Warning: The following contains spoilers from the season two finale of Scream Queens. If you haven't watched yet, you may want to bookmark this page and return once you have. Proceed with...
Sofia Vergara is definitely regretting ever creating embryos with this guy – Dlisted
Another Duggar baby on the way – Babyrazzi
Real Housewives of Atlanta production to pay out big for unpaid overtime – NYAG
Should LeAnn be worried? – Celebitchy
Nathan Griffith accuses girlfriend of abuse, including making his penis bleed – Starcasm
Bella Hadid created her own fashion line – The Fashion Spot
Funniest holiday shirts for kids – Momtastic
You may need this to survive the holidays – Total Beauty
Margot Robbie confirms her marriage with a big eff you – Dlisted
8 PM EST –
Intervention (A&E)
Chopped Junior (Food Network)
Little People, Big World (TLC)
Ricky Smiley For Real (TVOne)
9 PM EST –
Intervention (A&E)
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)
Dance Moms (Lifetime)
Last Squad Standing (Oxygen)
Outdaughtered (TLC)
10 PM EST –
Leah Remini: Scientolgy (A&E)
Ladies of London (Bravo)
Chopped (Food Network)
Kate Plus 8 (TLC)
Photo Credit: Gregg Doherty/Getty
The post Tuesday Tea – Links, Open Chat, And What To Watch Tonight appeared first on Reality Tea.
These Ladies of London trips to Mapperton Estate never go the way poor Julie Montagu wants them to, do they? When we last left the ladies, their most recent journey to the English...If you’ve ever wanted to hear more about Erika Girardi‘s Hoohah, tonight’s Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills is your opportunity!
The uninhibited Miss Jayne attends cocktails sans undies, and accidentally gives everyone a peek of her vajaynejay. No one takes more peeks than Dorit Kemsley‘s husband PK (henceforth known as Peek-K). This does not sit well Dorit who is aghast at Erika’s lack of manners. Lisa Vanderpump, meanwhile, merely cackles.
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Ken has no reason to be looking up anyone’s skirts because Lisa more than spoils him. For his birthday she surprises him with an English tea party and Pomeranian-pony hybrids a $25,000 watch (which is the new $25,000 sunglasses. I expect Lisa to be releasing a pop-parody song any day now. Or maybe an Erika/Lisa Duet version of Erika’s hit Expen$$$ive?)
RELATED – Erika Says Dorit Wanted To Create Problems With Her!
In other happenings, Kyle Richards and Lisa Rinna bond over their mutual horror of raising teenage daughters. And Lipsa gets a surprise of her own when she learns her daughters are on a dating app… and dating the opposite of appropriate, apparently!
RELATED – Real Housewives Kids In Real Trouble!
In sadder situations, Eileen Davidson and Vinnie pack up her late mother’s home and Eileen continues to reel from the loss.
Reality Tea will be live-tweeting, so make sure to join us on twitter, or below in the comments to discuss the episode!
TELL US – DO YOU NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ERIKA’S HOOHAH?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
The post Erika Girardi’s Social Gaffe Goes Too Far On Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills! appeared first on Reality Tea.
In the criminal justice system, a reunion between stars who once played partners tasked with investigating sexually-based offenses is considered especially joyful. Christopher Meloni took to...
Ten years after launching a school in South Africa, Oprah Winfrey is reuniting with her first students to see how far they've come. The emotional reunion takes place in Fusion's...
A word of advice to every cast member of Vanderpump Rules: Stop with the day drinking, already! As we saw on this week’s installment of VPR, Stassi Schroeder would benefit greatly from a clear head when facing her imaginary rivals at surprise-not-surprise parties far and wide. And, according to Stassi’s commentary on last night’s episode – she agrees!
“Lesson 1: don’t agree to go up to ppl to ‘talk’ after 6 hours of drinking in the sun,” tweeted Stassi last night after witnessing her sloppy behavior on camera, adding, “Lesson 2: be fake so that I get a good edit.” So, which is it: drunk or fake? I’ll put my money on both!
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Stassi even went as far as (maybe?) apologizing for her behavior on screen, tweeting, “Been crying for over an hour. I’m sorry for how this played out tonight.” After being berated all night long on social media, Stassi followed up with a self-pitying cry for help: “Suicidal thanks to you tweeters. Please stop.”
Ah, it was only a matter of time before Stassi turned from contrite apologies to petulant lashing out, heh? That’s the girl we know! After attacking Scheana Marie Shay for playing nice with arch nemesis Lala Kent, Stassi apparently got attacked pretty hard herself on social media. It’s called karma. Google it.
“I thought I was thick skinned & tough. I’m not. I’m having a mental/emotional/everything breakdown. Please everyone stop,” Stassi finally implored early this morning after what can only be assumed as a twitter War Of The Worlds took place all night.
Katie Maloney, however, doesn’t see much – if anything – wrong with her behavior of late! In fact, she cryptically defends that there are “secrets” she can’t share on camera, and that it’s these secrets that she delusionally thinks will vindicate her in the end.
RELATED: Kristen Thinks Jax And Brittany Are Ready For Kids!
“Keep hoping my truth will be told buuuttt guess that’s in a trash can somewhere,” tweeted Katie last night after the episode aired. When a fan reached out to Katie to ask her why she couldn’t reveal this “truth” on camera and stop eternally whining, Katie responded, “I can’t actually…. wish I could. But I’m being sacrificed while others are being protected.”
She’s being SACRIFICED, y’all! (To the gods of pre-middle aged delusions of stardom?!) Whatever the case may be, Katie clearly thinks there’s something we should all know – but don’t. Which, in her mind, would make us all totally understand her immature antics this season. But to me, just makes her even more infuriating.
In her classic Go-Suck-A-D-ck! manner, Kristen Doute chimed in on social media too. Her message was a little, um, more direct: “Everyone calm the f–k down. You are watching it on a TV show, you didn’t live it. Stop calling us bullies while you troll on social media,” she tweeted.
Thus, the “mean girls” of this season have spoken! And it seems they are scrambling to defend themselves as best they know how – in 140 characters each.
TELL US: ARE STASSI, KRISTEN, AND KATIE ACTING LIKE MEAN GIRLS? IS THERE A ‘SECRET’ THAT’S FUELING THEIR RAGE AGAINST LALA AND, BY EXTENSION, SCHEANA?
Photo Credit: Instagram
The post Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, And Katie Maloney React To ‘Mean Girls’ Behavior On Vanderpump Rules; Stassi Claims She’s Suicidal appeared first on Reality Tea.
For the most part, motherhood seems to be going well for new mom Meghan Edmonds. Ever since baby Aspen was born, Meghan has been posting the most adorable photos of the newborn and even her husband Jim Edmonds on social media. However, a bunch a people flipped out over a pic Meghan posted of little Aspen in a car seat.
People on Instagram ripped Meghan a new one and attacked her mothering skills in the comments, so much so that she put up a disclaimer in the comment and tweeted about the mommy shaming.
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People really need to chill out in all honesty. Instagram users came at Meghan for her car seat strap placement and she eventually had to clarify she lowered it so her daughter would be visible in the photo and that she did not actually drive like that. Meghan changed her caption to say, “At least Aspen looks cute! #mombun (everyone chill out ab the strap, I moved it down for the pic and fixed it before we got in the car).”
Meghan was not driving in the photo. If the strap was up, the baby wouldn’t even be seen in the photo. Meghan is not an idiot. Thanks for the concern, complete strangers, but she’s got this one. It’s good that she clarified, but people look for any reason to complain these days. Almost everything is a scandal. Why can’t everyone just stop looking for trouble.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that Meghan felt shamed by her own Instagram followers. Meghan recently tweeted, “Wow! Mom shaming is real! Have u seen the latest comments on my last IG post?! Wowzas!” Based on the date and time, the last post Meghan was referring to was a photo of her with her husband Jim. Apparently, people are hating on Meghan since she went out on one date night with her husband. That’s a stupid reason to be unkind. Moms deserve a break too.
RELATED: Meghan King Edmonds Gives Birth To Her First Child
Meghan responded to an Instagram hater with the user name @boltupsd, so did a lot of her followers, and Meghan’s husband Jim even chimed in after a comment was deleted and mentioned a “fan” in Meghan’s defense. Jim wrote, “Shocking that this person disappeared @boltupsd.” Jim doesn’t really share an opinion about anything, so the fact that he is saying something meant that the bashing in the comments went way too far.
In response to the same hater, Meghan wrote, “@boltupsd truth? I breastfeed my baby. Do you understand the commitment that takes? I don’t think you know the truth, dear. And you won’t bc u unfollowed me thank god. So please leave me alone and go judge another new mother like the parental policewoman you love to be”
Meghan thanked another Instagram user who defended her: “@amyswiney Thank you. It’s awful. I spend three hours (tops – bc I nurse) away from you baby for a total of maybe three or four times (and I wish it was more bc I’m living in a Groundhog Day life right now but I miss her like hell when I’m gone but I love it too) and I am a terrible mother. Incredible!”
Damn. People need to chill.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THAT THE INSTAGRAM COMMENTS WERE JUSTIFIED? OR DID THEY GO TOO FAR & “MOMMY SHAME” MEGHAN?
[Photo Credit: Instagram]
The post Meghan Edmonds Responds To Mommy Shamers On Social Media appeared first on Reality Tea.
Sorry Santa, you've been replaced by another Nick. First, he was shirtless in the shower, then he was acting a little naughty, and now, Nick Viall is taking over for Santa Claus in...
Finally, your awkward childhood feelings for Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and the rest of the gang will be justified with Riverdale, The CW's new drama based on Archie Comics. The...It’s a cold day in L.A. before I take Scheana Marie‘s side about anything, but thanks to last night’s Vanderpump Rules that icy apocalypse has arrived.
Does anyone even understand what happened last night? It was essentially 30-year-old women playing drunken telephone as if bringing a stupid bridal party game to real life. Somehow, Stassi Schroeder took a situation that she was not a part of in any way, and through heresy, put her own special Stassi spin on it until it dildo-in-acid exploded on Scheana, soaking her in the bile of bad friendships and her own bad karma.
I really just hoped James Kennedy would miraculously appear, like an apparition, clapping and jeering “PUMPTINI!” Like SUR’s apparition of the Ghost of Christmas Past – just perfectly illustrating how f–ked up the reasoning is of all these people, every time.
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It all started because Lisa Vanderpump was tired of Katie Maloney dragging her childish drama to SUR and tired of Scheana being pathetic enough to joins ranks in hating on Lala Kent, so Lisa asked O’ Supreme Mature One, Ariana Madix, to host a peace summit in the back alley of SUR – where else, but WeHo’s version of the UN headquarters – between Katie, Scheana, and Lala.
RELATED – Lala Reveals She’s Dating A Pro-Athlete!
I mean what could go wrong, right?
If you were imagining someone would be stuffed in the dumpster where they belong, you were kinda right – and that person was Scheana! First, Lala told a new cobbled story about her mystery man. This time she kind of went along with the married man rumors as a ‘dupe,’ (or decoy boyfriend), to take attention from her real boyfriend? This does not go over well with Katie.
Katie tried demanding Lala crown her as Queen of SUR, Lala offered to finger her instead. Considering that it’s debatable if Tom 2‘s d–k works…
Finally, Scheana – SCHEANA! – tired of staring at Lala’s over-lined lips, announces and, I quote, “I apologize for anything untrue I may have said about you.” Katie sat there with her lemon-face and said nothing.
Scheana thought that would be the end of that. Boy did Scheana think wrong.
In a way, Schenaa has brought all this ire on herself. She is wishy-washy and plays all sides of the group hoping that fence-straddling is hot in the Nicki Minaj kind of way, and she’s always been way too overly-eager to be accepted by and included in the so-called ‘cool clique’ – so much so, that she has repeatedly thrown her real friends by the wayside. She also has had to eat crow with Stassi, Katie, and Kristen Doute so many times, Scheana has started to resemble an emaciated sparrow, whose eyes are always darting around, while she skitters here and there, flapping her wings, but never taking off. So basically, I kinda get Katie and Stassi’s frustration with Scehana for not being ‘trustworthy,’ but their reason for getting so mad last night? Bogus.
As Scheana tried to explain many times, she offered an insincere apology to just move on and make things tolerable in the workplace. I believe we call that ‘grown up behavior’. Who would’ve thunk SCHEANA possible of it?!
Yet, since Stassi has NO JOB and NO LIFE (and no taste in fashion) she, in one of her atrocious mumu-minis, is loitering at SUR, scarfing fried goat cheese balls (the only balls in her mouth) and guzzling wine. Ostensibly, Stassi is there to ask Brittany Cartwright if she can interview Jax Taylor as a reformed bad boyfriend for her podcast. Sweet Stassi – her podcast is the zenith all single women depend on; providing hard-hitting, necessary, vital truthiness as she interviews her friends about cocktails and watching the Bachelor. #SUCCESS
Since Stassi just happens to be at SUR anyway, she notices Katie in the back alley, where Katie all-too gleefully fibs that Scheana apologized to Lala. Stassi decides Scheana has betrayed them all, so off with her head! What about KATIE being the bad friend who betrayed Scheana? Also how funny to see ‘old Katie’ instantly crumble beneath Stassi’s rage when Stassi started interrogating her about the Lala conversation.
First, Stassi rampaged-texted Scheana, then shortly later, Katie sent Scheana slew of texts calling her a “repulsive” piece of shit and a bad friend. So at this point I’m REMOVING MYSELF from your bridal party. But I’m not Scheana, who is like the lint permanently attached to your sweater.
RELATED – James’ Drunken Airplane Rant!
Katie is 100% in the wrong here. She lied to Stassi and indicated it was Ariana who initiated the Lala talk. Katie knew full-well it was Lisa, since Ariana said that. Also, as Scheana pointed out, it wasn’t until Katie got a few drinks and a few hours of Stassi in her that she had a problem with what happened back in that alley. Now, I think Katie was always puss-faced annoyed like her lip job leaked, but instead of being mature (ha!) enough to confront Scheana about it right then and there, she waited until she had Stassi behind her to say anything.
I’d feel bad for Scheana, except she threw Ariana into the SUR dumpster in the exact same way. There’s another conundrum here: Stassi is doing a birthday trip to Montauk and now Scheana isn’t sure if she’s still invited, and she hasn’t been invited on Ariana’s birthday trip as a back-up. Because why would Ariana invite her non-friend who would rather unify herself with a harridan of mean girls than think for herself?
Sadly, Scheana has to turn to JAX for advice. Man, that’s a low place to find yourself in, huh?
Jax is prepping himself for Stassi’s podcast when Scheana stops by to complain that Katie, Kristen, and Stassi are basically one idiot sharing a half-cocked brain with vodka replacing the spinal fluid.
Jax is not at all surprised that the three-headed she-beast of StasKaKrit has reared its ugly head again. Brittany doesn’t seem to know what to think because A) I’m pretty sure her brain just features a digital display announcing Hooter’s specials; and B) she’s preoccupied with Jax talking to Stassi unsupervised.
The funniest part was, after KATIE sent Scheana all those horrific texts, Katie decides they “need to talk about Scheana’s behavior.” Scheana has other things to worry about though – she and Kristen are throwing a joint surprise party for Shay and Carter, so Scheana is not letting that drama ruin HER party.
Um, Shay is a recovering alcoholic, yet you throw him a surprise boozy pool party for his birthday? MMMMMkay…
I also find it hilarious that Scheana’s biggest quandary in all of this is not, ‘How did I find myself with such terrible friends – what does it say about me that I chose these people after ditching my true friends?’ but ‘What if I’m kicked off Stassi’s birthday trip, without being invited to Ariana’s first? And what if Katie kicks me out of her wedding?’
Meanwhile, at Katie and Tom’s, they’re on the phone with their wedding planner while Stassi listens in the background. On the spot Katie doubles their wedding budget to $50k while Tom gropes blindly for his balls. *Dude they’re gone – Kristen’s hiding them in her new mini purse! Tom is super upset that Katie upped the budget without discussing it with him first, but she just sulks that he better find a way to get her what she wants and suggests he google the cost of a wedding. OMG SHE’S SO HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kristen arrives and the three-headed she beast eviscerates Scheana behind her back for being a shitty friend. Tom 2 watches on; watches his life slide slowly down the vortex towards hell and Lala’s words come back to haunt him: that she’ll f–k him once his marriage to Katie ends. Tom, you could expedite that by calling the engagement off… Let’s be honest Katie really only wants to be in a relationship with Kristen and Stassi – they make her her best self! (SARCASM).
Next, we see Stassi at ‘work’ – aka meet Jax in a bar to give him a Buzzfeed ‘Are you a sociopath?’ quiz. Naturally he fails, but Stassi quickly assuages his bruised ego by pointing out that they’re all suffering from serious mental issues so he’s in good company. That is the WORST consolation prize I’ve ever heard of, by the way! Also, Jax explains that men ‘cheat down,’ which dang that’s a real burn on Kristen! (and Tom 1). ZING!
Interestingly, Jax, the friendly neighborhood sociopath, tries to do the right thing by telling Stassi that she’s hurting Scheana’s feelings because she feels ganged up on by her so-called friends. Jax also warns her not to cause problems at Shay’s party. Again – it’s that cold day in LA.
On the day of Shay and Carter’s party, Katie, Stassi, and Brittany show up early to help Scheana and Kristen set up. The Three-Headed She-Beast pointedly ignores Scheana while blowing up a mini wading pool and filling it with margarita and straws. Sanitary by SUR!
That pool wasn’t the only thing they inflated! They also inflated all the reasons why they’re mad at Scheana. Now… she’s betrayed Katie by groveling to Lala, inviting her out to lunch, and adding her on SnapChat. Even though Lala has been trying to sleep with Tom 2 behind Katie’s back and offered to buy him a Range Rover and a LV Pouchette. And POOR, POOR Katie – the innocent victim, the sweet child persecuted by the hussy hoe-bags and liars of L.A. Thank goodness Stassi and Kristen have her back!
Stassi is further incensed that Scheana has been “telling everyone” they ganged up on her and none of them can think for themselves. Truth hurts! I’m still confused about what exactly Lala even did to Katie and Stassi that is so atrocious, but now I’m also stuck trying to decipher what exactly Scheana did that was so repugnant – oh sorry, “repulsive.” So much schadenfreude, it’s resembling US politics.
I would like to remind everyone that they were attending a 30th birthday party. As in 3-0, not 3, not 13, but THIRTY. As in grow the f–k up. Adulting – get some!
Moments after Shay and Carter walk through the back gate with bags of ice to get ‘surprised’ by the surprise party that wasn’t a surprise, the drama begins. Kristen corners Scheana to insists she can think for herself and accuse Scheana of making things worse for herself by going to Jax.
Kristen brags that she’s ‘the mom’ of her friend group. That explains so much because she needs to have CPS called on her. Like now. #ElderAbuse #WomanChildEndangerment #AnimalCruelty
In the pool, the Toms and Jax watch as the three-headed beast circles each other, feeding on its own ego, becoming engorged and bloated on their own trumped up superiority. Jax has flashbacks of dark days of the past, when their meager world was dominated by this bitchy bloodbath. Silently, both Tom and Jax each place a hand on each of Tom 2‘s shoulders and just rest it there for a moment – for he alone is inheriting all three-heads of that beast. Katie and her sister wives will soon be in his bed, and he will find himself under it, smothered under the weight of pacifying. Poor Tom 2 – so mild and meek, he couldn’t escape when Tom 1 and even Jax did, but then again Jax is a sociopath according to Stassi.
Yes, somehow Katie and Scehana’s argument about Lala has become all about Stassi. And it is so important to Stassi she causes an enormous scene at the party and drunkenly screams at Scheana and Ariana before crying on the floor of a bathroom and then screaming at Scehana again. It was SO EMBARRASSING. And I loved it!
Scheana has been going around the party crying to everyone about being iced out – completely ignoring Shay all the while. Tom 1 makes it worse when he enacts his revenge by explaining that even IF Scheana is fired from Stassi’s birthday trip, she can’t come on Ariana’s either because the NASCAR guest list had to be made in advance (apparently NASCAR has higher standards than the Hamptons). Poor Scheana may be stuck in L.A. all by her lonesome with no one but Shay to hang out with.
At some point, Stassi stumbles over to ‘talk’ and starts berating Scehana for begging Lala to be her friend. Scheana is tired of telling Stassi the obvious, “YOU WEREN’T THERE,” so she asks Ariana to come over and explain. Ariana emerges from the pool “like a mermaid,” according to Stassi, descending upon this mess with reason, grace, and eloquence that Stassi cannot handle so she screams that the conversation is over and storms off.
Katie finds her sobbing on the floor of the basement bathroom that Scheana is guilty of heinous betrayals and Stassi was ambushed trying to defend poor Katie. When Scheana comes downstairs to receive her punishment, she tries in vain to explain herself but it’s pointless. Just so you know – everything that ever happened to Scheana and Stassi is Scheana’s fault. Well, at least Lala is off the hook!
Scheana does ask a pointed question: if everything is so perfect in Katie’s life why is she so unhappily descending down the Tequila Katie path?
TELL US – DO YOU FEEL BAD FOR SCHEANA?
[Photo Credits: Bravo]
The post Vanderpump Rules Recap: Karma Is A Bitch appeared first on Reality Tea.
I’m not gonna lie, it has been very tough watching the drama between Kenya Moore and Matt Jordan unfold during the current Real Housewives of Atlanta season. I am not a fan of the relationship. Thankfully, Kenya seems to be over it as well. She has been consistently shading him on social media, but on the positive note, at least Kenya seems to be on good terms with her dad.
Longtime viewers of Real Housewives of Atlanta probably know Kenya and her dad have not had the best relationship over the years, so it’s very good news that she’s on good terms with one important man in her life. And you know Kenya, she always has a lot to say about everything.
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Kenya is definitely one of those people who lives by the “all publicity is good publicity” mantra. She has been popping off on all forms of social media after the last episode.
Of course, Kenya posted a pensive selfie on Instagram accompanied by a bible verse…. and an #RHOA hash tag, of course. Kenya wrote, “Love is patient, love is kind… it is not proud. It does not dishonor others It is not easily angered It keeps no record or wrongs It always protects, always hopes, always trusts, always preserves 1 Corinthians 13 4-8 #RHOA” I got the point that she was trying to make, but it seems like a little much to me? Maybe I’m being cynical, but then again, if it takes a bible verse and pretty selfie for her to move on from this toxic relationship, then I fully support that move.
Kenya also had someone (I wonder who) take a pic of her walking through a door and she threw some pretty obvious shade with the caption, “There is always another open door. #blessed” Fierce picture. I’m not one for dragging out breakups on social media, but I have to admit that it is pretty entertaining as a dedicated viewer of this show. Shade on, girl.
Kenya did not stop shading Matt on Instagram though and I’m sure that he’s reading (and seething over) all of these posts. She put up this quote, “If it’s really, keep it and don’t let it go. If it’s not real, walk away and don’t look back.” Oh man. What could this be about? It’s such a subtle quotation.
RELATED: Cynthia Bailey Is Worried About Kenya Moore
Then, Kenya turned it into a positive thing by complimenting her renewed relationship with her father, “Thank God for real men and thank God for my father who has always loved me. We haven’t always been close, but you see that’s the beauty in being flawed, I am loved unconditionally by the first man I’ve ever known and he was a child of 15 when I was born. #familyisforever #realmen #fathers #rhoa.” It’s nice to see that Kenya and her father are finally on good terms. I have no idea if it has anything to do with this Matt drama, but it’s good that she has her dad during this rough time.
Kenya acknowledged the up and down relationship that she has had with her father. When a fan tweeted Kenya, “Your Dad is a man after my own heart…a man of distinctions.” Kenya replied, “My dad and I went through some pretty rough times but he’s always loved me.”
Another fan tweeted at Kenya, “Loved the conversation you and your Dad had. Love is patient!” Kenya quoted that and said, “Yes he’s amazing.” And while I’m vicariously happy for Kenya, it’s still tough to forget the ongoing saga with Matt.
One fan shared her reaction to watching the drama play out on the show, “The sad part is that @KenyaMoore tried to praise him but he kept messing up. She’s not even bad mouthing him. She doesn’t have to.” Kenya shared the tweet and added the sentiment, “Yeah it’s hard to watch.” Yes, it is.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK KENYA & MATT ARE DONE FOR GOOD?
[Photo Credit: Instagram]
The post Kenya Moore Praises Her Father & Shades Matt Jordan (Again) On Social Media appeared first on Reality Tea.
Jennifer Lawrence can do anything. Carry multiple action franchises? Check. Charm the pants off everyone by tripping? Check. Win an Oscar? Check. Get Andy Cohen to spill the tea on Real Housewives...Season 33 of Survivor, Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X, is a thing of the past, having ended this past Wednesday night. So where does this past season fit in to my list of most memorable?
When ranking the most memorable seasons of Survivor, “best” can mean a lot of things, so my list takes into consideration not only the “best” season but the most “memorable” seasons of all time, as they may eventually be remembered from our current vantage point. Obviously the most recent season is freshest in our minds, so the list also takes that into account. Determining factors include memorable players, situations, Tribal Councils, the impact the season had – or will have – on future seasons, and just overall where I feel the season ranks. Everyone has their opinion, so be sure to voice whether you agree or disagree with my rankings. Here goes!
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#33: Fiji: The Big Brother-esque “Haves vs Have nots” was one of the rare Survivor innovations that completely fell flat. Add to it that the cast was made up of mostly unmemorable clueless players (with the exception of likable Yau-Man), and this season was clearly the least memorable of all, which still makes it better than most everything else on television! In a flat-liner Finale, we witnessed a yawn-inducing final vote, where winner Earl Cole was unanimously selected as winner.
#32: Gabon: If you like strategy and was mad that Russell Hantz didn’t win either of his two seasons, then you probably despised Survivor: Gabon. Unlikely bow-tie wearin’ Bob Crowley emerged victorious, but never have more “unworthy strategic players” gone so far in Survivor. His awesome looking fake Immunity Idol was about the only memorable thing from a very unmemorable season.
#31: Nicaragua: So it wasn’t the worst season ever, it just felt that way. It featured an unlikable batch of players, the first celebrity (Jimmy Johnson), and was topped off by unpredictable NaOnka who was memorable for all the wrong reasons. It featured some of the most head-scratching gameplay in history, and the show’s first ever double-quit, when both NaOnka and Purple Kelly left the
game on Day 28. But it will have a lasting legacy: all future versions of Survivor will institute what I’m calling the “Purple NaOnka clause” (where Survivor producers will have the power to place or remove any person from the jury who quits the game of their own free will). And for that reason alone, it will be remembered slightly higher than a few other seasons.
#30: China: Mostly remembered for the bone-headed blindside of James, who was sent home with two Immunity Idols in his possession. It also introduced us to Amanda and Courtney, but aside from that was a ho-hum season overall. Winner Todd Herzog played a very good strategic game, but Todd unfortunately doesn’t stand out all that much… until his recent troubles with alcoholism led him to being featured on a November 2013 episode of Dr. Phil. And again in 2016.
#29: Guatemala: Danni Boatwright won the final vote by flying under the radar to defeat the tough Stephanie LaGrossa, who was playing Survivor for the second time along with Bobby Jon Drinkard. Another example of someone winning by playing a better social game instead of the harder-fought game played by Stephanie. It also featured former NFL player Gary Hogeboom, who tried to keep his identity and occupation secret. Yes, this was one of the most “memorable” plot-lines in this uneventful season.
#28: Africa: I may get some flack for ranking this so low, but I remember watching this season, following Australia and Borneo, and just remembering that it was a complete dud at the time. Sure, there was Lex, and “Big” Tom, but winner Ethan (who later was diagnosed with cancer) was just so-so and not that interesting. Part of it may have been the move to Africa. This cast reportedly had it worse than any other season, and their lethargy showed on screen. However, Africa did present one of the first “twists” in Survivor history, when the tribes were switched, and also had the first tiebreaker challenge.
#27: Panama – Exile Island: Not to be confused with the Panama-based Pearl Islands season, Panama: Exile Island featured a number of memorable players (among them “villain” Danielle DiLorenzo, Cirie Fields, and cigarette-jonesing Shane Powers), but the season itself was just blah. Aras won this season, one of the least memorable winners. There was a late fire-making challenge between Cirie and Danielle, but not much else stands out.
#26: One World: It was an interesting concept that hadn’t been attempted before, and it featured a dominating winner in Kim Spradlin. The “men versus women” thing had been done a few times prior, but never did the tribes share the same beach. In theory, this seemed great, but the results didn’t bring the expected drama. It was as straight-forward a season as there maybe ever has been, save for the male Manono Tribe’s decision to voluntarily go to Tribal Council (one of the biggest, dumbest group-decisions in the show’s history).
There were some memorable characters who may get another chance to play the game – such as winner Kim, villainous Colton, the bitter Troyzan, and the eccentric Tarzan. Not to mention arguably the two most impressive (hot) physical specimens in the show’s history in Jay Byars and Chelsea Meissner. But Kim’s breezy path to victory will do little for the show’s legacy, and a boring stretch of episodes concluding in one of the most bland Final Tribal Councils ever sticks this season towards the bottom of the barrel.
#25: Tocantins: Who doesn’t remember Coach or Tyson? Truly some of the most standout “characters” ever to play, this season really didn’t deliver overall. Stephen Fishbach reminded us of Rob Cesternino from the Amazon, a very strategic player, good sense of humor, who really knew the game and went far. People don’t remember that he, not J.T., made a majority of the decisions as the two went all the way to the finals, where J.T. won the final vote unanimously without a single vote ever being cast against him. J.T. definitely was good in physical challenges, but Stephen was another example (like Russell) of a player falling victim to a jury that chose to reward social game play over deceptive strategic maneuvering.
#24: Cook Islands: The controversial division of tribes into ethnic groups started this season, although it didn’t quite bring the drama I think the producers were hoping for. That aside, Yul Kwon won this season, maybe the most underrated winner in all of Survivor. He was overshadowed by the emergence of other Survivor personalities this season, with the introduction of Parvati Shallow, Jonathan Penner, and crazy-physical Ozzy Luszth. And I know you remember Cao Boi (“Cowboy”). The final vote was one of the rare seasons where it was close, when Yul’s smart game play was rewarded over Ozzy’s strength, 5-4.
This season also featured the mutiny, where Candice Woodcock made the memorable switch of tribes. Maybe the most lasting imprint this season had (which was the 13th season of Survivor), was it was the first season to feature a Final Three instead of Final Two, a controversial decision that is still talked about today. Only 6 of Survivor’s first 20 seasons (Cook Islands, Fiji, China, Gabon, Samoa, Heroes vs. Villains) featured a Final Three…but every season since Samoa has as well.
#23: Vanuatu: Famous mostly for its female alliance, this season the tribes were divided by gender. It was the villainous Ami Cusack who engineered what could have been one of the best female alliances of all time. And who could forget Eliza’s gaze. It was one of the most unbelievable underdog victories in Survivor history when lone male Chris Daugherty survived by keeping a low profile, and waiting for the women to devour each other. He awaited cracks in the female alliance and then worked his way in, ultimately winning the last few immunity challenges, bringing Twila with him to the end. Where he miraculously was voted Sole Survivor 5-2. It was a rare case of the jury rewarding the winner for accomplishing his feat against all odds.
#22: Thailand: Many rank this season as one of the worst, or least memorable. To me, this season is memorable for the same reason people loved Samoa: it featured one of the all-time great Survivor villains, Brian Heidik. Brian was Richard Hatch 2.0, a strategic, masterful social player who did whatever was necessary to advance. Years after Survivor, he was arrested for shooting a dog with a bow and arrow, and is so bad that Jeff Probst rarely likes to even mention him. Probst described the Final Four of Thailand the “least likable final four ever.” People normally name Richard Hatch and Russell Hantz as two of the most notorious villains of all time, but Survivor history buffs would have to include Brian wedged between those two. And unlike Russell, Brian’s crafty game play made him a winner in the end, in part only because he brought even less-likable grump Clay to the final vote…the first “goat” to be dragged to the end. People don’t like this season because people despised Brian so badly, but I loved the villainous, back-stabbing game play, and Brian was among the best to ever pull it off…and win.
#21: Worlds Apart: Big personalities and controversies will be how this season goes down in the history books. But despite some absolutely delightful, unpredictable Tribal Councils in a season full of “gamers” and “super-fans,” there really weren’t many likeable players. From loud-mouth Rodney to polarizing Dan and Will, to the annoying Shirin and Max Dawson, the whole “blue collar, white collar, no collar” theme seemed beaten to death after the first few episodes.
The season did produce “Second Chance” fan-favorites Joe Anglim and Shirin Oskooi, and an underdog winner in Mike Holloway (who won a record-tying five Individual Immunity Challenges), but Mike is not regarded as a strong winner. This season also had a Survivor first: Dan’s “double vote” advantage. A very strong Finale Episode (that saw Carolyn win an hour-long fire-making tie-breaking challenge over Rodney) really helped the season end on a high note, but the fan-vote “Second Chance” season really over-shadowed not only the Finale, but the final stretch of episodes. Ultimately, a strong start and strong finish wasn’t enough to save the season overall.
#20: Kaoh Rong: It was no easy task following the “Second Chance” season, even though this season actually was taped first. It gets a lot of credit for giving us several great personalities, from crazy Deb Wanner, to villainous super-duo Kyle Jason and Scot Pollard, to neurotic runner-up Aubry Bracco, to gentle-spirit-but-deeply-conflicted Tai Trang. It also will be remembered for living up to its billing as the “most grueling” season ever, where three players were medically-evacuated. And it maybe ticked up a spot or two on this list after Finale, where for the first time in history, a player earned the power to vote off a jury member. This was an exciting season to watch due to the truly chaotic game-play that left us never quite knowing what was going to happen or who was going to be voted out next.
But upon deeper examination, the “Beauty vs. Brain vs. Brawn” twist had been done before and already felt stale upon arrival, and there were several missed opportunities for excitement this year, like the potential “Super Idol” and the three hidden Immunity Idols that never came into play. The medical evacuations of Caleb, Neal, and Joe were all dramatic but took the wind out of the game each time, robbing us of what is usually the very best Tribal Council of the season right after the merge (it also changed the game in a major way, paving the way for Michele Fitzgerald to win over Aubry, when Aubry’s main ally Joe was evacuated at Final Five). And when “Mark the Chicken” starts eating up air-time down the stretch, you know there has to be some sort of problem with the entertainment value as a whole for the season. Kaoh Rong was one of those “good not great” seasons, that culminated in a winner that many feel was not as deserving as Aubry. A season full of potential that didn’t quite realize all of it.
#19: The Australian Outback: It was the second season of Survivor, and though it was much anticipated, nobody quite knew at the time what to expect, or if Survivor could re-invent itself. We would soon learn that with different personalities, and a different setting, the game of Survivor would evolve just fine. And although we all assumed Survivor was real, Australia’s most memorable moment reminded us just how real it was, when Michael Skupin inhaled smoke and passed out into the fire, receiving severe burns and being evacuated from the game. The image of him in the river holding his hands up, is a lasting one that may never leave my mind. The game itself changed drastically at that moment, not only the seriousness of the game, but this season specifically, as it was Michael and Jeff’s alliance that was in power at that moment. With Michael gone, Tina, Jerry, Keith, and Colby had the advantage, and went down as very well-known Survivors. It could have all gone down differently had Michael not suffered such tragedy.
#18: South Pacific: Returning players Coach and Ozzy shouldn’t have stood a chance coming back the season right after Boston Rob dominated the game (Redemption Island). But miraculously, both made it to the Final 4. Nobody will forget Coach’s morphing into a real strategic threat compared with his past attempts, and nobody will forget Ozzy’s absolute physical dominance, winning 9 straight competitions, including 8 straight Redemption Island Duels. It will also be remembered for introducing us to Harvard nerd (and future winner) Cochran, and Brandon Hantz, nephew of Russell. The overly religious tones of this season though, turned a lot of people off, and the predictable Tribal Councils post-merge both negatively impact South Pacific, making it a “good” not “great” season.
#17: San Juan del Sur: The second-ever “Blood vs. Water” season had a ton of memorable moments and huge blindsides, but mainly consisted of a cast full of people who could be only considered as “non-gamers.” John Rocker‘s inclusion in the cast was a huge distraction away from the game for the first stretch of episodes, and many of the best strategic players (Jeremy and Josh most notably) were voted out soon after the merge. This season featured a quit (Rocker’s girlfriend Julie) and some exciting Tribal Councils, like the blindsiding of Jon Misch with an Idol in his pocket, and also a Tribal where two Idols were played, and accomplished the very rare feat of being unpredictable from week to week. There was drama down the stretch, even into the Finale where eventual winner Natale blindsided Baylor by playing an Idol an Jaclyn. But something about this season didn’t quite click, and I’m afraid that most of it will be forgotten over time. One thing I’ll never forget though from this season: Keith Nale, whose Southern drawl and hilarious one-liners made him one of the funniest players ever to appear on Survivor.
#16: Samoa: Some argue against an entire season being remembered for only one player, but that is and will always be what Samoa will be remembered for…the introduction of Russell Hantz to the masses. Give him credit for memorable moments, as his idea of looking for hidden Immunity Idols prior to receiving clues seemed so simple yet nobody had thought if it before. Others before him
have been strategic, and have dominated the mental game, but unlike many before him, he pretty much willed himself into the finals, finding an unprecedented amount of Immunity Idols along the way and manipulating how his tribemates felt. The deconstruction of the Galu Tribe will also be remembered as one of the worst Tribal downfalls ever…something credited to Russell’s tight grip on the game.
#15: Redemption Island: Say what you want, I am a lover of Survivor strategy and Redemption Island will go down in Survivor history as one of the best strategic performances EVER. You can fault Boston Rob‘s masterful game by saying he had an unfair advantage by having played for a record 4th time against a bunch of rookies, but haters can take something away from every winner…”Hatch wouldn’t had won if there had been more lawyers on the show,” “NaOnka would have won if there were 15 other quitters on the island.” Make your excuses, Rob mastered the group of people he was given the opportunity to play against. That includes Russell Hantz, and a very memorable moment when Russell broke into tears upon losing his Duel and experiencing elimination for the very first time. Although kept out of the top spots on this list by some ho-hum, predictable Tribals as the season wore on, there is one reason above all others that this season will be remembered for years to come: Phillip Sheppard, the secret former federal agent.
#14: Caramoan: The second attempt at a “Fans vs. Favorites” season, Caramoan had everything that a season of Survivor should have. First, there were larger-than-life personalities such as Shamar and Brandon Hantz, that filled up the first portion of the season (Shamar ultimately left the game with an eye injury and Brandon was voted out at an impromptu Tribal Council on the heels of Brandon dumping out the tribe rice). There were likeable characters worth rooting for, like Cochran, Brenda, and Malcolm, playing for his second-straight season. There were huge strategic moves and what seemed like a record-breaking number of blindsides, like the ousting of the “Stealth-R-Us” CEO Phillip Sheppard when Malcolm produced not one, but two hidden Idols at Tribal. There was the incredibly harsh blindside of Brenda from the emotional Dawn Meehan, who started the season as a hero and ended being seen more as a villain. But this season will live in infamy mostly because of the season’s winner: Cochran, who went from bumbling Harvard nerd on South Pacific to a masterful, confident challenge beast by season’s end. He became the second winner ever (after J.T. of Tocantins) to win by unanimous vote and not have one vote cast against him the entire game. His win will stand out, because he represents the dream of many Survivor fans, that truly anybody can win against all odds or preconceived notions.
#13: Amazon: Re-constructed the show yet again, this time adding strong doses of comedy into the mix. Rob Cesternino was the stand-out here, as I can’t remember ever waiting for one-on-one interviews more from a single contestant than I did from Rob. He was Richard Hatch as stand-up comedian…strategic and sly, yet hilarious. This season also gave us one of the most beautiful casts in memory, with the likes of Jenna and Heidi. Who can forget the oreo cookie and peanut butter challenge? Probst jokes that since this season, peanut butter and oreos are on hand at every single challenge, just in case. As far as the game goes too, Rob Cesternino gave us a very memorable Survivor moment when he tried to strike a deal with Jenna DURING the last Immunity Challenge (which she did not accept).
#12: Philippines: A very strong season that had all of the elements of a great Survivor game. It featured three memorable, popular returning players: Michael Skupin, Jonathan Penner, and Russell Swan, all of whom were medically evacuated from their prior seasons. It featured one very memorable villain (Abi-Maria) and several strategic players such as former MLB star Jeff Kent. Perhaps most notably, it was the first (and presumably not the last) appearance of instant all-star Malcolm Freberg. The winner of this season, Denise Stapley, appeared at every single Tribal Council of the season and still won the game. But the lasting memory of the Philippines has to be Lisa Welchel. The former teen TV star (she starred as Blair Warner on “The Facts of Life”) went through a personal transformation as the season played out…not ideal for the game of Survivor but more than what you can ask for when it comes to television entertainment. Overall (besides Abi!) it was perhaps one of the most likeable casts ever, featuring players who knew how to play the game and it ended with one of the most satisfying Final 4s (Skupin, Lisa, Malcolm and Denise) perhaps ever.
#11: All-Stars: Memorable for all of the wrong reasons, this season also was the first fulfillment of every Survivor fans dream: to have our favorite players return to play again! The ratings for this were great, and has led to the producers using returning players many times (South Pacific, Redemption Island, Fans vs. Favs, Heroes vs. Villains, and also Guatemala which saw the return of Stephanie and Bobby Jon).
Ultimately though, this season is much better known for the toll it took in it’s returning contestants. There was previous winner Jenna Morasca, who left the game for her sick mother who passed away shortly after. There was Sue Hawk, who melted down after an alleged “inappropriate” incident with a naked Richard Hatch during an Immunity Challenge.
On the upside, this season gave birth to the “show-mance” between Boston Rob and Amber, who fell in love on the island and worked their way to the Final Two and a million dollars. Who can forget Richard Hatch’s “I’ve been bamboozled!” line? And quite possibly the most memorable and uncomfortable Reunion show followed…who can forget Lex’s utter feeling of betrayal by Boston Rob, or Jerri literally getting booed off the show?
#10: Marquesas: Overlooked because of the one of the least memorable winners EVER (Vecepia), Marquesas was the first season where it seemed the contestants had actually seen Survivor before appearing on the show. To Vecepia‘s credit, she did make some moves toward the end that furthered her game, but she was as uninteresting a winner as ever portrayed on the show. Strategy was the flavor of the day, and most memorably, Marquesas gave us “Boston Rob” Mariano, one of the best to have ever played, although he was eliminated post merge. Neleh and Paschal for me, were two of the most memorable players to never play Survivor again.
It was the first season where you could “give away” the immunity necklace (nobody did this season). By far the most memorable and controversial event this season was the “Purple Rock” tie-breaker. With the first “tie-vote” at 2-2, Paschal, having not received a single vote throughout the game, and in a good position to make it to the end, was forced to pull colored stones out of a bag along with the other 2 Survivors (Vecepia had immunity and did not have to pick a stone.) Paschal pulled the Purple Rock, meaning he was out of the game, despite the fact that the 2-2 tie was between Neleh and Kathy. This proved how “luck” plays into Survivor, but this “random” tiebreak method was also a big factor in following seasons, as people would change their vote whenever a possible tie could have occurred, for fear of leaving the game on account of a Purple Rock.
#9: Blood vs. Water: 27 seasons in, Blood vs. Water added a whole new dimension to Survivor…and that was before the show had even started. In concept, it was interesting, but none of us expected the complex wrinkles of strategy that were created when blood and water mixed in the game. Redemption Island was put to its first good use, adding even more layers of drama to the already intense game. Best yet, it included a fine cast of 10 returning players, each of whom delivered on the memorability scale and some the new players were instantly popular, potential future all-stars (Brad Culpepper, Ciera Eastin, and Big Brother winner, Hayden Moss come to mind immediately).
But it was the dominance of winner Tyson that made the season end on a strong note, a deserving winner who controlled the game nearly from the start. The season included a quit (Colton) and for only the second-time ever, a rock draw at Tribal Council. The Tribal Councils throughout the season were arguably the show’s strongest ever and featured an unpredictability we hadn’t experienced since earlier seasons. The storylines for each character were mesmerizing: Rupert sacrificing himself early on, brothers Aras and Vytas’s rivalry, the mother/daughter drama between Ciera and Laura Morett that led to Ciera voting out her own mother. There were a few slow spots post-merge, but overall Blood vs. Water was a massive success…and undoubtedly it was the first in what will be many “loved ones” formats that will be used in the future.
#8: Palau: Unfortunately and sadly, Palau is remembered most for having featured Jen Lyon, the first Survivor to have passed away, and at the young age of 37 (breast cancer). Inside the game of Survivor though, the season was one of the strongest, and featured a very memorable overall cast, including Jen, but also Stephanie and Bobby Jon. It was the first and only time in Survivor history where a tribe was whittled down to only one…with Stephanie winning a fire-making challenge against Bobby Jon to remain in the game. Her night spent alone at her tribe may be one of the saddest moments in history, and cemented Stephanie in the hearts of many fans. It also had a “happy” ending with fan favorite Tom Westman, the heroic firefighter, winning it all after playing a (by Survivor standards) a morally sound game, and outlasting Ian in the final immunity challenge by remaining on a buoy for over 12 hours.
#7: Panama (Pearl Islands): Panama is best remembered for giving us the big-hearted loyal pirate, Rupert Boneham. At the time, he was like no other contestant before him, and he had a captivating quality much like Russell Hantz, although their game play could be described as polar opposites. Rupert embodied the spirit of his season, which was all about pirates. Unfortunately, this theme also led to perhaps the worst and most controversial idea in Survivor history: the Outcast Tribe, where members who were voted out of the game were allowed back into the game…and one of them (Lill) made it to the Final 2. Apart from all that, this season gave us Sandra, who went on to become the only two-time winner in history. And it also introduced Jonny Fairplay to the masses…one of the game’s most notorious villains, he will always be remembered for his big lie, conspiring with his best friend that if he reached the loved ones challenge (he did) the friend would inform Jonny that his grandmother had passed away (she had not). This move was concocted to gain sympathy, and it worked wonders for him in the game.
#6: Micronesia (Fans vs Favs): A great concept, to pit favorite players against those who supposedly “knew the game” and were big fans. If this were only true! One such “fan” made the stupidest move EVER (sorry J.T. your move in Heroes vs Villains was not as dumb as this), when Erik won immunity and gave…yes gave…his Immunity Necklace away, which promptly got him voted off (this was with five players left in the game!!!….ugh). We saw James get evacuated, Jonathan (one of my personal fav players) leave with a knee injury, and Kathy basically quit. We also saw perhaps the worst looking fake Idol ever, although Jason thought it to be real. The season is now remembered for the emergence of Parvati and the power-female alliance as well.
#5: Cagayan: At the time of its release, this was hands down the best season of Survivor featuring an all-new cast since the show’s inaugural season. Featuring a twist that separated the 18 contestants into tribes of “Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty,” even the early boots were memorable characters. This season featured what has to be (unconfirmed) a record number of blindsides, even blindsiding the audience a few times (How about a Final Two instead of a Final Three? Throwing in an unannounced and unpublicized loved ones visit during the Finale?) Above all though, it featured a cast full of memorable characters that all seemed in it to win it.
Winner Tony Vlachos was an instant All-Star, building his spy shack, giving us several memorable one-liners and finding three Immunity Idols, including the seasons’ “Special Idol” without a clue. Then there was “Chaos Kass,” an individual player whom everybody loved to hate. There was the underdog Spencer, whose roller-coaster experience of highs and lows ranks as one of the game’s best journeys from start to finish. Even the challenges this season were infused with inventiveness, close finishes and come-from-behind victories. It was topped off with a hurt jury that kept their bitterness in check, rewarding the season’s best player instead of voting out of spite. Rarely has there been such a group of players that you root for simultaneously. Maybe most importantly (time will tell), Cagayan – the show’s 28th incarnation – will eventually become even more important in that it reminded the viewers, the producers and CBS alike, that returning players are not a requirement in making this show an overwhelming success.
#4: Millennials vs. Gen-X: Take everything I just said about Survivor: Cagayan and up the intensity by a few notches. In this, the show’s 33rd Season, we witnessed again one of the greatest casts of new players ever assembled, and add to this that they had to be the most likable overall group. Has there ever been more players to cheer for? Personal stories of transformation defined the season, and really got the audience invested in these players. Even the “generational” hook and theme of the season pulled in interested viewers who had maybe turned away from the show over the last few years. But this group played hard, and evolved the “voting bloc” strategy into something a bit more, referred to as a “trust cluster.”
Power players like David, Jay, and Adam all found themselves reaching the epic Finale episode, where things only get more intense. Other power players and future All-Stars, like Zeke and Michaela, were ousted with epic blindsides. Jessica drew rocks mid-season in one of the greatest all-time Tribal Councils the show has ever seen. For the first time in show history, both tribes had to be evacuated early in the game when a cyclone hit the Fiji Islands. This season was so unpredictable, even a wave knocked Jeff Probst on his ass in what has become one of my favorite Survivor GIFs ever. Every single player played hard and came to win, and it ended with another un-bitter jury who was most interested in crowning a deserving winner to what was by far – episode to episode – one of the most enjoyable, strategy-centric seasons the show has ever had.
#3: Cambodia – Second Chance: What an amazing incarnation of the show. 15 years after its debut, this season shows why people love Survivor and are watching after all of this time. It began with hype, excitement, and momentum and never let up, starting well before the season ever began with the first-ever fan vote that determined the cast. With that pressure, all of these “Second Chancers” came to play, and from the first boot to the last, we were treated to unbelievable, wild, unprecedented, and unpredictable blindside after blindside. Each person had a story to tell, a story that we were all already familiar with coming in.
There was the early shenanigans from Jeff Varner who really set the tone for the season. There was incredible use of Immunity Idols, from the blindside of Andrew Savage (when Kelley played one of her two Idols), to the historic Tribal Council (forever memorable) that occurred during the Finale, where two Idols were played, cancelling out ALL votes and resulting in the first-ever 0-0 vote. It was followed by a crazy series of tie-breaks and re-votes that tested the knowledge of even the most stringent Survivor gurus. You can’t ask for much more than all 20 contestants playing hard and playing to win.
But most memorable of all, might be the evolution of the game – 31 seasons and 15 years later – where the “alliance” became replaced by the “voting bloc.” Time will tell if this new way of playing has any legs in the game, but when you see something new – several things – after 32 seasons? You know that Survivor is firing on all cylinders.
#2: Heroes vs. Villains: It was quite possibly one of the best seasons. Love him or hate him, Russell Hantz is captivating to watch, and his presence on the island increased the drama ten-fold. Seen as playing with “weaker” players in Samoa, here he was now with some of the best to ever play. His showdown with Boston Rob may be the most memorable stretch of Survivor episodes EVER.
My favorite part to watch was simply the evolution of the game of Survivor…unlike previous All-Star seasons, nobody quit, nobody was held in a negative light for having won before, and it was game on for all.
Russell‘s ability to talk Tyson right out of the game, the seemingly 50 Hidden Idols that were played, and shared. The game is no longer about providing for others, or one-on-one interaction. Much of the game is now the alliances you form on day one, and your ability to stay true to that alliance. Russell’s finding of Hidden Idols has led to a change in the way future seasons will handle them, calling it the “Russell Factor,” says Jeff Probst. But let it be said again: Yes, an interesting season without Russell. But with Russell, one of the best, and truly memorable seasons Survivor has ever had.
#1: Borneo: Nothing can top the original. The original season of Survivor was interesting to look at, it was unlike everything else on television, and was aired in the summer during a time with little other original programming. The game’s concept was brilliant, but even producers couldn’t have counted on Richard Hatch.
Hatch, the openly gay and often naked original winner of Survivor, birthed the idea of “alliances” in a game where only one player can win. There were many very interesting players, like Greg, Sue, Colleen, and most of all, Rudy, the grizzled vet who befriended of all people, Hatch. Speaking of Hatch, he seemed to have figured out the rules of the game prior to the game starting. The other tribe was dancing around, having fun, and vacationing. When players were voted off it was always simply: Who is not pitching in at camp? Who is the weakest in challenges? When the tribes merged and Richard voted off Gretchen everything changed. Gretchen was strong – why would they vote her off? “She’s a huge threat” Richard would say. It seems silly now, but at the time this was innovative Survivor thinking. Hatch’s game would forever be the blueprint used by all future contestants: Be strategic, be friendly, trust your instincts, and know when to be quiet. Some have done it better than Hatch, many have done it worse. But he was the first, the most memorable part of the best and most memorable season.
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WHAT WOULD YOU RANK AS THE MOST MEMORABLE SEASON? DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE LIST? WHERE SHOULD MILLENNIALS VS. GEN-X RANK?
Photo Credit: CBS
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