What was best survivor season

Solid but unspectacular. Pretty predictable boot order as well. Dude did burn his hands off , though. The good news is the season built momentum as it went, with a strong run of post-merge episodes after a truly underwhelming start to the season. Of course, I struggle with the fact that much of the drama came out of there being an overabundance of idols and advantages, but producers did something very smart with those advantages to make sure nobody else got Ciried: They limited most of them to a specific single Tribal Council.

They also forced contestants to make decisions on those advantages — like whom to help or hurt from another tribe — that played dramatic dividends. And, outside of one mind-bogglingly boring loved ones reward contest, the challenges were strong. But now comes the bad news.

Like the majority of Survivor nation, I was not a fan of the new final four fire-making twist. While I do not believe it was a cheat put in place to specifically get Ben to the finals , Probst has openly admitted it was engineered to get a strong player like Ben there.

To me, even though there was not any funny business at play to help Ben out, it still was not in the spirit of a game in which players are supposedly given the power to vote each other out. That was a bummer. Although, in the producers' defense, we can't ignore that it did pay huge dramatic dividends later on Ghost Island. Not one of the best seasons ever; not one of the worst. Working in this season's favor was the sheer unpredictability from week to week in terms of who was aligned with whom and what would happen at Tribal Council.

That's always exciting. Working against this season is the fact there simply were not enough transcendent players in the cast. Talking to fellow fans of the show, I did not find a lot of passion or hardcore rooting interest for any of the folks who made it far in the game especially after Tai sabotaged the tribe by putting out the fire.

That's a problem. Another problem for me was the unsurprisingly bitter jury, whose egos simply couldn't handle being bested by Aubry.

While the reward challenge that caused three players to collapse was certainly riveting and scary as hell to watch, it also robbed us of Beast Mode Cowboy , which was a shame.

The other medical evacuations Neal and Joe meant we were denied chances to see how those pivotal votes would have gone down, and the challenges in general were at times too heavy reliant on balancing. All that said, there were legitimate moments of glory — like when Tai turned on Scot and Jason — that elevated the proceedings and turned this season into a solid, if unspectacular, entry.

Related: Jeff Probst on "the most frightened I've been in all my time" on the show. It was a huge thrill to see the biggest titans of the game return to play, but the results were a letdown. That said, man, were there some hate-fueled fireworks at those final few Tribal Councils.

And the Reunion Show was about as tense as I ever seen, leading to Jerri Manthey literally getting up and walking out during a commercial break. It got better near the end , but it was still a case of too little, too late. The fact that so many unworthy players went so far is simply too damning. The main problem, of course, was that there were not enough people to root for. Worlds Apart got somewhat hijacked by an assault of offensive comments to and about women by some of the male characters.

It's too bad because there was actually some interesting gameplay — mostly thanks to Mike. And there were some big moments at the last few Tribal Councils as well. This season has moved around a bunch for me. It started off middle-of-the-pack, went WAY down during all that Dan and Will ugliness, but slowly crept back up after that. The first three episodes were dynamite, but then the fuse blew out.

It certainly was entertaining at times watching Rob strategize the most dominant showing ever and Phillip philosophize the craziest showing ever , just not very dramatic. Most of the vote-offs were clearly telegraphed and the Redemption Island twist sucked the life out of Survivor 's signature moment — the vote-off.

Some great challenges. Not that much else was great. That's the best word I can think of to describe the season. Rick Devens was the only true breakout from the cast unless you include Reem bitching everyone out at Extinction Island… and you probably should , but that may also be because so much of the attention early was spent on the four returning players.

I'm not a fan of folks sticking around after being voted out, so clearly the Edge of Extinction twist was not up my alley, especially since it mostly consisted of people just kind of staring off into the distance pensively for no apparent reason. And while the producers who make the show may consider having someone voted out on day 8 winning the game as proof on concept, it left a sour taste with viewers who could not help but overlook the massive advantages associated with befriending the jury in a non-game setting.

Related: Survivor producer weighs in on controversial Edge of Extinction result. When you stick a cast in a miserably hot location and they are having a miserable time, miserable things can happen.

At least give them a place where they can go in the water! Rafe was good for a few laughs, though. Especially on rope obstacles. I don't blame producers: The battle of the sexes seemed like a fine enough concept. This season just never took off. The cast was for the most part boring if not boorish, and when you look back on this season, does any one big moment even stand out?

I will say there were a few strong post-merge episodes, and it definitely got better over the last few weeks thanks to Natalie's strong play.

That counts for something. This is not a season that inspires anger or rage, just apathy, which is maybe the worst indictment of all. Look, I have total respect for Kim's game. Like Tom in Palau and Rob in Redemption Island , she excelled strategically, socially, and physically. Unfortunately, that is really the only good thing I can say about this season.

And that's too bad, because I do think the "One World" concept was a solid one. But, man, what a thoroughly uninspiring cast.

Colton was more a horrible human being than a classic villain, and the rest of the players were mostly either completely forgettable or people you wish you could forget.

I worry I am being generous by putting it even this high, but out of respect for Kim, it goes here. The fake merge and brutal last challenge — where the final three had to hold coins between their fingers in a crazy painful pose — keep this dud out of the bottom spot.

Yau-Man and Earl were great, but this entire season was sabotaged by the terrible "Haves Vs. Have-Nots" twist, which has to go down as one of the worst creative decisions in Survivor history. Speaking of awful creative decisions…. It's way down here for a few reasons. Unfortunately, it was people quitting, and that was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Interestingly enough, Survivor viewers picked Fabio as the worst Survivor winner ever in our fan poll , so I'm apparently not alone in my lack of enthusiasm. I'm a guy who tends to be pretty analytical. But even I recognize that when it comes to ranking Survivor seasons, it ultimately comes down to a feeling.

You can make pros and cons lists as I have even done in a few of the entries above , but, in the end, it all boils down to how a season makes you feel. And, unfortunately, due to the events surrounding the inappropriate touching — and the way it was handled by both production and the other contestants — the ultimate feeling when it comes to this season is sadness.

Watching Survivor should be fun! But nothing seemed fun in light of the far more serious issue that clearly outweighed the final game result.

Quite simply: It made the rest of the season impossible to enjoy. And so even though there were several things and people worth celebrating at various points in the show's 39th installment, the end result is that this felt like the least entertaining outing in the franchise's history.

And so here it sits. Related: Kellee Kim of Survivor speaks out on inappropriate touching incidents. Home Gallery Ranking every season of Survivor.

Ranking every season of Survivor. Save FB Tweet More. Pinterest Email Send Text Message. All 32 Seasons of 'Survivor,' Ranked. Credit: CBS. Favorites Winner: Parvati Shallow. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains Winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine. Continued on next slide.

Survivor: Cagayan Winner: Tony Vlachos. So Smart They're Dumb. Survivor: Palau Winner: Tom Westman. Survivor: China Winner: Todd Herzog. Survivor: Blood vs. Water Winner: Tyson Apostol. Survivor: Philippines Winner: Denise Stapley. Survivor: Marquesas Winner: Vecepia Towery. Survivor: Amazon Winner: Jenna Morasca. Favorites Winner: John Cochran. Survivor: Samoa Winner: Natalie White. Survivor: Tocantins Winner: J. Credit: Jeffrey R. Can You Reverse the Curse? Survivor: Gabon Winner: Bob Crowley.

Survivor: Africa Winner: Ethan Zohn. Betrayals Are Going to Get Exposed. Survivor: Guatemala Winner: Danni Boatwright. Survivor: Vanuatu Winner: Chris Daugherty. Survivor: Thailand Winner: Brian Heidik. Survivor: Fiji Winner: Earl Cole. Replay gallery. Pinterest Facebook. Up Next Cancel. By Dalton Ross DaltonRoss. Share the Gallery Pinterest Facebook.

Skip slide summaries Everything in This Slideshow. Survivor: Cagayan. Survivor: David vs. Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance. Survivor: Pearl Islands. Survivor: Winners at War. Survivor: Palau. Season 29 is the very definition of "middling. A slow-burn season with unremarkable pre-merge gameplay, "San Juan del Sur" makes for a languid, uneven watch. Luckily, things take a turn for the better when entertaining heavy hitters like Keith Nale hit their stride. As People's Stephen Fishbach succinctly notes, it's "a humdrum season" that happens to have a great winner.

Diversity or rather a lack thereof has — and will probably always be — a problem on "Survivor. Turning segregation into a gimmick is pretty dang uncomfortable. And given the formal racial divisions only last for the first episode before being abandoned for a merge, the whole thing feels grossly manufactured and controversy-courting.

On the brighter side, the very silly gimmick does produce one of the show's most diverse seasons to date. This, plus some genuinely deep strategy, a memorable cast including iconic castaway Parvati Shallow , and a captivating underdog story make for a pretty thrilling season. If you're not a fan of purple rock tiebreakers, you have Season 4 to blame.

That said, "Marquesas" is a fantastic season that marks a pivotal shift in the series towards more engaging and unpredictable gameplay. Until "Marquesas," the winner was always from whichever tribe had more numbers after the merge. And in addition to its more fluid vision of what "Survivor" strategy could look like, Season 4's cast is one of the series' best, from the naive, coattail-rider Neleh to "Boston Rob" Mariano's uncut gem of a first appearance. The biggest sin of "Marquesas" comes down to its editing, which leaves its ultimate winner feeling a bit like a stranger.

Seasons that mix returning players with newbies are always a bit of a gamble, and the eleventh outing of "Survivor" is no exception. However, "Guatemala" falls short of greatness due to two main factors. First, there's the smart yet boring strategy from its ultimate winner. And perhaps more pivotally, there's the villain arc from Season 10 favorite Stephenie LaGrossa.

Overall, it's not horrible, but it's not going to blow your socks off. Also known as "Fans vs. Favorites," Season 16 was the first time the show mixed first-timers with returning castaways. This is, to put it lightly, an absolutely iconic season of "Survivor," featuring many of the most memorable and outrageous moments in the show's history including multiple blindsides and a fake Immunity Idol at a Tribal Council. However, while "Fans vs.

Favorites" has a lot going for it, the season isn't without its faults. The two medical evacuations of beloved contestants are a little somber. And it could be argued that the edit is a bit too weighted towards the favorites. If there's a watch word for "Tocantins," it's "cutthroat. Which is especially devastating considering that "Tocantins" boasts one of the series' most entertaining rosters of new players, with larger-than-life figures like Coach "Dragonslayer" Wade and country boy James "J.

Though, to be fair, can you really ever have too much of Coach? We think not. Season 26 sees the return of the "Fans vs. Favorites" formula, pitting familiar players from the likes of "Gabon," "South Pacific," and "Redemption Island" against a cohort of newbies. While "Caramoan" has its highs Malcolm's double idol play being one of them , the season is a little bottom heavy.

But if you're willing to sift your way through the grating early half of the season, you'll be treated to a smorgasbord of bold, edge-of-your-seat late-game plays. The stellar six final episodes of "Caramoan" are well worth the wait, finishing the game strong with one of the most deserving winners in the series' history. Season 2 of "Survivor" is the classic "old-school" season. It's a slow-simmering blast from the past that introduces us to many of the series' key returning players, from the wholesome Colby Donaldson to the wild-eyed Mike Skupin.

And, of course, it stars one of the show's greatest villains — Jerri Manthey. Unfortunately the epic flood notwithstanding , the later game fails to live up to the iconic highs of Season 2's early days, which probably accounts for the season's weaker rating in the grand IMDb scheme of things. Also known as "White Collar vs. Blue Collar vs. No Collar," Season 30 saw three tribes of new players divided by their profession, be it corporate, manual labor, or passion-based. In addition to its workplace division gimmick, "Worlds Apart" is noteworthy for introducing the "double vote" reward at the Survivor Auction and for reigniting the fire-making tiebreaker challenge.

With deplorable villains, sympathetic underdogs, and a satisfying winner, if you're looking for a sense of karmic justice, you need look no further than "Worlds Apart. Repeating the "Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty" format of "Cagayan" and the greater focus on survivalism from "Africa," Season 32 is often overlooked, but really, it's an absolute hoot. Plus, Season 32 features an absolute banger of a cast, from the unlikely hero of Aubry Bracco to the subtly sly, mild-mannered Tai Trang.

The only reason it isn't really higher on the list is due to all the game-disrupting if thrilling! Season 8 granted the dreams of many fans by giving popular players from previous seasons the chance to compete again. And yet, for all its highs, "All-Stars" also has one of the most uncomfortable moments in the history of the show — an instance of sexual misconduct — which leaves a dark stain on the season and, in truth, the show as a whole.

This, coupled with a predictable post-merge game and a larger tonal shift from "stranded survivors" to " ego-driven reality stars ," makes "All-Stars" a hit-and-miss watch, instead of what could've been one of the show's best outings. Granted, this is the season that almost led Jeff Probst to quit the show.

But there's no denying that Season 17 has its banana pants charms despite not technically being a very good season. If you enjoy the more character-driven seasons of "Survivor," then "Gabon" is for you.

These people are chaotic, dysfunctional, and absolute train wrecks. This is the season where someone throws a Hidden Immunity Idol into the sea of their own free will. That's the level of strategy and bonkers behavior you can expect. Is it good "Survivor" gameplay? Is it entertaining television? Definitely yes. Season 34 is a polarizing season, but "Game Changers" easily scoots to the top of this list. A season full of returning players who ostensibly shook up the game, "Game Changers" succeeds in delivering a strong winner and several excellent one-off episodes Sandra Diaz-Twine stirring the pot by devouring sugar is a wild ride.

It's a top-heavy season with most of its twisty thrills reserved for the pre-merge game. Then, things get bleak, with one of the darker and arguably most discussed "Survivor" moments of the last 10 years, with one contestant outing another as trans at Tribal Council.

An excess of advantages and a slap-dash edit don't help lighten the mood. Season 10 features two of the most likeable players in the whole show, respect-commanding firefighter Tom Westman and intrepid underdog Stephenie LaGrossa.

Those people are the worst, much like this season. All of our Survivor: Nicaragua coverage can be found here. Warning: there will be spoilers. But yes, we provided coverage for this one because it was so, so bad.

The trainers gimmick is goofy fun, and the cast seems promising. The pre-merge portion of the game is enjoyable, and suggests that the season has potential. All of our Survivor: Island of the Idols coverage can be found here. Thailand season 5 A definite contender for least likable cast of all time, this season also featured an incident that makes for an uncomfortable viewing experience.

Thailand did have some memorable challenges- one of which is memorable because the cast is so deplorable- and one of the more interesting final immunity challenges the show has ever had.

The winner played a strong game relative to the competition, but watching this season is a slog. Worlds Apart season 30 A cast that seemed pretty promising quickly disappoints, and the winner becomes obvious fairly early on.

This season, like Thailand and All-Stars , also features an incident that is uncomfortable to watch. The reunion episode is awful, saved only by the inclusion of the announcement of the cast for the following season. All of our Survivor: Worlds Apart coverage can be found here. South Pacific season 23 A big boost for a terrible season, as South Pacific moves up in the rankings thanks to the continuing slide of Worlds Apart and the new addition of Island of the Idols.

There were a couple bright spots in the cast of this season, but there were so many unlikable people that you almost forget the enjoyable ones. The two returning players for this season were terrible choices, and the gimmick was every bit as much of a failure here as it was the first time it was used.

The junior varsity team did a rewatch of South Pacific and were far too kind to the season. Their coverage can be found here. Redemption Island season 22 The cast here is below average, though it is supplemented by two returnees that are some of the most popular Survivor players ever your opinions about them may vary.

The dominant performance by the winner is why this season stands out, although it makes for fairly boring and predictable television. Gabon season 17 One of the most inept Survivor casts ever from a gameplay perspective.

Unlike Nicaragua , this season did have at least one enjoyable episode. All of our Survivor: Gabon coverage can be found here. Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers season 35 Another season with a disappointing and remarkably inept cast. The season was so boring that they promoted one of the episodes by encouraging you to tune in and watch Jeff Probst reference the names of various Foo Fighters songs while narrating a challenge. The cast is at least pleasant, and at one point in the season there is actually a shockingly strong strategic play.

All of our Survivor: Heroes vs. Hustlers coverage can be found here. One World season 24 Some might argue that this season is full of terrible players.

But the reality is that the cast was made to look like fodder because of the work of one of the most dominant winners the game has ever had. Ok, and also there were some really terrible players. There have also been a surprising number of returning players from this season, whether that honor was deserved or not.

It was not, with one exception. Vanuatu season 9 This season is particularly hard to review without spoiling anything. The casting was below average on this season, although there are a few bright spots. The issue here is whether you like that narrative and the winner. Ghost Island season 36 A pleasant cast participates in a season loaded with advantages. There is one fabulous casting find here, as well as some players who have a decent grasp of strategy.

All of our Survivor: Ghost Island coverage can be found here. Africa season 3 More than anything else, this season suffers because of its location. However, there are some excellent episodes along the way, and the winner plays a very strong game.

As with all seasons featuring returning players, there may be spoilers for previous seasons while watching this one. All of our Survivor: Game Changers coverage can be found here. Marquesas season 4 The season responsible for the name of our podcast gets a few bonus points for that, and for one of the best narrative arcs of the early years of the show. The cast is fairly good, and even some relatively early boots in this season are memorable. But that narrative arc referenced earlier reaches its conclusion before the end of the season, and once that story has been told the show sort of limps to the finish line.

Edge of Extinction season 38 This is another difficult season to describe without giving away important details. The gimmick employed here always seemed destined for failure, though the show did the best it could to make it work.