Critic Reviews for Survivor Borneo

All Critics (6) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (1)

[Richard Hatch] was playing against a cast full of people who didn't know how to play the game properly yet. But it's not like Hatch came in with a playbook to read either. Instead, he wrote the playbook.

Mar 14, 2019 | Full Review…

Joe Reid

The Atlantic

Top Critic

Remarkably illustrative of humankind's capacity for self-justification.

Mar 14, 2019 | Full Review…

Noel Murray

AV Club

Top Critic

Their social dynamics are as exciting as they are unpredictable and you'll find that politics does indeed make for some strange bedfellows.

Mar 18, 2019 | Rating: 8/10 | Full Review…

Steve Butts

IGN Movies

It still holds up. It's not just a good season because it was so inventive at the time. The final four alone is worth it, but we also loved Colleen, Jenna, Gervase, etc. etc. An all-around winner of a season.

Mar 14, 2019 | Full Review…

Andrea Reiher

Zap2it.com

Set the template for a new kind of dramatic TV, where ruthless gameplay trumped narrative.

Oct 4, 2018 | Full Review…

Sean Fennessey

The Ringer

Survivor is at its voyeuristic best when focusing on its contestants and at its worst when attempting to drum up suspense during the competition, which was just dull and confusing.

Apr 24, 2018 | Full Review…

Rob Owen

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

View All Critic Reviews (6)

Audience Reviews for Survivor: Borneo

• May 07, 2019

  Great season. I am a big fan of this season because I believe that because this is the first season it is a new game and these people do not know what they are supposed to do. Except Richard Hatch and Kelly. They are both have a lot of athletic skills and a lot of strategy. This was a awesome season.
  Christian C
• Feb 25, 2017

  This first season of Survivor was not the very first foray into reality television (MTV had already experiment with filming people on "Real World"). However, this indeed was the first time that the concept was applied to a mass audience and packaged in a way that made it seem exciting and dramatic. Basically, Survivor sees a group of 16 people stranded on an island in Borneo. With only a few basic survival items and their wits, the contestants are separated into two tribes and must compete with each other until a sole winner is crowned with the prize of one million dollars. Each week, a different contestant would be voted off the island by their fellow mates. Besides the challenges for rewards and immunity, the show really became intriguing because of its mix of characters and situations. For example... -The oft-nude homosexual Richard forging an unlikely bond with the grumpy, 70-something former Navy Seal Rudy. -The "serious tribe" (Tagi) versus the "fun" tribe (Pagong). -The alliances that would constantly shift or become re-defined with seemingly every episode. -The humor infused into the show that comes from that many people living together and tolerating each other. Basically, though conceptually a "gameshow" in name as a prize is competed for, it quickly became clear that the entire experience was really more of a social experiment than anything. Viewers could easily identify with (or vilify) a certain character, thus making it feel as if living vicariously through them on the island. Overall, "Survivor" was a completely new idea that (for a time) revolutionized the way TV dramas could be made. Though now reality shows so dominate the market that the ideas are running on empty, this set is an ode to a time when the concept was fresh, real, and exciting all at once. Watch it for the first time to see what all the buzz is about, or watch it again to relive your memories of the phenomena. Either way, you'll enjoy the ride.
  

  Zach K
• Sep 26, 2014

  may I say much, it's went from a show, to a Social Experiment all the way to a memorable experience.
  

  Adam C
• Jan 26, 2014

  Very much a different game then it is now played, Borneo still holds up despite its age due to its strong cast, surprising wealth of character, and legacy it has created.
  Michael d

News & Features