Board Thread:Season Rankings/@comment-24899664-20141222121159/@comment-27391152-20170409054658

#2 - Survivor: Cagayan

YES! Cagayan has crept it's way up to number two on my list. I have been contemplating putting this season next every since #6 but something about it just kept making me want to push that little bit higher. I'm going to start by saying Cagayan has the best cast of newbies ever assembled by a LOOONG shot. Considering Jefra was the character they gave the least story to, who I still found myself rooting for her and definitely had her moments, I don't think it's controversial to say this season's cast was dynamite. I mean, even the first few boots (David, Garrett, BRICE, J'TIA) were all brilliant, fleshed-out characters who provided PLENTY of fun to the season. I mean, can we all take a few moments to thank the producers for finding J'Tia and giving us four straight GLORIOUS episode of her in her finest. Despite dictating the tribe day one to build the worst shelter of all time (HOW IS SHE A NUCLEAR ENGINEER??), being hilariously worthless at challenges (she literally did survival backstroke in a CHALLENGE) AND dumping ALL the rice into the fire (<3) SHE STILL MANAGES TO SURVIVE TWWWWOOOOOOO WHOLLLLLEE VOTESSSSS! David and Garrett (both amazing characters as well) were just THAT bad at the game that J'TIA was considered more valuable to people's games than them. BLOWS MY MIND. I mean, with Garrett holding a tribe meeting in the same episode J'Tia blows a humungous lead and proceeds to dump all the rice on the fire in the SAME episode makes the second part of the premiere one of, if not THE best episode of all time in my opinion.

Besides J'Tia and all her greatness, this season had PLENTY of other moments and characters that made this season as incredible as it is. Obviously, there is Tony, one of my favourite players of all time. I love the fact that he realises that Survivor is a TV show as much as it is a game. He is one of the only winners to truly play the game both STRATEGICALLY and INTERESTINGLY, something people like Kim weren't able to do. It's true that usually I detest the person the editors give all the attention to (see Russell Hantz) but from his spy shacks to his constant paranoia-infused flip-flopping, how could you NOT love Tony and his antics? Besides Tony, WHO could forget Khaos Kass? She had SO many good moments, from the very first episode where she ridiculed production for casting J'Tia on the brains tribe to flipping on Garrett and Spencer because she didn't like being told what to do and later flipping again on Sarah because....she didn't like being told what to do! Kass was a GODDESS and is one of my favourite castaways of ALLLL time. God I love her. Then, there were plenty of other amazing characters like "ninja stealth mode, sonic the hedgehog-style" Woo, challenge-dominating, scrappy underodog Tasha, Malnutrisha who didn't take shit from anybody, Morgan, the pillow princess who had some great one liners xD, Sarah who made had an amazing story-arc all across the one episode and even freaking Lindsey had her moments (despite quitting the game -_-).

More than just the amazing cast that was packed with root-able people, the constant flip-flopping of Tony made the gameplay interesting as well. The boots of David, Garrett, Cliff, Sarah (one of the best of all time), LJ, Jefra, Trish, Kass and even the winner TONY HIMSELF (wasn't a boot but whatever) were all amazing in their own ways. I mean, I was convinced Woo was going to win based off of the edit so having Tony wins shocked me. Not as much as Michele, but it definitely shocked me.

For me, Cagayan was a near flawless combination of exciting boots, a great cast, plenty of character development and iconic moments. However, it's still not quite perfect. The editing was slightly off-balanced and there wasn't an overall storyline that pushed it over the edge. Thankfully there is one season that accomplished all of these things and more..and I'm sure you all know what it is.