The collective reception to Survivor 49 has not been great so far. There’s not as much negativity as we saw with 48, but in general, fans have been frustrated and complaining on social media. Some of those complaints, whether they be about standard New Era issues or how lifeless the extremely hot premerge was, are entirely valid and will remain valid on rewatches, but there’s another issue fans have been griping about that will be entirely solved on rewatch.
For better or for worse, the anticipation of Survivor 50 has loomed over this season like an impending long weekend. No matter what’s been going on, fans have had an eye toward the milestone season ahead and the cast of beloved returnees it’ll bring with it. More importantly, we’ve known two players from Survivor 49 were going to return for 50. Almost immediately, it was leaked that those two would be Savannah and Rizo, and that knowledge has clouded how we, as viewers, have processed several key moments involving those players.
Savannah and Rizo (along with Sophie B) have almost unquestionably been presented as the main characters of Survivor 49. They’ve spent much of the time on the wrong side of the numbers, but thanks to threats of using an idol and some skilled work in shifting the target each week, all three have miraculously survived to the final six. Savannah in particular has barely hung on several times where it looked like she was a goner.
Unfortunately, because she’s returning for Survivor 50, there’s been this assumption amongst the fanbase that she must go really far in the game if the show thought enough of her to bring her back. That plot armor has caused a lot of those moments to fall flatter than they otherwise would have. She never seemed like a threat to go home when Nate was blindsided. We knew she was going to come out on the right side of the numbers during the close vote against Jawan, and this past week, we saw the same thing where she was the other option with Sophie S.
I don’t know how this season is going to end, but objectively, the first five postmerge episodes of Survivor 49 have been pretty strong. I’m not saying it’s a season that’s going to rival Heroes Vs Villains or Cagayan or China or Micronesia or whatever your favorite is, but it’s been a lot better than fans are giving it credit for. There has been some really interesting votes and strategic choices, but because so many have involved Savannah, it’s removed a lot of the surprise factor as a viewer.
During a rewatch, that’s not going to matter. When you’re rewatching a season, it’s less about bracing yourself for the unexpected and more about enjoying the ride. I think the postmerge ride of Survivor 49 is a lot better than people are giving it credit for, and years from now, I think we’re going to fondly remember this season and especially, the trio of Savannah, Rizo and Sophie B, at least if the last few episodes follow through and deliver.
