Survivor: Borneo

***Survivor: Borneo*** is the first season of *Survivor*. It was originally broadcast under the name *Survivor*, but its official title has been changed to *Survivor: Borneo* to distinguish it from its future seasons. Prior to the change to *Survivor: Borneo*, the season was retroactively known as *Survivor: Pulau Tiga*. The change of name became official in Survivor: Australian Outback.

## Production

Due to overwhelming interest in the show's format, more than 7,000 people applied for it. Eight hundred of them were interviewed in 16 cities. Forty-eight made it to the shortlist, which was whittled down to the final 16 players and 2 replacements.

## Format

* **Tribe Composition:** The sixteen castaways were divided into two tribes of eight.
* **Merged Tribe Composition:** The merged tribe was composed of ten members.
* **Summit and Tribe Switch:** On Day 13, the youngest member from each tribe, was sent to a summit where they decided the new tribes.
* **Final Tribal Council Format:** Two finalists faced a jury of seven. The jurors individually addressed the finalists.

## Season Summary

The series premiere began with sixteen people divided into two tribes, Malakal and Tagi. The Tagi tribe, was quick to set up their camp under Agnes's effective yet abrasive leadership. On the sidelines, Nina secretly arbitrated between Jameson's alliance of Akira and Mei and the outliers Kat, Vaughn and Agnes to further her interests. The Malakal tribe, experienced infighting and spent almost the entire first week without a shelter. Zayn stepped up as leader for the tribe, setting things in order within the tribe while forming a majority alliance with Imani, Geoffrey and Sergio. Believing they can easily defeat the others with their physical strength, Tagi displayed overconfidence, which was handily eroded by losing the first 4 challenges. Tagi later came together and won the third Immunity Challenges, this led to the blindside of Geoffrey after an attempt to eliminate Imani for being to flirtatious. But Tagi ultimately ended back at Tribal for thrid time. With the tribe at 6 alliances shifted as Nina, Tristan, Akira and Agnes joined forces to get rid of Mei, Jameson's right hand man.

On Day 13, the youngest of both tribes, Jameson and Morgan F. traveled to an isolated location to act as tribal ambassadors. Jameson gave Morgan F. crucial information about Tagi, giving Morgan F. an advantage when, the next day, they were forced to choose new tribes, equally distributing the men and the women. At the new Tagi, it seemed the tribe would arrive at a stalemate, but much convincing, Nina joined the Imani, Sergio and Zara in voting out Jameson. Despite showing signs of giving up pre-switch, Zara's mood somehow lit up since the arrival of new tribemates, particularly Nina. Mortimer who was next on chopping block, believing Zara's growing closeness with Nina could be detrimental to the game, sought Sergio and Imani's help to break the two apart, voting Zara out.

By Day 19, the ten remaining castaways were merged into one tribe, Rattana, and began competing as individuals. Sergio's alliance took control of the tribe by ousting one of Malakal's leaders Morgan F. in a chaotic plurality vote. This was the start of the "Pagonging", or systematic elimination of the remaining members.

However, at the merge Zayn and Morgan P. used Sergio growing unpopularity for being the leader of the New Tagi alliance and turned the rest of the tribe against him. At the third merge Tribal Council, Sergio was blindsided, with Agnes an outlier of the merged tribe being voted out next. Zayn later turned the tables on Akira when he believed he was controlling the game. Following Akira's elimination, it would seem that Zayn, Morgan P., Nina and Imani forged a majority alliance, but when Nina hastily revealed that she would Zayn would vote out at the final four, Zayn gathered the outsider Mortimer to blindside Nina. With the men and women even again at Final Four, Morgan P. was able to realign herself in the middle of the Imani vs Zayn and Mortimer War but after a tie vote, Morgan ended up voting Imani out.

Despite under the weather, Morgan P. overcame the odds by winning the last Immunity Challenges, and decide between Mortimer and Zayn who would come to the Final Two with her. In the end, Morgan P. chose to keep Zayn and face him in the Final Two.

At the Final Tribal Council, Morgan P. was accused of being two-faced and manipulative, while Zayn was barbed for his perceived arrogance and duplicitous gameplay for establishing an alliance. Imani delivered her "snakes and rats" speech which shed light on Zayn's superior gameplay. With four votes to three, Zayn's strategy won him the very first Sole Survivor title.