Going into episode eight of Survivor 49, we knew that Savannah, Rizo, and Sophi were on the bottom following episode seven’s blindside of Nate. All three attempt to reconnect with the other side. Rizo tells Jawan he’s still open to work with him. Sophi tries to reconvene with Alex. We also see Sage trying to work with Sophi as a way to start painting a target on Savannah’s back, telling Sophi Savannah has not taken her feelings about the chickens into account (which we know is not a lie). At the waterwell, we see Savannah and Sage trying to stage each other up, as there is clearly tension.

We then get this package of Savannah being vulnerable. She did not think being on the bottom would be so difficult. She tells Steven about her horrible experience at a television station when she was a reporter. She confided in him about how her co-workers would talk smack about her while she was standing six feet away. We see her in a confessional talk about how she is willing to do anything to stay in the game. It was a very powerful scene and well edited.

We also see Steven, Alex and Kristina going on a “defensive idol hunt” after MC played hers last week. Christina is the one who finds the idol.

As for the immunity challenge, players are split into two teams. It’s the challenge where players attempt to hang on with their foot in narrow footholes. However, there’s a huge twist to this challenge: The winning group will not go to Tribal Council. They will not vote, and they will not watch. They do earn a deli sandwich and chocolate chip cookie reward. The person that lasts the longest out of everybody also wins an advantage. 

The teams are:

  1. Savannah, Alex, Sophi, Kristina, Steven
  2. Rizo, Sophie, MC, Jawan, Sage 

The challenge eventually turned into a one-on-one showdown between Savannah and Sophie, with Savannah pulling it out for her group. We see Sophi telling her she saved her life with the win, and in my opinion, Sophi’s right. Due to the dynamics on that team, it’s likely Alex, Kristina and Steven would have all put their votes on Savannah.

Following the loss, at the old Uli camp, Sophie, MC, Jawan, and Sage initially have this plan to blindside Rizo. MC and Sophie send Jawan and Sage to make sure Rizo is comfortable.

This is where the plan falls apart because while the two old Uli members talk to Rizo, Sophie tells her old Hina teammate that she is going to place one vote on Jawan in case Rizo plays his idol and votes for her. In a confessional, we see MC wants to keep Jawan, so she tells him about Sophie’s plan. Jawan then confronts Sophie, and she apologies, but the damage was already done.

Over at the merge camp, the reward group thinks Sophie is the biggest threat and will go home. We also see Savannan’s advantage, which may be the biggest advantage in The New Era (no joke!). She gets to go to the Uli beach and participate in Tribal Council. 

When she arrives at the old Uli camp, Jawan, Sage and Sophie flip out. Savannah informs the group that her advantage is that she’s participating in Tribal Council. This is where Savannah The Savage starts to come out. When she gets alone time with Rizo, she informs her alliance member that she doesn’t have to vote, and she can save her vote. 

This causes Rizo to turn his attention to putting the target on MC. He says in a confessional that Sophie would be more of a number for him. As this is happening, Sage, Jawan, Sophie, and MC debate if they should stick to the original plan. We then see MC tell Sophie she is getting bad vibes from her, and MC does not respond, which in hindsight was foreshadowing for what’s to come.

At Tribal, the discussion is whether or not Old Uli may stick together for one night. Sophie then blurts out that it’s her or MC going home. 

It turns out Sophie was correct, as the vote went 4-1 (MC, Sophie), with MC being the only one voting for Sophie. Savannah did indeed keep her vote in her pocket, noting she will use it “when she needs to, and this isn’t the time” (cinema alert!).

With MC heading to the jury with Nate, it really opens up the game. How are Alex, Sophi, Steven, and Kristina going to react when Savannah returns to the group? We still have a Cold War brewing between Sage and Jawan vs Savannah and Rizo from old Uli. Will Alex and Sophi link back up after having a connection early in the game due to the hell they endured on Kele to start the game?

There’s so many possibilities. Savannah and Sage, specifically, are playing Old School Survivor, and I love it. The only true duo in the game right now in my estimation is Savannah and Rizo, and I think that’s no coincidence as to why they are both on Survivor 50, as are Kyle and Kamilia from Survivor 48.

This was a perfect Survivor episode!

Grade: A+

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