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In a recent episode of Survivor 48, the Vula tribe faced another session at Tribal Council, marking their third consecutive appearance. This time, the outcome surprised host Jeff Probst, who noted a “historic moment” when both Mary Zheng and Justin Pioppi found themselves without a vote. In a tense deadlock, Cedrek McFadden ultimately decided to side with Saiounia “Sai” Hughley over his Day 1 ally, Justin, after she made a compelling case for their alliance.
This week’s dramatics kicked off with Jeff’s iconic call to “drop your buffs,” signaling that a tribe swap was imminent. This twist disrupted alliances that had begun to solidify within the Civa and Lagi tribes. The fourth episode, titled “The House Party’s Over,” aired on Wednesday, March 19, on CBS, pushing the game’s dynamics into uncharted territory.
At the episode’s onset, the tribes were divided as follows:
CIVA: Kyle Fraser, Mitch Guerra, Kamilla Karthigesu, David Kinne, Charity Nelms, Chrissy Sarnowsky
LAGI: Shauhin Davari, Eva Erickson, Joe Hunter, Thomas Krottinger, Bianca Roses, Star Toomey
VULA: Saiounia “Sai” Hughley, Cedrek McFadden, Mary Zheng
“This is best case scenario in worst place beach” — Thomas Krottinger
Day 8 began with Mary and Sai pledging to work collaboratively for their tribe’s betterment, as tensions persisted from earlier conflicts. However, as they joined Jeff later that day, the reality of the tribe swap quickly set in. The new tribe arrangements included a mix of old alliances and fresh starts: the orange Civa tribe now comprised Chrissy, Mitch, Cedrek, Sai, and Bianca; the green Vula included Joe, Shauhin, Thomas, Kyle, and Kamilla; and the purple Lagi comprised David, Eva, Charity, Star, and Mary.
Rather than jumping immediately into a challenge, the tribes returned to their camps to adjust to their new configurations. At Lagi, Mary saw a promising opportunity as a strategic middle player between various pairs. Eva rapidly fostered rapport with David, expressing her willingness to target Star based on prior discussions regarding her vulnerability in the game. Conversely, David indicated a desire to see Charity voted out first, viewing her as a strong contender posing a significant threat.
In the newly formed Civa tribe, Bianca felt her lack of a vote put her at a disadvantage. To navigate her precarious position, she sought to identify weaknesses in the alliances. Notably, she honed in on the connection between Cedrek and Sai, who advised her to form her own judgment about Cedrek. Meanwhile, Chrissy aimed to forge an alliance, suggesting that Bianca’s removal would destabilize the remaining members from the original Lagi tribe.
Upon arriving at their new Vula beach, the former members of the “California Girls” alliance were pleased to stay united but quickly recognized the dire living conditions awaiting them. Joe commented on the situation, noting, “the house party’s over,” as they confronted the task of rebuilding their camp from scratch. Despite possessing notable physical prowess, they faced challenges ahead. Kamilla and Kyle resorted to disguising their alliance, pretending they hadn’t strategized together previously in a bid to survive.
“Before I stab you in the back, can we share a beer type of thing… so awkward” — Joe Hunter
The tribes faced off in a physically demanding challenge that tested their strength and collaboration. Vula initially led the way as they rolled a massive cube and worked through assorted obstacles. However, after stumbling during the puzzle portion, Lagi gained momentum, ultimately allowing them to finish first and secure immunity alongside Civa. The unfortunate result for Vula was a return to Tribal Council with high stakes and new alliances to navigate.
In preparation for their first Tribal Council, Vula’s members turned to one-on-one conversations to strategize their next move. Kyle and Kamilla maintained their scheme of casting each other as liabilities to the remaining alliance members from Lagi. Meanwhile, dynamics within the group were shifting, with Thomas weighing whether to use his Steal a Vote advantage to protect himself as the group deliberated on their options. Unbeknownst to him, Kamilla had already passed her Extra Vote to Kyle, enabling a covert power play.
“You want to see a Tribal Council, it’s what we dream of… now, it seems a little bit more like a nightmare” — Shauhin Davari
At Tribal Council, Kamilla and Kyle underplayed their alliance, attempting to ingratiate themselves with the larger group. Their narrative seemed to resonate, particularly with Thomas, who voiced his reluctance to vote one of them out. When the votes were counted, Kyle leveraged the Extra Vote granted by Kamilla and played his Idol to negate threats against him, resulting in a vote tally that knocked Thomas out of the game instead. This unexpected turn of events offered a remarkable display of strategic thinking and deception, allowing Kamilla and Kyle to capitalize on the moment.
Next time on Survivor…
As the players regroup after a tumultuous Tribal Council, Kamilla and Kyle revel in their successful deception while Sai anticipates continuing her role in stirring chaos within the game.
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