The White Lotus is one of those television series that transcends the expectation of a typical streaming show.
It has the drama of a soap opera, the witty writing of a sitcom, and the visual storytelling of a David Attenborough nature documentary. About a month after the Season 3 finale, fans are still clamoring for something to fill the White Lotus-sized holes in their hearts.
What else on television can capture the scenic imagery, the addictive tension, the unexpected characters, the twists and turns, and the betrayal that feeds the plot of The White Lotus? The answer is simpler than you may think: Survivor. And the connection is made even easier thanks to The White Lotus creator Mike White, who admitted how his love of Survivor informed the creation of The White Lotus. But if you enjoy prestige television, you might be thinking that a reality series like Survivor could never scratch your itch. So just hear us out…
Mike White is in Survivor: David vs. Goliath (Season 37).
The first place to start (if you’re not a completionist) would naturally be with the White Lotus creator’s Survivor appearance on Season 37. Not only does he appear, but he makes his mark on the season, ingratiating himself into several different voting blocs and alliances, while showing strength amidst insecurities. Beyond that, Mike’s ability as a witty and narrative storyteller comes through in his confessionals, proving his creative competency and making it one of the best Survivor seasons of all time. And if you don’t believe us, the proof is in the pudding. Mike is returning to play Survivor in Season 50 for the show’s historic milestone as one of the most memorable and iconic players out of its 733 contestants and 25 years. So if you enjoy the creativity, humor, relationships, and storytelling of The White Lotusyou can watch Mike White execute these for real on Fiji in Survivor: David vs. Goliath.
The social and strategic gameplay of Survivor is as exciting as The White Lotus’s twists.
When describing Survivor to someone who has never seen the show, they often think the concept of stranding strangers on an island is just about the survival aspect. However, host Jeff Probst often calls it a “social experiment” because strangers are forced to work together to survive and then vote one another off to compete for the title of Sole Survivor and $1 million prize. Beyond the show’s physical challenges, players often form alliances that will lead to betrayals and blindsides.
Throughout a season of The White Lotuswe often know a vague outcome. Someone dies, gunshots are heard, or a body is found. In Survivorwe know someone will win. But there are still twists and turns throughout the way of both series before we find out the full truth or who the winner will be. In The White Lotusthere are small betrayals between pre-existing families and friends that lead to the ultimate twist ending. In Survivoreach episode ends in a Tribal Council in which at least one player is betrayed. Their dream of winning dies, and with it, some of their relationships burn in the fire that Jeff puts out when he snuffs their torch. As a viewer, watching real people betray one another is shocking, surprising, and can even be heart-wrenching.
Both Survivor and The White Lotus are about what it means to be human.
We learn to love (or hate) the real people who play Survivor just as we learn to love (or hate) The White Lotus characters that Mike created. We root for certain people to win or get to the end, and cheer when others are betrayed or left in the dust. Like in The White Lotussome people are truly irredeemable, while others learn throughout the season and grow into better people than they were before.
While both series on the surface claim to be something else — Survivor is a reality show competition for $1 million; The White Lotus follows wealthy people at a resort during murderous crimes — both are actually more concerned with what it means to be human. They show how grief, love, betrayal, friendship, and being pushed to our limits bring out our instinct to survive, and how our survival instinct can help us reckon with deeper issues within us. Several people compete on Survivor not just to win, but to unlock a part of themselves they didn’t know they had. Many players come out of the game saying they never thought they could compete in the strenuous physical and mental challenges, or never thought they had the resilience to go 30 days with minimal food, sleep, and comfort from loved ones. Both shows push people to their limits and force them to reckon with what being alive truly means; the difference is that in Survivorit’s real.
Survivor’s use of nature shots connects humanity with the wilderness.
One of the things that makes Survivor such a compelling show is the concept of going back to our roots. Before humans formed civilizations, we were simply animals just trying to survive, learning how to make tools that allowed us to continue to build. Survivor pays homage to this with the use of fire, man’s first tool, which allows the players to drink clean water, cook fish, warm up in cold weather, gather around to tell stories, and more. In Survivorfire represents a player’s life, and when their torch is snuffed, so is their life on the island.
Survivor is primal, and thanks to the excellent camera work underwater, in the sky, and on land, we’re reminded that the world around us is still full of wilderness. It’s still full of whales and insects trying to survive, schools of fish who gather together to protect themselves. The way the people act on Survivor is tied to a primal instinct, and in The White Lotuswe see similar nature shots to remind us that even characters living in luxury can still have animal instincts.
The different settings of both shows are also a reflection of nature. The White Lotus highlights its setting in all three seasons, first Hawaii, then Sicily, and finally, Thailand. There are cultural and physical representations and references, tying the plot and characters to an unfamiliar, yet beautiful world. In the first 32 seasons of Survivorproducers found different and unfamiliar settings for both the contestants and the viewers. They played in the Australian Outback, the desert in Kenya, the dangerous Amazonian rainforest, Gabon, Guatemala, Samoa, Vanuatu, the Pearl Islands, and so many more. In some seasons, players are even given the opportunity to interact with the local culture, so if you enjoy the different representations of cultures and wildlife in The White Lotusearlier seasons of Survivor will definitely scratch that itch.
Even in the New Era of Survivorwhich takes place solely in Fiji, the scenery, the weather, the native food, and the wildlife are still major aspects of the show. In The White Lotusshots of birds and greenery, as well as characters trying local cuisine, are all part of building the show’s full picture. All of this comes into play in Survivor.
If we’ve convinced you to watch Survivor because of your love of The White Lotusthese are the best seasons to start with in chronological order.
For the Storytelling: Borneo (Season 1), All-Stars (Season 8), China (Season 15), Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites (Season 16), Heroes vs. Villains (Season 20), Cagayan (Season 28), Kaôh Rōng: Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty (Season 32), David vs. Goliath (Season 37), Survivor 46
For the Humanity: Pearl Islands (Season 7), Palau (Season 10), Cook Islands (Season 13), Tocantins (Season 18), Caramoan (Season 26), Blood vs. Water (Season 27), Millennials vs. Gen X (Season 33), Survivor 44, Survivor 48
For the Wilderness: The Australian Outback (Season 2), Africa (Season 3), The Amazon (Season 6), Vanuatu (Season 9), Guatemala (Season 11)
You can catch all of Survivorpast and present, on Paramount+.
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