Before Survivor 49 began airing, a lot of the discussion revolved around how the season would affect Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans. Now that Survivor 49 has become a hit, however, there is a lot more talk about the season on its own merits. For example, there has been a lot of interest in Jeff Probst's claim that the season's players had to deal with some of the hottest weather in Survivor history.
Of course, virtually all Survivor fans would agree that the factor that makes or breaks a season is how compelling the players are. As a result, it is always fascinating to see how fans feel about each season's players during the early stages of the game. As a huge fan himself, Survivor 47's Gabe Ortis joined that conversation when he told FanSided's Surviving Tribal about which Survivor 49 players have stood out to him.
Why Gabe Ortis thinks Survivor 49's Sophi Balerdi is in a great position
In October 2025, Survivor 47's Gabe Ortis was exclusively interviewed by FanSided's Surviving Tribal. During that conversation, Gabe was asked which Survivor 47 players have stood out to him so far. In response, Gabe initially brought up Sophi Balerd.
During the first two episodes of Survivor 49, the members of the Kele tribe, including Sophi, have been the only players who've gone to tribal council. During the interview, Gabe discussed his opinion that Sophi is poised to survive being part of what seems poised to be a disaster tribe.
"I think Sophi on the blue tribe has definitely been somebody who has benefited a lot from the amount of screen time that that tribe has been getting. It looks like, we don't know, but it looks like we might be in for a disaster tribe here. And if that is the case, then I think that she is the most well-insulated person within that tribe. I think that if they were to go to tribal two or three more times, I don't think she gets voted out at any of those."
After first expressing his opinion that Sophi is in a great position, Gabe began reflecting on what her options are going forward. The Survivor 47 veteran explained that Sophi is perfectly positioned to choose between two options if the Kele tribe loses again before the merge or any potential tribal shakeups.
"I think it's because she has this very close relationship with Jake right now. And she has this really close relationship with Jeremiah. So I think that if Alex and Jake, who seem to have the tightest connection on that tribe right now, were to go to tribal again and they were deciding who they were going to vote out, I think it's clear that it would be Jeremiah.
"I think that Sophi is somebody who's in a position where she can either choose to go with the majority of Jake and Alex and just stay safe and live to fight another day, or she has the relationship with Jeremiah where she can kind of try to scheme something with him and force a tie or do something interesting to maybe break that duo that Jake and Alex seem to have. So I think she has the most options ahead of her if they were to go to tribal again. And I think she's somebody that nobody is going to be throwing her name out if they go again."
Finally, Gabe summarized by describing how impressed he is with how Sophi has been playing Survivor.
"I think she's been really, really impressive so far. I'm excited to see what the rest of her game holds."
Why Gabe Ortis is excited about how Survivor 49's "MC" Chukwujekwu is playing
Gabe is also excited about how Michelle "MC" Chukwujekwu is playing during Survivor 49
Unlike Sophi, the other Survivor 49 player who has stood out to Gabe hasn't gotten nearly as much screentime. However, in response to the same question about which players have made their mark, Gabe explained why he is excited by the fact that Michelle "MC" Chukwujekwu is mixing things up during Survivor 49.
"On the yellow tribe, Hina, I think it's called, we haven't really gotten a lot of screen time there. But I have to say, MC is doing something that is making me so happy because when we have this three tribes of six people format, it always leads to the same thing. Like it always, always, always leads to the same thing. And there being, I don't know if this is, again, intentional or not, but the editing this season has been very blatant about this, that you have six people, four people come together. They say, ‘No matter what, we're not going to vote for each other.’ Two people are on the bottom. And then if you go to tribal, you decide which of those two people you want to leave."
At that point, Gabe made it clear that he doesn't blame players for making four-person alliances when they are on a tribe with six players. However, Gabe celebrated MC for being willing to disrupt that paradigm that has been built because she isn't willing to be the last person on a four-person alliance.
"What MC is doing is, MC was brought in as clearly the fourth member of a four-person majority on that yellow tribe. And she kind of thought, ‘You know what? Why would I want to be the fourth person here? Let me go to the person they're targeting and let them know and say, you know what, hey, I want to keep you in the game. What can you and me do here to maybe try to break up this, you know, what they think is a foursome, but really it's a trio.’"
While continuing to talk about MC, Gabe compared her choices to what he did during Survivor 47. Instead of being the fourth person in an alliance with TK Foster, Tiyana Hallums, and Kyle Ostwald, Gabe turned and joined Caroline Vidmar and Sue Smey.
While comparing her choices to the risk that he took, Gabe reflected on how MC's decision not to just go along with the four-person alliance could blow-up in her face.
"Now look, that could have blown up in my face, and it could blow up in MC's face in 49, which is very interesting. Sue could have ran over to TK and Tiana and Kyle and been like, ‘Hey guys, Gabe just ratted on all of you that you're voting me out. And clearly you can't trust him. So what if instead of voting me out, I'm showing you a display of trust here and honesty. What if we vote Gabe out who ratted on you?’ And that could happen to MC.
"It was Sophie [Segreti], I believe, who [MC] went up to and said, ‘Hey, they'e coming for you.’ Sophie, and this would be a very interesting move in her own right, could run up to Matt and Christina and Steven and be like, ‘MC just completely ratted your guys' plans out to me. You cannot trust her. If you wanted to get me out, I'm coming to you saying I want to work with you. We should vote MC out.' That could happen, and it'd be very interesting."
Finally, Gabe summarized why MC has made him so happy during Survivor 49 so far.
"But it's a risky move that MC made. And I like that early big swing of breaking up the monotony of new era strategy and the new era meta, if you will. So yeah, very, very intrigued by what MC is doing right now."
Watch the full interview with Gabe Ortis:
And, don't forget to watch Survivor 49 on Wednesdays on CBS and Paramount+.