Survivor is certainly a mixed bag; like anything that has been on the air for twenty years, the show's seasons can vary wildly in quality. There are the all-time classics that receive universal praise like Heroes vs. Villains and Cagayan, and then there are the all-time disasters that receive universal condemnation like Nicaragua, Thailand, and Redemption Island.
But, somewhere in the middle are unremarkable seasons that are only moderately enjoyed. These certainly aren't classics by any means, and they definitely have their unique flaws, but they arguably deserve more praise than they often get.
Gabon
There's no denying that Gabon is a mess of a season. It gets a lot of hate owing to its incompetent players and ridiculous strategy, and, as ed by Reality Blurred, host Jeff Probst even quit the show after it had wrapped, feeling that it had reached a low point—the exhaustion of his relentless schedule certainly didn't help.
While Gabon is mostly a dumpster fire, it's an entertaining dumpster fire. The inept players make baffling decisions that prove shockingly hilarious, and it provided two of the most memorable Survivor contestants of the 2000s in Randy and Sugar.
Caramoan
Caramoan understandably gets a lot of hate. Despite the fans vs. favorites theme, most of the "favorites" were forgettable contestants who were favorites to no one. Aside from the poor cast, the season was marred by a controversial reunion episode and an atrocious pre-merge that contained one of Survivor's show's scariest moments in Brandon Hantz's meltdown.
But, this season is entirely saved by the fantastic and memorable second half, which features some all-time great episodes and a more-than-deserving winner in John Cochran.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu is often placed on the lower tier of Survivor seasons. Most of the criticism centers around its forgettable cast—not one person here became a Survivor mainstay—and the repetition of the Battle of the Sexes theme from The Amazon. The pre-merge is also criticized for being boring, as Lopevi was Pagonged by Yasur.
But, what makes this season so underrated is its fantastic second half. Chris Daugherty proved one of the greatest early Survivor winners, laying low and manipulating others to Pagong old Yasur players—six in a row—and craft his easy win over Twila Tanner.
Africa
Africa was the first season of Survivor to receive a negative reception. Many people thought that the season was dull, as the hot and dry climate of Kenya made the players lethargic and uninteresting to watch. They were entertaining enough people, but the lack of food and water really put a damper on their personalities and enthusiasm for the game.
But, the season has a lot of underrated charm. Kenya was one of the best Survivor locations, and Ethan Zohn is one of the most likable contestants to ever play the game. This season is best enjoyed through atmosphere rather than gameplay.
All-Stars
There's no denying that All-Stars was a letdown at the time. While it promised great action and a memorable cast, it proved more than a little disappointing owing to an unfavorable boot order, a boring winner, and one of the show's most controversial moments.
But, if fans can look past the controversy and bitter jury, there's a decent season to be found. The cast is obviously fantastic—even if the best ones went home early—and Boston Rob is at his most Boston Rob. There's some great gameplay hidden behind all the obvious flaws.
Marquesas
Survivor experienced an obvious dip in quality throughout the early 2000s. Following the disappointing Africa season, the show returned with the equally disappointing Marquesas. The flaws with this season are many including its boring second half, dreadful final two, and the infamous purple rock controversy.
Yet, it's also a very important season to the series as a whole. Not only did it introduce Boston Rob, but many of the strategies employed throughout this season laid the groundwork for all future Survivor seasons, including Rob's aggressive gameplay and the shocking boot of John Carroll.
Fiji
Fiji is a mess of a season. None of it particularly works, the Haves vs. Have Nots twist was a dud, and the cast was entirely forgettable bar maybe Yau-Man Chan. But, Fiji is a landmark season of Survivor for a number of key reasons.
This was the first Survivor season to take place in gorgeous Fiji, and the show would later move there permanently starting with Millennials vs. Gen X. It placed a heavy emphasis on twists, beginning the modern, twist-heavy era of Survivor, and it introduced the concept of playing a hidden immunity idol after the votes had been cast.
Samoa
Samoa is generally well regarded within the Survivor community, and it could be considered one of the all-time greats if it hadn't been for two people—Russell Hantz and Natalie White. Hantz is one of Survivor's most notorious villains, and White is one of its most unassuming winners. The arguments around them still continue to this day.
But this season—or, more accurately, Russell Hantz—revolutionized the game forever. His aggressive gameplay and relentless hunt for immunity idols both ushered in the "Big Moves" era of Survivor, and his Pagonging of Galu proved a bit of strategic brilliance.
Guatemala
Guatemala is not a widely beloved season; the cast is middling to boring, Danni Boatwright is a relatively colorless and unexciting winner, and the season was marred by Stephenie LaGrossa's shocking change in character from hero to villain.
However, there's no denying that the setting is absolutely gorgeous, and the season introduced the hidden immunity idol twist, which would obviously become a Survivor mainstay going forward. The setting goes a long way here, and its influence in Survivor history is profound.
Panama
Panama is rarely, if ever, brought up by Survivor fans, and that's a shame, as it's one of the all-time greats. The season introduced the Exile Island twist, which would appear for nine more seasons. The cast was simply fantastic, including memorable contestants like Dan Barry, Bruce Kanegai, and Shane Powers.
It introduced Survivor legend Cirie Fields, who underwent one of the most thrilling character arcs in the show's history. Plus, Terry's tear with five individual immunity wins proved an amazing bit of athleticism and provided a great underdog story.