Not every jury on CBS's hit reality show Survivor has been a good one. Many have been regarded as bitter and angry, voting for a winner out of spite and distaste for another finalist instead of awarding the most deserving player with the title of Sole Survivor. Some juries, however, have been praised for the way they approached the Final Tribal Council, choosing to look at gameplay and resumes over personal feelings of betrayal and hurt.
A good jury has to look at the game through a more objective lens, leaving emotion at the door and judging the actions of players in the realm of the game. Good juries reward the most deserving player, the one who played the best game instead of the one that hurt the least amount of people and simply made it to the end.
Millennials Vs Gen-X (Season 33)
Despite Adam Klein being on the outs for much of season 33 of Survivor, the jury eventually awarded him a unanimous win. Their heartstrings were pulled when Adam revealed that his mother was dying back home, and his fellow finalists Hannah Shapiro and Ken McNickle failed to wow the jury with their game resumes.
Redditor Imactuallybatmanshh contributed to a thread about the best juries by writing, "MvGX. Everyone that season just had that 'haha it's a game no big deal' mentality." Even though Adam betrayed many members of the jury, they still happily gave him the win and supported his unconventional gameplay.
Caramoan (Season 26)
Survivor superfan John Cochran was a fan-favorite for those watching South Pacific but wasn't exactly beloved by his castmates that season. When he returned for Caramoan, he flew under the radar and played a mild yet respectable game, which earned him a unanimous win against his competitors, Sheri and Dawn. While some might consider the jury to be among the most bitter in the series, others respect them greatly.
Reddit user anshu0728 commended the Caramoan jury for being mostly free of judgment and respecting the way the game is played: "Caramoan seemed to be a very non-emotional jury. I know Dawn got some heat but that was mainly due to her paranoia being annoying. I think overall that jury was content with voting for who they thought played the best game and who made the moves necessary to put them there."
San Juan Del Sur (Season 29)
San Juan del Sur, AKA Blood vs. Water 2.0, tried to live up to its predecessor by bringing in all new players and their loved ones for season 29. The Blood vs. Water twist was a successful one that led to emotional eliminations, wild sacrifices, and brutal jury speeches.
In the end, the jury chose to reward Natalie Anderson with the title of Sole Survivor after playing the game alone following her twin sister being the first person voted out. Even the jury members who didn't vote for Natalie were reasonable when it came to who they voted for. Redditor the4thinstrument explained, "I have to respect Reed. He gave an iconic speech, and he cast a vote that allowed the correct winner to win, and the person he disliked to get third instead of tying for second. That's some god tier thinking."
Panama (Season 12)
Survivor fans were surprised and a little disappointed when frontrunner Terry Dietz came in third place on Survivor: Panama, leaving the Final Tribal Council to be between former Casaya tribe members Danielle and Aras. While many believe Terry could've won in a landslide against the two of them, fans still believe that the jury was non-bitter in who they gave the million-dollar prize to.
Reddit user Sue-yee commented, "Panama comes to mind right away, questions asked at ftc were for the most part pretty good questions and actually seemed to help jurors with there vote, seemed like the least personal jury I can think of. You got the feeling people voted for who they thought played the best game instead of voting against someone they didn’t want to see win which happens far to much."
One World (Season 24)
Kim Spradlin nearly won Survivor: One World unanimously, and a lot of that was thanks to the endorsement given to her by former ally Kat Edorsson. Even though she was betrayed by Kim, Kat did her best to convince the jury that she had played the game the best and ultimately deserved the win over Sabrina and Chelsea.
Redditor Hilo_Milo praised Kat's jury speech and ability to get other members on board with voting for Kim by writing, "Kat gets a lot of hate for being so naive, and rightfully so. However, she gave a very emotionally powerful speech in One World."
Micronesia (Season 16)
It's been nearly 15 years since Survivor: Micronesia first aired, and fans are still divided over whether Parvati Shallow or Amanda Kimmel was more deserving of the win. However, one thing that fans can absolutely agree on is that the jury was one of the most entertaining ones to ever exist.
The final jury speeches were iconic, including Ozzy's love confession, Eliza's annihilation of the two women, and Natalie Bolton's strange yet hilarious question. Reddit user CoolGuy-Blake commented on an r/Survivor thread, "Micronesia had a good jury with some fun characters, and especially good moments at the Ozzy, Jason, & Eric blindsides."
David Vs. Goliath (Season 37)
For many long-time Survivor viewers, David vs. Goliath was a breath of fresh air. The season featured a cast that fans felt they could relate to, a reasonable amount of twists and surprises, and some of the best alliances (the Brochacos bromance) the show had ever seen. The jury even gave a David the win over two Goliaths, making the whole season come full circle.
On a thread that asked Survivor fans which jury they thought was the best, Redditor aDate_for_ya wrote, "DvG I think, the cast was so likeable too!" Despite winner Nick Wilson backstabbing and betraying the trust of many jury members, his story was so likable and charming that his peers weren't bitter or angry when it came to voting for him to win.
Winners At War (Season 40)
Winners at War had the largest jury Survivor has ever seen, with nearly every eliminated contestant being a member of the jury and getting a say in who was crowned the second two-time winner. A jury that large could've caused a lot of commotion, but instead they were mostly unified in their decision.
Season 40 also marked the first time fan-favorite Boston Rob got to cast a jury vote, despite being a five-time competitor. When discussing the best juries and jury members in Survivor history, Reddit user beepbop24 praised the notorious villain: "Boston Rob. We waited 5 seasons for him to finally be on the jury and he delivered with that voting confessional."
Tocantins (Season 18)
Survivor: Tocantins had one of the best casts of new characters. From Tyson's mean quips to Coach's ridiculous quotes and stories, the antics that ensued on that season were nothing short of amazing. Not to mention, all of the standout characters made it past the merge, meaning they got to make up what became the jury.
In a thread discussing bitter and non-bitter juries, Redditor ProbstMalone commented their thoughts about the jury in Tocantins, "Nobody was really bitter besides Taj being genuinely hurt by her closest allies, and I absolutely loved the back and forth between JT and Stephen." Though it seemed like maybe Stephen would receive a few jury votes, ultimately, JT won unanimously, mostly for just being a really likable guy.
Cagayan (Season 28)
In a surprising turn of events during the Survivor: Cagayan finale, Woo decided to take Tony to the end with him over Kass, someone he had a higher chance of beating. This move stunned viewers at home and the members of the jury alike, causing many to rally behind Tony and criticize Woo for his decision.
Tony played a dangerous game that could've been looked at as too villainous to reward, but the jury on season 28 learned to accept his devious gameplay in the end. On a thread asking which jury was the least bitter, Reddit user EventUnPaws wrote, "Probably Cagayan. I think with a different jury, Tony may not be the winner of that season. Thank god he was tho."