How to Prepare For ‘Survivor 50’ Without Watching All 49 Seasons

In May 2000, Survivor forever changed the face of reality television.

The concept of placing complete strangers with little survival experience in a situation in which they have to rely on each other as well as betray each other was nearly unheard of. 48 seasons later, host and showrunner Jeff Probst announced that Season 50 would be a hallmark season of returning players.

The season will include fan favorites from the New Era (Seasons 41–49), as well as from the Old School era of Survivor (Seasons 1–40). However, Survivor has picked up new fans throughout the years who haven’t necessarily seen every single season of Survivor, and with a milestone like Season 50, everybody wants to tune in. So we’ve prepared a guide on how to prepare for Survivor 50 without watching every single season.

Must Watch: Season 1 — Survivor: Borneo

Not only will Survivor 50 include a player from Survivor’s premiere season, but it’s always helpful to see where the show came from. Season 1 is the simplest version of Survivor: two tribes merged into one over the course of 39 days. Challenges are mostly focused on survival and creating alliances was considered a villainous act. Jenna Lewis returns to Survivor 50 after being a memorable character on the premiere season as well as on Survivor: All Stars.

Must Watch: Season 2 — Survivor: The Australian Outback

Colby Donaldson made his Survivor debut in The Australian Outback, the season that transformed Survivor from a possible one-hit wonder into an unforgettable series. The season includes an iconic medical evacuation, flirtations, a “Black Widow” in Jerri Manthey, and the show’s first golden boy in Colby. In the gamut of Survivor history, a Survivor 50 watcher cannot ignore the roots of the second season, and understanding how Colby played in his heyday will be essential to understanding his full character arc coming into Season 50.

Must Watch: Season 10 — Survivor: Palau

Season 10 introduces us to Stephenie LaGrossa, the only player to ever play on a tribe of one. When she merged into the winning tribe after losing all of her former teammates, Stephenie played with an underdog verve that made her a memorable Survivor character. Plus, the game concludes with a satisfying winner and social dynamics that would inform Survivor’s evolution in later seasons.

Must Watch: Season 12 — Survivor: Panama – Exile Island

Survivor: Panama was the first to introduce the concept of Exile Island, in which players were sent to an island on their own, forced to face the elements without any help from tribemates. This later morphed into concepts such as Redemption Island and the Edge of Extinction, either of which could come back into play in Survivor 50. But most importantly, Panama introduced Cirie Fields to the world of reality television, often cited as the best to never win. She played Survivor four times, making it to the finale in almost every iteration of the game and later won Season 1 of The Traitors and Snake in the Grass. Understanding Cirie’s arc from the woman who got up off the couch to reality star starts with watching Survivor: Panama.

Must Watch: Season 13 — Survivor: Cook Islands

When it premiered, Survivor: Cook Islands was controversial due to splitting the tribes by race. Despite this now-agreed faux pas, it spawned several legendary players, including Parvati Shallow, Jonathan Penner, Yul Kwon, and the Survivor 50 returnee, Ozzy Lusth. Ozzy became the “jungle boy” with his wilderness skills amazing and winning over the hearts of viewers at home. But despite his four appearances, like Cirie, he’s never won the game.

Must Watch: Season 16 — Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites

Both Cirie and Ozzy return to Survivor as favorites as they compete against a ragtag group of fans. While Ozzy breaks down into a version of himself less admired by attempting to strategize (and failing), Cirie excels, nearly making her way to the Final Tribal Council. However, a shocking twist destroys her chances of winning, although her strategy and deception cements her as a Survivor legend.

Must Watch: Season 18 — Survivor: Tocantins

Survivor: Tocantins led to some epic strategic and character Survivor moments. Podcaster and reality star Tyson Apostol made his first appearance on the season alongside Survivor 50 returnee, “Coach” Benjamin Wade. Coach became a contentious character in Survivor’s history book, as an unhinged villain who attempted to play the game with honesty and integrity. There’s no telling how he’ll play in Season 50, but watching him in action, alongside memorable Survivor characters like JT and Stephen Fishbach makes it one of the best (and most necessary) seasons.

Must Watch: Season 20 — Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

Considered one of the best Survivor seasons of all-time, Heroes vs. Villains features Survivor 50 returnees Colby, Stephenie, Cirie, and Coach, alongside several other of Survivor’s legends. Colby’s disappointing show in the season is one of the catalysts for his return, while Stephenie wants to prove that she belongs with the rest of Survivor’s Old School greats. Cirie once again amazes the cast and viewers, while Coach attempts to transform his reputation, rejecting the “Villain” label. In addition, players like Sandra Diaz-Twine, Boston Rob, Parvati, James Clement, Amanda Kimmel, Rupert Boneham, and the notorious Russell Hantz elevate the game to a level we can only hope to see in Survivor 50.

Must Watch: Season 32 — Survivor: Kaôh Rōng – Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty

The Survivor 50 casting department notably skipped over several potential contestants in the 20s era, but we’re lucky enough to get Aubry Bracco from Kaôh Rōng. Her Survivor journey begins with a panic attack as she’s placed on the “Brains” tribe. However, her strength and adaptability throughout the game, proving that brainy people can win physical challenges and navigate socially created a new, multifaceted player who is still a fan favorite. While some debate who should’ve won Aubry’s first season, many expect and hope she will excel in her fourth run of the game.

Must Watch: Season 34 — Survivor: Game Changers

While Survivor 50 brings together new and old legends of Survivor, the last all-returnee season was titled Game Changers, bringing in past contestants from every era of the game. Season 50 players Cirie, Ozzy, and Aubry all returned to prove why they’re considered significant parts of the franchise. Some of them proved themselves, while others couldn’t quite get their footing in an otherwise disappointing season, but the game’s evolution to Season 34 alongside the players’ parts in the game make it an unmissable season in preparation of Season 50.

Must Watch: Season 35 — Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers

The producers were clearly out of ideas when it came to finding a theme for Season 35, but Chrissy Hofbeck stands out in a season of less strategic players. She was villainized by her cast, but played what many New Era contestants and fans would dub as a winning game, so watching her first go around is essential to understanding how she could play during her second chance.

Must Watch: Season 37 — Survivor: David vs. Goliath

With three returning players, we’ve all been waiting for the David vs. Goliath cast to get a chance at playing Survivor again. The electric season fell flat with an underwhelming winner, but the characters throughout the season never failed to disappoint with some of the series’ most memorable moments, from Angelina Keeley’s gumption after voting out a fellow tribemate as well as bartering with Jeff for rice to Christian Hubicki’s 5-hour monologue to win an endurance challenge. Both players, alongside White Lotus creator Mike White, are finally returning to Survivor in Season 50, and are likely to make waves with the all-returnee cast.

Must Watch: Season 38 — Survivor: Edge of Extinction

The first introduction of the “Edge,” Rick Devens made a name for himself as the newscaster personality with an uncanny ability to narrate the game. Aubry also returned on the season as a “Captain,” and although she underperformed, her arc allows for the seeds of retribution. Additionally, Rick became a favorite of Jeff Probst, returning to the series as Jeff’s official podcast co-host in On Fire’s debut season, so his inner knowledge could be a huge asset to his Survivor 50 game.

Must Watch: Seasons 42 and Season 45 – 49

The New Era of Survivor changed the game—26 days, 3 tribes of six, new twists and advantages, no visits from family members, and more have shaped the way modern Survivor players compete. Jonathan Young returns from Season 42 as the New Era’s most notable challenge beast and contentious character. Season 45 brings back Dee Valladares and Emily Flippen. As far as the New Era goes, many dub Dee as the most dominant player, while Emily is remembered for her quick character arc, changing from a negative inflexible person to one of Survivor’s most likable and relatable characters.

In Season 46, Charlie Davis narrated the game with a strategic mindset (and some Taylor Swift quotes), while Tiffany Ervin and Q Burdette worked together and against one another from Day 1. Many Survivor analysts give Tiffany a high chance of winning Season 50 with her understated threat level, as long as she can get out of chaotic Q’s shadow.

Season 47 introduced Genevieve Mushaluk, who was perhaps given a rough draw with her starting tribe but eventually adapted to one of the most cutthroat players of the New Era. Her confessional about how you need emotion to connect with other players but have to play without emotion to vote them out sums up Survivor perfectly, and it’s this astute understanding that will make her a potential viper of Season 50. 

Season 48 brings in Kyle Fraser, Joe Hunter, and Kamilla Karthigesu. While Kyle and Kamilla were the most undercover strategic duo in Survivor history, Joe had an Old School vibe that could suit a season with Old School returnees, as an “honorable” family man, firefighter, and fan favorite. Season 49 will bring two unnamed players into Season 50, making it another must-watch season, although we don’t yet know who or what will be significant.

If that’s not enough, there are even more seasons to watch to prepare for Season 50.

While it’s important to watch every Season 50 player’s first go at the game, several players return in other seasons. In addition, some seasons include moments that could be referenced in Survivor 50 as cultural touchpoints of the game.

• Season 3 — Survivor: Africa: The third season of Survivor had almost as much fanfare as the first two, introducing memorable characters Ethan Zohn, Teresa “T-Bird” Cooper, Lex van den Berghe, Big Tom, and more. Several of them return in Survivor: All-Stars.
• Season 7 — Survivor: Pearl Islands: Survivor: Pearl Islands introduced Sandra, the game’s first two-time winner alongside some of the show’s most memorable moments. Rupert also makes his first appearance, returning several more times in the franchise, as well as Jonny Fairplay, the show’s first true villain, who lies about his grandmother’s death to gain sympathy from the other players.
• Season 8 — Survivor: All-Stars: The first returnee season is a touchpoint in Survivor history, but only Jenna and Colby appear before Survivor 50. The season itself makes Boston Rob a household name and elevates Survivor from reality television to life itself as relationships are formed and destroyed in the name of the game.
• Season 23 — Survivor: South Pacific: Both Ozzy and Coach return as “captains” in Season 23, which is an otherwise underwhelming season. However, Redemption Island’s introduction alongside Ozzy’s gumptious gameplay contrasted with Coach’s holier-than-thou mob boss persona are an interesting addition to their Survivor stories ahead of Season 50.
• Seasons 41, 43, and 44: The New Era of Survivor is almost a new game. Season 41 introduces the new game mechanics (some of which are hotly disputed, such as the “hour glass twist”), the shot-in-the-dark, and Beware Advantages. If these return in Survivor 50, understanding all of the New Era seasons make it a good addition to your Survivor 50 homework.

But regardless of how you prepare, whether you watch every season, some seasons, or none at all, Survivor 50 is sure to break barriers of what reality television can and should be.