LC Ranks Every Season of Survivor

LC Ranks Every Season of
Survivor

Back in the year 2000, two new reality TV shows began airing on CBS that completely captivated me for the next 20 years, Survivor and Big Brother. Growing up, I was a huge fan of MTV reality shows, religiously watching the Real World and Road Rules. The Real World just gave a glimpse into how different people from different walks of life live and interact with one another inside a nice house in a set location. While the Road Rules took a group of people and had them live together in a small RV, while competing in various challenges throughout the country. I was captivated.

So when Survivor was announced in 2000, taking 16 people from all over the country and putting them on a an island, I was definitely watching! Over the next 20 years we have seen the game evolve, devolve, change for the better, and for the worst, but all in all, it's been the best reality television show ever. Today, I share with you how I ranked each of the first 40 seasons of Survivor. I also list who won, who I think played the best game, and for many seasons I share who I was rooting for (some seasons I rooted for nobody or various people).

Full disclosure, my rankings may differ from other lists, because what I watch Survivor for and what moves me may be completely different from what moves others. I rank a season according to casting, strategic gameplay, intelligence of the cast, challenges, and overall satisfaction with the conclusion. And of course my personal feelings will always impact how I rank these things. But I don't worry, I explain every choice I make.

I started ranking these seasons back in 2019, and finished it after season 40 in June 2020. Then I decided to go back and watch some of my least favorite seasons just to make sure I was not being unfair and being objective about my feelings. Then it was announced that Rob Cesternino, my favorite reality TV podcaster was asking us to vote send in our ballots ranking the 40 seasons, and would be releasing a countdown and recap of each season. This was almost perfect synergy with my list. So I have decided to include a link to the review of each season, and its ranking by the RHAP (Rob Has A Podcast) community. Some things are in line and some things are very different, as my opinion is very different. If I didn't care about a season, I wrote very little. If I really enjoyed it, or have a strong opinion, I wrote more. Enjoy.

So without further ado, let's start with the worst season, ever.

#40
Nicaragua - Season 21

Winner - Jud "Fabio" Birza

Who Played the Strongest - Sash Lenahan

Who I rooted for - Jimmy Johnson

When evaluating every season of Survivor, there is no question that season 21, Nicaragua, was the worst season of all time. It sucked soooo bad, on so many levels. The winner, Fabio, sucked. The cast was mean, the challenges weren't entertaining, the weather sucked, and two people quit 28 days into the game. While there were aspects of Brenda's game I liked, it just wasn't enough. Plus, I didn't like the old vs young seperation to begin with and these idiots voted out Jimmy Johnson out of jealousy. But just to set the tone for how I rank seasons, I want to highlight season 21 for the issue I hate most about Survivor, production.

What I hate about Survivor the most is the reinforcement of negative stereotypes and editing choices. There are so many examples of steretypical editing choices throughout the shows history, but season 21 gave us NaOnka Mixon, who was purposely cast to be the black girl with a bad attitude, a negative stereotype that has been reinforced throughout TV shows forever. And while you might say, well she brought it upon herself due to her own behavior, Survivor is 100% in control of the people they cast and the way production chooses to edit the show.

NaOnka gave them exactly what they wanted and they presented her exactly how they felt would be the most "controversial", and it was at the expense of one of the two black people on the cast. Again, some might say, its her own fault, and in many ways I agree BUT the producers of the show have a responsibility to cast minority castaways with far more thought. they knew in casting that NaOnka may not be the best person to be the only representation of black women. The reason that is important is, some people will only have exposure to certain cultures by what they see on TV. And if NaOnka, and others whom they tend to cast like her, are the only representation the viewers are seeing of black women, they must realize the type of impression that can leave. So while I now this is alot to write about the #40 selection, being the worst season ever deserves explanation.

#39
Thailand - Season 5

Winner - Brian Heidik

Who Played the Strongest - Brian Heidik

Who I rooted For

For many people, Thailand is the worst season ever, for multiple reasons. Not only was the game boring towards the end, as Brian was basically ushered to a victory, but the misogyny and racist behavior of the cast was terrible. Just concentrating on the gameplay for a second, when have you ever seen a season where the older tribe just dominated the backend of the game and got rid of all the young, athletic castaways. You would think that seeing that story play out on screen would be inspiring and fun from a storytelling perspective. But in this case, the older tribe was led by bad people who either participated in the worst behaviors we hate to see on the show or turned a blind eye in order to further themselves in the game. It was terrible.

But even more than the gameplay, the real issue I have with the season is the role of production, and how they didn't step in to protect Ghandia when she expressed that she was violated by Ted. Instead they again opted to let the story "play out" on screen and just filmed it, while this woman suffered and was forced to stay in an unsafe place. Nobody from production stepped in to help make the situation better and they aired her agony on TV like this was just more fodder for entertainment purposes. Terrible.

Again, its productions job to make the show safe for the contestants, and while "times may have been different" it wasn't like this season was shot in the 70's. There should have been more oversight and safeguards in place for castaways to report incidents and those things be investigated and taken seriously, off camera. The fact that the show opted to continue to keep Ghandia on the tribe with Ted, and allow her to be voted off and labeled as a cancer to the tribe in confessionals by those pieces of shit Clay and Brian, was a tragedy and the season will forever be tainted. Production has full control over what confessionals make the edit. Trash.

#38
Island of the Idols - Season 39

Winner - Tommy Sheehan

Who Played the Strongest - Lauren Beck

Who I rooted for - Lauren

Do you know the real shame about season 39? If it had not been for the despicable acts of Dan, and the pathetic enablers who took advantage of the situation and used it to help their game, this season would have been sooo much better. The gameplay, outside of the controversy, was some of the best in a while. Plus we got to see Boston Rob and Sandra return in a mentoring role, which was good for the star power of the season. But it wasn't like they needed it. The season gave us so many huge ad unique characters who would pop on any season they were on like Noura, Elaine, Karishma, DK Chilling. Plus great strategist like Lauren, Tommy, Missy, and Jamal. But all of that was overshadowed by Dan's bullshit touching.

I am in no way absolving Dan, as his actions are 100% on him and he should be criticized and held accountable for inappropriately touch Kellee and any other woman who felt he crossed the line out there. But again, I blame production for not stepping in and addressing the issue as soon as Kellee brought it up to any member of production.. When the allegation was brought up it should have been investigated and corrective action handed down swiftly. This situation should not have gone on and on.

The fact that Kellee not only brought it up to production but to her fellow cast mates, and it was used against her was despicable. Missy and Elizabeth were terrible allies and them turning a blind eye and manipulating the situation is something I simply can't overlook when ranking this season. Which is a damn shame. Because production could have cut so much of this bullshit out by just doing their job when these things originally happened. But they let it play out and they aired it for ratings, let's be honest. All of this overshadowed the great gameplay of Tommy, who's game probably wasn't aired fully because they spent so much of the episodes on the Dan controversy. All the work Lauren did was overshadowed. It was just a shame, because the season had so many highs that I really can't focus too much on because it was all undercut. Thank God for Janet.

#37
One World - Season 24

Winner - Kim Spradlin

Who Played the Strongest - Kim Spradlin

Who I rooted for - Sabrina Thompson

I know this may be an unpopular opinion due to the fact that a dominant women's alliance ran season 24, but it just wasn't that exciting to me. Kim Spradlin is one of the most dominant winners in the series history. Much like Tom Westman, she controlled the game physically and strategically. But to me, sometimes you are only as good as your competition and while I loved the alliance of Kim, Sabrina, and Chelsey, beating out Tarzan, Troyzan, and Leif, isn't exactly what I would call a memorable feat. The cast just really felt like it was set up for the women.

But that alone wouldn't be enough for me to rank the season 35th all-time. The real reason this season sucks is because of the bigotry and hate displayed by Colton, Alicia, and Tarzan. The fact that the show allowed these bigots to display such hate and bullying, and the edit spotlighted as a selling point of the season sickened me. Colton was the dirt worst and then he quit the game. Its just a shame that the woman's alliance's gameplay was mired in such a terrible season in other ways.

#36
Guatemala - Season 11

Winner - Danni Boatwright

Who Played the Strongest - Stephenie LaGrossa

Who I rooted for - Danni

Season 11 was just one of the most dreadfully boring seasons ever. The concept was that for the first time, two former castaways would return to join 14 new castaways. These idiots let Stephanie, who lost damn near every challenge in Palau during season 10, make it all the way to the finale. The cast had stars in their eyes the entire season and let her skate by with her nasty attitude.

This season also had NO Black castaways. None. You mean to tell me that production couldn't at least ONE black person to cast? The only minority was Lydia, the little older Hispanic lady, who they admittedly only kept around to cook, clean, sing and dance. This season was deplorable. And the only thing good about it was that Danni won. Honestly, this season sucked, and there very little for me as a fan to enjoy about. It wasn't as problematic as the seasons I listed earlier in the countdown, but it was the most boring.

#35
Edge of Extinction - Season 38

Winner - Chris Underwood

Who Played the Strongest - Rick Devens

Who I rooted for - Rick Devens

Now we get into the part of the list where I hate the season solely off of the winner and how Production managed to ruin what would have been a great season, by overdoing a STUPID twist. There is no way possible that Chris Underwood should have been allowed to win this game. None. The guy was voted out early in the season, went to the Edge, lost his battle back, then later in the game was given ANOTHER chance to get in the game, won, and was given all kinds of advantages and trinkets that helped him get to the end. Then the jury, most of whom were on the Edge with him, gave him the win. So damn stupid.

My hate for this season is not about the actual Edge itself, as I didn't mind the concept of being able to battle back into the game. We've seen it before on multiple seasons of Redemption Island, and while I'm not a fan of many of those seasons either, I like the concept of seeing some of the great cast hang around more for entertainment purposes and a opportunity to get another chance. But once a season, pre-merge, is enough! Rick Devens won the first battle back, pre-merge, and that should've ended the Edge!

But no, they let the losers stick around on a separate island and just live. No fear of being voted out, no consequences for anything, just survive. Chris was voted out day 8 and returned to the actual game on day 35. How does that make any damn sense? And then the jury who voted for him was mostly comprised of the people he was feeding and making happy on the Edge!! He stole the game because they liked that he caught them fish on a different island. I hated this with a passion and I blame production 1000%!! Think about Gavin, who had to actually build alliances and position himself, and win challenges, and protect himself to stay alive. He lost 9-4 to a guy who played the game 13 out of 39 days. Pathetic. If there were even a hint of controversy outside of game related stupidity on this season it would have been easily ranked last place in my opinion, but Production was the real loser here. Its a shame because there were some great characters and Devens played a winning game.

#34
World's Apart - Season 30

Winner - Mike Holloway

Who Played the Strongest - Mike Holloway

Who I rooted for - Mike

Mike fought his ass off and won every damn time he needed to. I greatly respect his will to never give up, when all the odds were stacked against him. He deserved to win this season. But to be honest, from a strategy standpoint, the game was very one note. They targeted Mike, he wins a challenge, someone else goes home. Week after week. The misogyny was terrible in this seaosn as well. I hated how the women were treated by Dan, Will, and Rodney. I hated how Momma C was given no credit for her gameplay. The season was very blah.

#33
Redemption Island - Season 22

Winner - Boston Rob Mariano

Who Played the Strongest - Boston Rob Mariano

Who I rooted for - Phillip Sheppard

Yes, the original second chance twist we all hated. Remember when this was the biggest flop in Survivor twist history? Maybe they created the Edge of Extinction so Boston Rob's win wouldn't be viewed as the most tainted win ever. Cause this season was basically Jeff's gift to Boston Rob. Much like Guatemala, they brought back two returnee's, Rob and Russell, and one was treated like God's gift to man, Rob, and the other was public enemy number one, Russell. It felt rigged from the jump and played out even worst. Every advantage went Rob's way, the new players worshipped him, as this was his fourth time playing the game and he was revered as a legit legend. The new players worshipped him and did everything they could to hand him the win. It was pathetic.

Don't get me wrong, I don't blame Boston Rob for this. He did what he's supposed to do. He learned from past mistakes and was as ruthless and manipulative as possible. He manipulated Phillip and made him the the center of everyone's anger. He created a shield and walked behind it to the finals, stoking the flames all along. Great strategy. But I blame production for casting so many idiots on one season. It was pathetic. And while I did get some good laughs from watching Phillip, he was a joke and Rob's pawn.

#32
Africa - Season 3

Winner - Ethan Zohn

Who Played the Strongest - Lex van den Bergh

Who I rooted for - Big Tom

Survivor Africa was a very unique season, and unlike any other we have seen in the shows history, for good reason. Just the area and terrain alone made this one of the less desirable seasons to watch from what we have grown to love about the show. There was no ocean, the castaways were trapped inside a boma in the desert, for real fear of their lives, and everything felt constrained. The cast wasn't horrible. Ethan was a good winner, Lex played a hell of a strategic game, but he was an asshole. Big Tom was hilarious, other than how he treated Clarence for eating beans. Smh. It just wasn't that enjoyable of a season. And don't get me started on Frank....

#31
Heroes/Healers/Hustlers - Season 35

Winner - Ben Driebergen

Who Played the Strongest - Chrissy Hofbeck

Who I rooted for - Joe Mena

#30
Caramoan - Season 26

Winner - John Cochran

Who Played the Strongest - John Cochran

Who I rooted for - Phillip & Andrea

In the second installment of Fans vs Favorites, we got to see returning players from many of the mid 20's seasons of the show. Cochran was a snake that turned on Ozzie during his first season and sided with Coach, so of course I disliked him at first. But his personality grew leaps in bounds in this season, and by the end, he was a very deserving winner. The cast was full of great players and it was one of the more enjoyable returning casts of all time and it was fun watching them outplay the new castaways. But the real reason this was great was Stealth - R - US 2!!!

The hilarious Phillip Sheppard returned and this time without Boston Rob holding him back, and he was running this game from the very start. Phillip chose Andrea as his #1 and they put together an alliance that ultimately did make it to the end, with Cochran, Dawn, and Sherri, all members of Stealth R Us. This was just a fun.

#29
Ghost Island - Season 36

Winner - Wendell Holland

Who Played the Strongest - Wendell & Dominick Abbate

Who I rooted for - Wendell Holland

I honestly wanted to rank Ghost Island higher for my personal satisfaction. But I have to be honest, this was utter domination. LOL. Wendell and Dom ran circles around everyone, well, except for Chris Noble, LOL, and they basically played a perfect game. Never has a duo of guys been far and away head and shoulders better than everyone else on the cast. They found all the advantages they needed to, they made all the right plays with those advantages and they made the best connections that saved them whenever they were in danger. It was only right that the final vote ended in a split tie, right down the middle, and that Laurel cast the deciding vote for Wendell.

And it was only right that Laurel cast the deciding vote for Wendell to win. The problem many have with the season is that Laurel basically carried the water for the guys and let them step on her to get them to the end, ahead of what was best for her game with Donavan. But I have a great respect for someone like Laurel who looked out for her brother and got to the end with her integrity in tact. She was loyal to Wendell because they had a bond nigger than the game. A black brother and sister looking out for each other!

#28
Gabon - Season 17

Winner - Bob Crowley

Who Played the Strongest - Ken Hoang

Who I rooted for - Matty

#27
Australia - Season 2

Winner - Tina Wesson

Who Played the Strongest - Colby Donaldson

Who I rooted for - Elisabeth Filarski

#26
Samoa - Season 19

Winner - Natalie White

Who Played the Strongest - Russell Hantz

Who I rooted for - Russell Hantz

#25
All-Stars - Season 8

Winner - Amber Brkich

Who Played the Strongest - Boston Rob Mariano

Who I rooted for - Rupert Boneham

#24
Vanuatu - Season 9

Winner - Chris Daugherty

Who Played the Strongest - Twila

Who I rooted for - Rory

#23
Game Changers - Season 34

Winner - Sarah Lacina

Who Played the Strongest - Cirie Fields

Who I rooted for - Sandra Diaz-Twine

When the cast for Game Changers was revealed I was super pumped! You talking about loaded?!? Sandra, Cirie, Ozzy, JT, Malcolm, and Tony all on the same season was surely set up to be electric. And early on, it delivered in spades. Sandra ran that game like the true legendary two time winner that she is. In many ways, Game Changers showed just how damn good Sandra is as a player, and basically she got screwed by two swaps, and almost made it out the second time, but she got stuck on a tribe with an alliance from the other tribe.

Stupid twist ruined this season. And because of that, big players went out early. Honestly, if the first half of the season wasn't so damn good, this would've been one of the lower end "All-star" seasons, but the first half was super fun. But who could forget the horrible moment when Jeff Varner outed Zeke as transgender. Groundbreaking TV, but it really put a stain on the season. To be 100% honest, I'm still trying to figure out how the winner, Sarah Lacina, even ended up on the season? .

What the hell did she change on her initial season Cagayan? And because of that, she floated to the end as a non threat, and also a player we the audience had no desire to watch. Especially when we had Cirie, the greatest player to never win, get eliminated simply because everyone else had a gadget of safety. And we got stuck with a final three of Sarah, Troyzan, and Brad Culpepper. Smh. Too many twist.

#22
Blood vs Water - Season 27

Winner - Tyson Apostol

Who Played the Strongest - Tyson Apostol

Who I rooted for - Gervase

#21
Cook Islands - Season 13

Winner - Yul Kwon

Who Played the Strongest - Yul Kwon & Ozzy Lusth

Who I rooted for - Ozzy

Cook Islands is probably the most controversial "Vs" season the show has ever had, as they decided to split the tribes up according to race. Asian vs Caucasian vs African American vs Hispanic. Right off the bat it drew controversy before the season even debuted and it just gave critics the ammo to crap all over the show. I didn't think the show needed to do this where the tribes were racially segregated. They could have had the same diversity breakdown and made the tribes diverse. It didn't help when the black and hispanic tribes were basically dismantled, while the white tribe was largely left intact. Bad optics.

That being said, some of the most legendary players in Survivor history came from Cook Islands. Yul was a great winner who was a mastermind the entire season and controlled the hidden immunity idol. His alliance with Ozzy, Becky and Sundra was the underdog that pulled off the great comeback, and took it all the way to the end. Masterful. I was a huge Ozzy fan and this season he dominated the challenges. I thought he would have been a very deserving winner in the finale, but I understand why Yul was the better choice due to his strategies. It was his relationship with Jonathan Penner that changed the game, when Penner turned on his tribe and voted with the Aitutaki four, which gave them the edge. This season we also met one of the greatest legends, Parvati.

#20
South Pacific - Season 23

Winner - Sophie Clarke

Who Played the Strongest - Coach Wade

Who I rooted for - Ozzy Lusth

#19
Palau - Season 10

Winner - Tom Westman

Who Played the Strongest - Tom Westman

Who I rooted for - Stephanie

As I already stated above, I am no fan of Stephenie LaGrossa, the most overrated player in Survivor history, and unfortunately, because Tom Westman tribe was so dominant in immunity challenges, it felt like most of season 10 was us watching Stephenie's tribe implode. They sucked so bad, to the point where every member was voted out and she was absolved into Tom's tribe without a merge. How the hell was that supposed to be enjoyable? Tom himself was your classic dominant "hero" type player, who was unstoppable in challenges. He won almost every challenge and won the game against the unlikable Katie in the finale, after Ian basically gave up in the final immunity challenge. There just wasn't anything captivating about the season that provided intrigue.

And again, I don't like the treatment of the minority castaways. Jolanda was voted out because she was too strong and confident, and her tribe went on to be the worst tribe ever after she left. And Ibrehem was voted out because.... he was too humble? Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

#18
Borneo - Season 1

Winner - Richard Hatch

Who Played the Strongest - Richard Hatch

Who I rooted for - Gervase Peterson

Without question season one of Survivor has to be in my top ten, not just because it was the beginning of it all, but because the castaways had no blueprint to follow. Rich Hatch has to be credited with quickly figuring out the strategy and key to winning the game, and that was building an alliance quickly, and controlling the elimination process. The alliance of Rich, Kelly, Sue, and Rudy ran the game from beginning to end, and ultimately, while I thought Kelly deserved to win in the end, you have to give Richard credit for how he developed the strategy and played the entire game authentically himself. It was truly groundbreaking television.

Of course as a young black man watching this groundbreaking TV show, I was rooting hard for Gervase and Ramona, but it was clear that they never were able to build allies to do any real damage. But Gervase sure was fun to watch. Of course they cast a black man who couldn't swim, to be on the first season of an outdoor camping show where they knew swimming was a huge part of the process. I think that was utter bullshit. But that's the stereotype they wanted to highlight..... Although it was extremely satisfying to see Gerv kick Kelly's ass in a challenge where they had to row a boat. That was fun. Overall, nowhere near the best season, but extremely important to the fabric of TV history. And still the best jury speech by Sue!!!

#17
Marquesas - Season 4

Winner - Vecepia Towery

Who Played the Strongest - Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien

Who I rooted for - Sean Rector

Prior to season 4 in Marquesas, I was really leery of the chances for a black person to win this game. It felt like the black people were very similar cast, and always one or two, which made them easy targets that stood out. Well, then we got Sean and Vecipia. These two were the only two black people, open about their Christianity, and Sean was outspoken about everything. To top it off, they were on the tribe that was losing, and went into the merge down in the numbers. But somehow, someway, they were able to scratch and claw and made their way to the final 5.

Sean formed an alliance with Rob (Boston Rob), and they were able to make some strategic moves that made the game fun. This was the season of first as well. In seasons 1-3, the tribe with the majority after the merge, usually would run the table, which is why I rank those season lower. But in season 4, the majority alliance got cocky in the knockout Challenge, and Sean and V, teamed with Kathy, Pascal and Neleh to formed the new alliance that went to the end. It was great to see it finally happen!

Then when V screwed Kathy and went back on the deal they made, and voted her out, it was masterful and the first screwjob in Survivor history. I loved it! In 40 seasons of Survivor, Vecepia is the only black woman to ever win the game. Now that's a damn shame.

#16
Panama - Season 12

Winner - Aras Baskauskas

Who Played the Strongest - Terry Deitz

Who I rooted for - Cirie Fields

#15
Kaoh Rong - Season 32

Winner - Michele Fitzgerald

Who Played the Strongest - Aubry Bracco

Who I rooted for - Cydney Gillon

#14
Philippines - Season 25

Winner - Denise Stapley

Who Played the Strongest - Lisa Whelchel

Who I rooted for - Malcolm Freberg

Survivor Philippines is one of the trickiest seasons ever to to have to rank. The season featured three returning players who previously were doing well in past seasons and had to be medically evacuated, Michael Skupin, Jonathan Penner, and Russell Swan. All three had a target on their back from day one, but unlike Russell, Skupin made it all the way to the end, and I thought did everything he could to win. But the real surprise was Lisa from the Facts of Life, who I think should've won. Denise did not deserve to win. People get mad when I say Denise was an undeserving winner, but its 100% the truth. She did nothing but cut Malcolm at the end. He carried her and played better than her.

Lisa and Mike played excellent games and Lisa made all the big moves. The only reason she loss was because of Penner snitching on her at Final Tribal Council and telling the world that she was a childhood actor and probably didn't need the money. It was a dirty move and it clearly swayed the jury. Plus the jury was bitter because Mike and Lisa made moves and outplayed them, while Denise did nothing. But because the season was so tense down the stretch, it was fun. Just not a great winner in my opinion.

#13
Fiji - Season 14

Winner - Earl Cole

Who Played the Strongest - Earl Cole

Who I rooted for - Earl & Yau Man

Watching season 14, especially after season 13, was probably the proudest time I had watching the show up until that point. I am 100% for diversity on TV, and as I explained my issues with the race war season previously, season 14 in Fiji presented a very culturally diverse cast, and didn't smack you in the face with it. This was 100 times better. And look at the results again when diversity is presented, minorities once again dominated the game. Earl, the best player, the smartest player and an excellent representative of the black race won this game playing a dominant and intelligent game.

Earl built an alliance and which flourished, and controlled the hidden immunity idols. Some people say this season was boring but not to me. To me it was refreshing. Watching the relationship between Yao Man and Earl was just pure joy. Just like watching the shameful move Dreamz pulled screwing Yao Man out of the car was pure agony. There were a variety of characters that made the season fun, but for me, Earl winning, the first black man to win, was such a proud moment. Such an important season.

#12
San Juan del Sur - Season 29

Winner - Natalie Anderson

Who Played the Strongest - Natalie Anderson

Who I rooted for - Jeremy & Natalie

I'm sure some don't have San Juan del Sur as high on their list, but I certainly do. This season gave us two of my favorite players of all time, Natalie Anderson and Jeremy Collins. For me, this was such a heart racing season to watch. When Jeremy and his wife Val had to face off in the first episode and he had to send his wife to exile, I was hooked. The Blood vs. Water aspect was extremely compelling to me, because unlike the first edition, this was a season of all new players and the twist immediately gave viewers an emotional attachment to the cast. I was drawn to Natalie instantly after her twin sister was voted off first.

Then when John Rocker failed to save Val with the idol, and Jeremy lost his wife, I wanted revenge! We have not seen a black man be such a power player in Survivor since Earl Cole back in Fiji, and Jeremy played a hell of a game. Ultimately he was too big of a threat and they got rid of him. But I loved how Natalie avenged him and dedicated the rest of her game to get back at everyone who screwed them over. She was great! This season was very entertaining and the diversity of the great players was special.

#11
Tocantins - Season 18

Winner - J.T. Thomas

Who Played the Strongest - J.T. Thomas

Who I rooted for - Taj George

I really enjoyed Tocantins because the cast was so fun. We got a great winner in JT, his intelligent sidekick in Stephen, one of the funniest players ever Tyson, and one of the best and strongest black women to ever play the game, Taj George. But one character is unlike any other, this season we got to meet, Coach Wade. Coach was made for TV, and he would create an archetype that we have seen attempted to be replicated by casting in seasons to come. Such a fun season and the right guy won.

Not only did JT win, but he was the first player to never get a vote in tribal council, and get every vote at the finale. And he definitely deserved it, although I still think Taj could have pulled it out had she gotten there. Taj, who is NFL legend Eddie George's wife, played a hell of a game and was fun to watch. But Coach was such a delusional, pompous, outlandish, narcissist, that he made the most mundane things entertaining. He is one of those players that made an ass of themselves and really wasn't in on the joke. Great TV.

#10
Winners at War - Season 40

Winner - Tony Vlachos

Who Played the Strongest - Tony Vlachos

Who I rooted for - Jeremy Collins

Season 40 featured 20 winners from the past 40 seasons of Survivor, battling out to crown the 2nd two time winner in the shows history. Of course, with 19 winners being left off the cast, it's impossible to say that this season's winner is definitively the best, but I can say that given the game he played in Cagayan, Tony Vlachos had to have a huge target on his back coming in, and for him to play the game he did and come out victorious, is nothing short of amazing. Tony is the best male to win the game and the official "King" of Survivor. This season was tremendously fun.

I can't rank seasons with dumb twist that allow people who were voted out, come back in the game. And once again Edge of Extension ruined what could have been a great season. Add to the that the convoluted fire tokens and a million advantages. Plus, the decision on who to cast this season is still difficult for me to wrap my head around. 40 seasons, 4 black winners, and in a cast of 20 you only cast 2 black people and don't include the only black woman to ever win in Vecepia?

So it's difficult for me to rank this season any higher, and as a black person, it also made me root for Jeremy and Wendell even harder. The painted Wendell as a villain in favor of highlighting Michelle who made the final three, whatever, and Jeremy was once again a target for any and every reason they could come up with. On night one, his number one allie, Natalie Anderson, who was one of two minority females on the cast, was voted out, as a way to weaken Jeremy. Smh. Then at the merge, they saw two black men, Jeremy and Wendell together, and immediately decided the black guys had to be split up, so they voted out Wendell to weaken Jeremy again. Do you see a pattern? He was the target for elimination week after week and only was saved because Tony wanted to use him as a way to get a few others in his alliance out. Then he was cut. And what line was used yet again? "We can't let the black firefighter with family get to the end". That's the same story from San Juan Del Sur and Cambodia. That's why I will always root for Jeremy Collins. But overall, the cast was a major reason I rank this season so high. But the end just was a dud in many ways. I love Natalie but I'm a "Never Edger".

#9
The Amazon - Season 6

Winner - Jenna Morasca

Who Played the Strongest - Rob Cesternino

Who I rooted for - Rob Cesternino

The Amazon was the first season where the tribes were divided by gender, and we got to see how both genders would fair without the other. This season was extremely important to the evolution of the show's image as it showed the women didn't need men to make it on the show. Also, it showed how the opposite sex fares without each other. Also it showcased the different strategies men and women utilize, as far as using their sex appeal. In the end, the bad guy got his comeuppance and a woman, Jenna Morasca, who didn't play the best game, was rewarded with the money. The reason why could speak to the premise of the season.

The real star of the season was Rob Cesternino, the funniest and most strategic player Survivor had seen up until season 6. Rob ran the game in such a way that the castaways didn't realize just how connected he was with all the various sides, until it was too late. Rob developed a strategy that we would see repeated in multiple seasons after, but he was the blueprint. And he was entertaining the whole way through and should have won! I do think Rob losing contributed to the game to changing to a final three format later.

#8
Millennials vs. Gen X - Season 33

Winner - Adam Klein

Who Played the Strongest - David Wright

Who I rooted for - Michaela Bradshaw

This season was very unique in that I enjoyed watching so many members of the cast that I don't have one or two castaways in particular I rooted for over the others. But early on I really rooted for Michaela, as she was hilarious, unpredictable, and a hell of a competitor. But she was kinda reckless and her elimination was a hell of a blindside. But I also thought Zeke had strong gameplay, the winner Adam played a hell of a great game, and Hannah, who made it to the finale played very strategic games, Jay was a hell of a gamer and challenge beast, and David played probably the best of all.

From a strategic standpoint it's one of the best seasons ever. And it was very entertaining because there were so many swings, twist and turns. I thought the final three all had a good case, but when Adam told the story of his mother dying at final tribal council, it was game over. But had he not revealed the condition of his mother, I truly believe Hannah was just as deserving. She fought hard and gained her confidence. But still, had David got to the end, he would've won. I loved this season.

#7
China - Season 15

Winner - Todd Herzog

Who Played the Strongest - Amanda & Todd

Who I rooted for - James Clement

#6
David vs. Goliath - Season 37

Winner - Nick Wilson

Who Played the Strongest - Angelina Keeley

Who I rooted for - Davie Rickenbacker

David vs Goliath was another season where tribes were split according to age old troupes, but I must say, this one worked extremely well. I absolutely loved the gameplay during this season and had their been more loyalty displayed, it could have very easily been ranked much higher. But that's also part of what made it so great. The blind sides and alliance mixing was top notch. Nick was a great winner of the season, but a very good case could be made for Angelina and Mike White. The game play was so fluid and exciting.

The blind sides and alliance mixing was top notch. Nick was a great winner of the season, but a very good case could be made for Angelina and Mike White. The game play was so fluid and exciting. I really thought the producers did an excellent job fleshing out just about every character on the show and giving context for each person. So many seasons, especially ones with larger casts like this one, do not spend enough time letting us get to know the castaways before they are voted out, but not here!

We got to know Davie, who I loved, Christian, who was a superstar, hunted for weeks, Carl who pulled off one of the greatest moves ever on Dan, before Gabby snaked him, Johnny Wrestling, who got blindsided due to a masterful idol play, and Alec, who's flip changed the game. But I could go on and on about this cast. So many characts, so much depth. There was just so much meat on the bone. And let's not forget when bossy ass Natalie wouldn't give Angelina her jacket when she got voted out. Lol. I loved this season.

#5
Micronesia - Season 16

Winner - Parvati Shallow

Who Played the Strongest - Cirie , Amanda, & Parvati

Who I rooted for - Cirie Fields

Fans vs Favorites featured the greatest women's alliance in the the shows history. Led by Parvati, Amanda, and Cirie, the women's alliance ate up the men in the game and convinced poor Erik to give his immunity idol away, which still stands as the dumbest move in the history of the series. While Parvati won this season, to me Amanda played better and should have been rewarded with the win in the final two. But had Cirie not been voted out at 3, due to the season being changed to a final 2, she would've won.

Amanda played a great game in China, and came right back to play an even better game in Micronesia. She was a hell of a competitor in the challenges, she built a strong alliance with Ozzy, James, Parvati, and Cirie, and when she was betrayed, she adapted and still made it to the end. And who could ever forget how she was very instrumental in tricking Erik to give up his immunity necklace. Amanda is one of the best to never win, and to me this notion that she lost simply because of bad final tribal performance s bullshit.

No, Amanda loss because the jury was swayed by Parvati, and felt she wasn't as conniving. Although admittedly, Parvati wasn't as instrumental to the strategy as Amanda. It was Amanda's connection to James, who she played with in China, Ozzie, who she was dating, and Cirie, who she palyed with the entire game, which was instrumental to the groups success. But Parvati was separated and connected with the younger women at at the swap, and she was able to gain those jury votes. Plus they were less intimidated by Parvati and wanted to see Amanda fail because she was so well connected. Amanda played a far better game and lost due to jealousy.

#4
Pearl Islands - Season 7

Winner - Sandra Diaz-Twine

Who Played the Strongest - Jonny Fairplay

Who I rooted for - Rupert Boneham

For a good while Survivor Pearl islands was one of my top three favorite season, and one of the most memorable for sure. We were introduced to two of my favorite players ever, Rupert and Sandra, and they have gone on to be legends of the show. Johnny Fairplay was an all time Villain and his scumbag move by lying about his grandmother being dead was disgusting. But the reason this season falls outside my top three is the stupid twist where the eliminated castaways were allowed to reenter the game, and Lillian and Burton were able to outlast people who didn't get a 2nd chance once they were voted out.

Rupert and Andrew Savage got screwed. No other way to describe it. Lillian came back into the game, with immunity, and couldn't be voted out. And she flipped and voted out Savage right before the merge. And Burton screwed Rupert terribly as well. I hated that twist and it's a stain on the season that otherwise was all time great. Sandra was such a scrappy and fun winner and I'm so glad that she was able to overcome and outlast. Sandra is the first and only hispanic winner in 40 seasons of Survivor.

This season was such a landmark for the franchise and came at the perfect time. Survivor was huge the first few season, but you could tell that it was starting to lose some of that family element, especially since the last few seasons lacked the fun "Good Guy" for fans to root for. Sure, I loved Rob Cesternino in the Amazon and thought he was hilarious, but he was clearly a liar and a master villain from a TV perspective. But season 7 brought us the ultimate "Good Guy", Rupert. Rupert became the face of the franchise for years to come with his bushy beard, lovable smile and tie-dye shirts. Rupert became a phenomenon. So much so they couldn't wait to bring him back for All Stars. And of course having Johnny Fairplay as the ultimate heel was just a chef's kiss!

#3
Cagayan - Season 28

Winner - Tony Vlachos

Who Played the Strongest - Tony Vlachos

Who I rooted for - Tasha Fox

Before Tony Vlachos was cementing himself as the King of Survivor in season 40, he crashed on the scene like a crazy man in Cagayan. To be honest, while I respected Tony's ability to find idols and play a crazy game, many times mixing things up and betraying his allies, I was rooting against him the entire season. Tasha and Spencer were what made this season great and so many times they were able to squeeze themselves out of tough situations and fight off the strong alliance they were against. And let's not forget about Kass and Trish, who were very unique characters. But Woo is an idiot, FACT. How he fell for Tony's nonsense each time is beyond me!

From the beginning on the "Brains" tribe, Tasha was behind the 8 ball and had to fight.s She tried to stand up for the only other black woman in the game, J'Tia, and pulled a great blindside by convincing Kass to keep them in the game. She formed a bond with Spencer and every time Tony wanted them gone. Tasha won an immunity or swayed things strategically to keep them in the game. She was strong player and a great example of the type of women the show should search to cast more often.

But Tony was the best player in Cagayan, and he out smartened his allies and enemies multiple times throughout the game. He took control of the game early by cutting Cliff Robinson, he played Trish over and over and over again, like a fiddle, betrayed Sarah and the "Cops R Us" alliance, and ultimately he convince Woo to take him to the finals, against his own best interest, assuring him a win. Tony played one of the best games ever. The season was filled with so many entertaining moments and that Brains tribe gave us nothing but GOLD.

#2
Cambodia - Season 31

Winner - Jeremy Collins

Who Played the Strongest - Jeremy

Who I rooted for - Jeremy & Tasha

Cambodia was one of the most loaded seasons of all time and I loved it sooo much. It was loaded with players who played with each other before (Cagayan), past dominant performers, and fan favorites. In the end, the final three of Jeremy, Tasha, and Spencer was so satisfying, and of course I loved the winner! Jeremy is one of the greatest players of all time, and the fact that people knew he was running a strong alliance, and they couldn't get him, was so satisfying. Probably my favorite final three ever. Well, second.....

Coming from San Juan del Sur, where Jeremy was a huge target and voted out because nobody wanted the black, firefighter, family man to get to the end, Jeremy had a huge target on his back. He quickly built alliances with key members of the tribe, even using his idol to save Fishbach, but ultimately nobody wanted to get to the end with him. It was like the guy was the only person with a a family or something. So I rooted like crazy for him. And it was so satisfying to see him defy the odds and win the whole thing!

It was also amazing to see that like many times when a black person goes far in this game, it was another black person, Tasha, as his main ally. They supported each other and made it all the way to the final three with Spencer. Tasha played a hell of a game as well and she was very deserving of making it to the end. This season ranks so high for me because the cast was stacked with so many fun characters from Abby Maria, Kelly Wentworth against all odds, Savage, Cass, and so may more. But ultimately I was so happy with Jeremy winning, and it was the most satisfied I felt with a victory in all my years of watching the show.

#1
Heroes vs Villains - Season 20

Winner - Sandra Diaz-Twine

Who Played the Strongest - Russell, Parvati, & Sandra

Who I rooted for - Sandra Diaz-Twine

In my opinion, the greatest season of Survivor of all time was season 20, Heroes vs Villains. I absolutely loved this season from top to bottom. The epic early showdown between Russell Hantz and Boston Rob was possibly the greatest showdown in Survivor History. Russell was so great this season. And you have to give credit to Parvati for being smart enough to link up with Russell and use him to evade the early target on her back and make it all the way to the end.

But once again, this season illustrated the essence of Survivor. No matter how many challenges you win, how great of a physical threat you are, you have to build relationships with people or earn their respect in a way that they will vote for you to win in the end. Parvati and Russell were conniving, they lied, they outskeemed, and in the end the jury got their revenge. That's the game. So much so, that they awarded ANOTHER 1 million dollars to the first two time winner of Survivor, THE QUEEN, Sandra!! I loved it!

Some people say that Sandra was undeserving and I say that's bullshit. She played with the hand she was dealt and by hook or by crook, she made it all the way to day 39, again. On an All Star season with huge personalities, challenge threats, and supreme gamers, if you allow someone to make it to the end a second time, and not be hated by the jury, they deserve the crown. Sandra is one of the greatest because she is able to lower her threat level and do whatever it takes to make it another three days. That's the game, and Sandra stays Queen.