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25. Episode 206…Trial By Fire

March 1, 2001

Both tribes were getting hungry, and resorted to desperate measures in order to eat. Kucha began to eat chicken feed, while at Ogakor, Jerri wanted to make fried green tomatoes, causing another conflict with Keith. For Ogakor, things didn't get any better at the reward challenge. One member of each tribe (Nick for Kucha and Jerri for Ogakor) was a caller, and their tribemates were blindfolded, attempting to follow directions given to them by Nick and Jerri. Kucha won, and Jerri's poor guidance upset Colby, who doused her with water after the loss. At camp, Jerri fantasized about chocolate and Colby. Kucha was confident that they could pull off an immunity challenge victory and enter the merge with a 6-4 advantage. But one morning, Mike was tending the fire, inhaled the flames, and fell in. He was evacuated from the game, and the tribes were forced to merge at five members each.

Quote: "He's burnt…he's burnt pretty bad." - Nick Brown's expert diagnosis

Why it made the top 30: This is the highest-rated non-finale episode (besides the Super Bowl-following Outback and ASS premieres). Obviously, the promos worked, and it's one of the most dramatic episodes ever. The reward challenge is one of my all-time favorites, and I love the irony that Jerri's blindest follower, Amber, is unable to follow Jerri while blindfolded. But what really makes this episode good is the genuine feeling of worry that comes across-Kucha truly cared about Mike, and it shows. Even Varner stops playing up to the cameras and gets serious. Unlike Bruce's evacuation, it's not even really a tribute, and it's not bordered by a series of funny scenes. But it works.

Hot Stuff: Ok, "stop, drop, and roll" probably wouldn't have worked. But solve this rebus puzzle to give Mike the advice he should've been given:

24. Episode 405…The End of Innocence

March 28, 2002

The Maraamu tribe won its first challenge, which gave them a chance to raid Rotu's camp for any food and supplies they wanted. They also experienced an immunity victory in the SOS challenge. After Gabe started to bond with the former Maraamu members that came to Rotu, John became paranoid about voting. Rob tried to form an alliance with Gabe, but Gabe informed the tribe that he wasn't out there to play the game. The attitude cost him the game when Rotu went to their first Tribal Council.

Quote: "Oh, I'm not even here to play the game, man." - Gabriel Cade

Why it made the top 30: This episode's actually kind of depressing because Gabe was genuine and paranoia wouldn't let John see that. Then again, it sets into motion a plan that would rock the game, so in that sense Gabe is almost like a sacrificial lamb. I mean, had the Rotu love tribe feeling continued, they would've been the final eight; Kathy would be the first one of them gone; and then John/Robert/Tammy/Zoe would have complete control. So Gabe's boot was necessary for the season to play out the way it did. I guess you could say that it's another one where you need to know the full story before you can really like it, but it's still upsetting to lose a great guy like Gabe so early on. But it's his attitude and John's subsequent response that exemplify perfectly the reason why Survivor is so great-it's all about human emotions and how people react to situations and more importantly, other people that they weren't necessarily expecting.

Word Search: Find the names of the seven people who voted against Gabe in this episode. (Note that "Rob" is separate from "Robert.")

23. Episode 1214…Call the Whambulance

May 11, 2006

When the final four returned from Tribal Council, Terry became irritated when Cirie set her torch down in his path. But the real action took place at the reward challenge, where a disagreement over how the challenge worked prompted Terry to complain that Aras was breaking the rules. The two began to criticize each other back and forth, and an argument about respect came after Aras won the challenge. He chose to take Cirie with him on a trip to the Panama Canal, and Terry and Danielle formed a pact on Exile Island. Terry's immunity streak finally ended when Aras won the immunity challenge, and it became clear that since Terry had the hidden idol, a tiebreaker between Cirie and Danielle would be necessary. As the two sat down for their challenge, "To Be Continued" flashed on the screen, marking the first episode in Survivor history that nobody left the game.

Quote: "Call the Whambulance, Terry's crying on the course!" - Aras Baskauskas

Why it made the top 30: The reward is kind of boring, but otherwise, I think this episode was fantastic, and the cliffhanger ending definitely caught me off guard. But the reward challenge and aftermath is easily one of the funniest things ever on the show. The challenge itself wasn't anything special; you just had to count stuff and then figure out a combination lock. But Aras and Terry's rivalry hits its peak here, when Terry accuses Aras of breaking the rules. Jeff says Aras is fine, and Terry's still upset after the challenge is over and an argument breaks out. You know, as boring as Aras was, this is easily one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the show. After the episode was over, I literally rewatched this scene three more times that night, but nobody really seems to bring it up anymore.

Trivia: Although it was the first time nobody got out in a Survivor episode, it wasn't the first time an episode ended with "To Be Continued." What was the first (and thus far, only other one)?

22. Episode 406…The Underdogs

April 4, 2002

After Gabe's boot, Rob and Sean both feel vulnerable if Rotu has to go to Tribal Council, and vow to win immunity. When Neleh and Paschal learn that Gabe was booted, they're both upset and realize that Rotu unity is no more. But when Maraamu loses the immunity challenge, rather than keep around sweetheart Gina over Kathy (a former member of Rotu), they decide to vote Gina off.

Quote: "This 36-year-old gay boy from Omaha's running the show and just whipping [Rob's] pants." - John Carroll

Why it made the top 30: There's one scene in this episode that always gets me: Paschal's reaction to Gabe's boot. We've never seen anybody more perplexed and saddened by the other tribe's boot, and it really emphasizes how Gabe was kind of like the glue in the Rotu tribe. But probably the coolest moment here is the come-from-behind reward challenge victory Maraamu pulls off. Their reaction (as well as Rotu's) is great, and it earns them the episode title. The boot is kind of predictable but the sheer glee of Maraamu's reward win is impossibly contagious.

Chaperans of a Feather: Boston Rob and Big Tom have more in common than just being Chapera tribemates on ASS. In this episode, Rob asked a three-word question to a tribemate that was exactly the same as a question Tom asked a tribemate in the Africa recap episode. What was it?

21. Episode 309…Smoking Out the Snake

December 6, 2001

Ethan wins a reward challenge and brings Lex along to an African village, where they barter two goats in exchange for fries and candy. But back at camp, Lex is still steaming over receiving two votes at the last Tribal Council, promising that he will "cut the throat" of whoever voted against him. He concluded that it was probably Kelly, and decided to turn against her. Kelly had a plan of her own, and joined with Samburu, to vote off Lex. However, Brandon switched his vote, and Kelly was voted off 5-4.

Quote: "This morning, Lex was just a total jerk. I mean, what do you expect in this game? I mean, I'm sorry, someone voted against you, Mr. Ego. Deal with it." - Kelly Goldsmith

Why it made the top 30: Sucky end result aside, we'd never seen anyone before or since react so passionately to receiving one stray vote. Granted, it was back in the days when past votes were used as tiebreakers, but Lex really flipped out. What's great about this episode is that the amazing Kelly Goldsmith became the first person to figure out, hey, I'm in danger here, and tried to pull a coup by switching over to the other tribe. This was back when the post-merge mantra was to stick with your old tribe, no matter what, so it was pretty unthinkable, and of course people from Samburu felt sketchy about it. Oh yeah, and I love the reward challenge and the part where Ethan and Lex sell a goat…cut to the guy they sold it to bringing it straight into a butcher shop. Nice.

Shirt Story: The morning after this episode aired, Kelly appeared on The Early Show. What did her shirt say?

20. Episode 611…Q and A

April 24, 2003

Alex, Heidi, Jenna, and Rob have a majority alliance, so they decide to lie around instead of working. The Survivor auction allowed the players to bid on items of food, and soon, a letter from home was up for bid. Christy won, and Jenna was upset that she didn't get her letter. A second letter from home was put up for auction, and the tribe allowed Jenna to win it. Back at camp, Jenna felt that Christy should not have bid on the letter, but Matt felt that Jenna was being selfish, since Christy had bid on the letter fair and square. Soon after, Alex told Rob that at the final four, he was going to vote Rob off. Rob went to Matt and formed a new plan to get rid of Alex. Rob won immunity and got Butch, Christy, and Matt on his side to vote off a shocked Alex.

Quote: "My feeling was that Christy deserved the letter. I thought Jenna was being selfish." - Matthew von Ertfelda

Why it made the top 20: I know Rob Cesternino's reputation has taken a hit after ASS and his whole Fishbowl thing. But in Amazon, he actually was pretty awesome, and this has always been a favorite episode of mine. My big complaint about Amazon is how so much of the cast is unlikable, and that the season plays out like high school cliques and whatnot. But in this episode, the geeks and unpopular kids came on top, and it's all thanks to Cesternino. I love all of the strategy in this episode, but there is one aspect that infuriates me every time I watch it-the letters at the auction. I honestly think this is the one moment that prevents me from ever considering myself a Jenna fan. Well, that and those crazy devotees of hers.

Letter Rip: When Jeff put up a second letter, it was basically accepted that people were going to let Jenna win it. But strangely enough, somebody else bid on it. Who?

19. Episode 503…Family Values

October 3, 2002

Ted and Ghandia began to bond, but on night 6, Ted began to get too close to Ghandia, who accused him of grinding her. When he learned of how she felt, he apologized and said that he thought she was his wife. Sook Jai dominated the reward challenge, until they violated the rules too many times: in the first time the attack zone was utilized in a challenge, half of Sook Jai got disqualified when they didn't follow the rules. Chuay Gahn won two Red Berets for 24 hours. Meanwhile, Ghandia was still upset with Ted, and told the women he needed to go. When Helen told Brian this, he went to hear Ted's side of the story, and soon, Ghandia threw a temper tantrum. When Robb and Jed lost the tribe's fishing net, Sook Jai threw the immunity challenge, and voted off Jed.

Quote: "That was the most childish act she's done so far here. Ghandia's gonna go down to the beach and cry and holler and carry on…my two-year-old did that one time and I whooped its ass and put it back in bed." - Clay Jordan

Why it made the top 20: One bad thing about Thailand that I think contributes heavily to why it's looked at so negatively is the fact that some of the drama is uncomfortable to watch, and the Ghandia/Ted thing is a perfect example. It did give birth to the "150 - 200%" line, so it wasn't all bad, but it's still a situation that was far more serious than Survivor should ever be. That said, it was captivating to watch-but more importantly…attack zone! It's easily one of the greatest challenges ever, and all the slo-mo lunges and come-from-behind "victory" of Chuay Gahn because Sook Jai effectively disqualified themselves multiple times made it an instant classic, as did Robb's impersonation of Clay when they got back to camp and justification that Sook Jai didn't really need the Red Berets. It's easy for the physical contact challenges to feel overused in a season, but since this was the first time we'd seen it, you couldn't help but love it.

Zoot Sook Riot: Which four members of Sook Jai were removed from the reward challenge for making contact outside of the attack zone?

18. Episode 710…Swimming with Sharks

November 20, 2003

Jon and Burton aligned with Darrah, Lill, and Tijuana to get rid of Rupert. However, so that he wouldn't suspect anything, Darrah would continue to act as though she was the one going. While Rupert became suspicious, he thought that Lill would remain faithful to him and force a tie. He was wrong, and became the second member of the jury.

Quote: "So much for my dreams." - Rupert Boneham

Why it made the top 20: I don't hate Rupert the way most Sucksters seem to; he wasn't a great player, but when he wasn't strangling people for voting for him, his heart was in the right place. But his absolute naivety in approaching the game made him the prime target for a blindside, and it was a pretty amazing one. I was actually a big Rupert fan during Pearl Islands, but even though I was incredibly disappointed to see him go, even then I had to acknowledge that this was a brilliant episode from start to finish. The best part? I'm not too big on the "animal imagery" themes that some people go for, but that sequence of the snake catching and feasting on its prey was the perfect juxtaposition to the strategy that was going on here. The editors deserve a lot of credit for that one.

Spot the Difference: Find the three differences between the below pictures.

17. Episode 701…Beg, Barter, Steal

September 18, 2003

The Survivors are shocked when there is a twist right from the start: they are entering the game with the clothes they have on their backs. After jumping overboard, the two tribes went to a marketplace to barter for goods. This leads to what viewers voted the greatest Survivor moment ever-Rupert stealing shoes. When Morgan lost the first immunity challenge, Nicole began plotting against Tijuana. Her scheming didn't work; she was the first boot.

Quote: "[Trish] thought the lady was laughing and giggling with her, whatever, but the lady actually, I think, you know, liked her…in a sexual way." - Sandra Diaz-Twine

Why it made the top 20: You have to love 90-minute premieres, and this one was fantastic and really went by faster than most hour-long episodes. Jumping overboard was a nice touch, but it's the scenes in the Panamanian village that make it a classic. Everyone gives credit to Trish's lesbian make-out session with that shopkeeper (only shown in full on Survivor Insider) and Rupert stealing shoes (indeed, it's the greatest moment in Survivor history apparently). But one great forgotten scene is Osten telling his female tribemates to flash a little boob to get some supplies. Had it been on day 7 or 8, he would just look sleazy. But the fact that these were some of the first words he spoke to them surely made a great impression. It was even better when Lill actually followed his advice (again, Insider). Oh yeah, and two words: "Morgan Behind." Heheh.

Trivia: When Jeff names the 16 players and tells them which tribe they're on, who is the final person he calls?

16. Episode 514…Slip Through Your Fingers

December 19, 2002

It's down to the final four: Brian, Clay, Helen, and Jan. After Brian won the first immunity challenge, Helen was blindsided when the other three voted her off. Then, in one of the most difficult final three endurance challenges in the history of the show, Brian, Clay, and Jan held three coins between their fingers on each hand, and stood in an uncomfortable Thai stance. Brian won, and took Clay with him to the final two. In a 4-3 vote, Brian became the first final immunity challenge winner to also become the Sole Survivor.

Quote: "You are the epitome of the trashy used car salesman." - Helen Glover, to Brian Heidik

Why it made the top 20: Thailand was the first season that was actually kind of disappointing when it aired, and the mostly unlikable cast is a huge reason for that. But it ultimately paid off in a huge way when two of the slimiest made it to the final two and had to face one of the harshest juries ever. But to be honest, this entire finale is pretty excellent-from Helen's bitter final words to arguably the best final immunity challenge ever, it was obviously too late to save the season entirely, but nevertheless, it's an amazing episode, if only because you actually see Mr. Freeze sweat a little bit (Penny: "Tell me where I live, damn it!").