3 best Survivor seasons to rewatch right now
By Bryce Olin
On a recent episode of Jeff Probst’s podcast, On Fire with Jeff Probst, a fan asked an important question of the host of Survivor for all 47 seasons: What seasons should new Survivor fans watch first?
More fans are rewatching Survivor seasons than ever before. So, I got to thinking. If I was to recommend three seasons of Survivor that other fans need to rewatch, which three seasons would I choose?
It’s a hard exercise, honestly! In many ways, each season of Survivor is good for one reason or another. We probably wouldn’t keep watching if we hated every new season, right? Well, of those 46 seasons, there are a few that stand out to me above the rest.
Let’s get the list started with Survivor: Micronesia!
3. Survivor: Micronesia
Where to watch: Paramount+
Cast:
- Cirie Fields
- Johnny Fairplay
- Ozzie Lusth
- Amanda Kimmel
- Parvati Shallow
- Erik Reichenbach
- Alexis Jones
- Yau-Man Chan
- James Clement
- Mikey Bortone
- Amy Cusack
- Jonathan Penner
- Chet Welch
- Mary Sartain
- Jason Siska
- Tracy Hughes-Wolf
- Kathy Sleckman
- Joel Anderson
- Natalie Bolton
Survivor: Micronesia is the 16th season of the hit series. It aired on CBS from February to May 2008. The season features half 10 returning players and 10 new players, and the theme is Fans vs. Favorites. And, it worked so well!
The season featured some of my favorite Survivor players to that point, including Parvati Shallow, Cirie Fields, Ozzie Lusth, and Amanda Kimmel. Johnny Fairplay also returned only to have to be served his just desserts in the season premiere. It’s so awesome!
Most of all, this is another Survivor season that pushed the envelope when it comes to the strategic and social elements of Survivor. There are things that happen in Survivor: Micronesia that are truly incredible. No spoilers, but I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it since in Survivor either.
I also think it changed the game is played in an unintended way, too. It’s not too much of a spoiler, but the returning players did very well in Survivor: Micronesia. From this point forward, it made things a lot harder for returning players to excel when playing against the new players in future seasons of Survivor.
2. Survivor David vs. Goliath
Where to watch: Paramount+
Cast:
- Mike White
- Pat Cusack
- Bi Nguyen
- Jeremy Crawford
- Nick Wilson
- Kara Kay
- Christian Hubicki
- Carl Boudreaux
- Gabby Pascuzzi
- Alec Merlino
- Dan Rengering
- John Hennigan
- Lyrsa Torres
- Natalia Azoqa
- Angelina Keeley
- Davie Rickenbacker
- Elizabeth Olson
- Natalie Cole
- Jessica Peet
- Alison Raybould
Survivor: David vs. Goliath is another season that I think Survivor fans need to rewatch. It comes up in a lot of conversations about the game, not because it features returning players who are basically legends, or anything like that. It’s more just about how the season played out, how the theme impacted the season, and what it means to Survivor history.
David vs. Goliath is the 37th season of the series. It aired from September to December 2019. For me, it marks one of the best seasons of Survivor before the new era was introduced following Winners at War.
The season features all-new players who are undergods, the David element, vs. people who are overachievers in real life, the Goliath element. Mike White, who wrote and starred in one of the best movies of all time, School of Rock, is in the cast, and he’s one of my favorite players of all time. His commentary throughout the season is amazing!
Survivor: David vs. Goliath isn’t one of the best seasons from a gameplay perspective, to me. There are much better seasons if you’re interested in strategy and the social elements of the game. For me, this season is just wildly entertaining. It’s so dramatic! There are so many epic moves, including some head-scratchers, but it all works together to create magic.
1. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Where to watch: Paramount+
Cast:
- Russell Hantz
- Colby Donaldson
- Sandra Diaz-Twine
- Amanda Kimmel
- Sugar Kiper
- Cirie Fields
- Tyson Apostol
- Boston Rob Mariano
- JT Thomas
- Coach
- Parvati Shallow
- Stephenie LaGrossa
- Randy Bailey
- Jerry Manthey
- Tom Westman
- James Clement
- Candice Woodcock
- Danielle DiLorenzo
- Rupert Boneham
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains is the best season of Survivor to rewatch, especially if you haven't seen it recently. Heroes vs. Villains is the 20th season of the hit series. The cast includes some of the best players the game has ever seen, previous winners, runner-ups, and players who changed how the game is played, including J.T. Thomas, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Parvati Shallow, Russell Hantz, Boston Rob, and more!
Heroes vs. Villains is not just a great season because of who played the game, but the gameplay is legendary. These players did not pull any punches. It's one of the most ruthless seasons of Survivor featuring returning players. Everything was on the line in this season, and it played out in an incredible way.
I know this season doesn't include all of the winners, like Winners at War, but this is the ultimate season of Survivor for me. It's not fair because many of the all-timers were not included, but it cemented the legacy of many of the Survivor legends because of how they played this season and how others played against them. Getting voted out and targeted early in Heroes vs. Villains is basically a badge of honor. And, I don't think we can say that about many other seasons.
I wish there was a way to go back in time and watch Heroes vs. Villains for the first time. It's that good!
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