It happens every few seasons without fail... Someone is playing a great game on their original tribe and then BAM, along comes the tribe swap and their game falls apart and they are promptly voted out. Occasionally this player will even be a lead contender to win the whole game. Today I bring to you the Top 15 Survivor Swap Victims. I consider a swap victim to be someone that was directly negatively effected by the swap, but also someone that was seen as having a lot of potential, up until the swap.
#15 Misty Giles (Survivor: Panama)
Although not a lead strategic player by any means Misty was very likable and playing a decent social game in the very early portions of Panama but along came the very early tribe swap and although her tribe won the first immunity challenge, once they went to tribal council Misty was promptly voted out. She is not higher because who knows how long she would have lasted on her original tribe and she was not the best player, but I do see her as a swap victim, nonetheless.
#14 Michaela Bradshaw (Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X)
For most of the pre-merge of our latest season, MvGX Michaela was not only the most entertaining player, she was also playing the best game strategically and physically. The surprise 2 tribe to 3 tribe swap left Michaela on the "Angkor" of MvGX. However, they defied all odds and built a great new camp and won the first two post-swap immunity challenges, thanks in large part to Michaela. Once they did go to tribal Jay saw an opportunity to oust the biggest threat in the game and Michaela was #blindsided. She would be higher because we cannot prove that this would not have happened on the Millennial tribe however I'm not too sure it would have so I do see her as a swap victim.
#13 Max Dawson (Survivor: Worlds Apart)
Max would be higher on this list if it wasn't his original tribemates that blindsided him immediately after the swap. Max & Shirin were already isolating themselves on the White Collar tribe and could have easily been ousted there had there not been a swap but as soon as the swap came around Carolyn saw an opportunity to use new blood and blindside annoying Max.
#12 Cliff Robinson (Survivor: Cagayan)
Similarly to Max, Cliff was blindsided by his own former tribemates right after the swap when Tony & Trish saw an opportunity to take out a huge threat. However, Cliff is slightly higher as he was playing a slightly better game than Max, especially socially.
#11 Richard Hatch (Survivor: All Stars)
When the very first winner returned in All Stars he had a massive target on his back and the argument can be made that he would have been ousted sooner or later anyway, however he is ahead of some other people on this list because Jerri, someone that started on an opposing tribe, led the charge to take Hatch out immediately after the swap. Yes, a swap victim.
#10 Jeff Varner (Survivor: Cambodia)
Varner is a fairly classic swap victim in that he was playing a fantastic game as a lead strategizer on the Ta Keo tribe and then once he was put on the doomed-from-the-start Angkor tribe he lost his power and was voted out. He was immediately on the outs on Angkor however is not higher on this list because Peih-Gee was voted out before him. Nonetheless, most definitely a swap victim.
#9 Alexis Maxwell (Survivor: Cagayan)
Alexis was in the majority on the Beauty tribe with LJ and Jefra and then the tribe swap happened and the first time that the new Solana tribe went to tribal council Alexis was promptly voted out. This is the most classic swap victim yet on this list but Alexis is not higher as she was never much of a player.
#8 Gina Crews (Survivor: Marquesas)
Similar to Varner, Gina was in a great position on her original tribe and playing a powerful game but got ousted the second time her tribe went to tribal post-swap. Gina is higher than Varner (and Alexis) because she would have been gone the first time they went to tribal if they didn't have to get rid of huge liability Sarah.
#7 Kelley Wentworth (Survivor: San Juan del Sur)
Now we are really getting into big time swap victims that could have been major players...if they hadn't been swap victims. Kelley Wentworth was playing a decent game pre-swap SJDS but then became a swap victim immediately after the swap when Jon & Jaclyn decided to go with Missy & Baylor. Would be even higher if she had been playing an even harder game pre-swap.
#6 Joel Anderson (Survivor: Micronesia)
Joel was completely leading the original Airai Tribe on Micronesia and looked set to at least make the merge. Alllllllllong comes the tribe swap and power-hungry Tracy & Ami and Joel was the first post-swap boot. Although he was playing way way harder than Wentworth pre-swap Joel is not higher than he is because he was seen as an alpha male, that was going to have to go at some point.
#5 Travis "Bubba" Sampson (Survivor: Vanuatu)
Bubba's story is very similar to Joel's. He was a tribe-leading alpha male in the pre-swap days of Vanuatu but then was immediately ousted at the swap, by eventual winner Chris. Totally a swap victim, and a little higher than Joel because he was playing a better social game and would have had a slightly better chance of winning.
#4 Jerri Manthey (Survivor: All Stars)
In a season full of tarnished legacies Jerri is one player that actually redeemed her legacy in All Stars playing a more strategic and much better social game than her first go round. This led to her being in a good position for most of the pre-merge game until right after the second tribe swap when Lex kept his deal with Rob to save Amber and therefore eliminated Jerri. Given that Jerri was the last pre-merge boot and she was not a huge physical threat, who knows how far she could have gone if she wasn't a swap victim.
#3 Silas Gaither (Survivor: Africa)
Silas was in the best position possible on the original Samburu Tribe and was getting a huge edit that people were pegging him as a leading threat to win. He was tearing up the challenges, playing a brilliant social game and also thinking strategically. Truly a nearly perfect old school game. Enter a tribe swap and power-hungry Frank and BAM, Silas is gone.
#2 Aaron Reisberger (Survivor: China)
Aaron, like Silas, was playing a great game and in a great position pre-swap and many people were pegging him as a potential winner. Then along comes the swap and Peih-Gee "Make a Move" Law and Aaron is history. Many people were hoping he would be considered for Second Chance but it was not to be. Aaron is slightly higher than Silas because he was playing more strategically.
#1 Anna Khait (Survivor: Kaoh Rong)
People may holler recency bias here but I firmly believe that Anna is the biggest swap victim in Survivor history. Anna was completely leading the unstoppable Beauty tribe and had Michele and Julia in her back pocket as well as alliances with Tai and Caleb. Once Caleb was evacuated the girls controlled the vote and had their been no swap Anna would have sailed smoothly all the way to the merge and likely way beyond. Her edit and gameplay were both so very strong that a majority of Survivor fans were tapping Anna as the winner. Along comes the swap and new blood and she was the first post-swap boot. If that is not the definition of a swap victim, I don't know what is so yes, recent or not, I consider Anna the biggest swap victim in history.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Monday, December 19, 2016
The Age-Old Debate: Who is the best Survivor player?
It dates back to Season 1 when unlikable Richard Hatch beat fan favorites Rudy Boesch and Kelly Wiglesworth at the end of Survivor: Borneo. Yes, I am talking about the debate of who is the best Survivor player. It's something a lot of Survivor Super-Fans love to debate, and often disagree about.
There is a list of 5 or 6 names that are often tossed around as the best players but more times than not one particular player lands at the very top. That player is Sandra Diaz-Twine, the only two-time winner in Survivor history. In fact, Sandra is "2 for 2" having played twice and won twice. That is a legitimate case for a Sandra advocate to argue as to why she HAS to be considered the best. Here is my counteracting viewpoint:
#1 A "1 for 1" player has the same 100% record
I have heard Sandra advocates say "she's the only player with an 100% record". Well I'm sorry but that's not true. Many Survivor winners are one time players and they also have an 100% record. YES, "2 for 2" is more impressive than "1 for 1" but a very good one-time player, one-time winner like Kim Spradlin could come back and do it again. Also, neither of Sandra's wins are as impressive single-games as several one-time players, one-time winners including people like Tony Vlachos.
#2 A lot of luck went into Sandra's wins
Sandra is a weak physical competitor and has never won an individual immunity challenge. She uses that stat to her advantage saying in the Heroes vs Villains FTC that she "never hid behind the shield of the necklace". However I say that physical weakness is a game liability and physically weak competitors are often voted out early. Sandra got very LUCKY to start both times on dominating tribes that won the first several immunity challenges, had she been on the other tribes, she could have been ousted early both times. Also, she got lucky with a bitter jury in HvV:
#3 The jury made the wrong decision in Heroes vs Villains
As I stated this spring in an article defending Michele Fitzgerald's Survivor: Kaoh Rong victory I stated that I very rarely think the jury makes the "wrong" decision. The entire objective of the game of Survivor is to get to Day 39 and get enough votes from the jury. If you succeed, almost always, you are the best player that season. When discussing controversial jury decisions like the one in Kaoh Rong I am almost always on the side of the winner because the winner succeeded, the runner-up did not. It's as simple as that. However, in a very unusual set of circumstances, I believe that the HvV jury made the flat out wrong decision. Russell was never going to win and shouldn't have won that season. However, between Parvati and Sandra you had a stark contrast of player and follower. Of challenge beast and challenge dud. Of double-idol player and idol mis-user. Of leader and goat. And you had an all-returnee jury that SHOULD have respected big moves. Yet the follower, challenge dud, idol mis-user goat won. Okay, okay, maybe I'm being a bit hard on Sandra here. Maybe her game wasn't that bad. But it was bad enough and coupled with the fact that she was against the person that had just played the single best game in Survivor history, it was a wrong decision. Even more than half the jury admitted to it later.
#4 Parvati Shallow
As I laid out in reason #3, Parvati should have won Heroes vs Villains. If so, coming off a win in Micronesia, SHE would be the only two-time winner. Therefore, in my unofficial mind, she IS the two-time winner. And she is the single best player in Survivor history, hands down, far and away. The End.
There is a list of 5 or 6 names that are often tossed around as the best players but more times than not one particular player lands at the very top. That player is Sandra Diaz-Twine, the only two-time winner in Survivor history. In fact, Sandra is "2 for 2" having played twice and won twice. That is a legitimate case for a Sandra advocate to argue as to why she HAS to be considered the best. Here is my counteracting viewpoint:
#1 A "1 for 1" player has the same 100% record
I have heard Sandra advocates say "she's the only player with an 100% record". Well I'm sorry but that's not true. Many Survivor winners are one time players and they also have an 100% record. YES, "2 for 2" is more impressive than "1 for 1" but a very good one-time player, one-time winner like Kim Spradlin could come back and do it again. Also, neither of Sandra's wins are as impressive single-games as several one-time players, one-time winners including people like Tony Vlachos.
#2 A lot of luck went into Sandra's wins
Sandra is a weak physical competitor and has never won an individual immunity challenge. She uses that stat to her advantage saying in the Heroes vs Villains FTC that she "never hid behind the shield of the necklace". However I say that physical weakness is a game liability and physically weak competitors are often voted out early. Sandra got very LUCKY to start both times on dominating tribes that won the first several immunity challenges, had she been on the other tribes, she could have been ousted early both times. Also, she got lucky with a bitter jury in HvV:
#3 The jury made the wrong decision in Heroes vs Villains
As I stated this spring in an article defending Michele Fitzgerald's Survivor: Kaoh Rong victory I stated that I very rarely think the jury makes the "wrong" decision. The entire objective of the game of Survivor is to get to Day 39 and get enough votes from the jury. If you succeed, almost always, you are the best player that season. When discussing controversial jury decisions like the one in Kaoh Rong I am almost always on the side of the winner because the winner succeeded, the runner-up did not. It's as simple as that. However, in a very unusual set of circumstances, I believe that the HvV jury made the flat out wrong decision. Russell was never going to win and shouldn't have won that season. However, between Parvati and Sandra you had a stark contrast of player and follower. Of challenge beast and challenge dud. Of double-idol player and idol mis-user. Of leader and goat. And you had an all-returnee jury that SHOULD have respected big moves. Yet the follower, challenge dud, idol mis-user goat won. Okay, okay, maybe I'm being a bit hard on Sandra here. Maybe her game wasn't that bad. But it was bad enough and coupled with the fact that she was against the person that had just played the single best game in Survivor history, it was a wrong decision. Even more than half the jury admitted to it later.
#4 Parvati Shallow
As I laid out in reason #3, Parvati should have won Heroes vs Villains. If so, coming off a win in Micronesia, SHE would be the only two-time winner. Therefore, in my unofficial mind, she IS the two-time winner. And she is the single best player in Survivor history, hands down, far and away. The End.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Survivor: Game Changers cast--person by person
Season 34 is just around the corner and it is going to be Survivor: Game Changers--Mamanuca Islands! The theme and partial cast were revealed during the Millennials vs Gen X reunion. Martin Holmes, Redmond as he is usually referred as in the Survivor community has spoiled the entire cast. I am extremely excited for the fourth-ever all returnee season especially after the huge success of Cambodia. The theme, Game Changers, is a bit vague and probably was coined just because production didn't want a boring title like Survivor: All Stars 2 which would probably be a little more accurate. A few of these people aren't really "Game Changers" but whatever, the name of the season is just that, a name.
Now for the important part, let's look at the cast:
Andrea Boehlke from Survivor: Redemption Island and Survivor: Caramoan
Seeing Andrea back definitely excites me. She was a good player and brought some exciting life to the game. A third appearance does not seem like they are "over highlighting" her and especially towards the end of Caramoan she revved up her game and her story seems unfinished. She also shouldn't be a huge target and I could see her doing quite well.
Brad Culpepper from Survivor: Blood vs Water
Production loves the Culpeppers and I am not surprised Brad is back. Even though he only lasted a relatively short time in BvW he was certainly memorable. I am not a huge Culpepper fan and Monica was my favorite half of the duo but Brad will certainly be a unique person in this cast and may add a good villain to cheer against. I definitely doubt Brad's ability to play a good enough social game to win or even go much further than he did last time.
Aubry Bracco from Survivor: Kaoh Rong
Super excited to see Aubry back so soon. She played a fantastic game in Kaoh Rong and was a fan (and my own) favorite. I definitely think she could go deep again as she has good strategy, is good enough in challenges to not be a sure-fire pre-merge target but not so good that she will "have to go out" at the merge. I do doubt her ability to win if she couldn't in Kaoh Rong, but never say never.
Caleb Reynolds from Surivor: Kaoh Rong
I am soooo glad the production went ahead with bringing Caleb back so soon. He was really playing VERY well up until his heroic (and scary) medevac and his story is certainly unfinished. We don't know enough about him to make any assumptions as to whether or not he could win, but he is a very likable castaway. Of course, he literally put his life on the line to play Survivor so he could be seen as a target. I hope he won't be.
Tai Trang from Survivor: Kaoh Rong
Caleb's bro Tai is back as well and I am also happy about that! The 51 year old gay gardener fan-favorite beat all odds and made it to the FTC in Kaoh Rong where he, unfortunately, was the No-Vote Getter of the season. He had a bit of a bumpy social game and was probably seen as a flipper, but he at least came to "play" the game. Like Aubry, I doubt his ability to win if he couldn't in Kaoh Rong, but I am super glad to see him back to play again.
Michaela Bradshaw from Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X
No offense Adam and David, Michaela was the STAR of MvGX! The MvGX pre-merge was a bit of a snooze fest and the only thing that saved it was this woman right here. She is hilarious, a challenge BEAST, and awfully good at strategy too. Yes, a triple threat. And I hope, hope, hope and pray that that's not what she will be seen as because Game Changers will be so much better if Michaela goes deep.
Zeke Smith from Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X
Zeke was probably the best post-merge player in MvGX. My nickname for that cast was "The Dumb Game Changers" because the majority of them came to play, but made as many dumb moves as they did smart moves. That was not the case for Zeke who played strategically, was almost always in the majority of a vote and even convinced former enemies to go to rocks for him. He's also funny and entertaining however he is not one of my very favorites of this cast. Could he win? Yes, if he's not a target, which in this cast I don't think he will be.
Ciera Eastin from Survivor: Blood vs Water and Survivor: Cambodia
OK, I don't need to tell you how EXCITED I am to see Ciera back again. Ciera Eastin is my all time favorite Survivor player and that is because she is a PLAYER. Her first two big moves on her Survivor resume were voting out her mom and causing the second rock draw in Survivor history. Her second go round was just as impressive, controlling every vote post-merge until she was ousted by an idol. This woman deserves a Survivor victory on her resume! I am CROSSING my fingers for Ciera Eastin, winner of Survivor: Game Changers. Could it happen? Heck yes, but only if she's not a target (see a pattern here?)
Cirie Fields from Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: Heroes vs Villains
OK, here is another player that DESERVES a win. Hands down, far and away, in my opinion, Cirie Fields is the best player to never win Survivor and I am so happy she is getting a fourth shot and joining the elite league of soon-to-be-four four-time players. Can she win, finally? I do have my doubts. She is not physically strong and is a huge strategic mastermind so could be an early target. Gosh, I hope I'm wrong.
Ozzy Lusth from Survivor: Cook Islands, Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: South Pacific
Ozzy joins Cirie as one of the new fourth-time players. I have never been the hugest Ozzy fan but as probably the best physical competitor in Survivor history, I can't say I'm disappointed to see him return and he definitely deserves his fourth shot. As a challenge beast, his strategy was severely lacking in the Cooks and Micronesia but it picked up in South Pacific including the brilliant move, and risk (and you know I love Survivor risk-takers!) to send himself to Redemption Island. Can he win? I definitely have my doubts. He should be a late pre-merge target due to his challenge prowess, but never say never with this guy!
Sandra Diaz-Twine from Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs Villains
Post-Pearl Islands Sandra was seen as a typical old-school Survivor winner with a unique strategy but overall unmemorable. Fast forward 13 seasons and she wins the game again in Heroes vs Villains proving that you can win Survivor twice. There is a legit case to be argued that she has the best record ever and is therefore the best player ever, though I think luck has been a big part of her wins and that there are better players. Regardless, even though I am not the biggest Sandra fan, I am thrilled to see her back for a third time and see how she can do. Like Cirie, I expect she will be an early target but it would be interesting if I'm wrong.
Tony Vlachos from Survivor: Cagayan
In Cagayan Tony changed the way Survivor is played by being the first person to ever win with ultra-aggressive game play. He was a blast to watch in action building spy shacks, talking llama and finding idols left right and center! The string of post-merge blindsides were all orchestrated by Tony and once it was all said and done including his nearly unanimous 8-1 victory I named him the second best winner in Survivor history. I am thrilled that he is returning to play again but unfortunately he is another that I fear could be an early target.
J.T. Thomas from Survivor: Tocantins and Survivor: Heroes vs Villains
Our third and final winner of this cast, J.T. played a brilliant social game in Tocantins but was a bit of a "one trick pony" as his ally Fishbach did most of the strategizing and he also never won many challenges. When J.T. returned in Heroes vs Villains he made a huge play by giving Russell the idol which made him look like a dumb player but if it had worked out he would have been considered brilliant. I've never been the biggest J.T., Tocantins or Heroes tribe fan so really didn't need to see him back but given that he is not as good of a player as Sandra or Tony I see him going the farthest of all the winners. Heck, I wouldn't be shocked if he won again. God I hope not because if so we'll have two two time winners that I'm not a fan of.
Hali Ford from Survivor: Worlds Apart
Hali is an interesting choice for this season and not one I can say I'm against. Hali was never the biggest "player" in Worlds Apart but she was a great "no collar" spirit and added a whole lot of positive energy to a season seemingly filled with negative characters. Now that she is a couple years older with more life experience, I think she could be a decent player. Also, the young female "why is she here?" character has done extremely well in returnee seasons in the past (Amber in All Stars, Parvati in Micronesia, Kelley Wentworth in Cambodia) and Hali certainly fits this demographic. Yes, you heard it here first, Hali Ford is a legitimate threat to win this season.
Sierra Dawn Thomas from Survivor: Worlds Apart
I am a bit perplexed as to why production chose to bring back two versions of the same person for this season. I know you know what I'm talking about. Sierra is very similar to Hali in that she was an under-the-radar but likable player in Worlds Apart. Sierra also fits the young female "why is she here?" that always does well demographic and is also a leading threat to go deep or win. I think she even has a bit more potential than Hali in that she was a bit more game savvy her first time and is better in challenges.
Sarah Lacina from Survivor: Cagayan
Sarah is also a bit of a surprising choice for this season but she definitely showed a lot of game potential up until she got WAY too wishy-washy at the merge. I think the reason production is bringing her back is the potential for fireworks with her and Tony back together. Sarah does not fit the typical mold for the Hali/Sierra type player though will be WAY under the radar given this cast loaded with big names. Could easily go deep.
Troyzan Robertson from Survivor: One World
I am thrilled to finally see Troyzan back to play the game again after being ROBBED of a spot on Cambodia! Troyzan was quite a character in the female-dominated One World and I HOPE to God we get to hear "This is MY ISLAND!" again on Game Changers. I'm not sure where to put Troyzan on this cast in terms of how well I think he'll do. This is a cast FULL of gamers and potential gamers; Troyzan is more of a character. Somewhere around the merge is my prediction.
Jeff Varner from Survivor: The Australian Outback and Survivor: Cambodia
I was thrilled to see Varner back on Cambodia and am thrilled to see him back again for Game Changers! I could actually see him and Troyzan aligning as Varner is definitely a "character" type but he showed us in his short time in Cambodia that he is most certainly also a gamer. I absolutely adore Varner and hope he can finally make the merge, at least. I think the odds are decent with this cast of big names.
Debbie Wanner from Surivor: Kaoh Rong
Speaking of characters Debbie is a CHARACTER! I think that she'll add a little bit of "fun" into this season which I'm looking forward to. She also played surprisingly well during the pre-merge of Kaoh Rong and it wouldn't shock me to see her become a bit of a gamer. I think her goofiness will get the best of her again and I don't see her going much beyond where she went last time. Let's hope she lasts that long though, just for the entertainment value!
Malcolm Freberg from Survivor: Philippines and Survivor: Caramoan
I've never been the hugest Malcolm fan and am a bit like "whatever" about his returning. Ever sense the massive success of Ozzy production has been trying to "recreate" Ozzy almost every season with Malcolm (now 3 time player), Joe (2 time player) and Jay (1 time player but most recent season). Of those three I actually think I like Jay the most but am not a big fan of any of them. They seem to have a great track record of getting to the Final 4-8 so that's what I'm going to predict for Malcolm in Game Changers.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Well, we got one heck of a great cast. The fact that more than half (17 of 33) of all the seasons are represented is just phenomenal. The mix of people is also great. I honestly could not applaud production more for pulling off this season with this cast (OK, maybe it would be better without J.T. and Malcolm). As I'm sure you can tell I am all around EXCITED for this season! It premieres on March 8th. Counting down the days...
Winner Pick: Of course it is so hard to pick a winner pre-season but I will take a stab in the dark and go with the sterotypical returnee season demographic favorite. Sierra Dawn Thomas. You heard it here first!
Now for the important part, let's look at the cast:
Andrea Boehlke from Survivor: Redemption Island and Survivor: Caramoan
Seeing Andrea back definitely excites me. She was a good player and brought some exciting life to the game. A third appearance does not seem like they are "over highlighting" her and especially towards the end of Caramoan she revved up her game and her story seems unfinished. She also shouldn't be a huge target and I could see her doing quite well.
Brad Culpepper from Survivor: Blood vs Water
Production loves the Culpeppers and I am not surprised Brad is back. Even though he only lasted a relatively short time in BvW he was certainly memorable. I am not a huge Culpepper fan and Monica was my favorite half of the duo but Brad will certainly be a unique person in this cast and may add a good villain to cheer against. I definitely doubt Brad's ability to play a good enough social game to win or even go much further than he did last time.
Aubry Bracco from Survivor: Kaoh Rong
Super excited to see Aubry back so soon. She played a fantastic game in Kaoh Rong and was a fan (and my own) favorite. I definitely think she could go deep again as she has good strategy, is good enough in challenges to not be a sure-fire pre-merge target but not so good that she will "have to go out" at the merge. I do doubt her ability to win if she couldn't in Kaoh Rong, but never say never.
Caleb Reynolds from Surivor: Kaoh Rong
I am soooo glad the production went ahead with bringing Caleb back so soon. He was really playing VERY well up until his heroic (and scary) medevac and his story is certainly unfinished. We don't know enough about him to make any assumptions as to whether or not he could win, but he is a very likable castaway. Of course, he literally put his life on the line to play Survivor so he could be seen as a target. I hope he won't be.
Tai Trang from Survivor: Kaoh Rong
Caleb's bro Tai is back as well and I am also happy about that! The 51 year old gay gardener fan-favorite beat all odds and made it to the FTC in Kaoh Rong where he, unfortunately, was the No-Vote Getter of the season. He had a bit of a bumpy social game and was probably seen as a flipper, but he at least came to "play" the game. Like Aubry, I doubt his ability to win if he couldn't in Kaoh Rong, but I am super glad to see him back to play again.
Michaela Bradshaw from Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X
No offense Adam and David, Michaela was the STAR of MvGX! The MvGX pre-merge was a bit of a snooze fest and the only thing that saved it was this woman right here. She is hilarious, a challenge BEAST, and awfully good at strategy too. Yes, a triple threat. And I hope, hope, hope and pray that that's not what she will be seen as because Game Changers will be so much better if Michaela goes deep.
Zeke Smith from Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X
Zeke was probably the best post-merge player in MvGX. My nickname for that cast was "The Dumb Game Changers" because the majority of them came to play, but made as many dumb moves as they did smart moves. That was not the case for Zeke who played strategically, was almost always in the majority of a vote and even convinced former enemies to go to rocks for him. He's also funny and entertaining however he is not one of my very favorites of this cast. Could he win? Yes, if he's not a target, which in this cast I don't think he will be.
Ciera Eastin from Survivor: Blood vs Water and Survivor: Cambodia
OK, I don't need to tell you how EXCITED I am to see Ciera back again. Ciera Eastin is my all time favorite Survivor player and that is because she is a PLAYER. Her first two big moves on her Survivor resume were voting out her mom and causing the second rock draw in Survivor history. Her second go round was just as impressive, controlling every vote post-merge until she was ousted by an idol. This woman deserves a Survivor victory on her resume! I am CROSSING my fingers for Ciera Eastin, winner of Survivor: Game Changers. Could it happen? Heck yes, but only if she's not a target (see a pattern here?)
Cirie Fields from Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: Heroes vs Villains
OK, here is another player that DESERVES a win. Hands down, far and away, in my opinion, Cirie Fields is the best player to never win Survivor and I am so happy she is getting a fourth shot and joining the elite league of soon-to-be-four four-time players. Can she win, finally? I do have my doubts. She is not physically strong and is a huge strategic mastermind so could be an early target. Gosh, I hope I'm wrong.
Ozzy Lusth from Survivor: Cook Islands, Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: South Pacific
Ozzy joins Cirie as one of the new fourth-time players. I have never been the hugest Ozzy fan but as probably the best physical competitor in Survivor history, I can't say I'm disappointed to see him return and he definitely deserves his fourth shot. As a challenge beast, his strategy was severely lacking in the Cooks and Micronesia but it picked up in South Pacific including the brilliant move, and risk (and you know I love Survivor risk-takers!) to send himself to Redemption Island. Can he win? I definitely have my doubts. He should be a late pre-merge target due to his challenge prowess, but never say never with this guy!
Sandra Diaz-Twine from Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs Villains
Post-Pearl Islands Sandra was seen as a typical old-school Survivor winner with a unique strategy but overall unmemorable. Fast forward 13 seasons and she wins the game again in Heroes vs Villains proving that you can win Survivor twice. There is a legit case to be argued that she has the best record ever and is therefore the best player ever, though I think luck has been a big part of her wins and that there are better players. Regardless, even though I am not the biggest Sandra fan, I am thrilled to see her back for a third time and see how she can do. Like Cirie, I expect she will be an early target but it would be interesting if I'm wrong.
Tony Vlachos from Survivor: Cagayan
In Cagayan Tony changed the way Survivor is played by being the first person to ever win with ultra-aggressive game play. He was a blast to watch in action building spy shacks, talking llama and finding idols left right and center! The string of post-merge blindsides were all orchestrated by Tony and once it was all said and done including his nearly unanimous 8-1 victory I named him the second best winner in Survivor history. I am thrilled that he is returning to play again but unfortunately he is another that I fear could be an early target.
J.T. Thomas from Survivor: Tocantins and Survivor: Heroes vs Villains
Our third and final winner of this cast, J.T. played a brilliant social game in Tocantins but was a bit of a "one trick pony" as his ally Fishbach did most of the strategizing and he also never won many challenges. When J.T. returned in Heroes vs Villains he made a huge play by giving Russell the idol which made him look like a dumb player but if it had worked out he would have been considered brilliant. I've never been the biggest J.T., Tocantins or Heroes tribe fan so really didn't need to see him back but given that he is not as good of a player as Sandra or Tony I see him going the farthest of all the winners. Heck, I wouldn't be shocked if he won again. God I hope not because if so we'll have two two time winners that I'm not a fan of.
Hali Ford from Survivor: Worlds Apart
Hali is an interesting choice for this season and not one I can say I'm against. Hali was never the biggest "player" in Worlds Apart but she was a great "no collar" spirit and added a whole lot of positive energy to a season seemingly filled with negative characters. Now that she is a couple years older with more life experience, I think she could be a decent player. Also, the young female "why is she here?" character has done extremely well in returnee seasons in the past (Amber in All Stars, Parvati in Micronesia, Kelley Wentworth in Cambodia) and Hali certainly fits this demographic. Yes, you heard it here first, Hali Ford is a legitimate threat to win this season.
Sierra Dawn Thomas from Survivor: Worlds Apart
I am a bit perplexed as to why production chose to bring back two versions of the same person for this season. I know you know what I'm talking about. Sierra is very similar to Hali in that she was an under-the-radar but likable player in Worlds Apart. Sierra also fits the young female "why is she here?" that always does well demographic and is also a leading threat to go deep or win. I think she even has a bit more potential than Hali in that she was a bit more game savvy her first time and is better in challenges.
Sarah Lacina from Survivor: Cagayan
Sarah is also a bit of a surprising choice for this season but she definitely showed a lot of game potential up until she got WAY too wishy-washy at the merge. I think the reason production is bringing her back is the potential for fireworks with her and Tony back together. Sarah does not fit the typical mold for the Hali/Sierra type player though will be WAY under the radar given this cast loaded with big names. Could easily go deep.
Troyzan Robertson from Survivor: One World
I am thrilled to finally see Troyzan back to play the game again after being ROBBED of a spot on Cambodia! Troyzan was quite a character in the female-dominated One World and I HOPE to God we get to hear "This is MY ISLAND!" again on Game Changers. I'm not sure where to put Troyzan on this cast in terms of how well I think he'll do. This is a cast FULL of gamers and potential gamers; Troyzan is more of a character. Somewhere around the merge is my prediction.
Jeff Varner from Survivor: The Australian Outback and Survivor: Cambodia
I was thrilled to see Varner back on Cambodia and am thrilled to see him back again for Game Changers! I could actually see him and Troyzan aligning as Varner is definitely a "character" type but he showed us in his short time in Cambodia that he is most certainly also a gamer. I absolutely adore Varner and hope he can finally make the merge, at least. I think the odds are decent with this cast of big names.
Debbie Wanner from Surivor: Kaoh Rong
Speaking of characters Debbie is a CHARACTER! I think that she'll add a little bit of "fun" into this season which I'm looking forward to. She also played surprisingly well during the pre-merge of Kaoh Rong and it wouldn't shock me to see her become a bit of a gamer. I think her goofiness will get the best of her again and I don't see her going much beyond where she went last time. Let's hope she lasts that long though, just for the entertainment value!
Malcolm Freberg from Survivor: Philippines and Survivor: Caramoan
I've never been the hugest Malcolm fan and am a bit like "whatever" about his returning. Ever sense the massive success of Ozzy production has been trying to "recreate" Ozzy almost every season with Malcolm (now 3 time player), Joe (2 time player) and Jay (1 time player but most recent season). Of those three I actually think I like Jay the most but am not a big fan of any of them. They seem to have a great track record of getting to the Final 4-8 so that's what I'm going to predict for Malcolm in Game Changers.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Well, we got one heck of a great cast. The fact that more than half (17 of 33) of all the seasons are represented is just phenomenal. The mix of people is also great. I honestly could not applaud production more for pulling off this season with this cast (OK, maybe it would be better without J.T. and Malcolm). As I'm sure you can tell I am all around EXCITED for this season! It premieres on March 8th. Counting down the days...
Winner Pick: Of course it is so hard to pick a winner pre-season but I will take a stab in the dark and go with the sterotypical returnee season demographic favorite. Sierra Dawn Thomas. You heard it here first!
Friday, December 16, 2016
Survivor Winners Ranked 31st-1st UPDATED post-MvGX
Through 33 seasons of Survivor we have seen 32 different winning games
get awarded with $1 million checks. Having not watched Survivor: Palau
and Survivor: Guatemala, please below find my rankings of the 31 other
winning games, 31st-1st!
31st) Natalie White (Survivor: Samoa)
As I touched on in a recent essay, I generally believe that the best finalist wins the season. Survivor is about finding a way to get to the end while still having an impressive enough resume to win and having enough relationships with the jury members to make them want to award you a million dollars. If someone gets to the end and earns the jury respect, they have pretty much done that. However, once in a GREAT while I believe the jury makes the flat out WRONG decision. Yes, Samoa jury, I'm looking at you. Russell didn't play the best social game. I understand that. Yet he did play one of the best strategic games in Survivor history. Add in the fact that he was next to someone that should be considered one of the biggest goats ever, yes, in my opinion, the jury did make the wrong decision. Natalie was a goat that did not deserve to win a million dollars but did. For that she IMHO earns the title of worst winner in Survivor history.
30th) Bob Crowley (Survivor: Gabon)
Bob definitely did more than Natalie and although I would not have voted for him if I was on the Gabon jury (I believe that Sugar played the best game that season) I do not believe he is an "unworthy" winner. Kudos to him for being so old yet doing so well in challenges and creating an impressive fake idol, but that's about it. Overall unmemorable and lackluster, which to me speaks for most of the Gabon cast.
29th) Tina Wesson (Survivor: The Australian Outback)
I am almost certainly in the minority of Survivor fans ranking Tina this low. Her performance in Blood vs Water was impressive but in Australia she coasted along on her social game but had essentially no strategy and no physical prowess. Her social game was not OUTSTANDING either, just solid. If I had been on the Australia jury I would have voted for Colby. Moving on.
28th) Aras Baskauskas (Survivor: Panama)
Ahh, the first winner on this list that I would have actually voted for to win! He was certainly better than Danielle, but that is not saying a whole lot. He was carried along by Cirie for most of the game and his main resume point is "beating Terry" but it was actually Danielle that won that final immunity challenge. Cirie or Terry would have been much worthier winners of Panama, but alas they did not make FTC.
27th) Jenna Morasca (Survivor: The Amazon)
Jenna flirted and then won her way to the top which has to be commended but the fact is Heidi and Cesternino did most of the strategizing in The Amazon and Jenna was along for the ride for most of the game. C- strategy, B social, A- physical. In a tough crowd, that lands you 27th spot.
26th) Ethan Zohn (Survivor: Africa)
Ethan played an incredible social game, did well physically but was carried by Lex strategically. Certainly deserved to beat Kim Johnson at the FTC but it is a real shame that Lex did not make the FTC as he would have been a much worthier winner.
25th) Sophie Clarke (Survivor: South Pacific)
Another situation where I would have voted for a different person, however that does not mean Sophie played a bad game. She was a Coach follower strategically 100%, did not play a brilliant social game but was decent physically including BEATING OZZY. That is certainly enough to consider her a "worthy winner", just not one of the best ones.
24th) Amber Brkich (Survivor: All Stars)
A lot of fans consider Amber to be at the bottom of the rankings with Natalie White but I strongly disagree. Amber played a very good social game playing Rob and knowing when to let him call the shots, won a couple challenges and had some underrated strategy (the Cesternino vote out was her idea). Yes, Rob dominated strategically and I probably would have voted for him but by no means is Amber a goat and she is a worthy winner.
23rd) Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor: Pearl Islands)
Most people would now never rank a Sandra performance this low but when ranking individual games you have to remember what her reputation was pre-Heroes vs Villains. Her "anyone but me" strategy was valid but in the Pearls she did not play a great social game and she is squat in the challenges.
22nd) Vecepia Towery (Survivor: Marquesas)
Vee played a VERY good social game in Marquesas but Kathy dominated strategically and physically and also played a good social game. Another case of "last boot should have won" but of course Vecepia deserved to beat Neleh.
21st) Earl Cole (Survivor: Fiji)
Earl certainly deserved to beat Cassandra and Dreamz but Fiji is ANOTHER case of "last boot should have won". Yau-Man dominated physically and strategically and both Yau and Earl played great social games. Not a goat, but a follower for most of the season.
20th) Jud "Fabio" Birza (Survivor: Nicaragua)
I am probably in the minority ranking Fabio this high but I loved him, thought he played a great game and was a worthy winner. His "goofiness" was a legit STRATEGY, he had some other underrated strategy and was quite decent physically. Certainly not one of the best but by no means one of the worst winners.
19th) Natalie Anderson (Survivor: San Juan del Sur)
We are now really in the group of winners that deserved to win, played very good games and was the best player in the FTC (and usually, the season). Natalie is no exception. Despite a quiet start appearing to be a Jeremy pawn, she really kicked it into gear mid-season and dominated strategically, socially and physically. Would be higher if she had played at such a high level all season.
18th) Chris Daughtery (Survivor: Vanuatu)
Chris started out slow, performing poorly in challenges and following Bubba and Sarge but sped up at the end of the game winning challenges and manipulating the women (Twila, Leann and Scout) to turn on the other women (Ami, Eliza and Julie) which was VERY impressive. Chris also made some other subtle moves (convincing Twila to be hostile towards the jury was brilliant). He was certainly a worthy winner and deserves all the credit he gets but we cannot ignore that he was a bit of a "one trick pony" and that is why he is not higher than he is on this list.
17th) J.T. Thomas (Survivor: Tocantins)
J.T. certainly played a masterful social game and has to be commended for playing the first ever "perfect game" in Survivor history but like Chris he was a bit of a one trick pony in that he was surprisingly weak physically and Fishbach did most of the strategizing. Certainly a worthy winner just not one of the best.
16th) Brian Heidik (Survivor: Thailand)
Brian is yet another winner that fits the mold of a very talented "one trick pony". His strategic game was, arguably, the best we had seen up to that point in Survivor history but his physical game was lackluster and his social game had its huge flaws (that's why Clay ALMOST beat him).
15th) Michele Fitzgerald (Survivor: Kaoh Rong)
Following Michele's win there was a lot of backlash about how Aubry should have won and people were even comparing her to Natalie White. That could not be farther from true. Michele played a very good game and was a very well-rounded player with a very good social game, 4 individual challenge wins (more than anyone else in Kaoh Rong) and some underrated strategy including voting out her best friend. The case could be made that she should be higher than this but for now she sits here, in the top half of winners and beating out some big names. UPDATED RANKING: Michele drops two spots as Todd climbs one (see Todd's entry) and Adam joins the ranks of winners.
14th) Adam Klein (Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X) (new entry)
Our latest winner played a wonderful game in MvGX balancing shrewd strategy with relationship building and challenge wins as well as a great FTC performance which led him to a 10-0-0 jury sweep. Adam would be even higher if he had been more of a "leader" driving the direction of the season, and/or if he could have one against more people. The fact is that David (Final 4 boot) or Jay (Final 6 boot) could have probably beaten Adam at the FTC. Nonetheless, a very worthy inclusion in the top half of winners!
13th) Todd Herzog (Survivor: China)
Todd dominated strategically and had what may have been the best FTC performance EVER and built great social relationships with Amanda and Courtney which held his alliance together but overall he didn't build as many social friendships as Amanda which almost lost him the game. He would be higher except some of the players above him had more balanced social/strategic/physical games. UPDATED RANKING: Todd is one of the few players whose ranking I changed since the first time I published this list in that on a rewatch of China I see how powerfully Todd led his alliance. He called all the shots. Even though players like Adam and Michele had more balanced social/strategic/physical games, they were not spectacular with any of these and Todd was a spectacular strategic player so deserves to move up one spot.
12th) Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor: Heroes vs Villains)
Sandra is certainly one of the greatest players ever but looking at individual games, her better game in HvV cannot be considered better than 12th. She perfected the "anyone but me" strategy, played a decent social game but of course was squat physically. I firmly believe that Parvati SHOULD have won that season and although by no means a terrible game it is too bad that she won HvV as if Parvati had "Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Heroes vs Villains)" would be at the TOP of this list.
11th) John Cochran (Survivor: Caramoan)
Overall I consider Cochran similar to Michele having played a "balanced" game winning several challenges and playing a social game though I feel his strategy was just a little clearer and more well-defined than Michele's. Certainly a fan-favorite, good player and worthy winner.
10th) Mike Holloway (Survivor: Worlds Apart)
I am probably in the minority ranking Mike this high as he is often seen as an amazing challenge beast, and nothing more. But there is way more to Mike. In addition to being one of the best challenge competitors in Survivor HISTORY, he had legit strategy (successfully throwing the challenge to save Kelly, finding and successfully using an idol etc) and an underrated social game. A worthy inclusion in the top 10 winners of all time.
9th) Jeremy Collins (Survivor: Cambodia)
Although he was pretty poor physically (winning the final immunity challenge was impressive though) his social game and unique strategy ("meat shields", playing idol for Fishbach, finding two idols to begin with etc etc) as well as the fact that he basically steered the entire direction of the game in Cambodia make him a worthy inclusion to this elite league of winners.
8th) Denise Stapley (Survivor: Philippines)
Denise did not play an in control game like someone like Jeremy however she was the ultimate underdog earning the title as only person in Survivor history to go to every. tribal. council. She used a great social game and some serious strategy to fight from bottom to top and was also no slouch in challenges. An absolutely worthy and great winner.
7th) Tyson Apostol (Survivor: Blood vs Water)
If this were a ranking of Survivor PLAYERS, Tyson would never be this high. His first two games were train wrecks including voting himself out in Heroes vs Villains. However when he returned for Blood vs Water we saw a complete 180 and it was a joy to watch. His winning game was a work of art managing a dominant alliance, injuring himself early but continuing on, winning the last two immunity challenges, finding two idols and successfully using them etc. Would be even higher if this had been his first go-round.
6th) Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano (Survivor: Redemption Island)
Unlike Tyson, Rob's first games were not trainwrecks, however it still took him four times to finally win and his winning game was against one of the worst casts in Survivor history in a season that may have even been created to give Rob the best chance of winning. All of those things though do not take away from the spectacular game that Rob did play in Redemption Island but he would be even higher if it had been on his first, second or third go-round or against a better cast.
5th) Richard Hatch (Survivor: Borneo)
On Season 33 Rich Hatch would never win with the game he won with on Season 1 and now he would be seen as boring, underwhelming and totally undeserving. However backtrack 16.5 years and 33 seasons and this man "created" the game that we still love today. Who knows how Survivor would be played now, or even if it would be played now at all, if Hatch hadn't created the concept of alliances. Although one of the least exciting, absolutely deserving of a spot in the elite tier of all-time winners.
4th) Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Micronesia)
If this were a ranking of all-time best PLAYERS, I'd have Queen Parv at Spot #1. If the jury had made the RIGHT decision in Heroes vs Villains, three entries further down this list you would be seeing ANOTHER Parv entry, at Spot #1. Se la ve', Sandra won HvV and Parv's only winning game comes in at #4. Parv played a fantastic game in Micronesia flirting, strategizing and winning her way to the end pulling off some of the biggest and best blindsides in Survivor history along the way. However, I can't put her above #4 as she wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the BEST player in Micronesia, ms. Cirie Fields.
3rd) Kim Spradlin (Survivor: One World)
One World is often tainted as having a bad cast. I disagree. The cast is flat out SOLID. But when you're playing with Kim Spradlin, just about anyone would look bad. Kim played FLAWLESSLY in One World dominating an alliance, making everyone trust her and winning her way to the end. Truly one of the best of the best.
2nd) Tony Vlachos (Survivor: Cagayan)
Ever since Cagayan aired I have been back and forth with Tony and Kim for second and third spots. In the end Tony edges out Kim for the fact that he had a slightly more balanced game dominating strategically, socially and is underrated physically whereas Kim heavily relied on her social and physical games. Tony's ability to build spy shacks, find idols and lie and make people believe him but still convince them to give him their jury vote showcases what an absolutely amazing player he really is.
1st) Yul Kwon (Survivor: Cook Islands)
I am certainly in the minority ranking Yul this high but to me he truly played the very best winning game in Survivor history. He single handedly (in terms of strategy) led the Aitu 4 through one of the (dare I say BIGGEST) biggest comebacks in Survivor history. His use of his idol was the most unique but arguably successful use of an idol in history. Many people paint him as a "bad physical player" for only winning one individual immunity but you must remember that the entire time he was competing against one of the, if not the very, best individual challenge competitor in Survivor history, Ozzy. Remove Ozzy from the scenario I guarantee you Yul wins WAY more challenges. Add in the fact that Yul played against one of the very best casts ever including five Survivor "legends" and yes, to me he is the very best. winner. ever!
31st) Natalie White (Survivor: Samoa)
As I touched on in a recent essay, I generally believe that the best finalist wins the season. Survivor is about finding a way to get to the end while still having an impressive enough resume to win and having enough relationships with the jury members to make them want to award you a million dollars. If someone gets to the end and earns the jury respect, they have pretty much done that. However, once in a GREAT while I believe the jury makes the flat out WRONG decision. Yes, Samoa jury, I'm looking at you. Russell didn't play the best social game. I understand that. Yet he did play one of the best strategic games in Survivor history. Add in the fact that he was next to someone that should be considered one of the biggest goats ever, yes, in my opinion, the jury did make the wrong decision. Natalie was a goat that did not deserve to win a million dollars but did. For that she IMHO earns the title of worst winner in Survivor history.
30th) Bob Crowley (Survivor: Gabon)
Bob definitely did more than Natalie and although I would not have voted for him if I was on the Gabon jury (I believe that Sugar played the best game that season) I do not believe he is an "unworthy" winner. Kudos to him for being so old yet doing so well in challenges and creating an impressive fake idol, but that's about it. Overall unmemorable and lackluster, which to me speaks for most of the Gabon cast.
29th) Tina Wesson (Survivor: The Australian Outback)
I am almost certainly in the minority of Survivor fans ranking Tina this low. Her performance in Blood vs Water was impressive but in Australia she coasted along on her social game but had essentially no strategy and no physical prowess. Her social game was not OUTSTANDING either, just solid. If I had been on the Australia jury I would have voted for Colby. Moving on.
28th) Aras Baskauskas (Survivor: Panama)
Ahh, the first winner on this list that I would have actually voted for to win! He was certainly better than Danielle, but that is not saying a whole lot. He was carried along by Cirie for most of the game and his main resume point is "beating Terry" but it was actually Danielle that won that final immunity challenge. Cirie or Terry would have been much worthier winners of Panama, but alas they did not make FTC.
27th) Jenna Morasca (Survivor: The Amazon)
Jenna flirted and then won her way to the top which has to be commended but the fact is Heidi and Cesternino did most of the strategizing in The Amazon and Jenna was along for the ride for most of the game. C- strategy, B social, A- physical. In a tough crowd, that lands you 27th spot.
26th) Ethan Zohn (Survivor: Africa)
Ethan played an incredible social game, did well physically but was carried by Lex strategically. Certainly deserved to beat Kim Johnson at the FTC but it is a real shame that Lex did not make the FTC as he would have been a much worthier winner.
25th) Sophie Clarke (Survivor: South Pacific)
Another situation where I would have voted for a different person, however that does not mean Sophie played a bad game. She was a Coach follower strategically 100%, did not play a brilliant social game but was decent physically including BEATING OZZY. That is certainly enough to consider her a "worthy winner", just not one of the best ones.
24th) Amber Brkich (Survivor: All Stars)
A lot of fans consider Amber to be at the bottom of the rankings with Natalie White but I strongly disagree. Amber played a very good social game playing Rob and knowing when to let him call the shots, won a couple challenges and had some underrated strategy (the Cesternino vote out was her idea). Yes, Rob dominated strategically and I probably would have voted for him but by no means is Amber a goat and she is a worthy winner.
23rd) Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor: Pearl Islands)
Most people would now never rank a Sandra performance this low but when ranking individual games you have to remember what her reputation was pre-Heroes vs Villains. Her "anyone but me" strategy was valid but in the Pearls she did not play a great social game and she is squat in the challenges.
22nd) Vecepia Towery (Survivor: Marquesas)
Vee played a VERY good social game in Marquesas but Kathy dominated strategically and physically and also played a good social game. Another case of "last boot should have won" but of course Vecepia deserved to beat Neleh.
21st) Earl Cole (Survivor: Fiji)
Earl certainly deserved to beat Cassandra and Dreamz but Fiji is ANOTHER case of "last boot should have won". Yau-Man dominated physically and strategically and both Yau and Earl played great social games. Not a goat, but a follower for most of the season.
20th) Jud "Fabio" Birza (Survivor: Nicaragua)
I am probably in the minority ranking Fabio this high but I loved him, thought he played a great game and was a worthy winner. His "goofiness" was a legit STRATEGY, he had some other underrated strategy and was quite decent physically. Certainly not one of the best but by no means one of the worst winners.
19th) Natalie Anderson (Survivor: San Juan del Sur)
We are now really in the group of winners that deserved to win, played very good games and was the best player in the FTC (and usually, the season). Natalie is no exception. Despite a quiet start appearing to be a Jeremy pawn, she really kicked it into gear mid-season and dominated strategically, socially and physically. Would be higher if she had played at such a high level all season.
18th) Chris Daughtery (Survivor: Vanuatu)
Chris started out slow, performing poorly in challenges and following Bubba and Sarge but sped up at the end of the game winning challenges and manipulating the women (Twila, Leann and Scout) to turn on the other women (Ami, Eliza and Julie) which was VERY impressive. Chris also made some other subtle moves (convincing Twila to be hostile towards the jury was brilliant). He was certainly a worthy winner and deserves all the credit he gets but we cannot ignore that he was a bit of a "one trick pony" and that is why he is not higher than he is on this list.
17th) J.T. Thomas (Survivor: Tocantins)
J.T. certainly played a masterful social game and has to be commended for playing the first ever "perfect game" in Survivor history but like Chris he was a bit of a one trick pony in that he was surprisingly weak physically and Fishbach did most of the strategizing. Certainly a worthy winner just not one of the best.
16th) Brian Heidik (Survivor: Thailand)
Brian is yet another winner that fits the mold of a very talented "one trick pony". His strategic game was, arguably, the best we had seen up to that point in Survivor history but his physical game was lackluster and his social game had its huge flaws (that's why Clay ALMOST beat him).
15th) Michele Fitzgerald (Survivor: Kaoh Rong)
Following Michele's win there was a lot of backlash about how Aubry should have won and people were even comparing her to Natalie White. That could not be farther from true. Michele played a very good game and was a very well-rounded player with a very good social game, 4 individual challenge wins (more than anyone else in Kaoh Rong) and some underrated strategy including voting out her best friend. The case could be made that she should be higher than this but for now she sits here, in the top half of winners and beating out some big names. UPDATED RANKING: Michele drops two spots as Todd climbs one (see Todd's entry) and Adam joins the ranks of winners.
14th) Adam Klein (Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X) (new entry)
Our latest winner played a wonderful game in MvGX balancing shrewd strategy with relationship building and challenge wins as well as a great FTC performance which led him to a 10-0-0 jury sweep. Adam would be even higher if he had been more of a "leader" driving the direction of the season, and/or if he could have one against more people. The fact is that David (Final 4 boot) or Jay (Final 6 boot) could have probably beaten Adam at the FTC. Nonetheless, a very worthy inclusion in the top half of winners!
13th) Todd Herzog (Survivor: China)
Todd dominated strategically and had what may have been the best FTC performance EVER and built great social relationships with Amanda and Courtney which held his alliance together but overall he didn't build as many social friendships as Amanda which almost lost him the game. He would be higher except some of the players above him had more balanced social/strategic/physical games. UPDATED RANKING: Todd is one of the few players whose ranking I changed since the first time I published this list in that on a rewatch of China I see how powerfully Todd led his alliance. He called all the shots. Even though players like Adam and Michele had more balanced social/strategic/physical games, they were not spectacular with any of these and Todd was a spectacular strategic player so deserves to move up one spot.
12th) Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor: Heroes vs Villains)
Sandra is certainly one of the greatest players ever but looking at individual games, her better game in HvV cannot be considered better than 12th. She perfected the "anyone but me" strategy, played a decent social game but of course was squat physically. I firmly believe that Parvati SHOULD have won that season and although by no means a terrible game it is too bad that she won HvV as if Parvati had "Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Heroes vs Villains)" would be at the TOP of this list.
11th) John Cochran (Survivor: Caramoan)
Overall I consider Cochran similar to Michele having played a "balanced" game winning several challenges and playing a social game though I feel his strategy was just a little clearer and more well-defined than Michele's. Certainly a fan-favorite, good player and worthy winner.
10th) Mike Holloway (Survivor: Worlds Apart)
I am probably in the minority ranking Mike this high as he is often seen as an amazing challenge beast, and nothing more. But there is way more to Mike. In addition to being one of the best challenge competitors in Survivor HISTORY, he had legit strategy (successfully throwing the challenge to save Kelly, finding and successfully using an idol etc) and an underrated social game. A worthy inclusion in the top 10 winners of all time.
9th) Jeremy Collins (Survivor: Cambodia)
Although he was pretty poor physically (winning the final immunity challenge was impressive though) his social game and unique strategy ("meat shields", playing idol for Fishbach, finding two idols to begin with etc etc) as well as the fact that he basically steered the entire direction of the game in Cambodia make him a worthy inclusion to this elite league of winners.
8th) Denise Stapley (Survivor: Philippines)
Denise did not play an in control game like someone like Jeremy however she was the ultimate underdog earning the title as only person in Survivor history to go to every. tribal. council. She used a great social game and some serious strategy to fight from bottom to top and was also no slouch in challenges. An absolutely worthy and great winner.
7th) Tyson Apostol (Survivor: Blood vs Water)
If this were a ranking of Survivor PLAYERS, Tyson would never be this high. His first two games were train wrecks including voting himself out in Heroes vs Villains. However when he returned for Blood vs Water we saw a complete 180 and it was a joy to watch. His winning game was a work of art managing a dominant alliance, injuring himself early but continuing on, winning the last two immunity challenges, finding two idols and successfully using them etc. Would be even higher if this had been his first go-round.
6th) Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano (Survivor: Redemption Island)
Unlike Tyson, Rob's first games were not trainwrecks, however it still took him four times to finally win and his winning game was against one of the worst casts in Survivor history in a season that may have even been created to give Rob the best chance of winning. All of those things though do not take away from the spectacular game that Rob did play in Redemption Island but he would be even higher if it had been on his first, second or third go-round or against a better cast.
5th) Richard Hatch (Survivor: Borneo)
On Season 33 Rich Hatch would never win with the game he won with on Season 1 and now he would be seen as boring, underwhelming and totally undeserving. However backtrack 16.5 years and 33 seasons and this man "created" the game that we still love today. Who knows how Survivor would be played now, or even if it would be played now at all, if Hatch hadn't created the concept of alliances. Although one of the least exciting, absolutely deserving of a spot in the elite tier of all-time winners.
4th) Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Micronesia)
If this were a ranking of all-time best PLAYERS, I'd have Queen Parv at Spot #1. If the jury had made the RIGHT decision in Heroes vs Villains, three entries further down this list you would be seeing ANOTHER Parv entry, at Spot #1. Se la ve', Sandra won HvV and Parv's only winning game comes in at #4. Parv played a fantastic game in Micronesia flirting, strategizing and winning her way to the end pulling off some of the biggest and best blindsides in Survivor history along the way. However, I can't put her above #4 as she wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the BEST player in Micronesia, ms. Cirie Fields.
3rd) Kim Spradlin (Survivor: One World)
One World is often tainted as having a bad cast. I disagree. The cast is flat out SOLID. But when you're playing with Kim Spradlin, just about anyone would look bad. Kim played FLAWLESSLY in One World dominating an alliance, making everyone trust her and winning her way to the end. Truly one of the best of the best.
2nd) Tony Vlachos (Survivor: Cagayan)
Ever since Cagayan aired I have been back and forth with Tony and Kim for second and third spots. In the end Tony edges out Kim for the fact that he had a slightly more balanced game dominating strategically, socially and is underrated physically whereas Kim heavily relied on her social and physical games. Tony's ability to build spy shacks, find idols and lie and make people believe him but still convince them to give him their jury vote showcases what an absolutely amazing player he really is.
1st) Yul Kwon (Survivor: Cook Islands)
I am certainly in the minority ranking Yul this high but to me he truly played the very best winning game in Survivor history. He single handedly (in terms of strategy) led the Aitu 4 through one of the (dare I say BIGGEST) biggest comebacks in Survivor history. His use of his idol was the most unique but arguably successful use of an idol in history. Many people paint him as a "bad physical player" for only winning one individual immunity but you must remember that the entire time he was competing against one of the, if not the very, best individual challenge competitor in Survivor history, Ozzy. Remove Ozzy from the scenario I guarantee you Yul wins WAY more challenges. Add in the fact that Yul played against one of the very best casts ever including five Survivor "legends" and yes, to me he is the very best. winner. ever!
Survivor Seasons Ranked 31st-1st UPDATED post-MvGX
UPDATED after the season finale of Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X
33 seasons of Survivor have each been unique and have been highly talked about by fans. Some are iconic, some are unforgettable and some are some of the best TV in history. Having not watched two seasons, Survivor: Palau and Survivor: Guatemala, please find my rankings of the other 31 seasons, 31st-1st!:
31st) Survivor: Redemption Island (winner: Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano)
To me every episode of Survivor is enjoyable. In fact only the episodes of Survivor: Borneo, season 1, were at all boring, but it is still fun to watch because it is the first. season. ever. However, compared to a lot of other seasons, Redemption Island is a snooze fest. It's premiere was decent, the "Rice Wars" episode was iconic, seeing Redemption Island for the first time was fun but other than that it was boring. The casting was BAD, there were no real blindsides, Ometepe kept winning, the challenges were lame and it felt like the season was created to finally give Boston Rob a win. However, what made this the worst season of Survivor in history is that from Day 1 the editing made it clear that Boston Rob would indeed win. He practically got HALF the confessionals the whole season! Add in the fact that Phillip Sheppard and Matt got a WHOLE bunch tons of people including end-gamers Natalie, Ashley and Grant got VERY little airtime.
30th) Survivor: Fiji (winner: Earl Cole)
Unlike Redemption Island, Fiji had okay editing and was not rigged for a specific person to win. However, Fiji did have THE WORST twist in Survivor history (Haves vs Have Nots which was more like Hotel and Restaurant vs Backpacking with no food) which meant that one tribe won ALL the pre-merge challenges, which led to a pagonging making for a boring pre-merge and post-merge! In addition, the casting was lackluster except for Earl, Yau-Man and Dreamz and the entire Car Deal was so awkward that it was the last time there was ever a car reward, which is a real shame. Yau-Man and his awesomeness save this season from being dead last.
29th) Survivor: Panama (winner: Aras Baskauskas)
You may start noticing a theme here, but one of the reasons Panama is so low is the casting. You truly need a good cast for a good Survivor season and Panama's cast was lackluster. Cirie was gold, Terry was great, Shane was entertaining but everyone else including the winner Aras were pretty boring. In addition, there were no real iconic moments from this season (oh wait, Shane's blackberry was iconic) and the editing was fairly poor. The main storyline was Terry vs Aras which I never really got into. The first ever hidden immunity idol was cool but it was never played and first Exile Island was fun (though I have never been a huge Exile fan) but overall it just does not compare to the seasons above it.
28th) Survivor: Tocantins (winner: JT Thomas)
I am almost certainly in the minority ranking Tocantins this low. Somebody once put it pretty clearly: if you love Coach, you love Tocantins, if you hate Coach, you hate Tocantins. Pre-South Pacific I more or less hated (well, strongly disliked), Coach. That means that I dislike Tocantins because Tocantins was the Coach show. Tyson was a A-hole in Tocantins too. JT was fine but I have never been his biggest fan and I DO NOT get the Fishbach love. Taj was awesome but she was one of the only bright spots this entire season. Overall unforgettable.
27th) Survivor: Thailand (winner: Brian Heidik)
Brian was a great winner and it was very entertaining to watch him on his "business trip". Other than him the casting was terrible, the editing highlighted Brian's win from very early on, the culture did not have a nearly large enough influence for such an awesome location, and the entire Ted/Ghandia thing was one of the most awkward storylines in Survivor history. Moving on.
26th) Survivor: Marquesas (winner: Vecepia Towery)
To me there are several "groups" of seasons, and Thailand represents the end of the "worst" group and Marquesas is the beginning of the next group. I have much less negative to say about Marquesas but still not too much positive to say. The rise and fall of the Rotu 4 was one of the first power shifts in Survivor history, it was fun to watch Vecepia play a brilliant social game, Paschal and Neleh's bond was neat but overall it wasn't classic "awesome" Survivor. ALL the religious influence in this season is what puts it on the bottom of its "group" of seasons.
25th) Survivor: The Australian Outback (winner: Tina Wesson)
Overall I for one find Australia similar to Marquesas. It had a few more iconic moments (Skupin falling in the fire, Colby's immunity run, Colby's dumb move) but it had a bit too much Colby for me and not enough of the other players, especially given the (good) quality of what could have been a more evenly-edited cast. With it only being season two Jeff was lackluster and the editing was rough which prevents it from climbing higher on this list.
24th) Survivor: San Juan del Sur (winner: Natalie Anderson)
I am a HUGE fan of the Blood vs Water theme but it definitely seems to work better with half returning players. The return of Exile Island was disappointing after the success of Redemption in the first BvW season. The editing was weird, not over-editing Natalie which was good but certainly under-editing Jaclyn and Missy and over-editing Jeremy. Keeping it this high is Natalie. She played a very good and EXTREMELY entertaining game and made the last few episodes quite decent.
23rd) Survivor: Borneo (winner: Richard Hatch)
As I mentioned the ONLY episodes of Survivor I find somewhat boring are some of the Borneo episodes. It would be DEAD LAST if it wasn't the season that created the show we love. I don't have much more to say about it, except that it is almost not a "typical" season. To me it is more a "test run" season that had to be ranked somewhere. This was arguably the hardest season to rank. The case can be made that it must be first, because it is the first ever season or that it must be last because it is the most boring season ever. In the end I put it 23rd. Moving on.
22nd) Survivor: One World (winner: Kim Spradlin)
Although there is a fairly small jump, I do consider One World the start of the next "group" of seasons. I consider myself a One World fan. Well, not a FAN, but a fan. Compared to other Survivor fans, that is. One World is very often ranked in the "dreaded three" with Redemption Island and Fiji. I cannot for the life of me understand why. Yes, Kim's win was somewhat predictable and the challenges were somewhat lackluster but Chelsea, Sabrina and Troyzan were much better edited than any non-Rob people in Redemption Island and overall the editing was much more even. The casting was average at worst and the One World twist was a great experiment that I wouldn't mind seeing again. Overall a season I think of in positive light.
21st) Survivor: Caramoan (winner: John Cochran)
Caramoan is a very interesting season and represents the best and the worst of Survivor all at the same time. Cochran was a fantastic winner that played a great game, was entertaining and easy to root for. Watching him was some of the best TV possible therefore he obviously got a large edit. Too large, however, as most of the other people were under-edited. The casting to begin with was weak. The fans (except for Laura, Michael and maybe a few others) were not fans and the favorites (except for Cochran, Malcolm, Brenda and Erik) were not favorites. There were too many water challenges and camp life was often boring. In addition to Cochran and his awesomeness the only other thing that brings this season up (and in a big way) is that the post-merge tribals were super entertaining with a string of great blindsides.
20th) Survivor: Nicaragua (winner: Jud "Fabio" Birza)
Fabio is one of my favorite players ever and although I do not by any means consider him one of the best winners he was very entertaining and fun to watch. Brenda was a fan-favorite as was Jane. Marty was TV gold but Chase and Sash totally got on my nerves. The double quit was a buzz killer but the unpredictability was good. The editing was average. This all results in an average season.
19th) Survivor: Samoa (winner: Natalie White)
Samoa is one of those seasons that could have been a very good season had the editing been better. It's cast was certainly underrated but they all got very little airtime except for Russell and Shambo. Russell and Shambo were so entertaining that I cannot possibly rank this season lower than this, despite bad challenges and bad editing. A buzz killer at the end of the season though when Natalie beat Russell in one of the only wrong jury decisions in Survivor history.
18th) Survivor: All Stars (winner: Amber Brkich)
All Stars was a fun season with all the twists and turns and of course it being the first returning player season in Survivor history. The powerful duo of Romber that was bound to break at somepoint never did which was fascinating TV. Bringing this season down is slightly below-average editing, all the controversy surrounding Sue's & Jenna's quits, Rob and Lex's fight, plus several tarnished legacies (Cesternino, Jenna, Sue, Colby).
17th) Survivor: Gabon (winner: Bob Crowley)
Gabon is a season that has been discussed in length with some people claiming it is the best ever and others claiming it as one of the worst. To me I just don't get the Gabon love nor the Gabon hate. It's just an average season of Survivor. There is really no iconic moment associated with it and the cast was meh. The unpredictability and all the tribe swaps keeps it this high.
16th) Survivor: Worlds Apart (winner: Mike Holloway)
Worlds Apart is definitely the start of the next "group" of seasons in my opinion. I enjoyed it considerably more than Gabon and only slightly less than South Pacific. Mike was a fantastic winner that was a joy to watch and overall the final 5 of that season was pretty strong (Mike, Carolyn, Will, Rodney and Sierra) with only Will playing a bad game. The editing was quite decent, building up both Mike and Carolyn equally with enough attention to Rodney and Sierra that they both were considered winners candidates going into the finale. The challenges were pretty good and there was some fun strategy. Oh and the cast? Killer. Jenn and Shirin didn't last all that long but were SO MEMORABLE. The only real thing bringing this down (and fairly far down) is all the negative attention/bullying surrounding this season with Dan, Will, Rodney, Shirin and Sierra.
15th) Survivor: South Pacific (winner: Sophie Clarke)
I may be one of the only Survivor fans on the planet to rank South Pacific in the top half of seasons but it bewilders me why so many people HATE it. To me it is hands down the most underrated season in Survivor history. The editing was great, cast quite decent, pre-merge even and fun and Ozzy sending himself to Redemption was so much fun to watch. Cochran's flip and the pagonging does bring it down but not to the BOTTOM! Slightly better than average is the worst I can possibly rank South Pacific. In fact just writing this makes me want to rewatch it!
14th) Survivor: Africa (winner: Ethan Zohn)
We are now really in the stretch of seasons that are pretty darn good and that I would never get tired of rewatching. Survivor: Africa is definitely SOLID Survivor! Ethan may not be the best winner but Lex, Kathy, Little Kim, Big Tom, Goldsmith and so many others make this cast one of the better ones. All the attention on the location was awesome and some underrated strategy took place. GOOD SEASON!
13th) Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X (winner: Adam Klein)
I am so glad that our latest season cracked the top half. Millennials vs Gen X started with a BANG when both tribes had to evacuate on Day 2 for the first time in Survivor history, due to a cyclone. The second episode was awesome with all the excitement surrounding the Mari #blindside. However, most of the pre-merge was dull and predictable, saved only by one player (Michaela) and great challenges. However, the post-merge was nothing but excitement with blindside after blindside including the 3rd ever rock draw which led to one of the leading threats to win being eliminated. Also, the editing was very good with Adam's win not becoming obvious until David was voted out and not even being considered until Episode 11 or 12. All things told, most definitely a solid season.
12th) Survivor: The Amazon (winner: Jenna Morasca)
The Amazon really represents so much of what we love about Survivor from Cesternino's brilliant strategy, the Jaburu girls and their drama (who could forget THAT peanut butter moment?), Deena and Christy's gold TV moments, the men vs women theme, some awesome challenges and great editing. There is hardly anything bad to say about this season but in the end 11 others edged it out.
11th) Survivor: Vanuatu (winner: Chris Daughtery)
This is another season that I probably rank slightly higher than most Survivor fans and I am also in the minority preferring it to The Amazon. The opening ceremony was epic, the men vs women battle was just as evident as it was in the first season, the cast was awesome, the all girls alliance dominating and then crumbling coupled with Chris' amazing come from behind victory was just gold. It just is not as AMAZING as the Top 10 but it is certainly Survivor in all its glory.
10th) Survivor: Philippines (winner: Denise Stapley)
The start of the second-to-last "group" of seasons starts with the Philippines. After a string of seasons (Nicaragua, Redemption Island, South Pacific, One World) that were mostly below average Philippines is truly the season that "saved" Survivor. Denise was an awesome winner, the editing was perfect, the disaster that was Matsing was entertaining and the cast was killer. Definitely a legendary season of Survivor.
9th) Survivor: China (winner: Todd Herzog)
China was an extremely entertaining season worth a re-watch any day. The editing and especially casting were some of the best in Survivor history, watching Courtney's underdog storyline unfold was fantastic, James made his first appearance on Survivor and delivered including THAT double idol vote out and all the cultural reference was nothing short of fantastic.
8th) Survivor: Kaoh Rong (winner: Michele Fitzgerald)
People can scream "recency bias!" all they want but I truly believe that Kaoh Rong is an all-around AWESOME season. Throughout the season Kaoh Rong seemed similar to San Juan del Sur with power shifts at similar times, a similar merge and an under-the-radar female winner. However, if San Juan del Sur came from hell Kaoh Rong came from heaven. The cast was SPOT ON, editing much more even, better challenges and more unpredictability. A few years down the road I think we will still be talking about Kaoh Rong in very high regard.
7th) Survivor: Pearl Islands (winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine)
Survivor fans often differ in terms of opinion of how good a season is but MOST fans can agree Pearl Islands is a VERY good season. The pirate theme was so intriguing, the cast was amazing (Rupert, Sandra and Fairplay, need I say more?), the dead grandma lie was so iconic, the editing was great and the challenges were some of the best in Survivor history. So, so, so good.
6th) Survivor: Cook Islands (winner: Yul Kwon)
Cook Islands is right up there with South Pacific for me as the most underrated season in Survivor history. It gets a bad rap for the racial divide twist but for me that was not a bad thing. If that is seen as racist, why aren't men vs women seasons seen as sexist? Doesn't make sense to me. And that only lasted for TWO episodes anyway! EVERYTHING about this season was amazing. The casting (it gave birth to five legends!: Parvati, Penner, Ozzy, Yul and Candice), the comeback of the Aitu 4, the mutiny, and of course the Billy and Candice moment. #MoreLoveForTheCooks
5th) Survivor: Cagayan (winner: Tony Vlachos)
Cagayan is in my opinion the beginning of the final "group" of seasons--the true legends. It also receives the distinct honor as the best all-newbie season in Survivor history. The cast was probably the best all-newbie cast ever, the editing was amazing, the challenges weren't great but also not bad but the unpredictability yet defined and compelling strategy made for a truly fantastic season. Tony is one of the best winners ever and will surely return to the game one day but we have already seen 4 other Cagayan players return to the game.
4th) Survivor: Heroes vs Villains (winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine)
Very often considered the best season ever, Heroes vs Villains is certainly a Survivor gem. The cast is one of the best ever, the game play is hard to beat (Parvati's double idol play MAY be my favorite moment in Survivor history) and of course we had our first ever two-time winner (though it should have been a different person, but that's another story).
3rd) Survivor: Micronesia (winner: Parvati Shallow)
Micronesia's cast, like Cambodia, was FULL of people there to PLAY the game. The final 4 Black Widow Brigade members (Parvati, Amanda, Cirie and Natalie) almost certainly comprise the best final four ever. The string of Ozzy/Jason/Erik blindsides was amazing and the pre-merge is certainly underrated. It was the best season ever for a long time but then came:
2nd) Survivor: Blood vs Water (winner: Tyson Apostol)
When Heroes vs Villains did not trump Micronesia and then we had that string of bad seasons many fans were starting to believe that Micronesia would forever hold the title of best season ever and that Survivor would never return to it's glory days. Well then came along Season 27, Blood vs Water. To me it became the best season in history. The loved ones twist was so refreshing, Redemption Island redeemed itself, the cast was amazing (Ciera is my all-time favorite Survivor player) and we had someone vote their mom out. Oh yeah, there was a freakin' rock draw too! Truly a season to be remembered for a long, long, long time.
1st) Survivor: Cambodia (winner: Jeremy Collins)
Blood vs Water did not hold its title for too long because along came Survivor: Cambodia--Second Chance. Because the fans voted the castaways in they felt the need to PLAY hard not only for themselves and their family but for America. Every single person came to play their own game. We had two tribes become three tribes. We had a record number of tribe swaps. We had one of the harshest seasons in terms of conditions. And through it all the season gave birth to "voting blocs" which will forever change the way Survivor is played. Ladies and gentlemen, for now, Survivor: Cambodia--Second Chance, Season 31 is the very best season in Survivor history!
33 seasons of Survivor have each been unique and have been highly talked about by fans. Some are iconic, some are unforgettable and some are some of the best TV in history. Having not watched two seasons, Survivor: Palau and Survivor: Guatemala, please find my rankings of the other 31 seasons, 31st-1st!:
31st) Survivor: Redemption Island (winner: Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano)
To me every episode of Survivor is enjoyable. In fact only the episodes of Survivor: Borneo, season 1, were at all boring, but it is still fun to watch because it is the first. season. ever. However, compared to a lot of other seasons, Redemption Island is a snooze fest. It's premiere was decent, the "Rice Wars" episode was iconic, seeing Redemption Island for the first time was fun but other than that it was boring. The casting was BAD, there were no real blindsides, Ometepe kept winning, the challenges were lame and it felt like the season was created to finally give Boston Rob a win. However, what made this the worst season of Survivor in history is that from Day 1 the editing made it clear that Boston Rob would indeed win. He practically got HALF the confessionals the whole season! Add in the fact that Phillip Sheppard and Matt got a WHOLE bunch tons of people including end-gamers Natalie, Ashley and Grant got VERY little airtime.
30th) Survivor: Fiji (winner: Earl Cole)
Unlike Redemption Island, Fiji had okay editing and was not rigged for a specific person to win. However, Fiji did have THE WORST twist in Survivor history (Haves vs Have Nots which was more like Hotel and Restaurant vs Backpacking with no food) which meant that one tribe won ALL the pre-merge challenges, which led to a pagonging making for a boring pre-merge and post-merge! In addition, the casting was lackluster except for Earl, Yau-Man and Dreamz and the entire Car Deal was so awkward that it was the last time there was ever a car reward, which is a real shame. Yau-Man and his awesomeness save this season from being dead last.
29th) Survivor: Panama (winner: Aras Baskauskas)
You may start noticing a theme here, but one of the reasons Panama is so low is the casting. You truly need a good cast for a good Survivor season and Panama's cast was lackluster. Cirie was gold, Terry was great, Shane was entertaining but everyone else including the winner Aras were pretty boring. In addition, there were no real iconic moments from this season (oh wait, Shane's blackberry was iconic) and the editing was fairly poor. The main storyline was Terry vs Aras which I never really got into. The first ever hidden immunity idol was cool but it was never played and first Exile Island was fun (though I have never been a huge Exile fan) but overall it just does not compare to the seasons above it.
28th) Survivor: Tocantins (winner: JT Thomas)
I am almost certainly in the minority ranking Tocantins this low. Somebody once put it pretty clearly: if you love Coach, you love Tocantins, if you hate Coach, you hate Tocantins. Pre-South Pacific I more or less hated (well, strongly disliked), Coach. That means that I dislike Tocantins because Tocantins was the Coach show. Tyson was a A-hole in Tocantins too. JT was fine but I have never been his biggest fan and I DO NOT get the Fishbach love. Taj was awesome but she was one of the only bright spots this entire season. Overall unforgettable.
27th) Survivor: Thailand (winner: Brian Heidik)
Brian was a great winner and it was very entertaining to watch him on his "business trip". Other than him the casting was terrible, the editing highlighted Brian's win from very early on, the culture did not have a nearly large enough influence for such an awesome location, and the entire Ted/Ghandia thing was one of the most awkward storylines in Survivor history. Moving on.
26th) Survivor: Marquesas (winner: Vecepia Towery)
To me there are several "groups" of seasons, and Thailand represents the end of the "worst" group and Marquesas is the beginning of the next group. I have much less negative to say about Marquesas but still not too much positive to say. The rise and fall of the Rotu 4 was one of the first power shifts in Survivor history, it was fun to watch Vecepia play a brilliant social game, Paschal and Neleh's bond was neat but overall it wasn't classic "awesome" Survivor. ALL the religious influence in this season is what puts it on the bottom of its "group" of seasons.
25th) Survivor: The Australian Outback (winner: Tina Wesson)
Overall I for one find Australia similar to Marquesas. It had a few more iconic moments (Skupin falling in the fire, Colby's immunity run, Colby's dumb move) but it had a bit too much Colby for me and not enough of the other players, especially given the (good) quality of what could have been a more evenly-edited cast. With it only being season two Jeff was lackluster and the editing was rough which prevents it from climbing higher on this list.
24th) Survivor: San Juan del Sur (winner: Natalie Anderson)
I am a HUGE fan of the Blood vs Water theme but it definitely seems to work better with half returning players. The return of Exile Island was disappointing after the success of Redemption in the first BvW season. The editing was weird, not over-editing Natalie which was good but certainly under-editing Jaclyn and Missy and over-editing Jeremy. Keeping it this high is Natalie. She played a very good and EXTREMELY entertaining game and made the last few episodes quite decent.
23rd) Survivor: Borneo (winner: Richard Hatch)
As I mentioned the ONLY episodes of Survivor I find somewhat boring are some of the Borneo episodes. It would be DEAD LAST if it wasn't the season that created the show we love. I don't have much more to say about it, except that it is almost not a "typical" season. To me it is more a "test run" season that had to be ranked somewhere. This was arguably the hardest season to rank. The case can be made that it must be first, because it is the first ever season or that it must be last because it is the most boring season ever. In the end I put it 23rd. Moving on.
22nd) Survivor: One World (winner: Kim Spradlin)
Although there is a fairly small jump, I do consider One World the start of the next "group" of seasons. I consider myself a One World fan. Well, not a FAN, but a fan. Compared to other Survivor fans, that is. One World is very often ranked in the "dreaded three" with Redemption Island and Fiji. I cannot for the life of me understand why. Yes, Kim's win was somewhat predictable and the challenges were somewhat lackluster but Chelsea, Sabrina and Troyzan were much better edited than any non-Rob people in Redemption Island and overall the editing was much more even. The casting was average at worst and the One World twist was a great experiment that I wouldn't mind seeing again. Overall a season I think of in positive light.
21st) Survivor: Caramoan (winner: John Cochran)
Caramoan is a very interesting season and represents the best and the worst of Survivor all at the same time. Cochran was a fantastic winner that played a great game, was entertaining and easy to root for. Watching him was some of the best TV possible therefore he obviously got a large edit. Too large, however, as most of the other people were under-edited. The casting to begin with was weak. The fans (except for Laura, Michael and maybe a few others) were not fans and the favorites (except for Cochran, Malcolm, Brenda and Erik) were not favorites. There were too many water challenges and camp life was often boring. In addition to Cochran and his awesomeness the only other thing that brings this season up (and in a big way) is that the post-merge tribals were super entertaining with a string of great blindsides.
20th) Survivor: Nicaragua (winner: Jud "Fabio" Birza)
Fabio is one of my favorite players ever and although I do not by any means consider him one of the best winners he was very entertaining and fun to watch. Brenda was a fan-favorite as was Jane. Marty was TV gold but Chase and Sash totally got on my nerves. The double quit was a buzz killer but the unpredictability was good. The editing was average. This all results in an average season.
19th) Survivor: Samoa (winner: Natalie White)
Samoa is one of those seasons that could have been a very good season had the editing been better. It's cast was certainly underrated but they all got very little airtime except for Russell and Shambo. Russell and Shambo were so entertaining that I cannot possibly rank this season lower than this, despite bad challenges and bad editing. A buzz killer at the end of the season though when Natalie beat Russell in one of the only wrong jury decisions in Survivor history.
18th) Survivor: All Stars (winner: Amber Brkich)
All Stars was a fun season with all the twists and turns and of course it being the first returning player season in Survivor history. The powerful duo of Romber that was bound to break at somepoint never did which was fascinating TV. Bringing this season down is slightly below-average editing, all the controversy surrounding Sue's & Jenna's quits, Rob and Lex's fight, plus several tarnished legacies (Cesternino, Jenna, Sue, Colby).
17th) Survivor: Gabon (winner: Bob Crowley)
Gabon is a season that has been discussed in length with some people claiming it is the best ever and others claiming it as one of the worst. To me I just don't get the Gabon love nor the Gabon hate. It's just an average season of Survivor. There is really no iconic moment associated with it and the cast was meh. The unpredictability and all the tribe swaps keeps it this high.
16th) Survivor: Worlds Apart (winner: Mike Holloway)
Worlds Apart is definitely the start of the next "group" of seasons in my opinion. I enjoyed it considerably more than Gabon and only slightly less than South Pacific. Mike was a fantastic winner that was a joy to watch and overall the final 5 of that season was pretty strong (Mike, Carolyn, Will, Rodney and Sierra) with only Will playing a bad game. The editing was quite decent, building up both Mike and Carolyn equally with enough attention to Rodney and Sierra that they both were considered winners candidates going into the finale. The challenges were pretty good and there was some fun strategy. Oh and the cast? Killer. Jenn and Shirin didn't last all that long but were SO MEMORABLE. The only real thing bringing this down (and fairly far down) is all the negative attention/bullying surrounding this season with Dan, Will, Rodney, Shirin and Sierra.
15th) Survivor: South Pacific (winner: Sophie Clarke)
I may be one of the only Survivor fans on the planet to rank South Pacific in the top half of seasons but it bewilders me why so many people HATE it. To me it is hands down the most underrated season in Survivor history. The editing was great, cast quite decent, pre-merge even and fun and Ozzy sending himself to Redemption was so much fun to watch. Cochran's flip and the pagonging does bring it down but not to the BOTTOM! Slightly better than average is the worst I can possibly rank South Pacific. In fact just writing this makes me want to rewatch it!
14th) Survivor: Africa (winner: Ethan Zohn)
We are now really in the stretch of seasons that are pretty darn good and that I would never get tired of rewatching. Survivor: Africa is definitely SOLID Survivor! Ethan may not be the best winner but Lex, Kathy, Little Kim, Big Tom, Goldsmith and so many others make this cast one of the better ones. All the attention on the location was awesome and some underrated strategy took place. GOOD SEASON!
13th) Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X (winner: Adam Klein)
I am so glad that our latest season cracked the top half. Millennials vs Gen X started with a BANG when both tribes had to evacuate on Day 2 for the first time in Survivor history, due to a cyclone. The second episode was awesome with all the excitement surrounding the Mari #blindside. However, most of the pre-merge was dull and predictable, saved only by one player (Michaela) and great challenges. However, the post-merge was nothing but excitement with blindside after blindside including the 3rd ever rock draw which led to one of the leading threats to win being eliminated. Also, the editing was very good with Adam's win not becoming obvious until David was voted out and not even being considered until Episode 11 or 12. All things told, most definitely a solid season.
12th) Survivor: The Amazon (winner: Jenna Morasca)
The Amazon really represents so much of what we love about Survivor from Cesternino's brilliant strategy, the Jaburu girls and their drama (who could forget THAT peanut butter moment?), Deena and Christy's gold TV moments, the men vs women theme, some awesome challenges and great editing. There is hardly anything bad to say about this season but in the end 11 others edged it out.
11th) Survivor: Vanuatu (winner: Chris Daughtery)
This is another season that I probably rank slightly higher than most Survivor fans and I am also in the minority preferring it to The Amazon. The opening ceremony was epic, the men vs women battle was just as evident as it was in the first season, the cast was awesome, the all girls alliance dominating and then crumbling coupled with Chris' amazing come from behind victory was just gold. It just is not as AMAZING as the Top 10 but it is certainly Survivor in all its glory.
10th) Survivor: Philippines (winner: Denise Stapley)
The start of the second-to-last "group" of seasons starts with the Philippines. After a string of seasons (Nicaragua, Redemption Island, South Pacific, One World) that were mostly below average Philippines is truly the season that "saved" Survivor. Denise was an awesome winner, the editing was perfect, the disaster that was Matsing was entertaining and the cast was killer. Definitely a legendary season of Survivor.
9th) Survivor: China (winner: Todd Herzog)
China was an extremely entertaining season worth a re-watch any day. The editing and especially casting were some of the best in Survivor history, watching Courtney's underdog storyline unfold was fantastic, James made his first appearance on Survivor and delivered including THAT double idol vote out and all the cultural reference was nothing short of fantastic.
8th) Survivor: Kaoh Rong (winner: Michele Fitzgerald)
People can scream "recency bias!" all they want but I truly believe that Kaoh Rong is an all-around AWESOME season. Throughout the season Kaoh Rong seemed similar to San Juan del Sur with power shifts at similar times, a similar merge and an under-the-radar female winner. However, if San Juan del Sur came from hell Kaoh Rong came from heaven. The cast was SPOT ON, editing much more even, better challenges and more unpredictability. A few years down the road I think we will still be talking about Kaoh Rong in very high regard.
7th) Survivor: Pearl Islands (winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine)
Survivor fans often differ in terms of opinion of how good a season is but MOST fans can agree Pearl Islands is a VERY good season. The pirate theme was so intriguing, the cast was amazing (Rupert, Sandra and Fairplay, need I say more?), the dead grandma lie was so iconic, the editing was great and the challenges were some of the best in Survivor history. So, so, so good.
6th) Survivor: Cook Islands (winner: Yul Kwon)
Cook Islands is right up there with South Pacific for me as the most underrated season in Survivor history. It gets a bad rap for the racial divide twist but for me that was not a bad thing. If that is seen as racist, why aren't men vs women seasons seen as sexist? Doesn't make sense to me. And that only lasted for TWO episodes anyway! EVERYTHING about this season was amazing. The casting (it gave birth to five legends!: Parvati, Penner, Ozzy, Yul and Candice), the comeback of the Aitu 4, the mutiny, and of course the Billy and Candice moment. #MoreLoveForTheCooks
5th) Survivor: Cagayan (winner: Tony Vlachos)
Cagayan is in my opinion the beginning of the final "group" of seasons--the true legends. It also receives the distinct honor as the best all-newbie season in Survivor history. The cast was probably the best all-newbie cast ever, the editing was amazing, the challenges weren't great but also not bad but the unpredictability yet defined and compelling strategy made for a truly fantastic season. Tony is one of the best winners ever and will surely return to the game one day but we have already seen 4 other Cagayan players return to the game.
4th) Survivor: Heroes vs Villains (winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine)
Very often considered the best season ever, Heroes vs Villains is certainly a Survivor gem. The cast is one of the best ever, the game play is hard to beat (Parvati's double idol play MAY be my favorite moment in Survivor history) and of course we had our first ever two-time winner (though it should have been a different person, but that's another story).
3rd) Survivor: Micronesia (winner: Parvati Shallow)
Micronesia's cast, like Cambodia, was FULL of people there to PLAY the game. The final 4 Black Widow Brigade members (Parvati, Amanda, Cirie and Natalie) almost certainly comprise the best final four ever. The string of Ozzy/Jason/Erik blindsides was amazing and the pre-merge is certainly underrated. It was the best season ever for a long time but then came:
2nd) Survivor: Blood vs Water (winner: Tyson Apostol)
When Heroes vs Villains did not trump Micronesia and then we had that string of bad seasons many fans were starting to believe that Micronesia would forever hold the title of best season ever and that Survivor would never return to it's glory days. Well then came along Season 27, Blood vs Water. To me it became the best season in history. The loved ones twist was so refreshing, Redemption Island redeemed itself, the cast was amazing (Ciera is my all-time favorite Survivor player) and we had someone vote their mom out. Oh yeah, there was a freakin' rock draw too! Truly a season to be remembered for a long, long, long time.
1st) Survivor: Cambodia (winner: Jeremy Collins)
Blood vs Water did not hold its title for too long because along came Survivor: Cambodia--Second Chance. Because the fans voted the castaways in they felt the need to PLAY hard not only for themselves and their family but for America. Every single person came to play their own game. We had two tribes become three tribes. We had a record number of tribe swaps. We had one of the harshest seasons in terms of conditions. And through it all the season gave birth to "voting blocs" which will forever change the way Survivor is played. Ladies and gentlemen, for now, Survivor: Cambodia--Second Chance, Season 31 is the very best season in Survivor history!
Thursday, December 15, 2016
A closer look at the Millennials vs Gen X Jury Sweep
Survivor Season 34: Millennials vs Gen X just wrapped up and millennial Adam Klein was crowned the 33rd winner of Survivor in Survivor's fifth ever unanimous jury decision, 10-0-0. By no means do I consider Adam a poor winner: I have him ranked as the 14th best winner so most certainly a worthy winner however did he really deserve the jury sweep? Co-runners-up Ken McNickle and Hannah Shapiro also played decent games and neither were goats (had Ken won I would have ranked him the 16th best winner and Hannah I would have ranked the 17th best winner) so overall the final 3 were fairly evenly matched...or, so it appears. So how come the 10-0-0 jury sweep for Adam?
#1 A great final tribal performance
Adam hands down had the best performance of anyone at the FTC, always answering with intelligence and respect. Ken was all over the map, not claiming his moves for what they were worth, never mentioning the fact that he was the strongest physical competitor all season and never paying an apology to those he blindsided. Hannah was a bit better but did not answer with the same maturity Adam did and also lied several times, claiming moves were hers when they were really Adam's. Hannah also got completely OWNED by Jessica when Hannah said that she was never on the wrong side of the vote, and then Jessica said "except for the Michaela vote?" and Hannah said "yeah, except then". Arguably the Michaela vote was the most important vote all season (except for possibly the David vote at the very end) so the fact that Hannah was on the wrong side of that vote is a big deal. So, yes, all things said and done, Adam completely owned the FTC.
#2 Adam had a "David Murphy"
Chris was one of the last jurors to speak and gave a very memorable speech, channeling his lawyer ways and advocating for Adam. Although I don't think this was quite as dramatic or influential a speech as some speeches (Spencer's advocating for Tony in Cagayan is an example) these speeches really do make a difference and Chris could have easily turned a vote or two for Adam.
#3 This jury respects big moves
This season was full of gamers, especially these jurors, and they truly respect big moves. I don't think we've ever seen a season, other than this one, in which there have been so many blindsides but not very many hurt feelings. I love that but it is unusual. So, being there a lot of gamers on this jury, they could see that Adam was the best player. Even though it may be only by a little bit, he was the best player, and they could tell. I also see Hannah's strength being her social game and Ken's biggest strength his physical game but Adam's biggest strength was his strategic game, and I think that in addition to this jury respecting good players, they respect big moves. Give this jury the Kaoh Rong final 3 and Aubry wins, not Michele. Give this jury the Heroes vs Villains final 3 and Parvati wins, not Sandra. Give this jury the Worlds Apart final 3 and Carolyn might win, Mike might not. Simply put, this jury respected Adam's type of play more than Hannah's or Ken's.
#4 The sympathy vote
The very last thing said by any of the three finalists at Final Tribal was Adam telling the story about his mom with stage 4 lung cancer. I don't think Adam was trying hard for the sympathy vote here, but he did mention it in a beautiful way, going back to almost getting on San Juan del Sur with his mom. If anyone was on the fence, this probably pushed them over.
THE WRAPUP: Adam did deserve to win and I'm glad he did, but Ken and Hannah probably deserved a vote or two. 7 (Adam)-2 (Ken)-1 (Hannah) or even 6-2-2 may have been a more accurate portrayal of this season's final 3, however, this jury came together respecting each other, Adam's FTC performance, Adam's big moves and Adam's life story awarding him the million dollars 10-0-0.
#1 A great final tribal performance
Adam hands down had the best performance of anyone at the FTC, always answering with intelligence and respect. Ken was all over the map, not claiming his moves for what they were worth, never mentioning the fact that he was the strongest physical competitor all season and never paying an apology to those he blindsided. Hannah was a bit better but did not answer with the same maturity Adam did and also lied several times, claiming moves were hers when they were really Adam's. Hannah also got completely OWNED by Jessica when Hannah said that she was never on the wrong side of the vote, and then Jessica said "except for the Michaela vote?" and Hannah said "yeah, except then". Arguably the Michaela vote was the most important vote all season (except for possibly the David vote at the very end) so the fact that Hannah was on the wrong side of that vote is a big deal. So, yes, all things said and done, Adam completely owned the FTC.
#2 Adam had a "David Murphy"
Chris was one of the last jurors to speak and gave a very memorable speech, channeling his lawyer ways and advocating for Adam. Although I don't think this was quite as dramatic or influential a speech as some speeches (Spencer's advocating for Tony in Cagayan is an example) these speeches really do make a difference and Chris could have easily turned a vote or two for Adam.
#3 This jury respects big moves
This season was full of gamers, especially these jurors, and they truly respect big moves. I don't think we've ever seen a season, other than this one, in which there have been so many blindsides but not very many hurt feelings. I love that but it is unusual. So, being there a lot of gamers on this jury, they could see that Adam was the best player. Even though it may be only by a little bit, he was the best player, and they could tell. I also see Hannah's strength being her social game and Ken's biggest strength his physical game but Adam's biggest strength was his strategic game, and I think that in addition to this jury respecting good players, they respect big moves. Give this jury the Kaoh Rong final 3 and Aubry wins, not Michele. Give this jury the Heroes vs Villains final 3 and Parvati wins, not Sandra. Give this jury the Worlds Apart final 3 and Carolyn might win, Mike might not. Simply put, this jury respected Adam's type of play more than Hannah's or Ken's.
#4 The sympathy vote
The very last thing said by any of the three finalists at Final Tribal was Adam telling the story about his mom with stage 4 lung cancer. I don't think Adam was trying hard for the sympathy vote here, but he did mention it in a beautiful way, going back to almost getting on San Juan del Sur with his mom. If anyone was on the fence, this probably pushed them over.
THE WRAPUP: Adam did deserve to win and I'm glad he did, but Ken and Hannah probably deserved a vote or two. 7 (Adam)-2 (Ken)-1 (Hannah) or even 6-2-2 may have been a more accurate portrayal of this season's final 3, however, this jury came together respecting each other, Adam's FTC performance, Adam's big moves and Adam's life story awarding him the million dollars 10-0-0.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Ranking the Survivor Winners 30th-1st
Through 32 seasons of Survivor we have seen 32 different winning games get awarded with $1 million checks. Having not watched Survivor: Palau and Survivor: Guatemala, please below find my rankings of the 30 other winning games, 30th-1st!
30th) Natalie White (Survivor: Samoa)
As I touched on in a recent essay, I generally believe that the best finalist wins the season. Survivor is about finding a way to get to the end while still having an impressive enough resume to win and having enough relationships with the jury members to make them want to award you a million dollars. If someone gets to the end and earns the jury respect, they have pretty much done that. However, once in a GREAT while I believe the jury makes the flat out WRONG decision. Yes, Samoa jury, I'm looking at you. Russell didn't play the best social game. I understand that. Yet he did play one of the best strategic games in Survivor history. Add in the fact that he was next to someone that should be considered one of the biggest goats ever, yes, in my opinion, the jury did make the wrong decision. Natalie was a goat that did not deserve to win a million dollars but did. For that she IMHO earns the title of worst winner in Survivor history.
29th) Bob Crowley (Survivor: Gabon)
Bob definitely did more than Natalie and although I would not have voted for him if I was on the Gabon jury (I believe that Sugar played the best game that season) I do not believe he is an "unworthy" winner. Kudos to him for being so old yet doing so well in challenges and creating an impressive fake idol, but that's about it. Overall unforgettable and lackluster, which to me speaks for most of the Gabon cast.
28th) Tina Wesson (Survivor: The Australian Outback)
I am almost certainly in the minority of Survivor fans ranking Tina this low. Her performance in Blood vs Water was impressive but in Australia she coasted along on her social game but had essentially no strategy and no physical prowess. Her social game was not OUTSTANDING either, just solid. If I had been on the Australia jury I would have voted for Colby. Moving on.
27th) Aras Baskauskas (Survivor: Panama)
Ahh, the first winner on this list that I would have actually voted for to win! He was certainly better than Danielle, but that is not saying a whole lot. He was carried along by Cirie for most of the game and his main resume point is "beating Terry" but it was actually Danielle that won that final immunity challenge. Cirie or Terry would have been much worthier winners of Panama, but alas they did not make FTC.
26th) Jenna Morasca (Survivor: The Amazon)
Jenna flirted and then won her way to the top which has to be commended but the fact is Heidi and Cesternino did most of the strategizing in The Amazon and Jenna was along for the ride for most of the game. C- strategy, B social, A- physical. In a tough crowd, that lands you 26th spot.
25th) Ethan Zohn (Survivor: Africa)
Ethan played an incredible social game, did well physically but was carried by Lex strategically. Certainly deserved to beat Kim Johnson at the FTC but it is a real shame that Lex did not make the FTC as he would have been a much worthier winner.
24th) Sophie Clarke (Survivor: South Pacific)
Another situation where I would have voted for a different person, however that does not mean Sophie played a bad game. She was a Coach follower strategically 100%, did not play a brilliant social game but was decent physically including BEATING OZZY. That is certainly enough to consider her a "worthy winner", just not one of the best ones.
23rd) Amber Brkich (Survivor: All Stars)
A lot of fans consider Amber to be at the bottom of the rankings with Natalie White but I strongly disagree. Amber played a very good social game playing Rob and knowing when to let him call the shots, won a couple challenges and had some underrated strategy (the Cesternino vote out was her idea). Yes, Rob dominated strategically and I probably would have voted for him but by no means is Amber a goat and she is a worthy winner.
22nd) Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor: Pearl Islands)
Most people would now never rank a Sandra performance this low but when ranking individual games you have to remember what her reputation was pre-Heroes vs Villains. Her "anyone but me" strategy was valid but in the Pearls she did not play a great social game and she is squat in the challenges.
21st) Vecepia Towery (Survivor: Marquesas)
Vee played a VERY good social game in Marquesas but Kathy dominated strategically and physically and also played a good social game. Another case of "last boot should have won" but of course Vecepia deserved to beat Neleh.
20th) Earl Cole (Survivor: Fiji)
Earl certainly deserved to beat Cassandra and Dreamz but Fiji is ANOTHER case of "last boot should have won". Yau-Man dominated physically and strategically and both Yau and Earl played great social games. Not a goat, but a follower for most of the season.
19th) Jud "Fabio" Birza (Survivor: Nicaragua)
I am probably in the minority ranking Fabio this high but I loved him, thought he played a great game and was a worthy winner. His "goofiness" was a legit STRATEGY, he had some other underrated strategy and was quite decent physically. Certainly not one of the best but by no means one of the worst winners.
18th) Natalie Anderson (Survivor: San Juan del Sur)
We are now really in the group of winners that deserved to win, played very good games and was the best player in the FTC (and usually, the season). Natalie is no exception. Despite a quiet start appearing to be a Jeremy pawn, she really kicked it into gear mid-season and dominated strategically, socially and physically. Would be higher if she had played at such a high level all season.
17th) Chris Daughtery (Survivor: Vanuatu)
Chris started out slow, performing poorly in challenges and following Bubba and Sarge but sped up at the end of the game winning challenges and manipulating the women (Twila, Leann and Scout) to turn on the other women (Ami, Eliza and Julie) which was VERY impressive. Chris also made some other subtle moves (convincing Twila to be hostile towards the jury was brilliant). He was certainly a worthy winner and deserves all the credit he gets but we cannot ignore that he was a bit of a "one trick pony" and that is why he is not higher than he is on this list.
16th) J.T. Thomas (Survivor: Tocantins)
J.T. certainly played a masterful social game and has to be commended for playing the first ever "perfect game" in Survivor history but like Chris he was a bit of a one trick pony in that he was surprisingly weak physically and Fishbach did most of the strategizing. Certainly a worthy winner just not one of the best.
15th) Brian Heidik (Survivor: Thailand)
Brian is yet another winner that fits the mold of a very talented "one trick pony". His strategic game was, arguably, the best we had seen up to that point in Survivor history but his physical game was lackluster and his social game had its huge flaws (that's why Clay ALMOST beat him).
14th) Todd Herzog (Survivor: China)
Todd dominated strategically and had what may have been the best FTC performance EVER and built great social relationships with Amanda and Courtney which held his alliance together but overall he didn't build as many social friendships as Amanda which almost lost him the game. He would be higher except some of the players above him had more balanced social/strategic/physical games.
13th) Michele Fitzgerald (Survivor: Kaoh Rong)
Following Michele's win there was a lot of backlash about how Aubry should have won and people were even comparing her to Natalie White. That could not be farther from true. Michele played a very good game and was a very well-rounded player with a very good social game, 4 individual challenge wins (more than anyone else in Kaoh Rong) and some underrated strategy including voting out her best friend. The case could be made that she should be higher than this but for now she sits here, solidly in the top half of winners and beating out some big names.
12th) Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor: Heroes vs Villains)
Sandra is certainly one of the greatest players ever but looking at individual games, her better game in HvV cannot be considered better than 12th. She perfected the "anyone but me" strategy, played a decent social game but of course was squat physically. I firmly believe that Parvati SHOULD have won that season and although by no means a terrible game it is too bad that she won HvV as if Parvati had "Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Heroes vs Villains)" would be at the TOP of this list.
11th) John Cochran (Survivor: Caramoan)
Overall I consider Cochran similar to Michele having played a "balanced" game winning several challenges and playing a social game though I feel his strategy was just a little clearer and more well-defined than Michele's. Certainly a fan-favorite, good player and worthy winner.
10th) Mike Holloway (Survivor: Worlds Apart)
I am probably in the minority ranking Mike this high as he is often seen as an amazing challenge beast, and nothing more. But there is way more to Mike. In addition to being one of the best challenge competitors in Survivor HISTORY, he had legit strategy (successfully throwing the challenge to save Kelly, finding and successfully using an idol etc) and an underrated social game. A worthy inclusion in the top 10 winners of all time.
9th) Jeremy Collins (Survivor: Cambodia)
Although he was pretty poor physically (winning the final immunity challenge was impressive though) his social game and unique strategy ("meat shields", playing idol for Fishbach, finding two idols to begin with etc etc) as well as the fact that he basically steered the entire direction of the game in Cambodia make him a worthy inclusion to this elite league of winners.
8th) Denise Stapley (Survivor: Philippines)
Denise did not play an in control game like someone like Jeremy however she was the ultimate underdog earning the title as only person in Survivor history to go to every. tribal. council. She used a great social game and some serious strategy to fight from bottom to top and was also no slouch in challenges. An absolutely worthy and great winner.
7th) Tyson Apostol (Survivor: Blood vs Water)
If this were a ranking of Survivor PLAYERS, Tyson would never be this high. His first two games were train wrecks including voting himself out in Heroes vs Villains. However when he returned for Blood vs Water we saw a complete 180 and it was a joy to watch. His winning game was a work of art managing a dominant alliance, injuring himself early but continuing on, winning the last two immunity challenges, finding two idols and successfully using them etc. Would be even higher if this had been his first go-round.
6th) Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano (Survivor: Redemption Island)
Unlike Tyson, Rob's first games were not trainwrecks, however it still took him four times to finally win and his winning game was against one of the worst casts in Survivor history in a season that may have even been created to give Rob the best chance of winning. All of those things though do not take away from the spectacular game that Rob did play in Redemption Island but he would be even higher if it had been on his first, second or third go-round or against a better cast.
5th) Richard Hatch (Survivor: Borneo)
On Season 32 Rich Hatch would never win with the game he won with on Season 1 and now he would be seen as boring, underwhelming and totally undeserving. However backtrack 16 years and 32 seasons and this man "created" the game that we still love today. Who knows how Survivor would be played now, or even if it would be played now at all, if Hatch hadn't created the concept of alliances. Although one of the least exciting, absolutely deserving of a spot in the elite tier of all-time winners.
4th) Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Micronesia)
If this were a ranking of all-time best PLAYERS, I'd have Queen Parv at Spot #1. If the jury had made the RIGHT decision in Heroes vs Villains, three entries further down this list you would be seeing ANOTHER Parv entry, at Spot #1. Se la ve', Sandra won HvV and Parv's only winning game comes in at #4. Parv played a fantastic game in Micronesia flirting, strategizing and winning her way to the end pulling off some of the biggest and best blindsides in Survivor history along the way. However, I can't put her above #4 as she wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the BEST player in Micronesia, ms. Cirie Fields.
3rd) Kim Spradlin (Survivor: One World)
One World is often tainted as having a bad cast. I disagree. The cast is flat out SOLID. But when you're playing with Kim Spradlin, just about anyone would look bad. Kim played FLAWLESSLY in One World dominating an alliance, making everyone trust her and winning her way to the end. Truly one of the best of the best.
2nd) Tony Vlachos (Survivor: Cagayan)
Ever since Cagayan aired I have been back and forth with Tony and Kim for second and third spots. In the end Tony edges out Kim for the fact that he had a slightly more balanced game dominating strategically, socially and is underrated physically whereas Kim heavily relied on her social and physical games. Tony's ability to build spy shacks, find idols and lie and make people believe him but still convince them to give him their jury vote showcases what an absolutely amazing player he really is.
1st) Yul Kwon (Survivor: Cook Islands)
I am certainly in the minority ranking Yul this high but to me he truly played the very best winning game in Survivor history. He single handedly (in terms of strategy) led the Aitu 4 through one of the (dare I say BIGGEST) biggest comebacks in Survivor history. His use of his idol was the most unique but arguably successful use of an idol in history. Many people paint him as a "bad physical player" for only winning one individual immunity but you must remember that the entire time he was competing against one of the, if not the very, best individual challenge competitor in Survivor history, Ozzy. Remove Ozzy from the scenario I guarantee you Yul wins WAY more challenges. Add in the fact that Yul played against one of the very best casts ever including five Survivor "legends" and yes, to me he is the very best. winner. ever!
30th) Natalie White (Survivor: Samoa)
As I touched on in a recent essay, I generally believe that the best finalist wins the season. Survivor is about finding a way to get to the end while still having an impressive enough resume to win and having enough relationships with the jury members to make them want to award you a million dollars. If someone gets to the end and earns the jury respect, they have pretty much done that. However, once in a GREAT while I believe the jury makes the flat out WRONG decision. Yes, Samoa jury, I'm looking at you. Russell didn't play the best social game. I understand that. Yet he did play one of the best strategic games in Survivor history. Add in the fact that he was next to someone that should be considered one of the biggest goats ever, yes, in my opinion, the jury did make the wrong decision. Natalie was a goat that did not deserve to win a million dollars but did. For that she IMHO earns the title of worst winner in Survivor history.
29th) Bob Crowley (Survivor: Gabon)
Bob definitely did more than Natalie and although I would not have voted for him if I was on the Gabon jury (I believe that Sugar played the best game that season) I do not believe he is an "unworthy" winner. Kudos to him for being so old yet doing so well in challenges and creating an impressive fake idol, but that's about it. Overall unforgettable and lackluster, which to me speaks for most of the Gabon cast.
28th) Tina Wesson (Survivor: The Australian Outback)
I am almost certainly in the minority of Survivor fans ranking Tina this low. Her performance in Blood vs Water was impressive but in Australia she coasted along on her social game but had essentially no strategy and no physical prowess. Her social game was not OUTSTANDING either, just solid. If I had been on the Australia jury I would have voted for Colby. Moving on.
27th) Aras Baskauskas (Survivor: Panama)
Ahh, the first winner on this list that I would have actually voted for to win! He was certainly better than Danielle, but that is not saying a whole lot. He was carried along by Cirie for most of the game and his main resume point is "beating Terry" but it was actually Danielle that won that final immunity challenge. Cirie or Terry would have been much worthier winners of Panama, but alas they did not make FTC.
26th) Jenna Morasca (Survivor: The Amazon)
Jenna flirted and then won her way to the top which has to be commended but the fact is Heidi and Cesternino did most of the strategizing in The Amazon and Jenna was along for the ride for most of the game. C- strategy, B social, A- physical. In a tough crowd, that lands you 26th spot.
25th) Ethan Zohn (Survivor: Africa)
Ethan played an incredible social game, did well physically but was carried by Lex strategically. Certainly deserved to beat Kim Johnson at the FTC but it is a real shame that Lex did not make the FTC as he would have been a much worthier winner.
24th) Sophie Clarke (Survivor: South Pacific)
Another situation where I would have voted for a different person, however that does not mean Sophie played a bad game. She was a Coach follower strategically 100%, did not play a brilliant social game but was decent physically including BEATING OZZY. That is certainly enough to consider her a "worthy winner", just not one of the best ones.
23rd) Amber Brkich (Survivor: All Stars)
A lot of fans consider Amber to be at the bottom of the rankings with Natalie White but I strongly disagree. Amber played a very good social game playing Rob and knowing when to let him call the shots, won a couple challenges and had some underrated strategy (the Cesternino vote out was her idea). Yes, Rob dominated strategically and I probably would have voted for him but by no means is Amber a goat and she is a worthy winner.
22nd) Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor: Pearl Islands)
Most people would now never rank a Sandra performance this low but when ranking individual games you have to remember what her reputation was pre-Heroes vs Villains. Her "anyone but me" strategy was valid but in the Pearls she did not play a great social game and she is squat in the challenges.
21st) Vecepia Towery (Survivor: Marquesas)
Vee played a VERY good social game in Marquesas but Kathy dominated strategically and physically and also played a good social game. Another case of "last boot should have won" but of course Vecepia deserved to beat Neleh.
20th) Earl Cole (Survivor: Fiji)
Earl certainly deserved to beat Cassandra and Dreamz but Fiji is ANOTHER case of "last boot should have won". Yau-Man dominated physically and strategically and both Yau and Earl played great social games. Not a goat, but a follower for most of the season.
19th) Jud "Fabio" Birza (Survivor: Nicaragua)
I am probably in the minority ranking Fabio this high but I loved him, thought he played a great game and was a worthy winner. His "goofiness" was a legit STRATEGY, he had some other underrated strategy and was quite decent physically. Certainly not one of the best but by no means one of the worst winners.
18th) Natalie Anderson (Survivor: San Juan del Sur)
We are now really in the group of winners that deserved to win, played very good games and was the best player in the FTC (and usually, the season). Natalie is no exception. Despite a quiet start appearing to be a Jeremy pawn, she really kicked it into gear mid-season and dominated strategically, socially and physically. Would be higher if she had played at such a high level all season.
17th) Chris Daughtery (Survivor: Vanuatu)
Chris started out slow, performing poorly in challenges and following Bubba and Sarge but sped up at the end of the game winning challenges and manipulating the women (Twila, Leann and Scout) to turn on the other women (Ami, Eliza and Julie) which was VERY impressive. Chris also made some other subtle moves (convincing Twila to be hostile towards the jury was brilliant). He was certainly a worthy winner and deserves all the credit he gets but we cannot ignore that he was a bit of a "one trick pony" and that is why he is not higher than he is on this list.
16th) J.T. Thomas (Survivor: Tocantins)
J.T. certainly played a masterful social game and has to be commended for playing the first ever "perfect game" in Survivor history but like Chris he was a bit of a one trick pony in that he was surprisingly weak physically and Fishbach did most of the strategizing. Certainly a worthy winner just not one of the best.
15th) Brian Heidik (Survivor: Thailand)
Brian is yet another winner that fits the mold of a very talented "one trick pony". His strategic game was, arguably, the best we had seen up to that point in Survivor history but his physical game was lackluster and his social game had its huge flaws (that's why Clay ALMOST beat him).
14th) Todd Herzog (Survivor: China)
Todd dominated strategically and had what may have been the best FTC performance EVER and built great social relationships with Amanda and Courtney which held his alliance together but overall he didn't build as many social friendships as Amanda which almost lost him the game. He would be higher except some of the players above him had more balanced social/strategic/physical games.
13th) Michele Fitzgerald (Survivor: Kaoh Rong)
Following Michele's win there was a lot of backlash about how Aubry should have won and people were even comparing her to Natalie White. That could not be farther from true. Michele played a very good game and was a very well-rounded player with a very good social game, 4 individual challenge wins (more than anyone else in Kaoh Rong) and some underrated strategy including voting out her best friend. The case could be made that she should be higher than this but for now she sits here, solidly in the top half of winners and beating out some big names.
12th) Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor: Heroes vs Villains)
Sandra is certainly one of the greatest players ever but looking at individual games, her better game in HvV cannot be considered better than 12th. She perfected the "anyone but me" strategy, played a decent social game but of course was squat physically. I firmly believe that Parvati SHOULD have won that season and although by no means a terrible game it is too bad that she won HvV as if Parvati had "Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Heroes vs Villains)" would be at the TOP of this list.
11th) John Cochran (Survivor: Caramoan)
Overall I consider Cochran similar to Michele having played a "balanced" game winning several challenges and playing a social game though I feel his strategy was just a little clearer and more well-defined than Michele's. Certainly a fan-favorite, good player and worthy winner.
10th) Mike Holloway (Survivor: Worlds Apart)
I am probably in the minority ranking Mike this high as he is often seen as an amazing challenge beast, and nothing more. But there is way more to Mike. In addition to being one of the best challenge competitors in Survivor HISTORY, he had legit strategy (successfully throwing the challenge to save Kelly, finding and successfully using an idol etc) and an underrated social game. A worthy inclusion in the top 10 winners of all time.
9th) Jeremy Collins (Survivor: Cambodia)
Although he was pretty poor physically (winning the final immunity challenge was impressive though) his social game and unique strategy ("meat shields", playing idol for Fishbach, finding two idols to begin with etc etc) as well as the fact that he basically steered the entire direction of the game in Cambodia make him a worthy inclusion to this elite league of winners.
8th) Denise Stapley (Survivor: Philippines)
Denise did not play an in control game like someone like Jeremy however she was the ultimate underdog earning the title as only person in Survivor history to go to every. tribal. council. She used a great social game and some serious strategy to fight from bottom to top and was also no slouch in challenges. An absolutely worthy and great winner.
7th) Tyson Apostol (Survivor: Blood vs Water)
If this were a ranking of Survivor PLAYERS, Tyson would never be this high. His first two games were train wrecks including voting himself out in Heroes vs Villains. However when he returned for Blood vs Water we saw a complete 180 and it was a joy to watch. His winning game was a work of art managing a dominant alliance, injuring himself early but continuing on, winning the last two immunity challenges, finding two idols and successfully using them etc. Would be even higher if this had been his first go-round.
6th) Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano (Survivor: Redemption Island)
Unlike Tyson, Rob's first games were not trainwrecks, however it still took him four times to finally win and his winning game was against one of the worst casts in Survivor history in a season that may have even been created to give Rob the best chance of winning. All of those things though do not take away from the spectacular game that Rob did play in Redemption Island but he would be even higher if it had been on his first, second or third go-round or against a better cast.
5th) Richard Hatch (Survivor: Borneo)
On Season 32 Rich Hatch would never win with the game he won with on Season 1 and now he would be seen as boring, underwhelming and totally undeserving. However backtrack 16 years and 32 seasons and this man "created" the game that we still love today. Who knows how Survivor would be played now, or even if it would be played now at all, if Hatch hadn't created the concept of alliances. Although one of the least exciting, absolutely deserving of a spot in the elite tier of all-time winners.
4th) Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Micronesia)
If this were a ranking of all-time best PLAYERS, I'd have Queen Parv at Spot #1. If the jury had made the RIGHT decision in Heroes vs Villains, three entries further down this list you would be seeing ANOTHER Parv entry, at Spot #1. Se la ve', Sandra won HvV and Parv's only winning game comes in at #4. Parv played a fantastic game in Micronesia flirting, strategizing and winning her way to the end pulling off some of the biggest and best blindsides in Survivor history along the way. However, I can't put her above #4 as she wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the BEST player in Micronesia, ms. Cirie Fields.
3rd) Kim Spradlin (Survivor: One World)
One World is often tainted as having a bad cast. I disagree. The cast is flat out SOLID. But when you're playing with Kim Spradlin, just about anyone would look bad. Kim played FLAWLESSLY in One World dominating an alliance, making everyone trust her and winning her way to the end. Truly one of the best of the best.
2nd) Tony Vlachos (Survivor: Cagayan)
Ever since Cagayan aired I have been back and forth with Tony and Kim for second and third spots. In the end Tony edges out Kim for the fact that he had a slightly more balanced game dominating strategically, socially and is underrated physically whereas Kim heavily relied on her social and physical games. Tony's ability to build spy shacks, find idols and lie and make people believe him but still convince them to give him their jury vote showcases what an absolutely amazing player he really is.
1st) Yul Kwon (Survivor: Cook Islands)
I am certainly in the minority ranking Yul this high but to me he truly played the very best winning game in Survivor history. He single handedly (in terms of strategy) led the Aitu 4 through one of the (dare I say BIGGEST) biggest comebacks in Survivor history. His use of his idol was the most unique but arguably successful use of an idol in history. Many people paint him as a "bad physical player" for only winning one individual immunity but you must remember that the entire time he was competing against one of the, if not the very, best individual challenge competitor in Survivor history, Ozzy. Remove Ozzy from the scenario I guarantee you Yul wins WAY more challenges. Add in the fact that Yul played against one of the very best casts ever including five Survivor "legends" and yes, to me he is the very best. winner. ever!
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Ranking the Survivor Seasons 30-1
32 seasons of Survivor have each been unique and have been highly talked about by fans. Some are iconic, some are unforgettable and some are some of the best TV in history. Having not watched two seasons, Survivor: Palau and Survivor: Guatemala, please find my rankings of the other 30 seasons, 30th-1st!:
30th) Survivor: Redemption Island (winner: Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano)
To me every episode of Survivor is enjoyable. In fact only the episodes of Survivor: Borneo, season 1, were at all boring, but it is still fun to watch because it is the first. season. ever. However, compared to a lot of other seasons, Redemption Island is a snooze fest. It's premiere was decent, the "Rice Wars" episode was iconic, seeing Redemption Island for the first time was fun but other than that it was boring. The casting was BAD, there were no real blindsides, Ometepe kept winning, the challenges were lame and it felt like the season was created to finally give Boston Rob a win. However, what made this the worst season of Survivor in history is that from Day 1 the editing made it clear that Boston Rob would indeed win. He practically got HALF the confessionals the whole season! Add in the fact that Phillip Sheppard and Matt got a WHOLE bunch tons of people including end-gamers Natalie, Ashley and Grant got VERY little airtime.
29th) Survivor: Fiji (winner: Earl Cole)
Unlike Redemption Island, Fiji had okay editing and was not rigged for a specific person to win. However, Fiji did have THE WORST twist in Survivor history (Haves vs Have Nots which was more like Hotel and Restaurant vs Backpacking with no food) which meant that one tribe won ALL the pre-merge challenges, which led to a pagonging making for a boring pre-merge and post-merge! In addition, the casting was lackluster except for Earl, Yau-Man and Dreamz and the entire Car Deal was so awkward that it was the last time there was ever a car reward, which is a real shame. Yau-Man and his awesomeness save this season from being dead last.
28th) Survivor: Panama (winner: Aras Baskauskas)
You may start noticing a theme here, but one of the reasons Panama is so low is the casting. You truly need a good cast for a good Survivor season and Panama's cast was lackluster. Cirie was gold, Terry was great, Shane was entertaining but everyone else including the winner Aras were pretty boring. In addition, there were no real iconic moments from this season (oh wait, Shane's blackberry was iconic) and the editing was fairly poor. The main storyline was Terry vs Aras which I never really got into. The first ever hidden immunity idol was cool but it was never played and first Exile Island was fun (though I have never been a huge Exile fan) but overall it just does not compare to the seasons above it.
27th) Survivor: Tocantins (winner: JT Thomas)
I am almost certainly in the minority ranking Tocantins this low. Somebody once put it pretty clearly: if you love Coach, you love Tocantins, if you hate Coach, you hate Tocantins. Pre-South Pacific I more or less hated (well, strongly disliked), Coach. That means that I dislike Tocantins because Tocantins was the Coach show. Tyson was a A-hole in Tocantins too. JT was fine but I have never been his biggest fan and I DO NOT get the Fishbach love. Taj was awesome but she was one of the only bright spots this entire season. Overall unforgettable.
26th) Survivor: Thailand (winner: Brian Heidik)
Brian was a great winner and it was very entertaining to watch him on his "business trip". Other than him the casting was terrible, the editing highlighted Brian's win from very early on, the culture did not have a nearly large enough influence for such an awesome location, and the entire Ted/Ghandia thing was one of the most awkward storylines in Survivor history. Moving on.
25th) Survivor: Marquesas (winner: Vecepia Towery)
To me there are several "groups" of seasons, and Thailand represents the end of the "worst" group and Marquesas is the beginning of the next group. I have much less negative to say about Marquesas but still not too much positive to say. The rise and fall of the Rotu 4 was one of the first power shifts in Survivor history, it was fun to watch Vecepia play a brilliant social game, Paschal and Neleh's bond was neat but overall it wasn't classic "awesome" Survivor. ALL the religious influence in this season is what puts it on the bottom of its "group" of seasons.
24th) Survivor: The Australian Outback (winner: Tina Wesson)
Overall I for one find Australia similar to Marquesas. It had a few more iconic moments (Skupin falling in the fire, Colby's immunity run, Colby's dumb move) but it had a bit too much Colby for me and not enough of the other players, especially given the (good) quality of what could have been a more evenly-edited cast. With it only being season two Jeff was lackluster and the editing was rough which prevents it from climbing higher on this list.
23rd) Survivor: San Juan del Sur (winner: Natalie Anderson)
I am a HUGE fan of the Blood vs Water theme but it definitely seems to work better with half returning players. The return of Exile Island was disappointing after the success of Redemption in the first BvW season. The editing was weird, not over-editing Natalie which was good but certainly under-editing Jaclyn and Missy and over-editing Jeremy. Keeping it this high is Natalie. She played a very good and EXTREMELY entertaining game and made the last few episodes quite decent.
22nd) Survivor: Borneo (winner: Richard Hatch)
As I mentioned the ONLY episodes of Survivor I find somewhat boring are some of the Borneo episodes. It would be DEAD LAST if it wasn't the season that created the show we love. I don't have much more to say about it, except that it is almost not a "typical" season. To me it is more a "test run" season that had to be ranked somewhere. This was arguably the hardest season to rank. The case can be made that it must be first, because it is the first ever season or that it must be last because it is the most boring season ever. In the end I put it 22nd. Moving on.
21st) Survivor: One World (winner: Kim Spradlin)
Although there is a fairly small jump, I do consider One World the start of the next "group" of seasons. I consider myself a One World fan. Well, not a FAN, but a fan. Compared to other Survivor fans, that is. One World is very often ranked in the "dreaded three" with Redemption Island and Fiji. I cannot for the life of me understand why. Yes, Kim's win was somewhat predictable and the challenges were somewhat lackluster but Chelsea, Sabrina and Troyzan were much better edited than any non-Rob people in Redemption Island and overall the editing was much more even. The casting was average at worst at the One World twist was a great experiment that I wouldn't mind seeing again. Overall a season I think of in positive light.
20th) Survivor: Caramoan (winner: John Cochran)
Caramoan is a very interesting season and represents the best and the worst of Survivor all at the same time. Cochran was a fantastic winner that played a great game, was entertaining and easy to root for. Watching him was some of the best TV possible therefore he obviously got a large edit. Too large, however, as most of the other people were under-edited. The casting to begin with was weak. The fans (except for Laura, Michael and maybe a few others) were not fans and the favorites (except for Cochran, Malcolm, Brenda and Erik) were not favorites. There were too many water challenges and camp life was often boring. In addition to Cochran and his awesomeness the only other thing that brings this season up (and in a big way) is that the tribals were super entertaining with a string of great blindsides.
19th) Survivor: Nicaragua (winner: Jud "Fabio" Birza)
Fabio is one of my favorite players ever and although I do not by any means consider him one of the best winners he was very entertaining and fun to watch. Brenda was a fan-favorite as was Jane. Marty was TV gold but Chase and Sash totally got on my nerves. The double quit was a buzz killer but the unpredictability was good. The editing was average. This all results in an average season.
18th) Survivor: Samoa (winner: Natalie White)
Samoa is one of those seasons that could have been a very good season had the editing been better. It's cast was certainly underrated but they all got very little airtime except for Russell and Shambo. Russell and Shambo were so entertaining that I cannot possibly rank this season lower than this, despite bad challenges and bad editing. A buzz killer at the end of the season though when Natalie beat Russell in one of the only wrong jury decisions in Survivor history.
17th) Survivor: All Stars (winner: Amber Brkich)
All Stars was a fun season with all the twists and turns and of course it being the first returning player season in Survivor history. The powerful duo of Romber that was bound to break at somepoint never did which was fascinating TV. Bringing this season down is slightly below-average editing, all the controversy surrounding Sue's & Jenna's quits, Rob and Lex's fight, plus several tarnished legacies (Cesternino, Jenna, Sue, Colby).
16th) Survivor: Gabon (winner: Bob Crowley)
Gabon is a season that has been discussed in length with some people claiming it is the best ever and others claiming it as one of the worst. To me I just don't get the Gabon love nor the Gabon hate. It's just an average season of Survivor. There is really no iconic moment associated with it and the cast was meh. The unpredictability and all the tribe swaps keeps it this high.
15th) Survivor: Worlds Apart (winner: Mike Holloway)
Worlds Apart is definitely the start of the next "group" of seasons in my opinion. I enjoyed it considerably more than Gabon and only slightly less than South Pacific. Mike was a fantastic winner that was a joy to watch and overall the final 5 of that season was pretty strong (Mike, Carolyn, Will, Rodney and Sierra) with only Will playing a bad game. The editing was quite decent, building up both Mike and Carolyn equally with enough attention to Rodney and Sierra that they both were considered winners candidates going into the finale. The challenges were pretty good and there was some fun strategy. Oh and the cast? Killer. Jenn and Shirin didn't last all that long but were SO MEMORABLE. The only real thing bringing this down (and fairly far down) is all the negative attention/bullying surrounding this season with Dan, Will, Rodney, Shirin and Sierra.
14th) Survivor: South Pacific (winner: Sophie Clarke)
I may be one of the only Survivor fans on the planet to rank South Pacific in the top half of seasons but it bewilders me why so many people HATE it. To me it is hands down the most underrated season in Survivor history. The editing was great, cast quite decent, pre-merge even and fun and Ozzy sending himself to Redemption was so much fun to watch. Cochran's flip and the pagonging does bring it down but not to the BOTTOM! Slightly better than average is the worst I can possibly rank South Pacific. In fact just writing this makes me want to rewatch it!
13th) Survivor: Africa (winner: Ethan Zohn)
We are now really in the stretch of seasons that are pretty darn good and that I would never get tired of rewatching. Survivor: Africa is definitely SOLID Survivor! Ethan may not be the best winner but Lex, Kathy, Little Kim, Big Tom, Goldsmith and so many others make this cast one of the better ones. All the attention on the location was awesome and some underrated strategy took place. GOOD SEASON!
12th) Survivor: The Amazon (winner: Jenna Morasca)
The Amazon really represents so much of what we love about Survivor from Cesternino's brilliant strategy, the Jaburu girls and their drama (who could forget THAT peanut butter moment?), Deena and Christy's gold TV moments, the men vs women theme, some awesome challenges and great editing. There is hardly anything bad to say about this season but in the end 11 others edged it out.
11th) Survivor: Vanuatu (winner: Chris Daughtery)
This is another season that I probably rank slightly higher than most Survivor fans and I am also in the minority preferring it to The Amazon. The opening ceremony was epic, the men vs women battle was just as evident as it was in the first season, the cast was awesome, the all girls alliance dominating and then crumbling coupled with Chris' amazing come from behind victory was just gold. It just is not as AMAZING as the Top 10 but it is certainly Survivor in all its glory.
10th) Survivor: Philippines (winner: Denise Stapley)
The start of the second-to-last "group" of seasons starts with the Philippines. After a string of seasons (Nicaragua, Redemption Island, South Pacific, One World) that were mostly below average Philippines is truly the season that "saved" Survivor. Denise was an awesome winner, the editing was perfect, the disaster that was Matsing was entertaining and the cast was killer. Definitely a legendary season of Survivor.
9th) Survivor: China (winner: Todd Herzog)
China was an extremely entertaining season worth a re-watch any day. The editing and especially casting were some of the best in Survivor history, watching Courtney's underdog storyline unfold was fantastic, James made his first appearance on Survivor and delivered including THAT double idol vote out and all the cultural reference was nothing short of fantastic.
8th) Survivor: Kaoh Rong (winner: Michele Fitzgerald)
People can scream "recency bias!" all they want but I truly believe that Kaoh Rong is an all-around AWESOME season. Throughout the season Kaoh Rong seemed similar to San Juan del Sur with power shifts at similar times, a similar merge and an under-the-radar female winner. However, if San Juan del Sur came from hell Kaoh Rong came from heaven. The cast was SPOT ON, editing much more even, better challenges and more unpredictability. A few years down the road I think we will still be talking about Kaoh Rong in very high regard.
7th) Survivor: Pearl Islands (winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine)
Survivor fans often differ in terms of opinion of how good a season is but MOST fans can agree Pearl Islands is a VERY good season. The pirate theme was so intriguing, the cast was amazing (Rupert, Sandra and Fairplay, need I say more?), the dead grandma lie was so iconic, the editing was great and the challenges were some of the best in Survivor history. So, so, so good.
6th) Survivor: Cook Islands (winner: Yul Kwon)
Cook Islands is right up there with South Pacific for me as the most underrated season in Survivor history. It gets a bad rap for the racial divide twist but for me that was not a bad thing. If that is seen as racist, why aren't men vs women seasons seen as sexist? Doesn't make sense to me. And that only lasted for TWO episodes anyway! EVERYTHING about this season was amazing. The casting (it gave birth to five legends!: Parvati, Penner, Ozzy, Yul and Candice), the comeback of the Aitu 4, the mutiny, and of course the Billy and Candice moment. #MoreLoveForTheCooks
5th) Survivor: Cagayan (winner: Tony Vlachos)
Cagayan is in my opinion the beginning of the final "group" of seasons--the true legends. It also receives the distinct honor as the best all-newbie season in Survivor history. The cast was probably the best all-newbie cast ever, the editing was amazing, the challenges weren't great but also not bad but the unpredictability yet defined and compelling strategy made for a truly fantastic season. Tony is one of the best winners ever and will surely return to the game one day but we have already seen 4 other Cagayan players return to the game.
4th) Survivor: Heroes vs Villains (winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine)
Very often considered the best season ever, Heroes vs Villains is certainly a Survivor gem. The cast is one of the best ever, the game play is hard to beat (Parvati's double idol play MAY be my favorite moment in Survivor history) and of course we had our first ever two-time winner (though it should have been a different person, but that's another story).
3rd) Survivor: Micronesia (winner: Parvati Shallow)
Micronesia's cast, like Cambodia, was FULL of people there to PLAY the game. The final 4 Black Widow Brigade members (Parvati, Amanda, Cirie and Natalie) almost certainly comprise the best final four ever. The string of Ozzy/Jason/Erik blindsides was amazing and the pre-merge is certainly underrated. It was the best season ever for a long time but then came:
2nd) Survivor: Blood vs Water (winner: Tyson Apostol)
When Heroes vs Villains did not trump Micronesia and then we had that string of bad seasons many fans were starting to believe that Micronesia would forever hold the title of best season ever and that Survivor would never return to it's glory days. Well then came along Season 27, Blood vs Water. To me it became the best season in history. The loved ones twist was so refreshing, Redemption Island redeemed itself, the cast was amazing (Ciera is my all-time favorite Survivor player) and we had someone vote their mom out. Oh yeah, there was a freakin' rock draw too! Truly a season to be remembered for a long, long, long time.
1st) Survivor: Cambodia (winner: Jeremy Collins)
Blood vs Water did not hold its title for too long because along came Survivor: Cambodia--Second Chance. Because the fans voted the castaways in they felt the need to PLAY hard not only for themselves and their family but for America. Every single person came to play their own game. We had two tribes become three tribes. We had a record number of tribe swaps. We had one of the harshest seasons in terms of conditions. And through it all the season gave birth to "voting blocs" which will forever change the way Survivor is played. Ladies and gentlemen, for now, Survivor: Cambodia--Second Chance, Season 31 is the very best season in Survivor history!
30th) Survivor: Redemption Island (winner: Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano)
To me every episode of Survivor is enjoyable. In fact only the episodes of Survivor: Borneo, season 1, were at all boring, but it is still fun to watch because it is the first. season. ever. However, compared to a lot of other seasons, Redemption Island is a snooze fest. It's premiere was decent, the "Rice Wars" episode was iconic, seeing Redemption Island for the first time was fun but other than that it was boring. The casting was BAD, there were no real blindsides, Ometepe kept winning, the challenges were lame and it felt like the season was created to finally give Boston Rob a win. However, what made this the worst season of Survivor in history is that from Day 1 the editing made it clear that Boston Rob would indeed win. He practically got HALF the confessionals the whole season! Add in the fact that Phillip Sheppard and Matt got a WHOLE bunch tons of people including end-gamers Natalie, Ashley and Grant got VERY little airtime.
29th) Survivor: Fiji (winner: Earl Cole)
Unlike Redemption Island, Fiji had okay editing and was not rigged for a specific person to win. However, Fiji did have THE WORST twist in Survivor history (Haves vs Have Nots which was more like Hotel and Restaurant vs Backpacking with no food) which meant that one tribe won ALL the pre-merge challenges, which led to a pagonging making for a boring pre-merge and post-merge! In addition, the casting was lackluster except for Earl, Yau-Man and Dreamz and the entire Car Deal was so awkward that it was the last time there was ever a car reward, which is a real shame. Yau-Man and his awesomeness save this season from being dead last.
28th) Survivor: Panama (winner: Aras Baskauskas)
You may start noticing a theme here, but one of the reasons Panama is so low is the casting. You truly need a good cast for a good Survivor season and Panama's cast was lackluster. Cirie was gold, Terry was great, Shane was entertaining but everyone else including the winner Aras were pretty boring. In addition, there were no real iconic moments from this season (oh wait, Shane's blackberry was iconic) and the editing was fairly poor. The main storyline was Terry vs Aras which I never really got into. The first ever hidden immunity idol was cool but it was never played and first Exile Island was fun (though I have never been a huge Exile fan) but overall it just does not compare to the seasons above it.
27th) Survivor: Tocantins (winner: JT Thomas)
I am almost certainly in the minority ranking Tocantins this low. Somebody once put it pretty clearly: if you love Coach, you love Tocantins, if you hate Coach, you hate Tocantins. Pre-South Pacific I more or less hated (well, strongly disliked), Coach. That means that I dislike Tocantins because Tocantins was the Coach show. Tyson was a A-hole in Tocantins too. JT was fine but I have never been his biggest fan and I DO NOT get the Fishbach love. Taj was awesome but she was one of the only bright spots this entire season. Overall unforgettable.
26th) Survivor: Thailand (winner: Brian Heidik)
Brian was a great winner and it was very entertaining to watch him on his "business trip". Other than him the casting was terrible, the editing highlighted Brian's win from very early on, the culture did not have a nearly large enough influence for such an awesome location, and the entire Ted/Ghandia thing was one of the most awkward storylines in Survivor history. Moving on.
25th) Survivor: Marquesas (winner: Vecepia Towery)
To me there are several "groups" of seasons, and Thailand represents the end of the "worst" group and Marquesas is the beginning of the next group. I have much less negative to say about Marquesas but still not too much positive to say. The rise and fall of the Rotu 4 was one of the first power shifts in Survivor history, it was fun to watch Vecepia play a brilliant social game, Paschal and Neleh's bond was neat but overall it wasn't classic "awesome" Survivor. ALL the religious influence in this season is what puts it on the bottom of its "group" of seasons.
24th) Survivor: The Australian Outback (winner: Tina Wesson)
Overall I for one find Australia similar to Marquesas. It had a few more iconic moments (Skupin falling in the fire, Colby's immunity run, Colby's dumb move) but it had a bit too much Colby for me and not enough of the other players, especially given the (good) quality of what could have been a more evenly-edited cast. With it only being season two Jeff was lackluster and the editing was rough which prevents it from climbing higher on this list.
23rd) Survivor: San Juan del Sur (winner: Natalie Anderson)
I am a HUGE fan of the Blood vs Water theme but it definitely seems to work better with half returning players. The return of Exile Island was disappointing after the success of Redemption in the first BvW season. The editing was weird, not over-editing Natalie which was good but certainly under-editing Jaclyn and Missy and over-editing Jeremy. Keeping it this high is Natalie. She played a very good and EXTREMELY entertaining game and made the last few episodes quite decent.
22nd) Survivor: Borneo (winner: Richard Hatch)
As I mentioned the ONLY episodes of Survivor I find somewhat boring are some of the Borneo episodes. It would be DEAD LAST if it wasn't the season that created the show we love. I don't have much more to say about it, except that it is almost not a "typical" season. To me it is more a "test run" season that had to be ranked somewhere. This was arguably the hardest season to rank. The case can be made that it must be first, because it is the first ever season or that it must be last because it is the most boring season ever. In the end I put it 22nd. Moving on.
21st) Survivor: One World (winner: Kim Spradlin)
Although there is a fairly small jump, I do consider One World the start of the next "group" of seasons. I consider myself a One World fan. Well, not a FAN, but a fan. Compared to other Survivor fans, that is. One World is very often ranked in the "dreaded three" with Redemption Island and Fiji. I cannot for the life of me understand why. Yes, Kim's win was somewhat predictable and the challenges were somewhat lackluster but Chelsea, Sabrina and Troyzan were much better edited than any non-Rob people in Redemption Island and overall the editing was much more even. The casting was average at worst at the One World twist was a great experiment that I wouldn't mind seeing again. Overall a season I think of in positive light.
20th) Survivor: Caramoan (winner: John Cochran)
Caramoan is a very interesting season and represents the best and the worst of Survivor all at the same time. Cochran was a fantastic winner that played a great game, was entertaining and easy to root for. Watching him was some of the best TV possible therefore he obviously got a large edit. Too large, however, as most of the other people were under-edited. The casting to begin with was weak. The fans (except for Laura, Michael and maybe a few others) were not fans and the favorites (except for Cochran, Malcolm, Brenda and Erik) were not favorites. There were too many water challenges and camp life was often boring. In addition to Cochran and his awesomeness the only other thing that brings this season up (and in a big way) is that the tribals were super entertaining with a string of great blindsides.
19th) Survivor: Nicaragua (winner: Jud "Fabio" Birza)
Fabio is one of my favorite players ever and although I do not by any means consider him one of the best winners he was very entertaining and fun to watch. Brenda was a fan-favorite as was Jane. Marty was TV gold but Chase and Sash totally got on my nerves. The double quit was a buzz killer but the unpredictability was good. The editing was average. This all results in an average season.
18th) Survivor: Samoa (winner: Natalie White)
Samoa is one of those seasons that could have been a very good season had the editing been better. It's cast was certainly underrated but they all got very little airtime except for Russell and Shambo. Russell and Shambo were so entertaining that I cannot possibly rank this season lower than this, despite bad challenges and bad editing. A buzz killer at the end of the season though when Natalie beat Russell in one of the only wrong jury decisions in Survivor history.
17th) Survivor: All Stars (winner: Amber Brkich)
All Stars was a fun season with all the twists and turns and of course it being the first returning player season in Survivor history. The powerful duo of Romber that was bound to break at somepoint never did which was fascinating TV. Bringing this season down is slightly below-average editing, all the controversy surrounding Sue's & Jenna's quits, Rob and Lex's fight, plus several tarnished legacies (Cesternino, Jenna, Sue, Colby).
16th) Survivor: Gabon (winner: Bob Crowley)
Gabon is a season that has been discussed in length with some people claiming it is the best ever and others claiming it as one of the worst. To me I just don't get the Gabon love nor the Gabon hate. It's just an average season of Survivor. There is really no iconic moment associated with it and the cast was meh. The unpredictability and all the tribe swaps keeps it this high.
15th) Survivor: Worlds Apart (winner: Mike Holloway)
Worlds Apart is definitely the start of the next "group" of seasons in my opinion. I enjoyed it considerably more than Gabon and only slightly less than South Pacific. Mike was a fantastic winner that was a joy to watch and overall the final 5 of that season was pretty strong (Mike, Carolyn, Will, Rodney and Sierra) with only Will playing a bad game. The editing was quite decent, building up both Mike and Carolyn equally with enough attention to Rodney and Sierra that they both were considered winners candidates going into the finale. The challenges were pretty good and there was some fun strategy. Oh and the cast? Killer. Jenn and Shirin didn't last all that long but were SO MEMORABLE. The only real thing bringing this down (and fairly far down) is all the negative attention/bullying surrounding this season with Dan, Will, Rodney, Shirin and Sierra.
14th) Survivor: South Pacific (winner: Sophie Clarke)
I may be one of the only Survivor fans on the planet to rank South Pacific in the top half of seasons but it bewilders me why so many people HATE it. To me it is hands down the most underrated season in Survivor history. The editing was great, cast quite decent, pre-merge even and fun and Ozzy sending himself to Redemption was so much fun to watch. Cochran's flip and the pagonging does bring it down but not to the BOTTOM! Slightly better than average is the worst I can possibly rank South Pacific. In fact just writing this makes me want to rewatch it!
13th) Survivor: Africa (winner: Ethan Zohn)
We are now really in the stretch of seasons that are pretty darn good and that I would never get tired of rewatching. Survivor: Africa is definitely SOLID Survivor! Ethan may not be the best winner but Lex, Kathy, Little Kim, Big Tom, Goldsmith and so many others make this cast one of the better ones. All the attention on the location was awesome and some underrated strategy took place. GOOD SEASON!
12th) Survivor: The Amazon (winner: Jenna Morasca)
The Amazon really represents so much of what we love about Survivor from Cesternino's brilliant strategy, the Jaburu girls and their drama (who could forget THAT peanut butter moment?), Deena and Christy's gold TV moments, the men vs women theme, some awesome challenges and great editing. There is hardly anything bad to say about this season but in the end 11 others edged it out.
11th) Survivor: Vanuatu (winner: Chris Daughtery)
This is another season that I probably rank slightly higher than most Survivor fans and I am also in the minority preferring it to The Amazon. The opening ceremony was epic, the men vs women battle was just as evident as it was in the first season, the cast was awesome, the all girls alliance dominating and then crumbling coupled with Chris' amazing come from behind victory was just gold. It just is not as AMAZING as the Top 10 but it is certainly Survivor in all its glory.
10th) Survivor: Philippines (winner: Denise Stapley)
The start of the second-to-last "group" of seasons starts with the Philippines. After a string of seasons (Nicaragua, Redemption Island, South Pacific, One World) that were mostly below average Philippines is truly the season that "saved" Survivor. Denise was an awesome winner, the editing was perfect, the disaster that was Matsing was entertaining and the cast was killer. Definitely a legendary season of Survivor.
9th) Survivor: China (winner: Todd Herzog)
China was an extremely entertaining season worth a re-watch any day. The editing and especially casting were some of the best in Survivor history, watching Courtney's underdog storyline unfold was fantastic, James made his first appearance on Survivor and delivered including THAT double idol vote out and all the cultural reference was nothing short of fantastic.
8th) Survivor: Kaoh Rong (winner: Michele Fitzgerald)
People can scream "recency bias!" all they want but I truly believe that Kaoh Rong is an all-around AWESOME season. Throughout the season Kaoh Rong seemed similar to San Juan del Sur with power shifts at similar times, a similar merge and an under-the-radar female winner. However, if San Juan del Sur came from hell Kaoh Rong came from heaven. The cast was SPOT ON, editing much more even, better challenges and more unpredictability. A few years down the road I think we will still be talking about Kaoh Rong in very high regard.
7th) Survivor: Pearl Islands (winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine)
Survivor fans often differ in terms of opinion of how good a season is but MOST fans can agree Pearl Islands is a VERY good season. The pirate theme was so intriguing, the cast was amazing (Rupert, Sandra and Fairplay, need I say more?), the dead grandma lie was so iconic, the editing was great and the challenges were some of the best in Survivor history. So, so, so good.
6th) Survivor: Cook Islands (winner: Yul Kwon)
Cook Islands is right up there with South Pacific for me as the most underrated season in Survivor history. It gets a bad rap for the racial divide twist but for me that was not a bad thing. If that is seen as racist, why aren't men vs women seasons seen as sexist? Doesn't make sense to me. And that only lasted for TWO episodes anyway! EVERYTHING about this season was amazing. The casting (it gave birth to five legends!: Parvati, Penner, Ozzy, Yul and Candice), the comeback of the Aitu 4, the mutiny, and of course the Billy and Candice moment. #MoreLoveForTheCooks
5th) Survivor: Cagayan (winner: Tony Vlachos)
Cagayan is in my opinion the beginning of the final "group" of seasons--the true legends. It also receives the distinct honor as the best all-newbie season in Survivor history. The cast was probably the best all-newbie cast ever, the editing was amazing, the challenges weren't great but also not bad but the unpredictability yet defined and compelling strategy made for a truly fantastic season. Tony is one of the best winners ever and will surely return to the game one day but we have already seen 4 other Cagayan players return to the game.
4th) Survivor: Heroes vs Villains (winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine)
Very often considered the best season ever, Heroes vs Villains is certainly a Survivor gem. The cast is one of the best ever, the game play is hard to beat (Parvati's double idol play MAY be my favorite moment in Survivor history) and of course we had our first ever two-time winner (though it should have been a different person, but that's another story).
3rd) Survivor: Micronesia (winner: Parvati Shallow)
Micronesia's cast, like Cambodia, was FULL of people there to PLAY the game. The final 4 Black Widow Brigade members (Parvati, Amanda, Cirie and Natalie) almost certainly comprise the best final four ever. The string of Ozzy/Jason/Erik blindsides was amazing and the pre-merge is certainly underrated. It was the best season ever for a long time but then came:
2nd) Survivor: Blood vs Water (winner: Tyson Apostol)
When Heroes vs Villains did not trump Micronesia and then we had that string of bad seasons many fans were starting to believe that Micronesia would forever hold the title of best season ever and that Survivor would never return to it's glory days. Well then came along Season 27, Blood vs Water. To me it became the best season in history. The loved ones twist was so refreshing, Redemption Island redeemed itself, the cast was amazing (Ciera is my all-time favorite Survivor player) and we had someone vote their mom out. Oh yeah, there was a freakin' rock draw too! Truly a season to be remembered for a long, long, long time.
1st) Survivor: Cambodia (winner: Jeremy Collins)
Blood vs Water did not hold its title for too long because along came Survivor: Cambodia--Second Chance. Because the fans voted the castaways in they felt the need to PLAY hard not only for themselves and their family but for America. Every single person came to play their own game. We had two tribes become three tribes. We had a record number of tribe swaps. We had one of the harshest seasons in terms of conditions. And through it all the season gave birth to "voting blocs" which will forever change the way Survivor is played. Ladies and gentlemen, for now, Survivor: Cambodia--Second Chance, Season 31 is the very best season in Survivor history!
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