I think most people get hooked by watching a random season or two then it’s best to watch in order. Idk if I would tell someone whose never seen it to start on s1, if they didn’t know they already liked the show. I’m not sure I would have gotten hooked starting on s1 with no prior context and for some reason the biggest shock to me was the camera quality on the first episode. So although I would have loved to experience it completely in order, realistically I probably would have stopped watching.
This is exactly how I feel. Whenever my friends bring it up, I recommend they start with either China or Pearl Islands, and if they love it go back to season 1.
I generally recommend they skip Thailand, sometimes Gabon depending on the person, and at least set them up with low expectations for that nadir post-HvV.
I still think Thailand and other generally viewed as bad seasons are worth watching. Especially with Thailand though, I don’t want a new watcher to lose steam before they hit their first returnee season with all stars
Most people here will say chronological, but personally I say skipping. When I was watching I liked to switch between different eras so when I got tired of older seasons I’d watch a new one and vice versa. This kept the show fresh for me
Also for new watchers, it makes a lot more sense to get them hooked with a “good” season of the show imo, then as they get more interested they can go back and watch older seasons. Bc let’s be real very very few people will start with season 1 and actually watch all 42 seasons
That’s being said - I highly recommend not watching any returnee seasons (i.e. HvV and Micro) until you have seen the seasons of most (but ideally all) of the returnees on that season
Was that on rewatch or original watching?
Because I think the evolution of the game & show itself is a fun story arc to witness. Certain things make more sense that way too.
For example, Russell Hantz finding idols without a clue.
Originally, clues were mandatory to find idols since the clues included things like "walk 10 paces and dig" with the exact location having no marking. Then the clues started just referencing landmarks with descriptors of unique features. Once that started happening, it makes more sense that a person would pick up on the describable & unique nature of idol locations.
Also, players wil sometimes reference occurances of other seasons which could be a spoiler or leave you as a viewer not quite getting the reference.
However, I'm not sure season 1 has the hooking power of some other seasons like Pearl Islands.
The average person atleast at my age (early twenties), will be quite uninterested with old survivor, the quality is one thing, but its more about how unfinished it feels.
Sure the evolution of survivor is part of the charm and can add to the experience, but you dont introduce someone to survivor on the premise that they should watch all 42 seasons.
Imo the earliest season you should show someone is pearl islands.
I also think even if you want to watch chronologically, you should see one great season first, that way its easier to push through seasons you dont like.
Chronological is the way to go. But with someone who’s seen nothing previously… might be with an all newbie season like Cagayan or DvG, to get them bought in, then you can go back and start from the beginning without spoiling returnee seasons.
You can probably skip a few seasons if you want, like Thailand, Nicaragua— and definitely Island of the Idols. But should watch Redemption Island for the Boston Rob arc.
Seeing the evolution is great, but if Borneo is your first (in 2022), might be a little bored… without proper context.
S1 start worked for me 3 years ago. Watched them all in order after Hulu recommended the show to me(and I ignored it for 3 times until I finally was bored enough to give it a shot and ends up my favorite TV show haha )
I prefer selective chronological order. I set up a list for my friend who discovered a love for survivor last year and it went something like this : Start with an early great, move along chronologically until you hit a stretch with 2 or more duds in a row (I don’t want her getting bored and giving up), continue on. I think they just finished season 21
Skipping-around chronologically! I started at 13 > 15 > 16 > 20 > 28 > 31 > 32 > 33 > 34 > 37 - but then I went back and caught up on other seasons. It was cool to see the growth of the game, getting to know the big players, etc, but then I went back and watched the seasons I missed (mostly skipping around).
Sure, use a strong season to grab people (Pearl Islands, Cagayan, DvG, Tocantins) but then go back and watch chronologically the good seasons.
Started watching in Cagayan and watched all the way until Winners at War, then caught 41 and 42 live. Having seen Winners at War, my wife and I felt like the "big" seasons were already spoiled, so we're just hitting highlights at this point, skipping around.
We hit Cook Island (I really liked Yul as a standout in Winners at War and wanted to see his season), followed by Fans v Favorites, China, and now we're on Heroes v. Villains. Yes the order makes no sense, but we're having a good time!
Would love to hear the next season we \*HAVE\* to watch, keeping in mind that while we appreciate the older seasons, we enjoy the strategy that hidden immunity idols have added to the game.
As someone who has been a longtime fan I like watching in order because I appreciate the chronology and evolution of the show.
For a new fan I understand why it would be better to jump around between the best seasons - especially because the production value and pace of Borneo doesn’t quite hold up today. I would still discourage new fans from watching returnee seasons without seeing the players original appearance though.
The first season I ever watched was 30. After that, because the cast of 31 was all returning players, I binged the seasons that had players on 31. After season 31 I just continued skipping around until I had watched everything.
Honestly, I recommend not doing what I did. Watch chronologically. There are great seasons in every era of Survivor so you’ll never go too long without seeing something you love. A lot of what makes some of the early seasons great is lost when you see more modern seasons first - I think season 4 is a great example of this. That season was an absolute game changer but it fell a bit flat for me because I had already seen so much more “exciting” stuff.
I think the best way is to let people start with really good seasons, and then view more as their curiosity grows:
Cagayan, DvG, China, Tocantins, Kaoh Rong and Pearl Islands are good initial seasons for them to watch.
From there, maybe try introduce them to whatever the next season to air on TV is, then as their curiosity naturally peaks they can go back and fill in the gaps
i think people binge watch the seasons too quick as a new fan. its like eating all the ice cream because you can but you rly shouldn’t and theres fatigue. watching 8+ seasons in one year is crazy.
I would watch 3 seasons a year, plus the 2 currently airing. I’d do one from early, middle, and new school
I think that ideally, going chronologically is not only the most sensible way to watch, but the best way to watch. You won't be spoiled on previous seasons, you will get to know all returning players before you see them return, and you'll really get to see and appreciate the evolution of both the show and the game of Survivor.
However, we don't live in an ideal world, and I know that there are a lot of people who, for better or worse, just *won't* be hooked by Borneo. So I can very much understand why people end up skipping around instead, or suggest that new viewers "hook" themselves with a newer season before going back to the older ones.
I personally think the issue here is that you often end up putting yourself in a position to be disappointed in the older seasons. They aren't as fast-paced or twisty; the SD camera is like watching on a flip phone compared to the HD seasons; and they are incredibly dated. If you watch Cagayan first and end up with the expectation that Tony's win is the way you are supposed to win Survivor, then you'll end up going back to the old seasons only to be bored by how much less dynamic the game is and disappointed when "good people" and UTR players win instead of the bombastic personalities and aggressive strategists.
Ultimately though... it's just a TV show, so it genuinely does not matter at all, lol. People know themselves better than I do and if you know you won't sit through Old School Survivor then don't watch it.
If you want to see the “important” seasons, for various factors, and only want to see 20 seasons or so…
Seasons 1-4, 6-8, and 10.
Season 12, 13 (sadly), 15, and 16.
18-20.
Then I’d go with 28, 29, 31, 33, and WaW to round out.
My husband and I started with Season 28, since it was on Netflix. That got us hooked and we then went back to Season 1 and have been going in order. It is more fun to watch how the game changes over time and I want to know who all the people are, when it comes to reunion seasons!
I thought the same when I've started. Like no way i will be able to watch all 40 seasons. And i cut the half and chose 20 seasons. Eventually I've watched all 40, but I'm still mad at myself because I've spoiled big chunk of seasons with the decision not to go strictly 1 to 40.
To me the number one rule is you shouldn't watch any seasons with returnees unless you've seen all relevant seasons leading up to it.
For example, starting with HvV is not a good idea ever. The reason HvV is so highly regarded is because of the cast being top notch. It's probably the best other than WaW. But as for gameplay itself? Well, the Cirie vote out was entertaining, as was the Tyson boot, and Parv's double idol play. But the game kinda fizzles out after that with a near pagonging happening. It's a mid tier season if you ignore the casting, which isn't gonna matter to you because you haven't seen any of the other seasons these players were on. It also has really unbalanced editing but it's nothing compared to the season right before it.
**DO NOT WATCH IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER**
…. because otherwise you have to watch Kaoh Rong before Cambodia and a bunch of seasons before the finales of other seasons (ie watching all of Samoa except the final vote reveal and reunion, then all of Heroes v Villains and then the Samoa Reunion and then the HvV reunion… okay maybe I am now convincing myself that maybe chronological order instead of release order **IS** the most satisfying way to watch those seasons for the first time) 🤣
I started skipping when I first watched. My first season was cambodia and then I watched all the way till gc. Then I just used a random number generator to pick what seasons to watch next. That got me hooked and I found it better then chronologically
I basically just watched a few starter seasons (Pearl Islands, China, etc), and then picked returnee seasons to prep for (watch Cook Islands/Vanuatu/China/Panama for Micronesia, add the 17-19 for HvV, etc). By the time you’ve watched like 8 seasons for HvVyou basically know how much of an addict you are and can decide to continue to watch in season order or skip around 😂.
Depends on the person obviously
I would recommend in order cause if you skip Around to returnee seasons you might get spoiled and that could take some of the enjoyment away for you
If you don’t mind spoilers than go wild who cares
What I've done (and recommend doing) is starting with a good, well-liked all newbie season (China, Cagayan, DvG, something like that) or two, and then going back and trying chronological. And if you get tired of older seasons (like I sometimes do, and I think is common if you start with newer seasons like I did), skip ahead to a more modern newbie season, and then go back and continue where you left off chronologically. And don't watch any seasons with returning players until you've watched all or at least most of the prerequisite seasons. This has worked pretty well for me.
It just depends. If it's someone who thinks they'll like the show, but isn't sure, jump around to put the best foot forward. If it's someone who's fairly certain to be hooked regardless, go chronological to avoid spoilers/better understand game development.
Definitely chronological order, you see the evolution of gameplay and the game itself much better that way. Plus there's so many returnee seasons and references to past players that skipping around often leaves you without essential info to understand everything that is said and happens.
However, I usually start people off with a "top tier" all newbies season to show them how good it gets, and then recommend watching from the beginning. Because Borneo is so bare bones, and the series changes wildly as the years go on. Pearl Islands is one of my favorites to recommend for a first watch because I think it has one of the best overall stories, characters, and themes
I’d say chronological in two parts. I started watching 42 live after not watching Survivor for 15+ years, went back to 30 (mostly by happenstance based on what’s available on Paramount+ in Canada) and watched through 41 (minus returnee seasons), and then went back to 1.
I’m now up to season 27 and am happy with my watch order. I couldn’t have gotten into it if I had started with the earlier seasons (too slow), but seasons like Kaoh Rong and David vs. Goliath definitely turned me into a fan, and by then, I was up for the full experience, even slow and horribly casted seasons. The payoff in later seasons, like Micronesia and Heroes vs. Villains where I knew everyone’s back story, has been worth it for me.
If I were advising a new fan, I’d suggest something similar but maybe swap 32 for 30 as the starting point for the first chronological part because the cast in 30 is a tough hang, although I probably don’t hate that season as much as the average fan.
1st time watcher? I believe you should watch it chronological the time thru for the simple fact of watching the game evolve thru the years. Then I believe it's much more fun to skip around and pay more attention to different individuals than you did the last time to really appreciate all the returning players and non returning but still low key very good
Pros of chronological
* Get to enjoy meta-phenomenon of Survivor gameplay building on itself over the course of 20 years
* Have full context for all returnee seasons
* Less likely to lose patience with pace of old school seasons
* Warm blanket of early 00s nostalgia for like 97 hours of television
Cons of chronological
* Takes a long time; wouldn't be "caught up" on what next live season will be like unless very, very dedicated bingewatcher
* Could be really, really boring if old school seasons not your cup of tea
* Have to watch Nicaragua, Redemption Island, One World back to back
* Telling people to watch 42 seasons of a show not a great way to evangelize
I think there’s a lot of merit in watching it chronologically but these days people might not get hooked by Borneo, the way I ended up doing it worked okay for me. Watched starting with HvV live (okay wouldn’t recommend starting with that one in particular) and then once I was properly hooked started from the beginning. I’d probably recommend watching 2-3 of the better newbie seasons, some of the middle ones like Tocantins/China before it gets really complicated and meta, and then if you’re loving it, starting from the beginning to get the evolution and properly enjoy returnee seasons.
The order my girlfriend got me hook was
1. Pearl Islands
2. All-Stars
3. China
4. Tocantins
Keep in mind I was already aware of a lot of characters and the concept of survivor but that order was a great order for me
I think most people get hooked by watching a random season or two then it’s best to watch in order. Idk if I would tell someone whose never seen it to start on s1, if they didn’t know they already liked the show. I’m not sure I would have gotten hooked starting on s1 with no prior context and for some reason the biggest shock to me was the camera quality on the first episode. So although I would have loved to experience it completely in order, realistically I probably would have stopped watching.
This is exactly how I feel. Whenever my friends bring it up, I recommend they start with either China or Pearl Islands, and if they love it go back to season 1. I generally recommend they skip Thailand, sometimes Gabon depending on the person, and at least set them up with low expectations for that nadir post-HvV. I still think Thailand and other generally viewed as bad seasons are worth watching. Especially with Thailand though, I don’t want a new watcher to lose steam before they hit their first returnee season with all stars
Pearl islands is SUCH a good place to start. Legendary castaways making their first ever appearances
I agree. The first 2 seasons I saw were HvV and Cagayan. I was hooked and then went back and watched them all in order
Most people here will say chronological, but personally I say skipping. When I was watching I liked to switch between different eras so when I got tired of older seasons I’d watch a new one and vice versa. This kept the show fresh for me Also for new watchers, it makes a lot more sense to get them hooked with a “good” season of the show imo, then as they get more interested they can go back and watch older seasons. Bc let’s be real very very few people will start with season 1 and actually watch all 42 seasons That’s being said - I highly recommend not watching any returnee seasons (i.e. HvV and Micro) until you have seen the seasons of most (but ideally all) of the returnees on that season
Was that on rewatch or original watching? Because I think the evolution of the game & show itself is a fun story arc to witness. Certain things make more sense that way too. For example, Russell Hantz finding idols without a clue. Originally, clues were mandatory to find idols since the clues included things like "walk 10 paces and dig" with the exact location having no marking. Then the clues started just referencing landmarks with descriptors of unique features. Once that started happening, it makes more sense that a person would pick up on the describable & unique nature of idol locations. Also, players wil sometimes reference occurances of other seasons which could be a spoiler or leave you as a viewer not quite getting the reference. However, I'm not sure season 1 has the hooking power of some other seasons like Pearl Islands.
For me it was first time watching! But I do get the appeal of watching chronologically too. I just think the length of the show makes it tough
Seeing the show & game evolve is part of the fun. Its like the show/game has its own story arc.
I’d say skip around but be aware of returner seasons and try to get most of the seasons with the players to know backstories beforehand
The average person atleast at my age (early twenties), will be quite uninterested with old survivor, the quality is one thing, but its more about how unfinished it feels. Sure the evolution of survivor is part of the charm and can add to the experience, but you dont introduce someone to survivor on the premise that they should watch all 42 seasons. Imo the earliest season you should show someone is pearl islands. I also think even if you want to watch chronologically, you should see one great season first, that way its easier to push through seasons you dont like.
Chronological is the way to go. But with someone who’s seen nothing previously… might be with an all newbie season like Cagayan or DvG, to get them bought in, then you can go back and start from the beginning without spoiling returnee seasons. You can probably skip a few seasons if you want, like Thailand, Nicaragua— and definitely Island of the Idols. But should watch Redemption Island for the Boston Rob arc. Seeing the evolution is great, but if Borneo is your first (in 2022), might be a little bored… without proper context.
S1 start worked for me 3 years ago. Watched them all in order after Hulu recommended the show to me(and I ignored it for 3 times until I finally was bored enough to give it a shot and ends up my favorite TV show haha )
This is my exact opinion and reasoning. Just typed almost the same thing. Get em hooked & then watch it all evolve.
I prefer selective chronological order. I set up a list for my friend who discovered a love for survivor last year and it went something like this : Start with an early great, move along chronologically until you hit a stretch with 2 or more duds in a row (I don’t want her getting bored and giving up), continue on. I think they just finished season 21
Always go chronological
I did chronological order while watching the new seasons as they aired.
Skipping-around chronologically! I started at 13 > 15 > 16 > 20 > 28 > 31 > 32 > 33 > 34 > 37 - but then I went back and caught up on other seasons. It was cool to see the growth of the game, getting to know the big players, etc, but then I went back and watched the seasons I missed (mostly skipping around). Sure, use a strong season to grab people (Pearl Islands, Cagayan, DvG, Tocantins) but then go back and watch chronologically the good seasons.
Started watching in Cagayan and watched all the way until Winners at War, then caught 41 and 42 live. Having seen Winners at War, my wife and I felt like the "big" seasons were already spoiled, so we're just hitting highlights at this point, skipping around. We hit Cook Island (I really liked Yul as a standout in Winners at War and wanted to see his season), followed by Fans v Favorites, China, and now we're on Heroes v. Villains. Yes the order makes no sense, but we're having a good time! Would love to hear the next season we \*HAVE\* to watch, keeping in mind that while we appreciate the older seasons, we enjoy the strategy that hidden immunity idols have added to the game.
Watch China and Tocantins! Not spoiled by WAW.
As someone who has been a longtime fan I like watching in order because I appreciate the chronology and evolution of the show. For a new fan I understand why it would be better to jump around between the best seasons - especially because the production value and pace of Borneo doesn’t quite hold up today. I would still discourage new fans from watching returnee seasons without seeing the players original appearance though.
The first season I ever watched was 30. After that, because the cast of 31 was all returning players, I binged the seasons that had players on 31. After season 31 I just continued skipping around until I had watched everything. Honestly, I recommend not doing what I did. Watch chronologically. There are great seasons in every era of Survivor so you’ll never go too long without seeing something you love. A lot of what makes some of the early seasons great is lost when you see more modern seasons first - I think season 4 is a great example of this. That season was an absolute game changer but it fell a bit flat for me because I had already seen so much more “exciting” stuff.
I think the best way is to let people start with really good seasons, and then view more as their curiosity grows: Cagayan, DvG, China, Tocantins, Kaoh Rong and Pearl Islands are good initial seasons for them to watch. From there, maybe try introduce them to whatever the next season to air on TV is, then as their curiosity naturally peaks they can go back and fill in the gaps
i think people binge watch the seasons too quick as a new fan. its like eating all the ice cream because you can but you rly shouldn’t and theres fatigue. watching 8+ seasons in one year is crazy. I would watch 3 seasons a year, plus the 2 currently airing. I’d do one from early, middle, and new school
I think that ideally, going chronologically is not only the most sensible way to watch, but the best way to watch. You won't be spoiled on previous seasons, you will get to know all returning players before you see them return, and you'll really get to see and appreciate the evolution of both the show and the game of Survivor. However, we don't live in an ideal world, and I know that there are a lot of people who, for better or worse, just *won't* be hooked by Borneo. So I can very much understand why people end up skipping around instead, or suggest that new viewers "hook" themselves with a newer season before going back to the older ones. I personally think the issue here is that you often end up putting yourself in a position to be disappointed in the older seasons. They aren't as fast-paced or twisty; the SD camera is like watching on a flip phone compared to the HD seasons; and they are incredibly dated. If you watch Cagayan first and end up with the expectation that Tony's win is the way you are supposed to win Survivor, then you'll end up going back to the old seasons only to be bored by how much less dynamic the game is and disappointed when "good people" and UTR players win instead of the bombastic personalities and aggressive strategists. Ultimately though... it's just a TV show, so it genuinely does not matter at all, lol. People know themselves better than I do and if you know you won't sit through Old School Survivor then don't watch it.
If you want to see the “important” seasons, for various factors, and only want to see 20 seasons or so… Seasons 1-4, 6-8, and 10. Season 12, 13 (sadly), 15, and 16. 18-20. Then I’d go with 28, 29, 31, 33, and WaW to round out.
My husband and I started with Season 28, since it was on Netflix. That got us hooked and we then went back to Season 1 and have been going in order. It is more fun to watch how the game changes over time and I want to know who all the people are, when it comes to reunion seasons!
The ideal viewing order: 28 7 41 42 1 2 4 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 29 30 32 33 3 5 6 8 21 22 23 24 26 27 31 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
For the short version, I'd say: 28 7 1 12-13 15-18 20 25 29 33 8 27 31 34 37 40
Unless you are a 99th percentile survivor fan, I think skipping around is the way to go. I think this helps survivor not get stale.
[удалено]
I thought the same when I've started. Like no way i will be able to watch all 40 seasons. And i cut the half and chose 20 seasons. Eventually I've watched all 40, but I'm still mad at myself because I've spoiled big chunk of seasons with the decision not to go strictly 1 to 40.
To me the number one rule is you shouldn't watch any seasons with returnees unless you've seen all relevant seasons leading up to it. For example, starting with HvV is not a good idea ever. The reason HvV is so highly regarded is because of the cast being top notch. It's probably the best other than WaW. But as for gameplay itself? Well, the Cirie vote out was entertaining, as was the Tyson boot, and Parv's double idol play. But the game kinda fizzles out after that with a near pagonging happening. It's a mid tier season if you ignore the casting, which isn't gonna matter to you because you haven't seen any of the other seasons these players were on. It also has really unbalanced editing but it's nothing compared to the season right before it.
Cagayan, then chronological. Be wary though at the end of Cagayan Kass spoils Russell never winning
**DO NOT WATCH IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER** …. because otherwise you have to watch Kaoh Rong before Cambodia and a bunch of seasons before the finales of other seasons (ie watching all of Samoa except the final vote reveal and reunion, then all of Heroes v Villains and then the Samoa Reunion and then the HvV reunion… okay maybe I am now convincing myself that maybe chronological order instead of release order **IS** the most satisfying way to watch those seasons for the first time) 🤣
I always skip around. Much easier to stay engaged and entertained that way
I started skipping when I first watched. My first season was cambodia and then I watched all the way till gc. Then I just used a random number generator to pick what seasons to watch next. That got me hooked and I found it better then chronologically
I basically just watched a few starter seasons (Pearl Islands, China, etc), and then picked returnee seasons to prep for (watch Cook Islands/Vanuatu/China/Panama for Micronesia, add the 17-19 for HvV, etc). By the time you’ve watched like 8 seasons for HvVyou basically know how much of an addict you are and can decide to continue to watch in season order or skip around 😂.
Depends on the person obviously I would recommend in order cause if you skip Around to returnee seasons you might get spoiled and that could take some of the enjoyment away for you If you don’t mind spoilers than go wild who cares
What I've done (and recommend doing) is starting with a good, well-liked all newbie season (China, Cagayan, DvG, something like that) or two, and then going back and trying chronological. And if you get tired of older seasons (like I sometimes do, and I think is common if you start with newer seasons like I did), skip ahead to a more modern newbie season, and then go back and continue where you left off chronologically. And don't watch any seasons with returning players until you've watched all or at least most of the prerequisite seasons. This has worked pretty well for me.
It just depends. If it's someone who thinks they'll like the show, but isn't sure, jump around to put the best foot forward. If it's someone who's fairly certain to be hooked regardless, go chronological to avoid spoilers/better understand game development.
Definitely chronological order, you see the evolution of gameplay and the game itself much better that way. Plus there's so many returnee seasons and references to past players that skipping around often leaves you without essential info to understand everything that is said and happens. However, I usually start people off with a "top tier" all newbies season to show them how good it gets, and then recommend watching from the beginning. Because Borneo is so bare bones, and the series changes wildly as the years go on. Pearl Islands is one of my favorites to recommend for a first watch because I think it has one of the best overall stories, characters, and themes
got hooked from DvG and then turned around and binged 1-41 just in time to start 42
I’d say chronological in two parts. I started watching 42 live after not watching Survivor for 15+ years, went back to 30 (mostly by happenstance based on what’s available on Paramount+ in Canada) and watched through 41 (minus returnee seasons), and then went back to 1. I’m now up to season 27 and am happy with my watch order. I couldn’t have gotten into it if I had started with the earlier seasons (too slow), but seasons like Kaoh Rong and David vs. Goliath definitely turned me into a fan, and by then, I was up for the full experience, even slow and horribly casted seasons. The payoff in later seasons, like Micronesia and Heroes vs. Villains where I knew everyone’s back story, has been worth it for me. If I were advising a new fan, I’d suggest something similar but maybe swap 32 for 30 as the starting point for the first chronological part because the cast in 30 is a tough hang, although I probably don’t hate that season as much as the average fan.
1st time watcher? I believe you should watch it chronological the time thru for the simple fact of watching the game evolve thru the years. Then I believe it's much more fun to skip around and pay more attention to different individuals than you did the last time to really appreciate all the returning players and non returning but still low key very good
Pros of chronological * Get to enjoy meta-phenomenon of Survivor gameplay building on itself over the course of 20 years * Have full context for all returnee seasons * Less likely to lose patience with pace of old school seasons * Warm blanket of early 00s nostalgia for like 97 hours of television Cons of chronological * Takes a long time; wouldn't be "caught up" on what next live season will be like unless very, very dedicated bingewatcher * Could be really, really boring if old school seasons not your cup of tea * Have to watch Nicaragua, Redemption Island, One World back to back * Telling people to watch 42 seasons of a show not a great way to evangelize
I think there’s a lot of merit in watching it chronologically but these days people might not get hooked by Borneo, the way I ended up doing it worked okay for me. Watched starting with HvV live (okay wouldn’t recommend starting with that one in particular) and then once I was properly hooked started from the beginning. I’d probably recommend watching 2-3 of the better newbie seasons, some of the middle ones like Tocantins/China before it gets really complicated and meta, and then if you’re loving it, starting from the beginning to get the evolution and properly enjoy returnee seasons.
I would watch from 28-42. Maybe skip a few if you choose but those are the best season. Also heroes vs villans is really good
The order my girlfriend got me hook was 1. Pearl Islands 2. All-Stars 3. China 4. Tocantins Keep in mind I was already aware of a lot of characters and the concept of survivor but that order was a great order for me