The BEST episodes of Survivor season 1

Every episode of Survivor season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Survivor season 1!

Sixteen or more castaways are split between two or more "Tribes", are taken to a remote isolated location and are forced to live off the land with meager supplies for roughly 39 days. Frequent physical challenges are used to pit the tribes against each other for Rewards, such as food or luxuries, or for "Immunity", forcing the other tribe to attend "Tribal Council", where they must vote off one of their players. Once about half the players are remaining, the tribes are merged into a single tribe, and competitions are on an individual basis; winning Immunity prevents that player from being voted out, while several that are voted out at this stage form the game's "Jury". Once down to two or three people, a Final Tribal Council is held where the remaining players plead their case to the jury members. The jury then votes for which player should be considered the "Sole Survivor" and win the $1 million prize. Survivor has introduced numerous modifications, or "twists", on the core rules in order to keep the players on their toes and to prevent players from relying on strategies that succeeded in prior seasons. These changes have included tribal switches, seasons starting with more than two tribes, the ability to exile a player from a tribe for a short time, Hidden Immunity Idols that players can use to save themselves at Tribal Council and a chance to return to regular gameplay after elimination through "Redemption Island".

Last Updated: 12/17/2024Network: CBSStatus: Continuing
The Marooning
star
7.68
291 votes

#1 - The Marooning

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/31/2000

Sixteen contestants row two rafts to the jungle island of Pulau Tiga in the South China Sea. Once there, they divide into two tribes (Pagong, Tagi) and go head-to-head in an Immunity Challenge called “Quest for Fire.” The contest requires the tribes to light a series of torches in the water while holding onto a raft. The losing team attends Tribal Council and votes out one of its members.

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The Generation Gap
star
7.65
221 votes

#2 - The Generation Gap

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/7/2000

Generational difficulties arise, as do conflicts over varying work ethics, as the castaways try to adapt to life on the island. “Buggin' Out,” the Immunity Challenge, involves eating live beetle larvae. The first tribe member who refuses to eat the squirming grubs loses Immunity for his or her tribe.

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The Final Four
star
7.59
130 votes

#3 - The Final Four

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 8/23/2000

The Final Four players endure two Immunity Challenges and three Tribal Councils before the $1 million winner is chosen by the Jury. The first Immunity Challenge is “Fallen Comrades,” in which the four finalists answer personal questions about their fellow castaways. The second Challenge is one of endurance, as the remaining three contestants hold onto an idol. Later, the Final Tribal Council is convened and the winner is selected.

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The Merger
star
7.57
126 votes

#4 - The Merger

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/12/2000

In Week 7, the Tagi and Pagong tribes merge into one, with a person from each tribe attending a summit meeting on the sand spit to determine at which camp they will live. Also, the contestants compete in an underwater swimming event for Immunity.

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Death of an Alliance
star
7.52
120 votes

#5 - Death of an Alliance

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 8/16/2000

The number of contestants is whittled down to the Final Four after the players compete in “Witch Hunt” for Immunity. The castaways are each given a video camera and must search through the jungle for hand-carved masks and answer questions on the back of them. For a Reward---a night at a bar with a hot meal and a cold beer---the tribemates see who can collect the most mud on their bodies and transfer it to a designated area in a given time.

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Long Hard Days
star
7.35
119 votes

#6 - Long Hard Days

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 8/9/2000

The Immunity Challenge is “Walk the Plank,” in which the players must balance on a narrow board over the ocean. For a Reward, the castaways answer questions about survival on the island. The winner spends a night in luxury aboard a yacht.

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Pulling Your Own Weight
star
7.24
130 votes

#7 - Pulling Your Own Weight

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/28/2000

Conflicts arise among some teammates when their food supply runs low. The contestants participate in a Reward Challenge using blowdarts, slingshots and spears to win fresh fruit and live chickens. The Immunity Challenge is “Shipwrecked.”

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Old and New Bonds
star
7.24
114 votes

#8 - Old and New Bonds

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 7/26/2000

The contestants participate in a Reward Challenge for a barbecue by swinging along a rope course. For Immunity, they become pieces on a huge board game called “Squared Off.”

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Crack in the Alliance
star
7.23
119 votes

#9 - Crack in the Alliance

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/8/2000

The castaways participate in “Fast Fire” to earn Immunity, which requires them to build a fire on the beach. “Bamboozled” is the Reward Challenge, in which the seven tribemates must race on bamboo structures over the ocean. The winner gets to make two calls on a cell phone. One is to order a slice of pizza that's delivered by helicopter; the other is a call home.

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Too Little, Too Late?
star
7.20
137 votes

#10 - Too Little, Too Late?

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/21/2000

The contestants endure a powerful storm, replete with high winds and lightning. For Immunity, the castaways participate in “Buried Treasure,” a relay race that includes digging up a treasure chest.

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Quest for Food
star
7.20
147 votes

#11 - Quest for Food

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/14/2000

The two tribes desperately search for food and compete in a Reward Challenge that requires them to drag a sunken treasure chest to shore. The winning team receives fishing equipment. “Rescue Mission” is the Immunity Challenge. The tribes must rescue an “injured” player out in the jungle and bring him or her back to the beach on a stretcher.

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Udder Revenge
star
7.17
127 votes

#12 - Udder Revenge

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/5/2000

The tribes compete for Immunity on an obstacle course built by Green Berets, and the winning team then has to retrieve the Immunity Idol from Snake Island; the contestants are tempted with a domestic food not normally associated with humans; one team's chemistry implodes after losing a Reward Challenge; one of the men makes a rude comment about women that affects life on the island.

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Thy Name Is Duplicity
star
7.13
124 votes

#13 - Thy Name Is Duplicity

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/19/2000

The contestants participate in an archery competition for a videotape from home. Later, in the Immunity Challenge “End of the Line,” they race through the jungle following a rope course.

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The Reunion
star
7.04
71 votes

#14 - The Reunion

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 8/23/2000

The 16 contestants from “Survivor” are reunited and answer questions about their experiences on the island. Bryant Gumbel is the host.

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