Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Tori Preston | TV | December 4, 2025
After a slow start to the season, things have finally been heating up post-merge, but the only real surprise is how untouchable the power duo of Savannah and Rizo has remained. With each tribal vote that passes, the chance for the other players to knock one of the pair out dwindles. This week, with seven players left, did the castaways put aside their differences to unite against their common enemy? Yup, they sure did!
They unanimously voted out Yellow Sophie.
I know I’ve said in the past that stupidity has reigned this season, and I still believe that - knocking out Savannah now would have been the smarter play, just like it would have been last week, not only because she’s a threat in her own right but because it would isolate Rizo and his idol. Still, Sophie was a worthy target. She’s a strong challenge threat with no real alliances, making her a sort of free agent willing to side with whomever she reckons will carry her further in the game. That makes her unreliable at tribal, and with so few players left, there isn’t much use in keeping her around as a threat shield either. It was a good time for her to go.
But that’s all strategic logic, and at least one player last night wasn’t voting with her head. Sage was out for pure revenge, and she got it. She blamed Sophie for last week’s blindside against Jawan, Sage’s closest ally, and Sophie even started last night’s episode apologizing to Sage for flipping, but Sage was unmoved. There was no way in hell she wasn’t going to take a shot at Sophie as payback, which served Savannah and Rizo quite nicely, especially after their original target, Steven, won the immunity challenge.
Steven also went on a rather grueling journey and came away with a block-a-vote advantage, which he chose not to use last night to get Savannah out. With two individual immunity wins under his belt, Steven is now tied with Savannah (and Yellow Sophie) for most wins, which means he’s the next biggest threat. His only real alliance is with Kristina, who has no power in the game (not since she wasted her idol protecting Steven unnecessarily last week) but has a strong - and hilariously detailed - personal dislike for Savannah. Still, they saw which way the wind was blowing and voted for Sophie, putting them on the right side of the vote for the first time in a while.
After Steven won immunity, it was clear Sophie was heading home. Despite the edit throwing in a “Will Soph flip on her alliance and vote out Savannah for the jury cred?” curveball, there was little question that once again, Savannah and Rizo would swing things in their favor. It was still satisfying, though, especially seeing Jawan and Sage get to revel in their victory from opposite sides of the fire. The only surprise was seeing everyone come together for that blindside, and now I’m even more curious where things will stand next week with six players left. Rizo and Savannah will want Steven out. Steven and Kristina will want Savannah out. With her bloodlust satisfied, will Sage go back to targeting Savannah and Rizo? Will Soph continue to play third wheel to Savannah and Rizo, or will she finally use her knowledge-is-power advantage to make a splashy move?
I’ve been waffling about whether you can really call Savannah and Rizo the villains of the season, but after his impressive display last night, it’s safe to say Steven is in the running as this season’s hero. Which I guess leaves Sage as the fan favorite, based on rage and facial expressions alone. I know she’s my favorite - she’s definitely the most fun to watch! - but I don’t see her winning. My money has been on Savannah since the season premiere, but now I truly think it’s her million to lose, and I think every person on the jury will know she made it to the end because they did nothing to stop her.
