Eagan native Eva Erickson and her Lagi tribe opened the second episode of “Survivor 48” on a high note, celebrating their dual wins in the reward and immunity challenges in the series debut.

“We’re all on,” she told her tribemates as they bobbed around in the ocean together. “The Lagi tribe is killing it right now,” she added to the camera.

Unity was the topic of discussion, with all six members celebrating their strength as a tribe. “I think the thing that is making us a step above everyone else is we’re not placing our individual goals over the team,” Erickson said. “We’re all working together and all have this drive and this respect and loyalty to each other.”

But this being “Survivor,” the celebration was short lived. Music exec Thomas Krottinger brought up the fact they would have to sit out a player in the next challenge, which prompted Erickson to immediately deem herself, fire chief Joe Hunter and debate professor Shauhin Davari the muscle of the tribe. Krottinger and public relations consultant Bianca Roses are the brains, Erickson said, leaving sales expert Star Toomey as … maybe the one who should sit out the challenge, Erickson suggested.

Erickson didn’t seem to be speaking with any malice, but in a blunt and straightforward manner that could be tied to her autism. Erickson is the show’s first castaway to openly talk about her autism, although at this point in the show she has only told Hunter, with whom she formed a strong, emotional bond.

Toomey, understandably, took that as a threat and told the camera: “Hey, Eva, that’s not cool. Like, don’t tell me what I can’t and can do. Let me tell you what I can and can’t do and we go from there.”

Fueled by her perception she’s at the bottom of the tribe, Toomey went hunting for a hidden immunity idol and quickly found one. Actually, it’s what the show calls a beware advantage, meaning the player must complete a task before it becomes a full immunity idol and until they do, they lose their vote at tribal council.

Toomey’s idol came with a puzzle that involved using animal symbols posted around the camp to solve a word puzzle. After realizing she’d need help, Toomey pulled in Hunter, then Davari and then Krottinger and Roses. As for Erickson, the one tribemate she didn’t inform, she said: “At this point, I just want to get rid of Eva. She’s already plotting my demise.”

Hunter immediately pulled Erickson aside and told her the news. As Erickson told the camera: “This is the worst scenario. She’s the only person that I don’t have a good connection with on this beach. Joe is my number one ally, 100 percent. He is the person I trust most, so, I am nervous, but I feel like Joe is going to make sure that I can stay in this game.”

Krottinger suggested to Davari that they sabotage Toomey’s chances of solving the puzzle, leaving her without a vote and making her an easy choice to send packing at the next tribal. Davari, however, thinks that’s too much and starts to doubt his confidence in Krottinger.

Hunter, meanwhile, found himself in a quandary: “To me, it’s the worst feeling on the planet because I also have an alliance with (Erickson). She says I’m her number one. Problem is, everyone thinks I’m with them right now. Now what? … I’m not gonna let her go. I feel like I have a responsibility to her. So I’m gonna figure out a way to take her with me.”

‘Eva’s on fire’

The combined reward and immunity challenge saw the three tribes retrieve five buoys from an underwater obstacle course and then shoot them into a basket.

Erickson’s tribe made it first to the basket and she quickly landed three buoys in a row, prompting host Jeff Probst to declare “Eva’s on fire for Lagi!”

But that fire quickly burned out as Erickson struggled to land the fourth shot. She looked angry and frustrated, but also fiercely determined to finish the task, brushing off Krottinger when he volunteered to step in.

That’s when physical education coach Mitch Guerra from the Civa tribe made his way to the basket, where he effortlessly landed all five baskets, giving his tribe the win.

With three teams, second place matters as it keeps them from going to tribal council. Erickson moved aside to let Hunter make the final two shots, much to the relief of the Lagi tribe. Any distress Erickson had just shown disappeared as she was all smiles as Probst gave her the second place immunity idol on behalf of her tribemates. She lives to see another week.

“Survivor 48” airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on CBS and streams the next day on Paramount+.