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Imagine The Amazing Race as a big group or Survivor on the move, then you’d get The Summit. As the newest entry to the CBS Reality family, 16 trekkers embark on a 14-day journey to reach the titular summit in the stunning New Zealand Alps. With eliminations along the way and the threat of the Mountain’s Keeper taunting and teasing the trekkers with temptation along the way, the series is a test of true grit, morals, and determination. Do you cut off the weakest link to reach the peak faster? Is it best to work as a team and utilize one another’s strengths? And just what will you do when the elements get the best of you? A new kind of reality competition has arrived.
The Summit borrows upon the elements that have made juggernauts like The Amazing Race and Survivor strive for over two decades. Hosted by Manu Bennett, The Summit has all the makings of a hit. By bringing 16 strangers from various walks of life, there is a player that represents anyone watching. Whether it’s a tried and true hiker or a Trader Joe’s employee, The Summit takes the tropes seen in the successful hit series and transplants them into a cinematographer’s dream.
‘The Summit’ Takes the Best From the Best
With only a handful of episodes under its belt, and many more to go, The Summit has already had a massive blitz to entice reality television fans into viewing the newest series. Based on the Australian series of the same name, The Summit has transported sixteen Americans to the New Zealand Alps as they embark on an adventure of a lifetime, seeking to reach the top of a mountain and earn a life-changing monetary prize. The Summit is not groundbreaking in the sense that it’s an original concept. And that’s fine. It borrows some of the elements that have made other hit reality shows flourish and sprinkles in its own bits.
On The Amazing Race, teams of two are set off on a race around the world where the fastest team wins the million dollar prize. Like The Amazing Race, The Summit borrows the race against time element, but the team of two is now sixteen individual competitors. They are there for themselves, but they must rely on each other to survive. On Survivor, the castaways must outwit, outplay, and outlast as they vote each other out along the way. Like Survivor, The Summit borrows the necessity to outwit, outplay, and outlast, but they vote each other out on the run. Utilizing these tried and true elements is the gateway into the world of The Summit. From there, The Summit goes on its own way.
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‘The Summit’ Has Its Own Quirks
The Summit‘s biggest departure from any show in the reality television world is its locale. Yes, other shows bring their competitors to places beyond imagination, but there is nothing like the New Zealand Alps for a competition reality program. While you may want to take in this breathtaking view, there is a task at hand. And when you realize the terrain has its own secrets, perhaps beauty becomes a beast. “The Summit” itself is its own character. Nature has a mind of its own, and this mountain proves it may be your worst enemy. Scaling a mountain wall or being forced to camp out because of the snow can truly hinder your entire plan. It makes The Summit completely unpredictable. If you can’t see a foot in front of you or take a wrong turn, there’s no way you will continue on your trek.
Much like a typical reality television program, The Summit features a standard format. And yet, it also strays from it. When you watch an episode of Survivor or The Amazing Race, you know the episode will begin where the previous episode ended, with the contestants picking up the pieces. They will embark on a challenge or two, and by the end of the episode, someone is eliminated. Sure, there may be a twist or turn along the way, but the format is consistent. For The Summit, they chose their own journey. Perhaps someone will be medically evacuated, but for the most part, the only way to be taken out of the game is by being voted out by the group at a check point or through a devious twist set out by the Mountain’s Keeper. Someone will be eliminated at some point in a given episode, and it’s all dependent on how the trekkers travel up the mountain.
The Summit Is a Trial of Morals
The Summit tests its players in a trial of morals. How you play this game is crucial. One move can create a domino of future decisions. For example, let’s say the group decides to remove the weakest link from the group to continue at a strong pace. What happens when you become the weakest link? Can you change the rules of the game? If a group of like-minded individuals becomes friendly, do you target the minority alliance, even if they are integral to the success of the group? If someone is struggling and lagging, do you leave them behind so you can race to the top? With each individual having money in their backpack, cutting someone out might mean you lose out on that money.
The Summit pits physical and mental strength against one another in a manner that has rarely been explored this way. The physical feats cause immense mind games, and then the twists of the game cause the trekkers’ minds to move in another direction. There’s a battle of man versus man, man versus nature, and man versus self. The exploration of watching all three intertwine in a reality competition is exhilarating. The Summit airs Wednesdays at 9:30pm on CBS. All episodes of The Summit are available to stream on Paramount+.
The Summit
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