Where Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers stands in season rankings

Is Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers close to being the best season of Survivor? Is it one of the worst?

Every season we survey the field and rank both the winners and the overall seasons of the CBS show for a piece, which you can view over at the link here. If you visit this said piece, you will quickly see that we’ve ranked Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers as the 18th-best season out of the 35 that have currently aired. Basically, that puts it right down the middle.

What Survivor season 35 did poorly was (mostly) in the pre-merge game. There were a few casting misses mixed in there (JP was a complete ghost most of the season) and, to go along with that, some boring and rather predictable boots. Some of the best characters, such as Alan, Patrick, and Ali, didn’t make the merge. Compared to some past pre-merge games, there just wasn’t much that popped here.

Then, we got to the pre-merge and from the jury phase on, things really started to get going. Ben proved to be a very magnetic character and his idol plays at Tribal Council made for incredible drama. The Lauren and the JP vote were especially exciting, Joe was an excellent pot-stirrer while he was around, and we found enjoyment out of seeing someone like Chrissy dominate the challenges late in the game. This was the Survivor we were hoping for. If we were judging this season only on the final five or six episodes it would’ve probably ventured into our top 15 — yet, we have to consider some of what came before it.

As for the controversial ending and the final four twist, that does hamper our enjoyment slightly mostly because like the Outcast twist in Pearl Islands, the players didn’t know about it. If they did, we’d probably feel a little more okay with it taking place and Ben winning the game. It bothers us a little bit, but we’ll also still say that he had a great story and that helps upon reflection give the season a great overall tone — Ben is not the player in the first episode you expected to win the game. There were very few places along the way you had confidence in him.

Ultimately, we forgive some of the twists and the rampant idols just because they represent Survivor trying to push the envelope — also, at least Ben wasn’t guaranteed anything. He still had to find the idols and beat Devon at the final four.

Do you agree or disagree with our ranking for Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers? Share in the comments.

For those of you looking for more interviews with the remainder of the Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers final five, don’t worry — they’re coming starting on December 26.

For now, be sure to click here to read our recent interview with Chrissy Hofbeck and like CarterMatt on Facebook to get more news on all things Survivor as soon as they are online. (Photo: CBS.)