Survivor’s uncomfortable silence

On Sunday evening, social media burned even brighter than the blazing torches of the six Tiyaga members at the last tribal council in Survivor Quebec.

But what did the great Pierre-Alexandre, of the Kalooban tribe, do to deserve an immediate expulsion from the game, which was neither justified nor clearly explained on the air? The craziest speculations flooded Twitter, Facebook and Reddit, like a makeshift camp watered by the torrential rains of the Philippines.

The Noovo chain interrupted the adventure of Pierre-Alexandre, 43, after being informed that “he had violated the code of life which establishes the rules and values ​​to which all players must adhere”. According to Noovo, the participants were informed of their comrade’s transgression and agreed to continue the competition without him.

The problem is the dry and laconic way in which this eviction (very unusual, it must be said) was communicated to fans who have been following reality TV for a month. Before Sunday’s underwater basketball immunity trial, Patrice Bélanger told players that “PA broke a code of life rule, we removed him from the game.” That’s all, we close the books. The host did not reveal anything else and the episode did not show any discussion between the six members of Kalooban, who certainly suffered quite a shock.

The production acted as if this departure was banal and innocuous and quickly, quickly swept it under the braided carpet of palm leaves.

However, this situation is far from trivial. In 44 seasons of Survivor in the United States, only one candidate, Dan Spilo, was packed in this military manner because of inappropriate behavior towards a player and a producer.

These incidents were broadcast in December 2019 on the CBS network and the offending contestant had been warned several times before going to the guillotine. The case of Pierre-Alexandre Guillot, a daycare educator from Drummondville, cannot be compared to that of Dan Spilo. The actions he is accused of took place during filming this spring, I am told. What exactly ? Difficult to say with certainty.

One thing is certain, Pierre-Alexandre Guillot did not steal a tender bar from the bag of a technician from Survivor, we get along. What he did is serious and justifies, it seems, the imposition of an omertà on all the members of the team of Survivor Quebec.

The exclusion of Pierre-Alexandre triggered (another) internal crisis at Productions J and Bell Media, owner of Noovo, who are barely emerging from the bullying debacle in Double occupancy: Martinique.

Neither the boss Julie Snyder, nor the director Guillaume St-Arnaud, nor the content producer Valérie Dalpé wanted to answer questions about the mysterious disappearance of Pierre-Alexandre. They all invoke a confidentiality agreement that would expose them to legal action if they violate it.

Let’s settle this file immediately: Pierre-Alexandre Guillot, whose presence has been reduced in the episodes of Survivorhas no criminal record and he still works in the same CPE in Drummondville, confirms the general manager of the establishment.

By immuring itself in the “no commentary”, the production of Survivor Quebec hopes to quell the scandal, but causes the opposite. This silence – revealing the seriousness of the problem – lets run a bunch of not very pretty rumors about the ousted.

Because the famous code of life of Survivor which has been exceeded casts a wide net. It includes innocuous rules on the theft of objects belonging to colleagues, respect for the environment, prohibition of hunting in the jungle, consultation of a shrink, as well as binding clauses which prevent candidates from fraternizing with technicians or adopt inappropriate behavior.

If Pierre-Alexandre cheated, say so. If Pierre-Alexandre has exceeded certain limits, say so too. It seems to me that it is the basis to be transparent in this type of delicate event.

The format holder of Survivor, the Banijay group, jealously protects this TV brand, which explains the absence of leaked official information. There are big reputational issues to manage, as well as a lot of money on the table. And two flagship reality shows that cross two successive zones of turbulence, that doesn’t look good at all.

It’s a shame, because this first season of Survivor, which has nothing to envy to international editions, has resulted in captivating changes. The recent reconfiguration of the tribes clearly favored Tiyaga, but the underrated Kalooban has risen to life like a forgotten beach fire overnight.

I really liked the audacity of Marika, who tried to break the boy club at Tiyaga’s, before being betrayed by the rogue Karine. The last tribal council, where Sango threw Martine under the wheels of the bus, was also a highlight. On Sunday, the tribes will merge and the strategy will become individual.

Now, who will dare to attack the domination of the cosmic brothers, Jean Junior known as JJ and Christophe, whose influence becomes increasingly heavy? It’s time to break this duo and break JJ’s cursed wooden sword which will hopefully turn into the Sword of Damocles for him.