Survivor 49 castaway Jawan Pitts felt confident entering Tribal Council in the Wednesday, November 26 episode. The 28-year-old believed he and ally Sage Ahrens-Nichols were the puppeteers of the island, controlling the fate of their fellow players. He wasn’t entirely wrong. At one point, Jawan and Sage did hold considerable power on the island. In Episode 9, they served as crucial swing votes that helped send Alex Moore to Ponderosa. But Jawan failed to realize the tide turning after Alex’s elimination. He particularly didn’t pay enough attention to Sophie Segreti’s shifting social game. He believed she was still under his and Sage’s thumb, ready to vote with whatever plan they hatched. In reality, she was working with the other side after realizing she was at the bottom of her alliance.
Jawan entered Tribal Council on Day 19 prepared for a blindside, but he didn’t know he was the intended victim. He appeared gleeful when talking to Jeff Probst about the predicted outcome of the night, confident that Savannah Louie was headed out the door. When Jeff read the votes, Jawan was stunned. He was so flustered that he grabbed the wrong torch by accident. So, what caused Jawan’s Survivor demise? The castaway made a few missteps that cost him the million-dollar prize. Let me explain.
How Jawan Pitts lost Survivor 49
Jawan began his Survivor journey as an outsider who appeared unaware he was one. He and Sage were left out of a four person alliance on the Uli tribe, making their position in the game precarious. Sage was aware of this fact, but Jawan viewed his tribe as a family, blissfully ignorant of his rocky position within the tribe. Even when a tribe swap offered him a chance to flip on his Uli family, he didn’t take it.
Thankfully, his game improved when a second tribe swap reunited him with Sage, who was able to convince him to flip on his Uli allies. The two carried out a plan to blindside former Uli member Shannon Fairweather, which transformed Jawan’s game. He entered the merge feeling like the top dog. While it was sweet to see his spirits high, his confidence may have blinded him.
Let’s break down Jawan’s game — and pinpoint where it all went wrong.
Jawan was over confident
Jawan knows how to recognize when he’s on top, but he doesn’t seem to know when he’s on the bottom. He believed he and Sage would reign over the island until the finale. Someone should’ve told him that Survivor is constantly shifting game, and it unlikely for two players to remain on top for long. Jawan failed to notice the game shifting. He didn’t notice the cracks in his alliance, nor did he pay attention to Sophie’s paranoia after her Hina “allies” were disappointed she stayed over MC Chukwujekwu. Jawan has always been a bit oblivious to game dynamics, so it isn’t too surprising his Survivor exit was a blindside. The only times he appeared “in the know” was when Sage clued him in to what was happening. He was lucky enough to be tied to a perceptive player because his reads on the game were often wrong.
Jawan was playing Sage’s game
Although Jawan was the final target, his former Uli allies originally wanted to take a stab at Sage. It was clear to them that Sage is the brains of the operation. She made the calls, and he followed. As a viewer, I have to agree that taking out Sage would’ve been a bigger move. But Sage’s relationship with (yellow) Sophie saved her in the end. Rizo, (blue) Soph, and Savannah needed (yellow) Sophie’s vote to ensure that someone from the opposing side went home. She was hesitant to vote out Sage, but she agreed to vote out Jawan. He wasn’t taken out of the game because of his threat level. He lost Survivor because of his connection to Sage. The opposing alliance felt that if they couldn’t get rid of her, they might as well weaken her position in the game.
Survivor is available to stream on Paramount+.
TELL US – DO YOU WISH JAWAN WAS STILL IN THE GAME? WHAT DO YOU THINK HIS BIGGST GAME MISTAKE WAS?
