15 (+1) Final Seasons of Survivor

We did it! We gained access to the first 11 seasons of Survivor, which means we've now seen every single season of the show. That's 46 seasons in less than 3 years -- so much time spent watching and enjoying the show as a family. Here we polished off the last few (poorly-rated) seasons in the 20's and 30's, plus the most recent seasons 45 and 46. Then we went in order from 1 to 11, watching history in the making.

31. Season 39: Island of the Idols

This season is at the bottom of many lists, due to one contestant acting inappropriately and getting kicked out of the game. The "Island of the Idols" gimmick is a bit silly too, but overall we enjoyed the season and are are glad we watched it. The awkward parts just opened the door for conversations with our kids, which is always worthwhile.

32. Season 45

It took us a while to warm up to this recent season of Survivor as the contestants were often 'over the top' with excitement. We also had to stop watching partway through because new episodes were not yet available. We ended up finishing this season after 19 and 21 (below). It was a strong finish though!

33. Season 19: Samoa

We had seen Russell Hantz's other two seasons, but this was his original one and it blew us away. He was true to his villainous character, but also a very fierce competitor and definitely a game changer. By the end we were rooting for him! Also, going back to older seasons always gives us a good laugh. The challenges are much harsher and the contestants much meaner.

34. Season 21: Nicaragua

Aside from a couple of exceptions, this was a weird bunch of contestants. We're not surprised this season is rated so poorly.

35. Season 1: Borneo

It was great fun watching the very first season of Survivor! Everything was so new and low budget -- it made us laugh so many times. The contestants were just trying to figure out the game, though focusing more on survival than strategy. We enjoyed watching Jeff Probst stumble with his words and grow in his role as the season went on.

36. Season 2: The Australian Outback

What a memorable season! This was a great group, several of which we knew from later seasons. They went through so many hardships and entertained us in each episode.

37. Season 3: Africa

One tribe had it all figured out, the other tribe was a mess, and it was fun to watch it all play out (thankfully in the right direction). Africa was an interesting setting for the show.

38. Season 4: Marquesas

Boston Rob's first season! He definitely stood out as an entertaining speaker and a strong player. The season was fine overall, with a few funny and memorable moments. 

39. Season 5: Thailand

From the beginning this season was booooring. There were plenty of unlikable or forgettable cast members and it didn't get any better as the season progressed. This is our least favourite season so far!

40. Season 6: The Amazon

A solid season with some funny contestants, interesting living conditions, and good strategic moves. A refreshing change after Season 5!

41. Season 46

This was a great season throughout, probably due to the likeability of the cast. In these newer seasons Jeff Probst loves to tug at the audience's heartstrings with sad backstories and emotional growth. Season 46 is no exception, but at least we're used to it now.

42. Season 7: Pearl Islands

An entertaining season with a handful of contestants we know from later seasons. The only downside is that we didn't have access to the first episode -- an unfortunate one to miss!

43. Season 8: All-Stars

This was the show's first season with returning players, all of whom were very strong competitors in their earlier seasons. We thoroughly enjoyed this one, especially getting to finally see Boston Rob and Amber's relationship develop and lead to the famous finale.

44. Season 9: Vanuatu

Our expectations were pretty low for this season based on its ranking and the fact that we hadn't heard much about it. We were pleasantly surprised though, especially with the episodes after the merge. There were some good strategic moves and an unpredictable ending. It was also fun to finally see the season with Julie Berry, because we'd heard that she ended up dating Jeff Probst after her season!

45. Season 10: Palau

A solid season with one of the most likeable contestants to ever play the game. There were a lot of 'firsts' in this season too (up to that point), which made it pretty unique and interesting to watch.

46: Season 11: Guatemala

A fine and entertaining season filmed in an interesting location. Not much to complain about! It was also the first one to introduce the Hidden Immunity Idol -- a staple in later seasons.

And that's it! I'm sure we'll keep up with new seasons as they come (we just started Season 47!), but I guess it's time to find a new show? 

For reference, here are my other two posts listing the order in which we watched seasons of Survivor:

15 Seasons of Survivor
15 More Seasons of Survivor

Thanks for the memories, Survivor!

You will always have a special place in our hearts.

Source: All Survivor logos and cast pictures are from Survivor Wiki.

15 More Seasons of Survivor

Since my post in October 2022, where I listed the 15 seasons of Survivor we'd watched as a family, we have now watched an additional 15 seasons. We continue to enjoy the show with all its challenges, social dynamics, culture, and life lessons. 

Here is a recap of the seasons we've watched over the last 11 months, including comments and cast photos:

16. Season 38: Edge of Extinction

This season appealed to us because we liked all four of the returning players. The rest of the cast was decent, and the addition of the Edge of Extinction added a new twist to the game.

17. Season 32: Kaôh Rong

We avoided watching this season for a while because it paled in comparison to Season 28 -- the original Brain vs. Brawn vs. Beauty division. But after getting to know some of the contestants from other seasons, we decided to give it a try. It was a good season with quite a few memorable players.

18. Season 35: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers

In Survivor Season Rankings (no spoilers), this one is near the bottom. But we found we still connected with a few of the players and enjoyed it overall. I guess we don't need bells and whistles to be entertained. The show itself is good enough!

19. Season 43

The newer seasons (41+) are quite different in their structure and game play. Sometimes the twists (and funny camera angles!) bother us a bit, but this was a good season nonetheless... until the end. We (accidentally) found out who the winner was before we finished watching, and we were none too pleased about it.

20. Season 24: One World

What a bizarre season! The tribes were split by gender and then were placed on the same beach, which was a big, awkward mess. Knowing a few of the contestants from other seasons helped us get through this one.

21. Season 25: Philippines

This is a highly-ranked season and we can see why. It has memorable players and an epic underdog story. 

22. Season 26: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites

Aside from one contestant's crazy outbursts, this season was pretty funny and entertaining. We'd heard a lot about John Cochran as a famous contestant on the show -- it was great to see him in action.

23. Season 12: Panama - Exile Island

We were starting to run out of options for seasons in the 20's and 30's, so we went all the way back to the earliest ones available. Five of these contestants were familiar to us, which is always nice and makes up for the poor camera quality, harsher conditions, and awkward interactions (of which this season had a few).

24. Season 14: Fiji

I was about to brush this season off as middle-of-the-pack forgettable, but as I looked at the cast photo, I was reminded of some of the interesting events that happened throughout. This was one of the few seasons left where we didn't already know who the winner was. We enjoyed it!

25. Season 15: China

The location and challenges of this season were interesting, but we found that a few of the contestants were irritating, which made it less fun to watch. We don't like jerks!

26. Season 17: Gabon

This season also had a neat setting (Africa) and some entertaining players. It's actually quite low in the Survivor rankings, but that meant we went in with low expectations and were pleasantly surprised.

27. Season 18: Tocantins

This was an excellent season with many memorable contestants and moments!

28. Season 44

We went from season 18 all the way to Survivor's most recent season: 44 (My, how you've aged, Jeff!). The best part was probably that there were zero unlikeable contestants, which made for a pleasant viewing experience. We also managed to remain spoiler free until the very end, which is sometimes hard to do with newer seasons.

29. Season 23: South Pacific

We thought we were scraping the bottom of the barrel with these last two seasons (23 and 22), but I guess we really like the show and can see past the mainstream critiques. There were memorable people and situations here, and it was refreshing to see such tight alliances in both seasons.

30. Season 22: Redemption Island

Anyone who's familiar with Survivor knows who Boston Rob is. We wanted to see 'his' season! Especially after Steve ran into him at the World Series of Poker. Very cool!

So what's next? Right now we're re-watching Season 40 (Winners at War), which is so much more satisfying now that we've seen nearly all the winners' previous seasons. This season and all the players are fantastic!

Other than that, unless we can somehow get access to the first 11 seasons, I imagine our viewing pace will slow (or even stop) soon enough. But we have made memories and have definitely become a part of the fanbase of this unique show. Our props especially to the fantastic host, Jeff Probst! If he keeps putting out more seasons, we'll keep watching them.

Source: All Survivor logos and cast pictures are from Survivor Wiki.