Survivor 49 has been an exciting season since the early tribe swaps, and it’s been amazing to see two of the biggest targets avoid being voted out based on sheer will alone. Savannah Louie and Rizo Velovic have somehow avoided elimination since the merge.
Almost as surprising as their survival was the unanimous vote that sent Sophie Segreti home. There are two distinct alliances left, and they teamed up to get Sophie out. At this stage in the game, that was amazing.
With just six players left, there are still several ways Survivor 49 could unfold. There are some advantages and idols to be played, and who knows where all the pieces will fall.
6. Kristina Mills
Kristina’s best path to win is to be sitting next to Rizo and Savannah at the Final Tribal Council and getting enough votes from her friends who don’t want to vote for the other two. She shouldn’t have a chance to win this game, but with new era juries, who knows? If she wins, it will be a travesty.
5. Sage Ahrens-Nichols
When Jawan Pitts was voted out, it turned Sage’s game upside down. She played well for most of the season. She’s been aggressive when she needed to be, and she was willing to pull back when it was for the best. Still, if she can make it to the final three, her path to winning isn’t clear. Outside of Jawan, she’s not had any close allies in the game.
4. Savannah Louie
Time may be running out for Savannah. So far, there have been no cracks in her partnership with Rizo, but sometimes even the best of friends realize that they can’t sit at the Final Tribal Council and share credit for all their moves.
Plus, too many people want her out. Sage has wanted her out for a long time; Kristina has made no effort to hide that she doesn’t like Savannah, and Sophi Balerdi is getting ready to make a big move that will likely remove Savannah from the game.
3. Steven Ramm
If Steven makes it to the end, there is an excellent chance he will win Survivor 49. He’s well-liked, he’s won challenges, he’s taken chances, and he’s survived on the bottom for quite a while now.
Steven earned himself a Block a Vote advantage, and playing during the next tribal council could swing the vote to his side. He’s in a great position, and as long as Kristina and Sage don’t turn on him, he has a great chance to win.
2. Rizo Velovic
What Rizo has done this season may be beyond what any other single player has ever accomplished. He has flaunted his idol for five tribal councils now, and he’s still in the game with his idol. He’s also protected Savannah along the way. They’ve both been targets for a while, but Rizo has been adept at deflecting votes away from himself and Savannah, and onto players he doesn’t want around.
If there is any justice, Rizo will win the game, but the best player doesn’t always get the votes.
1. Sophi (Soph) Balerdi
She doesn’t seem to know it yet (or maybe she does), but Soph is the lynch pin for how this season might finish. She still holds the Knowledge is Power advantage, and no one else knows about it. She could steal Steven’s advantage if she gets the name right. It’s a Block a Vote advantage, not a Steal a Vote. If she plays her advantage and speaks the wrong words, it will have all been for naught. A better plan would be for her to steal Rizo’s idol, then take him out. If she plays her advantage effectively, she could change the game significantly.
Survivor 49 still has several players left who’ve played well enough to win, and another who could make her case with the right moves. The end is near, and it is still anyone’s game.