Survivor 49 is leaning toward the same uneven tribe issues that have become common on the legendary CBS reality show. Once again, one tribe can’t seem to perform well enough to win, well, anything.
Once again, the Kele tribe came in last during the reward/immunity challenge, despite a gigantic lead at one point. Once again, they went to tribal council and where they voted out Annie Davis.
While it wasn’t a surprise to anyone else, Annie was blindsided entirely as she thought she was totally in charge of her tribe, and that was never the reality of her time on the show.
Three people who are probably safe in Survivor 49 episode 3
No. 3: Savannah Louie, Uli
So far, Savannah is playing a very social game and seems to be making friends and allies within her tribe. She’s already formed an alliance of four that, at this early stage, looks strong enough to survive a couple of tribal councils if they should lose an immunity challenge.
No. 2: MC Chukwujekwu, Hina
MC is the most physical player on the most dominating tribe so far this season. She gets along with everyone, and there aren’t any early red flags between her and the rest of her tribe. She’s been social and hard-working around camp, and it would be a shocking development if she were the first player taken out if Hina goes to tribal council.
No. 1: Alex Moore
Alex is playing a strong game so far, and in episode two, he tracked down the immunity idol. That makes him a prime prospect for a blindside, but he is also in an alliance with his remaining tribemates (though that alliance is somewhat rickety).
It is hard to pull off a blindside on an idol holder this early with only four people, especially if there is a strong connection with at least one other player, as in this case with Alex and Jake Latimer.
3 Survivor 49 players who could be in danger in episode 3
No. 3: Kristina Mills, Hina
The Hina tribe is dominating the game, though they are not a physically imposing bunch. They get along great in camp, and there isn’t one player that just stands out as an outsider.
Kristina is only on this list because if Hina were to go to tribal council, she is the weakest player. Someone has to go, and she might be the odd person out. It is hard to tell what will happen if this tribe ever goes tribal, but she’s as good a guess as any right now.
No. 2: Sage Ahrens-Nichols, Uli
There are actually a few candidates on this tribe who could be voted out whenever they are forced to go to tribal council. A case could be made that Jawan Pitts or Nate Moore could be the choice to go home, but Nate is in a solid early alliance of four, and Jawan has proven his worth to the tribe despite his anxious and overthinking demeanor.
Sage makes for great television, and she is likable. Still, it’s unclear how well she meshes with the tribe overall, and her weirdness doesn’t always sit well with all the members of the tribe. The circumstances of each episode could affect which person goes home from this tribe, but it wouldn’t be a shocker to see Sage get an early ouster.
No. 1: Jake Latimer, Kele
While it seems unlikely that Jake would be on the block considering his alliances with Alex and Sophi Balerdi, both are somewhat unhappy with Jake’s closeness to the other. Alex has already considered that he will have to take Jake out at some point.
There is also the episode three preview to consider. During that preview, aired at the end of episode two, Jake appeared to have a run-in with a venomous snake on the beach. The preview didn’t show any medical intervention, but snippets from his tribemates indicate Jake’s time in the game might be in danger.
So far, Survivor 49 is off to a sluggish start, but there are enough intriguing players that audiences shouldn’t be worried. There is a long way to go in this game, and it is only going to get better.