One of the first questions a new Survivor fan might ask is, "This show has to be scripted, right?" For those not well-versed in reality TV, it seems like it might be. After all, wouldn't they just vote out the weakest player every time? Well, not quite. Let's answer some of those burning questions for first-time fans who may have recently discovered the show on Netflix and have some doubts.

Survivor has been around since 2000, and it experienced the height of its popularity in seasons 1 and 2. In a few months, its 42nd season will air, which, for those keeping track, means there have been two seasons each year since the series premiere (COVID-19 delays notwithstanding). The show attracts fans from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences and has made an increasing effort to represent that diversity on and off screen.

Related: Survivor: Everything We Know About Season 42

Recently, four seasons have been added to Netflix, inviting fans who may have been living under a rock for the last 20-plus years — or those who are Netflix purists — into a show that revolutionized reality television. If you're just watching your first episode of Micronesia or David vs. Goliath and didn't know anything about the show beforehand, you may have done a quick Google search to find out if Survivor is real. If so, welcome! Let's dive into some questions uninitiated fans of the show often ask.

Is Survivor scripted?

Shan Smith Liana Wallace Survivor 41

Survivor is not scripted. It is, like most reality shows, a series that collects hours upon hours of footage and distills it down to a product that can be consumed in under an hour every Wednesday night. This means, on occasion, there may be a confessional that airs in episode 5 that was actually said back in episode 4 to help the story make more sense. But the contestants are not fed lines, they are never told by a producer who the other contestants are voting for, and the winner is not determined ahead of time.

This is why some vote-outs are more obvious than others, while some episodes are able to be crafted with more suspense. No matter how the castaways decide to vote, there is an interesting story to be told because every person on the island has been cast for a reason.

Where do they go to the bathroom?

Darnell in the water in Survivor

There is a reason Survivor almost never airs footage of contestants taking a bathroom break: 1) It's not interesting and 2) no one wants to see that. There are instances in which a contestant's aversion to taking an aquadump (No. 2 in the ocean) makes the cut because it emphasizes that contestant's inability to survive in the elements. And there have been a few cases where a contestant's inability to go to the bathroom has resulted in their medical evacuation from the game. But in general, there's a perfectly good reason the pees and poops are done off camera. And yet, it's still the question former contestants say they get asked more than any other. Has no one been camping before?!?

What happens after they get voted out?

Every time someone is voted out of the game — well almost every time — they are sent to an on-site resort called Ponderosa. Here, they are given food and drinks to replenish and to commiserate with other voted out contestants. Those who are voted out pre-jury stay at Ponderosa together and then generally go on a trip to another country or location away from where the season is filmed. Then, the jury takes over Ponderosa and does the same thing until it's time for them to vote for a winner. They aren't supposed to talk about who they're voting for to win the million dollar prize, but it's understood that sometimes players do discuss who they will vote for before they face the final two or final three. Since season 18, the post-merge contestants who are voted out have gotten their own Ponderosa video package that highlights their thoughts as they are voted out and gives them an opportunity to reflect on their experience. Some are serious, others are funny, and the best ones are a combination of both.

Related: Survivor: Why The Show's Immunity Challenges Need A Creative Overhaul

In what order should I watch the seasons?

Split image of Tony Vlachos and Tina Wesson from Survivor

This one is more objective. If you have time and are invested enough that you think you want to watch them all, then start from season 1, Borneo. If you don't want to be spoiled on the results of any season, then save all-star seasons like Heroes vs. Villains, Second Chance and Winners At War until the end. If you've accepted that you're going to be spoiled on some of the seasons' results because you're 21-and-a-half years late to the party and simply want to start with some of the best, then honestly, Netflix has picked out a good foursome to begin with. Cagayan and Heroes vs. Villains are two of the strongest new-person and all-star seasons, respectively. Micronesia is a beloved season that contains several moments that any casual fan of the show should know about. And David vs. Goliath is considered by many to be the greatest season in the past 10 seasons.

Why don't I see anyone writing or talking about the show anymore?

Survivor Season 40 Winners At War Rob Cesternino

You've got to look harder! These days, you won't see many mainstream outlets talking about or covering the show, in part because the show has been on for so long that most people's reaction to "Yes, I watch Survivor" these days is "Wait, that show is STILL ON TELEVISION?" But there are plenty of outlets that do still cover the show. Dalton Ross at EW hasn't missed a beat in his super-long but super addicting recaps of the show and Mike Bloom's Parade exit interviews are always entertaining. Rob Has A Podcast has been providing the most extensive in-depth coverage of every episode since Heroes vs. Villains. The Ringer has even started covering Survivor on a regular basis since the much-hyped Winners At War season that aired right in the middle of the start of the pandemic. The most recent season, Season 41, generated far more positive headlines than bad (and if you're hearing mostly bad things about this past season, you may want to diversify your model of content consumption!) as this piece in the New Yorker from last week celebrating the direction of the show illustrates.

Look, don't be embarrassed if you weren't sure about how real Survivor was before you read this story or if the mystery of island defecation overwhelmed you. We've all been there at some point or another during our Survivor journey. We're glad to have you along for the ride. Just make sure to wait a few seasons to get the hang of how the show works before you watch Edge of Extinction. You'll thank me later.

Next: Survivor: Ozzy Lusth & Amanda Kimmel's Relationship Timeline