Survivor 49 episode 3 recap: Two castaways exit the show, changing the dynamics of the game

Survivor Season 49 released episode 3, titled Lovable Losers, on October 8, 2025.

It saw two contestants going home after an unexpected turn of events, marking a significant shift in the dynamics of the game. 

The episode saw the three tribes, Hina, Kele, and Uli, focused on consolidating their “core four” alliances while preparing for the coming challenges in the series.

However, a venomous snake thwarted the plans of one tribe, leaving them vulnerable. 

Tragedy struck at tribe Kele when Jake alerted his co-stars that a snake had bitten his right foot while he was by the shore.

The emergency led to production and the medical team stepping in and ultimately evacuating him from the island. 

The segment also showcased host Jeff Probst taking viewers behind the scenes at Base Camp medical center, where Jake got treated for a potentially “highly toxic” snake bite.

Meanwhile, the competition intensified for the remaining castaways as they strategized plans to evade being the ones at risk of going home. 

Nonetheless, the episode ended with another player’s elimination, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the show. 

Survivor 49 stars talk idols

At tribe Kele, the energy was low as they referred to themselves as the “lovable losers” who could not “catch a break,” losing tribemates one after the other. 

Since they were already down to four players, they feared the possibility of having to sabotage each other if faced with another elimination. 

To avoid the risk, Sophi and Jeremiah teamed up and planned to target Alex, with their eyes set on his Beware Advantage/Idol. 

On the other side, at tribe Hina, the players agreed to search for the Idol openly and together. While MC and Steven said yes, they wanted one of them to find it.

MC successfully located the clue to the Idol, but only shared the information with Steven. 

Jake’s lands in a crisis after getting bitten by a snake

At the Uli tribe, Jawan and Sage tried to bond with members of their tribe after seeing they were the only ones left out of the “core four” alliance.

Sage attempted to chat with Shannon by expressing concern about Savannah’s closeness to Rizo. However, she was unaware that Shannon was a close friend of Savannah. 

As a result, the information reached Savannah’s ears and painted a target on Sage’s back.

Meanwhile, tragedy struck at tribe Kele after Jake announced that he had been bitten by a poisonous snake.

It was a black-and-white banded sea snake, considered a “dangerous land animal.”

The Survivor star was immediately transported to the base camp, where he was examined and put on necessary fluids.

Fortunately, it was later revealed that the wound was a “dry bite,” meaning the snake had not released any venom into Jake’s system. 

With the doctor’s recommendation, Jeff informed Jake that they would not be risking his health by putting him back in “such an unforgiving situation as Survivor.”

Tensions escalated after Jake’s exit

While Uli and Hina watched the state of the Kele tribe, Jeff informed the remaining Kele members that Jake had to be pulled from the game and that they would have to continue without their fourth castaway.

It put the group in a vulnerable position, as they worried about their next steps in the competition. 

For the immunity challenge, the three tribes participated in a puzzle-making task, where they had to step into the water and find puzzle pieces to complete one. 

While Nate, Sage, and Savannah came from the Uli tribe, Kristina, Steven, and Jason came from the Hina tribe.

Although Kele started strong, they eventually fell behind, securing their spots at the Tribal Council. 

Meanwhile, Hina finished in first place, and Uli in second. As a reward, they earned immunity and camp supplies. 

Kele strategizes before Tribal Council, while Uli discusses Idols

At the Kele tribe, Jeremiah and Sophi agreed to make Alex trust one of them and convince him not to play his idol at Tribal Council. 

It was Sophi’s plan to present Jeremiah in a negative light, hoping Alex would put his trust in her.

However, after she spied on Alex and Jeremiah speaking about targeting her, she decided to backstab Jeremiah and trick Alex into believing Jeremiah wanted to target him.

Meanwhile, at the Uli tribe, Rizo got his hands on the Beware Advantage and immediately declared that it was for “all of us.”

Tribal Council

At Tribal Council, Alex, Jeremiah, and Sophi met with Jeff Probst to bid farewell to one contestant.

After the votes were cast, Alex played his Idol, refusing to risk his spot in the competition. Soon after, Jeff read the votes, and with two in favor of his elimination, Jeremiah was booted from the show. 

As soon as the result was announced, Alex regretted playing his Idol; however, Sophi was relieved.

In his exit interview, Jeremiah stated that he was grateful for the opportunity and the experience in a game he had wanted to play for 24 years. 

Stay tuned for more updates.