TotallyGruntledSurvivor

Rank: Original #21 Season # 5 Title:  Survivor: Thailand Location: Ko Tarutao, Thailand Broadcast: Fall 2002 New Players:  16 Returning Players: 0 Winner:  Brian Heidick Final Tribal Council:  2 Players 7 Jury Initial Tribes: Sook Jai and Chuay Gahn Fake Merge: 10 Merge: at 8 Chuay Jai Jury: at 8 Premise/Twists:  Tribes were initially picked by the oldest two players.  At 10, the two tribes joined together on the same beach.  Thinking it was a merge the tribes strategized together.  After two more tribal immunities, the two tribes merged. Thailand is consistently ranked near the bottom in most rankings I've seen, but to me, it wasn't a bad season.  First the visual cultural part of the sets and visits made it pleasing to watch.   It's true the gameplay wasn't impressive.  The early incident with Ted and Ghandia, resulted in Ghandia leaving early because she would not let it go or accept Ted's apology, and Ted made it into the f...

Rank: Original #22 Season # 14 Title:  Survivor:  Fiji Location: Macuala, Vanua Levu, Fiji Broadcast: Spring, 2017 New Players:  19 Returning Players: 0 Days: 39 Winner:  Earl Cole Final Tribal Council:  3 Players 9 Jury Initial Tribes: Ravu, Mota Swap at 13 Merge: at 10 Bula Bula Jury: at 12  Premise:   Players were separated into a tribe of Haves and Have Nots after all 19 players built the "Haves" Camp.  This was the second season where there was no initial tribes assigned.   One player quit just before the start, so at the beginning there were no tribes, and they were sent to an island with a cave as shelter.  After being sent plans for a plush camp and finding lumber, all castaways built the camp, shelter, kitchen and outhouse.  On day 3 prior to the immunity challenge, the Architect, Sylvia, was given the task of picking the two tribe and then went to Exile Island to wait for the first tribal council.  The winne...

Returnee #12 Season # 38 Title:  Survivor: Edge of Extinction Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji Broadcast: Spring, 2019 New Players:  14 Returning Players: 4 Days: 39 Winner:  Chris Underwood Final Tribal Council:  3 Players 13 Jury Initial Tribes: Manu, Kama Swap at 15 Manu, Kama, Lesu Merge: at 12 Vata Jury: at 18   Premise:   Once players were voted out, they were given a choice to go home or go to the Edge of Extinction, to wait for another chance to get into the  game.  The Edge of Extinction was a twist that was first used in Pearl Islands, but neither the players nor the viewers knew about the Outcasts.  In Season 38 however, it was the theme of the show and although the players didn't know about it, unfortunately the viewers did.   EoE was not easy, you had to subsist on very little food,  Reem who was voted out first spent 32 days on the edge.  Wendy and Aurora spent one night on the island.  Wendy q...

Rank: Original #23 Season # 29 Title:  Survivor: San Juan Del Sur:  Blood vs. Water Location: San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua Broadcast: Fall, 2014 New Players:  18 Returning Players: 0 Days: 40 Winner:  Natalie Anderson Final Tribal Council:  3 Players 8 Jury Initial Tribes: Coyopa Hunahpu Swap at 14 Merge: at 12 Huyopa Jury: at 11  Premise:  Players came in pairs of loved ones, one on each tribe after each pair spent the first night (Day 0) together.   Also included Exile Island. Two additional players were in the cast but were removed due to a medical emergency prior to the season.   They were sisters, which left the final 18 at an imbalance of 10 men and 8 women  The season was also known as Blood vs. Water II, but did not have the Redemption Island element in it.   Instead it brought back Exile Island.   This season introduced us to Jeremy Collins, Kelley Wentworth and Keith Nale, and brought Na...

Rank: Original #24 Season # 24 Title:  Survivor: One World Location:  Upolo, Samoa Broadcast: Spring, 2012 New Players:  18 Returning Players: 0 Winner:  Kim Spradlin Final Tribal Council:  3 Players 9 Jury Initial Tribes: Satani and Manona Swap at 14 Merge at 12 Merge: at 12 Murlonio Jury: at 12 Premise:  Original Tribes were split into Male and Female Tribes but occupied the same beach. This was the fourth time that initial tribes were separated by gender (The Amazon, Vanuatu and Panama*).  It was also the second where two tribes shared the same beach, (Thailand) although this was the first time they started out on the same beach. Kim Spradlin actually played a magnificent game by manipulating the women subtly by first creating part of a 5 women alliance with the help of Sabrina who also made it to the end.  She also blindsided most of the jury but was more visible in those moves and got more credit for them than Sabrina. Ear...

Rank: Returnee #13 Season # 22 Title:  Survivor: Redemption Island Location: San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua Broadcast: Spring, 2011 New Players:  16 Returning Players: 2 Rob Mariano and Russell Hantz Winner:  Rob Mariano Final Tribal Council:  3 Players 9 Jury Initial Tribes: Ometepe and Zapatera Merge: at 12 Murlonio Jury: at 12 Loser of Duel 7 on Redemption Island Premise:  Players voted out would not leave the game and would have a second chance at "Redemption" through a series of Duels on Redemption Island Players returned at the Merge (Matt Elrod) and with 4 remaining Players on Day 37 (Andrea Boehlke) The Redemption Island idea was used in foreign versions of Survivor prior to coming to the US version, and seemed benign enough.  It might have worked better had it been all new players than with two returning players with a feud to settle.  Rob Mariano and Russell Hantz faced off and challenged each other at the Season 20 Heroes vs. Villa...

Rank: Original #25 Season # 30 Title:  Survivor: Worlds Apart Location:  San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua Broadcast: Spring, 2015 New Players:  18 Returning Players: 0 Winner:  Mike Holloway Final Tribal Council:  3 Players 8 Jury Initial Tribes: Masaya--White Collar, Nagarote--No Collar, Escameca--Blue Collar Swap at 14 to Nagarote and Escameca Merge: at 12 Merica Jury: at 11 Premise:  Original Tribes were split into Blue Collar, White Collar or No Collar (Free Spirits) Lots of weird characters in the cast from So whose stated goal was to make people cry, Max and Shirin, two of the most annoying super fans (as well as nudists) in Survivor history, Vince, the jilted lover of Jenn who was unaware she was even in a relationship with him, Will who may have had the most misogynistic tirade ever, if it weren't for Dan in his same season, who disappoints at life.  Then there is woe is me Nina who may be the most unaware player this side of Karishma in ...