Survivor 49 | Ep. 9
Previously on, Survivor.
LEWATU - NIGHT 15
How great is it to open the episode with Alex being wrong on who he thought was going home and Kristina’s game crumbling around her. Feels like the first signs of adversity for Kristina and the first signs of truth and clarity for Sophie! People are revealing a whole lot to Sophie and we can see it because of the night vision. The times they are a changing.
Next, Sophi recaps her having Knowledge is Power (still a secret), Rizo still has his idol, and Savannah has an Extra Vote. I know they say it every episode but it really is amazing how much this game can change, does change, and keeps you guessing in such a short period of time.
Finally, the return of the R-I-Z-G-O-D, RIZGOD! baby, and you know what?, the floor is yours pal. Take your victory lap. He executed his plan to target MC, get her voted out, and keep his idol. Add onto it that Savannah has the Extra Vote and he’s right to say that his alliance is the most powerful in the game.
So who then is the most powerful among the alliance? I say Sophi because her Knowledge is Power advantage remains a secret and the single most powerful weapon in the game, and NOBODY knows about it.
LEWATU - DAY 16
On day 16, the vibe for some, is desperate. The number one example at LEWATU is Steven. He lost his number one and most trusted person in the game, MC. I don’t mind some desperation and him sharing the Kristina idol information with Sage to build trust, but I think it screams how limited his social game was. For that, I put him in the very desperate category.
Sophie too is desperate, but in a very different way. She was naive and has now seen had the curtains pulled back. I like her pivot from the game she thought she was playing to the game she has to play. It’s time for her to pay attention to and question the man behind the curtain.
Finally, the scene ends with Rizo sniffing out Alex’s attempt to play the middle of the game.
I LOVE IT!
I feel like Rizo is hitting another gear and level in his game. As he picks at his budding chin whiskers (like he is seeing them spring up for the first time), I feel like he has put the car that is his social game and strategic game into a higher gear than many of the others. I am most excited to see if he can maintain control of his car as he weaves in and out of the traffic around him that is doing the speed limit. Call it confidence, call it awareness, call it idol muscles, call it whatever, to me, he clearly is in the driver seat.
REWARD CHALLENGE
KRISTINA’s Team (BLUE) - Kristina, Sophie, Alex, Savannah,
RIZO’s Team (YELLOW) - Rizo, Sage, Jawan, Steven
NOT CHOSEN - Sophi (bet on Rizo’s team to win)
REWARD - Fried chicken, french fries, cheesecake, and soft drinks.
The giant metal cube, a cargo net crawl, and an extra tall ring toss. This time Alex out tosses Rizo and Jawan to win the reward for Kristina, Sophie, and Savannah.
The final piece of the reward was Kristina giving up her spot for Jawan. The story here, is the gesture from Kristina seems 100% genuine. I think at this point in the game, a person like a Kristina who is a nurturer and selfless, has to be the peacock and reveal her true colors. I think she naturally sees the opportunity to give to others, in this case Jawan, and she jumps at it. Survivor tests everyone who plays and I believe that Kristina is being tested on how long she can go without being the natural giver that she is, and she lasted 16 days. Sometimes, the humanity in people simply HAS TO come out.
REWARD - DAY 16
Pause…WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SANCTUARY?!?!?!?! You know, the place where good things happen? Is this the beast of 50 gobbling up a familiar aspect of the game?
I enjoyed going deeper with Jawan, his provider instincts and his quiet confidence. I could do without the volume of superhero references. He’s like the Ben (46) of this season seeing the world through horror movies and superheroes. hahaha.
LEWATU POST REWARD - DAY 16
Believe it or not, there is trust in Survivor. Savannah tells Sophi about being a news reporter. I think many will see Savannah as the “villain” of the season, but really she’s not. In the absence of a villain, people will create one, and Savannah is it, but my sense is that those who make that judgement will be conflicted when Savannah reveals more and more about her true self.
On the strategic front, people see Sophi as a number and so they trust her with information. Kristina sharing with Sophi wanting Rizo’s idol flushed out and splitting votes between Rizo and Savannah reveals morea bout Kristina’s lack of gameplay than anything else.
Rizo is taking this insider info and running with it to the tune of targeting Alex. The crack he saw was Alex playing the middle and his recognition of this crack is allowing the rare person in the middle to become a target. I’m all in on this strategy and I think Rizo is selling it well.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - DAY 17
TWO IMMUNITY NECKLACES UP FOR GRABS - one man, one woman
A new challenge is here and it’s leg and ab day on Survivor. I can feel the fat on my stomach being compressed, the self consciousness creeping in, and the pain taking hold. I just don’t have a ton of strength in my core. I would be like Rizo and Kristina, out immediately.
Next up, Steven gets his moment. The rocket scientist gets to distract everyone with his NASA facts enough to make it to the next phase of the challenge. As the challenge moves into the next phase and you cannot hold onto your legs, Steven outlasts Jawan and wins immunity for himself as the last man standing.
This sets up Sophie and Savannah round 2. At the 40 minute mark, the smack talk is picking up and Savannah’s mental warfare does just enough to burn Sophie’s legs and abs out. She drops and Savannah gets another 1v1 win and wins her second Immunity Necklace. These two challenges are built for Savannah’s body type. They were about core strength and mental toughness, and she has both.
PRE-TRIBAL SCRAMBLE - DAY 17
The scramble is shown through Sophie’s perspective. She’s a free agent and has a new outlook on the game. Does she go with Kristina and Steven plan and split the vote on Rizo and Sophi to flush his idol and at worst, have Sophi be the fallen soldier. Or does she go with Rizo’s plan and target Alex.
Next, Alex’s game gets turned up because he has been figured out. He’s trying to be everyone’s friend and ally, which is dangerous, and now he is scrambling to do damage control. I agree with Sage that Alex and his game feels “messy”. He’s constantly saying how happy he is to work with everybody and it feels right that it’s put up or shut up time for his game.
PREDICTION: Rizo plays his idol but Alex goes home.
TRIBAL COUNCIL - NIGHT 17
Thank you Jeff for calling out everyone’s fluffy B.S. conversation. I love when he drills down and presses people for real conversation.
Savannah’s confidence having immunity allows her to throw out some interesting playful commentary. Her immunity win threw a wrinkle into people’s voting plans but did she need to say all that in the way she did?
Rizo acknowledges his idol yet again and the complexity of Survivor surfaces. Do you actually throw your vote to flush the idol or do you not waste the vote? Also, the game has evolved the past 8.5 seasons to get to this point.
VOTES
ALEX - 5
SOPH - 2
RIZO - 1
He knew it. He was dead to rights. He played both sides like a politician would and he got busted for flip flopping. Rizo pulled Alex’s gameplay pants down and spanked him. Again! (remember the 1v1 supply challengeI feel like Alex’s story in 49 was surviving the disaster at original KELE and then thinking that he could ride the middle to the promise land because others have done that before.
We never saw a tenacity. We never saw risk taking. We never saw fearlessness. Instead we saw hesitation and playing it safe. Let’s put it in Washington D.C. terms, playing the game the way Alex did may help you win the primaries but you’ll never win the general.
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