do red carpet interviews. We're keeping the camera rolling in case somebody skirts us on purpose or in case somebody air the beef. Air the beef. And maybe there's somebody that comes in and we like them, we dislike them enough to just be like, well, here they are. Thanks for coming.

[Mallory Rubin]

We have no questions for you.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, come on down. Next.

[Riley McAtee]

I will let you handle all this. I have no en.

[Tyson Apostol]

Any beef preview for us for 50 or for me?

[Joanna Robinson]

For you at 50.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, I don't. I'm going to be professional because I am a journalist.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Unbiased. I have questions prepared for even my enemies. And if they choose not to be professional or cordial, that's on them.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think I have the most questions for my enemies. To be honest with you, I feel

[Mallory Rubin]

like it would be a huge honor to be your enemy. I mean, obviously I would rather be your ally and friend, but like, to earn your wrath is an incredible. To be like, relevant enough to earn your wrath is honest, honestly an achievement.

[Tyson Apostol]

But then in all my contracts moving forward, your name is in there as someone who will not be present at the thing I'm being present at.

[Mallory Rubin]

Damn, look at that.

[Joanna Robinson]

Except for this finale where you can't control it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Although I did message CBS and say, please don't sit me next to these people. And they said, noted. Wow.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh my God. I just imagine CBS trying to do like a wedding like style. Don't sit this person next to this, like triangular.

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't think people are bold enough to tell CBS what they want. Most of us.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Give us a little a fit preview. What are you guys wearing on the red carpet? You breaking out of tux?

[Riley McAtee]

No, I was just gonna wear. They said smart business casual.

[Tyson Apostol]

Smart business casual, so.

[Riley McAtee]

Which is kind of a lot of words. Yeah, smart. Smart Business casual is a little business casual.

[Mallory Rubin]

What are you wearing?

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm wearing a western dress shirt off white with a leather vest with a leather blazer.

[Joanna Robinson]

Incredible. Is there fringe anywhere? It's incredible.

[Riley McAtee]

No friggin go to the store.

[Mallory Rubin]

It sounds like you have some shopping style.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, I'm leaving it open because of the business.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Okay.

[Tyson Apostol]

If it were formal, I would have a bolo. Yeah, fantastic. So I'm doing that. I was going to wear cowboy boots because it makes me taller than 6:3, which is what I am. And with Jeff Probst rolling in at his 59 or 510 and me at 6 5.

[Mallory Rubin]

You love to loom on him.

[Joanna Robinson]

You love to loom on him.

[Mallory Rubin]

Posterized.

[Tyson Apostol]

Jeff, you say loom I say lord over. Lord over someone is a good move. Anyways, so, yeah, we've got that. We're going to be on the red carpet. All the former winners that will be there, which we have the list already.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, I can look at most of

[Tyson Apostol]

them should be on the red carpet.

[Riley McAtee]

I don't know if we're allowed to say.

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't know if we're allowed to say. There was no disclaimer. There was no disclaimer at the end of the email. So I think that technically, by law, you know how it's like read this whole email and then by law, you're sworn to secrecy and you're like, wait,

[Mallory Rubin]

I should be in the format.

[Tyson Apostol]

Right.

[Mallory Rubin]

See this here in motion, the mind of a producer always looking for every

[Tyson Apostol]

loophole that should be at the front.

[Joanna Robinson]

I didn't tell you, you can't read all the emails. And then she tells me what's in them. And that's a fact.

[Mallory Rubin]

Every partnership has its first flow.

[Joanna Robinson]

Like, you know, these screeners expired two days ago. Joanna, did you read the email? No, I just clicked on the link.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, there's no. I can bargo on this. I mean, but I haven't seen it like reported.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, I haven't either. So I. Although I do have some gossip for us.

[Mallory Rubin]

Drop, spill the tea.

[Joanna Robinson]

Let's.

[Tyson Apostol]

First of all, we're going to do everybody who's already been eliminated from Survivor. Pre. Pre show. Yeah. Then all five finalists after the Life finale, we're going to be in the audience. Ashley and Riley are sitting in the lowly press up at the top. I'm in the winners down in front, which I don't know where it is. And then the lore is that I got an email that said every winner from the past has been invited. On social media today I saw Richard Hatch say I never got invited. Oh, check your spam because it did come from some weird email addresses.

[Riley McAtee]

Oh, did it?

[Mallory Rubin]

Interesting.

[Joanna Robinson]

Richard. Well, hopefully someone at CBS reached out to him after he.

[Tyson Apostol]

Well, because people are also wondering about Brian Heidek.

[Mallory Rubin]

Sure.

[Tyson Apostol]

And there's. So anyways, not all the winners will be there, but supposedly they all got invited as per the invitation I received in my. I think it went to Updates. My updates folder, not my primary folder.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay. Do you think anybody has as cool of an outfit planned as you have? Probably not.

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't think people are as bold enough to.

[Joanna Robinson]

What if Boston Rob shows up in the exact same fit?

[Tyson Apostol]

No, Boston Rob would never.

[Mallory Rubin]

Boston Rob and Jonathan are going to have matching outfits. You know, after Jonathan studied in his nick.

[Tyson Apostol]

Because it's two for one at Men's Wearhouse.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, I get the deal, guys.

[Joanna Robinson]

Jonathan's not coming in, like, a silken robe. No.

[Tyson Apostol]

He's probably a T shirt with his homemade joggers.

[Mallory Rubin]

I love the patches, the different colors. I'm into it. The pot has been. I mean, the pot has always been great, but this season has just been God tier, just incredible.

[Riley McAtee]

It has been.

[Mallory Rubin]

It is like, you know, podcast universe. There's a lot out there, a lot of coverage every week. Something we talk about at the ringer.

[Joanna Robinson]

I really just like for podcasts in general.

[Tyson Apostol]

Me neither.

[Mallory Rubin]

Wow, guys. What?

[Joanna Robinson]

That's not true. But I really actually don't listen to that many podcasts. But you guys. You guys are appointment viewers. Yeah, it is after the episode. I watch your podcast.

[Mallory Rubin]

Must watch multiple times per week every week, which is like, a hard thing to get people to form that relationship with what you make. Because there's just so much shit out there, like, and so many things everybody can choose from every week. And we genuinely. I mean, this is something that can get us into talking about season 50 a little bit. Like season 50 itself has really felt like you can't wait to watch. Not only the anticipation, but if you wait, it will be spoiled for you. So it has had that, like, zeitgeist animating monoculture effect. We're talking about it. We're texting Wednesday night about it. We're on group chats where people are texting about it. This is definitely the most Thursday morning

[Joanna Robinson]

water cooler conversation in real time.

[Mallory Rubin]

People in my life, they're like, did you watch last night? Here are all my thoughts. And then it's like, gotta carve out the time immediately for the POD has spoken. And I've loved the approach with the exit interviews this year and the moments where you've done, like, the merge extravaganza, et cetera. It's just been a blast. So if anybody out there is not already a POD has spoken, super fan. Now's the moment.

[Joanna Robinson]

You guys get the best exit interviews.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, no question.

[Joanna Robinson]

Everyone just sort of like, lights up when they talk to you. And then I also love how you sort of decompress after the exit interviews. You discuss what they said, which no one else really does. And I. I love that.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's just.

[Tyson Apostol]

We just came up with that. Yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

Because it was like, we. We were like, well, we needed to pad the runtime of one of them.

[Tyson Apostol]

You know, we were like, we're like,

[Riley McAtee]

we need a little bit More to make the pod feel worthwhile.

[Tyson Apostol]

Can I charge Spotify for a full podcast for a 15 minute exit interview? I don't.

[Mallory Rubin]

It sounds like you're the expert at reading the fine print. You know, you can try.

[Tyson Apostol]

So we padded it and we've gotten a ton of questions.

[Riley McAtee]

We've gotten that feedback.

[Mallory Rubin]

It is great. And I also love how, like, you can kind of cool count every time on Ashley coming in and saying something unbelievably like heartfelt, deep and emotional.

[Riley McAtee]

She's such a great foil to us cynics.

[Mallory Rubin]

Incredible. The haiku. Yeah. The nicknames from Coach. I mean, you know, we've already said him a couple times, but Silver Trickster, basically. He called you Loki, God of mischief, which, like it tracks. It feels wolf of quiet pine.

[Riley McAtee]

I still don't know what it means. Which is kind of how I prefer it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, exactly. Really know what it means. That's an amazing one.

[Joanna Robinson]

But it does capture something about you.

[Mallory Rubin]

Right?

[Riley McAtee]

Capture something.

[Joanna Robinson]

It does. Really.

[Tyson Apostol]

But now Ashley's was the ashen Harold. Is that just lazy? Because her name is Ashley and Ashen.

[Riley McAtee]

I was wondering that. Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

You'd have to ask Coach about his process.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm sure he was inspired by Harold, though.

[Mallory Rubin]

Is a very. That's a like. That's a strong. Yeah. Being a herald is a very powerful position.

[Joanna Robinson]

These are really good.

[Mallory Rubin]

I love that. I can't believe you guys got Coach Nick Daves very jealous.

[Joanna Robinson]

Outstanding.

[Tyson Apostol]

Well, he was selling them.

[Mallory Rubin]

I know.

[Tyson Apostol]

And then he texted me and said, can you help me sell these?

[Riley McAtee]

It was a plug.

[Mallory Rubin]

And you did. You ran through the exact process and the 10 minute get to know you're a real.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, I didn't. I'm just a friend helping a friend. Because that's what we do. You know, you have a platform. You share your platform with the people you love. And if they ever can share their platform with you, they reciprocate the favor. Love it. And he texted and said, I want to come on the podcast and doing these nickname certificates, I'll give you a nickname. And I said, I'll have you on the podcast, but Riley and Ashley need a nickname.

[Mallory Rubin]

There you go.

[Tyson Apostol]

And I was not expecting a nickname for myself because I was like, Tyson's such a strong name anyways.

[Joanna Robinson]

Apostle.

[Tyson Apostol]

Tyson Apostle.

[Joanna Robinson]

Pretty great.

[Tyson Apostol]

Let's get Riley something more powerful.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

McAtee is great.

[Tyson Apostol]

McAtee is also very strong too. So I. Mine was a freebie. The deal was he needed to give Riley and Ashley a nickname.

[Joanna Robinson]

I didn't know that he was doing Certificates for it. So it's sort of like when you buy like a square foot of land in Scotland and you're a laird or something.

[Riley McAtee]

It was like a star named after you. Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

What would be more meaningful though? Having a star named after you or a coach nickname?

[Riley McAtee]

We have a family coach nickname.

[Mallory Rubin]

Joe had a family crest painted for us here. The apple Wars. You know we have matching apple tattoos.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm a red apple person.

[Mallory Rubin]

Hell yeah. My guy. Let's go.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm gonna tell you why.

[Mallory Rubin]

Cuz green apples taste like. Unless they're cooked in a pie.

[Tyson Apostol]

They're very. Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

And they cut your nose.

[Tyson Apostol]

They are pie apples. I'll eat a green apple sometimes, but the texture is too hard to bite into. They're classically more of a solid, denser apple.

[Mallory Rubin]

Snap.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's a delicious snack.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, you're talking about red apples.

[Joanna Robinson]

No, I'm talking about green apples. Granny Smith apples. A nice little snack.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, stop. No. Granny Smith apples. You're gonna put them above.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

The Honey Crisp. The Pink Lady.

[Joanna Robinson]

Correct.

[Mallory Rubin]

These are my favorite too. Sugar Bee.

[Tyson Apostol]

The Sugar Bee. The. There's so many.

[Mallory Rubin]

I knew I could count on Tyson.

[Tyson Apostol]

Cosmos is cosmos.

[Mallory Rubin]

You're conspicuously quiet.

[Tyson Apostol]

There's so many. That's because he's a little quiet pie. He's a green apple guy. And now he can't say it because of how strongly I've positioned.

[Riley McAtee]

I have an even worse answ.

[Joanna Robinson]

I didn't even like apples at all.

[Tyson Apostol]

Apricots.

[Riley McAtee]

I have a stone fruit allergy. I can't eat them.

[Mallory Rubin]

Apples.

[Tyson Apostol]

I can eat them if they're cooked.

[Riley McAtee]

If they're cooked. It's fine.

[Tyson Apostol]

Apples are a stone fruit. I thought they were.

[Riley McAtee]

It's a lot of stone fruits set me off. Apples definitely set me off.

[Tyson Apostol]

And you just don't like apples. And you've told everyone.

[Mallory Rubin]

Make your throat itch.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm developing a little bit of. That hasn't stopped me.

[Riley McAtee]

Throw it in like lips and stuff. And there's some other random ones too.

[Tyson Apostol]

So. Yes.

[Riley McAtee]

Peaches, plums, cherries

[Mallory Rubin]

and apple allergy.

[Tyson Apostol]

Lips.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's what happens when I eat mangoes. So you can't. You can't eat apples. Which looks nicer.

[Riley McAtee]

I can eat them if they're cooked. Which is really odd.

[Tyson Apostol]

No problem with Joanna.

[Joanna Robinson]

This is too green.

[Mallory Rubin]

She doesn't like warm fruit. I don't. So the best way to consume a green apple is obviously.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. But then the thing too is she is right here about the warm fruit. Is that if you're going to Have a dessert. Yeah, have a fudgeing cake. Well, like, why are you turning fruit?

[Mallory Rubin]

I love a pie. What about like a peach cobbler over a cake?

[Tyson Apostol]

Oh, yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

If I had to choose pie over cake, though, as always, my answer is why not both? Because I'm a glutton and I like to indulge.

[Tyson Apostol]

But you're going to eat the cake.

[Mallory Rubin]

I have had. I have had at 10:30 at night the last three nights, a giant slice of strawberry shortcake from Porto's and it's fucking delicious in the morning. Mallory text was just like, my stomach really hurts. Do you think too much your stomach ache? No, I totally. That's just probably too much food, period. And maybe like too much heaping cream at like 11 o'.

[Joanna Robinson]

Clock.

[Mallory Rubin]

I don't know.

[Joanna Robinson]

So Tyson is pro red apple but anti cooked fruit, so I consider that a wash in the apple world.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, it's like we found a way forward. We found a way to work together.

[Tyson Apostol]

Isn't that a like a banana cream pie or something?

[Joanna Robinson]

Delicious. Chocolate cream pie. Delicious.

[Tyson Apostol]

Sure. Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, I love a chocolate rice pie with some.

[Tyson Apostol]

It's fine.

[Mallory Rubin]

Like a lemon sea lime.

[Riley McAtee]

I mean, citrus pies I'm not into.

[Tyson Apostol]

I just prefer like if you're gonna go dessert, go full blown dessert where it's just like fat, sugar and. And gluten like that I very much agree with. That's the three secret ingredients of delicious dessert. Adding fruit is just like we got forced to have fruit at lunch when my mom put them in the lunchbox and told me, you have to eat the fruit and then you can help yourself to the other stuff. Like, I already did that.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's probably because your mom put a red delicious apple in your lunch.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, red Delicious is. We're not here to.

[Tyson Apostol]

We're not standing for a red Delicious. Come on, Come on. Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Here's what we're gonna do today.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you eat along with your dad?

[Tyson Apostol]

I do.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Despite the green apple divide, I'm taking

[Joanna Robinson]

Tyson's dad on team Green.

[Mallory Rubin]

Great. You can have them. Yeah, you can have them.

[Tyson Apostol]

Two versus what? Eight billion. How many people are in the world?

[Mallory Rubin]

I already have 7 billion and change

[Joanna Robinson]

win in the apple wars earlier this year.

[Mallory Rubin]

Sam Witwer. Sam Witwer voices wow.

[Joanna Robinson]

Team Green.

[Mallory Rubin]

He did come out as Team Green. Pod.

[Tyson Apostol]

You know, sometimes these Hollywood types don't

[Mallory Rubin]

know what they're talking.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you not consider yourself a Hollywood type?

[Tyson Apostol]

I've never lived.

[Mallory Rubin]

Man of the people.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm a man of the people.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

You don't Wear bolo ties to the Survivor premiere?

[Tyson Apostol]

Never. No, I'm button. Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

I can't wait to see what outfit you end up wearing after hearing about his outfit. It's gonna be great.

[Riley McAtee]

I gotta go to the store, like I said.

[Mallory Rubin]

All right, guys, here's what we're doing. We've already talked about the apple wars. We've talked about fashion. We've talked about how wonderful the polo is.

[Riley McAtee]

Will we talk about Survivor?

[Tyson Apostol]

I was gonna tell him what I was gonna wear so that we would match. And then I was like, you're putting

[Mallory Rubin]

too much pressure on him.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, I was like, we should just wear what represents ourselves, our personalities. So I'm just gonna let Riley show up. So even if I'm in black and off white and he is in blue,

[Joanna Robinson]

is it a blue button down?

[Riley McAtee]

It's a green button down.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's a green button down.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[Joanna Robinson]

I like it.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's nice.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay, thank you. Ozzy's gonna flip for your eyes.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's what I'm saying. The green is gonna make the eyes pop.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm trying to remember. I was at your wedding. It was lovely. I cried like a baby when I saw you take a bride.

[Tyson Apostol]

That's cool. I probably didn't want to go.

[Mallory Rubin]

Did you say take? I saw you take a bride. I went, that's right. Sick invite.

[Tyson Apostol]

I should have brought Tyson as my plus one.

[Joanna Robinson]

It was in San Francisco. It was one of the best cities in the world.

[Mallory Rubin]

You were light blue, right? Or like a grayish blue. I'm trying to remember.

[Riley McAtee]

It was kind of like a brighter blue.

[Mallory Rubin]

It was lovely.

[Tyson Apostol]

There's literally like seven people in my life that I talk to more than once a week. That's fine.

[Mallory Rubin]

Riley's one of them.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Why didn't you invite Tyson to your wedding? Before we get to today's actual rundown, let's talk about that. Let's look through that. I promise you, Joanna will be invited to my second wedding when I get to Princeton.

[Riley McAtee]

Marion, I promise you'll be invited to my second wedding.

[Joanna Robinson]

Which blush is more intense, this one or the hand holding blush?

[Mallory Rubin]

If you knew he was in store for this when he showed, if the

[Joanna Robinson]

wedding were happening this year, you would invite Tyson 100% years ago.

[Riley McAtee]

This. This is one of the weird things about when you. Because we booked our, like, our wedding venue way in advance, so we were sending invites, hearing a lot of excuses, or at least save the dates, like over a year in advance. And it is one of the weird things. The wedding was in 2023. And so we were sending him by.

[Tyson Apostol]

So even a year before, I would have still known you for a handful of years.

[Riley McAtee]

Two years.

[Joanna Robinson]

Two years.

[Tyson Apostol]

Two years. Yeah. Okay. No, I'm just doing the math in my head to see if actually.

[Riley McAtee]

When's the acceptable wine.

[Joanna Robinson]

Maybe he couldn't handle the devastation if you declined. He didn't want to set himself up for that disappointment.

[Tyson Apostol]

I am notoriously a shut in, but I do believe I would have gone to Riley's wedding.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, I love to not go to this, but I went to your wedding.

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't get offended by almost anything anybody does.

[Riley McAtee]

And you're offended by this?

[Tyson Apostol]

No, I'm not. I'm telling you, don't feel bad. I'm harassing you.

[Riley McAtee]

Okay.

[Tyson Apostol]

I can see on your face that you're in a tough spot. I'm not offended. I love you exactly the same as I loved you before.

[Joanna Robinson]

If you're on Tyson's enemy list, you've really fucked up.

[Mallory Rubin]

Wow.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. You don't get offended easily, but you do have an enemy list, and that's where people who've really crossed you.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, it's more because I feel like I'm gonna get in a lot of trouble for this, probably. I feel like these are the type of people that are bad for society in general. And so I'm looking at them being like, I don't think some of the ways you. Some of your level of entitledness. Entitlism.

[Joanna Robinson]

Entitlement.

[Tyson Apostol]

Entitlement, yeah, whatever. We can squabble all day long over words if we wanted. It doesn't sit with me. And maybe other people see it disgust you.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, it's inappropriate.

[Tyson Apostol]

People on our podcast have loved the mileage we've gotten.

[Riley McAtee]

Disgusting.

[Mallory Rubin]

Keep it going for years.

[Tyson Apostol]

It is absolutely disgusting.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's the exit interview I'm most excited for, to be honest with you.

[Tyson Apostol]

We haven't been blocked. Joe has notoriously been blocking any. I've been checking any fan or outlet that has spoke negatively of former contestants and former contestants who say they haven't even said anything. Anybody that's crossed him.

[Joanna Robinson]

Rizzo, like, right. He blocked Rizzo.

[Tyson Apostol]

He probably blocked. Really? He blocked Savannah.

[Riley McAtee]

Tiffany for sure.

[Tyson Apostol]

Blocked Tiffany for sure. And a lot of fans are coming out and saying he blocked them. And listen, if that's what you need to be mentally healthy, then great, that's fine, whatever. But, like, you also are gonna create more top chatter, so.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, social media can be gnarly. Not for everyone.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, not for everyone.

[Joanna Robinson]

I genuinely cannot wait to see you Talk to Joe. I'm really excited for him.

[Tyson Apostol]

He's gonna love me. That's the thing, is that he's gonna come up.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, I know he will.

[Tyson Apostol]

He invited me to his Halloween party last year out of the blue, which is like, I don't even know the man. He invites me out to the Bay Area for a Halloween party, and it's crazy to think that someone like that, like, they have a special moment in their life. And I've known him for. I don't even know him. I know of them. And they invite me to something special like a Halloween party and.

[Joanna Robinson]

But not their wedding.

[Mallory Rubin]

Your beloved, by all I know.

[Riley McAtee]

Way to bring it back.

[Tyson Apostol]

You earned it. Come on.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, you were.

[Tyson Apostol]

I forgot about that. Oh, man.

[Joanna Robinson]

Sorry, Riley.

[Tyson Apostol]

So, in a way, Joe and I are maybe closer.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, it's true. What a great season of television. Survivor 50.

[Mallory Rubin]

This is fantastic. We're not going to do, like, a lot of season 50 finale. Look ahead, both because, you know, as mentioned, you guys are doing wonderful work on the podcast, but also because there's gonna be a very short shelf life after this episode drops before the finale. But we are gonna, like, celebrate the season a little bit together and just talk about some of the highlights to this point, what we've seen so far.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right?

[Mallory Rubin]

So it's Tuesday of finale week. The finale is yet to air. But we have not seen the finale.

[Joanna Robinson]

We don't know anything.

[Riley McAtee]

We have not.

[Tyson Apostol]

We have not seen it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Great. Okay. Fantastic. And then after we talk about season 50 for a little bit, we're gonna do a little nerd culture. Survived, if you will. This is why you're the best. This is why you're the all caps Goat.

[Tyson Apostol]

In early seasons, they used to call it the merger.

[Mallory Rubin]

Nah.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

So much better.

[Tyson Apostol]

Isn't it funny? The merger.

[Mallory Rubin]

Very strange.

[Tyson Apostol]

Season one, they called it the merger. I remember.

[Riley McAtee]

I mean, they banged a gong when they went to tribal council. They were just trying stuff that's like a real.

[Mallory Rubin]

Just Facebook, you know, lose the.

[Joanna Robinson]

The.

[Mallory Rubin]

Let's just merge merger. And we're gonna talk, you know, about all of the fictional universes that we love. And we're really just this. Honestly, this is just an excuse for us to hang out for a few hours. That's what this is. I hope that people enjoy it. We've been talking about Survivor as much as we can.

[Tyson Apostol]

Some people would use a wedding as an excuse to hang out with some.

[Riley McAtee]

Here he goes.

[Joanna Robinson]

But some people prefer a podcast and think a podcast is more intimate than a wedding.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, this is the true communion.

[Tyson Apostol]

Do you think that Right, that's probably like, it's not gonna compare to the thing we do every week.

[Joanna Robinson]

So when we gaze into each other over zoom, it's a different thing altogether.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Was that why it's just like, inviting?

[Riley McAtee]

It's weird because so much time passes between the invites and the actual wedding, and then you're kind of. Oh, you thought there was talk of

[Tyson Apostol]

me not being here by the time your wedding rolled around.

[Mallory Rubin]

Is that what you thought that you knew were this person anymore?

[Riley McAtee]

I feel like I regret not inviting you.

[Tyson Apostol]

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you to feel like that.

[Mallory Rubin]

I did. That's why I've brought it up six times.

[Riley McAtee]

I'll just have to get married again.

[Tyson Apostol]

Riley, you can solve it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Can you guys renew your vow renewals?

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, we'll do a vow renewal.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do a vow renewal in Phoenix. Because then this shut in will come.

[Mallory Rubin]

Do it in Fiji and then like, invite all of us.

[Tyson Apostol]

We can go to Fiji together. I'll be wherever. Riley, if you need me. Mean, I'll show up when you need me to show up.

[Riley McAtee]

All right, I'll let you know.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay. But also, don't feel bad.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

I'm just gonna keep bringing it up over and over again.

[Tyson Apostol]

Clearly, it's the full. It's the bringing it back full circle. Like, I never know when this podcast is gonna end, but you have to end on a full circle moment. So I have. This is it. So I'm just gonna keep bringing it up and at some point, the podcast will end after one of my wedding nods.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, you'll exactly right.

[Joanna Robinson]

It'll be after wagyu pastrami. That's right.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's right. Joanna went shopping for us today. We have that to look forward to at the end of the episode.

[Tyson Apostol]

Do you want to preview it on the pod?

[Riley McAtee]

We're like recording it in.

[Joanna Robinson]

Riley can open that door.

[Tyson Apostol]

Riley's like, rocky audience,

[Mallory Rubin]

Let this be a lesson. Everything is content. Never forget that.

[Riley McAtee]

All right.

[Joanna Robinson]

Did you think I was just bringing us a snack for later?

[Riley McAtee]

I thought it was going to be lunch.

[Tyson Apostol]

No. And then we were going to go on after and be like, hey, guys. No, this is the.

[Mallory Rubin]

The whole thing on camera for everyone to watch.

[Riley McAtee]

Okay, great.

[Mallory Rubin]

We're gonna do a little collab on Instagram. Great work on Instagram as well, by the way. Incredible stuff. Fact checking the coach quotes this season.

[Joanna Robinson]

So good. Incredible. Wonderful.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yep, that's Riley on the highlight front. Best twist. What was the best twist of the twists? We've seen so far. Cause maybe some twists await in the finale. Best twist of the season so far.

[Tyson Apostol]

I mean, honestly, the Mr. Beast won only because it worked.

[Riley McAtee]

No. Yeah, see, that's such a.

[Tyson Apostol]

Only because it worked. Had it. Had he not hit heads and had gone home, Rick Devins goes home flipping the coin flip or a vote or

[Riley McAtee]

if no one had volunteered and it

[Tyson Apostol]

had been a rock draw into a

[Riley McAtee]

coin flip, coin flip, send somebody home.

[Mallory Rubin]

A lot of cowards sitting there, not ready to step up.

[Tyson Apostol]

There's a lot of ways it could have gone wrong. And it went perfectly, Right?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yes.

[Tyson Apostol]

And so it worked and it was exciting. And somebody's getting 2 million this year, which is like a million dollars in 2013, which is they need to up the prize.

[Mallory Rubin]

Overall, I feel like this season should have been like 5 million.

[Tyson Apostol]

But the thing is, is that Friends with Matt Van Wagenen.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

And after Winners at War, I said, why don't you keep the prize at 2 million? He said, because viewers don't give a about that. They're going to watch regardless of what it is. So why would we give somebody value?

[Joanna Robinson]

Add to us 1mil is still pretty

[Riley McAtee]

high compared to a lot of competition reality shows.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's true.

[Riley McAtee]

Like what do you get on traders?

[Tyson Apostol]

Isn't like 50, 200k? Never watch 200k that they might have to split?

[Joanna Robinson]

Well, it depends how much you earn over the course of the season.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

But then they just give you the money anyways. I saw the first season, you know, they just said they were like, yeah, you didn't get it, but we're just gonna up. Which I suspect is what they may

[Mallory Rubin]

have done with this Mr.

[Riley McAtee]

Beast twist. It'd been so funny if they've been like, oh, well, guess it's just 1 million and you're going home.

[Joanna Robinson]

I thought that it was the best twist, obviously, just because it was like a nice showcase for Devens, obviously a great player, a great showman, a big moment for him. And then in terms of like in the post, Zack Brown sort of celebrity overexposure, the way that Mr. Beast sort of was just like kind of there and happy to be there, but not dominating anything, I thought was a really good sense of like celebrity.

[Riley McAtee]

That was nice.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, I agree. That's my pick too. And I think you guys are right that like, it could have gone another way. But overall, I have loved watching the season because it has felt like such a shared event. And I think that the twists and the celebrity incorporations have been mixed at best in terms of their Success. We'll talk about some of the ones that didn't work as well for us in a minute. Maybe the other three kind of.

[Joanna Robinson]

But every other attempt at it, there's

[Mallory Rubin]

been a misread from Jeff in real time about what was going to be like, quote unquote iconic. Like, obviously, obviously Blood Moon is iconic.

[Riley McAtee]

The most memorable.

[Mallory Rubin]

And it's like, wait, what? And obviously you guys chronicled this at the time. Just like do a 17 person vote. It would have been anarchy and it would have been delicious.

[Joanna Robinson]

I also loved your idea of like instead of these other random celebrities have. Have veteran Survivor players. That was Riley's idea, right?

[Riley McAtee]

Boomerang Idol was set up up for it. It's like it's the JT Idol.

[Tyson Apostol]

So send it to someone else. And partly the reason for that, the reason that would work so well is because they want to. If they're applying for Survivor, guess what, they're fans of Survivor.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yes.

[Tyson Apostol]

So that's why when we get new era contestants on the pod has spoken. They're so fucking pumped to be there. Like they're. We've. I've had so many contestants be like, my goal after Survivor was one thing and that was to be on the pod has spoken. So thank you so much. And so like with Riley and you

[Joanna Robinson]

see with Riley Mac on a day

[Tyson Apostol]

that you can't be there.

[Mallory Rubin]

Tyson, look how blue those eyes are.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Who is that?

[Tyson Apostol]

So I agree that that would've. Cause that would you need like production to come out and be like, so Zach Brown, he's a country star and he's pretty big and when he comes out, everybody flip out. Could you do that?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Like they. I'm sure there were conversations before some of the celebrities stuff where they were like, yeah, be excited.

[Joanna Robinson]

Can I just say that I'm like, there's this one reaction shot from Emily where she's just like really disinterestedly clapping. I'm like, I can't believe that made the edit incredible.

[Mallory Rubin]

Cut around that. I've loved you tracking and then following on gasping at all. The true celebrity at the heart of season 50 is Survivor. So when that has been said and I think that's why the Mr. Beast thing did work.

[Joanna Robinson]

And actually it was like a Devin's moment.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, exactly. It was like the, the, like the decision to be bold and especially because it came on the heels coincidentally ultimately, like. But Devin's leaned in of these massive shows from him at Tribal multiple episodes in a row. And then it just felt authentically. Not because Jeff Said it was going to be but authentically memorable and, like, so we will be talking about it. Unlike the blood moon, which will only come up to be, like, ridiculed and mocked.

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't even fully remember how the blood moon worked or they just drew anything.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, but that's in my.

[Joanna Robinson]

The next question, which is worst twist Twist. Well, any of the sort of like by chance split tribe stuff. That's what screwed, like, the Aussie and Cere alliance and that's what screwed, like, Genevieve, this sort of arbitrary divvying up the tribes. No chance to sort of form relationships, which is a whole, like a huge part of Survivor. And so I, I hate that. I hate anytime they do that same.

[Riley McAtee]

Jeff has talked about, like, wanting these smaller divisions because it's like, oh, you have nowhere to hide, you know, in a smaller tribe.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right.

[Riley McAtee]

But I think it's actually the complete opposite. Right. If you have a small tribe and it's like five people, once you know where three votes are, it's over. If you get three that are strong, you're good. But if it's 17 people, then it's complete anarchy.

[Tyson Apostol]

I won the 17 person tribal council and 14 people get votes and you're just like, okay, how many people can we have going home? Like, I want, like, that's what you want. You want, like seven names. You want Jeff to be like, okay, so and so, so and so. Now it's so. So it's tied 1 to 1 to 1 to 1 to 1, to 1 to 1 before the next person gets

[Riley McAtee]

their first Borneo status.

[Tyson Apostol]

Because the second you get. Get as a Survivor contestant, if you are not protected, the second you get one more vote than you expect to get, it's you going home.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's actually one of my favorite, like, reaction shot moments when, like, someone at tribal just gets that one extra one that doesn't. They're like, that's it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Curtains, guys. The worst twist.

[Tyson Apostol]

Come on. Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Was Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy Fallon took out my beloved Christian. My Christian. Well, I think it's. It's, it's amplified because of my affection for Christian, who was done so dirty by this. But I honestly would have felt this way about. I think anybody being on the other end of this. It just sucked. Was it? And it bastardized something sacred about Survivor, which is you never write your own name down.

[Joanna Robinson]

And like, the.

[Mallory Rubin]

I really loved the point you made about just like robbing the player of agency because no matter what the twist is, what the attempt to put a wrinkle in the game is, because it's like, I get it. You want to try to keep it fresh, cool. Like, we're on season 50. We're on year 25. Let's keep it fresh and interesting. You've got to always leave room for the person to try to save their game. And, like, he was robbed and deprived of that possibility. So I like Christian, actually. Christian got it. He got to go on Jimmy Fallon and receive his apology.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes, you need.

[Mallory Rubin]

I am still awaiting your apology. Jimmy Fallon. What the fuck was that?

[Joanna Robinson]

Don't hold your breath.

[Mallory Rubin]

God damn it.

[Tyson Apostol]

And also, like, Jeff, throughout the season and maybe over the course of the last handful of years, has always been like, you guys, we're doing what we want over here. You guys can criticize, and we're not gonna change. We're confident with what we do. And my argument is, Cause he's like, you can pick it apart and be negative and all this stuff, and if you wanna be miserable, go watch a different show. We're critics, we're fans, but we're also critics, and we're looking at the thing and saying, could it have been something better? Like, I'm not faulting you for trying a thing. Try a thing, but when you try it and it doesn't work, you can acknowledge that. That's okay to acknowledge, and then also, don't do it again. Do something different. And so I think that there's, like, a lot of discourse of just like, oh, just watch the show. Go watch something else, or whatever. We love to watch the show. We love to see the new wrinkles.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yes.

[Tyson Apostol]

But when they don't work, could somebody just be like, you know what? We probably won't do it again.

[Joanna Robinson]

And I do think that more wrinkles, more of the twists this season failed than not, like, more of the stunts.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, all of them, except for Mr. Beast. And that could have.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. I think the season was propelled by the strength of our affection for the figures on the show. Like, we just have. And maybe that takes us to our next prompt, which is, like, the most emotional moment of the season, you know? And there have been no shortage of moments that really tugged on the heartstrings and I think deeply impacted not only the other contestants on the season, but viewers. What stands out to everyone the most now? Like, what is the thing when you think back on the season that you're like, man, that hit me hard. And I'm thinking about it still.

[Riley McAtee]

For me, it's Ozzy talking about his dad, Oscar. He'd gone into this season saying, oh, I want to play Like Oscar now. And it just seemed like that was him saying, I want to be a new version of Ozzy. Right. His name is Oscar. We didn't know that his dad's name was also Oscar. And so when he had that whole segment where he talked about that, that really moved me.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, I was crying watching that. The. The Devins hammocked conversation about that Joe,

[Tyson Apostol]

where Joe actually hated his guts and Joe was still, like, moved. And Rick, even in his exit press was like, I didn't know Joe hated me so bad. I would have cried to somebody else.

[Mallory Rubin]

They're good now. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

What's your emotional. Do you get emotional washing Survivor?

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't. I mean, I get. I don't get emotional watching Survivor. I think part of it is that I'm jaded. I've played it four times. Like, I understand some of it. And I also have been in those emotional moments where, like, everything feels heavier out there. It's all amplified because you have nothing.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right.

[Tyson Apostol]

So it's like.

[Joanna Robinson]

And you're not eating, you're not sleeping.

[Tyson Apostol]

It's like quitting sugar for five years and then having a piece of candy. You're like, that was way too sweet. I can't like. And that's how every emotion is out there. And so. But when I'm watching and also I'm Gen X, we don't have highs or lows. We're constantly like, I could be like, this is. I'm raging upset right now. And you can't even tell.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, you're still mad about not being invited to the wedding.

[Tyson Apostol]

Exactly.

[Riley McAtee]

So.

[Tyson Apostol]

But that said Ozzy, I could feel because I've been in a position where Ozzy has how bad he wanted to win. I think on blood versus water, when I got started inching closer to the end, I was like, I failed at this twice already. I've been in positions where I'm like, I'm the best person out here. I should be able to figure out how to win this thing. And I can't. Like, why can't I? And Ozzy now, his fifth try and he's been so close. I'm sure that all of that was building on him, plus his desire to talk about how he has changed and all of that stuff. And we saw it multiple times. We saw him crying about his father and how he wanted to do that. We saw it on his exit where he's like, that stung. And I don't think that a lot of people's exits, especially in the new era, aren't that Powerful and aren't that emotional. And even his exit press was very pointed and emotional and a lot of people were like, you did it to yourself, Ozzy, Sure. But also, you can tell he's still reeling from getting voted out of season 50.

[Joanna Robinson]

And doesn't it make. That's my answer too, is Ozzy at tribal. And it was, it makes it all the more tragic that he did it to himself. And we all watched him do it.

[Tyson Apostol]

We all watched him. It's a lifetime of regret.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, we watched him do it in real time where we're just sort of like not just not playing his idol, not just trusting his, you know, trusting his allies when he shouldn't have or whatever, but the Aubrey moment where we're all just sort of like our jaws are dropping in real time as we're watching and we're like, you know, and that's why you. One of the reasons why you watch Survivor, you watch for people to succeed, but you watched for them to fail as well. And in very human ways, it was hubris. It was like all these different things that led him to do that. So when he was just devastated at tribal, I was devastated for him. You know, like, I, I, I couldn't blame everyone else for taking their shot at him, but I was just like, this is, you know, and no one should win just because they want to. No one's saying that, but it's just like, you know, separating him from Cere, who did so much to protect him all season and, and Cere needed him as well. And that just like, that devastated me because once Ozzy goes, then I'm like, ceri's in so much danger and she's so important to me. So. So that's my answer too.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's my runner up pick. I think for all those reasons, it hit me really hard and I was not actually expecting to have this deep of an emotional connection to Ozzy this season. Like, I've always had fun watching Ozzy play, but then I saw the haircut and I was like, no, the haircut was an incredible choice. I respected and I loved it.

[Joanna Robinson]

Very memorable.

[Mallory Rubin]

I just, yeah, it was really. This kind of brings me into my actual pick, which won't surprise any of you people who know me and my Survivor passion as well. You've heard this from me before. We have monthly planning meetings for actual work reasons, and I spent 45 minutes on this when we had it. Riley's like, don't we have, like, planning to do?

[Tyson Apostol]

We did, but we're out of time.

[Mallory Rubin]

Exactly. Colby, one of the great loves of my life, but, like, it's less about

[Riley McAtee]

that, is that he didn't cast a vote.

[Mallory Rubin]

It was about the way that Survivor is genuinely unique in the way it allows us to feel the passage of time, you know?

[Joanna Robinson]

And I think that's why Ozzy, like, knowing Ozzy as, like, a young man and similarly, like.

[Mallory Rubin]

Like, it was just. Man, like, it takes you back to watching Colby when he was, like, Captain America, young hotshot, and could do everything well. And the journey across time, like, those periods of being, like, insecure and pissed at himself for not being as good as he used to be, and then the, like, grace and humility and wisdom, that was just, like. I don't know, it was really moving. The way you could just feel, like, watching the flow and evolution of his years and his game and his. His life, and, like, to feel those. The passage of that time so authentically for him. And then, of course, you look at everybody else's faces and they're just sitting there, like, weeping because they know what it means to end this for him.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Like, how many shows can give you that feeling?

[Tyson Apostol]

And I think it wasn't. I mean, we saw on Ceri's exit, we saw it on all these Legends exits where they were just like, we're devastated because we know they're devastated and because we know that this is their last one. The last one, probably for this guy. And Colby. I didn't have hardly any interaction with him on Heroes vs. Villains. I got eliminated early, never got to the merge to see them. I saw him at the after party in New York, and he was pouting the whole time, and I even asked him what was wrong, if he was okay, and he was just like, I'm over it, whatever. And. And he called. He got my number from Coach and called me a couple weeks before he got voted out and said, the Pot Is Spoken is the only podcast I listen to. I can't imagine anybody from the Survivor world not wanting to be a part of what you got going on there. And I just want to say, like, keep doing your thing, because it's amazing.

[Mallory Rubin]

Incredible.

[Tyson Apostol]

And that was it.

[Joanna Robinson]

I will say that I did not respond. You know, I have a different relationship to Colby than you do, and I respect his place in your life. I did not respond, like, very passionately to his gameplay this season, but his exit interview with you guys, I thought was extra. I, like, all of a sudden, I was just, like, really into Colby and his point of view and all of that. And then and then I got kind of sad.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. There was just such, like, introspection and, like, really honest reflection about, like, what the show has meant to him. I. I just thought it was really cool.

[Tyson Apostol]

And I think that.

[Mallory Rubin]

And he looks great.

[Tyson Apostol]

He's just super hot. Yeah. And I think that that comes with these players that have been around for 20 years. Like, nobody feels that way towards a Rizzo right now.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right.

[Mallory Rubin]

But it's wild to think about. Like, what's the version of this for

[Tyson Apostol]

Rizzo in 20 years, 15 years.

[Riley McAtee]

I really like Rizzo, but I don't think anyone's ever gonna feel about him the way anyone feels about Colby.

[Tyson Apostol]

Sure. But that's the thing.

[Joanna Robinson]

Maybe.

[Mallory Rubin]

But, like, who knows?

[Joanna Robinson]

Ozzy, when he first showed up, was just like, you know, this guy that I never thought that I would get emotional about years later.

[Tyson Apostol]

And also the kids who are watching Survivor for the first time and maybe their favorite player is Rizzo. And then maybe in 10 years they're on the show and then they're like,

[Riley McAtee]

it's just such thing, a different vibe. They're just so. They're so different to me.

[Tyson Apostol]

But also society's changing, Riley. And if you can't get on board, then cinema.

[Riley McAtee]

Sorry.

[Joanna Robinson]

From Gen X.

[Mallory Rubin]

He could have shared pearls of wisdom like that in his toast at your wedding if you'd invited him. It's something to think about.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Mvp. MVP of the season so far. Obvious caveat for this one. Most of all, that whatever happens in the finale could change our pick for this. But who carried the season? This can be about entertainment value. It can be about the quality of their gameplay and anything Riley Siree. That's my pick as well.

[Joanna Robinson]

Mine as well.

[Tyson Apostol]

Mine as well. The way that she was a target from day one, everybody knew she's dangerous. They still let her go because she's so. She's filled with so much warmth as a person. When you go to her and you're like, I know. I have to target her. And she smiles and she laughs and she gives you a hug and you're like, no, nevermind, I'm with her. And she made everybody feel like that. Every single person felt like that. And that's her power. And then she led the game as this, like, warm, joyful mafiosa who was just like them. Yeah, now it's them.

[Riley McAtee]

Yep.

[Mallory Rubin]

Incredible.

[Tyson Apostol]

Now it's them.

[Mallory Rubin]

Right?

[Joanna Robinson]

And not. Not my person.

[Mallory Rubin]

Don't.

[Joanna Robinson]

Don't come after my team.

[Mallory Rubin]

And if you say my person's name out loud, you're fucking gone dead.

[Riley McAtee]

You don't even know she. It wasn't obvious even who her person was. You know, people would go to her and be like, how about Ozzie? And she'd be like, yeah, sure. And then as soon as she shuffled them off, it was like, okay, that

[Joanna Robinson]

person's gonna go, yeah, yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

You've talked about this with, like, your personal stories with working with Saree and the Survivor game that you guys played and the way she. She sussed out just with one look. Like it is really like a type of witchcraft that we're witnessing. Watching her play. I loved when you guys had drew on and he described it as like a season of intuitors. But then, like, she is chief among them. The intuition is just like at a Pantheon level of, like reading people their language, their intention, being able to suss out not only the lies, but the desire and, like, how that motivates people to behave. I mean, playing the extra vote, obviously, like, you know, know, shortly thereafter, the journey ended still, but knowing for sure to play the extra vote. And you could say, and like, I think this is very fair. And you guys talk about this. Well, like, maybe the math tells you to do it regardless, right?

[Tyson Apostol]

Still, there's something the math tells you to do it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, but because it's Surrey, you're like,

[Tyson Apostol]

he didn't play his idol. The math was telling him you probably

[Mallory Rubin]

not like, you're not going to get

[Tyson Apostol]

a chance to play an idol that's going to hit that certain.

[Joanna Robinson]

For me, almost it's like, it is Siri, but it's also the siree Ozzy Rizzo combination because use its proper name. I refus.

[Tyson Apostol]

You don't like.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's the Billie Eilish serie Ozzie Rizzo accommodation. But like, Rizzo is this, like, new kind of annoying, but, like, I'm also rooting for him guy who's. Who's geeking out and fanning out about people, but also playing a cutthroat game. And we saw that he did quite well in 49 and he's just like, genuinely like studying at the feet of Sari, but will cut her when he needs to. And then Ozzy as this person who's just sort of like, I've hitched my wagon to the star. She's protecting me and I respect that. And whatever she tells me to do, I'm gonna do, like all of that together. Just like, it was a really delicious combination.

[Mallory Rubin]

When she came back that time, he was like, I'm so glad you came back, so tell me what to do. I would have Done. The other thing, it was just kind of like an amazing encapsulation of the.

[Joanna Robinson]

I would have gotten it really wrong,

[Tyson Apostol]

which we also were like, was that wrong?

[Mallory Rubin]

No, I agree.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

I would have gone the other way

[Tyson Apostol]

to be like, wow. Thank you.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Thank you so much.

[Tyson Apostol]

Thank you for telling me the thing to do.

[Riley McAtee]

I mean, I think it was. Was the right move for sere.

[Tyson Apostol]

Sure.

[Mallory Rubin]

For sure.

[Tyson Apostol]

But also it showed, like, a certain amount of humility in Aussie, to be honest. To be like, oh, man, I'm an idiot. I was going to do something different than what you said and I respect you enough that this is the thing.

[Joanna Robinson]

It was just so, like, I don't know.

[Mallory Rubin]

I love all of that bummer that she's not going to win.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's so sad. Like, she really deserved to win this season.

[Riley McAtee]

She always was going to have a very.

[Mallory Rubin]

Doesn't mean the eventual winner doesn't deserve it.

[Tyson Apostol]

Right?

[Mallory Rubin]

She really deserved to win.

[Riley McAtee]

Well, she was always going to have this super narrow path. The final three. This was something we talked about early on. It was like, well, how do you even see her getting to the end? And then something I was so impressed by was that she figured it out. She was like, I can get Ozzie to take me to the end. That was.

[Mallory Rubin]

She would have.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

And that's why. I don't know, I came into this season with obviously just a sky high estimation of Sari. And I think that there's a good argument that this is actually her best game. And it's like my.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Respect for her is actually daunting.

[Riley McAtee]

She said it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

And honestly, too, I believe that the reason Ozzy blew up his game at Aubrey was because he was like, I'm going to the end with Saree and if my resume is not bold, for sure. For sure, then I am gonna be in trouble. And so he started too early.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

He started too early to try to beat Sari in the end.

[Joanna Robinson]

I will say that having just watched Australian Survivor and Parvati and Saree were playing so closely together in that game, that's just like one of my favorite seasons of Survivor I've ever watched. It was so good. Sorry, Jeff, but, like, that season of Australian Survivor was really good.

[Mallory Rubin]

My favorite season.

[Tyson Apostol]

I fire at you passively in an article that's gonna come out in past months.

[Mallory Rubin]

Exactly. Yeah. My favorite seasons of Survivor are all of Tyson's seasons and then baby versus Goliath. That's it.

[Tyson Apostol]

Thank you. David versus.

[Riley McAtee]

You are on some really good seasons, actually.

[Mallory Rubin]

You are on incredible seasons. But are they incredible because you're on them?

[Tyson Apostol]

There's a common animator chicken egg and

[Mallory Rubin]

something to think about.

[Tyson Apostol]

All four of them are historically ranked in the top 10 seasons of all time. And yeah, I told you that.

[Joanna Robinson]

Fishbag sent me a list. They were all up there. The top of the list.

[Mallory Rubin]

I have to be. Fantastic stuff. Well, this gets to something else we wanted to talk about which is do

[Tyson Apostol]

we want to give some honorable mentions to the characters? Because I do believe there's a lot of people driving the season. I know we criticized the season, the cast we were promised, this cast of celebration of the eras. We didn't get that. But the whole asterisk I put on it was, we have enough characters in the season. It's going to be fine. We're going to enjoy it. It's going to be entertaining. So Christian Devins, they did their thing. Emily, she did her thing.

[Riley McAtee]

Coach did his thing.

[Mallory Rubin]

The coach really did his thing.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, amazing. The haiku, exactly what I wanted. And Saree, she did her thing. Obviously we already said her. Ozzy fucking pushed as hard as he could. There were so many of these people that went out there and some of them at the detriment of their own game made sure that they were having fun and leaving their mark on season 50.

[Mallory Rubin]

Agree.

[Tyson Apostol]

And so I think like all of those people need to be mentioned. I'm sure I'm missing some people.

[Mallory Rubin]

Most players had a really cool, fun moment. Not everybody, but like a lot of people and like the, the way that the dynamics and history not only that we have with them but that they have with each other manifested. Like to your Rizzo superfan point, one of my favorite moments of the season was when Rizzo pulled coach aside and was like, we slay dragons. And at rival, not at camp. Because it's an iconic. It's just an incredible line, like amazing stuff from Rizzo. But because you could, you felt like, okay, super fan is saying this to somebody he has watched and adored and he's like, it's my moment to try to reign this guy in. And you know, and I actually tried, but you can stop it. I think I tried. I know you tried.

[Tyson Apostol]

I got close. I got close.

[Mallory Rubin]

Still one of the all time moments in the history of the show. Don't wear the feathers in your hair.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, I am shocked at that. How many people really that resonates with like to me it was just like the best. Don't look like a prick. Be sympathetic enough. But don't be so sympathetic that everybody lumps me in with Coach all the time. Like I need to distance myself but also be sympathetic to a friend and someone who I think is a good person, but I don't subscribe to his entire belief system. And that was literally what I was aiming for when I was was giving that speech. I was like, I just have to go like direct as possible.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, it's very memorable and incredible. If you were giving Riley advice on how to play, what would you tell him? How do you think Riley would do on Survivor?

[Tyson Apostol]

I mean, I think he'd be fine. I haven't seen him in. I haven't seen him in situations where someone's rubbing him the wrong way or in controversy.

[Joanna Robinson]

Are you sure you haven't?

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Are you sure if I have? He would be amazing. He would be amazing. And with a little coaching like any. Keep your mouth shut. Keep your fucking mouth shut. Like how hard is that to do to.

[Mallory Rubin]

For the wolf of Quiet Pines, it's second nature.

[Tyson Apostol]

Like that's literally like any future Survivor player. Yeah, just keep your mouth shut. Like what are the reasons you're sharing in your confession?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, you gotta start telling.

[Tyson Apostol]

But the way the new era moves or the way that the game has evolved is that if somebody has told you information, everybody probably already knows that. And if you've told somebody information, everybody also probably already knows that. So now there's no lying to anybody. And that's the line that's very difficult for these new players is like I told Mallory a secret and now Joanne Joanna's asking me kind of the same vein, trying to. I have to now be honest because I don't know if she's cross examined or not. And so the safe side is to then just air it out and then it's done. So if you can keep your stuff to yourself. Yeah, you're good.

[Joanna Robinson]

Riley, do you think you'd be good at Survivor?

[Riley McAtee]

I think I'd be good at the game and bad at the show.

[Mallory Rubin]

Interesting. Yeah, that feels right to me.

[Tyson Apostol]

I feel like I could actually give you more pointers. Have you thought about going on the Reward by yourself?

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, I haven't thought about it. My favorite thing, man, we are waiting for someone to do that.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think you're too like level headed to. They want the care.

[Tyson Apostol]

Exactly, exactly.

[Riley McAtee]

I don't think they would ever cast me. They would never.

[Tyson Apostol]

Cat.

[Riley McAtee]

Well, one, because I probably have said too many mean things about the show. Even though I love the show and I think it's the gold standard of reality tv.

[Joanna Robinson]

But Survivor podcast, but they Basically.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, they almost did that a few seasons ago and they had six podcasters on. This actually gets me to something I wanted to pitch to you.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay.

[Riley McAtee]

Which is I have a pitch about this too.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay, great.

[Mallory Rubin]

We're going to talk in a second about the opposite of this, which is like, hey, it's really fun when we do returning seasons. Like, let's do them more often. When should we do it again? What should the theme be? We'll come back to that in a minute. Do we need a complete clean slate? I think that I, I, I, I love Survivor. So every season, even if it takes me a little while to warm to the cast, I end up finding people to root for who I'm invested in. But I think, I think there's a case to be made that recent seasons is we've skewed too far in the. I'm a super fan. I grew up studying at the knee of all of my Survivor favorites. I'm a scholar. I've got my own, like, advanced analytics on how to do jury selection, jury duty, Survivor cast it with people who've never seen the show. I love it because not only are they thinking about how everyone else plays, which again is like, in some ways nice. I've modeled my game off X. Right. Tyson's my hero. Lovely. Same. Too many people are thinking about how they're gonna play as television characters because they've studied the media side of it. I think we need a reset. I think that it's become a little too navel, gazy and self aware in that respect. And it would at least be interesting to go back to square one and say you've never seen the show. You don't know what people are expecting out of it. Go play true social experiment again. What do you think?

[Tyson Apostol]

I love the idea as a fan, as a viewer, like, yes, we have to have that from the perspective of production. Yeah, partly. I believe the reason that they have the super fans on every season is they're the easiest ones to control. If you're a big Jeff Prost fan and Jeff Prost is telling you to shut up, you're gonna shut up.

[Joanna Robinson]

You say, yes, Mr. Jeff.

[Tyson Apostol]

You say, yes, Mr. Jeff. If Jeff is telling you to jump, you're jumping and you're respecting all of the process the entire time. And when you get voted out, you're not absolutely devastated. You're overjoyed that you even got the opportunity. Cause you already won. And so all which is a family show now and you want everybody to be happy and all of that. And so I think that that is why. And we also, like, on a smaller scale, we experience that on the podcast where if we have people that are huge fans of the pod has spoken on, we know it's gonna be a great positive show where we're having fun. Whereas if you get someone who maybe hates our guts because of whatever thing Riley said in the past, I don't

[Riley McAtee]

think anyone hates our guts.

[Tyson Apostol]

I could find Riley.

[Joanna Robinson]

You're so comfortable, though.

[Tyson Apostol]

But the thing is, is that it's the same. Some people don't agree with all of Jeff's decisions. Some people feel like people are jaded. People have been slighted by either production in some way that we are not even aware of. And so those people coming back, they're gonna have that chip on their shoulder. And that chip on their shoulder can make excellent tv, but it also makes a difficult person to wrangle when you need to wrangle em.

[Joanna Robinson]

Interesting.

[Riley McAtee]

So question for you. Would you want this season to look like the new era Season have looked where you have kind of the base game of Survivor and then they've added these layers to it. Right. You have immunity idols. Now you have Billie Eilish boomerang idols. Now you have a shot in the dark. Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Or do you want it to look

[Riley McAtee]

more like the original, like furatrist stuff?

[Joanna Robinson]

I want to watch killing chickens.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's what I want to see.

[Riley McAtee]

Eating a rat.

[Mallory Rubin]

And then I want to see Ty take his chicken mark and save him. I want that offended.

[Tyson Apostol]

But do you want a villain there that's going to kidnap the chicken and eat it in secret?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, I'm at war with myself on that one because it always makes me sad. But it is good TV. It is good TV, you know, and.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. And they've also already filmed 51. They're on their. Their back just recently, right?

[Riley McAtee]

Yep.

[Tyson Apostol]

If Jeff is on the red carpet and we talk to Jeff, I'm gonna ask him if 51 is a continuation of the new era or if the evolution is now something different and what he predicts it will become. Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

I like that you like that.

[Riley McAtee]

I thought it was a joke.

[Joanna Robinson]

Can I like new. New Coke? Can I make a suggestion for returning season? And I'm sure they've contemplated and tell

[Mallory Rubin]

us how often you want them. Yes.

[Tyson Apostol]

We talked enough about yours.

[Mallory Rubin]

I think so.

[Tyson Apostol]

I would love that. We've talked about that on the podcast. Like we need a person that's just figuring out real time how to play this game rather than have studied it.

[Mallory Rubin]

But I feel like that's doing injury

[Joanna Robinson]

selection for like the O.J. simpson trial. Like, it's so hard to find someone who doesn't even like, well, here's what

[Tyson Apostol]

you need to do. You need to cast for a job, a remote job that you're not going to have your phone Survivor. But all the cast. Yeah. You do it on Craigslist and you're just like, okay, we'll interview you. So their impression isn't that they're going on Survivor so they're never studying.

[Joanna Robinson]

Must love pooping in the ocean.

[Tyson Apostol]

They're never studying it and just be like, well, I think it would even

[Mallory Rubin]

be okay if people knew what Survivor was.

[Tyson Apostol]

But the problem, seen it. The problem is they're gonna binge watch it for three or six months.

[Mallory Rubin]

Take away.

[Riley McAtee]

Are they?

[Mallory Rubin]

Did you, you asked them to do it and then immediately they go, there's no period.

[Tyson Apostol]

Was encouraged by my dad to try out for the show. He said, I think you'd be really good at Survivor.

[Joanna Robinson]

So we owe it all to the green apple lover, your dad.

[Mallory Rubin]

And you said, you, I don't, I don't know how to trust your in your wisdom.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, I said, you should try out. It's your favorite show. And he said, well, one of us has, has a family business to run. One of us has kids to take care of, responsibilities. Some of us have bills to pay. Some of us have. And he listed all the reasons he could not go and all of those reasons. I didn't own any of those. So I said, well, no, but you

[Mallory Rubin]

did have a deep V T shirt that would become instantaneous.

[Tyson Apostol]

And I said, nobody gets on these shows. So I wrote the most asinine email I could possibly think just to prove my dad wrong. Just to be like, I sent him an email. I did the thing and never heard back. Like that was my plan. I hit send. I literally get a phone call like 10, 15 minutes later. Wow. From Noelle and casting. I was in Las Vegas on a Tuesday morning because my friend had a job in Las Vegas. He's like, I had a free hotel. I was like, okay, I'll come down. I got nothing going on. I'm in Vegas. I get this phone call. I'm like, hey, what's up? And they're like, hey, this is Noel from casting. Shout out, Noel.

[Mallory Rubin]

Noel, shout out Noel.

[Tyson Apostol]

And she's like, you're from Vegas. I was like, no, it's 2008. No self respecting person. No. She's like, but it's Tuesday morning. What are you doing in Vegas? On Tuesday morning, I was like, I'm also an adult. I can do whatever I want. I'm 28.

[Mallory Rubin]

And she knew you were perfect.

[Tyson Apostol]

And she's like, are you real?

[Mallory Rubin]

And I was like, incredible.

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't. And she's like, we're gonna fly you out to California. But first. And, like, I treated it as a huge joke. But the second I started going through casting, the casting department would send you DVDs of seasons they thought would resonate with you the most.

[Riley McAtee]

Okay, so which way did they send you?

[Tyson Apostol]

They first sent me Pearl Islands to watch Johnny Fairplay. Then after they met me, incredible. After they met me, they were like, never mind. You're a lot more than that. So then they had me watch Micronesia. They had me watch China for Todd.

[Mallory Rubin]

And

[Tyson Apostol]

I think those are the three I watched. I watched Pearl Islands. I watched Micronesia. I watched. Yeah. And I watched that China. And then when you were in casting, they watched. We watched Micronesia the entire season in a conference room in one, the whole day. There were, like, 40 people trying out for Survivor. They've just been in. So the casting process. They'd take you to the double tree in Santa Monica.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[Tyson Apostol]

And they used chocolate chip cookies.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, I was gonna say fresh cookies.

[Tyson Apostol]

You'd show up, and they would have walkie talk. They. People with walkie talkies, they're like, talk to no one unless you're approached by someone with a walkie.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[Tyson Apostol]

You walk in. It's the first time you see the person you've been on the phone with in person. Noelle runs up. Oh, my God. I can't believe it's in person. And she's, like, kind of looking at me like, do I look the same as my video and my photos and stuff? And she's like, okay, I'm gonna check you in. You're under an alias. I think I was like, Timothy Anderson or something. Same initials. That's a trade secret.

[Mallory Rubin]

Love that.

[Tyson Apostol]

And now I know they send you to your room, and you're there for a week, and they're like, answer your phone. We're gonna call you for anything. Here's your schedule. You have breakfast from 7 to 8. You have gym from 9 to 10. You have pool time from 11 to 12. And then you have lunch from this, and you have this. And then anytime you get a phone call, we'll tell you which room number to go to to go to your interview all week long. And you're in groups. There's 40 or 50 people there, but you're with, like, 12 people making these rounds. So you're at breakfast. And I learned very quickly, like. Like, I gotta get talked about. I need people to talk about me in their interviews.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[Tyson Apostol]

So it's being able to talk about people that you cannot communicate with because they have all the walkies. They're watching you. You do not talk in the buffet line. You don't ever talk. You have no interactions. Any interaction. Even if it's eyes, they'll come in and be like, wow. And then they kind of corral you around the hotel at your things. So I don't even know why I'm talking about this. Why am I talking?

[Mallory Rubin]

Why it would be so hard to do the jury duty.

[Tyson Apostol]

Why it'd be so hard to be the jerk. So they're giving you to that. They're giving you seasons to watch in the hotel on your downtime. And then they're also just not do that.

[Mallory Rubin]

They could just, like, have you watch Game of Thrones.

[Tyson Apostol]

Well, why wouldn't you do that if they're like, okay, well, if it's gonna help me win a million dollars, why wouldn't I say production wouldn't.

[Joanna Robinson]

If production could keep you from watching

[Tyson Apostol]

it

[Riley McAtee]

for a different shower production.

[Mallory Rubin]

Or like, either. Yeah. The COVID of another show.

[Tyson Apostol]

And then they were.

[Mallory Rubin]

Or they just, like, they're like, you're offline. And because these people have not seen Survivor in this scenario, they're not motivated to skirt that to, like, form their zoom alliance or whatever. Cause they don't know that that's necessary because they've never watched Survivor.

[Joanna Robinson]

Can I give you my returning season pitch?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

And how often you want returning seasons to be a part of this? Like, do you want them every couple seasons?

[Tyson Apostol]

How frequently you didn't answer that question.

[Mallory Rubin]

I love a returning season. I mean, my blend, like, returnee player, that counts as an attribute. That's always a fun one.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

How so? Like, you want, like, by 45 or even sooner, these hints are out there. Like, Jeff, like, you're not gonna have to wait long.

[Joanna Robinson]

55. Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm hearing the rumor mill.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Tell us.

[Tyson Apostol]

In next year's filming cycle, which would be 53 or 54. New Era All Stars.

[Mallory Rubin]

New era All Stars.

[Riley McAtee]

That's what they should have done for 48.

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm not sure. Here's my idea.

[Mallory Rubin]

Interesting.

[Joanna Robinson]

Instead of blood versus water or whatever, let's call it oil and water. And it's. The tribes are made up of people who famously hate each other.

[Mallory Rubin]

Rivals.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, rivals like return. Like players that hate each other or people in real life that are like enemies.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. A team of rivals. You all love that.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay, so not like a customer at big o tires and the mechanic at big o tires.

[Joanna Robinson]

No, it's ozzy and coach.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. You'd have to find finally name your tree so that you can play them.

[Tyson Apostol]

The most historic arch nemesis for me would be sierra, which would be an amazing pull. That would be great if they got her to return.

[Mallory Rubin]

But wait, so in this. In this formulation, your par. Your teammates right. With your rival, like, you have to work together. You're on the same tribe.

[Tyson Apostol]

You tether them with either a shared idol or a secret. They go on a journey together. Something that forces them to absolutely have to work together together. Maybe you vote out pairings initially.

[Joanna Robinson]

Ooh, I. I liked the.

[Mallory Rubin]

The double.

[Joanna Robinson]

The double elimination.

[Mallory Rubin]

That was good.

[Joanna Robinson]

I thought that was good.

[Mallory Rubin]

That was great. I think that's a great idea. I love it. I would like a returning season at a minimum every five seasons.

[Tyson Apostol]

Oil and water. I like that name better than rivals, which is what everybody's.

[Riley McAtee]

Who's.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oil and water is great. And you can get, like, a salad dressing in to sponsor it.

[Joanna Robinson]

You're always thinking, what is Paul Newman doing? He's dead.

[Mallory Rubin]

But, like, let's get applebee's back in there, you know?

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Olive garden has a vinaigrette. Famous vinaigrette.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. And the breadsticks. Or so I. So I hear, right? I love a breadstick. Why not? This is great. New era all stars would be fun. I just. I like the mix across the. The eras, though. If it gave Christian a chance to play and hopefully win again.

[Tyson Apostol]

He's not.

[Riley McAtee]

New era all count.

[Mallory Rubin]

I guess that's true.

[Joanna Robinson]

I just want new era all stars.

[Mallory Rubin]

New era would just be so from 40 to 41 to 50.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

41 through 50.

[Mallory Rubin]

I would like to see Jesse back.

[Joanna Robinson]

I understand the thought process behind that because you're trying to, like, make those people feel like legends, which they don't feel like.

[Tyson Apostol]

Makes them feel, like, stickier.

[Riley McAtee]

I feel like they should have done new era all stars for 48 to mirror the original all stars season, which was season eight. And then you could have still done 50 and had maybe some of those people and some others. And so then you would have. You would have been building those legs.

[Joanna Robinson]

Legends, right?

[Mallory Rubin]

Who's a new era all star?

[Tyson Apostol]

Right.

[Riley McAtee]

There aren't any because they haven't played.

[Mallory Rubin]

Jesse is wonderful. Q. Q is Q. Would be great. Bring Rachel back.

[Tyson Apostol]

Carolyn.

[Mallory Rubin]

Carolyn is a must.

[Joanna Robinson]

No question.

[Riley McAtee]

That's what we thought for 50 and she went on Traders, so that's a bummer.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Be great.

[Joanna Robinson]

But she was so good on trainer.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

All right, well, when are we getting Christian back then? We need to get Christian.

[Tyson Apostol]

I think historically too, if you watch it and it's never is, you have a big drought of non returning seasons.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

As a theme or a big. A big. Yeah. Big drought of returning seasons. They do a big block and then they start doing either like the captains are here or everybody that got medevaced last time or. Or half and half fans versus favorites or second chances. Like they. Then they pepper all those in and then they stop them. And I think we are now entering an era of. Of more returning seasons where I think we're gonna get at least every two film cycles.

[Joanna Robinson]

Wow.

[Tyson Apostol]

I believe we will have returns.

[Joanna Robinson]

So like every third season.

[Tyson Apostol]

One out of four. Every third, three to four seasons.

[Mallory Rubin]

I would not mind that.

[Riley McAtee]

That's kind of my proposal, which is that it should be basically an Olympics cadence. So you get like the summer Olympics, which are the real Olympics, more or less.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, my God.

[Joanna Robinson]

Shots fired at Bob's letters.

[Riley McAtee]

So you get like. You get a full over super G once every four. Okay, hold on. Don't get distracted. Don't get distracted by the Olympic stock.

[Mallory Rubin]

Let's see you do the skeleton. Right.

[Riley McAtee]

But you get. So you get like.

[Joanna Robinson]

How's your triple X?

[Riley McAtee]

A summer.

[Joanna Robinson]

Sorry.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm sorry.

[Riley McAtee]

Listen, you get a summer and winter. You get. Every four years we'll do a full returnee season. And every two years we'll do like a half one which is, you know, fans versus favorite or blood versus water or something in that realm.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, I like it. It could start to feel like too much, but for now.

[Riley McAtee]

Well, that's the thing.

[Tyson Apostol]

And when it feels too much, then they just stop. That's what they've done historically.

[Riley McAtee]

So that's once every eight seasons you get a full returnee season.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'd like a best to never win season. I think it's time for that. We can call it second chances as long as.

[Riley McAtee]

I mean, they just have to get sari first and then they can book the rest.

[Tyson Apostol]

So who else? Rob Sestronino.

[Riley McAtee]

Cestrinino would be good.

[Tyson Apostol]

Anybody who's ever.

[Riley McAtee]

I mean, Cestrinino should have been on this season too. In the hands of the fans.

[Joanna Robinson]

Except he did Traitors.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, he was on 50 though, too. He was in. And I do news AF with him. We have a news podcast. He would have gone on season 50 and foregone the guaranteed pay of traitors.

[Riley McAtee]

Right.

[Tyson Apostol]

He's like, they had. They had me. They had me. I would have done that. But now, like, I have to do this for, like, I. So. And maybe I shouldn't have said that, but, like, he was ready to go.

[Mallory Rubin]

All right, well, let's get him in there. There's a lot of stories for people

[Tyson Apostol]

who, like, like, supposedly called, like, 200 people.

[Mallory Rubin]

Thought they were.

[Tyson Apostol]

And the only way you're going to keep people on the line is convince them that they are in.

[Joanna Robinson]

They are definitely in.

[Tyson Apostol]

Which then also leaves a very bad taste in a lot of people's mouth.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Tough to piss off 176 people. How about.

[Joanna Robinson]

How about returning season 50 is like, we meant to have you on 50.

[Tyson Apostol]

Sorry, you were on 50. Jeff's also said that. He said, like, some of the people that went through the process that we just couldn't find space for, we're going to get back to them. So. Which I believe, like, you have to. Otherwise you do then fully piss off 170, or however many. Whatever the number is. Because other shows, I get called for a show, and they're like, hey, you want to be on our show? I was like, yeah, when do I find out? And they're like, you're on.

[Mallory Rubin]

Do you want this conversation?

[Tyson Apostol]

Did you say yes? Because if you said yes, this is you. And you're like, oh, well, I expected to get jerked around for six months and then told that you went a different direction, because casting is like a puzzle, and sometimes not all the pieces fit. And even though you thought they would, they ended up. And I was like, I don't need the whole analogy. I just, like. And that's what it is. And so when you go through casting,

[Joanna Robinson]

sometimes Noelle gets you.

[Tyson Apostol]

You don't believe the cookies of the double tree.

[Joanna Robinson]

And sometimes she's like, the pieces just didn't fit.

[Mallory Rubin]

Sorry.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

176 people didn't get cookies, which I

[Tyson Apostol]

ate at the Doubletree. Delicious.

[Mallory Rubin]

When they're warm. Wonderful.

[Tyson Apostol]

About 28. There's a. So we went into a conference room. I came watch the show.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

They were like, we're watching all of Micronesia for, like, eight hours. I went out to the lobby. So first of all, I made a little bed at the front. I was like, everybody needs to see me. So I made a little bed at the front of the chairs because everybody was, like, so scared to talk and stuff. Coach was at the very back. He had his black fingernails, black toenails, toe rings. He had it all. And I was like, okay, that guy's like a mixture of Daniel Day Lewis in Last the Mohicans. And I had another one.

[Joanna Robinson]

Wow.

[Tyson Apostol]

I forget.

[Mallory Rubin]

So high praise for Coach. Now he's gonna method act the rest of the world.

[Tyson Apostol]

So I go out and I'm like, this is gonna be great. So I go out and I'm like, hey, my company's in the. In the conference room right now. Give me all the cookies you have currently. And they gave me, like, 20 something cookies all for you. I have this bag. I walk in, everybody sees this bag of cookies. Everybody's looking so hopeful. They think I'm passing them out. I go to the front, and I ate all of them on purpose in front of everybody, where everybody can see. Other people exited, and I told the people I was going to the bathroom. So they let me out. I brought the cookies back. Other people were like, ooh, I want a cookie. They went out. Guess what? There's no cookies. Now they have to wait for the next batch.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's unbelievable.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. Pretty good play.

[Riley McAtee]

This is the best food related story I've heard about your casting.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's really cool.

[Riley McAtee]

Which is the one where they were all on their phones. Do you remember this?

[Tyson Apostol]

You've talked about this one? Yeah. So I go up. So the first time I meet Jeff Probst, they put us in this. They're like, go to the top.

[Joanna Robinson]

You lord it over him.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, I go in. We're in a suite. So you go in, you have, like, progressively more important interviews. And at a certain point, it's the Jeff Probst interview. And it's literally. I think it's Jeff Probst, it's Mark Bernadette, and it's a half circle of all the producers. And they're all sitting there, and Jeff's like, hey, what's up? And I was like, oh, my grandma's gonna be so pumped that I got to meet Joe Rogan. Like, I'm still treating it like a joke. So I was like, I bet people mistake him for Joe Rogan sometimes. This is funny. And, oh, my God. Jeff's like, yeah, tell us a little bit about yourself. And so I start to answer, and all of them are on their phones. They're all just like, like. And I know they're doing it on purpose, but also, like, it's annoying and it's disrespectful, and I don't like it. And so then, like, I answer, and there's like a weird pause, and then somebody else chimes in, asks a Question. I start answering it, and then everybody starts, like, down on their phones again. And so I'm like. And I was like. And it's throwing me off my game. And they're designed to test you. Like, they're testing different personalities differently in all these interviews. And there's a craft services table there. So I literally. I stand up, I scoop as much snacks as I can from the craft service. I say, I'm gonna be in my room. You know where I'm at. If you really wanna talk to me, then, like, come get me. And the one guy's like, I actually really like you. And I was like, you know where to find me. And I leave, and I go to my room, and I just head down. I have all these snacks now, And I get a call from Lynn Spillman immediately, just like, that was fucking amazing. Like, they cannot believe that you just did that. Like, the entire room is talking about how wild that was that you just left.

[Mallory Rubin]

Was it because of your. Your. Your bold behavior or because they're like, how does this guy have room for more food after eating 20 cookies?

[Tyson Apostol]

It was the bold behavior. I think that they were testing to see if I really was as confident as I portrayed myself to be. And so, like, some people were in there. They were a sweetheart. Like, they pumped me up. They made me feel so. And I was like, yeah, that's what they needed for me.

[Mallory Rubin]

But they were trying to break you.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, and they were trying to break me.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

And it was just, like, constant.

[Joanna Robinson]

And you broke them and so with snacks.

[Tyson Apostol]

Well, then they, like, pray. Like, Lynn was just like, that was amazing. So then the next interview, they, like, had me back in a similar situation. The first thing I did was go to the craft service and eat some food. And I'm eating food while they're asking me questions, and Lynn's over in the corner. Like, stop eating the food. Like, it's. Now it's bad.

[Riley McAtee]

Now it's go.

[Mallory Rubin]

Time to answer the questions.

[Tyson Apostol]

Incredible. Incredible.

[Mallory Rubin]

Anything else on season 50 before we get to our nerd culture crossover?

[Tyson Apostol]

Well, do we have what returning season? Do you have any good ideas?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Riley and you wanted to talk about who from season 50 were most eager to see back. So we've hit that a little. You know, some obviously desires to see some to replay again.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. Quickly. My returning season ideal would be, like, me.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Plus 19. Tyson Apostle Survivor super fans.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Damn. Tyson.

[Riley McAtee]

The Redemption island setup.

[Tyson Apostol]

Tyson Apostle. Redemption Island.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay, so we have four members of the cast right here.

[Tyson Apostol]

Sounds like. Yep.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

I could never Play Survivor.

[Tyson Apostol]

You're willing to help me win.

[Mallory Rubin]

Can't do it. I actually, I think of all the

[Joanna Robinson]

non Tyson people at this table, I think Mallory would be best at Survivor.

[Mallory Rubin]

I think I would be worst because I get too hungry. I can't. I just. Your body might break down.

[Tyson Apostol]

The mind would be going, there's so many people now. There's so many people that are like, I could never do it. It's so hard. I'm watching it. I was like, have you seen the level of incompetence from some of these players? You're in a group and they're not going to let you die.

[Mallory Rubin]

I just get so cranky when I'm hungry and then I yell at people

[Tyson Apostol]

and then, yeah, that sounds like if they're watching, you're on. You are on. Yeah. It's all a ruse.

[Mallory Rubin]

You like Final Four? Final Four. One of us has to make fire. One of us goes out of fire, that's fine. But we stayed true till the end.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes. Honor and integrity.

[Mallory Rubin]

Honor and integrity. Alliance, hear me out. What do you think?

[Tyson Apostol]

Can we pull it off? I do believe no one ever plays this honor. You need a season of all honor. Integrity of all people who believe that their moral code is higher than others.

[Riley McAtee]

Tony Joe's would be incredible and you watch them fall, it'd be so good.

[Mallory Rubin]

Dark side.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's just a season full of Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar.

[Tyson Apostol]

You know, that's it. Yeah, I do know.

[Mallory Rubin]

Underestimate my power.

[Joanna Robinson]

Riley, what is your idea for returning season?

[Riley McAtee]

So I love your idea to cast people who have not heard of the show. I don't think that they're going to do that. I think they're going to keep casting super fans, which is why I think it's time to bring back a fans versus Favorites season. Because those original fans versus Favorites seasons, those weren't fans. They were just like new guys. Some of them didn't really know who the Survivor players were on that season. That was in the heavy recruiting era, which I actually like a lot of the recruits and think that they could go back to them. But if you are going to cast all these super fans, let's do a new fans versus Favorites.

[Tyson Apostol]

True fans versus Favorites. That would be fun.

[Riley McAtee]

Which I feel like because we're already getting that dynamic a little bit. Like that's what Rizzo is serving on this season.

[Tyson Apostol]

I know what you could do is new era returnees and legends and call it fans versus favorites.

[Joanna Robinson]

And who would they cast for legends, do you think? Who's a good legend to put on the show.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm retired.

[Mallory Rubin]

Come on.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm retired from the show.

[Riley McAtee]

Number 10, you gotta go back one more time to go on our award by yourself.

[Tyson Apostol]

I get asked all the time. And honestly, like, I love playing the game. It's so fun. It's so fun. Like, it's everything that I enjoy. It's strategy, it's mind games. It's watching people crack. It's cracking people. It's yourself trying to not crack. Plus, you're stripped from everything. I just don't think I have the desire anymore to really try to win.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Like, to really do every single thing in my power to win. I just don't have it. I'm 47 almost. I don't give a shit. To talk to somebody I dislike. Like, I'm just not gonna do it. Like, this is why you gotta come back.

[Mallory Rubin]

What if they.

[Joanna Robinson]

What if they did get Sierra, though? Is Sierra the one that could get you back?

[Tyson Apostol]

No, I don't think so. Because she's probably got two decades of animosity build up towards me and I don't really feel that way. Like.

[Joanna Robinson]

Like, if you have your mission.

[Mallory Rubin]

Incredible.

[Tyson Apostol]

If that's what it was. I would specifically. And I got. And I sniffed it out. I would try to contact Ciara before. And there is part of me that was like, should I get Sierra for the podcast? Should we have Sierra? I don't think she watches the show, though.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Cause she'll do interviews sometimes about how pathetic it is that there's still people

[Riley McAtee]

who watch the show that I don't think she watched.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, she thinks it's pathetic that there's former players. And I think it's pointed at me. It's pathetic that there's former players that like, have made a living and still talking about it all the time and

[Joanna Robinson]

hosts a podcast on the Radar network

[Mallory Rubin]

who are beloved by all, inspiring legions.

[Tyson Apostol]

But the thing is that's funny about that is that's on a Survivor interview. So it's like, oh, so you came back to talk about how stupid Survivor people that link. And it's like, also, that wasn't my plan. Like 2008, I wasn't like, you know what? I envision my entire board like this. It's. And it worked out perfect.

[Joanna Robinson]

But that's like, that's what a lot of people.

[Tyson Apostol]

I mean, especially people are aspiring to now. John. I get calls from Jonathan that are like, I want to do what you and Rob do. Like, how do I get paid just to be Myself and I was like, be cooler.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Have you tried being like me? Like, no, like. But like, Rob's answer is like, it takes time. Like, you got to go back on shows. You got to keep going on shows. You got to be present. You got to have like this and that and then you've got to also have the arc. And there's a lot to it and a lot of it's luck. A lot of it is just so. But that is the goal, I think, as the new era players, like, part of the goal is like, I can not really work as my future career.

[Mallory Rubin]

Sure.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Just.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you feel like you're like, there's only downsides to you going back? Is that something that you feel?

[Tyson Apostol]

No, not necessarily. I think that Winners at war, they gave me such. I was done after I had won. I was like, the chances of me winning again are very slim. Winners at war came along, I was like, yeah, you know, it's been seven years. Maybe I should play again. Let me see. And they. The edit they gave me was almost God tier. Like, just like everything positive. I never looked like a doofus. I always looked like I was out there fighting and trying my hardest. And literally halfway through the season, you're like, there's only two people that could win this. Tyson from Exile or Tony. Yeah, like, the edit was like I was getting a full winner edit all the way through the season until I was dead. And so I was like, so do I trust that that will happen again? Hopefully, probably, maybe a little bit, but you never know. And so that's not really my fear. It's just I really just think I'd get out there and be like, I'm just not willing to put in the time with the people I don't necessarily gel with. And you have to. And if you're not willing to do that, then you're already like shooting yourself in the foot a little bit.

[Mallory Rubin]

But once you were out there, don't you think the instinct would just take over?

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't think so anymore. I don't think so anymore. It would have to be a truly life changing.

[Joanna Robinson]

Not everyone has your killer instinct, Mallory.

[Mallory Rubin]

I just really, I think I feel

[Tyson Apostol]

like I would get out there, I would get out there and I would try, but I wouldn't try my absolute hardest. There's things I would miss because in my brain, like, strategically there's things I would just miss or not care to do and just hope for the best. And even though that's poor gameplay, I just like, I just don't have the bandwidth to carry. I'm like an old cranky man, but

[Mallory Rubin]

then that becomes part of the narrative, right?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Tyson 5.0.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. He's in Kirkland jeans and his Kirkland jeans. That's like the final metamorphosis is wearing Kirkland brand jeans.

[Mallory Rubin]

Man, you spoiled Riley's new outfit for. Yeah, for tomorrow after show the Kirkland

[Joanna Robinson]

jeans is gonna go Costco to go shopping. It was to Costco, right?

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Where I get all my clothes.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Rotisserie chicken and.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yep, sounds pretty good. Actually. We do have some pastrami coming, but first we're gonna do our little nerd culture crossover.

[Joanna Robinson]

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[Tyson Apostol]

This episode is brought to you by Boar's Head. What if we told you the taste of deep fried turkey is now available at your local deli? Well, Boar's Head just did that. Bursting with flavor, perfectly seasoned with that indulgent taste that usually means planning your whole day around it. Presenting the Fryer's turkey breast only from Boar's Head, a backyard tradition now available behind the counter. Visit your local deli today. Discover the craftsmanship behind every bite. Boar's Head committed to craft since 1905,

[Riley McAtee]

this episode is brought to you by

[Tyson Apostol]

two good and company coffee creamers. How do you take your coffee? Piping hot ice, strong froth? Well, if you love rich, creamy goodness and delicious flavor in every sip, try two Good and company Creamers. They're made with farm fresh cream and real milk. Each serving has just 3 grams of sugar, 40% less than the leading coffee creamers. Two good creamers are available in sweet cream, roasted, vanilla and lavender.

[Riley McAtee]

So which one are you trying first?

[Tyson Apostol]

Find two good creamers at your local retailer in the creamer aisle.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay. Survivor Is entering the nerdverse. Came up with a few fun prompts. They're all pretty weird.

[Tyson Apostol]

Survivor is part of the nerdverse.

[Mallory Rubin]

I agree. The nerdverse is wide. It's a big tent, and everyone is welcome. Yeah, we love to nerd out together, and it's all part of the fandom universe, for sure. No question. If you have an answer that you're excited about for any of these prompts, a nomination, Great. Throw it out. And if not. That's fine. That's fine as well. Here's the first one.

[Tyson Apostol]

Wait, I should have a laptop for this part.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yep. Whenever you're ready to use somebody else's laptop as a prop, you just let us know. You just let us know.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, I have my laptop here somewhere.

[Mallory Rubin]

Do you want it?

[Tyson Apostol]

No, you sent me the. Do you want an.

[Mallory Rubin]

An iPad? Do you want a phone?

[Joanna Robinson]

You got all up here, right?

[Mallory Rubin]

All up here in the.

[Tyson Apostol]

You sent me the prompts. I looked at it.

[Mallory Rubin]

You were like, I'm ready to roll.

[Tyson Apostol]

Can I come up with something on the fly for in all of these? My answer was, if I can't, I will. Look at Riley.

[Riley McAtee]

Great.

[Mallory Rubin]

The bond. Look at the bond and the trust. That is beautiful.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you guys want to hold hands again?

[Mallory Rubin]

I think you should probably. Yeah, hold hands. Beautiful, beautiful.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yours are soft. His are soft, too.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, I don't do anything.

[Mallory Rubin]

What's your moisturizing routine?

[Riley McAtee]

Nothing. I have no routine.

[Mallory Rubin]

Damn, what a brag. Look at that power of use.

[Joanna Robinson]

You've got a kiddo. Like, I feel like when you've got a small kid, you're constantly, like, also

[Mallory Rubin]

the glow, the glow, the glow.

[Joanna Robinson]

Aren't you constantly, like, slathering your child in various ornaments?

[Mallory Rubin]

Like, you have, like, desitin on your hands from, like.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, we have, like, desitin.

[Mallory Rubin]

Skin goddess Oiler.

[Riley McAtee]

We were doing, like, like some moisturizer with him when they're, like, really, really little. But not in a long time now. So. No. I don't know. Just changing diapers, I don't imagine.

[Joanna Robinson]

Just naturally luminous Riley McAfee.

[Mallory Rubin]

Just get Ozzy and hear those eyes. Who's that? Okay. What nerd culture inspired twist should have been a part of season 50. Would anyone like to go first here? I have some I'm excited to throw out to the group if nobody else wants to. To go first. But if anyone else would like to jump in, please do.

[Tyson Apostol]

I want G to go first.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, go for it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[Joanna Robinson]

I want Riley to go first.

[Mallory Rubin]

Do you have.

[Riley McAtee]

Well, I did think about this, but I Wouldn't say I'm like, excited, not

[Mallory Rubin]

thrilled about your ideas.

[Riley McAtee]

About my ideas.

[Mallory Rubin]

Maybe when you tell you how great they are, tell us an idea you're disinterested in, you'll be excited.

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm disinterested in the mediocre idea you came up with.

[Riley McAtee]

Well, I don't know. I was trying to think of, like, something with the one ring in Lord of the Rings because it feels like, you know, it's like a trinket kind of like it's a real.

[Mallory Rubin]

Know your audience moment from Riley.

[Tyson Apostol]

Smart.

[Riley McAtee]

And so. Well, yeah, I mean, you said the nerdverse, so I was wondering if there's like a one ring advantage where it's like an idol that you play, but then at the next Tribal council, you get an additional vote or two against you or something. Right. Because, you know, you can put the ring on and turn invisible and get safety, but then you get that attention from Sauron or whatever. So I'm like that. That's the sort of thing I was thinking of.

[Mallory Rubin]

And then a few tribals later, you're like, I can still feel the blade, the oracle blade. Like this.

[Tyson Apostol]

I was thinking that same exact twist. Except for Sonic the Hedgehog rings. Still, though, when you use a ring, you have less rings to, you know.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, beautiful.

[Riley McAtee]

You get the rings, like, knocked out of you, and then if it happens again, you're out of the game.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's a good one. I like that. I like that. And I also like the Sonic ones,

[Tyson Apostol]

which I just came up with that just barely. I didn't even think about it at all.

[Mallory Rubin]

All as promised. As promised. Okay, here's mine. Because of the timing, this is the Mandalorian and Grogu release week, and it's also the Survivor 50 finale release week.

[Tyson Apostol]

You've already seen this film.

[Mallory Rubin]

We have. We screened it. Yes. We will be potting about it on Friday and seeing it again on. On Thursday, but we've seen it once so far.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay, say no more.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, embargoed.

[Mallory Rubin]

We'll say no more. Obviously not. You know, that's a Disney property, so there's not, like the Paramount family synergy there. But you know what?

[Tyson Apostol]

I'll tell the Disney that Michael Eisner's still there.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, the. You know, Jimmy Fallon got to fuck up this season, and he's an NBC guy, not a CBS guy. So, like, this is possible. All right, so here are the three possibilities for what shape this could take. Let me know if you like any of these. One is the. In honor of Greef Karga, the do the magic hand thing, baby. Advantage, where you can use the power of the Force to emphasize empty every single bag at camp. Every single bag.

[Joanna Robinson]

You can.

[Mallory Rubin]

All of the objects as though you were using the Force come out of every bag, everything. And you can use it whenever you want. You don't know, like, oh, I've got wait for this person to go and then I'm gonna pretend to do the bag. It's whatever you want, everyone. And as mentee, as many advantages as you find do you get to keep. All of them are yours.

[Tyson Apostol]

Do the players know that you are going through the bag or do they go to like a confessional and they're like, okay, here's so and so's bag. Go through it if you like. How does that work?

[Mallory Rubin]

You tell us. Because is there ever a period of time where all of the bags, every single bag would be away from all of the contestants?

[Joanna Robinson]

It would be like a horrible disadvantage if you.

[Tyson Apostol]

They could make it happen for you if that. If you wanted it to be a secret, they could make it happen. Production could pull someone or it could pull the tribe or do something. They could figure out a way where you could. If that was the advantage that you were given.

[Riley McAtee]

Do they pull multiple people for confessionals at the same time? You could just pull and then. Okay, okay, but.

[Joanna Robinson]

So the answer is they don't know that you rifled through their bag and took all of their. They don't know who now has all. And that's a I love you, but that's a way overpowered move.

[Riley McAtee]

Well, does feel a little overpowered.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay, so it doesn't have to be the pick, but like, Grogu's pretty overpowered,

[Tyson Apostol]

you know, mini midichlorian Jesus, you get blamed for it. Well, my idol's gone. Well, I don't know who has it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Here it is.

[Tyson Apostol]

I think because they still wouldn't know

[Mallory Rubin]

you had all the.

[Tyson Apostol]

You're not allowed to steal an idol. I guess they already have the knowledge is power advantage. So maybe it's a little too akin to that. I'm just trying to rework it a little bit.

[Mallory Rubin]

All right, let me throw two others out. We can nix them all. But, like, Grogu is pretty powerful. Okay. The force healing Mulligan advantage. Remember, famously, season one, episode seven comes out like a minute before Rise of Skywalker. We see Grogu force heal grief, Karga, because we're then gonna see the way that force healing comes into play between Rey and Kylo, of course, obviously, famously,

[Riley McAtee]

famously I remember all this.

[Mallory Rubin]

You can undo one mistake. The ability to undo one mistake. How would this work exactly? I don't know.

[Joanna Robinson]

Well, how are you quantifying mistakes? Mistake.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's up to you. It's up to you to decide. You can.

[Tyson Apostol]

I mean, there's some mistakes you can't walk back.

[Joanna Robinson]

One thing Ozzy can't untell Aubrey what he told me.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, in this but in this scenario, Ozzy, if he had this.

[Joanna Robinson]

Go back in time.

[Mallory Rubin]

Go back in time. It's a mulligan. Mulligan. Yes, it is. It would be in the most powerful advantage in the history of survivor.

[Tyson Apostol]

Nope. The super idol is akin to this. The super idol where you can play it after the vote's a are red.

[Mallory Rubin]

True.

[Tyson Apostol]

So this is like that except for if you don't have anything and presented

[Mallory Rubin]

by Grogu something to think about. And then the last one is the this is the way creed which I recognize is a little bit maybe too like imperious curse mind control to be like, appropriate. But you can make somebody else do literally whatever you want.

[Tyson Apostol]

Like, you could have, like your enemy punch them in their face.

[Mallory Rubin]

You could tell them how to vote if you want. Yes.

[Tyson Apostol]

You can literally have to face as

[Mallory Rubin]

hard as you stab sabotage their game. You could be like, you have to go like, throw everybody's bags in the fire and they would like, have to do it. So you could. You could use this any number of ways. You could use it to for positive, for good, to benefit your game, your alliance. Or you could just use it to destroy somebody else's game by making them do something in a very public fashion, in a very costly fashion. This is the way. What do you think?

[Tyson Apostol]

I like that one the most.

[Mallory Rubin]

Of course you do. Agent of chaos.

[Riley McAtee]

Just thinking how you'd use it. Now we figured out how to give them back.

[Mallory Rubin]

Of course you do.

[Joanna Robinson]

Like disadvantages in play from everyone goes in the ocean.

[Mallory Rubin]

Exactly.

[Tyson Apostol]

You go to the confessional booth and you say, I'm playing this on so and so. And this is what they have to do. So then when they go to the confession, they get this thing that's just like in order to stay in the game so they don't know where it came from. So they can't say so and so did this. In order to stay in the game, you have to do this. And then they go back and they're like, I got a note that said I had to throw a reduced shoe in or else I'm gonna leave. And they're like, like, no, you didn't stop being an asshole. Like whatever it is. Paranoid distrust, triple mind games. And also what you need to do is you need to. You have everybody except for one person's shoe go in the water and it's not yours. You have your shoe go in the water to pin it on them.

[Mallory Rubin]

Demented. I love it. Yes. Yes.

[Tyson Apostol]

Because one of my ideas if I ever went back on Survivor was to burn all of my clothes except for my underwear but have remnants of them in the fire but also do that to some other people, but then leave a few people out of it and then be like, we got targeted and bullied. Yeah. And then slowly, like pin it on one person. And everybody would also feel bad for you. Cause you're like, I'm so cold. So everybody's sharing stuff for you. And then you're like the little baby bird.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. The little orchard.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, my God. Stealing their resources. I love it. Maniacal.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

This is why you'd be so good at Survivor.

[Mallory Rubin]

Let's get out there. You're a tormented person.

[Tyson Apostol]

Fans versus fans.

[Joanna Robinson]

You're going to be on with a

[Tyson Apostol]

bunch of new era people on your tribe.

[Joanna Robinson]

Speaking of Mallory and Tyson as a super team. This is my pitch which is Dyad in the Force.

[Mallory Rubin]

I can't believe that Rey and Kylo are with us again.

[Tyson Apostol]

Tell Riley for the people at home and Riley, I totally understand what you

[Joanna Robinson]

said about the Force.

[Tyson Apostol]

Tell Riley.

[Joanna Robinson]

Star Wars. I'm just using this to mean you hitch your wagon to one person and every immunity either one of you gets applies to the other. But also you can get voted out together but you can get married for the the game.

[Tyson Apostol]

So you both know that this is happening.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

And it's to everybody or it's just if you get the advantage, you get to choose who to hitch to.

[Joanna Robinson]

You get the advantage. You choose who you hitch or.

[Tyson Apostol]

I like that too. I like that too.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Really fun because then do you take

[Joanna Robinson]

like someone who's really good at challenges so you can like hopefully win individual but dual immunity or do you take someone who has like a really good social game so nobody wants to vote

[Mallory Rubin]

you out, Someone you'd actually like to work with and want to help but also believe in and you can benefit

[Tyson Apostol]

from their strength because you can't go to the end with that person every time and there's a very high likelihood that that won't happen. So like, does it just happen for one voting cycle? Does it happen for the pre merge?

[Joanna Robinson]

I think it has to be a post merge. Right. Because that's When Individual immunity. So it's post merge up until penultimate episode.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, what if. What if the winner was a team?

[Tyson Apostol]

So top seven or something like that?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, top seven.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. What if you're voting for a team to win potentially, actually, and split the million? Well, then it's like the. I never really liked when they did this on like the challenge. Or you're like, you decide whether to split it. Right. Like when Johnny, you know, decided to keep the money and turned on his partner.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, tough one.

[Mallory Rubin]

That was rough.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. They do do that sometime, I think. I like it. I do think you need to figure out where it ends.

[Joanna Robinson]

But I like it for longer than one week. I want it like to go for

[Tyson Apostol]

a few weeks, but the one person gets to choose and the other person has no, no choice in it. So you might choose your enemy. So. Because then you're like, now they're not targeting me, right?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Now the war is over fates and

[Joanna Robinson]

they have to use their alliances to protect me, etc.

[Tyson Apostol]

Etc.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well fitting for dyad on the Force because they were enemies.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

And then they became lovers. And then when some force was involved. And these are as, as always connected.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

We're kind of a dyad in the Force.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's what I'm saying.

[Tyson Apostol]

And what would they. Is that what they would call it? I'm just wondering if we could do some more.

[Mallory Rubin]

I think if you could do something

[Tyson Apostol]

bigger, branding, like after the Disney. Michael Eisner, abc.

[Joanna Robinson]

No one wants to reference. Rise of Skywalker.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, Rise of Skywalker. Pretty tough. Pretty tough to call upon. Reylo.

[Joanna Robinson]

I like the Eisner. The Michael Eisner.

[Tyson Apostol]

Michael Eisner. Friday night movie. Friday night. Remember those? That's how I know Michael Eisner. That's the only reason I know that, man.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you know what I found out recently? There was like a really cool. I saw this. I think it was a congresswoman. She was dressing down. Someone talking about how theater degrees are useless. And she listed all of these like, crazy, powerful CEOs who got theater degrees. Michael Eisner had a theater degree. That's how he was able to introduce those Friday night movies with such panache and flair.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

He's a theater major.

[Mallory Rubin]

Beautiful.

[Joanna Robinson]

We love theater.

[Tyson Apostol]

You never know where your education is going to take you.

[Joanna Robinson]

Absolutely true.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, it's true.

[Mallory Rubin]

A beautiful lesson. We do this also. Could have been in the wedding toast.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yep.

[Mallory Rubin]

Could have been in the wedding toast.

[Tyson Apostol]

Could have been.

[Mallory Rubin]

Which fictional universe should inspire a future Survivor season theme? Riley.

[Joanna Robinson]

Riley.

[Riley McAtee]

I mean, I feel like there's an obvious answer, which is Game of Thrones. You could almost pick like you have the tribal, like you could do like the Starks and the Lannisters and whatever else. But then also that fictional universe is all about political machinations and backstabbing and alliances, more or less.

[Mallory Rubin]

When you play the game of Survivor, you win or you die. There is no in between.

[Riley McAtee]

Well, hopefully you don't die, but yes,

[Mallory Rubin]

it's just right there.

[Tyson Apostol]

You win or you lose.

[Mallory Rubin]

They sort of did the Thrones imagery a few seasons ago. Remember, they had the very medieval visual palette and it's like it feels like they're trying to do Game of Thrones, but yeah, they could just lean in and actually do so the.

[Joanna Robinson]

David Zezlov Warner Bros. Discovery Presents Game of Thrones Survivor.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, no, but could. You know, I feel like there has been a fictional universe that has already inspired a season of Survivor, which is Pirates of the Caribbean. Pearl Islands.

[Joanna Robinson]

Pearl Islands. Yeah, very good.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, there you go.

[Riley McAtee]

So I guess that one works.

[Mallory Rubin]

And that was like, we can do it again.

[Riley McAtee]

Created one of the very best seasons of survival.

[Joanna Robinson]

I have a similar answer. Only in the sort of tribal idea, the Last Airbender.

[Mallory Rubin]

Love it.

[Joanna Robinson]

In which there are four tribes, does

[Riley McAtee]

one tribe have to be the blue

[Joanna Robinson]

Fire, Air, Water, Earth Air.

[Riley McAtee]

Okay, so they all have to be fire.

[Joanna Robinson]

If you're a fire tribe, you get fire. Nobody else gets fire. You're on the water tribe.

[Tyson Apostol]

You get clean water.

[Joanna Robinson]

You have clean water.

[Mallory Rubin]

Everyone else dies. Legally, I think everyone else dies.

[Tyson Apostol]

No, no, no, no, no. They used to have to boil it.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

So you get clean water. Everyone has to boil their water. Yeah, Earth type. They get the best beach, like whatever the best beach is, you know, whatever. And then air, you get shelter and no one else gets shelter. You get protection from the elements and nobody else does.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, you get a truck tarp.

[Tyson Apostol]

Right. I like that.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's a great one.

[Riley McAtee]

Okay, so which of what?

[Mallory Rubin]

And then when you win, you become the avatar.

[Tyson Apostol]

Which of what though?

[Riley McAtee]

If you're on one of those four

[Mallory Rubin]

tribes, tribes are most powerful.

[Tyson Apostol]

You can make fire without having the stuff to make fire. If you have somebody like that, I would say water is the most powerful because boiling water for 10 people with one pot sucks. And then you're just drinking hot water in 110 degree temperature all day every day. And it tastes like the whatever you

[Joanna Robinson]

cooked in the pot.

[Tyson Apostol]

It's all disgusting.

[Mallory Rubin]

Plus, if you're on the water tribe, do you get a better bit of ocean to in.

[Joanna Robinson]

No, that's for the beach tribe.

[Tyson Apostol]

That's the beach tribe. That's the land tribe. I do think though if with the water tribe, maybe they get a shower

[Mallory Rubin]

even like plus they can blood bend.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yep.

[Joanna Robinson]

Definitely.

[Tyson Apostol]

They should blood bend and just kill their.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. So if you're an earthbender, you can lava bend. So you can just sort of.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's true. Yeah, it's true. I love that Great one. And then you win and you become the avatar. Yeah, fantastic. Okay, that's a great one.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm just floating this.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, hit us.

[Tyson Apostol]

Jumanji, where you get more than one life. Like the modern Jumanji take, where maybe like you have to vote someone out twice.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, video game Jumanji.

[Tyson Apostol]

And maybe they vote for multiple people. So. So it's like once you have the majority twice. Yeah. The video game jump or three or whatever it is, just be like, okay, yeah, gotta come for em. And then they know you're coming and so now they can battle back a little bit. But they're also weakened because they have maybe they. Yeah, whatever.

[Joanna Robinson]

Can you send monkeys after the other tribe or something?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. Or giant mosquitoes or whatever.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, I love that. Giant mosquitoes. Sounds horrible.

[Tyson Apostol]

I didn't really think it through at all. I just thought that just popped in my brain right there. Maybe there's a way it could work. But you'd still need someone to go home first episode. So how would you do that?

[Mallory Rubin]

Hmm. I don't know enough about Jumanji to offer up an answer to that, but there's gotta be a way.

[Joanna Robinson]

But also like if you think about the 90s movie Jumanji or the book or whatever, you prefer the vines that come and swell everything. What if you come back to camp and there's just like they've just covered everything you own in vines.

[Tyson Apostol]

Sometimes they put your fire out.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do they?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, they put your fire out if

[Tyson Apostol]

it looks like it's going to get out of control.

[Riley McAtee]

Oh.

[Tyson Apostol]

But also like you want your fire there. And I would rather have an out of control fire that burned up half the island still than have to try.

[Mallory Rubin]

So I, I'm. I love in the 4k HD era how beautiful the oceans look. But I do think we're overdue for a visual reset. Dune, Desert planet, Survivor. Let's go to our.

[Tyson Apostol]

I like that. I do like that.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do they get still suits?

[Mallory Rubin]

They get still suits. You have to drink your own piss early on.

[Tyson Apostol]

Well, yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

Do you know this bit of a. I think you're gonna say it, aren't you?

[Tyson Apostol]

I think Season two or three or somewhere in there. They were gonna do an oasis in Jordan.

[Riley McAtee]

It was season four. Yeah. They're gonna do Survivor already. Arabia.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. And then some political military turmoil.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay. Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

In the famously stable region.

[Tyson Apostol]

And they had to get out. But they were going to build.

[Riley McAtee]

No, literally 911 happened.

[Tyson Apostol]

9 11. Oh.

[Riley McAtee]

And then they made it so they switched to Marquesas.

[Tyson Apostol]

They were going to build their own oasis in the middle of the jungle with or in the middle of the desert with palm trees and everything. So, like, literally the visual is going to be like desert as far as the eye could see. Lush oasis in the middle of nothing.

[Joanna Robinson]

If you do a dune season, should one of the advantages be like a spice advantage or something like that where

[Mallory Rubin]

you can you get to get high and have a nice night?

[Joanna Robinson]

Nope.

[Mallory Rubin]

Better of life. Better.

[Joanna Robinson]

Better. You can see how everyone is going to vote. Incredible. You get to see what's coming.

[Mallory Rubin]

Take the water of life, become the Kwisatz Haderach knowledge from all of the past seasons. Great one.

[Tyson Apostol]

Here's where they should do it. They should do it on them. That in those dunes in Brazil that fill up with water every year. Have you seen the images of that?

[Riley McAtee]

No.

[Tyson Apostol]

So it's rolling sand dunes as far as the eye can see. But every year when the monsoons or the rains come in, crystal clear little ponds between every dune, wherever they lead us.

[Mallory Rubin]

Paradise.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes.

[Joanna Robinson]

Let's go.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm into it. I was also going to throw out something about romantasy and the romantasy boom, but didn't really workshop the idea beyond that. And you bring in a dragon and people can fuck on it. I don't. I don't know. I'd watch my life just like, bring.

[Tyson Apostol]

That's a different.

[Joanna Robinson]

Bring showmances back to Survivor.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay,

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay, okay. Any other ideas? No one went with again, corporate synergy. No one was like Mission Impossible. No. Paramount. Okay. Tough one. Let's see which character from the following fictional universes would have the best chance of winning Survivor. Let's start with Lord of the Rings. It's your opportunity to talk about Tom Bombadil, if you'd like to.

[Tyson Apostol]

I do believe that Tom Bombadil's positivity and overall general, like, aura is very Surrey ish, which would win over a lot of allies.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Does he have the cutthroatedness to slice and dice when he needs to?

[Joanna Robinson]

I don't know. But he does know his way around the forest.

[Mallory Rubin]

Some musical entertainment? Sure, that would be nice.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Who are you picking?

[Joanna Robinson]

Do people Sing around, like the camp. You can't air it because of copyright. Correct.

[Tyson Apostol]

People do sing.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, people do sing.

[Mallory Rubin]

Beautiful. Let's get Tommy V in there.

[Joanna Robinson]

A nightly hoot. Nanny.

[Mallory Rubin]

That'd be great.

[Joanna Robinson]

Survivor.

[Tyson Apostol]

But you also then have to balance between are you annoying everyone or are you. And are you annoying the majority or are you like. That's what you're always. You're always calculating the numbers of like.

[Joanna Robinson]

But I've heard your singing voice and it's perfect and beautiful.

[Tyson Apostol]

It's really good. Have you seen the Star wars that I used to know on YouTube?

[Mallory Rubin]

No.

[Joanna Robinson]

Should I watch it? Wow.

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm not saying I did all of it.

[Joanna Robinson]

40 million people can't be wrong.

[Tyson Apostol]

That's what I'm saying.

[Joanna Robinson]

40 million. That's.

[Tyson Apostol]

Isn't that crazy?

[Mallory Rubin]

That's wild.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Riley, what's your. What's your answer? Lord of the Rings?

[Riley McAtee]

I don't know. I feel like Lord of the Rings is such a pure like. Like made up of so many pure characters that it's hard for me.

[Mallory Rubin]

Are you aware of Ha. Sauron who fought Bucks, AKA Halbrand?

[Riley McAtee]

I'm not.

[Tyson Apostol]

Not aware either.

[Riley McAtee]

I don't recognize.

[Mallory Rubin]

We'll be sending you some. Some random.

[Riley McAtee]

So is that your answer?

[Mallory Rubin]

No, my answer is Legolas.

[Joanna Robinson]

My answer is Legolas.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Wait, really? Oh, wow.

[Joanna Robinson]

He doesn't have to sleep. He doesn't have to eat.

[Mallory Rubin]

Exactly.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[Mallory Rubin]

The amount of days is absolutely nothing for Legos. Plus, what are your elf ears here?

[Joanna Robinson]

What are your lyc like?

[Mallory Rubin]

No one's secret from him.

[Tyson Apostol]

A dwarf could win too, just with pure muscle.

[Mallory Rubin]

Absolutely.

[Tyson Apostol]

Like, and. And even a hobbit with disarming and

[Mallory Rubin]

Legolas and any elf. An unlikely alliance, you know, Fellowship, some might say.

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, any elf. But in terms of out of the Fellowship, it's Legolas.

[Mallory Rubin]

Also, he's a sensation. He's a star. Everyone at home is talking about how great he looks.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

Imagine the Instagram reels.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. Imagine him in the deep.

[Riley McAtee]

V, you're making the argument for why he'd have a target on his head.

[Tyson Apostol]

It Influencer.

[Mallory Rubin]

But he's. Oh, instant influencer. And he would do great. The brands would be lining up. So you think Legolas is too big of a target?

[Riley McAtee]

How old is Legolas in the canon?

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, quite old.

[Riley McAtee]

Like 700 years old or something. Right?

[Mallory Rubin]

Super old.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Life experience gets you so far on Survivor because you're able to.

[Joanna Robinson]

He makes the wisdom of his unlikely alliances. Legolas and Gimli.

[Mallory Rubin]

Exactly.

[Tyson Apostol]

Are you able to connect with Every walk of life, the longer you've lived and the more walks of life you can run forever. It's pretty strong. It's pretty strong. Almost not fair.

[Joanna Robinson]

Deeply unfair.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, I know it's a tough one for Tom Bombadil to know the Legolas is out there. Good stuff. Game of Thrones. Riley, who's your pick here?

[Riley McAtee]

I'm gonna go with Oberyn. I'm gonna go for a deep cut.

[Joanna Robinson]

You don't think that he's gonna get too cocky and get caught monologuing just like Ozzy?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Oberyn's are real. I didn't play my idol at the end and then my. My head got spoilers. Like, my head got popped.

[Riley McAtee]

It's true. I don't know though. I feel like the risk of your head getting crushed on Survivor is somewhat less than it is on Game of Thrones.

[Tyson Apostol]

I've seen the Red Viper Pascal on Game of Thrones. Yep. I've seen half of an episode of Game of Thrones.

[Mallory Rubin]

Which episode? Which half?

[Tyson Apostol]

The first half of the first episode.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[Riley McAtee]

Okay. So he wasn't on that one.

[Joanna Robinson]

He was a pansexual prince.

[Mallory Rubin]

Sure.

[Tyson Apostol]

Peter Dinklage was on it. That's the.

[Mallory Rubin]

Tyrion's a great pick.

[Tyson Apostol]

I was just gonna say him.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, Tyrion's an excellent pick. I think I picked Arya, but I consider picking Tyrion.

[Joanna Robinson]

Tyrion jury management.

[Mallory Rubin]

Tyrion's a great pick. Tyrion would survive any regime change, any alliance change, make it to the end. Knows how to manipulate people, knows how to show them the plan. It's a great pick. Arya.

[Tyson Apostol]

I only had to watch the first half of to understand who could win Survivor. Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

You also met Arya. Arya, you know, listen, no way.

[Joanna Robinson]

Arya has a personality problem.

[Mallory Rubin]

I think Arya would be. I think the spirit of, like, what's west of Westeros gets you out on Survivor in the first place, which is an important first step. Do a lot of people dislike Arya and does Arya dislike a lot of people? Yeah. But then when you build the bond, the Hot Pie Gendry bond, the depth of that devotion is sincere. Also, Faceless man training really comes in handy. And, you know, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. I feel like a Stark is.

[Tyson Apostol]

Is like a solid pick in the Bible.

[Mallory Rubin]

The Bible?

[Tyson Apostol]

George R.R.

[Mallory Rubin]

martin's Bible. Yeah. Unfinished.

[Joanna Robinson]

Arya Stark's not winning.

[Riley McAtee]

It's very dependent on who she gets paired up with.

[Joanna Robinson]

Show Sansa, perhaps. Show Sansa.

[Mallory Rubin]

Sansa would be a good pick.

[Tyson Apostol]

Not Jon, of course.

[Mallory Rubin]

Don't want it.

[Joanna Robinson]

Show Sansa. Show Sansa yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Jon wouldn't want it.

[Joanna Robinson]

Don't want it. I don't want it.

[Riley McAtee]

I mean, book John would be fun to watch. Late Show John would be like, you know, the most boring

[Joanna Robinson]

as hell.

[Mallory Rubin]

Time to get some incest on Survivor. Something to think about.

[Riley McAtee]

Can't agree with that.

[Mallory Rubin]

You're the one who pitched the Game of Thrones. Eric would be great.

[Joanna Robinson]

Just keeps coming back from.

[Mallory Rubin]

We don't need, like, the super idols or the Mulligans. With Barrick, it's like building.

[Riley McAtee]

Bar's unable to be voted out.

[Mallory Rubin]

I love it.

[Joanna Robinson]

His fire gets stuffed out. Thoris just like.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. But then he fire back. That would be fun, too. Thoris would be a great survivor character. Truly Star Wars.

[Joanna Robinson]

Pick Star Wars.

[Mallory Rubin]

You know Star Wars?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, I know Star Wars. I mean, I think Yoda again, life experience, control minds.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think it has to be a force user.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Feels like.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, yeah. Yoda asleep on the job too much. Oh, I'm just. Sorry. I know the Sith. The Sith Lord is rising. I'm just going to. Let me meditate on it.

[Tyson Apostol]

Not threatening, is it?

[Joanna Robinson]

Prequels. Yoda who can bounce around.

[Tyson Apostol]

That's pretty badass.

[Mallory Rubin]

The dual gymnastics that would be useful in the challenges. I'm doing Ahsoka. Yeah. My girl.

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm doing Rey Scavenger.

[Riley McAtee]

I was thinking

[Mallory Rubin]

I was considering Rey. The reason I went with Ahsoka is because I think the decision to leave the Jedi Order shows, like, a willingness to make the necessary move without hesitation to. Even if it's tough.

[Joanna Robinson]

Ray made bread out of, like, some weird dirt in a bowl. Do you remember that?

[Mallory Rubin]

Vividly. Yeah. And then she got offered all of the other portions for BB8. She was like, nope, never. Ray. Jesus. Same person. Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay.

[Joanna Robinson]

Loaves and fishes, right?

[Mallory Rubin]

Taking inspiration from anything there. Mcu, who's your Marvel Cinematic Universe pick?

[Riley McAtee]

But, like, it's got to be Iron man, right? No.

[Joanna Robinson]

You think Tony Stark's.

[Riley McAtee]

I'm mostly picking who I want to see.

[Tyson Apostol]

They're not giving Tony Stark.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, they're not giving Tony Stark money.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's right.

[Riley McAtee]

Oh, they know who he is.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[Riley McAtee]

That changes it.

[Joanna Robinson]

He says, I am Iron Man.

[Tyson Apostol]

He's not gonna be able to not tell them how much he's worth.

[Mallory Rubin]

Can't help it.

[Riley McAtee]

You know, Marblehead's like, let me know

[Tyson Apostol]

if I'm wrong, but can't.

[Riley McAtee]

Vision just sort of like, yeah, vision. Destroy everybody.

[Joanna Robinson]

Or my pick, which is Scarlet Witch.

[Mallory Rubin]

I consider both with us.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think it's either Vision or Scarlet Witch.

[Mallory Rubin]

I think Wanda's too moody to.

[Joanna Robinson]

But Wanda can just change your mind.

[Mallory Rubin]

She can.

[Joanna Robinson]

She can mind control anyone.

[Mallory Rubin]

Then she has some, like, inner turmoil about how she's behaving.

[Riley McAtee]

The mind control powers feel like, at odds with the basic mechanics of Survivor.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's true. It really gets you pretty far if you can use the force.

[Tyson Apostol]

I have a hard time voting against the Incredible Hulk.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, because of sheer terror.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

He will rip me in half.

[Mallory Rubin]

Smart. Hulk would be a good. That would be a good.

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, state challenge beast.

[Mallory Rubin]

Challenge beast for sure. But too much of a challenge beast. Like, he's trying to balance on the little ocean.

[Tyson Apostol]

David Banner. Maybe we just have him be himself and not be hulked out.

[Joanna Robinson]

He said David Banner.

[Mallory Rubin]

What about Peter Parker?

[Joanna Robinson]

TV Hulk. I love it.

[Mallory Rubin]

What about Peter Parker?

[Tyson Apostol]

Who is it really?

[Joanna Robinson]

Bruce Banner, but David Banner.

[Riley McAtee]

Peter Parker is gonna suffer from the Rizzo problem.

[Mallory Rubin]

That was my question. Is Peter too, like, Rizzo cinema? People don't want to vote for a young kid.

[Joanna Robinson]

They don't want to get.

[Mallory Rubin]

Give the money to a kid.

[Riley McAtee]

Not going to earn the respect again.

[Mallory Rubin]

But Peter would be great at playing survive.

[Riley McAtee]

He's like. He's got the Rizo problem.

[Tyson Apostol]

You think he's too young?

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Tom Holland, dude.

[Mallory Rubin]

I know the sympathy vote. He's got the story.

[Joanna Robinson]

You got to save that story for the.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, you need that story.

[Joanna Robinson]

Like, Christian's like, I'm alone with my kid.

[Tyson Apostol]

His girlfriend, the girl he loves, doesn't even understand or know who he is, and he can't tell her. And it's just a whole bunch of stuff, dude.

[Joanna Robinson]

A lot going on sticky.

[Mallory Rubin]

Like, I mean, he win every challenge because of the powers. He's sweet. He would earn a lot of, like, affection. I kind of like the idea of, like, throwing out someone like Scott Lang, you know, Ant man, who's, like, too goofy to be taken seriously. But obviously the end, like, could really fly under the radar.

[Tyson Apostol]

Silver Trickster.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

And, like, he's got go written all over him. Sorry.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Sometimes the goat wins. You know, you get taken to the end and then you just sway enough to jury votes. But I think you need someone with powers at the end of the day.

[Joanna Robinson]

I just don't think you get past Wanda being able to all, like, control everyone's minds. You can't beat mind control.

[Tyson Apostol]

It's hard. Could you have Wonder Woman with her invisible jet?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yes.

[Joanna Robinson]

And her lasso Truth?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

She could get information out of that lasso of Truth. Would be super powerful in Survivor.

[Tyson Apostol]

Is that an advantage? The Lasso of truth should be an advantage.

[Mallory Rubin]

That could have been advantage.

[Tyson Apostol]

Can't record. We can't re record this whole thing.

[Mallory Rubin]

No, we have the mulligan advantage. So you can use the mulligan to just do it there. Okay. White Lotus, eat. You're done.

[Tyson Apostol]

Amen.

[Mallory Rubin]

We love White Lotus.

[Tyson Apostol]

I like White Lotus, too.

[Mallory Rubin]

But if we were going to say a house of our property, now, we cover White Lotus over on the Prestige TV podcast. But a show that we cover here or a fictional universe that we cover here was going to become the new home. Home for Survivor cameos. What would you pick?

[Tyson Apostol]

I mean, it's more who I would pick. It's Coach. And where do you put him?

[Mallory Rubin]

Where are you putting him?

[Tyson Apostol]

Because he could fit everywhere.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, Shun. Coach would love to be in Shun

[Joanna Robinson]

Iron Fist, actually probably more appropriate Iron Fist for Coach.

[Mallory Rubin]

Wow, I love that. Where are you putting him? Where are you putting Coach?

[Tyson Apostol]

I mean, he can literally. He could go.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah. Like, I could see him in, like, a Star wars property.

[Tyson Apostol]

Star wars property. He's the Lord of the Rings property for sure. Game of Thrones property for sure.

[Mallory Rubin]

If you let Coach play a Jedi, he would just. He would eat it up.

[Tyson Apostol]

What about a Jedi who believes he's honorable but is actually.

[Joanna Robinson]

What about a Jedi who keeps quoting

[Mallory Rubin]

the dark side Sacred Jedi text? That would be great.

[Tyson Apostol]

Or just misinterpreted.

[Riley McAtee]

They're all misquotes.

[Mallory Rubin]

You know?

[Joanna Robinson]

Know, I would say the last of us, like, make them mushroom zombies. I love that. Whoever they are, you know?

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah, yeah. That's fun.

[Tyson Apostol]

Put it all in different. So you're thinking. I was thinking of main character Coach. Like, put him in somewhere that really matters in the story. But if it's just, like, cameo, let's. Yeah, yeah, I like that Mushroom.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's the new thing, I think. So we could do yellow jackets for the final season because there's the actual.

[Joanna Robinson]

On how that feels.

[Mallory Rubin]

Get Craig Mason. So to that point, put Craig Mason on Survivor. If we really want to go for, like, the Mike White comic, like, who would play Survivor and then be compelled to bring all of their either allies or enemies onto their properties.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

To me, the obvious one is James Gunn, who is a reality TV superfan, and definitely I feel like would play Survivor, put James Gunn on a season of Survivor and then get all of the Survivor cameos in the new dcu.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay.

[Mallory Rubin]

And it could be like, really? You know, okay, maybe you belong in Peacemaker. Maybe you go in lanterns. Maybe you're in fucking Super Superman. You know, why not?

[Riley McAtee]

I like that.

[Joanna Robinson]

Riley, what's your answer?

[Mallory Rubin]

Game of Thrones.

[Riley McAtee]

I feel like it's. Yeah, I feel like it is a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

[Mallory Rubin]

That would be fun. Night of Seven Kingdoms is a fun one for cameos.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

Because they. They are on their journey, so they run into all these different people.

[Tyson Apostol]

You can really, like, slot a bunch of.

[Joanna Robinson]

I can see Coach in, like, a tavern. You know what I mean?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, definitely Coach.

[Riley McAtee]

You, like, run into him, and he gives you some advice, and it turns out, you know, he's been to ET or wherever

[Tyson Apostol]

he gives you advice, but it's wrong, and it actually ends up being to your detriment. Yeah. Yeah. I think Duncan's like, I don't know

[Riley McAtee]

if I believe this guy or not. He seems like maybe he knows.

[Tyson Apostol]

You know what I want from the cameos, though? We have the White Lotus cameos, and you're all like, oh, there's somebody. I think they need to be something that we all know is coming. Like, it's like, okay. It's always in these moments where the survivor person shows up. Like, mushroom zombie. They're always a mushroom zombie. Look at all the mushroom zombies. You're gonna find a Survivor contestant.

[Mallory Rubin]

That's like, when Stormtroopers.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. Oh, that.

[Tyson Apostol]

Look at the stormtroopers in Star Wars.

[Joanna Robinson]

The Cameo era of the Stormtroopers in Star wars is actually kind of fun. Like the William and Harry.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

And you're like.

[Mallory Rubin]

You're listening for the voice, and then you're like, oh, shit.

[Joanna Robinson]

Or on Thrones, when they kept putting, like, musicians they liked. They're like, Mastodon.

[Mallory Rubin]

Like Aaron Rodgers and Shera Mastodon.

[Tyson Apostol]

The heavy metal band Mastodon.

[Joanna Robinson]

You had to make it to season five of Game of Thrones, but you can see Mastodon in there.

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't know if I like Mastodon, but I am aware of Mastodon.

[Riley McAtee]

Okay.

[Mallory Rubin]

There you go.

[Tyson Apostol]

The cameo would resonate during CD times when you could only own CDs. I went on a road trip across Europe with my friend, and I had some credit at the CD store for two CDs, and we bought two, and we listened to them. We actually only listened to one because we bought one.

[Joanna Robinson]

What are you talking about? Tower Records?

[Tyson Apostol]

No, it was a. In Europe.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh.

[Tyson Apostol]

Something totally different. So we bought Wolf Mother's first album, the Warehouse. So awesome.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

And then we bought Mastodon's album, and we had just heard that they were both awesome, and Wolf Mother was awesome, and Mastodon was a lot like.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

But one point in Croatia. We drove through this group of people in a parking lot lot that definitely looked like Mastodon people. So I was like, before we drive away, we should prank crank some Mastodon. And they literally all gave us one of these as we drove past. We're like, we're American.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's amazing CDs.

[Mallory Rubin]

Remember those six CD changers in a car? Great time. You're a little young.

[Tyson Apostol]

I the changers in the trunk. So you're like, pull over.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, this Billy Joel for another Billy Joel.

[Joanna Robinson]

Or your Discman or your, like, hold it. Like, I never had a CD player in my car. I had a cassette that hooked up to my Discman that I had to

[Mallory Rubin]

have completely level in the car.

[Tyson Apostol]

Second ESP wasn't enough.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, exactly.

[Mallory Rubin]

Incredible. You can magically transport Jeff Probst from Fiji to one fictional universe so that the way that Jeff calls a challenge is something that we're treated to for a great event, a moment, a battle of consequence in one of the stories that we cover. What are you picking?

[Tyson Apostol]

Chicken Jockey. Listen, I only watch kids fictional films now because I have two children, but I do believe Chicken Jockey would be a great one for Jeff to call.

[Mallory Rubin]

What would he say?

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, now, that's how you do

[Mallory Rubin]

it on Chicken Jockey.

[Riley McAtee]

Oh,

[Tyson Apostol]

who battled him? Was it Jack Black that battled him? Who was fighting the chicken jockey?

[Joanna Robinson]

Why do you think any of us know?

[Riley McAtee]

I literally have no idea what you're

[Mallory Rubin]

talking about relying on you here.

[Tyson Apostol]

Minecraft. The Minecraft movie.

[Riley McAtee]

I did not see that.

[Mallory Rubin]

I watched the Minecraft movie. Yeah, no, it counts for sure. Yeah, it's a great one.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, maybe.

[Mallory Rubin]

I think it's a great pick.

[Tyson Apostol]

But who fought the chicken jockey?

[Mallory Rubin]

Can't remember.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, I can't either. But it was a big moment in the film, and I do watch the movie. Jeff would be like, oh, hard hit from. Hard hit for Jack Black. I'll remember.

[Joanna Robinson]

As Steve, Jason Momoa fought the chicken jockey.

[Tyson Apostol]

Oh, that's right.

[Joanna Robinson]

Garrett Garrison.

[Tyson Apostol]

That's right, Garrett.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Some great fits on him in that movie.

[Tyson Apostol]

That's great, Garrett.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. I'm going with Avengers. Endgame.

[Tyson Apostol]

The battle of New York over chicken jockey.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's 1A and 1B. It was a real coin flip.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay.

[Mallory Rubin]

Portals open. It's one of the most iconic moments in movie history. And Jeff, they're like, come on in, guys. Yeah, right. Cap summons Mjolnir for this. He's got to bring. Come on, guys. Back Cap goes, summons Mjolnir. He wields Mjolnir. This is why you never quit on Survivor, you know, I mean, I think like the. Dig deep. There are so many opportunities to dig deep. Tony finally snaps his here. Tony Stark is here at last. You know, snaps his fingers. Can't say he got off the couch about Tony, but.

[Tyson Apostol]

But he got off the yacht.

[Mallory Rubin]

This is why you get off the yacht.

[Riley McAtee]

Got off the yacht.

[Mallory Rubin]

Dig deep.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right. What's your answer?

[Riley McAtee]

I'm gonna go, I'm gonna say the Pirates of the Caribbean where Will Turner and Jack Sparrow sword fight at the beginning of that movie. I feel like Jeff.

[Mallory Rubin]

The workshop.

[Riley McAtee]

Yes, correct. Jeff had great commentary.

[Tyson Apostol]

I just barely watched that. Just barely. Like two days ago.

[Mallory Rubin]

And I'd be like,

[Riley McAtee]

you're like, I gotta get this out.

[Mallory Rubin]

New release out of nowhere.

[Tyson Apostol]

I've. My kids are 10. Yeah. So they're. And they're the age to watch PG13 movies that are appropriate now. So I've been showing them all the Jurassic Parks. We started the Jumanjis. That's why they like have that on my brain. Yeah. We just started the Pirates of the Caribbean. I'm like, okay, which one's like the funnest? They like Jurassic park franchise. So far the most mean.

[Joanna Robinson]

Original Jurassic park or.

[Tyson Apostol]

We showed him the original one first.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Cuz I'm a big fan. I. I love all of those. Yeah. Classics. And then we have started Jurassic World franchise because it's more. They're more in tune with that as kids, so.

[Joanna Robinson]

But Jurassic park is more like a horror movie and then the other one.

[Tyson Apostol]

And that's what's. And my kids kind of love that.

[Mallory Rubin]

I love it.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Jurassic park, one of my favorite movies of all time.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's a great one. Is that your pick? You want Jeff to. To call something from Jurassic Park?

[Joanna Robinson]

No, it's the tourney at Ashford Meadow and that's why you get up off the couch, dunk, you go to fight

[Riley McAtee]

and you dig deep. That is such a good point.

[Tyson Apostol]

Deep dive.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Love it. Jeff during the trial of seven, he'll

[Joanna Robinson]

be like, foss away versus Foss away.

[Mallory Rubin]

Incredible.

[Joanna Robinson]

Green apple versus red apple.

[Tyson Apostol]

Wow.

[Joanna Robinson]

I love it. Because you kind of needed some narration to understand exactly what's going on in the mania.

[Tyson Apostol]

So.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Oh man. Great one. Fantastic stuff. I love it. You can replace the camp machete and we really are going to rely on your expertise here for all the uses that the machete actually like provides.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

If we get too cute with some of our picks here, you can replace the camp machete with the magical blade, the fictional blade.

[Joanna Robinson]

I just realized I know One universe.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. What are you going with you doing cat spot that you going Thrones.

[Riley McAtee]

I feel like I saw so much of the Catspaw dagger in House of the Dragon, I'm like, you're out. I'm ready to never see it again. Actually.

[Mallory Rubin]

Valyrian steel will be powerful out there, though. And you probably don't want a full sword. So if you had the dagger, you have Valyrian steel sword. Plus you could put it in the fire and be like, I'm like the child of prophecy. This is pretty dope.

[Riley McAtee]

Really powerful. How would it be more useful than a machete?

[Joanna Robinson]

Just like any.

[Mallory Rubin]

Those machetes always seem kind of like blunted bullshit.

[Tyson Apostol]

They're dull. And I think they use it season to season unless somebody takes them. Sometimes times contestants take.

[Joanna Robinson]

Are they intentionally dull so people won't hurt themselves?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, I believe so. You use them to open coconuts first and foremost. Like that's the number one primary usage

[Joanna Robinson]

of not making shelter.

[Tyson Apostol]

No. Because they pieces down and you just scamper around and collect them.

[Joanna Robinson]

Damn. Oh, they put those. Okay. Wow.

[Mallory Rubin]

Sheesh.

[Joanna Robinson]

Wow.

[Tyson Apostol]

They put down the coconuts too.

[Mallory Rubin]

The illusions.

[Riley McAtee]

Yeah. The coconuts are fake.

[Tyson Apostol]

The coconuts are on the. They're real, but they're on the ground.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Like, they're just like.

[Riley McAtee]

They're not from the island.

[Joanna Robinson]

Here they are. They saw one too many contestants, like, scamper up the tree and they're like.

[Mallory Rubin]

It is scary when people climb really high. I'm always very concerned. I know. You know what?

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm going to. Can I guess at them anyway?

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, please.

[Joanna Robinson]

Does it prove that I know you do it? What if I'm wrong?

[Mallory Rubin]

It'll. They're not.

[Joanna Robinson]

Is it the subtle knife?

[Mallory Rubin]

It is the subtle knife. You know me very well. His dark materials. Are you familiar with the subtle knife?

[Riley McAtee]

I'm not familiar.

[Mallory Rubin]

One of my favorite magical blades. We talked about this for a while in our magical Blades episode. Will the wielder. One of the. One of my favorite characters. But you can use it to cut between worlds.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

And I think that would be pretty handy on Survivor. You're like, shit. Everyone else ate the fake planted coconuts. I'm going to cut through another world and go find like a steak or I'm going to go find. You could go shelter people. You can. You can open a little hole and watch them. You don't even need to build a spy shack. You just use the subtle knife.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's a burden to carry.

[Joanna Robinson]

Very sharp.

[Mallory Rubin]

You can also Shatter it. If your emotional state is in a certain place, which I feel like for me, if you're thinking of either your mother or your lover, I feel like

[Joanna Robinson]

day three of Survivor. I'm too emotionally fragile to use the subtleness.

[Tyson Apostol]

Or shatter.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, probably. Yeah, probably a risk. But imagine if it paid off.

[Joanna Robinson]

I decided to go with the Honor and integrity blade. That is the oath. Keeper of Valyrian steel sword.

[Mallory Rubin]

Beautiful.

[Joanna Robinson]

As you know, I believe in honor and integrity. I feel like on Survivor, one should only ever tell the truth.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, exactly.

[Joanna Robinson]

Exactly. Yeah. Just, like, really, just play with honor and integrity. It's important to me. It's the spirit of the game, Riley, don't you think?

[Tyson Apostol]

Right.

[Riley McAtee]

Right.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

What a shock. I picked the knife and you picked the blade that links Jamie and Brienne. We're just really ourselves here.

[Joanna Robinson]

We just have to be honest.

[Tyson Apostol]

I don't even know a single mythical blade.

[Joanna Robinson]

Excalibur.

[Mallory Rubin]

Excalibur, yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Oh, yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Excalibur.

[Tyson Apostol]

From the hotel in Las Vegas.

[Mallory Rubin]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Tyson Apostol]

The Sword in the Stone. I do know the Sword in the Stone one. Yeah. But all that does is, like, prove that he's king.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, pretty handy on Survivor. Like, you guys can keep trying to play, but why bother?

[Tyson Apostol]

I'm king.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'm king of Iowa.

[Tyson Apostol]

I mean, it's fine. I know. There's the dagger that glows blue on Lord of the Rings.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, Sting. You want to have Sting out there?

[Tyson Apostol]

Sting? What does Sting do? I forget? It just shows when danger's nearby. So it's just constantly glowing blue.

[Riley McAtee]

Just a reminder that you can never trust me.

[Mallory Rubin]

No one can hear me.

[Joanna Robinson]

What? What if it glows blue to let you know that someone's an earshot that you can't see?

[Mallory Rubin]

That would be pretty handy.

[Tyson Apostol]

Or if it glows when you're the target.

[Riley McAtee]

It glows when someone said your name. If your name is.

[Tyson Apostol]

Someone says your name going out there, it turns blue.

[Mallory Rubin]

Damn. But it could turn you super paranoid. Like, they were like, I just said your name. I said, look at this.

[Tyson Apostol]

Beautiful.

[Riley McAtee]

It just blew all the time. Because everyone.

[Tyson Apostol]

Golem. You're Golem by the end.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

But Smeagol is inside just waiting for me.

[Joanna Robinson]

I feel like no matter what, I'm Golem by the end of the of Survivor. Right.

[Tyson Apostol]

You know what I realized doing this? That I watch movies and then I immediately forget all. Everything that ever happened in all of them. And you guys can recount them with great detail, but that's.

[Joanna Robinson]

You are an expert on Survivor, and we're allegedly experts on this, but ask

[Tyson Apostol]

me what happened two weeks ago on Survivor. I don't even. I have no idea.

[Mallory Rubin]

I can barely remember anything anymore.

[Riley McAtee]

It is pretty tough when we, like, have a guest on, like, what season did they play?

[Tyson Apostol]

Was it 43, 44, or even like, I don't think that ever happened on Survivor. Has that happened on Survivor?

[Mallory Rubin]

And then your comments are like, yeah,

[Tyson Apostol]

Season seven, Episode three. It's like, okay, nerd, thanks for listening. Yeah, I'm six' three. I'm left handed. I throw pitches.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay. In honor of Sari, who came on your podcast and recommended that you try wagyu pastrami, which I was not even aware was a thing, I went to Glendale this morning to a place called Butchers and Booze.

[Mallory Rubin]

Oh, my.

[Joanna Robinson]

And an incredible shop. And the guy there was so nice. He was like. He tried to give me all of this. I was like, I'm on a show. We wanted to try wagyu pastrami first. I was just like, can I try some pastrami? Then he's like, oh, no, we cut it for the sandwiches. You have to buy the sandwiches.

[Mallory Rubin]

I was like, but we're gonna do

[Joanna Robinson]

it on a show. We heard it's really good. He tried to give me two times as of out. This is what I could talk him into. But he wanted to give us like all the fixings so you can just have like one little morsel of pastrami is all you need to have. That's like, fine by me, but he wanted us to have.

[Tyson Apostol]

Is it all you need, though? Cuz what if we really love it?

[Mallory Rubin]

It be great.

[Joanna Robinson]

You can have as much as you want.

[Mallory Rubin]

I hope it's good.

[Tyson Apostol]

Don't be rude, Riley.

[Joanna Robinson]

Cheese, pickles, raw onion, some sort of sauce. This is from Australia. It is wagyu beef made into pastrami. He said they tried out 25 to 30 different kinds of wagyu pastrami. This is their third most popular sandwich. They also do wagyu cheeseburger and a wagyu Philly steak. But this is their wagyu pastrami sandwich with all the fixings in honor of siree.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, I feel like I would do. If it were up to me and I had to choose a wagyu specific sandwich, I would do the cheesesteak.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, that sounds.

[Joanna Robinson]

But that's not what Ceri said. She said, get the pastrami, baby.

[Tyson Apostol]

So Cerise said that this is what she thought about on the island and how good it was and how she couldn't wait to get back and get some.

[Riley McAtee]

And she

[Tyson Apostol]

also thought her password for Aussie to play his idol was wagu pastrami. When he believed old dog.

[Riley McAtee]

Teaching old dog new tricks.

[Tyson Apostol]

Teaching old dog new tricks.

[Riley McAtee]

Which makes way more sense.

[Mallory Rubin]

So I think saying I could really go for some wag.

[Tyson Apostol]

All right. Do I need a cheese on it?

[Mallory Rubin]

If you want it.

[Tyson Apostol]

Cheese. Go for it.

[Joanna Robinson]

For it.

[Mallory Rubin]

Anyone want mustard? Let's see.

[Tyson Apostol]

Did he give you the cheese, too?

[Joanna Robinson]

This is allegedly heated up, but I'm not certain that's.

[Tyson Apostol]

Is it supposed to be heated up?

[Mallory Rubin]

Probably for pastrami.

[Tyson Apostol]

Riley's gonna go onion first.

[Mallory Rubin]

Smells good. Smells good.

[Tyson Apostol]

What a badass. Right before the red carpet, you're gonna do the onion.

[Joanna Robinson]

Go for it, dude.

[Tyson Apostol]

I have mine in, like, a little cheese taco. I just need a. I.

[Mallory Rubin]

Delicious.

[Tyson Apostol]

I just need a pickle.

[Mallory Rubin]

Put that on some rye bread. Stir it. Some cheese.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay.

[Mallory Rubin]

I'd say the cut is thicker than I would typically go for on a sandwich, but to have a slice of it like this, almost like a corned

[Joanna Robinson]

beef sort of situation.

[Tyson Apostol]

It's interesting because I couldn't smell it when we first brought it in, but now that it's all open.

[Mallory Rubin]

You like this masterclass. Yeah. There we go.

[Riley McAtee]

That is really good.

[Mallory Rubin]

That is good. Tasty.

[Riley McAtee]

I made pastrami a couple months ago. It was good, but it wasn't this good.

[Mallory Rubin]

Tuck in. Get more.

[Joanna Robinson]

It wasn't imported from Australia.

[Riley McAtee]

No.

[Joanna Robinson]

Shout out.

[Tyson Apostol]

Whatever. They had Australia and Australian Survivor.

[Mallory Rubin]

What do you think? Good enough to be a secret code word. That wasn't actually a secret code word. I think so.

[Tyson Apostol]

I think if Ceri loves it. Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

I will say, like, what do you mean?

[Tyson Apostol]

Do you need a cheese taco?

[Joanna Robinson]

So nice and wanted. Do you want a cheese taco, Mallory?

[Riley McAtee]

I can't believe he's gonna give you two times this.

[Joanna Robinson]

He was gonna to give me so much.

[Tyson Apostol]

It's low carb.

[Joanna Robinson]

I don't give a shit about that.

[Mallory Rubin]

Mason alive with my. My gu.

[Joanna Robinson]

But if you go into the shop, it's just got like, a.

[Mallory Rubin]

It's exactly what it is.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's a butcher counter and then, like, a ton of booze everywhere.

[Tyson Apostol]

And not a mate, not a mustard guy.

[Mallory Rubin]

In the.

[Joanna Robinson]

On the butcher. On the butcher counter, there's just, like, all these, like, vats of spices. I'm just like. I was very impressed by this place.

[Mallory Rubin]

So splendid.

[Joanna Robinson]

And they were really, really nice.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Great stuff.

[Tyson Apostol]

The way you prefaced it. You made it sound like this was an underwhelming moment.

[Joanna Robinson]

No, I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to leave the jury. I wanted you to decide for yourself whether or not it was good because

[Tyson Apostol]

I didn't want to also disappoint you and be like, it's the best thing I ever had.

[Mallory Rubin]

And you're like, no, no, it's really good.

[Tyson Apostol]

What?

[Riley McAtee]

Be like, oh, he doesn't have taste.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, exactly.

[Riley McAtee]

Now we know he's just flattering us.

[Tyson Apostol]

Very uncultured.

[Mallory Rubin]

The onions are hitting the air here. Nice. Okay. Yeah. I like this one audience.

[Joanna Robinson]

I do. Guys.

[Mallory Rubin]

Delightful. Guys. Thank you for joining us.

[Riley McAtee]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes.

[Mallory Rubin]

Thank you, guys.

[Joanna Robinson]

Thanks to Saree for the inspiration.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, thank you to Sari for just an incredible season, this beautiful meal. When will you come pod with us again?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah, can we, can we come back? When should we come back? Seasonally, maybe.

[Mallory Rubin]

Please?

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah.

[Mallory Rubin]

Come visit us every season.

[Tyson Apostol]

That would be a thrill of joy when we get. I got invited to go to the finale for season 50. As the podcast, I said, Riley, I don't necessarily prefer being present at these, so this will probably be our one and done only time we're ever gonna do it. Yeah.

[Riley McAtee]

I keep being like, we're only doing this once.

[Tyson Apostol]

And Riley is like, let's wait until it's over and see how it goes. So maybe if it makes Riley happy, we'll do more finales which will put us in town more often to do more of the these.

[Mallory Rubin]

What a beautifully generous spirit that was in no way reciprocated with a wedding invite. Interesting.

[Joanna Robinson]

I thought Tyson was going to bring it back full circle, not Mallory, just needling it.

[Mallory Rubin]

This is, you know, this is like how we're building our alliance for.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yeah. And I do believe that this would have been a really excellent meal at the wedding.

[Mallory Rubin]

Would have been great. Oh, yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

At the. At your vow renewal, we'll all be there. Nothing says Val like a boiling hot day in Phoenix, Arizona with a Maggie Pastrami.

[Mallory Rubin]

Exactly. Just check the baseball schedule. Let's see when the Pirates are in town.

[Tyson Apostol]

Yes. And when are you both visiting? The pot has spoken again.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, literally anytime.

[Joanna Robinson]

Literally whenever.

[Mallory Rubin]

Literally anytime. It's always the highlight of the year to get an invite, so anytime. Guys, thank you for doing this with us. This was genuinely so fun. What a treat. Thank you to our crew, our tribe always here at the house of our Carlos, Scott, Arjuna, Jomi CT today. Incredible stuff from them as always. And thank you again to Tyson the Silver Trickster and Riley the wolf of Quiet Pines. If you have not yet checked out. The pod has spoken.

[Joanna Robinson]

You have to.

[Mallory Rubin]

You are missing out. Full video episodes multiple times per week on Spotify, on the pod has spoken. YouTube channel, Instagram, all over the socials. Follow, like, subscribe, get in the comments, Tell the guys how great they are. Tell Ashley how wonderful she is.

[Joanna Robinson]

Ashley's the best.

[Mallory Rubin]

We'll see us for season 51.

[Tyson Apostol]

We'll be back soon.

[Mallory Rubin]

Bye.

[Riley McAtee]

There's been a lot of pod talk on the pod and the show on the show the last couple seasons.

[Tyson Apostol]

I mean, talk about D why piping with leaves went berserko people.

[Mallory Rubin]

Shocking stuff I learned this week is

[Joanna Robinson]

like, when you do the sort of ocean thing, your ocean poop, they make you get fully naked.

[Mallory Rubin]

They don't make you do anything.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay. I think

[Tyson Apostol]

about what you do. So there's a couple ways. She's like, you're holding on to be recording.

[Mallory Rubin]

I think we should save this for the pot. Okay.

[Riley McAtee]

This is like the intro.

[Tyson Apostol]

Okay. So let me explain to you, and

[Mallory Rubin]

then we'll do our intro after.

[Tyson Apostol]

There's a few different things. The waves are crashing, and you don't feel comfortable swimming out and treading water while you're pooping. Then you go out into the waves and squat so that the ocean takes your poop out to the ocean and the fish eat it.

[Mallory Rubin]

The circle of life, it's all cyclical. Always has.

[Tyson Apostol]

And then you don't have to get all the way naked, but you do have have to pull your pants down. I should hope so. But there is generally a dedicated pooping beach there where they're like, this is the area where someone's. If someone's in the water, they're pooping. So don't go here to swim or

[Riley McAtee]

to rinse your coconut grove. Right. This is one.

[Tyson Apostol]

Coconut grove is different because coconut grove. There was a time when they were like, we're environmentalists, and you can't poop in the water. And then they became a point where they're just like, we bought this island.

[Mallory Rubin]

We poop, take a shit wherever you want.

[Tyson Apostol]

It's. It brings in the rats and the rodents to have poop and stuff on land and the stench. There's a lot.

[Mallory Rubin]

You don't want to step in it.

[Tyson Apostol]

You don't want to dig into it on accident looking for idols. You don't want to step in it. Although hilarious prank. If you're going to be like, yeah, I'm going to make it look like there's the idols. You got to dig as fast and hard as you can. Fingertips so there's that way if you do the hover or if you do the tread water, you go out, out. You remove your bathing suit all the way, but you have it still so that you can put it on after.

[Mallory Rubin]

Yeah, right.

[Tyson Apostol]

And it's the cleanest way because you have, like, you're floating in a bidet, nature's bidet. So essentially, it's nature's shower, nature's toilet, and nature's bidet all the same thing.

[Mallory Rubin]

What if the current is, like, working against.

[Tyson Apostol]

You're supposed to go with the gears. You got to go figure out the current.

[Mallory Rubin]

Okay.

[Tyson Apostol]

The issue is that the. Some of the people don't feel confident enough treading water or being around the ocean and pooping. They can't relax. Their sphinx winked her enough.

[Mallory Rubin]

I see.

[Tyson Apostol]

And so they go and poop in Coconut Grove, which is a designated pooping zone on land that they discourage you

[Joanna Robinson]

from swarming with rats.

[Tyson Apostol]

Swarming with rats and bugs and smell and stench. And it's like, yeah, what about these,

[Mallory Rubin]

like, explosive diarrhea days after somebody has a really, like, rich reward for the auction? Yeah. You know, you're gonna, like, you're absorbing the nutrients, but then you're like, all right, I know what the cost of this is going to be. You're still. You're running to the ocean.

[Tyson Apostol]

Ocean, Yep.

[Riley McAtee]

Interesting.

[Joanna Robinson]

That sounds easier.

[Mallory Rubin]

I mean, no. No need to relax the sphincter then.

[Joanna Robinson]

Let it float, let it flow.

[Tyson Apostol]

But you do just want to. You do want to make sure it's not getting pushed into you, whichever direction

[Mallory Rubin]

you're in the ocean.

[Tyson Apostol]

That's the thing. But the thing, too is that it's like, I don't know who's had diarrhea here or if we can admit it, but if you don't do it in nature's bidet, what then happens is you get. It's everywhere. And you get rubbed raw from leaves, especially. Like, what are you wiping with your

[Joanna Robinson]

leaves in the jungle to help you with?

[Tyson Apostol]

Correct.

[Mallory Rubin]

Absolutely not. Absolutely.

[Tyson Apostol]

So that's why. Yeah, the ocean. Every time. Okay.

[Mallory Rubin]

Well, this was a really beautiful bonding exercise. I think we have all ready to go on the show in the pod for sure.

[Tyson Apostol]

And that'll do it here at the House of. Thank you all for tuning in for

[Mallory Rubin]

people who made it till the end.

[Tyson Apostol]

When the going gets tough, get after it with NOS energy.

[Riley McAtee]

Keep your foot flat to the floor,

[Tyson Apostol]

and never it off. Thunder from top gear to no fear. Never back down, never slow down. Your body is machine with 800 horses coursing through its veins. So go hard, go fast. Go on, grab a can of NOS Energy and get after it. Did you know if your windows are bare, indoor temperatures can go up 20 degrees, turn the temperature down with blind and get up to 50% off custom window treatments like solar roller shades and more during the Memorial Day Mega Sale. Whether you want to DIY it or have a pro handle everything, we've got you free samples, real design experts and zero pressure. Just help when you need it. Shop up to 50% off site wide and huge savings on door busters Right now during the Memorial Day mega [e-mail] rules and restrictions apply.