Survivor 49 Episode 4: Tribe Swap Chaos, Matt's Ouster & Queen Sandra's Clapback

Episode 4 of Survivor 49 absolutely shook things up with a massive tribe swap, a surprising elimination, and a legendary Queen setting the record straight about her iconic gameplay. Grab your buffs and let's dive in!

TL;DR

• The 14 remaining castaways experienced a major tribe swap, creating two new tribes of seven players each.
• Matt Williams was voted out at Tribal Council after his "anyone but me" strategy failed to convince his new tribe.
• Survivor legend Sandra Diaz-Twine clapped back at Matt online over his comments, prompting his public apology.

Kele's Last Stand: From Disaster Tribe to Game-Changing Swap

Let's be real, the Kele tribe was having a nightmare start to Survivor 49. They lost every single immunity challenge, had Jake Latimer medevaced early due to a sea krait bite, and then voted out Jeremiah Ing. By Day 7, only Alex Moore and Sophi Balerdi were left, making them a "two-person tribe." Talk about a tough break!

But relief was on the horizon! Host Jeff Probst dropped a bombshell: a tribe swap was happening, earlier than expected because of Jake's exit. All 14 players still in the game drew new buffs, splitting into two tribes of seven at the Kele and Hina camps. This marked a new first for the "new era" of Survivor, creating the largest pre-merge tribes we've seen!

The new tribes shook out like this:

• New Kele: Alex Moore, Sage Ahrens-Nichols, Shannon Fairweather, Michelle "MC" Chukwujekwu, Kristina Mills, Sophie Segreti, Steven Ramm.
• New Hina: Sophi Balerdi, Jason Treul, Matt Williams, Jawan Pitts, Nate Moore, Rizo Velovic, Savannah Louie.

While the new Hina inherited all the reward supplies from previous challenges, new Kele was still starting from scratch after all their losses. Sophi was absolutely thrilled to be on a new tribe with resources, hoping to use the existing "beef" between original Uli and Hina members to her advantage. Alex, however, was stuck welcoming new tribemates to a famously disastrous camp.

Forging New Alliances and Shady Shenanigans on Both Sides

Over at the new Hina, Sophi wasted no time trying to turn her game around. She approached the original Uli members, pitching herself as "another number" to maintain their majority over original Hina members (Jason and Matt) for the merge. She quickly bonded with Savannah Louie, who saw long-term potential in Sophi. Nate Moore also shared an emotional moment with Sophi, further solidifying her spot.

Meanwhile, Jason and Matt knew they were on the bottom. Jason tried to be honest with Savannah, offering to work with her for the merge. Savannah appreciated his directness, contrasting it with Matt, whom she viewed as protective of information and "a lot smarter than he's coming off."

Matt, however, had bigger plans. He proposed a "big move" to Jawan Pitts: blindside Nate Moore by forming "The Section" alliance with Sophi and Jason. Unfortunately for Matt, Jawan found the idea "very unserious" and immediately went around camp, spilling the beans about Matt's plan to target Nate. Ouch.

At the new Kele, original Uli members Sage and Shannon found themselves in the minority against four original Hina members. Shannon quickly made inroads with Kristina Mills through personal stories and spiritual connections, while Sage felt less capable of making such "performative" connections. Steven Ramm, originally eyeing Shannon as an ally, soon viewed her as a "shark in a spiritual guru's body" and shifted his focus to targeting her instead.

Kele Finally Wins Immunity – And Gets Fire!

The first challenge for the newly swapped tribes was an Immunity Challenge involving a water race, collecting floating cubes, and stacking them into a tall tower. Not only would the winner be safe from Tribal Council, but they'd also get a reward of fruits – which Sophie Segreti hilariously complained about, wanting carbs or protein instead. (Jeff Probst and everyone else quickly reminded her that any food was a prize at this point!)

Hina initially pulled ahead in the water, but Kele clawed back the lead at the shore thanks to MC Chukwujekwu's superior balance beam skills compared to Matt Williams, who fell three times. At the tower stacking, MC became Kele's clutch player, holding Shannon on her shoulders for most of the placement, and then being raised up herself to place the final blocks.

In a triumphant moment, Kele clinched its first win of the season! They earned not just immunity and fruit but also flint to finally make fire at their camp. For Sophi, this meant she still hadn't missed a Tribal Council yet, extending her unique streak.

Rizo's Idol Hunt and Tribal Council's Target: Matt Williams

With Hina losing immunity, Rizo Velovic's Beware Advantage was activated, meaning he needed to find his hidden idol to restore his vote. With help from his original Uli allies, he successfully located the idol in a locked box in the ocean and got his vote back just in time for Tribal Council.

The original Uli alliance (Rizo, Jawan, Nate, Savannah, plus new ally Sophi) had the numbers and now had to decide between Jason or Matt for elimination. Matt, in a desperate bid, pitched to the Ulis that Sophi was "the weaker link." He then tried his ill-fated "The Section" blindside plan against Nate with Jawan, who promptly exposed him.

Jason tried a "Shot in the Dark strategy," saying he'd play it out of caution to make his name less appealing. However, his reluctance to talk game with Savannah and Rizo about voting Matt made him seem "cagey." Savannah and Rizo decided they'd prefer to vote out Jason over Matt, believing Matt, despite his messiness, might be more flexible later.

Tribal Council Drama: Matt Gets the Boot

At Tribal Council, Nate openly confirmed that Sophi was now "immediately part of" the original Uli alliance, essentially taking her off the table. Matt realized his blunder in trying to target Sophi earlier. Jason expressed his frustration that his original tribe relationships no longer mattered.

The original Uli members were not subtle, openly stating they'd heard different stories from Matt and Jason. Ultimately, Jason didn't play his Shot in the Dark as he said he would. The votes were read: Nate, Matt, Jason, Jason, Matt, Matt, Matt. With four votes, Matt Williams was eliminated.

In his exit interview, Matt admitted to stumbling and that "the people I put his trust in fell through for me." He was hilariously torn between wanting "15 beers and a cheeseburger" or "15 cheeseburgers and a beer." Jeff Probst even drew a parallel between Matt's "anyone but me" strategy and two-time winner Sandra Diaz-Twine's iconic gameplay, noting it didn't work out for Matt.

Queen Sandra Claps Back at Matt Williams!

Before his elimination, Matt Williams had made comments about disliking Sandra Diaz-Twine's infamous "anyone but me" strategy. Naturally, the Queen herself caught wind of this!

From her vacation in Hawaii, Sandra clapped back on Instagram:

"All I'm gonna say is that my strategy has paid dividends not once but twice you better ask somebody."

— Sandra Diaz-Twine

In an exclusive interview with The Post after his elimination, Matt Williams quickly changed his tune. "It's so different when you're out there," he explained, admitting he didn't understand her strategy from the couch. "And then when you're out there and your backs against the wall... I just said, anyone but me. I thought prior to going out on the island those words will never come out of my mouth. And there I am. Anyone but me."

He then bowed down, issuing a full apology: "I apologize, Sandra. You got it to work. You got it to work twice! I couldn't get it to work for one tribal. So you know something I don't, Sandra." He added, "Somebody told me she was in Hawaii when she heard. So yes, Sandra, you are the queen. I'm eating crow."

Matt also shared his belief that the tribe swap "screwed" him, saying, "You got to get lucky a couple of times to win this game. And that was the opposite of getting lucky."

Looking Ahead: Next Week's Teasers & The Rumor Mill (Potential Spoilers!)

Next week, it looks like the alliances will continue to shift. Savannah sees Jawan as "the most likely to flip" at Hina, while over at Kele, Shannon and Sage are making plans to go against each other.

Now, for something a bit more speculative: there have been rumors swirling about the Final Three and even the potential winner of Survivor 49! According to Entertainment Now, which referenced an Instagram post on a Reddit thread, the Final Three might have been spoiled by names encircled with a heart on the Tribal Council logo. Please remember, these are unconfirmed rumors and pure speculation!

Based on these unconfirmed rumors, the alleged Final Three are: Rizo Velovic, Savannah Louie, and Sophi Balerdi. Adding to the speculation, fan theories linking Survivor 49 players to the rumored cast of Survivor 50 suggest that either Rizo or Savannah could be the winner. Again, take all of this with a huge grain of salt!

What do you think of the tribe swap, Matt's elimination, and Queen Sandra's epic response? Let us know!

Frequently Asked Questions About Survivor 49 When does Survivor 49 air? Survivor 49 airs on Wednesday nights at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Where can I watch Survivor 49? You can watch live on CBS. If you're a Paramount+ with Showtime subscriber, you can stream live there. Episodes are available the next day on any Paramount+ plan. You can also stream live via services like FuboTV, DirecTV, or Sling, many of which offer free trials for new subscribers. Who is the host of Survivor? Jeff Probst has hosted every season of Survivor since its inception in 2000 and also serves as an executive producer. What happened to the Kele tribe before the tribe swap? The Kele tribe had a rough start, losing every immunity challenge. They lost Jake Latimer to a medical evacuation after a sea krait bite, and then Jeremiah Ing was voted out. This left only Alex Moore and Sophi Balerdi on the tribe before the big swap. Sources

• Gold Derby: "Previously on Survivor 49" (Recap of Episode 4)
• USA TODAY: "Who went home on 'Survivor 49'? Here's what else went down after only two tribes were left" by Anthony Robledo
• The New York Post: "Survivor 49’s Matt Williams walks back bold Queen Sandra Diaz-Twine comments: ‘I’m forced to eat crow!’"
• AL.com: "Survivor season 49: How to watch episode 4 live, start time, channel" by Breanna Manley
• Inside Survivor: "Survivor 49 Episode 4 Recap – Even a Tribe Swap Can’t Light a Spark in this Season" by Cory Gage
• Entertainment Now: "Who makes the Final Three on Survivor 49?" (Discusses rumors and spoilers)
• Us Weekly: "The buzz around Survivor 49 is electric..."
• The Ringer (The Pod Has Spoken): "'Survivor' Season 49, Episode 4 With Josh!"
• MassLive.com: "‘Survivor’ new episode tonight: What time, channel is the show on?" by Ariana Tourangeau
• TV Insider: "‘Survivor 49’s Fifth Boot Details ‘Abrasive’ Pre-Tribal Deleted Scene"