Pod Meets Twirl'd: Survivor 5001 PART 1

Summary

Pod Meets Twirl’d: Survivor 5001 PART 1

Podcast: Pod Meets World (iHeartPodcasts)
Hosts: Will Friedle & Rider Strong
Date: February 28, 2026

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Overview

In this special crossover episode, Will Friedle and Ryder Strong—familiar faces from “Boy Meets World”—launch their reality competition miniseries by diving into “Survivor” Season 50, exploring the show through both fresh and seasoned perspectives. Ryder, a longtime “Survivor” fan, guides Will, who has only experienced the very first season, through the evolution, strategy, and inner workings of this monumental anniversary installment of the iconic survival competition.

The episode is spent setting the stage: contrasting their personal approaches to wilderness survival, breaking down “Survivor’s” changing rules over 25 years, and sharing favorite moments while explaining game mechanics for newcomers. No episode recap yet—just deep context, opinions, and reality TV philosophy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Hosts' Survival Philosophies

• Ryder embraces wilderness, finding awe and existential clarity in nature.
• Will, once a boy scout and weekend woodsman, now prefers comfort: hot tubs, massages, and civilization.
• Quote [03:12, Will]:
  “As my wife often says, if I'm in the woods for three days, I've been dead for two of them.”
• Ryder finds meaning in the solitude and even fear of the wild, while Will finds zero romance in discomfort.
• Quote [05:36, Ryder]:
  “There's something terrifying, genuinely terrifying to me about the solitude of the woods. That, in that terror, actually makes me feel good… closer to the real nature of things. Does that make sense?”

Alone vs. Survivor

• Both discuss how “Alone,” the more hardcore survival show, preps people for real isolation, while “Survivor” leans toward social drama.
• Will claims he can handle being alone:
  Quote [08:32, Will]:
  “I love being alone. I almost never get lonely.”
• Ryder notes, on “Alone,” people tap out for emotional/family needs, despite being coping experts.

Why “Survivor” Endures

• Ryder has watched most—but not all—seasons, often bingeing with his family.
• He confesses to some gaps due to watching with family members who skip ahead.

“Survivor” Favorites & Villains

• Ryder’s long-standing favorite: Ozzy, the ultimate provider and survivalist, despite never having won (“He’s the nicest guy, but his flaw is he trusts too much.” [14:20])
• Least favorite: Coach. Ryder details Coach’s manipulative and “despicable” use of religion and alliance pacts early on ([16:18]).
• Quote [16:18, Ryder]:
  “He instead leaned into it, used religiosity to keep them tighter... I find that really despicable.”

The Evolution & Mechanics of Survivor

• “New era” Survivor means:
  • More balanced challenges (less brute strength, more puzzles/team/social play)
  • Focus shifted away from sheer survival needs to social gameplay and twists
• Quote [19:25, Will]:
  “You should never start a new season of a show, assuming everybody that watches this show has seen it before.”
• Ryder explains immunity idols: found and hidden, can be played after votes are cast but before revealed; if not used, risk being “blindsided.”
• New and evolving twists (like “boomerang”/”Billie Eilish” idol), keep the game unpredictable.
• Core principles: Outwit, Outlast, Outplay ([22:30])

Strategic Prep & Physical Realities

• Early “Survivor” emphasized real camp survival—fire-building, hunger, fatigue—now edited down for TV drama.

• Location is standardized to Fiji for controlled conditions ([26:57]).

• Preparation strategies differ from “Alone”:

  • “Alone”: contestants bulk up with fat stores
  • “Survivor”: best players often calorie restrict to adapt ([29:31])

  Quote [28:12, Will/Ryder]:

  • Will: “It’s first thing you should learn, it’s first thing you survive.”
  • Ryder: “It’s like not knowing how to swim. Yes. Dude, you have to figure this out!”

Honesty, Honor, and Game Ethics

• Ryder would play with honor but admits he’d be a ripe target for manipulation; sees himself as too trusting for real “Survivor” success ([32:07])
• Will and Ryder agree: if you want to play honorably, you’d better win every challenge

Jeff Probst: The Ultimate Host

• Both marvel at Jeff’s multi-tasking: sports commentator, trial judge, referee, supportive friend ([33:37])
• No earpiece, all awareness and wit.
• Quote [34:55, Will]:
  “That guy is a really good host.”
• “He deserves every cent” ([34:59])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:12] Will Friedle:
  “As my wife often says, if I'm in the woods for three days, I've been dead for two of them.”

• [05:36] Ryder Strong:
  “That feeling of not being important is really profound to me, and I cherish it, even though it scares me.”

• [08:32] Will Friedle:
  “I love being alone. I almost never get lonely.”

• [14:20] Ryder Strong:
  “Ozzy. Ozzy's just the man. He is by far the best survivalist ever on Survivor. He provides for everybody—he’s never won.”

• [16:18] Ryder Strong:
  (On Coach’s manipulation) “He instead leaned into it, used religiosity to keep them tighter... I find that really despicable.”

• [19:25] Will Friedle:
  “You should never start a new season of a show, assuming everybody that watches this show has seen it before.”

• [28:32] Will Friedle:
  “It’s first thing you should learn, it’s first thing you survive.”

• [34:55] Will Friedle:
  “That guy is a really good host.”

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:15] – Intro to “Pod Meets Twirl’d” and hosts’ wilderness history
• [05:10 – 07:52] – Ryder and Will debate the value of nature vs. comfort
• [07:52 – 10:26] – “Alone” vs. “Survivor,” on loneliness and motivation
• [14:14 – 18:00] – Favorite and least favorite “Survivor” contestants (Ozzy & Coach)
• [19:25] – Introduction of new game mechanics and discussion of Survivor’s changing rules
• [26:08] – Shift in Survivor’s focus: from survival hardship to psychological/social gameplay
• [29:31] – Physical prep: “Alone” vs. “Survivor” fitness and fasting
• [33:37] – The art of Jeff Probst’s hosting and his cultural importance

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Tone and Style

True to their sitcom roots, Ryder and Will are witty, playful, and sometimes self-deprecating, giving the episode a conversational warmth. There’s mutual respect—even when they poke fun at each other’s preferences—and genuine curiosity, especially as Will voices newbie questions that help new listeners get oriented. Ryder offers seasoned fandom insights with thoughtful observations, while Will brings humor and a fresh perspective.

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Conclusion

This “Pod Meets Twirl’d” installment serves as a primer for listeners ahead of a deep-dive Survivor 5001 episode breakdown in part two. The hosts deconstruct “Survivor’s” legacy, rules, and psychology, outlining what makes the show—and reality TV itself—so compelling, while weaving in personal anecdotes and playful banter.

Next episode: Stay tuned for their in-depth Survivor 5001 recap and more reality show wisdom!

Transcript

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[Will Friedle]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Ryder Strong]

Welcome to POD meets Twirl, a podcast that once chronicled two guys who had never seen Dancing with the Stars but watched a season and somehow walked away. Experts from there, we ventured into Traitors, a show I'd never seen, but Will swore he could win. And now we turn to Survivor season 50, the big one. And this time, the roles are reversed. Will has seen exactly one season, the first one, meanwhile, I've watched for years. We are Will Friedle, who prefers his wilderness with room Service. And Ryder Strong, who will hike any mountain but hates the beach. Two best friends, one devoted to the comforts of civilization. One who would never leave the woods if he could. Both reality competition scholars join us as we dive into alliances, blindsides, fire making sand related misery, and 25 years of television history, culminating in a single massive season. This is pod meets twirld. Seeking immunity. How you feeling, Will?

[Will Friedle]

I'm excited. Cautiously excited, I guess. And you're completely right with what you said in your intro. As my wife often says, if I'm in the woods for three days, I've been dead for two of them. So.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, so. But you grew up kind of. Didn't you camp when you were a kid?

[Will Friedle]

Oh, every weekend. I was in the woods every weekend growing up. I was a boy scout. I can start fires. And once you had your own home,

[Ryder Strong]

you were never going down?

[Will Friedle]

Hell no. Once you sit in a nice hot tub, you never want to have to scrounge for water again.

[Ryder Strong]

Would you do, like, an rv? Would you do like a. Yes. A camper van? Yes. Yeah, briefly.

[Will Friedle]

And a big one.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

But what is it that scares you

[Ryder Strong]

or what is it that. Is it just a discomfort?

[Will Friedle]

I like. I like things like showers and hot water and.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

You sleeping on a mattress, and I love it.

[Ryder Strong]

You shower, like, twice a day at least, right?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, at least.

[Ryder Strong]

We really, like, every. Every day you shower twice a day at least.

[Will Friedle]

At least.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, you have to keep in mind,

[Will Friedle]

I also work out twice a day. So I wake up in the morning and I work out and I do cardio or lift weights with. With the trainer, and then at night I do cardio again.

[Ryder Strong]

Do you shower after you poop? Are you one of those people? No.

[Will Friedle]

God, no. I couldn't. I'd be showering 11 times a day with my stomach. Are you kidding? I'm a. I'm a prodigious po. Very healthy body.

[Ryder Strong]

Will Friedle. That's gonna be your new intro. Prodigious Pooper. Will Friedel.

[Will Friedle]

I am. I've got a very healthy body.

[Ryder Strong]

Scholar and prodigious pooper. Oh, my God. Okay, so it's not about. It's not about, like, the animals or fear of the woods or exposure to the elements.

[Will Friedle]

No, I don't mind bugs. I don't mind, you know. Oh, a bear is gonna get me. I'm not scared of the woods. I just. I like being comfortable and I like not having to, you know, again. There's a novelty to that stuff I get. No, Like, I feel like with you, there's a piece to it and almost a philosophy to it, which is completely and totally lost on me. The idea that I'm getting, like, in touch with nature and stuff like that.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, that doesn't do anything for you, huh?

[Will Friedle]

Nothing whatsoever.

[Ryder Strong]

See, I think that there's something so profound that happens when you look at an amazing star. You know, like the sky filled with

[Will Friedle]

stars, or I've got telescopes. Put them right outside, right. Right near next to the little waterfall.

[Ryder Strong]

There's an awe in the face of nature that is really important to me. And that, and I feel like, is even better when it's slightly earned. In other words, like, you're.

[Will Friedle]

You gotta hike to it.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, sure, sure, sure. And. And. And there's. There's something terrifying, genuinely terrifying to me about the solitude of the woods. That, in that terror, actually makes me feel good. Like, I feel like I am somehow closer to reality or, like, closer to the real nature of things. Does that make sense?

[Will Friedle]

Are you one of those people where it's like the closer you get to tasting death is really makes you feel like you're alive? It's like, I need to do 100 miles an hour on a motorcycle.

[Ryder Strong]

I don't want that. No, no. It's more about the, like, you know, the. The slight panic that comes from, like, being alone in the woods, looking around and being like, yeah, if I ran into a bear, it would. It would just kill me. And it's not. It's not because the world's an evil place. It's because the world is just a place where things happen and you are a physical body in it. That as much as we like to think of ourselves as important, we're not. And that feeling of not being important is really profound to me, and I cherish it, even though it scares me.

[Will Friedle]

Right.

[Ryder Strong]

Like, I want to be important. I want to be the center of my own movie. And getting into the woods is a sort of shortcut to that sense of inconsequence of your own life. And I think that that's healthy and fun.

[Will Friedle]

And I like to sit at home knowing how important I am. That's. That's. That's what I like.

[Ryder Strong]

Watching your own TV show. Watching. You like to sit at home watching Boy Meets World. And Susan's next to you. Applauded.

[Will Friedle]

She's applauding me.

[Ryder Strong]

You're amazing.

[Will Friedle]

No, as a kid, I did all that stuff. I hiked Mount Washington and we camped every weekend. My, my. I would get home from school, and we all had. We were without the karate or being cool in any way, shape, or form. My couple friends and I in seventh and eighth grade, we were like Johnny from Karate Kid. We all had dirt bikes. We built a track in the woods. We were in the woods every weekend. We loved it. There's a. We found an old abandoned chicken coop, and we spent every weekend and all the weeks we had off, like, rebuilding it into this great fort we had. I mean, I loved the woods and stuff like that, but then I got to a point where I'm like, okay, I don't, I don't need to do that anymore. And I'm not gonna. There's no, I find no peace in it. So there's no active, like, oh, this is the best thing in the world. I get to go and be in the woods by myself. Like, no. I'd rather go have a nice massage somewhere and get a nice meal and watch a show and go to sleep in a nice bed.

[Ryder Strong]

And now you have. You watched the one season of Survivor.

[Will Friedle]

The very first one.

[Ryder Strong]

But you have watched Alone, another survival

[Will Friedle]

reality show, several times. We've seen a bunch of episodes of Alone and Now, which is way more badass than this.

[Ryder Strong]

Way more badass. And that one is. Yeah, that, you know, that one is true survivalist skills. And, and they have to carry their own camera gear. They are truly alone.

[Will Friedle]

Yep.

[Ryder Strong]

It's hardcore. And you see that, that, that actually the survival skills, which are difficult but are manageable. The real thing is the loneliness. Right. Like, you watch people start to go crazy, right. Being in the wilderness by themselves after, you know, 30 days or whatever, that

[Will Friedle]

would be the easiest part for me by far.

[Ryder Strong]

Do you think so? Really?

[Will Friedle]

Dude, I was alone in my house by myself with my anxiety for, like, seven years. I didn't see anybody. So being alone, I, I was able to completely compartmentalize the difference between. See, that's why the show is called Alone and not Loneliness.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

Because I. Being alone and being lonely were two very different things. I love being alone. I almost never get lonely. Really?

[Ryder Strong]

Even now, now it's a little different

[Will Friedle]

because I have Susan. Yeah. Without Susan. Like, yeah, yeah. 12 years goes by, and I want

[Ryder Strong]

to be with my wife. Yeah, you're talking about your mid, your twenties when you were single. I, I, I, I, I think it would be very different now because that's what you see. It's like on that, there's one season of Alone where this guy was doing great. He even made, like, his own chest.

[Will Friedle]

Made the toys.

[Ryder Strong]

The guy who made all the toys. I'M going home, wife. I'm out of here. Yeah, I'm going home.

[Will Friedle]

Like, dude, are you see? He, like, he locked up his fake garage that he built and I was like, I'm going home.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. People that do the best on that show are the ones that have either just been through divorce or, or they, they need the money so bad.

[Will Friedle]

They have something so important to stay

[Ryder Strong]

there, like, and they're doing it for somebody else that they do with their kids.

[Will Friedle]

I remember that, that one season where the guy built rock. Rock House.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

And he was eating and. And I, sue and I looked at each other and he. He saved.

[Ryder Strong]

He.

[Will Friedle]

He killed the musco. And then. And then he's eating the stomach and we looked at each other like, okay, when you're eating warm contents of musko, no one's going to beat that guy. No, he's going to eat his own leg before he leaves. No one's going to beat that guy.

[Ryder Strong]

And he dug a fire pit too. Right? Like, he dug.

[Will Friedle]

He.

[Ryder Strong]

He dug his.

[Will Friedle]

It's called st. It was called Rock House where the whole thing was made of stone. He found the cave and then built everything around. You're not going to beat that dude. It's just not going to happen. Whereas sue always says, I would have tapped out on the boat ride over where I would have literally been on the phone and the guy, the producer's phone would have rung and he would have been like, I'm standing next to you. Like, yeah, I'm tapping out. Turn around and tapping out. But it wouldn't be from loneliness. It would have been probably from boredom more than anything else.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, so Survivor, having watched most of the seasons, I have to. In some of our promotional material for this season, it said on the social medias that I had seen every season. I actually haven't watched every season. What, what's happened is I started watching it when my wife was pregnant and we started devouring every season and then I watch it with my son and her. Now the problem is they watch it sometimes when I'm out of town. So I've missed either half of a season or. I know they.

[Will Friedle]

That's not allowed.

[Ryder Strong]

I know, but. Well, I couldn't, you know, hold them back from what, you know, they'll me and then I'll jump in. So it's a little confusing. And it's been especially confusing coming into this season 50 because there's a lot of people that I do know or I've seen, but I can't remember what they did. In their season because in part, sometimes I didn't finish the season or I

[Will Friedle]

only came in 50 seasons. How could anybody remember what everybody did in every season?

[Ryder Strong]

I know it's a lot.

[Commercial Voice / Olympic Athletes]

Hey, this is U.S. olympic gold medalist

[Will Friedle]

Tara Davis Woodhull, and I'm U.S. paralympic gold medalist Hunter Woodhull.

[Commercial Voice / Olympic Athletes]

As athletes, our lives are about having

[Will Friedle]

a clear path and a team that you can absolutely trust.

[Commercial Voice / Olympic Athletes]

So when it came to getting the

[Will Friedle]

best mortgage, we chose PennyMac.

[Commercial Voice / Olympic Athletes]

PennyMac is proud to be the official mortgage provider of Team USA and you

[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

Do you have a favorite from the season whether they won or not, do you have a favorite Survivor that was your favorite the whole time?

[Ryder Strong]

Ozzy. Ozzy's just the man.

[Will Friedle]

The guy who's in this one.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. He's the best of all time is Ozzy.

[Will Friedle]

Ozzy's not coach.

[Ryder Strong]

No coaches.

[Will Friedle]

No. Ozzy is the guy who looks like the drummer from a. Okay. Yeah, he looks like the drummer from toto.

[Ryder Strong]

He is. He is by far the best survivalist ever on survivor. Really? Oh, yeah. He's. I. I think I told you about him. He' will fish for everybody. He. Oh, that's him. Yes. Dude. So did you notice he already found like yams and everything? He is like, that's him. He provides for everybody. He is. And he's never won. He's been on the show, I think four or five times and he's the nicest guy. His problem is he gets too cocky and he thinks that by being providing for everybody that they won't stab him in the back and they always, always

[Will Friedle]

stab him in the. He's the one who had a problem with coach who, who I guess said that it was because of him the coach didn't win a million dol dollars.

[Ryder Strong]

Coach is my. The. The villain that I love to hate. Coach, he's a villain.

[Will Friedle]

He again, knowing nothing about this.

[Ryder Strong]

I thought everybody coaches first season. So what happened? Coach's first season. And some people do love him, but it's mostly because they have mixed feelings about him because he's a very good player, but he's also very socially manipulative. There's the season that really turned me against him, which I believe was his first season. He was on a tribe with somebody. I'm blanking on this guy's name. But this guy was not very stable mentally and very religious. And coach made a partnership with this guy and like four other people and said, we're gonna go all the way to the end. Like day one. He was like the best. The only way to win this game is if we never break alliances. And then this guy was really off his, like rocker and like targeting women because they were enticing him. You know, like saying like, that woman is a. Is sent here from Satan and because she's dressing and you're like, dude, you're just attracted to her. Let it go. It's not her fault.

[Will Friedle]

Right, right.

[Ryder Strong]

And Coach didn't draw the line and say, like, oh, this guy's probably not saying. He instead leaned into it, used religiosity to keep them tighter, and said, let's all pray before every challenge is. And I find that really despicable. He made it to the end. He made it to the end. He did not win. The jury did not get him. It was a woman who also just sort of attached herself to him, knowing that he might get to the end. And she was smart and she won. But that's always turned me against Coach. He's. He's manipulative and he. He. I think he crossed the line there, you know, going too far into, like, using religion to. To rally this team of people on his side. They did very well, though. They won. And he. And by sticking with that group of five, because it is true if you have a group of five and you never, no matter what, turn on each other, you can make it all the way to the end pretty much, especially back in those days. Now it's gotten more complicated because of the rules that they've introduced with advantages.

[Will Friedle]

Well, this is what I talk to you about, because there's. There's basic things that I, as somebody who didn't watch Survivor that I don't know. And since I watched the first season, all I remember is naked guy. That's all I remember. And I actually remembered the girl from this one, Jenna, I think her name was. I. I remembered that. So, first of all, what is. You're talking about new rules, so what is the new era?

[Ryder Strong]

I actually don't know that distinctions. Technically. I believe it was a. It was a. It was a shift in the way the game. I don't know technically, but yeah. So I honestly, I had the same question. I was sort of like, okay, well, maybe one of our producers could jump in with the thought. But I believe it has something to do. I believe the problem with Survivor when it started was that the men would dominate the entire first half of the game because the challenges were so physical and the men would end up winning. And so women were getting eliminated, like, just, you know, in the first couple rounds and challenges. And so I believe at some point they decided to institute more puzzles and to make the social more. Yeah. So it wasn't just. And then, because at a certain point, you know, if your tribe is. Is. Is losing you, you just decimated. There's, like, one person left. And what was ended up happening is people would never want to Vote their big, powerful men off so they would. They would just keep winning with their men and vote the women off. So I believe the new era has something to do because the game is way more balanced now in terms of, like, the teamwork involves, like a puzzle always or some sort of, like, throwing challenge that doesn't need brute strength or smart physical ability. Yeah, it's much more balanced. And then also this, you know, when it gets to the individual challenges, a lot of the challenges are physically tough, but they're often about perseverance and your own strength, like with your own body. In other words, you're like holding on to something. Holding on to something just by your fingertips and it's like it's your own weight. Do you know what I mean? So it's not like it's a. It's like it's varied to the person. It's not like we all have to lift the same amount, you know, or whatever. It's like it's all scaled to you. So it's really about challenging to yourself. So, yeah, I believe that has something to do with a new era or the old era, I'm pretty sure.

[Will Friedle]

Also, here's the thing that I find I think is a big mistake. You should never start a new season of a show, assuming everybody that watches this show has seen it before.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

So one thing this did not explain to me in any way, shape or form, which I have no idea, is what the does an idol do?

[Ryder Strong]

Okay, so an idol protects you at tribal. So if you can't be voted out, voted out, but you only play it

[Will Friedle]

after everyone's voted, so essentially they're wasting their vote.

[Ryder Strong]

And so if you feel like everybody's going to vote for you and they don't know you have an idol or only certain people on your team, on your tribe know you have an idol, you could then bust the. After the vote, you say, hey, I'm playing this idol. And then the person who gets the next level of votes is the one out. So it can be a real turnover. So they have to. They have to always be suspicious that somebody is playing the game with an idol in their pocket. And that's why, like, Ozzy got voted with. He got voted out with an idol in his pocket because he didn't. He didn't play it. Which happens often. People will just be so trusting of their team. The team might know they have an idol, convince them, oh, no, we're not voting for you tonight. Blindside that person and then they walk out with their idol in their Pocket

[Will Friedle]

so you can be voted out. Even if you have an idol, you have to play it before you ever get.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes, you have to play it at. After the vote is. But before it's.

[Will Friedle]

Before they read.

[Ryder Strong]

Play it. Yes, before they read it. And then you have things like multiple idols. Like, people will play I'm playing an idol. And you're like, okay. And then the other person who is like, the next in line will be like, I'm also playing an idol. You're like, oh, my God. And it'll go down. They've had, like, tons of weird things like that. The main thing with the idols is that if it's. If it's played or if it leaves the game because it's in their pocket, it gets hidden again on the island.

[Will Friedle]

And are these always hidden or there are. Do you ever win one? When you win a.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay. It's changed every season. You got. You don't. Yeah, you win. When you're. Yeah. You win immunity through the challenge, either as a tribe or when they get to the individual game, you individually win immunity. But, yeah, the idols are. And there have been seasons with no idols. And then there have been seasons where you get clues that can lead you to an idol, and then you have weird rules. Like, this time they have that boomerang idol that got introduced, the Billie Eilish idol. Yeah. The game is. You know, it's.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, my God. I just realized if you take her middle name out, it's literally a Billy Idol. How did nobody else pick that up? That it's a Billy idol?

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Will Friedle]

Got it.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. It's a complicated game, and it's pretty manipulative in terms of, like, how the rules change season to season. You know, they're ultimately gonna go for the best television. And of course, there have been times when you can tell that they're kind of tilting the challenges to sort of favor a certain person or to give certain. But yeah, it's a tricky game. The main thing is, you know, the three rules. Outwit, outlast, and outplay. So those are the three things you really. You. You know, you. That you. You want to outwit your fellow players, you know, because you're going to have to eventually be voting against each other. Right. Even if they're on your tribe or working against another tribe in the. In the early half of the game. Let's see. Outlast, obviously, just surviving.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

One of the Outwit, outlast, outplay. Is that it?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, that's it.

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[Ryder Strong]

What's been interesting for me is like going back to the early seasons, there was a lot of emphasis put on the actual survival factor, like how they got food right. That's what I remember. Building fires, stuff like that. That has really for the large part been edited out now. The game is now. I mean, I think people are.

[Will Friedle]

It's all psychological stuff more than the physical stuff.

[Ryder Strong]

It's all the social stuff because they are still doing all the physical stuff. I mean, you see in this one they figure out how to make a fire, which was great. And you're still having to shelters. You see them working hard. They're just not focusing on that in the editing at all anymore. So it's really just about who's partnering with who, who's going with who. And then the challenge is becoming the sort of showdown and the immunity, the tribals to be like the reveal of what's, what's actually going to happen. So you don't get like there would be whole seasons where you just be listening to people complain about how hungry they were or that they were cold and they, you don't get that much anymore. And I don't know how much of that is because it's not as hard as it used to be because they did like one season in Africa which was truly devastating. Like people were like near death because they were starving and the heat was so intense.

[Will Friedle]

Oh God.

[Ryder Strong]

And they used to do a lot of seasons where they would do them in like a culturally specific area. So you'd have like the Philippines and you'd learn about Filipino culture. They'd eat, you know, or whatever. They kind of now have just limited it to Fiji for the last like 10 years. They don't throw them on anywhere. Just like, like it's kind of a standard set of circumstances. Like there are fish, there are coconuts. You get a certain amount of Rice and you can get flint if you work for it so you can start a fire. And that was.

[Will Friedle]

The other thing is I didn't again, because I didn't know when they're like, one team wins flint. I was like, okay, does that mean the other teams can't just build a fire if they want to? They just. And I didn't know if that meant it's like one. One tribe gets fired. The other two. You can't have fire. Right, but that's not what it means. But it means you can. You can.

[Ryder Strong]

You could make a fire if you

[Will Friedle]

just make a fire. Right. But you'd figure everybody going on something called Survivor would know how to make a fire.

[Ryder Strong]

Dude, you are Will. Every season. Not every season, almost every season, there comes down to a challenge between two people where they have to build a fire after because they, like, split the votes or there's no other way to determine. So they have to build a fire at the Tribal Council. And I. I shit you not, half the people that get there do not know how to build a fire with flint. How's that? At the end of the first thing

[Will Friedle]

you learn, it's first thing you survive.

[Ryder Strong]

I. Alex and I are talking about this all the time. We're always like, how does. It's like not knowing how to swim. Yes. Dude, you have to figure this out. Like, get. You know, so. Yes, I'm. I agree with you. Like, the first thing I would do is figure out how to make fire under any conditions, but especially the Fijian conditions. Right. Like knowing what my resources are.

[Will Friedle]

Guessing I learned called how to make a fire in Fiji.

[Ryder Strong]

Exactly, Exactly. And then I'd learn what I can eat. Eat and what I can hunt and what kind of fish I could eat. And then I would also starve myself leading up to going. Because you watch these people and there's. They lose so much weight. And also their bodies are so used to regular calorie intake. You see, like, big guys crash because they have such requirements their bodies require. So.

[Will Friedle]

Which is why that's the opposite of alone. Everyone on alone, they put on as much weight as they possibly can before they go into alone. So you see these women that are like, I just put on £60 before I got.

[Ryder Strong]

Because they just know they're gonna lose it.

[Will Friedle]

They know that they're gonna lose all the body fat. So they're like, fat is fuel on a loan. So they're like, put on as much weight as you can instead. It seems almost like a bit of

[Ryder Strong]

a vanity project on Survivor where it's

[Will Friedle]

like, I need to look good with my shirt off.

[Ryder Strong]

Mike white worked really hard to make sure he remember. He's like, I've been waiting for this moment for months. I'm like, yeah, with your 15 personal trainers on your white lotus.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly. But at the same time, it's like, I think I'd rather go in 30 pounds overweight and carry a whole bunch of fat.

[Ryder Strong]

No, I don't. Because of their. Because they're so physically stretched. Like, the challenges, you want to be in really good, like, lean, fighting shape and also not be hungry, you know? So, like, to me, I would. I would be like, calorie restriction going like the month before. I'd be go to like, a really low calorie diet. Because what that does is it trains your body to be more efficient with less food because you're only getting so much rice. You're only getting so much stuff.

[Will Friedle]

So, yeah, be used to it.

[Ryder Strong]

Here we go. Maddie just said the player that won last season, so she was fasting for months before going show. So we're body. Yeah, that's exactly what I would do.

[Will Friedle]

Which is totally. It's the opposite of alone. Everybody on alone is like, you put

[Ryder Strong]

on as much weight as sitting around in, you know, in cold weather and trying to survive.

[Will Friedle]

This is like.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. This one you just want to be. Because you're working hard. I mean, those challenges, you see them.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Insane.

[Ryder Strong]

It's really tough, man. Like, it's not light, you know, and

[Will Friedle]

you're doing that on. Okay, my. My last question is. Is. Is a basic one. Are these people hot or are they cold? Because when you've got somebody just in shorts with no t shirt next to a woman with a parka and a sweater, what the is happening?

[Ryder Strong]

Are they hot or are they cold?

[Will Friedle]

Cause I'm confused.

[Ryder Strong]

Weather extremes, man. Without shelter, I think at night, like, when you saw them on exile island, they were all bundled up in whatever they could have. Because I think. But I'm talking at the same time.

[Will Friedle]

You've got a woman there literally in like, a trench coat and a turtleneck next to a guy with shorts on. I'm like, tempest temperature wise. Help me out. What's happening on this island?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, I think it's tropical, which is just varied, you know, and it's like whether you've been in the water or not or like. Right. Yeah. Without shelter, man, it's intense.

[Will Friedle]

Like, that was confusing.

[Ryder Strong]

I know. Well, I mean, I think the game has gotten a lot better since and maybe that's what the new era is. Is locking it in in Fiji and sort of controlling those conditions because, like, they did an Australian outback one which was brutal. Like, you get into situations where, like, like, the survival question, it overtakes the gameplay because it's like, well, we're literally starving and we're, you know, or our shelter gets blown away by a. A hurricane wind. You know, like that. Like, that has happened. So I think now they've. They figured out the beaches. Like, now they're Repeat using. They're using the same beaches that you can recognize from season to season.

[Will Friedle]

It's interesting. That's their set.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. I mean, it's basically become the set. Yeah. They figured out what they control.

[Will Friedle]

There has to be a point where you've done enough seasons there where you've depleted their natural. Right. Like, the coconuts aren't going to be as plentiful, and the trees that you can use to make shelter aren't going to be as plentiful, and eventually they're going to have to move it.

[Ryder Strong]

Right. I know. I don't know how they rotate it or how they figure it out.

[Will Friedle]

Would you go on?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. I think this is the one reality show that I would. But again, like Traders, I would probably be bad at it the same way that, like, Ozzy's bad at it. I mean, I'd be way worse than him physically, number one. But number two, I'm just too trusting. I'm just too, like, I would be, like, I would want to play with honor and integrity. But you said you.

[Will Friedle]

You can do that.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, but it's hard, man. You know, like, you. Eventually somebody's going to have to say, let's take advantage of, you know, Ryder's honor and, like, his word, which.

[Will Friedle]

But you would also have to. You would have. If you wanted to play honorably, you would have to go in. In ripping shape because what you would essentially be saying is, I'm going to play honorably, but I have to win every challenge that I can possibly win. So we're not voted off.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. And, I mean, I think I would do exactly what Ozzy is doing, which is partner up with a Machiavellian genius like siree and like, hey, you're gonna. You're gonna help tell me who to vote for and help me and watch my back and be the strategic mind for me while I'm just, like, here to help and, like, support and provide, like, okay. And I could never be that provider, but I. Hopefully I would offer other help, you know, in terms of, like, moral Support or leadership skills or whatever. But I, Yeah, I would not be. I'm not a good liar. I'm not a good liar.

[Will Friedle]

No, you're not.

[Ryder Strong]

And I'm really uncomfortable with, you know, and I just would ultimately be like, no, nope, just take me out. Vote me out if I, you know, have to.

[Will Friedle]

Well, here's the last thing I'll say before we get into this. And you told me about this. You've said this several times, but it wasn't until I really watched. Jeff Probst is a phenomenal host.

[Ryder Strong]

He's. He's the man, dude.

[Will Friedle]

Phenomenal. At times he's doing sports commentary. At times he's all of their names shrink.

[Ryder Strong]

It's great. And I, I assumed that he had an earpiece on.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

You know that his producers were helping him. Turns out Emily Longeretta, who's writing our Podnigs world book and she's a journalist and she went and covered Survivor this season. He does no earpiece. He is fully on his own. That man. Because I look at like Amazing Race and Phil, what's his name, who hosts it? Oh, I'm like, dude, your job is like, you got the kushest job in the world. Because he just like literally gets to fly around the country or the world and meet people in beautiful places and be like, you made it it. You didn't. Like, that's all he has to do. Whereas like Jeff Probst is actually engaging them and, and, and monitoring and, and like oversee refereeing and overseeing.

[Will Friedle]

He's a referee, he's doing sports.

[Ryder Strong]

He's like a trial judge. He's like a trial judge, dude. He is, he's great. An entertaining host. He is man. And like. Yeah, I, I just think he's personable, he's empathetic, dude.

[Will Friedle]

He keeps everybody on track halfway through the show is like, my God, this man is a good host.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. And when we really good at what he does and Indy like, like became a fan of Jeff Pros, you know, when he was a little, little like five year old, six year old watching. I'm like, it's a good person to look up to, dude.

[Will Friedle]

Like, he's like, that guy is a really good host.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm, he's like one of the few like reality show hosts that I'm like, he deserves every cent that he gets. Cuz that is not easy. He's entertaining.

[Will Friedle]

He's. Yeah, I mean he's, it's really.

[Ryder Strong]

And everybody feels like he's on their side. Like it doesn't matter how they behave like for the most, like every single person that's part of the game, they never turn on his him. They never are like, Jeff, you really messed this up or Jeff, how dare you talk to me like that. They he's always very upfront. He's personable. Yeah, he's the best.

[Will Friedle]

It was great. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

All right, so we're going to pause here before we get into the actual recap of the episode because it turns out we've had a lot of Survivor back history to cover and discuss. You've been listening to Pod meets Twirled. The torches may be snuffed, but our questionable analysis burns on. We'll see you next time at Tribal.

[Commercial Voice / Olympic Athletes]

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[Ryder Strong]

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