Spoilers ahead for the season premiere of Survivor 44.
It is an exciting time for generations of Survivor fans out there, as the two-hour premiere of Season 44 just debuted on CBS. As viewers were introduced to a new group of castaways, there was one surprising thing many of them had in common: medical emergencies. Jshow host/producer Jeff Probst called for a medical three times in the episode, with one contestant being pulled from the game on the first night. As a result, fans are all saying the same thing after all those injuries in the Survivor first. Namely, do these people have death wishes?
Survivor (opens in a new tab) is aptly titled, as it forces the contestants to live in the wild. And as such, there have been many casualties and medical evacuations over the years. But three in one episode? This is another thing. Full of Survivor fans rang on Twitter during the recent two-hour premiere, which many mocked Matthew for his truly brutal fall while trying to climb a rock. Check out one of these memes below:
person: #Survivor44 cast: pic.twitter.com/eqpuV9PYlbMarch 2, 2023
Although it’s a pretty funny meme for the Survivor first, there is some truth in that. Matthew wasn’t the only one who needed medical attention throughout this episode, though his injury was perhaps the most preventable. Why exactly was he climbing that rock again?
Matthew will apparently be dealing with a dislocated shoulder for the rest of his time in the game, but at least he’s still here. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for another competitor Bruce Perreault, who ended up being his first person eliminated this season. He took a hard hit to the head in the first challenge, with blood spurting out in HD, slow motion. As he was picked up and made his way to the camp, he was eventually evacuated later that night as he suffered severe pain in his head. Another Survivor tweet took note of the number of injuries that have already occurred, posting:
Cast of Survivor 44 at the end of the season #survivor44 pic.twitter.com/uzqd5lmD0qMarch 2, 2023
They are not wrong. Indeed, there was a third time that Jeff Probst called the doctor during the Survivor 44 first. During the first Immunity Challenge, Brandon Cottom ended up overheating and needed professional attention. For the second time this episode, a challenge was interrupted, while Brandon was put in the shade and given fluids. Fortunately, he was also able to continue his game, but that must be some kind of record.
Matthew Survivor falling off this giant boulder soon began to circulate online, which is understandable. It hit the audience (and the contestant) out of nowhere, especially since it fell on such a hard surface. As a reminder, check it out below:
We could feel this fall… #Survivor #Survivor44 pic.twitter.com/QmWRINdc5MMarch 2, 2023
Ouch. The memes keep rolling about this first episode of Survivor, especially related to the various injuries that occurred throughout the premiere. This includes some funny stories about the medical team that we have seen so many, check them out below:
The nurse waits for Jeff to call him back. #Survivor44 pic.twitter.com/NNK8LCna5FMarch 2, 2023
Seriously, this chief medical officer should basically be seen as a Survivor 44 actor at this point. But you can tell how well taken care of the contestants are during filming and how the production has tried to keep them safe/in the game. Unfortunately, we’ve already had our first medical evacuation of the season. I hope everyone is able to protect themselves. Alternatively, the cast might look like this:
Half of the competitors on Survivor 44 after day one #Survivor44 pic.twitter.com/kWCzHC40vlMarch 2, 2023
While the Season 44 premiere of Survivor was brutal, it’s going to take a few more fire escapes before this becomes the best medevac season ever. that currently goes to season 32: Kaoh-Rong. Three different competitors have been removed from the game this season, for various reasons. In addition, a number of them contracted staph infections on their wounds. Another reaction tweet references this season, check it out:
#Survivor 44 is coming for Medevac Crown of 32 💀 pic.twitter.com/bvX47uFbMVMarch 2, 2023
If it remains to be seen how Survivor 44 finally plays out, it’s clear that the first episode made quite an impression on fans. And if social media is also active as we go through the season, it could be one for the record books. It certainly started with a bang.
Survivor airs new episodes Wednesdays on CBS. In the meantime, check out the List of television premieres to plan your next cinematic experience.