As someone who consumes a lot of reality TV and then subsequently a lot of podcasts about reality tv, I have a tendency to over-analyze the content I watch and take things several layers deeper than they need to be taken. This is one of those posts. This is a blog post... about a podcast... about Survivor.
Updated: Aug. 18, 2023
In 2021, Rob Has A Podcast embarked on a massive project to rank all 40 Survivor seasons, leading up to the eventual premiere of Survivor's 41st season. As someone who loves rankings and has seen many, but nowhere near all Survivor seasons, I thought this would be a great opportunity to watch more seasons & create my own ranking alongside Rob. This post is the hub of that.
As someone who loves grand ideas and struggles with the follow-through, I gave a valiant effort, but fell off the wagon just past the halfway point of the ranking. As I write this now in August, 2023, this ranking has not been updated in over two years. I haven't even watched a new Survivor season since then, new or old. But, I'm getting back into that mood, and thought it would be fun to update this list -- add in seasons I'd already seen that ranked in the top half of RHAP's rankings (aka AFTER I stopped keeping up), and continue to update it whenever I do watch a season, regardless of how long in the future I watch it.
Still Currently Unwatched:
- Season 15: China
- Season 16: Micronesia (Fans vs. Favorites)
- Season 18: Tocantins
- Season 20: Heroes vs. Villains
- Season 22: Redemption Island
- Season 26: Caramoan
- Season 27: Blood vs Water
- Season 28: Cagayan
- Season 29: San Juan del Sur (Blood vs. Water)
- Season 31: Cambodia (Second Chances)
- Season 32: Kaoh Rong
- Season 40: Winners at War
- Season 41
- Season 42
- Season 43
- Season 44
Plan to Rewatch:
-Season 1: Borneo
- Season 2: Australian Outback
-Season 3: Africa
-Season 4: Marquesas
-Season 6: Amazon
-Season 10: Palau
-Season 12: Panama
-Season 13: Cook Islands
-Season 36: Ghost Island
-Season 37: David vs. Goliath
27- Thailand (season 5)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
Unlikable cast of clueless players. The winner is literally a slimy used car salesman (but he did play a dominant game) and somehow he's STILL more likable than the icky runner-up. And that's even before we get to the fact that Ghandia's sexual assault was turned into a joke and completely disregarded and called a lie. This is going to stay in last place-- it's horrible.
26- Island of the Idols (season 39)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
Similar to Thailand, this is at the bottom due to Dan's inappropriate touching throughout the season and the way the show mishandled him. Plus the way other contestants used Kellee's accusations to their own advantage strategically. It was not as egregious as in Thailand (aka not treated as a joke) but it still put a damper on a season that otherwise could have been decent thanks to interesting social commentary, players, and gameplay. But overlooking the way Kellee was treated simply is not acceptable to me.
25- One World (season 24)
this was my first watch!
The more seasons I watch, the more lackluster this season feels. Kim is an amazing winner who displayed massive control over the game and is one of the most strategically dominant winners ever. However, winners like that tend to play games that aren't as interesting to watch. In the end, the majority of the cast was made up of incompetent players, and the standout characters stood out thanks to being utterly unlikable. On the positive side, at least if we were going to have a battle of the sexes, the men were the bumbling idiots of the cast.
24- Worlds Apart (season 30)
this was my first watch!
Originally, I had this and One World swapped, but with a bit of distance from both, this one grew on me. Like other low-ranked seasons, this season had a good deal of nastiness. Rodney, Will, and Dan all had so many disgusting, sexist, cruel moments, and I cannot overlook that. I can't believe Rodney isn't more disliked. Even disregarding them, there aren't really many rootable/likable characters, and on top of that, this isn't a very strategy-heavy season. Mike is certainly the rootable, likable standout, but he's also not a very strategic winner, and I'll always rank strategy above challenge wins and idol plays.
23- Nicaragua (season 21)
this was my first watch!
I think there are a lot of reasons that this was ranked near the bottom of the cumulative rankings. Fabio is one of the least-strategic Survivor winners ever, the cast is full of recruits, most of the players have little, no, or bad strategy, and finally-- the quits. On top of that, the old/young tribe division and the medallion of power are both pretty dumb twists. And I agree with all of those complaints. I think the quits bother me less than other people (if you don't want to be there, don't make me waste my time watching you), but they're certainly not a good thing for the season. That said, I think there's some entertainment to be had. Brenda and NaOnka are both compelling characters, even if NaOnka has her problematic moments. And I found myself rooting for people like Marty and Holly, even if they weren't great strategists.
22- Guatemala (season 11)
watched previously, did a partial rewatch for this ranking
Guatemala is a season that I believe is so "underrated" that it has become overrated, at least within the superfan sphere. On my first watch, I didn't love Guatemala, but after years of endless hype for the season, I decided to rewatch it for this ranking, hoping to discover -- what was I missing? Turns out... not much. This season is a massive nothing burger for me. I think the biggest weakness for me is the cast, which is usually the most important aspect of a season for my enjoyment. There were some entertaining characters, but the entire cast was either forgettable or unlikable, with only a couple of exceptions. The gameplay was extremely straightforward, with a near pagonging post-merge. It's not a bad season, but it just does absolutely nothing for me.
21- Marquesas (season 4)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
This season, like others further along the list, is one I will need to rewatch before I feel comfortable with its placement, but it's where I currently feel it belongs. While it seems like Africa is the general least favorite "classic" season (read: pre All-Stars), mine has always been Marquesas. Like Guatemala, it's constantly referred to as an underrated season, hence my need to rewatch. However, I felt the same about Guatemala upon a (partial) rewatch, so make of that what you will. There are some great characters on this season, but the strategy still isn't fully developed, and some characters are better on later seasons. Like the seasons surrounding it on this list, my opinion on it boils down to a bit of a shrug.
20- Australian Outback (season 2)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
Going into this ranking, I figured my placement of the season would be blasphemous to most, so I was surprised to see it barely squeaking into the top 20. It's one that is pretty nostalgic for most, and many laud it as one of their favorites. I don't have the nostalgia, and despite some iconic characters, this was not a memorable season overall for me. But hey, at least Mike Skupin fell into a fire!
this was my first watch!
If you're just in the mood to watch an absolute train wreck, all aboard the Hot Mess Express, destination: Gabon! This season is a comedy of errors. If you're here for the strategy, you're out of luck in Gabon. The players are aggressively non-strategic and make moves based largely on personal vendettas. But if you're here for the chaos, drama, and absolute messiness, Gabon could be a top-tier season for you. Fang is one of the worst tribes in Survivor history. Bob is possibly the least strategic winner in Survivor history. The cast is largely unlikable, the gameplay is an absolute mess, but that messiness can be thoroughly entertaining for some people. That can only take it so high for me, as someone who's here for the strategy, but it did certainly keep me entertained. Also, Gabon is one of the most beautiful locations IMO, and definitely the location I'd want to play Survivor at!
18- Samoa (season 19)
this was my first watch!
From top to bottom, this is the Russell show. This is his world, the other players just exist in it. Or they don't, because many of them are horribly under-edited to give Russell every millisecond of screen time they can squeeze in. Even the winner gets a pretty meager edit. The first few episodes of the season were hard to get through because of Ben's racism, and the pre-merge is a bit of a slog thanks to one tribe's total domination. Russell's idol finds and strategic gameplay make big waves in future seasons, but he was messy and ultimately turned most of the jury against him and lost himself the win. There are some decently high highs, but some lows that truly just scrape the bottom of the barrel with how terrible they are.
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
This is was one of the hardest seasons to place for me. I have the same struggle with Big Brother 2, which was the first strategic season of Big Brother. Both seasons feature a cast of players who don't really know what they're doing, and therefore don't play particularly well, but also one iconic strategic player who has become a legend of the game. They also are still both finding their footing as an edited show and are much slower and therefore can often be a bit boring. I placed it here because it feels like the best middle ground, but I'm still not totally sure about this placement.
16- South Pacific (season 23)
this was my first watch!
Before watching this season, I'd seen 2 Ozzy seasons (Cook Islands & Game Changers) and had a mildly positive opinion on him, while this was my first Coach season. I came out of this season disliking both of them. This is a case of high highs and low lows for me. There are few players I've disliked more than Brandon and few things I've disliked watching more than Coach & his tribe's cult-like environment he cultivated. While it's decent strategy and fascinating psychologically, it's never something I enjoy watching in my media. However-- Cochran. This was my first introduction to him and he's just. so. relatable. He's nerdy, but personable and charming, and although his strategy isn't perfect, he's a strategic player, which I always gravitate toward. I'm still not sure how I feel about him flipping at the merge but I am sure that I'm now very hype to watch Caramoan to finally watch his winning game.
15- Game Changers (season 34)
this was my first watch!
I want to be clear-- this is currently ranked relatively highly, but it's still nowhere near my favorite Survivor season I've ever watched. But it was a pleasant surprise. One down-side for me is that I never felt like I got quite enough of some characters I really like, like Cirie and Aubrey. I could also do with more Zeke, but that's more of a personal thing lol. Also, some of these returnees really aren't game changers (Hali? Sierra? Beast-Mode Cowboy?). However, I found Sarah to be a much better strategist than expected, and found myself genuinely rooting for her despite coming into the season with almost no opinion on her. It's also just nice, after watching several seasons of non-strategic recruits, to see a cast here who came to play. The worst part of the season, however, is obvious. The incident with Varner is horrible, and he handled it horribly even in the reunion. Advantage-geddon isn't great either, but pales in comparison.
14- Ghost Island (season 36)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
Of all of my rankings, this is the one I feel least confident in. I watched this season as it aired, and I don't have super positive memories of it. However, Rob felt the same way and said it was much better than he remembered. So on an off week, I might return to this just in case! But this cast is very top-heavy, and there were several people who were under-edited or got a full-on purple edit. There are a lot of forgettable characters here for me, despite my love of Dom and Wendell. The twist also isn't my fave, nor do I like that sometimes people just go to Ghost Island and don't play a game at all.
13- Edge of Extinction (season 38)
watched half previously, half for the first time
I gave up on this season as it was airing. It's not uncommon late in a season-- I start to get bored-- but I abandoned this one pretty quickly. None of the characters really compelled me, and I hated the twist. But I agree with Rob 100%- this season is great to binge. Although I don't love the Edge, it felt a lot less pervasive this time through. And also, I like Devens, and he's a large part of the reason this season is ranked so highly. So I'll forgive it a bit. I think the biggest stain on the season is Chris's win, given that he was on the Edge for most of the season. The jury might have been judging the player, not the twist, but I'm judging the whole thing and I really don't like that someone can waltz back in after being out of the game a month and then win the game. It doesn't make for a good game or a good viewing experience. But what this season does give us is entertainment. Strategy, blindsides... Devens. The gameplay this season is really compelling, in spite of the twists.
12- Africa (season 3)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
While the pre-All-Stars era is one tight era of Survivor, I often see 1-5 as a subsection, before the universally adored seasons 6&7. The game had not yet evolved to be as strategic as it would become. And it seems like everyone has one season from this era that they love despite the minimal strategy. For most people, it seems to be Australia, Borneo, or Marquesas. For me, it's Africa. I'm not sure I could really tell you why, apart from the unique landscape and my love of Lex as a character.
11- Fiji (season 14)
this was my first watch!
I'm still not 100% certain of this placement, and toyed with placing this below EoE, because the much higher level of gameplay in EoE might outweigh my enjoyment of Fiji. The haves/have-nots twist is horrible. The have-not tribe doesn't stand a chance when going up against well-fed, well-rested competitors. Despite some forgettable people, I enjoy this cast, and think that there were several interesting characters and a handful of capable players. I really enjoyed both Earl and Yau, and think Earl is a very competent winner. The incident with Dreamz and the truck is certainly a bit of a stain on the season, but doesn't impact my personal enjoyment too much. Overall, it's not an amazing season of Survivor, but certainly a breath of fresh air after watching a bunch of modern seasons.
10- Vanuatu (season 9)
watched previously, rewatched for this ranking
Before rewatching All-Stars, I would've placed Vanuatu higher, and after rewatching both, I'm still not 100% certain with this order. Vanuatu is one of the seasons I really enjoyed on my binge of the first 12 seasons within the first year I started watching the show. There are a lot of great characters on this season, and despite his reception at the time, I think Chris is a really strong winner. The women are the stars of the show throughout pretty much the entire season, and their gameplay (and how it ultimately leads to their downfall) is really compelling to watch.
9- All-Stars (season 8)
watched previously, rewatched for this ranking
After completing my rewatch of All-Stars, the season held up much better than I remembered. All-Stars is probably the quintessential example of the fact that I highkey place more importance on characters than upon strategy, no matter how much I say otherwise. The first handful of episodes are absolutely flawless-- totally entertaining, tons of great moments, 10/10 television. But then Richard Hatch sexually assaults Sue & the nosedive begins. What starts as a really fun season quickly gets very negative, filled with hypocrisy from some of my favorite players and hurt feelings all around. And to top it all off, a bitter jury denies the win to one of the most dominant games the show has seen. If the season continued as it started, I think it'd be a universally loved season all around, but as it stands, I think I'll have it higher than most people.
8- Millennials vs Gen. X (season 33)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
This season is possibly victim to whatever the inverse of recency bias is. Forgetfulness? Either way, it's been quite a while since I watched this season, and I simply... don't remember a lot about it. But I do remember that I quite enjoyed it. So this feels like the correct placement.
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
The biggest reason this is on my "need to rewatch" list is that I'm not confident in the order of seasons 8-10 on this ranking. I currently have it 10-8-9, but have considered nearly every other possible order of them. Inexplicably, Panama & Palau tend to blend a bit in my mind, despite having a clear favorite between the two. But they were both ones I really enjoyed when I first watched them, and I'd like to believe they'll hold up upon a rewatch.
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
I watched the first 12ish seasons in order on a binge probably 6 years ago? So my memory on this one is a little foggy. It will need a rewatch sometime soon. The big obvious downside is the way the tribe divide defines the season and the ensuing misogyny. Strategically and gameplay-wise, this probably deserves to be higher. Especially since Rob's podcast is what inspired this ranking. You're probably appalled the next season beat it. But certain aspects of it just don't age well, and I can't ignore that. Once I rewatch, it might move around, but this is as high as I feel alright with placing it.
5- Heroes, Healers, Hustlers (season 35)
watched previously, did a partial rewatch for this ranking
I have a soft spot for HHH. Given that I loved Devens, you might think that's because of Ben, but I actually really dislike Ben's win. Perhaps hypocritical, but oh well. Ironically, my love of this season is actually thanks to another person named Devon, which is also why I hate Ben's win. Because my dude Devon was screwed out of a win. The final four fire-making twist seems like such an obvious ploy to give Ben the money, and the players had no way to strategize for that until the day it happened. Which is the biggest stain on the season. But it's still so high because I love this cast. Chrissy, Ryan, and Devon are all compelling characters and good players. And the cast as a whole really came to play this season. Sure, there are a few strategic duds, but what they lacked in strategy, they made up for in entertainment. I just really enjoy this season, and I really don't care that that's an unpopular opinion.
4- Panama (Exile Island) (season 12)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
Sure, this season has some good strategy. Cirie pioneering the 321 vote is iconic, even with everything else is ignored. But where it really shines are the characters and sheer chaos of the Casaya tribe. The fact that they manage to remain the dominant tribe while half the tribe is constantly on the verge of implosion is hilarious to watch. The apartment, the outhouse, the Shane of it all. It's just a delight. And somehow, also a hot mess that manages to bring it down to the end.
3- Cook Islands (season 13)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
I did not expect to love Cook Islands when I first watched it. In fact, I took a long break from my initial chronological viewing of Survivor after Panama because I knew the twist this season was infamously terrible-- dividing the tribes by race. However, I didn't realize that the season actually has a generally positive reputation in the fandom despite the twist. Sure, the twist isn't great, but it does lead to us getting a diverse cast, and tons of really great characters. The gameplay is also taken up a notch. And of all the seasons I've watched, Yul is not only my favorite winner, but also one of my favorite characters overall. Honestly, the only reason this is on my rewatch list is simply because I want to watch it again-- I'm totally confident in its current placement.
2- Pearl Islands (season 7)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
As mentioned a couple of times, a cast can make or break a season of reality TV for me. I need people, and especially one standout person, to root for. Those people were the Drake tribe, and that person was Jonny Fairplay. I love a charismatic villain, and I love it even more when they have some solid opposition. Although Amazon was the first season to really start ramping up the gameplay for me, Pearl Islands improved on it, in a big way. It brings the entertainment, it brings the strategy, it more than brings the characters.
1- David vs. Goliath (season 37)
watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking
I knew this season was well-received, but was pleasantly surprised that it ranked in 6th place overall in the RHAP ranking. It's one of the few seasons I watched live all the way through, and there's a reason for that-- it's SO GOOD. Fantastic characters, lots of great, entertaining gameplay, a rootable underdog alliance, and probably my singular favorite tribal council and move that I've ever watched. It's got absolutely everything, and there's never a dull moment.
Alright, so those are my rankings of the seasons that RHAP has covered so far in their ranking of all 40 seasons of Survivor! Check back weekly (probably each weekend?) to see where the most recent entry has placed on my own list! Also-- share your own ranking down in the comments!
