Survivor 49 Episode 5 Recap: Stuck in Neutral — Will Anyone Make a Move?

Survivor is designed for chaos and big swings, which is why a flat season is such a bummer. Survivor 49 still feels stuck in second gear. I keep hearing it picks up after the merge. Cool. But if the audience is half-asleep by then, what is there to pick up?

Hina: Jason fights the tide

After Hina sent Matt home, Jason knows he is cooked if they lose again. Sophi is tucked comfortably into the majority, and Jason is the odd man out. His plan: scramble outside old tribal lines and build real connections. He targets Jawan, spots a fellow nerd, and tries to pitch a bridge. Jawan is open-minded about Jason not by default being a dead man walking after the swap... but he is also very aware of the five he does not want to upset.

Complication: Jawan keeps accidentally using Savannah’s stuff (water bottle, bag, etc.), and she is over it. Add in that she thinks he lurks on conversations just to listen, and you can feel the friction from space. If he keeps poking Savannah’s nerves, he might slide right under Jason on the totem pole.

Kele: Shannon builds a web, maybe too fast

Shannon is feeling squeezed, so she pitches Steven on a post-merge plan: two players from each original tribe link up quietly and watch each other’s backs. She thinks he’s all-in. He’s not. He’s polite, but skeptical, and leaves his options open like any sane Survivor player.

Shannon keeps spreading her net, telling Alex she could vote out Sage next, while also telling Alex, Steven, and Kristina that each of them is her closest person. Steven and MC clock it fast; Steven even notes that Shannon leans on religion and spirituality to bond strategically. When the three compare notes, Kristina still feels like her connection with Shannon is legit, but the others are wary.

Sage finally moves

Up to this point, Sage has felt oddly passive on screen. She sees what’s happening, she knows her name is in danger, but we haven’t seen much action. Then she overhears Alex and Steven talking about Shannon eyeing her as a target. That cracks the door. Back at camp, Sage tells the group that Rizo found the Beware Advantage and likely has an idol. She also adds that Shannon knew about it and kept that info to herself. That is not nothing.

The journey: teamwork, temptation, and a non-twist

MC (Michelle 'MC' Chukwujekwu) volunteers to go for Hina. Over on Kele, they rock-draw — and Jawan rigs the draw so Jason loses — which sends Nate. Their task: together, move a mound of sandbags before time runs out. If they finish, both keep their votes. If not, both lose them.

They dig deep enough to uncover a box that reveals a nearby hidden advantage. If one person peels off to find it, that person gets the advantage and keeps their vote — while the other is stuck finishing the sandbags alone. Nate figures he loses a footrace to MC, so he suggests they leave one bag and then go look. After some back and forth, they choose the boring-but-correct option: finish the job and keep their votes. Back at camp, MC gives Hina the honest version. Nate tells Kele most of it, but omits the advantage twist.

Immunity and poultry priorities

• Both tribes swim to a massive bamboo cage, climb over and inside, and haul it up the beach.
• One player digs underneath to pop out as the rebounder while the rest shoot balls into three baskets.
• Reward is a rooster and three egg-laying hens.

Kele wins and takes the barnyard. Then they decide to kill the rooster for immediate protein. The episode spends a surprisingly long stretch on this choice — which, frankly, made me think Hina’s pre-tribal scrambling wasn’t giving the editors much juice.

Pre-tribal on Hina: the Jason conversation

Jason is the simple vote. With the merge likely close, the logic is clear: keep original Uli numbers tight so they can roll in six strong — plus Sophi — against Hina’s four.

'Not so fast, my friend!'

Savannah doesn’t love the optics of booting back-to-back original Hinas. That would basically declare open season on the other tribe. Nate, meanwhile, wouldn’t mind keeping Jason as a possible partner later if the stars align. Perfect for Savannah, who does not want to take the wheel this early; she’s more than happy to let Nate drive this vote. Jawan, for what it’s worth, doesn’t look remotely worried.

Tribal Council

When the votes land, the group sticks with Uli unity and sends Jason home in a unanimous vote.

Schedule check

New Survivor 49 episodes air Wednesdays at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS. Episodes hit Paramount+ on Thursdays.