After this last season of Survivor ended, and with all the excitement surrounding the returnees being voted into next season, I was going through withdrawals. This hasn't happened since the first couple of years!

So I decided to re-watch old seasons that I've taped and have saved over the years, and chose Cook Islands, as it's the earliest one that I have.

It's fun because it's the first time we see Ozzy, Candice, Parvati, Jonathan. When you know the outcome, it's interesting to see how it came to be, especially when it looks like it's never going to happen that way. But then one decision by one person can change the entire game.

Also, the hidden immunity rules were different back then. It could still be used after the votes were read. Candice was sent to Exile Island a hundred times and the idol was already gone. She and Adam had a romantic relationship. I wonder how weird that would be for her husband John if they decided to go back and watch that season. They probably wouldn't. lol

My favourites were Penner, Adam, Parv and Candice (I'm not racist, I promise lol), so I enjoyed the first half of the game more than the last half. Although I also loved the tight bond that developed between Yul and company. Actually my opinions on certain people changed a few times throughout the season based on the editing, but I've never really been a fan of the winner. I feel like Penner, Ozzy, Parvati and Candice are a few of the better known players in Survivor history, but this is like one of the forgotten seasons.

Mainly because it's considered a tainted season due to the bottle twist and the overpowered idol.

I liked it, personally. In retrospect they did a lot to sway the game into Yul's favor but I wouldn't say it was completely rigged and there's still a lot of things that could have happened to stop what did. Besides, it wasn't the first time the OP idol was used. Terry had it in Panama and he was also in an outnumbered four person alliance at the merge. Things didn't go quite the same for him.

Nate was the real star. Choppin up poop since day 1

I've been on a rewatch binge as well. Like a serious one.

I've watched 9-19, 21, 28. Now I'm working on 1-8...but out of order. Watched 4 and now I'm on 7.

As you might be able to tell I've based my rewatch on non returnee seasons besides FvF which the only season I hadn't rewatched that had a returnee was Pearl Islands but I knew Fairplay was out first so it wasn't too important.

I somewhat watched HvV when it first aired but it's been awhile and for some reason I don't remember finishing it...or maybe my memory is bad. I'm excited for 19 seasons worth of storylines and buildup to come to a head in S20.

But to the actual thread Cook Islands was one of my favorite seasons I've rewatched so far. It had a decent boot order and a good winner. Although Yul never had to use the TP idol it still gained him good leverage. I love Penner and can't wait to rewatch Phillipines because I forgot his role and outcome in that season.

KC @ 2/6/2015 21:59

Mainly because it's considered a tainted season due to the bottle twist and the overpowered idol.

When the New Raro tribe lost the challenge, went to TC, and opened the bottle that said they had to vote out a second person?

How did Jonathan not find the idol on his first time out there but Yul did? He found where it would have been after Yul had been there. I'm glad they changed the idol's powers to the one they have now. But Jonathan flipping on his old original tribemates to vote out Nate was where the game completely turned around. He felt like he was forced to vote with them to save his own hide, but once he knew they'd be voting Nate, he could have voted for Yul. Nate would still have left, but Yul would have had to have used his idol to stay in the game. He'd have been in no worse position really, but I guess by that point Jonathan had had enough of those kids being lazy, etc.

It's funny...I'd been watching it every night when I'd go to bed, sometimes even two episodes in a row. But since Candice was voting out in the last one, I skipped a night. Cause I know it's all downhill for those peeps from here. lol