Survivor retrospective: Ranking returning player seasons

7. All-Stars

Survivor‘s first-ever returning player season, All-Stars had the potential to be one of the biggest television events on the 2000s. Fan favorites like Colby Donaldson, Rob Cesternino, Jenna Morasca and Richard Hatch returned to the beaches of the Pearl Islands to duke it out for the title of Sole Survivor. All-Stars began strong, with players coming out strong and Australia winner Tina Wesson being the first person voted out, shocking fans of the show.

However, the show quickly devolved as the lesser-known players targeted the former winners and big stars of the show as Rob Cesternino, Colby, Jenna, Rudy and Ethan Zohn all were voted out before the merge. What fans were left with turned into the Rob and Amber show. The power couple was almost always in control and took out their fellow players one-by-one. At the Final Tribal, Rob all but handed Amber the win, giving fans a less-than-stellar winner who many felt didn’t deserve the title.

While All-Stars might have been a rocky start to returning player seasons, it nonetheless opened the door for the return of former castaways, so for that, I say thank you!