There are several international iterations of Survivor for superfans to consume, but few seasons of the show can match the quality of Australian Survivor season 2. Having aired in 2017, the season is the second of the Network Ten era of Australian Survivor and is sometimes referred to as the show's fourth season. There had been two previous seasons that aired on other networks in Australia in the early 2000s, but within the canon of the Network Ten revival, Australian Survivor 2017 is considered the second season.
Until recently, it was difficult for Survivor fans outside of Australia to watch Australian Survivor, but that changed when Paramount+ made some seasons available to stream in the United States. The first seasons to appear on the streamer were the three most recent ones, but now, all of Australian Survivor is available. Additionally, certain seasons of other international forms of Survivor, like Survivor: South Africa and Survivor: New Zealand, are on Paramount+ in the US.
Australian Survivor season 2 is essential viewing for any Survivor fan. It's easily the best Australian Survivor season and ranks among the greatest of any Survivor format anywhere in the world. As with any great season, the central component of season 2's success is in its casting. Of the 24 cast members, over half are all-star worthy players, whether it be for their strategic acumen or their memorability as characters. Chief among them is Luke Toki, one of the biggest characters to ever appear on any version of Survivor. Luke is a bona fide fan favorite and an unforgettable personality, and his maneuvering throughout the game is electrifying to watch. He has drawn comparisons to American Survivor superstar Tony Vlachos and has gone on to become one of Australia's most notable reality stars, having appeared on a subsequent Australian Survivor season as well as having won Australia's version of Celebrity Big Brother.
In addition to Luke, the cast boasts other memorable first-time Survivor players like Sarah Tilleke, a supermodel and Survivor superfan, as well as flight attendant Jericho Malabonga and Henry Nicholson, a laborer who enters the season pretending to be a yoga teacher. These are just a few of the standouts in the cast, but what really makes the season special is that nearly every single player brings something to the table and plays to win. Some do so more successfully than others, of course, but the interactions between the players and the constant strategic subterfuge make the season incredibly compelling and unpredictable. There is no shortage of heroes to root for and villains to root against, and sometimes the line between the two gets blurred in interesting and exciting ways, making for a perfect Survivor concoction.
For American fans curious about international Survivor but unsure where to start, Australian Survivor season 2 is a perfect entry point. Now that it's available on Paramount+, hopefully more fans will check it out and get hooked on international versions of the show. The Aussie format differs slightly from what they viewers may be used to from the American version, but it's a great fix for those who can't get enough Survivor in their lives.
Australian Survivor is available to stream on Paramount+.