Former Moose Javian Kane Fritzler will attempt to outwit, outlast and outplay 17 other people as he works to win $1 million and become the sole survivor of the hit TV show Survivor.
The show’s 44th season kicks off on Wednesday, March 1, with a two-hour premiere from 7 to 9 p.m. on CBS TV, the CBS app and the streaming service Paramount+.
Stranded on the beautiful islands of Fiji, players must form a society and adapt to their surroundings, which forces them to decide what is more dangerous: the environment or navigating the complex social game and placing trust in their tribemates, .
The participants will be divided into three tribes of six and face a faster, more dangerous season upon hitting the beach. The moral dilemmas and mysterious new layers of this complex game will push even the strongest competitors to their limits, while the mental and physical challenges will require players to constantly adjust their strategies to survive another day.
Fritzler, 25, grew up in The Friendly City and is a law school graduate from the University of Saskatchewan. , the new lawyer — who will face off against a former NFL player, a NASA engineering student, and a salon owner, among others — told CBS Entertainment that law school shaped him into who he now is, including teaching him to be a solid negotiator and having confidence in himself.
The law graduate described himself as a “big, goofy guy” who moves around “like a Sasquatch.” He indicated that he was a high-achieving student but didn’t present himself in an arrogant way.
“I think I’m going to be on a good vibe tribe because the vibe kind of follows me around,” Fritzler said. “So, if I win this game, it’s going to be because people didn’t know what I was until it’s too late.”
Fritzler didn’t join Survivor to grow as a person or to win $1 million since he has many ways to do that, he added. He came to be the sole survivor and play the game hard and doesn’t need show host Jeff Probst telling him to “dig deep” since he already will be.
, Fritzler said he wanted to be part of Survivor because it’s the best game in which to participate. He is a dedicated gamer — Dungeons & Dragons is his thing — and has watched the show since he “was a wee lad” and is there to play — and win.
“I have my girl watching it, and I have all my friends watching it. I’m kind of the guru that people look to on the couch to explain why there was a bad move or not,” he said. “So, this game has been just something that I followed with my entire life.
One value he wanted to see in a teammate was “pure honesty.”
“The straighter the shooter they are, the better I like them. Preferably they will feel completely unable to lie to me,” he stated.
One of Fritzler’s biggest accomplishments was being recognized as the best negotiator at a national negotiation competition for Canadian law schools, while one thing people wouldn’t know by looking at him is he has a “beautiful singing voice.”
He also expects to be the sole survivor because he believes he’s quick on his feet.
“I think that (attending law school) has put me in a constant state of being underestimated. And I think that the longer people underestimate me, the more they regret it,” Fritzler added. “Because I’m here to play (and) I’m here to fight.”
