LexTalk

The LexTalk Survivor Journey: Watching Every Season for the First Time

Three seasons down, and I’m officially hooked on my Survivor journey!

If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve decided to watch every season of Survivor from the very beginning. Not rewatching. Not revisiting old favorites. I’m experiencing these seasons for the very first time, more than 25 years after the show originally premiered!

And there’s a special reason behind this little adventure.

My mom absolutely loved Survivor. It’s one of those shows that reminds me of her, and although she’s no longer here to watch it with me, I wanted to experience something that brought her so much enjoyment.

Sometimes I wonder which contestants she rooted for, who drove her crazy, and whether we would have agreed on the winners.

So here I am, making my way through every season, one episode at a time, sharing my completely unfiltered first impressions.

I’ve officially finished Survivor Season 3: Africa, and boy, do I have some thoughts!

There were lions, elephants, lazy tribemates, questionable decisions, unexpected twists, and a winner I absolutely LOVED.

But I also have a confession.

Of the first three seasons, Africa was my least favorite.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, though!

Let’s get into it.

Wait… We’re Going WHERE?!

Imagine signing up for Survivor after watching the first two seasons.

You’re probably picturing tropical scenery, beautiful beaches, and maybe a little island adventure.

Sure, you’re going to be hungry, uncomfortable, and probably covered in bug bites, but at least you’re surrounded by beautiful water, right?

Then you find out you’re going to Africa.

An African safari.

With lions.

And elephants.

And scorching temperatures.

EXCUSE ME?!

I would have been questioning every decision that led me to that moment.

Don’t get me wrong. Africa is absolutely beautiful, and seeing the landscape and wildlife was incredible.

But there’s a HUGE difference between enjoying a safari from the safety of a vehicle and trying to sleep outdoors while lions are wandering around your camp.

No thank you!

The nighttime scenes with lions outside the camp would have had me absolutely terrified.

Forget strategy. Forget alliances.

I’d be too busy wondering whether I was about to become somebody’s midnight snack.

And let’s not forget the heat.

I don’t know about you, but extreme heat makes me miserable. Add hunger, dehydration, and wild animals to the mix?

I’d be ready to vote myself off the island.

Except… there wasn’t even an island!

Water, Fire, Food. Carl Had a Point!

One of the biggest things that stood out to me during Survivor: Africa was just how difficult it seemed to obtain water.

Now, I understand that surviving on a tropical island isn’t exactly a vacation either.

But watching these contestants struggle with the heat and limited water made Africa seem especially brutal.

Which brings me to Carl.

His priorities were pretty straightforward:

Water. Fire. Food.

And you know what?

He wasn’t wrong!

Those seem like three pretty important things when you’re trying to survive in the wilderness.

Call me crazy, but I’d probably be a little more concerned about finding drinking water than sitting around arguing over who’s friends with whom.

Unfortunately, not everyone on the Samburu tribe seemed to share that mindset.

And that brings me to one of my biggest frustrations this season.

Samburu: Can Somebody PLEASE Do Some Work?!

Oh, Samburu.

Where do I even begin?

The younger members of this tribe drove me absolutely crazy.

I cannot stand watching people sit around being lazy while everyone else is expected to do the work.

You’re on Survivor!

This isn’t an all-inclusive resort where someone brings you cocktails while you lounge by the pool.

You’re supposed to be surviving!

Watching the younger and older members divide themselves into separate groups was frustrating enough.

But then there was the necklace situation.

Seriously?

It felt like something straight out of grade school.

The pettiness, the attitudes, and the constant division made me want to reach through the television and remind everyone that they were supposed to be working together.

At least until the merge!

And then there was Lindsay.

Oh, Lindsay.

When she started struggling with dehydration, I was supposed to feel bad, right?

Hold on.

Let me find my tissue.

Nope. Couldn’t find one.

Listen, dehydration is serious, and I wouldn’t actually wish that on anyone.

But after watching the attitudes and drama, I wasn’t exactly reaching for the Kleenex.

And watching Silas and Lindsay eventually face some consequences in the game?

Let’s just say I wasn’t heartbroken.

Sometimes people have the day they deserve.

And those two certainly had some memorable days!

Clarence and the Case of the Missing Beans

Let’s talk about Clarence.

Early in the season, Clarence helped himself to some of the tribe’s canned beans.

Now, listen.

I understand being hungry.

But when you’re stranded in the wilderness with limited food supplies, helping yourself to extra food without everyone agreeing isn’t exactly the best way to build trust.

I wasn’t impressed.

However, I have to give Clarence some credit.

As the season continued, I felt like he redeemed himself.

He worked hard, contributed to the tribe, and showed more of his personality.

And I appreciated that.

I think it’s important to recognize when someone makes a mistake but also acknowledge when they do better.

One bad decision doesn’t necessarily define an entire person.

Even if that decision involves precious canned beans.

Team Boran: Now We’re Talking!

While Samburu was busy getting on my nerves, I found myself enjoying the Boran tribe much more.

Especially Ethan.

Ethan was my favorite member of Boran early on.

There was just something about him that made him easy to root for.

He seemed kind, genuine, and likable without constantly needing to be the loudest person in the room.

And one of my favorite moments of the entire season was watching Ethan play hacky-sack with local children.

It was such a sweet moment.

Sometimes those little interactions tell you more about a person than anything they do during a challenge.

I loved getting to see that side of him.

It’s moments like those that make Survivor about more than just winning a million dollars.

Lex! Obviously, I Had to Like That Name!

Then there was Lex.

First of all, the name.

Obviously, I’m a little biased.

But beyond sharing a name, I really enjoyed watching him compete.

He was strong in challenges, competitive, and brought a lot of personality to the season.

And here’s another fun little connection.

Lex was from Santa Cruz, California!

Living in Northern California, I’m familiar with the Santa Cruz area, and I absolutely love it.

It’s always fun spotting someone from somewhere close to home on a show you’re watching.

Lex wasn’t perfect, and there were definitely moments when the game got intense, but I enjoyed watching him.

And when he commented about lazy people running the camp?

I practically wanted to stand up and applaud.

THANK YOU!

Someone finally said it!

I couldn’t have agreed more.

The Tribe Swap That Changed Everything!

One of the biggest surprises this season was the tribe swap.

Three members from each tribe were suddenly switching places!

WHAT?!

After watching the first two seasons, this was such an exciting twist.

Just when the contestants thought they understood their positions in the game, everything changed.

Alliances were disrupted.

Relationships were tested.

And people who thought they were comfortable suddenly had to reconsider their strategies.

I loved it!

The swap was especially satisfying after watching all the drama happening within Samburu.

And after the switch, I found myself liking most of the Boran tribe even more.

This was one of those moments when I realized how much potential Survivor had to keep evolving.

Just when you think you understand how the game works, something new gets thrown into the mix.

And as someone experiencing these seasons for the first time, I genuinely didn’t see it coming.

Frank: An Interesting Character, to Say the Least

Can we talk about Frank?

Because wow.

What an interesting man.

I respected aspects of his game, particularly his willingness to work and contribute.

But his personality was definitely unique.

And then there were his luxury items.

War paint and deer antlers?!

Of all the things you could bring into the wilderness, those were certainly memorable choices.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Frank was one of those contestants who made me shake my head occasionally, but I also appreciated that he was unapologetically himself.

He was definitely not someone you could accuse of blending into the background.

The Wildlife Was Beautiful… and Terrifying!

One thing Africa absolutely delivered was wildlife.

Seeing elephants and other animals in their natural habitat was incredible.

But those lions?

Absolutely terrifying.

The thought of sleeping outdoors knowing predators could be wandering nearby would have been enough to make me reconsider my entire Survivor application.

I also found the scene involving a lion hunting a wildebeest difficult to watch.

I understand that it’s nature.

Predators have to eat, and the food chain is part of life.

But that doesn’t mean I enjoy watching an animal get hunted.

My heart still hurts for the wildebeest.

It was a powerful reminder that the contestants weren’t just participating in a television competition.

They were surrounded by a real, living ecosystem that existed long before the cameras arrived.

And nature certainly wasn’t going to stop doing its thing just because Survivor was filming.

The Survivor Auction! YES, PLEASE!

I have to say, I love the auction episodes.

There’s something so entertaining about watching hungry contestants get excited over food and little comforts we normally take for granted.

After days of struggling in the wilderness, a simple meal can feel like winning the lottery.

The excitement, the bidding, the surprises…

I love all of it.

It’s one of those parts of the show I look forward to.

And honestly, if I were out there, I’d probably spend all my money on something delicious within the first five minutes.

No regrets.

Big Tom… Oh, Boy.

Now, Tom certainly provided some entertainment this season.

But watching how drunk he got?

CRINGE.

I was sitting there thinking, sir, PLEASE.

Sometimes people have a few drinks and become the life of the party.

Other times, you’re watching from your couch experiencing secondhand embarrassment.

This was definitely one of those moments for me.

Still, I have to admit that the season wouldn’t have been quite the same without some of these larger-than-life personalities.

Let’s Talk About That Winner… Without Spoiling Anything!

Okay.

I have to be careful here because I don’t want to ruin the season for anyone who hasn’t watched it.

But can I just say…

I LOVED WHO WON!

I was genuinely thrilled with the outcome.

There is something so satisfying about finishing a season and feeling happy with the person who walks away with the million-dollar prize.

Especially after watching all the drama, alliances, challenges, and questionable decisions along the way.

No spoilers here.

You’ll have to watch for yourself!

But I finished this season with a big smile.

My Final Thoughts: Where Does Africa Rank?

Although I enjoyed the personalities, the tribe swap, and the eventual winner, Africa didn’t quite capture the same magic for me as the first two seasons.

The environment was fascinating, but it looked absolutely miserable to experience.

The constant struggle for water, the scorching temperatures, and the dangerous wildlife made it feel especially harsh.

And while the drama was entertaining, I found myself getting genuinely annoyed with some of the contestants.

Looking back, I think what made Borneo so special was a combination of the personalities and the excitement of watching something completely new.

Nobody really knew what they were doing yet.

The game was still being discovered.

And there was something wonderfully unpredictable about it.

Africa certainly had its own surprises, but Borneo still holds a special place in my heart.

My Survivor Rankings So Far

Season 1 – Borneo: My favorite! The personalities, the originality, and the excitement of watching the game begin made this season unforgettable.

Season 2 – The Australian Outback: Another entertaining adventure with memorable contestants and plenty of intense moments.

Season 3 – Africa: My least favorite setting so far, but still full of interesting personalities, entertaining twists, and a winner I absolutely loved.

And now?

It’s time to head to Season 4: Marquesas!

I’m excited to see what happens next, who I’ll love, who will drive me absolutely crazy, and whether another season can finally knock Borneo out of my number-one spot.

Why I’m Watching Survivor for the First Time in 2026

For me, this journey is about more than watching an old reality television show.

My mom loved Survivor, and watching these seasons gives me another way to feel connected to her.

I sometimes wonder which contestants she liked, which ones drove her crazy, and whether we would have been cheering for the same people.

I wish I could sit beside her and compare notes.

But there’s something comforting about knowing I’m experiencing a show that brought her entertainment and excitement.

And now, years later, it’s bringing those same things to me.

One season at a time.

Until next time, keep the adventure going and a little magic in your everyday life.

— Lex

Have you watched Survivor: Africa? Did you love the location, or would you have preferred being stranded on a tropical island? And without spoiling future seasons for me, which of the first three seasons was your favorite? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!