“Survivor 49” aired its second episode, titled “Cinema,” on Wednesday (October 1). Following up on the events of last week’s epic two-hour premiere episode, this week’s installment opened on the Kele Tribe still reeling after voting out tribemate Nicole Mazullo at the first Tribal Council ceremony of the season.
While the tribe’s remaining players – Jeremiah Ing, Alex Moore, Jake Latimer, Sophi Segretti and Kimberly “Annie” Davis – entered the episode feeling confident that Nicole’s elimination had strengthened their tribe, a subsequent loss at the episode’s Immunity Challenge sent Kele back to Tribal Council yet again, where Annie Davis became the second player voted out of “Survivor 49.”
Though back-to-back eliminations aren’t necessarily uncommon for pre-Merge “Survivor” tribes, the pattern has led fans to label Season 49’s Kele Tribe as the series’ latest “disaster tribe.”
‘Survivor’s New Era is Known for its Early Game ‘Disaster Tribes’
The term “disaster tribe” was coined by fans, specifically referring to New Era “Survivor” tribes that, after their first date with host Jeff Probst at Tribal Council, are unable to regain their footing in the competition. This oftentimes leads to a disproportionate amount of castaways from a singular tribe being voted out before the tribes Merge for the individual portion of the game.
“Survivor 41”s Ua Tribe kickstarted the trend, notoriously sending home four of their six original members before the Merge, albeit inconsecutively. Without the numbers from their original tribe, remaining Ua castaways Shan Smith and Ricard Foye entered the Merge on the bottom, fighting tooth and nail to stay in the game before eking out an 8th and 5th place finish, respectively.
“Survivor 45” similarly featured the notorious Lulu “disaster” tribe, who once again attended the first three Tribal Councils of the 2023 season. Even after being moved to the Reba Tribe following a Tribe Swap, original Lulu member Sean Edwards became the fourth player voted out of the season. Not unlike Season 41’s Ua Tribe, the remaining Lulu Tribe members – Kaleb Gebrewold and Emily Flippen – played the remainder of the post-Merge game on the bottom.
While neither castaway managed to win the title of “Sole Survivor,” their underdog storylines resulted in both Kaleb and Emily – who will return next year for “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” – becoming fan favorite players.
Most recently, “Survivor 48”s Vula Tribe earned the moniker after attending the season’s first four Tribal Councils in a row, eliminating players like Stephanie Berge, Kevin Leung and Justin Pioppi in quick succession. As a result of their early losing-streak, original Vula members once again struggled as the individual portion of the game rolled around, with players Sai Hughley and Cedrek McFadden both being eliminated immediately after the tribes merged.
Is ‘Survivor 49’s Kele Tribe Doomed to Repeat History?
Judging by the history of New Era “disaster tribes,” does this mean that no one from the Kele Tribe stands a chance at taking home the $1 million grand prize and the title of “Sole Survivor” on Season 49?
To date, no castaway who’s been part of a notable pre-Merge losing-streak has ever gained enough momentum to overcome their starting tribe’s blunders to win the competition. The closest anyone has come is “Survivor: Cagayan” castaway Kass McQuillen, who earned a seat at Final Tribal Council after her original Luzon Tribe lost three of the season’s first four Immunity Challenges.
Could Season 49’s Kele Tribe break with tradition and turn things around? Could Jeremiah, Jake, Sophi or Alex manage to emerge as this season’s “Sole Survivor” despite their tribe’s rocky start?
Find out when “Survivor 49” returns on Wednesday, October 8 at 8:00pm ET on CBS.
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