Survivor Turns 25: How Sue Hawk's 'Snakes And Rats' Speech Set Reality TV On Fire
In honor of Survivor's 25th anniversary on May 31, TVLine is spotlighting the most iconic, unforgettable moments from the series that helped redefine reality television. Today, we're tackling Season 1's groundbreaking final Tribal Council, including Sue Hawk's infamous "snakes and rats" speech, which paved the way for Richard Hatch's historic win. Stay tuned to TVLine later this week for additional coverage of the show's biggest game-changing moments, emotional high points and more!
Twenty-five years ago on a small island in southeast Asia named Borneo, a "snake" devoured a "rat."
You've probably heard all about Survivor's first season finale even if you didn't watch that fateful August night of 2000, but allow us set the stage. The final two contestants — corporate trainer Richard Hatch from Newport, R.I. and the young Las Vegas river guide Kelly Wiglesworth — sat in front of a jury of their peers to argue why said jury should award them with $1 million and the title of Sole Survivor. Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island. On the other end of the spectrum was the more docile Kelly who often felt conflicted when her morals clashed with the cunning needed to succeed in the game. Both finalists, along with former Navy SEAL Rudy Boesch and truck driver Sue Hawk, created an alliance early in the game, steamrolling their opponents, the Pagong tribe, and securing their spot in the Final 4. But when the Final 4 vote elicited a tie, Kelly changed her mind, sending an enraged and betrayed Sue to the jury.
But that wasn't the last we saw of her.
When the finalists sat side by side to answer their fallen comrades' questions — the very same people they lied and swindled right out of the game — Sue gave a speech that would forever live in the annals of Survivor, nay, television history. Known as the infamous "snakes and rats" speech, she proceeded to call Richard a "snake" and Kelly, a "rat." She didn't stop there. Sue read them for absolute filth, calling Rich a "whiny," "loser in life," while chastising Kelly for her poor challenge performance, and perceived lies and manipulation. (Oh, and that vultures bit? Absolutely savage.) She ended by pleading to the island spirits and her fellow jury members to "let it be, in the end, the way Mother Nature intended it to be. For the snake to eat the rat." And that he did. Richard wound up winning Survivor's inaugural season by a vote of 4-3.
The finale was watched by more than 50 million viewers. Social media hadn't yet taken over our lives — and we were still years away from the term "breaking the internet" — but Sue's speech became the epitome of watercooler television at a time when Survivor was either headlined or on the cover of nearly every Stateside entertainment publication. Every day Americans living in a jungle, and eating bugs and rats captured our attention, but Sue Hawk's speech catapulted the freshman series into the stratosphere. Into something you couldn't avoid even if you tried. And just as shocking (and a wee bit titillating?) was the fact that in the end, the villain emerged victorious. The gay and naked "bad guy" had become one of TV's most recognizable faces.
The show came back with a vengeance the following season, moving its production from Borneo to the Australian Outback and replicating the intense gameplay, sense of adventure and pure adrenaline of its predecessor. Instead of grilling rats, one tribe slaughtered an entire wild boar. But more importantly, reality TV fans were hooked on the moral quandaries contestants faced and the wild adventures that aired on our TV screens each and every week.
Even more notable was the string of copycat series Survivor sparked, which caused an utter explosion for the genre as other networks raced to find its very own success story. The Mole, Boot Camp, Fear Factor, The Amazing Race, The Challenge, The Bachelor, America's Next Top Model and more all rose from the ashes of Survivor's snuffed torches. And while it wasn't the first reality TV series ever created (that honor tends to be up for debate, but cases can be made for An American Family, Candid Camera and perhaps The Real World for those who were raised by MTV), its rugged spirit, competitive nature and mega grand prize allowed it to not only make its mark on the genre, but change the TV landscape as we knew it. (Can you imagine what TV would looked like today had it not been for the reality boom in the early aughts. I certainly can't.)
Would the show have continued on to hit the high highs it celebrated throughout the last two-plus decades had the meek Kelly become the victor? Was the rascally Richard's win just the perfect headline, conversation starter and (dare we say) ending? Would the show even be on the air today had Season 1 not delivered such a dynamic finish? It's impossible to say. But Survivor concocted the perfect storm: Film starving Americans in a dangerous and secluded location, while they get decimated by creepy crawlies and attempt to "Outwit, Outplay and Outlast" each other. That premise and everything that followed was so captivating, we still can't look away.