Rating: 9.5/10
By its 16th season, Survivor's producers had figured out viewers found strategy and social play more exciting than debilitating battles against Mother Nature. The formula - which began as quaint observation of disparate Americans descending the ladders of hygiene and nutrition - had evolved into watching hot young people scheme on a beach. Micronesia, AKA Fans vs. Favorites, played this formula like a fiddle to arguably the most entertaining season in franchise history.
Fans vs. Favorites pitted a tribe of returning All-Star players against a tribe of longtime fans. The favorites came out swinging, constructing an elegant shelter the first afternoon, igniting romances (Amanda/Ozzy and James/Parvati) before the first night was over and obtaining fire (magnifying sunlight with Yau-Man's glasses) on day two. But they lost two of the first three immunities, creating a pivotal early showdown between the couples and the Ami/Eliza/Penner/Yau-Man faction with Cirie as the swing vote. Yau was executed like a George R. R. Martin character, notifying the audience anyone could go at any moment.
Early episodes whimsically navigated the path to the merge. Amanda wrestled and defeated a 45 lb. shark, further endearing herself to Ozzy. Overaggressive meathead Joel met a satisfying demise after his own backstabbing antics. Two players quit and another was med-evaced. Ozzy found the idol and replaced it with a fake one, bamboozling naive young Jason into the "It's a f***ing stick!" incident. It was all entertaining, but the real drama arrived when the tribes were swapped.
Parvati emerged from the disorienting swap as the season's power player, fashioning an alliance with fans Natalie and Alexis under the proposal they'd blindside the game's brawniest men. That plan came to delectable fruition post-merge, starting with Ozzy's breathtaking blindside (which came after the challenge hero quit an endurance challenge for donuts). Natalie tricked Jason into pocketing his idol and then the girls pulled off the most audacious move in franchise history when they convinced Erik to give Natalie his immunity. James was spared only because an infected finger forced another med-evac.
The finale featured a devastating final twist, reverting the game to a two-player Final Tribal. Amanda won immunity and chose to face Parvati over Cirie. Ozzy fired off an impassioned speech in support of Amanda, but it wasn't enough. The jury awarded Parvati a well-deserved victory by a 5-3 margin, cementing her reputation as one of the game's savviest players.
Fans vs. Favorites still wasn't in HD. It had too many reward challenges. The lame fallen comrades finale segment featured two quitters and two med-evacs. But these gripes are easily forgotten behind the season's blindsides, love stories and dramatic speeches. Thanks to several unforgettable interactions within a potent, glamorous and determined cast, Fans vs. Favorites earned penthouse real estate in the Survivor pantheon.
