Ever since the merge, Survivor 49 has featured blindside after blindside after blindside. Not a single member of the jury expected to see themselves there so soon and most of the players back at camp were shocked to see them go as well.
So it's no surprise that one of our first looks at episode 11 showcases one of our core three players deciding it might be time to turn on the alliance and take the game into their own hands.
In the sneak peek, Sophi Balerdi shares that working with Savannah Louie and Rizo Velovic has been great so far, but that she understands her place in the trio: third. As far as loyalty in the game goes, she doesn't doubt that Rizo will pick Savannah and vice versa every time, leaving her on the chopping block should another ploy to break up the alliance come into play.
But in the game of Survivor, nothing is ever as easy as it seems. If you make a move too early, you expose yourself and risk your game. If you make a move too late, it rarely counts towards anything in the end. The perfect move—especially one as big as turning against the power alliance that's been controlling the game for most of the season—is very delicate and requires the right combination of people and advantages.
It's time for Sophi to use her advantage and strike against her core alliance
The fact that she's made it this far into the game without telling anyone about her Knowledge is Power advantage is the key to all of this. It's the proof that of anyone at that camp, she has the discretion and strategic ability to figure out how to split up Rizo and Savannah for good, finally sending one of them to the jury. She just needs to put her trust in the right people.
And the first person she knows she can trust is Sage Ahrens-Nichols who has dedicated nearly her whole game to voting out Savannah. And after Sage was blindsided by the elimination of her no. 1 ally Jawan Pitts at the last Tribal Council, there's no doubt that she's ready to take any scrap of hope thrown her way that what she's been working towards this whole time might finally become a reality.
Most importantly, too, Sophi knows that the mole of the last vote was Sophie Segreti, divulging to Savannah and Rizo that Jawan and Sage were flipping. So she truly knows where each player stands right now and how to pull the rug right out from under the power duo. It will all just depend on whether or not Savannah wins immunity again and becomes safe, putting the full target on Rizo's back, or if it's open season and our castaways need to decide which of the two is the true threat that needs to go.
Watch Survivor 49 episode 11 at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Dec. 3, on CBS and Paramount+. We only a few more episodes left this season.