“People see Eva and Joe as this big duo in the game, but they are a duo that is just sitting there. Me and Kyle are this duo that is working the game HARD.” — Kamilla

That they are, and while everyone has been saying for the past month that Joe had the Survivor 48 title belt in the bag, I’ve held on to this sneaky suspicion that he might very well get Coached in the end.

Getting Coached, of course, refers to the leader of Survivor‘s first honesty and integrity alliance — Benjamin “Dragonslayer” Wade in Survivor: South Pacific. The problem with making your whole platform honesty and integrity is that when you then vote out people who bought in and stayed true to you, they feel hurt and/or stop respecting your game. Combine those jurors with other voters who always felt on the outs and want to support a fellow misfit who managed to either flip the script or even just make it to end, and you are in a heap of mathematical trouble when it comes down to the final numbers.

Now, Kyle was in that same honesty and integrity alliance and has lied, backstabbed, and betrayed waaaaaaaay more than Joe. Shouldn’t he be in even more trouble in a final jury vote? Not necessarily, because whether right or wrong, Joe was considered the leader of that group, and the leader takes the most heat. Plus, Kyle can point to Kamilla as his true top alliance and say he was always true to her and only manipulated the people that put her game at risk.

The point is, with their ruse to get Joe to vote out one of his top allies in Shauhin by convincing him the human Survivor soundtrack was coming after him, Kyle and Kamilla just opened up this game in a massive way. And they now have a strong résumé of multiple moves to show just how long and how hard they have been working together. They can point to their original successful ruse on new Vula, when they took out Thomas. They can give David the juror credit for snuffing out their connection and then give themselves credit for working to convince Joe and others to flip on the Incredible Bulk. And they can brag about their masterclass in persuading Joe to turn on Shauhin (which I actually think Shauhin might respect).

Kyle Fraser on ‘Survivor 48’. Robert Voets/CBS

If history has proven anything, it is that you can never predict how a jury is going to react, but those are big splashy moves. Does that put Kyle in the pole position to win this thing? Again, predicting juries is often a losing bet, but with this last move he would seem to suddenly be in a pretty sweet spot.

As for the others, my guess is Kamilla (my episode 1 pick to win) needs to be at the end without Kyle to take home the million. Joe is still firmly in the mix, of course, but nowhere near the lock that many have assumed him to be. Since everyone has viewed Joe as the leader of that alliance, that most likely means Eva will not add the title of Survivor champion to her already impressive life résumé. And while folks keep saying how they don’t want to sit next to Mitch at the end, I don’t see a winner’s edit there due to a lack of true agency displayed in the game. (To be fair, I didn’t see a winner’s edit with Gabler either, so what do I know?)

The only real big post-merge move was the David flip, and fans have been begging for another ever since… especially after being relentlessly teased with one these past two weeks that never came to fruition. Well, we got one here in the penultimate episode, and just in time for our updated season rankings. Where will Survivor 48 land (for now, before being updated again after the finale)? We’ll get to that in a bit, but first, let’s hit on what else went down this week on episode 12 of Survivor 48.

Joe Hunter, Shauhin Davari, and Jeff Probst on ‘Survivor 48’. CBS

Jeff Probst is the only person in the world who loves it when he’s filming in terrible weather. Most hosts prefer the climate-controlled confines of a studio, yet the Hostmaster General gets more excited for torrential downpours than he does getting to describe food reward items to starving contestants. So when this clearly deranged individual blurts out stuff like “Let’s play Survivor! Bring in the boats!” or “Not a season of Survivor without a good storm” while the rain and wind is whipping him in the face, he actually means it.

I don’t mean to imply that Probst is a glutton for punishment. He just knows it makes for great television and is willing to dig deep, as it were, to give us our entertainment from the comfort of our Milwaukee’s Best-stained couches. Because holy smokes did those contestants look positively miserable at that reward challenge out on the water. Poor Kamilla looked like one of those novelty set of Halloween teeth toys that just keeps chattering incessantly. And she wasn’t even wet yet!

The worst part for players was when they dropped out into the ocean (“Kerplunk!”) and then had to go to the sit-out bench (where bad things happen) with clothes that were absolutely drenched. And then sit there getting pelted by even more rain and win. Their pain, our gain.

In the end, the man with the museum worthy legs, Shauhin, pushed through the wrist cyst pain to win his first challenge of the season. Unfortunately for him, it was not an immunity challenge and would also serve as his last challenge win of the season, but you can’t everything in this game.

Two significant things happened at the Survivor Sanctuary, where Shauhin brought Joe and Kyle for a banger of a night while leaving Eva back home with her super-lame news-watching parents. The first were letters from home, which hit the three men hard. It also led Joe to open up about his sister, whom he lost to domestic violence, and the weight he had been carrying since their last conversation resulted in a fight and he never got to see her or talk to her again.

This moment continued back at camp the next day when Joe went down to the water to talk directly to his sister while crying into his buff. For those of you who have seen Joe as this uncharismatic Robosurvivor simply mowing down the competition, this is the vulnerable Joe we saw in pre-game interviews, when he spoke at length about going on this journey to honor his sister, who was a massive Survivor fan.

It’s why we were all immediately attracted to the guy and why others in the game have been as well, and why he has been seen as such a threat to win the million dollars. Joe may see the game in black-and-white terms that may be frustrating, but it’s impossible to not be moved by his story and devotion to his family off the island (his two kids) and on (Eva).

But this is a game! Which means if you’re facing off against Joe, you need to figure out how to beat him, or at least weaken him. Which brings us to interesting thing number two: Kyle’s “moral go-ahead.”

I don’t know how seriously Shauhin was actually considering making a move on Eva at the next Tribal Council, but by even talking out the option with Kyle, he made the player feel free to break his bond and take a shot at Shauhin to protect his true ally Kamilla and get her one step closer to the end. Which led to…

Joe Hunter on ‘Survivor 48’. Robert Voets/CBS

Kyle’s master plan was to take a kernel of truth and then pop up a big massive lie out of it. He wanted to tell Joe how Shauhin floated Eva’s name, but then also make up a bunch of nonsense about how Shauhin showed Kamilla an idol he did not actually have. I’ve long advocated for players to just completely make up things like this. It’s certainly high risk, high reward, but it’s also super fun. At least to watch.

But Kyle’s plan counted on Joe being paranoid, as we saw him last week when he did not win immunity. However, Joe went out and demolished the immunity challenge — a challenge that also featured Eva getting the dreaded Fishbachian circus music soundtrack as she kept hilariously missing her target that would release a rope, and Kamilla taking two brutal falls off her barrel. The win was Joe’s fourth immunity necklace (although David outlasted him in one of them, so asterisk that if you want). And it made Kyle’s job harder, but not impossible.

Yes, ultimately, Joe fell for the lie, but not like a sucker. He immediately knew this could be a heaping helping of phony baloney Kyle was serving up. He even initiated “Dad Mode” to ascertain who put their grubby little mitts in the cookie jar. It probably didn’t help that his number one in Eva believed Kyle over Shauhin.

It finally led to a super awkward chat where Joe kinda sorta insinuated to Shauhin that something was wrong but would not tell him what, leading the guy who just brought him on a reward feast to comment that “This should be the fun part of Survivor and you’re acting like I s— in your pancakes.” (Wait, so those aren’t chocolate chips?)

With that semi-disturbing image — as well as the knowledge that Kamilla was almost killed by a falling tree branch — we were off to Tribal Council to see if Kyle’s big lie would actually work.

Jeff Probst, Kamilla Karthigesu, Eva Erickson, Shauhin Davari, Kyle Fraser, Mitch Guerra, and Joe Hunter on ‘Survivor 48’. CBS

I’m sorry… is something wrong with my audio? I’m sitting here watching Survivor, and Tribal Council rolls around, Kyle starts talking, and all of a sudden, everything starts sounding all muffled. What Kyle is saying is just being all drowned out and not listened to. Kinda like what my wife probably hears when I start talking about Survivor. (“And then there was this woman named Wendy Jo who totally got lost walking out of Tribal Council. Just had no idea what to do or where to go. Now, before we get into Jimmy T. and why he was actually the first Survivor player ever voted into the game by fans, the interesting thing about Wendy Jo that most people don’t realize is that….”)

But as soon as I thought my audio was on the fritz, it got better. Phew! And then Shauhin started talking. And again, I couldn’t hear a single word the guy said! What’s up with my Samsung? Ohhhhhhhh, this is an editing choice! Got it!

I actually found this pretty interesting. Once you’ve passed the 600 mark for Tribal Councils in your 48th season, you need to try new things, so I thought that was pretty clever. But did it make any sense? Judging by Joe’s intense gaze and the fact that he said he was studying words and body language, wouldn’t he actually be super hypervigilant about paying attention to every single syllable and the way it was said instead of zoning out? They should have had him go Bradley Cooper Limitless style instead!

Indeed, Kyle and Kamilla’s lie worked as Joe and Eva flipped on their day 1 ally, sending Shauhin to the jury. Having met Shauhin when he was an alternate for Survivor 47, and again before 48, I know how much he wanted this. And you know it too after watching him break down in his final words. Which is what makes it even more impressive that he kept his composure after being flipped on.

Shauhin Davari on ‘Survivor 48’. CBS

He broke the awkward silence, telling everyone, “If not one of you gets up to hug me, I’m gonna be pissed.”

He playfully ribbed the others, informing them, “You took out the best player. Y’all know it.”

And he hit us with one more Tribal chant soundtrack gem with a final “Oh-waka, simi-oh-waka!”

While I suppose Shauhin’s fellow season 47 alternate Rachel LaMont would have to be considered the poster child for how advantageous being a previous season alternate is considering she went on to win a season later, Shauhin also benefited greatly from the experience. He calmed down and modulated his approach, and ended up with a final six run. Pretty damn good, and I’m guessing a lot better than he would have done on 47.

We may now know Shauhin’s place on Survivor 48, but where will Survivor 48 rank on our updated franchise season rankings? It’s time to find out! As a reminder to old-timers or an explanation for newbies, we do these here on the penultimate episode because there is simply too much going on around the finale, but rest assured the placement here is temporary and can be moved up or down depending on what happens in the finale. But at least for now, let’s see where Survivor 48 sits. (Also, please remember this is just one person’s opinion. Ask 50 people to rank Survivor seasons and you will get 50 different rankings.)

The cast of ‘Survivor 48’. Robert Voets/CBS

1. (Tie) Survivor: Borneo and Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites

I’ve gone back and forth with these two over the years. After Micronesia aired, I named it the best Survivor season ever. Upon reflection, while I still considered it the most enjoyable, I also worried I was understating the impact of the first season, which became a national phenomenon. (Yes, Borneo now seems dated and tame by comparison, but it’s the biggest game-changer in the past 25 years of television and you have to do your best to judge these seasons on the era in which they aired.) So then I returned that to the number one spot. If I wanted to watch one season again, it would be Micronesia. If you ask me which is the most important season, well, obviously it’s Borneo. So instead of constantly flipping them, they can simply share the top spot … until I change my mind again.

3. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

The Russell vs. Boston Rob feud made for the best pre-merge run of episodes ever. And the greatness just kept on coming. Filled with huge memorable moments like Tyson voting himself off, J.T. giving Russell his immunity idol, and Parvati handing out two immunity idols at one Tribal Council. Loses a few points for having so many three-timers, though, including a few we simply didn’t need to see again. I know many people would consider this No. 1, but it’s all returnees. For me, the fresh blood of Micronesia keeps that season higher.

4. Survivor: Cagayan

Quite simply, the best Survivor season ever with all new players since the very first one (which is only better by the fact that it was the very first one). Cayagan was an intoxicating mix of terrific and terrible gameplay in which the big personalities (Tony, Spencer, Kass) weren’t just personalities — they actually were there to play the game. (Maybe not well at all times, but at least they were playing.) The casting was killer, the challenges were solid, the boot order was completely unpredictable, and the creative twists worked (although I was not a fan of the return of the post-votes read idol; thankfully that never came into play). The fact that Woo inexplicably brought Tony to the end with him added one last great “WHAT THE HELL?!?” moment to a truly exhilarating season.

5. Survivor: David vs. Goliath

The theme was goofy, and the challenges weren’t particularly mind-blowing, so how does this current season sneak all the way into the top 5? Casting. Casting. Casting. That’s what it all comes down to. And it’s not just Christian, who was one of the most universally loved contestants of all-time. Just look at this slew of other players and personalities that created great TV: Angelina, Nick, Davie, Gabby, Mike, Elizabeth, Natalie Napalm, even wacky Jeremy. That is an amazing 9 out of 20 that I would easily welcome back on another season.

Often, that’s all a season needs. And that really is first and foremost the reason David vs. Goliath became an all-time great. But there were other trophies to hand out as well. The editing job done by producers was perhaps the show’s best ever. They experimented with new techniques that served to freshen up the franchise in its 37th season. They added comedic flourishes that were totally unnecessary yet improved the episodes nonetheless. They cut back and forth between players and stories in ways they never had before. They had a contestant (Dan) talk about the idol he found and then showed how it happened instead of the other way around. This wasn’t reinventing the wheel by any means, but it presented the story in ways we hadn’t seen before — and it worked. We always talk about the show taking risks in terms of creating the story via twists, but now it was taking risks in how it presented that story as well. The result? A top 5 finish.

The cast of ‘Survivor: David vs. Goliath’. CBS

6. Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance

The first thing to note about Cambodia is how well all the production twists turned out. Letting fans vote in the cast? Brilliant. Hiding idols at challenges? I think you all know how I feel about that. Tempting people to quit an immunity challenge for a mystery vote steal advantage? Loved it. All the tribe switcheroos? They played out to perfection. The Survivor producers always throw a bunch of twists out there. Usually, some work and some don’t. This season, they all paid dividends.

I also appreciated how hard the bulk of the cast was playing. Usually, you get a small handful of big-time gamers. This season you only had a handful that weren’t going hard (which granted, is somewhat a function of returning player seasons in general). Another plus: The votes were completely unpredictable from week to week, leading to some truly crazy Tribals. Sure, the challenges were a bit blah, but still, a rousing and triumphant success.

7. Survivor: Pearl Islands

What’s so great about Pearl Islands is the way the entire season embraces the pirate theme, especially the way it is incorporated into all the challenges, something that never happens anymore. (Maybe Pirate Master is to blame for that?) Obviously, there was a stellar cast with big personalities. Rupert stealing shoes. Fairplay not only pulling off the dead grandma lie but also getting drunk at Tribal Council. Osten becoming the first person to lay down his torch. Savage willing his tribe to win. Lil frustrating everyone. And Sandra getting in faces. It was all delicious. Loses points, though, for the awful Outcasts twist, even though it did give us Skinny Ryan’s brilliant “Die, Jerks” bandana.

8. Survivor: Winners at War

A season filled with pure joy, and that feeling of joy and celebration permeated the entire season starting with a collection of incredible players and personalities. Some people, like Ben and Michele, had something to prove. Others, like Yul and Kim, were revered folks who hoped to show their first dominant runs were not a fluke. There were the legends — Parvati, Boston Rob, and Sandra — who were essentially taking a nostalgia-fueled victory lap, their place secure in the Survivor pantheon. And there was the return of the ultimate Survivor, Ethan Zohn — a guy who used his winnings on Survivor: Africa to help fight AIDS on the continent, and then had to survive not one, but two life-threatening bouts of a rare blood cancer. His return alone was one of the best reality TV stories ever.

There were also unforgettable moments like the log carrying contest, which — from a television production standpoint — is one of the best produced segments in the show’s history. Go back and watch it. It’s amazing on both a technical and an emotional level. The Fire Tokens need some tweaking, but adding a currency to the game is an example of a bold idea that can actually expand strategic decision making in an exciting way moving forward. And Tony Vlachos cemented his reputation as the most entertaining and dominant player of all time. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to have a great winner on such an important season.

Yes, there were demerits for the season, the most obvious one being the existence of Edge of Extinction, and not just because people that are voted out should stay voted out, and how it’s not fair that the earlier you are voted out the easier it is to get back in, and how people that are voted out always bond together against the people that voted them out so that’s not fair either. The other problem is there were several times where viewers were completely lost as to who was aligned with whom in the game and why, and that is something that might have been cleared up had we had more time on the actual tribe beaches and less time watching people talk about how much the Edge sucks.

The editing was also choppy at times and there seemed no real flow to the season in terms of tribe dynamics. Often we had only a vague understanding of who was aligned with whom heading into Tribal Council, which made the votes more confusing than dramatic. The lack of a consistent narrative flow was also partly due to the overabundance of various advantages and twists at play. But the producers also made one key excellent decision: to not just treat this season as a regular competition, but also act as a celebration of the entire franchise and its epic 20-year run. They leaned into making the season feel special, starting with a champagne toast and the announcement that they were doubling the winner’s prize to $2 million. And it did feel special, even with its flaws.

The cast of ‘Survivor: Winners at War’. Robert Voets/CBS

9. Survivor: Palau

Palau is a season that proves you can still have a truly great outing even without twisty bells & whistles, and with a super predictable boot order and winner.

I love the way the players started the game completely clueless on an island together with no instructions and no tribes. I wish the show would shake things up like that more at the outset to keep contestants off-balance. (A lot of viewers and players felt it was really unfair to vote out two people on day 2 before tribes were even formed. I totally disagree. If you didn’t work hard enough to create early bonds to get picked, that’s on you.) One of the best creative decisions Survivor ever made was not panicking and reshuffling the tribes once Koror started dominating. Watching Ulong get decimated all the way down to a tribe of one was must-see TV, and the challenges are arguably the franchise’s best ever. Also, I’d bring back Jolanda, Coby, Katie, and Ian back in a heartbeat.

10. Survivor: China

China has such a great, deep cast — even beyond the obvious returnees of Amanda, James, Peih-Gee, and a positively hilarious Courtney. Every single person added something. Todd’s final Tribal performance still holds up as masterful the way he completely played Jean-Robert and owned his own duplicitous gameplay while also using flattery to win over the jury. That’s how you win a million dollars. My one big gripe with this season has always been the location of the tribe camps, which were basically mud pits. Possibly the least scenic camps in Survivor history. It just looked absolutely miserable. But as bad as the camps ware, the season otherwise did a great job of incorporating Chinese culture into the theme of the season, challenges, and rewards — including an overnight on the Great Wall and a kick-ass trip to the Shaolin Temple. And I still jump when Chicken gets voted out. Every. Single. Time.

11. Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X

With the exception of Caramoan, I’ve never had a season rise so much through the rankings from week to week. When Millennials vs. Gen X started, most of us were like, “Yeah, it’s fine. Not amazing, but not terrible either.” But then things kept happening. And everyone kept flipping on one another. And everyone kept getting blindsided. And everyone kept futilely using their idols for other people.

It was madness and chaos in the best way possible. And what was so fascinating was that (with the exception of Michaela) nobody took their ouster personally. This was a season remarkably free of any sort of fighting whatsoever. None of the ugliness of Worlds Apart or Kaoh Rong permeated the proceedings, even amongst all the lying and backstabbing. Everyone seemed to legitimately appreciate and respect the competition they were going up against, and, as a result, so did we.

What seemed like a so-so cast at first ended up giving us a fair number of breakouts: Michaela, Zeke, David, Adam, Jay. Even Hannah was entertaining with her neurosis. Even Ken was entertaining with his late-game cluelessness. Bret gave us a touching moment where he came out as gay to Zeke. Sunday outsmarted Adam and Hannah with a ruse at Tribal Council. Everyone contributed something.

The cast of ‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen. X’. Monty Brinton/CBS/Getty Images

12. Survivor: Blood vs. Water

The returning contestants playing with/against their loved ones twist added new dimensions and forced players — and us — to think about the strategic elements of the game in an entirely new way. And for strategy nerds like myself, it was like opening a brand new Christmas present each and every week as new layers were revealed.

And although I am certainly no fan of the Redemption Island twist due to the fact that it neuters the show’s most dramatic moment (the vote-off), it is undeniable that the RI element is what led to many of the intriguing strategic decisions of whom to vote out and why. (However, I still can’t figure out why they went with three-person duels — a.k.a. truels — and they definitely should have stopped RI at the merge.) Yes, there was a bit of a lull just after the merge, but all in all, this was a super solid season from top to bottom and a nice change of pace.

13. Survivor: Philippines

When you look back on Survivor: Philippines, there were a lot of shake-ups with the voting, but not many jaw-on-the-floor shocking moments. So why is it so high? Because the casting and storylines that developed gave us people to root for and against — something every great Survivor season needs.

14. Survivor: Marquesas

An underrated season that saw the first totem pole shake-up: where people on the bottom got together to overthrow those on the top. And that’s not all. This season gave us Kathy peeing on John’s hand, the appearance of the dreaded Purple Rock, and the most entertaining player in Survivor history to only play once in Sean Rector. Seriously, that guy was straight gold in every episode. BRING HIM BACK!!!! Also, if you are endlessly amused by cheesy over-the top product placement, this is the season for you, right down to the giant Reebok logo on the buffs. Oh, and fun fact: Due to the Reebok NFL sponsorship at the time, Boston Rob wore a Patriots, not a Red Sox, hat.

15. Survivor: Cook Islands

Let’s start by acknowledging that the race war concept of pitting different ethnicities against each other was SUPER problematic. There were some other problems early on as well, but what a difference a mutiny makes. While the show was a bit listless at first, everything changed in that fateful moment when Candice and Penner stepped off the mat. Then we had clearly defined people to root for and against. There are other things to love as well. The challenges were super solid, the Tribal Council ship set was incredible, and the fire-making tiebreaker between Sundra and Becky may be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Plus, just look at all the great first-time contestants (Parvati, Penner, Ozzy, Yul). I love you, Billy.

The cast of ‘Survivor: Cook Islands’. ABC

16. Survivor: The Amazon

I originally LOVED The Amazon when it first aired because it was the first season where votes were crazy unpredictable from week to week. Plus, it was funny watching the guys brag how superior they were & then getting lit up by the women. However, it simply does not hold up very well on a rewatch. It is pretty painful how much of the season is based around dudes being horny AF. The edit basically shows all the men repeatedly salivating over Heidi, Jenna, and Shawna. And the producers clearly encouraged this horndoggery as much as possible, even in a high-stakes immunity challenge with questions like “Who would you most like to see pose nude in a magazine?” I also forgot how mediocre the challenges were, like the one where they had to walk around a fake Amazonian home, or the time they actually played a game of Go Fish. Not to say there aren’t some things to still love here, including a batch of epic vote-off comments, a lot of unintended fire, Christy’s “evil stepsisters” final words, Jeff Probst wearing sunglasses, and the most epic final vote delivery sequence ever.

17. Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites

A tale of two seasons this was, and I can already hear people yelling that I am putting it too high. But hear me out first before you Russell any feathers. If I was grading this solely on pre-merge episodes, this would be waaaay down the list due to the emphasis on big personalities (Shamar, Brandon, Phillip) as opposed to big gameplay. It was flat-out grating. But everything post-merge was spectacular. There were moves and countermoves galore down the homestretch. The same way it is more important for a sports team to play well in the second half of a game as opposed to the first, a great season needs to build momentum, and Caramoan definitely did that with six fantastic episodes in a row.

It’s much more important to finish strong than to start strong, so I definitely put more weight and emphasis on post-merge episodes when doing the rankings, and this season made a remarkable comeback. Also, don’t overlook how great the bevy of water challenges was. Should I push it down in the rankings due to the lackluster Reunion show that followed? Perhaps. Kind of not sure how much I should take that live show into consideration when ranking what happened out on the island.

18. Survivor: Samoa

I like this season a lot more than most people, but Russell’s controlling of the game (especially post-merge when his side was down 8-4) was truly a work of art. Evil genius art. He was denied in the end, though, in the most controversial jury decision ever.

19. Survivor: Tocantins

Okay, you may roll your eyes at Coach 1.0. But imagine for a second this season without him. His unintentional comedy single-handedly lifts this into middle of the pack territory for me. Seriously, other than Tyson getting blindsided, were there any super memorable moments that didn’t involve the Dragonslayer? However, the unlikely alliance between bookish northerner Fishbach and country boy J.T. certainly made for a compelling thread throughout the season.

20. Survivor 45

Let me say this first: This is the best produced season in the “new era” of Survivor. Yes, some of that is simply a function of the 90-minute runtime, which allowed the episodes to breathe and gave us more personal moments outside of game mechanics that allowed us to settle in with the players more than ever before. But it wasn’t just the extra runtime. Producers presented the story in exciting new ways while also not cluttering the game with too many idols, advantages, bells, and whistles. Other creative flourishes, like the return of the new and improved auction, were home runs. And some of the editing techniques were flat-out brilliant (the “Playing with the Boys” montage was an all-time great, as was the Katurah time-lapse while talking about all the ways in which Bruce annoyed her). The editors and producers really leaned into juxtaposition this season, and it worked. Survivor 45 also featured one of the most deliciously devastating blindsides ever in Kellie’s ouster.

Still, in my original penultimate episode rankings, this came in a few spots lower, for while season 45 had a solid cast with breakouts like Kellie, Emily, Kaleb, and Dee, it didn’t have a Carolyn or Yam Yam — two of the franchise’s most popular players ever. But then the finale dropped, and when you add in that crazy final five vote, Dee’s baller final Tribal Council move of revealing to Austin her big lie about Julie, and the epic roller coaster ride of Jake (who truly won the finale, if not the game), it turns Survivor 45 into the best of the new era seasons. At least for now.

Dee Valladares and Austin Li Coon on ‘Survivor 45’. CBS

21. Survivor 46

Survivor 46 was not a perfect season, by any means. (Obviously, if it was, it would be ranked a lot higher). While there were plenty of blindsides, there were few (if any) pick-your-jaw-up-off-the-floor shockers. If there was true next-level gameplay, it did not translate to the screen. And I know a lot of people really did not dig the Yanu-heavy pre-merge portion of the season, even if I did personally enjoy the absolute messiness of the Jelinksy, Jess, Bhanu trifecta. But Survivor 46 gave us something that has been sorely lacking in the new kinder, gentler era of the show — some actual spice. Contestants actually started coming at each other again, whether it was Tiffany and Q battling it out at Tribal Council, Liz having an absolute #ApplebeesMeltdown, or Venus creating havoc wherever she went.

Confrontation is a good thing. It shows that people deeply care and are both engaged and enraged with the process — just the way we like it. And we needed that drama, seeing as how every single idol (so far) was never played and went out in someone’s pocket, meaning the game never really got shaken up in a completely unexpected way. Probst also did his part, getting some of his bite back in interactions with the cast. Down the line we may look back at Survivor 46 as an important franchise course correction — bringing back some of that old-school Survivor spice into a new-school game. Time will tell.

22. Survivor 44

You’re going to notice a recurring theme in the rankings of “new era” Survivor seasons, and that theme is stellar casting — perhaps no more so than here. Carolyn? An all-time great character. Yam Yam? One of the most delightfully funny narrators in the show’s history. Frannie and Matt? Arguably the most adorkable showmance couple ever. Throw in Jaime, Danny, Matthew, and others, and you have a lot of personality bursting through the screen.

As far as the creative elements, I thought the Birdcage idea was truly inspired and a good way to take a familiar concept (immunity idols) and apply it in a fun new way. The episodes also breathed well and did not get bogged down in too many advantages and idol hunts. There was also more diversity in post-merge challenges, which was a plus.

So, with all that said, then why does Survivor 44 just miss the top 20? Unfortunately, we were deprived of all those fake idols getting played because players kept leaving the game with fakes in their pockets, socks, and bags. That’s just bad luck. Just one or two fake idol plays would have been delicious, and I can only imagine how bummed producers were to see them constantly and consistently ushered out of the game. I know I was. And as steady and enjoyable as the season was, there were simply no jaw-dropping moves or moments along the way that stood out. Yam Yam turning on Carolyn at the final six could have been that… but it didn’t happen and it wasn’t.

I have no big complaints about this season at all. It was a totally solid entry for the best reality TV franchise on the planet… just not transcendent.

Carolyn Wiger on ‘Survivor 44’. Robert Voets/CBS

23. Survivor: Panama — Exile Island

Ah, just writing the word Panama gets me daydreaming about Survivor Sally and her intoxicating knee socks. Exile Island was a cool twist when it was first introduced, and I say that as someone that actually spent the night there. Aras and Terry battled so hard in every challenge, and while they clearly didn’t like each other out there, the mutual respect was always evident, with Terry finally going out on a final challenge that may or may not have been completely fair. Shane Powers should have been brought back for Heroes vs. Villains. And the Second Chance season, for that matter. Or ANY season! Seriously, what the hell?!? Get that guy back on TV. But I still can’t figure out how/why Bob Dawg didn’t get a bigger and better edit. That guy is an absolute gas, whether in or outside of Casa de Charmin.

24. Survivor 47

When I think about Survivor 47 a decade from now, what will probably come to mind first are all those emotional exits. Tears, anger, confusion — all in abundance. And it was wonderful to see. Not just because there were blindsides, but because so many players were so emotionally invested in the game and outcome. The early and mid-game parade of tears and jeers out of Tribal Council truly felt like old school Survivor. Emotions cooled after that, but season 47 then gave us the signature moment of Operation: Italy, followed by a stellar penultimate episode in which separating fact from fiction never appeared harder thanks to Genevieve‘s fake idol.

We also bore witness to the almost unthinkable arc of Andy putting his absolutely disastrous start behind him to become a true chaotic force in the game. I could see some people naming this as their favorite new-era season. It’s not quite there for me, as it lacks the superstar gameplay of a Dee, as well as the comedic brilliance of a Carolyn or Q. The decision to add an extra episode and therefore split the finale into two parts also backfired a bit dramatically in that Rachel‘s victory was almost guaranteed before the final installment even began. But it was a fun ride nonetheless.

Sol Yi on ‘Survivor 47’. Robert Voets/CBS

25. Survivor 42For most of the season, while it was airing, I went back and forth on whether to rank this above or below Survivor 41. The argument for ranking it lower would be the pure repetition factor. Because Survivor 42 followed the same format with all the exact same twists from Survivor 41—Prisoner’s Dilemma, goofy phrases, Hourglass twist, Shot in the Dark, Do or Die—along with many of the same challenges, the entire season often felt like a rerun. Anytime you have a perpetual “been there, done that” feeling…that’s bad. Especially when most of those twists and challenges were not great to begin with.

However, the producers did a much better job of editing and presenting that content. Unlike season 41, which featured a few episodes that almost entirely revolved around twists, the producers put the focus back on the players themselves, showing them reacting to each other for a change, rather than reacting to a bevy of artificial objects and obstacles put in their way to disrupt the game. And while the Hourglass twist is still the worst creative decision in the history of the game (sorry, Medallion of Power), it—at least—was marginally less terrible this time since players were informed that the person sent to Exile would be given a power and the winners of the challenge would have the opportunity to send one of their own instead.

Like season 41, Survivor 42 had a stellar cast with folks such as Omar, Lindsay, Hai, Drea, Daniel, Tori, Mike, Jonathan, and others, all creating a great story. But the best story of all was Maryanne, and watching this delightful goofball evolve into a cutthroat champion was truly thrilling, lifting Survivor 42 into the mid-twenties.

26. Survivor 48

By this point, you’re probably noticing a lot of these new era seasons are all bunched together in the rankings, and I don’t think that’s an accident. Because with the lack of themes and changing locations, there is a definite sameness about them. And they also all generally follow the same basic structure — three tribes, some sort of fight for supplies, lots of journeys leading to extra votes and lost votes, etc… Even the boring numbered titles make it hard sometimes to tell them apart. That said, some of you also may be surprised to not find season 48 at the very bottom the new era pack. (A poll I did after episode 11 had 68 percent of fans labeling it “one of the worst” new era seasons. Of course, that was before episode 12, which was considerably stronger.)

While I definitely agree with the complaints that there were too many episodes where nobody made moves and nothing happened, I did find many of the individual players and stories compelling. I, for one, enjoyed the chaos Sai brought pre-merge. Thomas and Star were insanely entertaining, Mary’s successful Shot in the Dark play was epic, David had hilarious Chris Noble vibes at times, and I do believe the Eva and Joe challenge moment that made Jeff Probst cry was as emotionally impactful a scene as any we’ve ever seen on this show. (That entire sequence was extraordinarily edited. Just a masterclass.) Plus, if Kyle and Kamilla can actually carry their secret alliance all the way to the end, that is a flavor we have rarely ever tasted on this show.

Yes, there were lulls, to be sure. No question about it. And they were all the more noticeable because players kept talking about making moves and then not actually making them, which was super frustrating to watch. But, hey, at least there was no Hourglass! As always, this could move up or down depending on what happens on the finale.

Joe Hunter and Eva Erickson on ‘Survivor 48’. Robert Voets/CBS

27. Survivor 41

This may be the hardest Survivor season ever to rank. Let’s get to the bad before the good. First off, it’s a lot less fun to watch Tribal Council when you need a scorecard to keep track of who has zero votes, who has one vote, and who has two votes to cast. As you can imagine, I hear from a lot of Survivor fans, and I have never had more people tell me how confused they were watching this show in those early episodes. That’s not good.

Speaking of advantages, do we even need to discuss the Hourglass twist, which was more a lie than a twist and punished people for winning for no discernable reason whatsoever? That was the nadir of a first half of a season stretch that placed waaaaaaay too much emphasis on manufactured twists at the expense of showing us a naturally evolving social game develop.

Which was a shame because when allowed to, this cast delivered in a huge way. Early boots like Brad and J.D. made for fantastic TV, and look at the exits from the (fake) merge to the finale: Sydney, Tiffany, Naseer, Evvie, Shan, Liana, Danny. That’s a hell of a lineup right there. And fortunately, a lot of the bells and whistles never came into play since people kept getting voted out with idols in their pockets or were unable to find idols and advantages that were hidden (literally) right underneath them.

Not that I thought all the changes were bad. The goofy phrases players had to say to win an idol were super fun, I didn’t mind the Do or Die since it was a level-playing-field twist in which everyone had the same opportunity to make a decision, and I actually really dug little flourishes like Probst sharing secrets with the audience before the players would walk into a challenge. It’s just that the sheer volume of twists was overwhelming, which was too bad when we had an overwhelmingly good cast capable of carrying the action and intrigue on their own.

The cast of ‘Survivor 41’. Robert Voets/CBS

28. Survivor: Ghost Island

This was another hard season to rank. I generally really liked this cast — but I do feel all the early tribe swaps made it difficult for viewers to connect with many of them. I also really liked the Ghost Island concept, but felt there could have been more drama surrounding how someone was sent to GI and the games they played once they got there. (“Guess the Bamboo” was about as riveting as watching an Adam Sandler movie as part of a South Pacific reward. My suggestion at the time was to have contestants have to win mini-challenges — like, say, solving a puzzle before all the sand poured out of a bottle rather than just picking right or left. This idea was used a few years later on Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island.)

And then there is the ending, which also has plusses and minuses. I still do not like the fire-making final 4 twist because it is an arbitrary out-of-format rules change specifically designed to get perceived better players to the end. But without it, we don’t get that epic showdown between Dom and Wendell, which resulted in the first-ever tie vote for the million dollars — with third-place finisher Laurel breaking it for Wendell. So again, both good and bad. Like I said, a hard season to rank.

But the ending was fantastic, and I was engaged throughout, even with the noted weaknesses. I liked watching Kellyn act like a super-spaz. I was fascinated with the Laurel and Donathan strategic push-and-pull. Wendell and Domenick were as great as we in the press thought they would be when we met them pre-game, and that merge war between Dom and Chris Noble made for one of my favorite Survivor episodes ever. Throw that all together and you end up in the middle of the pack.

29. Survivor: Game Changers

What a weird season this was. On one hand, there was a bevy of huge, crazy Tribal Councils with last-second whispering and maneuvering leading to jaw-dropping exits. We were treated to two titans of the game (Tony and Sandra) going toe to toe. We saw one of the ugliest moments ever (Jeff Varner outing Zeke) turn into a shining instructive example of how to handle insensitive bullying via the reactions from Zeke and his tribemates. But something was missing. It’s hard to put your finger right on it, but it felt like this season lacked a consistent flow. Instead of a gradually building arc, we were instead presented with what could be best described as a random series of events. Said events were all exciting, but they failed to form a cohesive unit.

It didn’t help that most of the big players and personalities went out so early: Tony, Malcolm, Sandra, J.T. — all gone before the merge. Then Ozzy went home in the merge double-episode and we hardly saw Cirie until the merge because she never went to Tribal Council. That means we did not get a lot of bang for our buck when it came to the biggest players in the cast.

That was always my big fear about this season — that as exciting as the early episodes were, those high-profile exits were diluting the cast and leaving us with players that we, as viewers, were not fully invested in. And despite the gameplay and unpredictability down the stretch, that is kind of what happened. And then there is what happened to Cirie in the finale. Some may have loved the insane drama of having five out of six people immune due to idols and advantages — but I found watching someone be “voted out” even when zero votes were cast against her to be a case of a season run amok by simply too many bells and whistles. (The fact that it happened to a true legend in Cirie made it even harder to swallow.)

And while I was prepared to drop the season ranking down a spot or two due to that Tribal, it held steady at the end thanks to the new final Tribal Council format in which there was more of a conversation than regimented Q&A, which had grown predictable and stale over the years. That’s a great example of natural show evolution that worked and the producers deserve to be commended for it.

The cast of ‘Survivor: Game Changers’. Timothy Kuratek/CBS/Getty Images

30. Survivor: South Pacific

Here’s another one that I like more than most people, which is curious considering how much it has in common with the season that aired directly before it, which I didn’t like: the same twist of two returning players, Redemption Island, the predictable vote-offs, no real water challenges, etc… But there is one thing I really did dig about this season, and that is the cast. I was invested in the players and their fates — the ones I wanted to do well, and not so well. Plus, this season gave us three signature moments: Ozzy volunteering to go to Redemption, Cochran flipping, and Brandon giving away his immunity.

31. Survivor 43

Seasons 41 and 42 featured really dynamic casts and some really wonky production wrinkles. Survivor 43 flipped the script completely. For the most part, the game flow — either by design or sheer luck — worked out really well. There were no devastatingly terrible twists a la the dreaded Hourglass (although Cody’s Choose Your Champion reveal should have been before the votes were cast, and it would have worked better to have different idol missions on each pre-merge beach, but those are minor quibbles). And because many of the idols and advantages ended up in the hands of those in power (or at least those who thought they were in power), we did not have to endure gadget-heavy Tribals where people just kept pulling out trinkets upon trinkets.

But the cast, while extremely likable, were not super propulsive. Or entertainingly messy. Where were the fireworks? I’m not talking about ugly personal attacks, but rather people aggressively going at each other in the game and taking the game personally. Outside of a mild argument between Owen and James and later one between Karla and Cassidy, we didn’t see a whole lot of spark. As a result, even with better production wrinkles, some exciting challenge tweaks, and some brilliantly diabolical moves by Jesse, the season itself felt a bit snoozy and lacking in huge, iconic moments (outside of the Cody blindside, of course). Instead, we got a lot more gauzy, reach-for-the-Kleenex backstory photo montages, but little sizzle. The best seasons of Survivor always have a little edge to them, and when you can’t point to any instantly memorable contestant interactions, that’s a sign you have not reached that rarified air.

32. Survivor: Vanuatu

Okay, Eliza Orlins basically started a public campaign to get me to rewatch Vanuatu and reconsider my low ranking of the show, and her efforts worked… although not as much as she may have liked. Vanuatu definitely plays better on a modern-day viewing when contrasted against how kumbaya new-school seasons have been (at least until Survivor 46). I think this season sets a land speed record for number of times women call each other “bitch.” Like, there is a staggering amount of bitch-related talk. It’s undeniably entertaining to watch so much open animosity. The LeAnn blindside episode remains an all-time great installment. I remember watching that at my mom’s house when it first aired on Thanksgiving night of 2004, and it still delights two decades later. Plus, the women on this battle-of-the-sexes season are strong: Ami, Twila, Eliza, and Julie are especially great. But that stellar casting does not extend to the other sex. Chris certainly did his part in turning the tide and somehow, someway making it all the way to the end and winning the money, and you have to love it when a certifiable oddball like Rory waltzes onto your screen. But I have watched this season multiple times and still could not pick J.D. out of a lineup from John and Brady. Why they cast three clones of each other who all fit the exact same bill (two of which even have the same name!) is beyond me. And the whole “I can’t believe we’re losing to a bunch of girls!” angle feels a bit stale considering we had the same storyline three seasons earlier on The Amazon.

But you were right, Eliza. It’s better than I remembered, and the new ranking reflects that.

Ami Cusack on ‘Survivor: Vanuatu’. Monty Brinton/CBS

33. Survivor: The Australian Outback

An overrated season in my book. Probst loves it. I didn’t. Solid but unspectacular. Pretty predictable boot order as well. Dude did burn his hands off, though.

34. Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers

The good news is the season built momentum as it went, with a strong run of post-merge episodes after a truly underwhelming start to the season. Of course, I struggle with the fact that much of the drama came out of there being an overabundance of idols and advantages, but producers did something very smart with those advantages to make sure nobody else got Ciried: They limited most of them to a specific single Tribal Council. They also forced contestants to make decisions on those advantages — like whom to help or hurt from another tribe — that played dramatic dividends. And, outside of one mind-bogglingly boring loved ones reward contest, the challenges were strong.

But now comes the bad news. Like the majority of Survivor nation, I was not a fan of the new final four fire-making twist. While I do not believe it was a cheat put in place to specifically get Ben to the finals, Probst has openly admitted it was engineered to get a strong player like Ben there. To me, even though there was not any funny business at play to help Ben out, it still was not in the spirit of a game in which players are supposedly given the power to vote each other out. That was a bummer. Although, in the producers’ defense, we can’t ignore that it did pay huge dramatic dividends later on Ghost Island.

35. Survivor: Kaôh Rōng

Not one of the best seasons ever; not one of the worst. Working in this season’s favor was the sheer unpredictability from week to week in terms of who was aligned with whom and what would happen at Tribal Council. That’s always exciting. Working against this season is the fact that there simply were not enough transcendent players in the cast. Talking to fellow fans of the show, I did not find a lot of passion or hardcore rooting interest for any of the folks that made it far in the game (especially after Tai sabotaged the tribe by putting out the fire). That’s a problem. Another problem (for me) was the unsurprisingly bitter jury, whose egos simply couldn’t handle being bested by Aubry.

While the reward challenge that caused three players to collapse was certainly riveting (and scary as hell) to watch, it also robbed us of Beast Mode Cowboy, which was a shame. The other medical evacuations (Neal and Joe) meant we were denied chances to see how those pivotal votes would have gone down, and the challenges, in general, were at times too heavily reliant on balancing. All that said, there were legitimate moments of glory — like when Tai turned on Scot and Jason — that elevated the proceedings and turned this season into a solid, if unspectacular, entry.

36. Survivor: All-Stars

It was a huge thrill to see the biggest titans of the game return to play, but the results were a letdown. That said, man, were there some hate-fueled fireworks at those final few Tribal Councils. And the Reunion Show was about as tense as I ever seen, leading to Jerri Manthey literally getting up and walking out during a commercial break.

Amber Brkich and Rob Mariano on ‘Survivor: All-Stars’. Monty Brinton/CBS

37. Survivor: Gabon

It got better near the end, but it was still a case of too little, too late. The fact that so many unworthy players went so far is simply too damning.

38. Survivor: Worlds Apart

The main problem, of course, was that there were not enough people to root for. Worlds Apart got somewhat hijacked by an assault of offensive comments to and about women by some of the male characters. It’s too bad because there was actually some interesting gameplay — mostly thanks to Mike. And there were some big moments at the last few Tribal Councils as well. This season moved around a bunch for me. It started off middle-of-the-pack, went WAY down during all that Dan and Will ugliness, but slowly crept back up after that.

39. Survivor: Redemption Island

The first three episodes were dynamite, but then the fuse blew out. It certainly was entertaining at times watching Rob strategize (one of the most dominant showings ever) and Phillip philosophize (the most colorful showing ever), just not very dramatic. Most of the vote-offs were clearly telegraphed and the Redemption Island twist sucked the life out of Survivor‘s signature moment — the vote-off.

40. Survivor: Africa

Some great challenges. Not that much else was great.

41. Survivor: Edge of Extinction

Flat. That’s the best word I can think of to describe the season. Rick Devens was the only true breakout from the cast (unless you include Reem bitching everyone out at Extinction Island … and you probably should), but that may also be because so much of the attention early was spent on the four returning players. I’m not a fan of folks sticking around after being voted out, so clearly, the Edge of Extinction twist was not up my alley, especially since it mostly consisted of people just kind of staring off into the distance pensively for no apparent reason. And while the producers who make the show may consider having someone voted out on day 8 winning the game as proof of concept, it left a sour taste with viewers who could not help but overlook the massive advantages associated with befriending the jury in a non-game setting.

42. Survivor: Guatemala

When you stick a cast in a miserably hot location and they are having a miserable time, miserable things can happen. At least give them a place where they can go in the water! Rafe was good for a few laughs, though. Especially on rope obstacles.

The cast of ‘Survivor: Guatemala’. Bill Inoshita/CBS

43. Survivor: San Juan del Sur

My most controversial ranking these days, which is fascinating because SJDS was pretty much universally not loved when it first aired. No less an authority that Stephen Fishbach dubbed it “humdrum” and dubbed the final Tribal Council “one of the worst in the show’s history.” A 2015 Rob Has a Podcast poll ranked it 22nd out of 30 seasons at the time. Yet newer fans that came to the show after it originally aired insist it deserves another look, and others say a rewatch does it wonders. I have not a chance to do that yet, but will do so before the next rankings update, and we will see if it indeed climbs up this list as others believe it will. ( I can’t believe you all are going to make me watch John Rocker all over again.)

44. Survivor: One World

Look, I have total respect for Kim’s game. Like Tom in Palau and Rob in Redemption Island, she excelled strategically, socially, and physically. Unfortunately, that is really the only good thing I can say about this season. And that’s too bad because I do think the “One World” concept was a solid one. But, man, what a thoroughly uninspiring cast. Colton was more a horrible human being than a classic villain, and the rest of the players were mostly either completely forgettable or people you wish you could forget. I worry I am being generous by putting it even this high, but out of respect for Kim, it goes here.

45. Survivor: Thailand

The fake merge and brutal last challenge — where the final three had to hold coins between their fingers in a crazy painful pose — keep this dud out of the bottom spot. Barely.

46. Survivor: Fiji

Yau-Man and Earl were great, but this entire season was sabotaged by the terrible “Haves Vs. Have-Nots” twist, which has to go down as one of the worst creative decisions in Survivor history. Speaking of awful creative decisions…

47. Survivor: Nicaragua

It’s way down here for a few reasons. 1) Splitting the tribes up by age and the Medallion of Power were both enormous flops. 2.) Nicaragua had just too many unlikable players. 3) Two people quitting with only 11 days left. 4) No big memorable moments. Even Thailand had the fake merge and Fiji had the big Yau-Man/Dreamz free car deal gone bad, but what was Nicaragua‘s signature moment? Unfortunately, it was people quitting, and that was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Interestingly enough, Survivor viewers recently picked Fabio as the worst Survivor winner ever in our fan poll, so I’m apparently not alone in my lack of enthusiasm.

48. Survivor: Island of the Idols

I’m a guy who tends to be pretty analytical. But even I recognize that when it comes to ranking Survivor seasons, it ultimately comes down to a feeling. You can make pros and cons lists (as I have even done in a few of the entries above), but, in the end, it all boils down to how a season makes you feel. And, unfortunately, due to the events surrounding the inappropriate touching — and the way it was handled by both production and the other contestants — the ultimate feeling when it comes to this season is sadness.

Watching Survivor should be fun! But nothing seemed fun in light of the far more serious issue that clearly outweighed the final game result. Quite simply: It made the rest of the season impossible to enjoy. And so even though there were several things and people worth celebrating at various points in the show’s 39th installment, the end result is that this felt like the least entertaining outing in the franchise’s history. And so here it sits.

Sandra Diaz-Twine and Boston Rob Mariano of ‘Survivor: Island of the Idols’. Robert Voets/CBS

Okay, that’s it for the rankings. if you made it this far, I owe you a Milwaukee’s Best. But while you’ll have to take an IOU on that, I can at least promise you some other goodies in the meantime. Keep your eyes peeled for Jeff Probst’s take on the penultimate episode, as well as an exclusive deleted scene and our exit interview with Shauhin. We’ll also have tons of coverage leading up to the Survivor 48 finale, including exclusive interviews with the final five as well as the jury, so make sure to check those out over the next week while I get to work preparing your finale-sized scoop of the crispy!

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