Survivor 30: Those Who Can't Do -- Episodes 4-6 Recap/Analysis

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It's Max Dawson's birthday, and perhaps yours too as we're back to break down the past three episodes of Survivor: Worlds Apart. We bid farewell to the much-hyped professor, the not-at-all-hyped hairstylist, and Joaquin, while looking back to the swap and forward to the merge; we also deliver another petty and lengthy strategy debate, musings on how racism is handled by Australian radio hosts TV producers and their power in crafting our perception of contestants, and a large helping of vegetarian propaganda. All that and more on this week's show, available below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 30: A Song of Descents -- Episode 3 Recap/Analysis

With Dom back from assisting Benedict Cumberbatch in thwarting criminal masterminds, we return to break down a pre-merge episode of Borneo Episode 3 of Worlds Apart. Is Tyler the faceup winner or are the editors just Josh-ing us? Can Shirin recover or is she as fucked as that monkey? And whose spots are most enviable as we embark on God's true gift to Blue Collar: the swap?  All that and more when you listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

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Survivor 30: I'm Here for the Gangbang -- Episode 2 Recap/Analsyis with AJ Van Gilder

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Survivor 30: You Reap What You So -- Premiere Recap/Analysis

Last Wednesday the hype train finally reached the station and today we're back to take a closer look at what was certainly the best a decent season premiere. Locks or knots? Five, ten, or fifty? What should Carolyn be considering with her hidden immunity idol? Can White Collar let Joaquin make the swap? And is Rodney actually doing a good job? All that as well as the correct answer to what color that goddamn dress is when you listen below, here, or find us on iTunes here.

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Survivor 30: Season Preview

Get your fire emojis ready because we're back to preview the cast, theme, and twists of Survivor: Worlds Apart and the takes are coming in scorching.  Can former podcast guest Max Dawson deliver on the unprecedented hype or are we all going to unfollow him in like two weeks? Which professions are scarier than Life Coach? How many push-ups can the average Survivor winner do? And who will be crowned the inaugural J'Tia Taylor High Variance Player of the Season? Find out when you listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

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REPOST: The Reality of TV with Max Dawson

In light of recent events, we're reposting a podcast originally published in March 2013 with Survivor 30's Max Dawson. Check it out if you'd like to familiarize yourself with Max, or if you'd simply like to relive the eternally glorious Shamar Thomas era. A written transcript of this podcast is also available here.

It's impossible to fully appreciate shows like Survivor unless we understand the wider context that underlies them, so we asked Max Dawson, media consultant and professor at Northwestern University, to tell us what we need to know. He paints a vivid picture of the state of the American television industry at the turn of the century and explains how the show we all love revolutionized its genre and television as a whole, before looking at how reality TV has grown and changed over the past decade. We then return to the show that started it all, talking about the evolution of Survivor over the years in everything from casting to editing to gameplay, and try to find words to express our - and seemingly everyone's - collective disappointment with the current season [Caramoan]. Finally, Max tells us about his TV course at NU (#rtvf330 for those of you in the Twitterverse), and the rewards and challenges of teaching an interactive class.

You can listen here or on iTunes here.

You can read more about #rtfv330 here and find Max on Twitter here.

Survivor 29: Season in Review

Another season of Survivor has, if nothing else, become part of the historical record. But is San Juan del Sur worthy of a higher general opinion? Just how strong was Natalie's game and where does she fit in on the all-time winner rankings? Who might we see return for a future season (besides Olivia Feldman)? And what can we expect from Survivor: Collar Island? Find out on the player below, here, or on iTunes here.