Borneo was definitely my favorite. When I go back and watch it on DVD now it seems so tame, but at the time I remember feeling so surprised and excited during every episode. Everything was new and Richard played the game damn well. Every player since then has had a template to look back on to create their game style, but Richard had nothing to base his strategy on. He really created the strategic game of Survivor and I have no doubt that there wouldn't have been many more seasons if he had not been on that first one. When the show first aired, everyone saw it as a social experiment - how well could people get along with the elements and each other without wanting to kill each other. But Richard completely changed that view of the show, so that it became a game that was not about the elements or getting along, but about using people as pawns to advance your own agenda. Very cool.
Australia and Africa were pretty awesome too, especially because, as I mentioned in the other Survivor thread, they were in non-tropical areas. Watching them frolicking on the beach gets pretty monotonous now, and I really appreciate those two beautiful and remote settings. These seasons were also interesting from a social and strategic standpoint as they took what Richard had created and fit it to their own styles and personalities. After that, it seemed like players coming in to the game were trying to emulate the moves of past Survivors rather than take the game in a new direction. Jonny Fairplay, as much as I can't stand him, at least did something different, and that was a nice change. It was also interesting seeing Stephanie as the only one left on her tribe, shivering in the dark by herself and really struggling to survive psychologically. I think we've all wondered at some point, "would they ever really let a tribe get down to just one person?" We got our answer, and it was interesting indeed. We also got a unique character in Rupert. But overall, those middle seasons weren't all that exciting, though still enjoyable.
This season was great because things finally changed. It's been common practice for a strong alliance to always stay loyal to one another until they've picked everyone else off. This is also known as "Pagonging." The producers would edit the episode to make it appear as though there was a good chance they'd pick off one of their own, but in the end it never really happened. This year, with the voting off of Ami by her own alliance instead of voting for the remaining fans, the game had reached a turning point. They no longer followed the predictable pattern of staying completely loyal even when it would benefit them to do otherwise. Instead, the possibility of voting off one of their own before voting off the others became real, and it made the game much more exciting.
So, overall, the first season will always remain the best, because it made the show what it is today. Australia and Africa come second and third because of the amazing settings and interesting moves. Micronesia is fourth, or maybe even tied for third. I think that I would rate it a bit higher had Parvati not won. I don't think she deserved it at all and it's a damn shame that Cirie didn't win that last challenge. It ends the season on kind of a sour note.
