Survivor 42, the forty-second season of the CBS reality competition series, premiered on March 9, 2022, and concluded on May 25, 2022. Filmed in Fiji, the season continued the condensed 26-day format introduced in Survivor 41, necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The gameplay remained fast-paced, with castaways navigating intense challenges, strategic twists, and evolving social dynamics.The season featured 18 new players divided into three tribes: Ika, Taku, and Vati. The tribe names were derived from Fijian words representing various sea creatures: "Ika" (fish), "Taku" (hawksbill sea turtle), and "Vati" (swimming crab). Upon merging, the castaways formed the Kula Kula tribe, named after the collared lory, Fiji’s national bird.Several twists returned from the previous season, including the Shot in the Dark, Beware Advantage, and decision-based dilemmas. A new twist, the Advantage Amulet, added a strategic layer, starting as a shared advantage among three players but gaining more power as fewer of its owners remained in the game.Maryanne Oketch, a seminary student from Ontario, Canada, emerged as the Sole Survivor, defeating Mike Turner and Romeo Escobar in a 7–1–0 vote. Maryanne made history as the second Canadian winner, the fifth winner of African descent, and the second Black female winner after Vecepia Towery (Survivor: Marquesas). Her emotional gameplay and late strategic moves earned her widespread respect and the $1 million prize.Survivor 42 is celebrated for its diverse cast, engaging gameplay, and Maryanne’s historic win, though some viewers noted the season’s repetition of twists from Survivor 41. It remains a compelling chapter in the series.
