Andy DehnartSurvivor: The Australian Outback is Survivor season two, and the highly anticipated follow up to CBS’s Survivor: Borneo, which had premiered and become a cultural phenomenon in the summer of 2000.
Season two premiered with the CBS reality competition’s highest-rated premiere episode ever. It was also the longest season ever: Tina Wesson, Colby Donaldson, Jerri Manthey, Elisabeth Filarski, Rodger Bingham, Alicia Calaway, Amber Brkich, Kimmi Kappenberg, and other members of the Ogakor and Kucha tribes spent 41 days in the Outback, facing a flood, a food shortage, and the show’s first-ever medical evacuation.
These recaps cover those events, plus the players’ strategy and alliances, and the evolution of Survivor, including Jeff Probst’s slightly more active role as host.
While Survivor: The Australian Outback premiered after the Super Bowl in 2001, I didn’t actually recap Survivor back then. These recaps and reviews—which have a lot of analysis and reflection—were written 20 years later, when I rewatched the season in 2021, starting with my thoughts on the season’s 20th anniversary.
What happened during Survivor's most-watched premiere ever
Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 1, “Stranded,” which originally aired Sunday, July 28, 2001, after the Super Bowl, and became the highest-rated premiere in Survivor history. The Kucha and Ogakor tribes hiked to their camps, and began the 41-day game.
Survivor: The Australian Outback's hunger games include the beef jerky scandal
Kimmi Kappenberg’s vegetarianism presents a problem, Tina Wesson volunteers to be voted off first, and Kel Gleason is accused of eating beef jerky on episode two of Survivor: The Australian Outback, “Suspicion,” which originally aired Thursday, Feb. 1, 2001.
Survivor: The Australian Outback's first alliance takes out Mad Dog as the pig kill looms
The season’s first alliance, Tina’s willingness to play, and Mike Skupin’s desire to stab a pig are all introduced on Survivor: The Australian Outback, episode 3, “Trust No One,” which originally aired Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001.
Survivor's first deadlocked vote, a pig stabbing, and actual strategizing
Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 3, “The Killing Fields,” which originally aired Thursday, Feb. 15, 2001, may be best known for Michael Skupin’s pig slaughter—which is quite graphic—but it also has a Tribal Council first, and a surprising amount of strategy talk at camp.
Fires loom and Mike Skupin has a 'need to shed some blood'
Jeff Varner’s sweatshirt gets literally burned by an ember and there’s literal smoke in the air at Ogakor’s camp—foreshadowing the next episode—during Survivor: The Australian Outback, episode 5, “Gloves Come Off,” which originally aired Thursday, Feb. 22, 2001,
Survivor’s first medevac: Michael Skupin falls in the fire
Michael Skupin passes out and falls into the fire on Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 6, “Trial By Fire,” which originally aired Thursday, March 1, 2001.
Survivor: The Australian Outback's merge tries to break a tie, but fails
The merge arrives on Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 7, “The Merge,” which originally aired Thursday, March 8, 2001, and while the producers try valiantly to get the evenly-matched tribes to cross tribal lines, they fail, and Tribal Council leads to another tie vote.
Strategizing takes center stage on Survivor: The Australian Outback
Ogakor has Kucha “outwitted,” Rodger says at the start of Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 8, “Friends,” which originally aired Thursday, March 14, 2001., but two variables that could change that: the jury and Jerri Manthey.
The First 24 Days: A Closer Look
Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 9, which first aired March 21, 2001, is the show's first recap episode, and its first promise of "never-before-seen footage." Judge for yourself!
Survivor: The Australian Outback's Great Barrier Reef reward broke the law
Jerri Manthey and Colby Donaldson won a reward that sent them to the Great Barrier Reef, which led to Colby breaking the law while making a strategic move on Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 10, “Honeymoon or Not,” which originally aired Thursday, March 29, 2001.
Survivor's first auction, and Jeff Probst's first shaming on Survivor: The Australian Outback
After Survivor’s first-ever auction, which made me miss the Survivor auction even more, Jeff Probst showed up to camp to trade shelter for food on Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 11, “Let’s Make a Deal,” which originally aired Thursday, April 5, 2001.
When a flood took out the tribe's camp on Survivor: The Australian Outback
A flood took out Barramundi’s camp and swept away their rice while Colby Donaldson chowed down on his latest reward: that’s the real-life drama that consumed Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 12, “No Longer Just a Game,” which originally aired Thursday, April 12, 2001.
Survivor's first loved ones reward challenge: IMing on an iMac
While the Survivor: The Australian Outback’s final five don’t get an actual visit from their loved ones, their loved ones do compete in the reward challenge. Meanwhile, Colby is driven to insanity by Keith, and explains his strategy to us on Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 13, “Enough is Enough,” which originally aired Thursday, April 19, 2001.
Survivor's car curse begins with Survivor: The Australian Outback's final reward challenge
In Survivor: The Australian Outback, season 2, episode 14, “The Final Four,” which originally aired Thursday, April 26, 2001, the final four compete in the first Survivor reward challenge to offer a car—and a curse—to its winner.
Survivor: The Australian Outback ends with a most-deserving winner, and a lot of filler
The finale of Survivor: The Australian Outback—season 2, episode 15, “The Most Deserving,” which originally aired Thursday, May 3, 2001—starts with Tina, Colby, and Keith competing in one final challenge, and doing a lot of reflecting, which precedes a lot of other padding. Still, it’s a great conclusion to a strong second season of Survivor.