<\/p>\n
[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for\u00a0Survivor<\/a><\/em> Season 49 Episode 5, \u201cI\u2019m a Wolf, Baby.\u201d]<\/strong><\/p>\n Strategic minds made for the most interesting storylines in\u00a0Survivor 49<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>Episode 5, an episode that won\u2019t go down as the season\u2019s most entertaining. Jeff Probst<\/a> promised that Season 49 picks up momentum<\/a> about halfway through gameplay, so expect to remain in a bit of a lull until the merge. Thankfully, two slow-burning rivalries provided some intrigue in the episode that aired on October 22.<\/p>\n Shannon spent most of the episode talking a big game to her Kele tribe, laying the charm on thick in every conversation she had to try and build relationships and coordinate a six-person majority alliance for after the merge that would consist of two members from each of the three original tribes (Kele, Uli, and Hina \u2014 only Kele and Hina remain after last week\u2019s tribe swap<\/a>). Shannon didn\u2019t approach Sage with this plan, and word of that got back to her. Sage, the season\u2019s quirkiest cast member by far (last week, she revealed she keeps a jar of blackheads in her bedroom\u2026), flexed some strategic muscles when finally getting looped in on secret talks with her fellow castaways.<\/p>\n Sage and Shannon both came from the original Uli, so Sage knows that Rizo found an advantage that, thanks to his Hina tribe\u2019s loss last week, is probably now an immunity idol. She shared this intel with everyone on Kele except Shannon while Shannon was off on her own. That idol never came up in Shannon\u2019s talks with everyone she was trying to schmooze, so now Sage is looking good to her tribe.<\/p>\n Over on Hina, Nate was chosen to go on a solo journey that paired him up with M.C. from Kele. He tried to sabotage the chances of M.C. getting an advantage on this challenge, which required them to work together. M.C. was smart enough to notice, and she made moves to protect herself.<\/p>\n Savannah\u2019s \u201cagitation\u201d with Jawan didn\u2019t show off any strategic prowess, but it was entertaining. He keeps on accidentally using her bag and her water bottle, and he\u2019s listening in on a lot of her conversations, even ones that aren\u2019t about strategy. She just does not like playing with the guy, and the dislike will hopefully come to a head soon, so the plot can move on to more interesting gameplay. You can tell the energy is lower than usual among both tribes due to the extreme heat. And while the conditions are certainly dramatic, it\u2019s not making for\u00a0Survivor<\/em>\u2018s most fun scenes.<\/p>\n Poor Sophi has never missed a Tribal Council this season, and that didn\u2019t change in this episode, either. Hina went into Tribal Council ready to make the easy choice to vote Jason, the last original Hina member on their team, out. Last week, they sent Matt packing, and Jason knew the target could be on him this week. Still, he didn\u2019t play his Shot in the Dark, and the Uli-strong alliance sent a strong message to the other team that they want a \u201cwar\u201d against the old Hina with Jason\u2019s elimination.<\/p>\n Hina\u2019s crime: Chanting their team name a lot. The other players felt they were \u201crubbing in\u201d their success in earlier episodes and communicating that their yellow tribe was one big, strong alliance. It\u2019s hard to see how Kele\u2019s Uli alliance won\u2019t be viewed the same way now that they\u2019ve asserted their dominance in Tribal Council two votes in a row.<\/p>\n Stay tuned for an in-depth exit interview with Jason \u2014 one of this season\u2019s two alternates<\/a> \u2014 tomorrow.<\/p>\n