Who Was Voted Out In Episode 9?

Nine episodes into “Survivor 49,” and the self-proclaimed “R-I-Z-G-O-D RizGod, baby” may have actually achieved the godlike status he often brags about.

In Wednesday’s episode, Rizo continued spouting off about how he, Savannah and Blue Sophi are the game’s most powerful trio. Bold, confident, braggy. Whatever you want to call it, it is what it is. But when push came to shove at another tense, post-merge Tribal Council, Rizo once again put his money where his mouth is, both protecting his idol and sniping out a big competitor in one fell swoop. Let’s recap everything that went down.

MC’s elimination sends shock waves throughout the camp. Not only is Kristina flummoxed, but Steven scurries to solidify his relationships with Sage and Jawan by telling them about Kristina’s idol. Meanwhile, Yellow Sophie gets LASIK! (Wow, Jeff, what service!) She’s shocked by the rest of the tribe’s shock over the news of her survival, which she says has really opened her eyes. But with nine people left in the game, two sides are forming. You have Sage and Jawan on one side of things, while Rizo, Savannah and Blue Sophi are scheming on the other. Where does that leave Alex? In the middle and getting clocked by Rizo.

With a fried chicken meal at stake, Alex, Kristina, Yellow Sophie, and Savannah kick things into high gear to snatch the prize. However, Kristina appeals her reward to Uncle J, asking if she can swap spots with Jawan to let him chow down. According to her, Jawan is the tribe provider, checking in on everyone else to make sure they’re OK, and opening coconuts to keep everyone hydrated and fed. Although Jawan hesitates, stating that he wants to earn a reward himself, he ultimately accepts the fried goodness which, almost immediately, goes to his head a bit. Hey, with a full belly, our man is feeling good! Who can blame him?

We learn that at home, Jawan’s a caretaker and provider for his four younger siblings and that he grew up without a dad. Now, some viewers on social media have seemingly grown tired of these personal stories on “Survivor,” but I’d like to counter all that negativity. I still feel the backstories are important because they shine a light on the players’ whys. Why are they out there competing on the show? Why are they reacting in certain ways? Why are they making the moves they’re making? Jawan tells us his superpowers are returning (feel the power of chicken!), but we’ll see if he’s about to get too big for his britches.

After Kristina tells Blue Sophi about a possible plan to split the vote on Savannah and Rizo (gotta flush that idol!), Sophi runs directly to Savannah to spill the tea. With that cat out of the bag, Rizo sets his sights on Alex, a player who he says has too many hands in the cookie jar. He talks to Yellow Sophie, Sage, and Jawan, slinging dirt on Alex’s name with truths and a few lies cleverly sprinkled throughout. Jawan, however, isn’t totally sold. He still thinks Savannah and Rizo are the bigger fish to fry… and he’s not wrong about that.

Two immunity idols up for grabs? Very interesting. The challenge is an endurance test where players must hold up a heavy disc on a platform only using their feet. The last man and woman standing will win safety. Rizo and Kristina drop pretty quickly, long before Steven starts busting out some serious space facts. Once Sage drops, Jeff kindly urges Steven to STFU. But with love!

Steven wins his first immunity challenge, but not without Jawan giving him a run for his money. And on the females’ side, it once again comes down to Savannah and Yellow Sophie, but it’s Savannah — the newfound persona non grata — who once again earns her safety. (Sorry, Sage and Kristina!)

After the challenge, Steven, Yellow Sophie and Kristina are confident that Rizo’s gonna remain cocky. Their plan: Split the vote between Rizo and Blue Sophi. Worst case scenario for them: Rizo’s idol gets flushed, and one of Savannah’s closest allies goes home. Seems like a win-win, right?

Wrong. Yellow Sophie wants to continue developing herself as a free agent. And with Rizo stuck on his whole Alex thing, he’s hoping and praying he can hang on to his idol and Savannah’s extra vote. If they can get to the Final 8 with all of their goodies in tow, they can control the vote at the next Tribal Council. Smart? Yes. Risky? You betcha. Jawan tells Alex that his name is on Rizo’s tongue. Alex then tries to corral Sage and Yellow Sophie, but Sage isn’t so sure. She thinks Alex is getting messy, which could be a hindrance for her game.

Eggs are getting cracked! Omelettes are getting cooked! The cast is stuck on this big egg metaphor for some reason, and hopefully, we’re talking over medium eggs here. I’ll take over easy, too, just don’t come at me with that hard boiled nonsense. Noooo, thank you! Anyhoo, Savannah spends Tribal Council gloating, much to the detriment of Sage and Kristina, and man, does it rub me the wrong way. Rizo’s idol comes into conversation. He knows everyone wants to flush his advantage, but Steven is there to once again distract everyone with SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER. He goes on about communication blackouts and how when that happens, you need mission control to have your back and provide you with truthful data. (Who knew “Survivor” would be so educational tonight?)

Jawan says he wants to take a shot at a target who’s threatening his and his alliance’s games, and yet, according to Yellow Sophie, no votes are easy votes anymore and no one is truly expendable. So does Rizo play his idol? HE DOES NOT. But did he need to? Nope. When the votes are all accounted for, Alex leaves the game with five votes to his name.

Were you surprised that Rizo survived yet another vote without using his idol? You know what to do: Go Full Tilt Boogie in the comments section, and be sure to visit TVLine Thursday for our weekly Q&A, this time with Alex!