Millennials vs. Gen X: Who will win Survivor?

MANILA, Philippines – The 33rd season of Survivor, the Emmy Award-winning reality show, premiered recently on Jack TV. Twenty new castaways battle it out in Millennials versus Gen X, in the great location that is in Mamanuca Islands, Fiji.

This is the second Survivor to be filmed in Fiji, following the first one shot in a different location in Vanua Levu and aired from Feb. 8 to May 13, 2007. Millennials versus Gen X is preceded by Survivor: Kaoh Rong shot in Cambodia and won by 24-year-old looker Michele Fitzgerald.

The castaways in Millennials versus Gen X are divided into two tribes. Those born between 1984 and 1997 comprise the Vanua Tribe (Millennials team), while those born between 1963 and 1982 belong to the Takali Tribe (Gen X team). They will all be competing for the much-coveted $1M grand prize and the title of Sole Survivor.

Filming started on April 4 and lasted until May 2 this year. Cameras were originally scheduled to grind in mid-March, but strong Tropical Cyclone Zena destroyed the Tribal Council set and other important props. The castaways were evacuated to a safer area until the cyclone was over. The production had no choice but to rebuild the set, so there was a delay in filming.

First to be voted out is 37-year-old Rachel Ako, a recruiting director from Los Angeles, California and a member of the Takali Tribe. She was eliminated by the Tribal Council after an obstacle course and a giant puzzle were completed by the Vanua Tribe, which won immunity.

In the second challenge, the tribe members were tasked to unlock a diving mask and they took turns diving down and unlocking five rings under the water. Then, two divers threw the rings onto a series of targets. The first team to get the ring on all five targets won immunity.

Gen X won this time. Thirty-one-year-old professional video game player and YouTube host Mari Takahashi from Los Angeles, California, was voted out by her teammates in Vanua Tribe. She is the second person to leave the competition.

Mari’s elimination after only two episodes came as a surprise, if not a shock, to most viewers who were even rooting for her to win. At the Tribal Council, it was a toss-up between Mari and fellow Vanua Tribe member, Jessica “Figgy” Figueroa (a 23-year-old bartender from Nashville, Tennessee). After much deliberation, it was a vote of seven to three, with Mari getting the boot on Day 7 of the competition.

The youngest player this season is 18-year-old William Wahl, a millennial student from Long Valley, New Jersey who’s a member of the Vanua Tribe. Meanwhile, 51-year-old Paul Wachter, a Gen X boat captain from Key West, Florida, is the oldest member of the Takali Tribe.

Early on in the competition, Paul had to be checked by a doctor when he displayed symptoms of a possible heart attack. Members of the Takali Tribe suffered from dehydration following a task and Paul passed out. The doctor, however, ruled out any possible heart trouble and gave the green light for Paul to continue in the competition.

Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X is hosted by Jeff Probst. The reality show airs Thursdays, 2:55 p.m., with a primetime replay at 8:55 p.m. on Jack TV.