‘Survivor’ fans will be glued to their couches this Wednesday when the 41st season finally premieres on CBS.
Host, Jeff Probst has been swearing black and blue that this season will be like no other, tougher, shorter and with twists the likes that have never been seen in the two decades of Survivor gameplay.
However, in the past 40 seasons, there has been plenty for Probst to boast about- as some of the most epic plays of outwitting, outlasting and outplaying ever seen on a reality competition show.
In no particular order, these five epic plays have been etched into Survivor fan’s memories:
Richard Hatch shapes the game
In all probability, Survivor would look very different if Richard Hatch hadn’t played (and won) the very first season Survivor: Borneo. Some fans even credit the longevity of the game to Hatch and his almost flawless strategy he came to the show with.
Pioneering alliances on the show, Hatch gathered three of his fellow tribemates on day 11 – Kelly Wigglesworth, Sue Hawk and the late Rudy Boesch to guarantee himself three votes to everyone else’s one.
Jeff Probst has been quoted as saying this moment was iconic and paved the way for Hatch’s win – as well as how the entire show would continue to grow in future seasons.
Hatch being naked on a constant basis was also both strategic and dare we say…ballsy, even if he did rub people the wrong way…quite literally.
It’s probably best Hatch be remembered for making alliances within the game ‘a thing’, unknowingly creating one of the most pivotal pieces of game play ever forged in 40 seasons.
Ciera votes her Mom out
Ciera Estin competed on season 27, Survivor: Blood vs. Water alongside her mother, Laura Morett. Post merge, when Laura and Ciera were reunited and now part of the same tribe, it quickly became apparent that their blood relationship made them tight and therefore, threats to everyone else’s game.
In a bid for the two to not be quickly picked off in a row, Ciera turned on her mother and voted her off, just as those who dreamed-up the Blood vs. Water theme hoped someone would.
Though it was a big move personally, some downplay Ciera’s family treachery as, in the end, Laura already had enough votes from the rest of the tribe to snuff her torch. Ciera’s show of good faith—writing her mom’s name down—proved to her alliance that she was all in. And that she was ruthless, which eventually led to Ciera being voted off Blood vs. Water…and Survivor: Cambodia…and Survivor: Gamechangers.
We wonder how Christmas was that year in the Morett household!
Denise takes out the queen
Season 40, Survivor: Winners at War was, as expected, a high level game with strategies, alliances, shows of good faith and (love ‘em or hate em’), fire tokens. Two time winner, Sandra Diaz, a.k.a. the queen of Survivor was back to take the crown (and the cool one mill) for a third time.
Enter Denise Stapely, who’d won season 25, Survivor: Phillipines to put a kink in Sandra’s plans
After a tribe swap, Denise and original tribesman, Jeremy Collins were on the bottom of the vote. Sandra, however, being creative, told Denise the tribe was voting for her and sold Denise her idol for two fire tokens across two payments- one before tribal, one after after.
Little did Sandra know, Denise already had one idol and just in case Sandra was bluffing, used her two idols for herself and Jeremy. Sandra had been truthful- all votes went for Denise…except Denise’s
Denise later admitted to waffling between taking out Sandra or eventual winner, Tony Vlachos. However, the fact that she wrote Sandra’s name down, dethroning the queen by using her idol against her (which she only paid one fire token for because the second part of payment never happened), saving herself while blindsiding EVERYONE was a truly epic game-changing move.
As Host, Jeff Probst said after snuffing Sandra’s torch for the first time in three seasons, “It only takes one move to become a high-profile player.”
Parvati does it twice
It may only take one move, but Parvati Shallow had two (or more). Her best, though, was during Season 20, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.
Evenly matched at the merge, Parvarti’s name was tossed around by the Heroes half of the new tribe, but Parvati had the foresight and nerves of steel to know this was all a ploy to flush out her idol.
Little did anyone know, Parvati had two idols, thanks to the idol Russell Hantz gave her. It was the idol that Hero, J.T. Thomas had given Russell in a show of faith pre-merge, suspecting he was on the outs with other villains and may flip.
Come tribal council, Parvati played both idols, their existence shocking EVRYONE, handing them to Jeri Manthey and Sandra Diaz (to hedge her bets). Parvati had played right-the actual target wasn’t Parvati, but Jeri. With the Heroes votes for Jeri null and void, only the Villains votes were counted- for poor J.T. who had handed over the very idol that got his torch snuffed.
Yes, there has been many, similar nail-biting tribal councils with some excellent idol flushing, gutsy saves and risky shows of good faith but that one really took the cake. To buddy off that, Parvati was part of the Black Widow alliance in Season 16 Survivor: Micronesia- Fans vs. Favorites when she and her alliance of Amanda Kimmel, Natalie Bolton and Cerie Fields (who was sublime in her manipulation) convinced hapless Fan Erik Reichenbach to hand his immunity neckless over to Natalie in a show of good faith.
Of course, the alliance immediately voted Erik off and Parvati’s words as she wrote Erik’s name down on the parchment “You officially go down as the dumbest Survivor ever. In the history of Survivor. Ever,” continue to live on.
Chris comes back from Extinction…and wins.
Chris Underwood played on season 38, Survivor: Edge of Extinction, and was voted out third, having his torch snuffed on day 8. Instead of going home, voted out players had the option of sending themselves to, you guessed, the Edge of Extinction. Missing his first chance to get back in the game to Rick Devens, Chris continued to stick it out on the Edge, and, on day 35 won the next challenge to re-enter the game, narrowly beating out challenge beast, Joe Anglim.
After 27 grueling days on the Edge, Chris set about making allies, showing his character by keeping his word and even convincing Lauren O’Connell to play her hidden immunity idol for him.
However, the season winning game play started when Chris won the immunity challenge that would send him to the final three. Chris gave the necklace up so that he could go to the fire-making sudden death elimination in an effort to take out fellow returnee and favorite to win the entire game, Devens.
At the Final Tribal Council, the jury questioned Underwood’s worthiness of being in the finals, given that he was in the main game so briefly. In response, Underwood noted that due to the disadvantage of being on the Edge for so long, he only had a handful of days to make the big moves to show that he was deserving of the title of Sole Survivor.
The proof was in the pudding, with Chris playing one idol correctly and flushing another competitor idol then the big move, giving up immunity to compete in, and win, a fire-making battle- all in the span of just three days.
The jury saw his point and, with only 13 days of main game play, Chris became the most unorthodox winner in the history of the show. Epic.
You can’t talk about epic plays without giving a shout out to the beasts that are Ozzy Lusth and Joe Anglim. Unfortunately, while these two dominated in their respective seasons when it came to challenges, Outplay is only one part of the game and, after the tribes no longer needed them for immunity, the two best challenge players in all of Survivor were voted out time and again.
So, Survivor fans, did your favorite epic move make it onto the list? If not, let us now which moment in time left you shouting from your couch in shock and awe as we await Survivor 41’s premiere on September 22 on CBS!
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