The two initial tribes were Boran and Samburu. In the fifth episode, after 12 days, three members from each team were switched to the other team, in what became known as the first "twist" in the Survivor series.This emphasized that the players must be ready for the most sudden changes; future seasons would have similar twists. Eventually the two tribes merged into the Motomaji tribe.
Thirteen episodes were aired, plus a mid-season recap, a live reunion/interview with Bryant Gumbel after the finale, and a "where are they now" show. The winner, Ethan Zohn, was revealed on January 10, 2002.