NFL Coaching Hirings Grades and Thoughts

 With my Seahawks in the process of hiring a new head coach, I'm more invested in the NFL teams hiring head coaches than ever.  So, I thought I'd react and grade each head coach hiring, including the Seahawks', which I will go more in-depth on than other teams.  In order, chronologically:

Patriots hire Jerod Mayo: B-
NFL Linebackers have done well as NFL coaches in recent history.  Vrabel was good in Tennessee up until his last few seasons.  Demeco Ryans did fantastic in his first year in Houston.  Antonio Pierce did well as an interim coach (see below).  This is what you call a very safe move.  Mayo will keep the team from chaos, futility, and disorder, but I definitely think he may be a bridge coach.  The roster is one of the worst in the NFL and one offseason won't fix it.  Mayo learned from Belichick as a player and a coach, so for the players that remain it will be a fairly easy transition.  Maybe, if they make the right moves in the next couple of offseasons, they can return to contention around 2025-2026, but that is my optimistic view for them.

Raiders hire Antonio Pierce: B+
Could they have done better?  Maybe.  But you had their best player, Maxx Crosby, publicly state if they didn't stick with Pierce that he'd likely request a trade.  That speaks volumes.  Pierce definitely seems like an excellent motivator, but we haven't seen too much of him as an in-game strategist or decision-maker.  It'll be interesting to see.  I could certainly see the Raiders as a potential wild card next year under Pierce.  He's certainly better than McDaniels, and it's good to see Mark Davis learned his lesson.  

Titans hire Brian Callahan: B
I'm always lukewarm on coaches who have never been head coaches before unless they have an amazing pedigree, but Brian Callahan has a few things going for him.  One, he is the son of a coach and obviously learned a bit from him.  Two, he coordinated one of the league's best offenses in Cincinnati, and even made Jake Browning look decent.  But again, I am skeptical on new coaches, but as far as new coaches go, Callahan is a pretty darn good one.

Chargers hire Jim Harbaugh: A
Harbaugh has had success wherever he has gone as a head coach.  He went from bowl success with Stanford, to making the Super Bowl with the 49ers, to winning a national title with Michigan.  Next, Super Bowl win with the Chargers?  Hard to be upset with this hire unless you're a Chiefs, Raiders, or Broncos fan.  I can't give it an A+ because Harbaugh has been away from the NFL for a few years, and it has changed in that time.  We've seen coaches away from the NFL game struggle on a return *cough* Jon Gruden *cough*.  I doubt it'll be Harbaugh, but that is a possibility.  

Panthers hire Dave Canales: C
I don't know why this hire doesn't sit particularly well with me.  You have to give Canales some credit for helping revive the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield.  Can he do the same for Bryce Young?  We will see.  Here's the thing: The Seahawks' offense in 2022 and the Buccaneers' offense in 2023 weren't exactly lighting up scoreboards, and had great receiver talent already in place that helped, and both teams barely snuck into the playoffs.  Does Canales get this job if one thing goes wrong for the Hawks in 2022 or the Bucs in 2023 to prevent them from reaching the playoffs?  And he was an OC for only 1 season.  This is a boom or bust hire, so either Canales will join the ranks of McVay, Shanahan, and LeFleur, or he will get fired in a few seasons.  Good luck.  

Falcons hire Raheem Morris: D+
I can't wrap my mind around this.  This is a guy who was in the Falcons' organization a bit over 3 years ago, and he was even their interim head coach after they fired Dan Quinn, and they easily could've shed the interim tag and made him full-time.  Instead, they went out and got Arthur Smith, which turned out to be a mistake.  Now they've gone full circle and re-hired Morris.  I just don't get it.  I think Arthur Blank, the Falcons' owner, panicked and hired the guy he was most familiar with.  This is an incredibly safe and low-risk hire.  But I can almost guarantee the Falcons won't do any better than a borderline playoff team under Morris, and possibly a weak division winner if the division sucks (like Tampa Bay this year).  There's no way they'll do better than that.  And more realistically, they'll likely hover around 6-8 wins, just like they did with Smith.

Seahawks hire Mike Macdonald: A+
A young coach being installed in a place with a support system and decent owners?  That usually works out.  The only time it really hasn't was with Brandon Staley and the Chargers, although you could argue the "decent owner" front.  Let's hope we don't have another Brandon Staley, but something tells me we don't.  I love John Schneider's willingness to go young, and I wonder (we will never likely know) who his plan B would've been.  Macdonald had some amazing defenses in Baltimore, and he made stars out of Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey.  I think he fits in very well in Seattle, and I, as well as many fans, will be willing to give him time.  I'm betting we'll see a quick turnaround on our defense, but the offense might be a work in progress, depending on who he picks for offensive coordinator.  I fully believe he was chosen due to the success his defense had against the NFC West last season, and JS is hoping he replicates that with the Hawks.

Commanders hire Dan Quinn: C-
His defenses have done very well in recent years, and I'll say this: we have seen coaches have success when given a 2nd or 3rd shot.  Look at Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick (although, to be fair, DQ is no Carroll or Belichick).  I can see why Commanders' fans would not be too happy.  But hey, they poached him from a division rival, so DQ is certainly familiar with the opposing offenses in the division.  The key to his success will be the OC hire and if they can get a star quarterback.  Sam Howell is a fairly capable starter, but defensive-minded coaches need star QBs, which Howell is not.  This hiring can end up being a success, but so can all of these.  DQ will need to prove he can win without Kyle Shanahan as his OC.

Rating New Era Survivor Twists and Changes

Something I still need to do, being a big fan of Survivor, is rating the new ERA twists and changes.  I'm gonna recall from memory each twist added or change made to the game since the start of 41, and then give it a rating out of 10.  A 10/10 is a perfect idea, and I honestly don't know if I'd give that to any twist in Survivor history, including the hidden immunity idol, so you won't be seeing that here.  A 0/10 would be an idea that is so asinine, whoever came up with it should be fired.  

There may be the occasional advantage that I have forgotten, but if I forget it, it's because it had such little impact on the game, and therefore isn't worth rating.

26 Day Format: 3/10
I don't think I'll ever fully come around on this.  Leave it to Survivor to stick with the 26-day format after COVID restrictions end since it's cheaper.  The bad thing about it is that it doesn't allow for close bonds to form or for people to struggle out there.  There's no time for the game to breathe, in a sense.  It feels like when Survivor reduced its quantity, it also reduced its quality.

No food/losing flint if immunity is lost: 5/10
I'm okay with teams suffering a penalty if they lose, although going to tribal council should be penalty enough.  But taking away flint doesn't have the impact it used to, since they are given access to clean drinking water, and the pre-merge lasts no more than 2 weeks.  Meanwhile, odds are each player will eventually get access to food via some sort of reward.  It seems like taking away flint is just for show, and honestly shouldn't even be mentioned anymore.  It's not an awful idea, just an unnecessary one that adds nothing to the show.  Also, I might add, taking away flint from the losers only increases the chance that they'll lose again, thus creating a "disaster" tribe that enters the merge with only 3 or even 2 members.  

Hourglass Twist: 1/10
The hourglass twist is easily one of the dumbest things Survivor producers have implemented.  The worst part is that people who rightfully won immunity had it stripped away from them.  If anything, the hourglass twist should have made them replay the challenge, and see if we get the same result--although that wouldn't have made for as good of TV: seeing the same challenge done twice.  Maybe they could've used a different challenge.  But heaven forbid Survivor pay for another challenge set.  

Knowledge is Power: 5/10
This is an advantage that has yet to work, other than causing people to swap their idols and advantages.  That effect really made it confusing to track who had what.  It did create some good moments, such as Dwight going home with Jeanine's idol in 43 and her shock at finding out, even though the KiP wasn't shown on that season.  I wouldn't hate it if they brought it back, but I'd rather it be tweaked a little.  My suggestion is that if the owner of the KiP can correctly name who has an idol or advantage, you get an extra vote.  I don't think people's idols/advantages should be able to be stolen.  

Reunion not live/held right away: 2/10
I understand not being able to do it in the early stages of the new era due to COVID, but just like with 26 days, again Survivor sticks with it since it's a cost-cutting measure.  I really hate it because players are not given the chance to think about and digest their games.  I also love hearing the audience's reaction to the votes being read, and without it, the result always feels subdued.  It's like seeing the final out of the World Series but no one in the stands to cheer on.  Bring back the live reunion!  

Most idols being beware advantages: 6/10
I can live with this.  The reason I kind of like this is that it doesn't allow players to keep finding idols easily and playing them one after the other, like Ben in HHH.  It makes players work for it.  Idols were getting too easy to find, so adding steps to "activate" or find their idols made it more difficult.  I wish players didn't lose their votes until they fully found or activated their idol, but there's got to be some "punishment" to it, I guess.  I was not a fan of having to wait for a certain phrase to be said at the immunity challenge mat chat like we saw in 41 and 42.  I much prefer having to accomplish something, like getting beads in 43 or the cage twist in 44, and not having to rely upon someone from another tribe.  

Amulet(s): 4/10
Again, another idea that just falls flat.  We've seen this now in 42 and 45, and each time it just seems to put a target on people's backs.  I think if the showrunners try it a third time and the players are given the option, I think they'll choose not to have it.  I get that they're trying to create cross-tribal alliances, but all they're doing is making them targets for one another.  They should change it so that the combined amulets become more powerful so long as all owners are still in the game at certain points.  All three make it to the merge?  Extra vote.  Final 10?  Steal a vote.  Final 6?  Full-blown idol.  But they haven't really laid out who gets control of the advantage once it gets those points, so that'd be interesting to see...

Shot in the Dark: 7/10
The "SitD" as I call it, is one of the better new era ideas.  It creates drama when there likely is none.  Obvious boot?  Well, there's still the shot in the dark, which could save them!  It also adds a layer of strategy, because you have to decide if losing your vote is worth it.  For example, in 41, if Sydney hadn't played her shot in the dark and instead had voted, she likely survives.  I just can't rate it higher than 7/10, because, to me, it overcomplicates the game a bit.  With SitD's being transferrable and only able to be played once, I now have to keep track of who currently has their SitD?  There comes a point where there's just too much to keep track of.  

"Merge-atory": 4/10
Jeff says that you have to "earn the merge".  You know what, Jeff?  They earned the merge by getting that far in the game, you dick.  Fortunately, it's a lot better without the hourglass twist, but I'm still very against the idea of likely only 6/13 people being eligible to be voted for.  I also do not like when they add a layer of luck to the game, because some good players can get unlucky and have to leave the game, and a layer of luck is added when they randomly divide them into two teams.  

Split Tribal at Final 12 or 10: 2/10
Just... stop this.  Please.  I get having to have two people be voted out in one episode.  But instead of dividing them into two teams of 5 or 6, just have two tribal councils with all 10 or 12 people.  We've lost some decent players because of this awful twist, such as Matt in 44.  It adds another layer of luck that I am not a fan of.  And I think they've done this in seasons before 41 (Ghost Island, for one), but since it's been used every season since the start of the new era, I consider this a "New Era" twist.  

Three tribe format: 4/10
The worst part of this three-tribe format is that they never swap into two tribes.  I'm okay watching three-team immunity challenges, because there's usually some drama, either between 1st and 2nd or 2nd and 3rd.  But only having 6 players per tribe is getting very tiresome.  There's not much room to maneuver as a player, and if you are put on a struggling tribe, you will likely not make the merge.  Also, if there is one tribe having a lot of success that never goes to tribal council, the whole tribe could end up getting purpled, like we saw with the Coco tribe in 41.  If we had a regular two-tribe format, we likely see J.D. in 41 at the merge.  But because his tribe struggled so much pre-merge, he was voted out.  

Do or Die: 1/10
I almost gave this a 0/10, because it was that bad.  What saves it from that 0 mark is the fact you can opt out of the challenge, therefore not risking elimination via a game of chance.  I wish everyone had opted out of one of these, just to spite the showrunners.  Fortunately, each time the Do or Die did not work, saving Deshawn and Lindsay.  Thank goodness they stopped it after 42.  But much like with the hourglass twist, it breaks a Survivor cardinal sin.  This time, you can get eliminated from the game without a single vote against you.  You could be playing a perfect game, but because you wanted to compete in a challenge, you get eliminated from the game.  If it had eliminated someone, I wonder if Jeff was going to say, "The tribe has spoken".  Probably not.  

Choose Your Champion: 7/10
We've only seen this once, in 43, and unfortunately, we might not see it again.  Essentially, you choose who you think will win an immunity challenge, and if they do, you win immunity as well.  I wish the reveal was done sooner, rather than at tribal council.  I think people should know if they can vote for you or not.  But I guess it's like an idol, which a lot of people don't get to know about.  But I liked the element of how well people know their tribemates.  I think they should incorporate these for reward as well.

Sweat or Savvy/Earning Supplies: 4/10
I'm just not a big fan of having to "earn" your supplies.  As viewers, what do we care if someone has their supplies or not... honestly?  They kept tweaking the sweat vs. savvy challenges.  At first, they were too easy, then they were too hard, then they just got rid of it.  They clearly couldn't design sweat vs. savvy to be the right difficulty.  For 47, they made a "captain" from each of the losing tribes compete in a kind of scavenger hunt, which is slightly more fun to watch.  But again... why do we care?

Average: 3.93/10
The twists and changes in the new era have largely been disappointing.  Survivor's at its best when its a slowly evolving game, and I felt like in the new era, they did too much too fast.  I like how bad ideas were phased out, such as the hourglass or "Do or Die".  I wish they'd go back to two tribes or 39 days, but we can't always get what we want, can we?  Anyway, that's all I have for now, but if there are any others, I'll add them to the list and give my thoughts.

Rating Dungeon Siege Characters

 I recently rated the Towns and Areas in Dungeon Siege, so I'll also rate the characters.  I'm going to rate them based on how effective they are and how much I feel they contribute once they become a part of my party.  I'll go in chronological order of when you meet the characters.  Of course, the starting character is customizable, so I'm not going to rate them.

Ulora - 7.5/10
Ulora isn't the best fighter in the game, but I keep her rating up due to her versatility.  When you first meet Ulora, you can basically turn her into anything you want, and she'll be at least fairly decent at it.  Consider Ulora the utility player of the game.  

Gyorn - 6.5/10
For melee fighters, Gyorn ends up being below average for me most of the time.  He's not awful, but could be better.  Fortunately, since you meet him so early, you could make him into something else if you really wanted to.  But if you take him and Rusk at the same time, he instantly starts behind Rusk on stats.  

Zed - 5.5/10
I don't know what it is, but Zed has never been that great for me.  Usually, I end up replacing him with Merik or Andiemus, so I can't ever recall reaching the end with him.  If you don't need a wizard and you're tight on gold, you might want to leave him behind.  It might be smarter to make your starting character or Ulora a wizard.

Rusk - 9/10
Rusk always ends up being super solid for me and one of my best fighters.  He costs a bit of gold for when you meet him, but he's worth it.  He's incredibly tough and will level up fast if you give him the right weapon and gear.  

Naidi - 8/10
Naidi is also super solid.  It's a shame you only meet two pure archers in the entire game.  She is worth picking up, but again, she is costly.  

Gloern - 6.5/10
I can never get Gloern to be one of my best melee fighters, so I can't recall ever reaching the end with him.  Melee fighters are a dime a dozen, and Gloern is certainly one of them.  He's also one of three dwarf melee fighters in the game, but at least he is free.

Kroduk - 8.5/10
Kroduk, like Rusk, is another great melee fighter.  However, I do find him slightly lagging behind Rusk more often than not.  You could get away with only Rusk and Kroduk as melee fighters if you want to.  

Lorun - 6.5/10
It's crazy how far you have to get into the game until you meet a wizard who specializes in combat magic.  And Lorun is decent.  But I find for his time in the game, you either deal with one of two faults, depending on the attack spell you use.  Either you use Soul Lance, which drains his Mana like crazy, or you use Flame, which puts Lorun in harm's way and gets him to pass out a lot and possibly die.  

Merik - 7.5/10
I bump Merik's rating up because of the great items he has.  He has a really good cloak and boots that add to health, mana, and add 1 to Intelligence.  He's also not bad of a fighter, either, and I would take him (slightly) over Zed.  And the best part is that he's free.  

Phaedriel - 8/10
I give Phaedriel the same rating as Naidi.  Both are good archers and worth their gold.  I'd rate them both higher if they were cheaper or free.  But Phaedriel, like Naidi, is worth picking up.  I'd recommend carrying both.  

Andiemus - 7/10
I've never been a huge fan of his, and it's really a judgment call if you want him or Merik.  I wouldn't recommend both, but you could if you want.  I don't like how he costs a bit of gold, but you can replenish your gold soon after by selling to the merchant near him.  

Boryev - 8/10
Boryev is the first character in the game that has multiple skills.  He's got some melee skill points as well as combat magic.  I'd go with just combat magic, but maybe occasionally switch to melee if his mana gets drained using a high-cost spell, such as Fire Wall.  But doing that requires giving him a lot of your attention.  Still, he's worth it.  You won't find a tougher wizard in the game (unless you make the starting character that).

Rhut - 5.5/10
I rarely add Rhut to my team.  Generally, my team's melee fighters are superior by the time I meet him.  Plus, it's just a waste of gold.  I'd only ever pick him up if I needed to add a melee fighter for some reason.

Sikra - 8.5/10
This is my favorite wizard in the game, and the only female one.  She has combat and nature magic skills, although combat is superior, so I'd recommend sticking with that.  She's fairly tough too, considering she's a wizard.  And best of all, she's free.

Ulfgrim - 5.5/10
Ulfgrim, like Rhut, costs a lot and generally isn't worth adding to your team.  Maybe if I'm doing an all-melee fighters team, I'll add him.  And like Ulfgrim, his skills tend to be a bit behind my team's.

Lord Bolingar - 8/10
Lord Bolingar typically has comparable skills, but he comes so late in the game.  Is it worth making a change so late?  Typically by the time you meet him, your team has started to gel well and doesn't need much improvement.  Maybe if somehow you still have a pack-mule and want to replace it?  

With that said, here is my ideal final team:
Created Character
Rusk
Kroduk
Naidi
Phaedriel
Merik/Andiemus/Zed
Boryev
Sikra

It's got a nice balance.  Typically, my created character is a melee fighter, so that would make 3 melee fighters, two archers, and three wizards.  

Rating Dungeon Siege Areas and Towns

 Dungeon Siege is one of my favorite video games of all time.  I've replayed it close to a dozen times over the years (probably more).  I love customizing my team.  I recently played through and beat the game with wizards only.  It was not easy.  I thought I'd go through and rank each area and town in the game out of 10.  

Points will be given for secret areas, things to do besides fighting, and cool bosses.  Points will be taken away for being too long and annoying enemies.  I'll also give or take away points based on the town's or area's overall aesthetic.  In chronological order...

Farmlands - 7/10
It's a solid start to the game.  The Krug are a good first enemy to fight.  There's a hidden area with a bear that I didn't see on my first couple of playthroughs.  I like the basement area where you have to beat a Krug "boss."  I have to take points away, however, because in this area, I have to leave items behind on the ground.  There are no merchants until Stonebridge, and you typically don't get the Transmute spell early enough.  And the inventory is only so much until you can get pack mules.

Crypt of the Sacred Blood - 6/10
Again, I hate having to leave items behind.  I'm not going to backtrack for all of them.  The skeleton enemies are easy enough if you have a ranged weapon/attack and just keep your distance.  I just think it's pretty boring.  As you'll see, I'm not the biggest fan of underground areas.  I like how you finally get your first companion in Ulora, but until then, this area is a bit of a drag.  And of course, the dungeon ends soon after meeting her.

Stonebridge - 8.5/10
I love Stonebridge.  There's so much to do.  In fact, if I had a critique, it's that there's too much to do.  It's the first town in the game, and for beginners, it's easy to miss things.  For example, the first few times I played, I missed the Ordus' Axe quest and even missed finding Rusk!  As for the aesthetic, it loses a 1/2 point or so with me because everyone in the town is so gloomy and upset about the recent Krug attack.  

Ruins of Wesrin Cross - 5.5/10
Another underground part and another part I don't particularly like.  My least favorite part of Wesrin Cross is the underground tunnel maze.  I hate thinking that there's an area I missed, and it's very difficult to know for sure.  Then, of course, there's the giant area with about a hundred enemies, resulting in a giant spider boss at the end.  Let's just say I'm always so glad to be done with this area.

Glitterdelve Mines - 6.5/10
I'm not a huge fan of the mines, either.  Sure, you get Gloern at the start, but he's okay at best (and typically falls behind guys like Rusk and Kroduk).  It's pretty repetitive, with little to no payoff.  I don't like the moving platforms and trying to fit my entire party, pack mule(s) and all, on them.  The rock beasts are always tough.  This rating would be higher if the previous area wasn't also underground.  Fortunately, there's a merchant right before this area.

Glacern - 9.5/10
I LOVE Glacern.  It's the best town in the game.  My favorite part of the game is when I first enter Glacern and hear that awesome music.  If you haven't listened, I recommend checking it out.  There's so much to do in Glacern: Adding Kroduk and Lorun, talking to the Overseer, talking to Ada.  There's even an underground basement area in one of the houses.  Also, there's a mini-quest involving finding the three volumes of Fedwyyr's Way.  I just love Glacern.  It's the perfect size, too.  I can't give it a perfect rating because I wish the merchants weren't separate (The spells and potion merchant and the armor and weapons merchant).  

Alpine Cavern Ice Caves - 7/10
It's an okay area.  The enemies aren't too annoying, although the sound they make sort of is.  There is a nice payoff in finding Merik near the end.  It can be challenging if you get too many ice beasts fighting you at once, so you must be careful.  I just don't like the feeling of being in a cave with no daylight coming through.

Caves - 5.5/10
It's just so dark.  The enemies, like lungers, suck.  The music and aesthetic is one of the worst in the game.  It's not terribly difficult, at least.  But there aren't any hidden areas or merchants (you have a rude merchant, Jeriah, beforehand and a merchant after, though).  I have never been fond of this area, but they somehow have to transition from snow to a forest.

Traveler Camp/Dark Forest - 8.5/10
I lumped these two together as no defined barriers (walls) separate the camp from the forest.  Anyway, I do really enjoy this part.  You get merchants at the start and get an archer you can add to your group in Phaedriel.  Then there is the forest, where you encounter your only human enemies in the game, the bandits.  They are tough but beatable, so long as you take on as few of them at once as possible.  And I count three secret areas, from the riverside camp to the secret bandit fortress to the Lost Witch.  And the bandit camp where the bandit boss is has a ton of great loot.  I only wish I didn't have to go back to the previous merchant as much.

Eastern Swamp - 8/10
I used to hate this area.  Now I like it.  It's a massive area, and the path becomes less defined.  The enemies are fairly annoying.  I like the crypt/graveyard area, and man, those corpses can swarm on you quickly.  You find a wizard in Andiemus you can add, and soon after, a merchant who is a sight for sore eyes (although she's a creepy old lady).  I also like how there's an area where a part of your party can fall through the ground to an area below.  It always catches me off guard.  

Underground Factory - 6.5/10
There's no official name for this area that I have seen, but it's after the swamp where you find Merik's staff.  Anyway, this factory area has a ton of tough enemies that can seem endless, hence the tough rating I gave it.  A boss is guarding Merik's staff, who is very tough.  But fortunately, he has a ton of good loot.  There is a secret area or two, which does help keep things interesting if you can find them.

Temple Ruins - 7.5/10
This includes the preceding forest, as I consider that sizable enough to be included.  I like this area.  The merchant, Thayne, is a funny dude ("I'm very sure I shall be SEEING you again...").  I'd bet a lot of money his voice actor also voiced Baron Dumas in No One Lives Forever.  Anyway, there's a quest where you have to go underground and fight a bunch of lungers and other enemies, which isn't particularly fun.  But I love being able to return to Thayne many times to sell the gear I've found.  

Fortress Kroth - 7/10
I'm fairly indifferent to this area.  It's all right.  You stumble across Boryev, who's an interesting solider/sorcerer hybrid you can add to your party.  The skeleton enemies are ok to fight as they're extremely slow.  I don't like fighting the boss, though.  He is tough.  But what must be included is the actual Fortress, where you meet two merchants and Rhut at the end.  Rhut isn't worth it unless you want a team of all-melee fighters.  I love the music at Fortress Kroth though, second best to Glacern.  But there's not as much to do.  

Cliffs of Fire - 7.5/10
First, you meet Ulfgrim, who is the third dwarf melee fighter (and he costs a lot of gold), so I hardly ever add him to my party.  What pushes this rating up for me are the breathtaking views you get as you rise in elevation.  I love how the paths intercross each other as you go higher; that was an interesting design concept.  The enemies are okay, but they can be tough.  I do like the payoff at the end with finding the good Droogs and their leader who you can trade with.  It didn't hit me until recently that she is the second-to-last merchant in the game.

Dragon's Rathe - 6.5/10
It's not a big area, but it has perhaps the most memorable boss in the game, the giant dragon.  I remember the dragon has over 30,000 hit points, so it always takes a long time to take the dragon down.  Fortunately, it's worth it, as the dragon is surrounded by a ton of loot.  The battle can be long and tedious as you just repeatedly attack it, so it loses points there.

Castle Ehb - 9/10
First off, you have the area before the castle, which includes a secret area with skeleton fighters and a maze.  There's some loot there, but not a ton.  You also get the last possible addition to your party in Lord Bolingar.  He's a good melee fighter if you need one.  Then you get to the castle, which I love exploring.  You go through its many rooms, including where the king slept and the throne room.  You go all around and above it to find an elevator that takes you below the Castle.  Of course, the Seck enemies are very tough and must be cautiously approached.

Underneath Castle Ehb - 8.5/10
Again, no official name, but there's a lot you go through.  You get to the King, who gives you a key.  You also meet your final merchant of the game, who you interestingly talk to through jail doors.  I can just picture each side sending armor and weapons through the bars.  After the merchant, there's more fighting, including some weird Cyclops-like prisoner named Swanny.  You can get his club if you defeat him.  Then you can get to the Chamber of Stars area, which unlocks the absolute best loot in the game if you use the key given to you by the king.  Next is the lava area, which leads to the final area and the game's final boss in Gom.  This is a very solid finish to the game.  The Chamber of Stars is certainly a highlight.  

Rating Survivor Seasons

This is part 2 of 3 of my Survivor posts, and this time I am going to rate each season on four different attributes: 1. The players.  Did this season have memorable players?  Did a lot of the players come back to play again, or just one?  2. The twists.  How well received were the twists/changes by the Survivor community?  This will also include the challenges a bit, and if they had memorable challenges it will help this score.  3. The result.  Did good players make it far, or were we robbed of a great finish? 4. The theme/location.  This ties into the twists, but I will still keep it separate.  Was the theme or location of the season well received?  How about how they divided tribes at the start?

Borneo
Players: 3, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 5, Total: 14/20
The first season of Survivor is quite different.  The final vote was not read in front of a live studio audience.  There are some memorable players, namely the winner, Rich, Rudy, Jenna, and Sue.  But there were way too many forgettable players.  Of course, the first season didn’t have many twists, but it was the first season so I just let it have an average rating.  The result wasn’t perfectly ideal because everyone, producers included, wanted Rudy to win.  The theme… well how can you top the first season?

Australian Outback
Players: 4, Twists: 3, Result: 4, Theme: 5, Total: 16/20
The second season of Survivor was definitely more entertaining than the first.  I think they had a bit more memorable players, with a lot of returning players including Colby, Jerri, Tina, Amber, Jeff, and Michael.  I don’t recall too many twists, but they had decent challenges and the fact Colby got surprised by his mom was cool.  Tina winning wasn’t perfectly ideal; I think America wanted Colby, but at least a nice player won in Tina and not Keith.  The Outback theme is one of Survivor’s best, and it’s a bit of a shame they haven’t gone back to Australia. 

Africa
Players: 4, Twists: 4, Result: 4, Theme: 5, Total: 17/20
Survivor stays on the rise as Ethan wins over Kim.  There was also Big Tom and Lex, but not too many memorable or returning players after that.  The tribe switch was introduced to great results, as it adds a complexity to the game.  Ethan winning is about as good as it can get, although Big Tom should’ve been in the Final 3 and America loved him.  Can’t really beat the African jungle theme, but at least they were able to go back to that continent once more. 

Marquesas
Players: 3, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 2, Total: 11/20
Survivor took a bit of a nose dive here, in my opinion.  There were some memorable players, such as Boston Rob, but he didn’t make it that far.  The ones that made it far… meh.  The twists; well, I can’t really recall any, but none that people hated, either.  Kathy and Paschal were the two favorites in the Final 4, yet neither made the Final 2, although Vecepia is still pretty well-liked (and was Survivor’s first minority winner).  By the way, does anyone really remember where “Marquesas” is?  Meh on the theme. 

Thailand
Players: 1, Twists: 4, Result: 2, Theme: 3, Total: 10/20
Thailand has long been considered one of Survivor’s worst seasons, and I have to admit, it’s not particularly fun to watch.  Only one player ever returned to play again, Shii-Ann, and she didn’t even make the jury.  I liked the twist of delaying the merge and they had some really cool challenges.  Brian winning… I mean, I personally like it because he was definitely the best player, but he’s not a good person.  They went to an Asian country for the first time, so that was cool, although it wasn’t really used in challenges/twists.

Amazon
Players: 3, Twists: 3, Result: 4, Theme: 4, Total: 14/20
Survivor Amazon was known for dividing the tribes by gender, and it was received with mixed reactions.  The players were fairly memorable, namely Jenna, Heidi, and Rob.  The challenges were decent, especially the “Go Fish” type-one, which allowed the males and females to flirt with each other.  Jenna winning was fairly ideal, especially with what she had to go through with her mother a year later.  And to go to the Amazon rainforest was pretty cool; shame they haven’t since.

Pearl Islands
Players: 5, Twists: 2, Result: 3, Theme: 5, Total: 15/20
Survivor is back on the rise with Pearl Islands.  I had to give them a 5 for players mainly for introducing us to Rupert, but also to Sandra, Jonny Fairplay, and Andrew Savage.  I had to dock them on the twists, because of the Outcasts twist that reintroduced players into the game that had previously gotten voted out.  The result was okay with Sandra winning, but having Fairplay get further than Rupert and having Lil, an outcast, make it to the end was not.  The theme was clearly pirate based, and I loved it.  They should have done more seasons like that. 

All-Stars
Players: 5, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 4, Total: 15/20
The first season to feature returning castaways, All-Stars was definitely popular among the fans.  The players were very interesting, and for the first time we got to see our favorites from different seasons interact with one another in the game.  I don’t recall too many twists, other than having three tribes for the first time, which was cool.  The result could have been better as people wanted Rupert to win (and in retrospect, probably Rob).  The theme was All-Stars, what more could you expect?

Vanuatu
Players: 2, Twists: 2, Result: 3, Theme: 4, Total: 11/20
Survivor didn’t follow up All-Stars particularly strongly.  Not too many memorable or returning players, at least not with the men.  There was at least Eliza, Twila, and Ami.  The twist of dividing by gender was used again and it was again met with mixed reaction and results.  The result of Chris winning after being the last man for many votes was interesting.  The theme was pretty cool, having a volcanic backdrop (and an earthquake).

Palau
Players: 4, Twists: 3, Result: 4, Theme: 2, Total: 13/20
Palau was an interesting one, for sure.  The players were fairly memorable, namely Tom, Ian, and Steph.  The twists were ok, although they did introduce exile island for the first time, but I don’t like how they had people eliminate two castaways (Jonathan and Wanda) almost instantly from the game.  Tom’s one of the most likable winners they’ve had, although they could’ve had more balanced tribes.  The theme was forgettable, just seemed like they picked a random island location.  It was featured a bit in challenges (going to the sunken ship to retrieve bottles, for one), but not enough.

Guatemala
Players: 2, Twists: 3, Result: 3. Theme: 4, Total: 12/20
Guatemala is a pretty darn forgettable season according to most Survivor fans.  The few memorable players were the returning ones in Steph and Bobby Jon.  The introduction of the Hidden Immunity Idol was cool, but I hated the dilemma they sprang on Cindy, forced to choose between owning a car herself or giving everyone else one.  Danni winning is kind of forgettable, and this season would have benefited better from Rafe winning.  I liked the idea of going to Central America and they really incorporated the Mayan theme well.

Panama/Exile Island
Players: 3, Twists: 4, Result: 2, Theme: 3, Total: 12/20
This season had a ton of potential and kind of came up flat.  There were quite a few interesting players, namely Cirie, Danielle, Terry, and Shane.  The twist of four tribes separated by age and gender was smartly used for only a little bit, and Exile Island was a decent idea.  The result of Aras winning wasn’t perfectly ideal; He was forgettable and Terry and Cirie were more likable.  The final two of him and Danielle was disappointing.  The theme was cool, and Panama is a great location, but why did they have to give this season two names?  Makes it confusing.

Cook Islands
Players: 5, Twists: 1, Result: 5, Theme: 3, Total: 14/20
This is a very polarizing season for sure.  While it contained many memorable players (Yul, Ozzy, Parvati, Candice, Penner), its twist of dividing by race was not well-received at all, and nor in retrospect was the all powerful Idol that could be played after the votes were read.  The result of Yul beating out Ozzy and Becky was pretty ideal, how can you beat that?  The Cook Islands was a pretty decent location choice, although not particularly memorable.

Fiji
Players: 2, Twists: 1, Result: 3, Theme: 3, Total: 9/20
This might be the worst season in Survivor history (at least in the first 20).  There weren’t many memorable players outside of Yau-Man and Rocky.  The twist of having one tribe live in luxury while the other lived with nothing was predictably bad and resulted in the tribe with luxuries dominating challenges.  The result of Earl winning sort of saved the season from complete disaster, although Yau-Man winning would have been better.  The Fiji theme is ok and I liked how they incorporated native Fijians, but now that’s the only location they film. 

China
Players: 4, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 4, Total: 14/20
China was a pretty decent season and it’s hard to not like it.  There were a lot of memorable players including Amanda, Courtney, Denise, Peih-Gee, and James.  The twist of stealing two players from the other tribe failed, but I liked the challenges they had and putting Idols at both camps.  The result of Todd winning is just okay since there were more likable players.  The Chinese theme was awesome, and they sure incorporated it into most of the challenges.

Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites
Players: 4, Twists: 3, Result: 4, Theme: 3, Total: 14/20
Survivor: Micronesia had so much potential but ultimately it doesn’t outshine other seasons and, in my opinion, is one of the worst seasons with at least half-returning players.  The favorites were interesting, but the fans were not particularly memorable.  The twists were ok, not too many of them, the memorable ones being two people on Exile Island and the Idols at the beginning.  Can’t really complain about Parvati winning, although male Favorites James and Ozzy were hoped by many to go further.  The idea of putting fans against players they watched was interesting, although not a particularly memorable location.

Gabon
Players: 3, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 4, Total: 13/20
Survivor: Gabon was certainly memorable, mainly for its location.  The players were interesting, namely Sugar, Randy, Crystal, and Kenny.  It’s a shame Kenny hasn’t returned.  The twists were ok, including a tribe switch and a very isolated Exile Island that gave the player the option of Clue or Luxury.  The result of Bob winning, while he’s likable, is not very memorable.  He wasn’t a very strong strategic player.  The theme was awesome, returning to Africa, although there wasn’t quite enough African culture incorporated.

Tocantins
Players: 4, Twists: 4, Result: 4, Theme: 4, Total: 16/20
I think Tocantins may be one of the most underrated seasons.  JT, Stephen, Coach, and Tyson led the way as memorable players that played again.  The twists were nicely done, with opposing tribe members going to Exile Island and the twist at the beginning of signaling out your weakest player.  The result of JT winning is pretty darn ideal, although it would’ve been cool to see Coach/Tyson make it a bit further.  The theme was cool: the South American highlands of Brazil. 

Samoa
Players: 4, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 3, Total: 13/20
The season that Russell built.  If not for one Russell Hantz, this season would be one of the most forgettable ones in Survivor history.  Russell almost alone accounts for the player score, although Shambo and Laura were cool.  The twists weren’t particularly memorable and they could’ve benefited from a tribe swap.  The result of Natalie winning isn’t ideal; I think this season would have benefited from Russell winning.  I like going to Samoa for a season, but I feel the Samoan culture wasn’t incorporated quite enough.

Heroes vs. Villains
Players: 5, Twists: 4, Result: 4, Theme: 5, Total: 18/20
One of Survivor’s most memorable seasons is this one, Heroes vs. Villains.  They really couldn’t have chosen better Heroes or Villains.  I liked how they teased the players with a merge, only to wait until Final 10.  The result of Sandra winning (again) was a surprise, but it was fitting for this all-star type of season.  The Heroes voting for Sandra out of spite wasn’t the best, but Sandra is still indeed a fan favorite.  The theme of pitting good-natured people against manipulators was an awesome idea; I’d still like to see a Heroes vs. Villains 2, although some argue that a second one would tarnish the legacy of this one. 

Nicaragua
Players: 2, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 2, Total: 10/20
Nicaragua has the unfortunate distinction of being sandwiched between Heroes vs. Villains and Redemption Island.  Not ideal.  This is definitely one of the more forgettable casts with only Brenda having played twice; at least Jimmy Johnson, Marty, and Sash were cool.  And I just found out it was the oldest cast in Survivor history until Season 40, Winners at War.  The twist of separating the players by age didn’t work terribly well; the younger tribe predictably won more challenges.  Fabio winning was pretty cool, but I feel an elder should have won like Jane or Holly.  The Nicaraguan culture wasn’t incorporated enough, and the theme kind of went by the wayside.

Redemption Island
Players: 3, Twists: 2, Result: 5, Theme: 3, Total: 13/20
Redemption Island became the second season to give players a chance to get back into the game after being voted out (after the Outcasts twist in Pearl Islands).  The players were ok, with the only memorable ones outside of Rob and Russell being Phillip and Andrea.  The twist was not too well received and they fortunately didn’t keep it up too long.  And I hated how they substituted reward challenges with the Redemption Island duel.  And to top it off, the fact they didn’t do a tribe switch hurt this season as the Zapatera’s got picked off one by one, predictably.  The result of Rob winning, however, saved this season.  What if Rob hadn’t won?  People might have said Survivor’s on it’s way out; it was getting to be that way.  The theme was okay, but they barely mentioned the place they were on, and it was the same as the previous season.  Very meh.

South Pacific
Players: 4, Twists: 2, Result: 4, Theme: 2, Total: 12/20
I don’t think this season was bad by any means, but it pales in comparison to others and future seasons.  I think it was around this time Survivor started losing a lot of their fanbase.  The players were fairly memorable, namely Brandon, Sophie, Cochran, and Dawn, and that’s not even counting the two returning players in Coach and Ozzy.  The Redemption Island twist was again in play and again it wasn’t that great of a twist.  Sophie beating Coach was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one.  The theme… the might as well have called it Redemption Island 2 since they again brought two former male players back, but at least they changed locations. 

One World
Players: 3, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 2, Total: 11/20
One World is certainly a fairly entertaining season, but it’s not a well-respected season.  There were a few memorable players, but not always for good reasons.  Kim, Troyzan, Kat, and Colton came back again, but many players on this season are not well-liked, such as Colton and Alicia.  The twist of the one world theme was only done once, which shows it wasn’t that great of a twist, but the tribe swap helped so that it wasn’t just men against women.  The result of Kim winning is a pretty desirable one as she is a likable, yet as Jeff pointed out at the reunion, it was pretty obvious and predictable.  I don’t even know if they mentioned where this season was filmed, which shows the change in the theme of this and future seasons.  Men against women again?  It was a mediocre twist at best, again. 

Philippines
Players: 3, Twists: 3, Result: 4, Theme: 3, Total: 13/20
Survivor Philippines was a very solid season, with most players that made the jury being fairly memorable.  Giving three players that were medically evacuated another shot was awesome to see, as we got to close the books on three memorable players.  But of all the non-winning players, only Malcolm and Abi returned to play again.  There weren’t too many twists, so the game was not overly complicated, which I liked.  The result was pretty inspiring, to see Denise go to every tribal council and win.  I can’t give a full 5 for the result because Malcolm was a bit more well-liked and no one, me especially, likes to see a tribe get decimated.  I like how the Filippino theme was incorporated, and they even had a reward where the winners got to visit a local Filippino village.

Caramoan
Players: 3, Twists: 4, Result: 4, Theme: 3, Total: 14/20
Caramoan (Fans vs. Favorites 2) was the start of the Survivor “resurgence”.  There were a few likable players, namely Cochran, Malcolm, and Brenda, but there were too many forgettable fans.  There weren’t many twists, but the tribe swap was perfectly timed.  I couldn’t give it a 5 because I didn’t like the dilemma they forced upon Brenda, which ultimately led to her getting voted out. Cochran is one of many people’s favorite winners, but he could have gone against better competition (better than weeping Dawn and lame Sherry).  The semi-popular theme of Fans vs. Favorites was used again, and for (so far) the 2nd to last time, the location was in the title. 

Blood vs. Water
Players: 4, Twists: 2, Result: 4, Theme: 3, Total: 13/20
Blood vs. Water was the start of Survivor really focusing on the theme and types of players on the season, rather than the location.  What made the cast great was not only the returning players, but a lot of loved ones who were interesting themselves, including Ciera, Brad, and Hayden.  The twists of this season were pretty bad.  Redemption Island returned as a way to add a twist in the Blood vs. Water theme, but players having an opportunity to return to the game after being voted out has never been well-received.  Also, this meant there were no separate reward challenges, which really hurt this season.  The idol clues were mostly burned in the fire, but the twist that angers me most is having to vote someone out on day 2 without getting to know one another.  This resulted in us losing Rupert.  That’s why I couldn’t give a 5 for result, as Tyson winning is a pretty desirable result.  The theme was okay, but the execution fell flat.  Jeff overhyped it at times and it seemed like they were desperate for ideas. 

Cagayan (Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty)
Players: 4, Twists: 3, Result: 4, Theme: 3, Total: 14/20
The season we were introduced to our future king, Tony!  Cagayan is definitely a solid season.  The cast has always been lauded as being a great cast.  The final three of the Brain tribe all came back for second chance (Spencer, Kass, Tasha).  There’s Tony of course, as well as Sarah and Woo.  I didn’t really like the “Super Idol” idea Tyler Perry had, and it kind of fell flat.  Tony never even had to use it.  I did like going back to a final 2 again, although I wish they had stuck with it in future seasons.  Tony winning made him a very deserving winner, although most wish Spencer could’ve gotten farther.  The theme was all right; I’m not a huge fan of dividing tribes like this, as players feel pressure to live up to their tribe’s moniker. 

San Juan Del Sur (Blood vs. Water 2)
Players: 3, Twists: 4, Result: 3, Theme: 2, Total: 12/20
This isn’t a particularly memorable season for being great.  The cast was somewhat decent--we got introduced to Jeremy, Natalie, and Keith.  But a large part of the cast was unlikable: Rocker, Julie, Reed, Drew, and Alec all gave us reasons to dislike them.  The twists were well-timed I thought, and I liked the pairs of loved ones facing off for reward in the beginning.  The tribes were one-sided before the tribe swap, and Natalie winning was ok, but she never controlled the game.  The theme was a reuse of Blood vs. Water but this time no returning players, which in my opinion was a bit of a let down. 

Worlds Apart (White Collar vs. Blue Collar vs. No Collar
Players: 4, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 3, Total: 13/20
Worlds Apart is a decent season, carried by its memorable cast.  However, not everyone was memorable for good reasons.  Will, Dan, and Rodney all made disparaging remarks or comments against women, and none have been brought back as a result.  But they brought back four other players, Joe, Hali, Shirin, and Sierra.  The twists weren’t many, but this was the first season they introduced an advantage other than an idol (An extra vote).  I also despised how often they were split into teams after the merge for reward challenges.  Mike winning is only somewhat ideal, as he wasn’t a great strategist or social player.  And the theme was only partially well-received, it seemed kind of forced and lame.  There was also very few mentions of the filming location, Nicaragua. 

Cambodia: Second Chance
Players: 4, Twists: 3, Result: 4, Theme: 4, Total: 15/20
Is this really one of the better seasons in Survivor history?  It might be.  A cast made of all-returning players is always entertaining, but the cast was largely recent players and early season players.  There were seven players from San Juan Del Sur and Cagayan combined, including the final 5.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the twists, namely two tribe swaps, which just overly complicated the game and resulted in these “voting blocks”.  The result of Jeremy winning, I mean, how can you not like that?  I just wish players like Joe and even Fischbach made it further.  The theme of second chances was cool, but overused a tad.  And I like how they incorporated the Cambodian theme quite a bit, especially at a cool reward challenge.

Kaoh Rong (Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty 2)
Players: 3, Twists: 3, Result: 3, Theme: 3, Total: 12/20
This was a very average season at best.  The cast isn’t universally revered as no one outside of the final 3 returned to play again, other than Caleb.  The twists were very underwhelming, and the remove a juror twist was not well-received.  The result of Michele winning at first was not well-received (as people felt Aubry deserved to win), but I think over time people have respected Michele’s game more and more.  She later proved in WAW that she is a really good player.  And rehashing a gimmicky theme led to mediocre results.  This will always be a very “meh” season. 

Millennials vs. Gen X
Players: 3, Twists: 3, Result: 4, Theme: 3, Total: 13/20
Not much better than Kaoh Rong is MvGx.  The players weren’t extremely memorable outside of Adam, Zeke, and David.  The twists were okay, but this season further expanded the advantages, introducing the legacy advantage.  The result of Adam winning is pretty ideal, as his mom died from lung cancer, but David winning would have been the perfect capper on the season.  The theme was all right; it’s the best result of a season where the tribes were divided by age.  But this started the string of every season after being filmed in Fiji, so I couldn’t score it high there, either.  Another so-so season. 

Game Changers
Players: 3, Twists: 2, Result: 3, Theme: 3, Total: 11/20
This is perhaps the worst all-returning player season.  I rated the players so low because some “game changer” choices were very questionable, such as Halli, Sierra, Troyzan, Varner, and Debbie.  The twists are rated low because there were too many tribe swaps and too many advantages.  The result is okay, but too many big players were gone early (Tony, Sandra, JT, Ozzy), and not many wanted to see Culpepper and Troyzan in the end.  At least Sierra is a respectable winner.  The theme was an all right idea, if only they chose actual game changers. 

Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers
Players: 3, Twists: 2, Result: 3, Theme: 2, Total: 10/20
Is this season really that bad?  I really didn’t particularly enjoy it, in all honesty.  The cast was all right, although I don’t see many returning for future seasons.  The twist of forced firemaking at Final 4 notoriously started this season, and most Survivor fans despise it.  Ben is a respectable winner, although a lot of Survivor fans don’t really respect his gameplay.  And the theme was very so-so at best.  Sounds like they just came up with three random words that started with the same letter.  Also, remind me again how a data analyst/actuary is a hero? 

Ghost Island
Players: 2, Twists: 2, Result: 3, Theme: 3, Total: 10/20
Ghost Island may be just as bad as its predecessor, if not worse.  The cast was largely lackluster.  Wendell and Dom were fairly interesting, and Donathan was okay, but that’s it.  Angela, Laurel, Sebastian, and Chelsea, who all made it far, were boring.  The twists were ok, at least the advantages were call-backs.  But there were too many tribe swaps (again) and the original Malolo just got picked off anyway.  Anytime a minority wins, I think it’s good for Survivor, and Wendell was a worthy winner.  The theme saved this season, as it was definitely the most interesting aspect of the season (more so than the cast or gameplay).  This is not a season I particularly enjoyed rewatching. 

David vs. Goliath
Players: 3, Twists: 2, Result: 3, Theme: 4, Total: 12/20
David vs. Goliath was definitely an improved season from the last.  The cast was decent, with notable players like Nick, Angelina, Christian, and Gabby.  There again were too many advantages, but at least they made one tribal exciting (the idol nullifier tribal).  The result of a David winning in Nick is pretty desirable, but Christian would have been a more ideal winner, and the Davids got decimated early.  I look at this theme as an improved version of Fiji’s.  It’s the haves vs. the have nots, but referring to outside the game rather than inside.  So I liked the theme. 

Edge of Extinction
Players: 3, Twists: 2, Result: 2, Theme: 2, Total: 9/20
Is this the worst season so far?  It might be.  The cast was the best part of the season, although the majority of the original Kama tribe was pretty boring.  The Edge of Extinction twist is almost universally hated by Survivor fans.  Again, the advantages were a bit too much.  For the first time, a person voted out of the game returned to win it.  Therefore the result is a low score.  The theme is also the biggest twist of the season.  At least they brought back some likable return players.  But they largely did not factor into this season. 

Island of the Idols
Players: 1, Twists: 2, Result: 2, Theme: 3, Total: 8/20
Now this is the worst season of Survivor.  First off, the cast is a huge let-down.  There were a ton of uninteresting players, and a few that were very unlikable, namely Dan, Elizabeth, and Missy.  At least there was Janet, but she was voted out too soon.  The twists were largely unmemorable or overly complicated.  The result was okay, at best, with yet again another male winning (although we can’t say Noura deserved it).  This season could have been saved by Janet or maybe Elaine winning.  The theme of having Rob and Sandra coach the contestants was easily the most memorable and interesting part of the season, but they largely didn’t factor into the season.  Their commentary at tribals was interesting, at least.

Winners at War
Players: 5, Twists: 2, Result: 3, Theme: 5, Total: 15/20
Winners at War will long be debated on how good of a season it really is.  You can’t find a more memorable cast of players: All winners.  The twist of the Edge failed miserably again, as Natalie, the first person voted out, made it to the final tribal council and almost won.  Also, there were way too many advantages in the game, making it way too hard for the average person to keep track of.  I will say Fire Tokens were a fairly nice touch; it’s just the execution fell flat for them.  The result of Tony winning is well-deserved, but I had to take off a point for the old school players getting picked off so early and a point for Natalie making it to the end.  I have to admit it would have been better if someone more entrenched in Survivor lore made it to the end, such as Boston Rob, Ethan, Parvati, Tyson, or Yul.  The theme though, which is all winners, is something that had long been rumored and we knew it would be a theme well worth watching.  So all in all, this was one of the better seasons, but it was not the best, mainly because of the Edge.  So by my rankings, here are the Top 10 seasons of Survivor: 1. Heroes vs. Villains 2. Africa 3. Australian Outback 4. Tocantins 5. All Stars 6. Winners at War 7. Pearl Islands 8. Cambodia: Second Chance 9. Cagayan

10. Borneo I had to choose my personal preferences when it came to the final two in the top ten. Just missing it were: Amazon, Cook Islands, China, Micronesia (FvF), and Caramoan. Now, the bottom 5, with the worst first: 1. Island of the Idols 2. Edge of Extinction 3. Fiji 4. Thailand 5. Nicaragua Just missing it were Ghost Island and Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. Yikes, not a great bunch of seasons, and in this group of seven, three were from the most recent six seasons. Ouch. Well, that's all I have for now. If and when Survivor continues, I may add on to this list.