The Survivor 49 players just settled down into the exciting post-merge portion of the game when Jeff Probst hit them with another twist, complete with extra twists fans have never seen before.
At the reward/immunity challenge, Probst split the remaining 10 contestants into two teams of five. The group whose player lasted the longest would win sandwiches and cookies, and the winner received an advantage. The losing group would be isolated for the rest of the afternoon and then attend tribal council by themselves, with one of their number going home.
The group featuring Jawan Pitts, Rizo Velovic, MC Chukwujekwu, Sophie Segreti, and Sage Ahrens-Nichols lost. The added twist was that Savannah Louie, who won the challenge, got to join the losing group, observe their discussions, and could vote if she wanted to, or hold onto her extra vote for later in the game.
It was a chaotic afternoon, but eventually, MC was voted out because she had lost the trust of her alliance when she played her idol the previous tribal council, despite being assured she didn’t need to.
9. Kristina Mills
Despite being in the majority and being well-liked, Kristina doesn’t appear to have much power in the game. While she did spur the vote that saw Nate Moore sent home, she hasn’t been a major player yet. She did find the hidden immunity idol that re-entered the game when MC played hers, but so far, she hasn’t seemed as strategic as some others.
8. Savannah Louie
Savannah won the challenge and wisely held onto her extra vote, but she remains an outsider with most of the merged tribe. She’s proven to be scrappy, and she has a strong ally in Rizo, but it may not be enough.
The longer she can survive, though, the better her chances are because it would be quite the accomplishment for her to pull herself out of the hole she’s been in since the merge.
7. Sophie Segreti
Sophie has set a target on her by winning one immunity challenge and finishing second with a Herculean effort in another. She is obviously competitive and tough, and very smart. Her days of being under the radar are over.
She’s still on the right side of the numbers (for now), but it is doubtful anyone wants to go to the Final Three with her.
6. Rizo Velovic
Rizo should be in the same place as Savannah, but he’s bravely held onto his hidden immunity idol when he probably should have played it. He’s done a fantastic job of reading the group and not panicking by losing the idol. If he can continue to navigate the game without playing the idol too early, he might be a dark horse.
5. Jawan Pitts
Jawan has done a great job so far, overcoming his low positioning with his initial tribemates by forming relationships across original tribal lines. He played a huge part in blindsiding Nate, but he hasn’t come off as a villain.
The question is how long he can walk in the middle of so many different relationships and maintain trust with everyone? After seeing MC's comments on her conversation with Jawan, it highlights that he is hard to trust. That could be his downfall.
4. Sophi Balerdi
Sophi is still on the wrong side, aligning herself with Savannah and Rizo, but she’s working hard to form other relationships with Alex Moore and others. She doesn’t seem to have any enemies and isn’t perceived as a threat.
She does have the Knowledge is Power advantage, and if she learns of Kristina’s idol, she could make a significant, game-changing play by stealing it, or she could earn points by upsetting her current alliance by stealing Rizo’s. Sophi has one of the more intriguing possible paths to win, so stay tuned.
3. Alex Moore
Alex is playing a very subtle game right now, but things might go wrong for him if the relationships evolve. He doesn’t have a ride-or-die ally, so he doesn’t have that protection. He’s being smart right now by following the crowd, but eventually he’s going to have to make a move.
2. Steven Ramm
Steve continues to be a promising player. He’s smart, and he has a good feeling for what is going on around him. He still doesn’t have any enemies, and he’s still on the right side of the game. He’s got a decent path toward the Final Three if things don’t fall apart around him.
1. Sage Ahrens-Nichols
Sage is still the most prominent player in the game right now. While she isn’t running the votes, she has had a hand in the last several votes, and she was on the winning side. As she has gained confidence, her gameplay has been more aggressive. She’s also been (do we dare say?) sage in her decision-making. At some point, her unusual personality and sometimes abrasive personality may cause allies to turn on her, but right now, she’s playing a fantastic game.
Survivor 49 is heating up, with several contestants playing well enough to win if things go their way, and they make it to the Final Three. It’s still anyone’s game!