Well, old school “Survivor” fans. We were kings. We were queens. For two whole episodes, we got to experience the joy of basking in two-tribe glory. Kele vs. Hina, throwing down for the crown! However, Wednesday’s episode hits the reset button, throwing us back into our new era routine and re-reshuffling the tribes back into three for… reasons? With only four players per tribe? This particular bit of creative is a head-scratcher, my friends.
Thus, when the players hit the mat for their next challenge, Probst surprises them with yet another, “Drop your buffs!” (Oh, Jeffrey. You rascal.) Here’s how the new tribes shake out. For Kele, it’s Steven, Shannon, Sage and Jawan. (WE WON! More on that below.) For Uli, it’s Alex, Sophie, Nate and Kristina. And for Hina, it’s MC, Sophi, R-I-Z-G-O-D and Savannah. And the challenge in front of them is the season’s first reward. Are grilled cheese sandys, potato chips, chocolate brownies and iced tea worth playing for? Say less!
It should come as no surprise that I’m pleased as punch that Shannon and Sage are once again on the same tribe. Bring on the fireworks! Unleash more petty faces directly to camera! I am here for it all. Sage has been serving on all fronts since the beginning of the season, and I don’t expect her to stop any time soon. She is entertainment. She is the moment. Dare I say: She is cinema! And no one can ever convince me otherwise.
Read more: Survivor’s Best And Worst Winners, Ranked
Feeling Woozy
Survivor 49’s Kristina Mills – Robert Voets/CBS
Before the challenge can commence, Kristina is compelled to sit down on the mat as Jeff is talking, prompting the hostmaster general to call in medical to take her vitals. She looks winded, depleted and weak, but I’m glad she was able to get her breathing under control and resume play. Once again, we’re told that it’s VERY HOT out there this season, and I don’t doubt that one bit. A melty, crispy grilled cheese should help Kristina recover even more, because Uli secures second place in the challenge. But the top prize? That goes to Hina, with Sophi getting her very first grub of the season. At least Kele has chickens? If they can keep ’em inside their cages, that is.
But back to what’s really important here: Shannon and Sage! Shannon thinks its fate or divine intervention by the “Survivor” gods that put these two former Ulis on the same tribe again. And while she holds Sage’s hand for a walk down the beach (kinda weird, right?) and waxes poetic about their star-crossed friendship or whatever, Sage tells us via confessional that she ain’t buying it! Nope, not a word. Shannon’s been throwing her under the bus and targeting her, says Sage, so for now, she’s just keeping up appearances. A storm’s a-brewing, and with Kele losing the week’s immunity challenge, things are about to get very real, very fast.
There’s not too much to note about the challenge. There was a net crawl and some sandbags, and a key that unlocked a table maze. Uli did make quite the comeback from behind though, after Kristina struggled to secure her key. But they did wind up securing their safety, so get seated for another episode of The Sage and Shan Show!
One Yellow in a Sea of Red
Survivor 49’s Steven Ramm – Robert Voets/CBS
Despite Steven’s potential bromance with fellow nerd Jawan, there’s no denying that he’s the only former Hina in a tight-knit trio of Ulis. (Or so he thinks, at least.) Shannon says going to Tribal is “really cool and a dream come true.” (Potential foreshadowing there?) Steven seems like the easy out, but things are rarely ever as easy as they seem to us armchair experts. Shannon pitches a Jawan vote to Steven, whose ears are wide open, thanks to his newfound desperation. Is she just trying to keep him comfortable to prevent a Shot in the Dark play?
Shannon pitches the Jawan thang to Sage, who agrees to her face, but Sage’s real play? Target Shannon. (As RHAP’s T-Bird would say: Get your popcorn popped!) So Sage runs to Jawan to rat her out. Jawan’s concern, however, is that voting out Shannon will piss off Nate and Savannah when they merge. He also thinks he can use Shannon moving forward. Decisions, decisions…
The Tribe Has Spoken
Survivor 49’s Sage Ahrens-Nichols – Robert Voets/CBS
With only four castaways at this Tribal Council, things get dicey pretty fast. As Jawan notes, when two people go off alone to talk, every conversation matters that much more because there’s a 50/50 chance they’re talking about you. Sage notes that it’s hard to find the correct balance between playing hard and playing too hard, which could then put the target squarely on your back. Since three out of four of these players have never been to Tribal before and since this is the first Tribal for a new tribe, it’s hard to tell which way this is going to fall.
So will Uli start its own civil war? That they do. Sage and Jawan team up with Steven, and Shannon becomes the seventh person to exit “Survivor 49.” When Shannon requests hugs from her fellow players, Sage says, “I’m gonna give you a handshake because I want the hug to be genuine and I don’t think I can give that to you right now. But I look forward to hugging you in the future, OK?” And I’ll be asking Shannon all about that in our interview Thursday morning, so be sure to come back to TVLine for the Q&A!
What did you think of Sage’s parting words? Did the right person go home? You know what to do: Go Full Tilt Boogie in that comments section!
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