"A lot of respect for her" - Survivor 49 winner Savannah Louie reflects on Kristina Mills clash and season 50 gameplay shift

Survivor 49 winner Savannah Louie addressed her final tribal council confrontation with Kristina Mills and explained how it influenced her approach for Survivor 50. Savannah told E! News,

"I have a lot of respect for her for coming at me in that bold way, because I was a very bold player."

During the season 49 finale, Kristina challenged Savannah’s social game, noting Savannah’s inability to name family members of fellow contestants.

Savannah described the moment as impactful, stating it "scarred" her and directly shaped her strategy for the subsequent season.

Confrontation with Kristina Mills at Final Tribal Council

During the Survivor 49 final tribal council, Savannah faced questions from Kristina Mills regarding her social connections. Kristina highlighted that Savannah failed to recall the names of family members of other players.

Savannah acknowledged the challenge in her E! News interview, explaining that Kristina’s question was a "great question" that tested her social gameplay.

She added that she had respect for Kristina for confronting her in that way, emphasizing the importance of the "bold" approach Kristina took during the final tribal council.

The exchange occurred in front of the jury, with the final five including Sage Ahrens-Nichols, Sophi Balerdi, Savannah Louie, Kristina Mills, and Rizo Velovic.

Kristina’s question focused on assessing whether Savannah had established genuine social relationships during the season.

Savannah later noted that while she and Kristina "butt heads," the disagreement was related to differing personalities in a high-stress environment.

She added in the same interview that after the game, she developed a better understanding of Kristina, stating,

"But I've gotten to know her well out of the game, and I just think the world of her."

Strategy adjustments for Survivor 50

The confrontation with Kristina influenced Savannah’s strategy in Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans, filmed immediately after her victory in season 49.

She described adopting a "socially conscious" approach, prioritizing awareness of other players’ personal details. Savannah explained to E! News,

"The No. 1 thing on my mind as I set foot on that beach for 50 was, 'I gotta remember everybody's family's names.'"

To reinforce this strategy, she asked multiple times about players’ lives, including information about spouses and children, and attempted to integrate those details into the conversation to aid memory retention.

Savannah emphasized that her approach was systematic. She focused on recording and recalling information accurately to guide in-game decisions and interactions.

This approach stemmed from her prior experience of being questioned about her social awareness during the previous season’s final tribal council.

Survivor 49 Final challenges and immunity wins

In the latter stages of Survivor 49, Savannah won several individual challenges, including the final five immunity challenge.

She was first to complete a puzzle and secured a spot at the sanctuary with Sage Ahrens-Nichols.

During subsequent obstacles, she competed against Rizo Velovic and Sophi Balerdi in multiple stages, maintaining a lead in challenge performance.

As​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ a result of the fire-making challenge, Savannah was the last one standing and so she became the Sole Survivor. The jury vote was five for Savannah, two for Sophi, and one for Sage, thus confirming her win.

In the course of the season, Savannah had to make choices in the alliance and strategy areas with Sage, Sophi, Rizo, and Kristina, after which she was sure that every vote and move were in her way of the Final Three.

For a moment, she considered her jury speeches and choices as part of her strategy, and she pointed out that her capability of keeping control of the game while facing strategic and social pressures was her ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌strength.

Stay tuned for more updates.