Let chaos reign! The preview for Survivor 49 episode 4, "Go Kick Rocks, Bro," showed that a tribe swap is coming for the second season in a row, and things are about to get interesting. The biggest question is whether it will be two tribes of seven players, or we'll see three tribes with uneven numbers.
Heading into the episode, the plan was most likely to have a shake-up in episode 4, featuring three teams of five. With the unfortunate medical evacuation of Kele member Jake Latimer due to a snake bite (although it featured a happy ending), it will be interesting to see how the tribes are realigned.
Survivor 49’s established alliances will be put to the test in epsiode four
Going into the third episode, each tribe had established some early alliances. The Kele tribe lost the first two immunity challenges, and the two players outside their initial partnership of four were already gone, leaving Jake, Alex Moore, Sophi Balerdi, and Jeremiah Ing. Jake left the game, and Kele lost again, this time sending Jeremiah packing.
The Uli tribe, though they haven’t come in last yet, also has not beaten Hina. While the tribe seems to get along reasonably well, an alliance of four has formed within their ranks as well. Savannah Louie, Rizo Velovic, Shannon Fairweather, and Nate Moore have connected.
They’ve been wary of Jawan Pitts and unsure about oddball Sage Ahrens-Nichols. Sage didn’t help herself by going to Shannon and voicing doubts about Savannah, who just happens to be Shannon’s closest ally.
The Hina tribe has dominated, winning every challenge thanks to good chemistry and puzzle beast, Jason Treul. While the lines aren’t as obviously drawn with Hina, some close alliances have formed. MC Chukwujekwu and Steven Ramm have bonded, and they have the clue to the beware advantage.
With the upcoming tribe swap, all bets are off. There is no way to predict what the new tribes, whether two or three, will look like. Each player will be lucky to have two other players they are close to on the same tribe.
History shows that those bonds made in the first days of the game can be powerful, but more often, recency takes over. While those early connections may not completely disintegrate, tribes learn very quickly that they have to depend on those around them. They can’t count on those early relationships holding true through to the merge.
These swaps also help those players who might be at the bottom of alliances or, in the case of the Kele members, without any allies, to find new life. Often, players who haven't been to tribal council yet are behind on gameplay and can be caught off guard because they haven't truly had to play hard yet.
New bonds will form, and that is the whole point. Players must navigate the game by building relationships with several people. Still, chaos will rule over the next couple of episodes as players settle into their new tribes and work to create new alliances.
Watch Survivor 49 episode 4 on Wednesday, Oct. 15!