Survivor 49 hasn’t seen any big surprises at tribal council yet, and there hasn’t been any bloody backstabbing yet. The game is 10 days old, yet half of the remaining 12 players haven’t even experienced tribal council. This could change very soon!
Among those contestants who haven’t had to visit Jeff Probst and vote someone out are original Uli members Shannon Fairweather and Sage Ahrens-Nichols. These two never connected much before the tribe swap, and, of course, they ended up stuck with each other as the only former Uli tribe in the new Kele tribe after the swap.
Tension is brewing between Sage and Shannon on Survivor 49
Sage is a quirky, unabashed player who will say just about anything that comes into her head. Early on, her open discussions about bodily functions caught tribemates off guard and made some of them uncomfortable. As time went on, she seemed to be accepted as she is, quirkiness and all, though she has struggled to connect closely with any of her tribemates, either before or after the swap.
Shannon, on the other hand, is social. She talks to everyone and works hard to make connections. She had little trouble making friends after the tribe swap, even though she and Sage are in the minority.
Sage noticed that Shannon can connect with other players by identifying what's important to each player and exploiting it. Shannon can convince most players that she shares whatever is important to them.
In episode 5, some of the other players are catching on. Alex Moore and Steve Ramm noticed that Shannon is playing very hard, and she never turns off her charm. The two of them consult with Sage, and she is thrilled that others have noticed Shannon’s somewhat duplicitous nature.
Though Sage and Shannon have never been allies, Shannon sought out Sage and had a private conversation with her, during which Shannon pledged her friendship in the game. Sage didn’t buy it for a moment. They shared a hug, and Sage looked right into the camera and made a hilarious face over Shannon’s shoulder. It was a priceless Survivor moment!
If both can survive the upcoming second tribe swap and make it to the merge, there is sure to be a showdown between these two at some point. The edit has spent too much time laying the groundwork.
This clash seems as inevitable as the eventual fallout between Savannah Louie and Jawan Pitts. The edit has set up that rivalry well, too.
It will be interesting to see whether Sage or Shannon wins out. There is at least one fan who’s pulling for Sage!