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i'm having a really hard time seeing how you were playing this game to win. you spent the duration of merge trying to keep a good relationship with me, constantly implying that you wanted to work with me and needed me around, but you never attempted to talk serious game with me. i can respect someone admitting i'm not the best option for their game and not leading me on far more than i can respect someone dangling a carrot in front of my face and telling me i might get to catch it someday.

It was not my intention to lead you on, my words were "We probably aren't going to work together this round, but there's always next round." And I meant that. I wasn't trying to dangle a carrot over your face. I was being honest. I would have worked with you had things shaken out a different way. If I told you I was shutting you out strategically, it would have been a total lie because I never stopped thinking about you as an option. I think for the two of us, it was actually the other way around from my perspective? You had never come to me with a concrete plan so I didn't really know what to do. I remember at the F6 vote I told you that you the votes were going to be split on you and I also tried to ask you if you had any ideas about the vote but I didn't get a plan so I thought you were just exploting options outside of me.

Spoiler

+

Dean [7:34 PM] yeah lmao. honestly literally anyone could go next i think Bobby Hill [7:34 PM] have you had any ideas at all Dean [7:35 PM] my idea is i don’t want to leave and i’m incredibly receptive to offers because i don’t feel like i’m in any position to throw out a name lmao Bobby Hill [7:36 PM] LMAO so is this like an "As long as its not me" thing or is this a "I kinda have an idea but I don't want to say the wrong thing" thing Dean [7:36 PM] first one i have no idea who would get traction as a target and who wouldn’t and without maxwell i feel very lost and on my own Bobby Hill [7:37 PM] well I'm sure youre pretty aware the preferred course of action is to split the votes on you Dean [7:37 PM] i’m sure lmao

After this conversation I came to you again to try to feel you out, but I didn't get a plan, but you said you'd tell me if anything came up.

Spoiler

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Bobby Hill [8:32 PM] this round I expect things to return to complete mess city Dean [8:32 PM] yeah probably lol Bobby Hill [8:32 PM] and that's not to say I intend to be the catalyst of that, I'm just waiting for how I'm gonna respond to it because I do not know what the hell is about to go down I feel like there's always been a wall between what people will tell me and what they're telling everyone else like I'm the last to know everything maybe because people make up alliances I'm not in or deals they suspect me to have but I think under the surface I've been pretty boring Dean [8:33 PM] fwiw i’ll let you know anything i hear and i lowkey expect people might come to me

...and then right after this I was speaking with Miami and she tells me something did come up, it just didn't involve me.

Miami [1:42 AM]
he's completely alone in this game
he has no one
he knows he can't make the end, and even if he does, he can't win
he just wants me to know this
so I can make an informed decision

And then again, with another convo with hailey

hailey. [6:04 PM]
oh btw
dean tried to get me to flip
and i just agreed so he wouldn't scramble


Bobby Hill [6:04 PM]
why does dean go to everyone but me LMAO
I'm the girl on the wall at the prom who hasnt been asked to dance

I didn't mind that you had been talking around with other people. Unlike Hailey, I was fine with you scrambling because I wanted you to have the free will to make things happen without thinking you were in any way tied to me. If you managed to save yourself, I would have been okay with that and changed my plans accordingly. The reason I didn't give you a plan was because I felt felt my plan to split the votes was the best course of action for me, however if you would've come to me with a plan I would have taken it into consideration, and I actually had been talking to Lauren about possibly working with you. All that time, I was legitimately just waiting for you to come to me with something, especially because it had been floating around that I was close with Lauren.

Also please take into my perspective that I was immune, and 3/5 people in that F6 (not including me) wanted to go to F2 with me, and I felt confident taking them there with me. So I felt like proposing things with you and going out of my way to lead you on in that situation when I had a 60% chance of just doing the split would have just pissed you off. I really did consider your feelings, and I did let you know I was open to any plans you had for me.

I'm sorry if you think I was being disingenuous with you, because it was not my intention.

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i don't understand how it was good for you to flip at merge and essentially replace me in an alliance that had existed from the moment tribes were made. your best move was an accident. i would love for you to prove me wrong, though.

I would never jump without a parachute. The alliance didn't implode the way it did by coincidence. I knew Lauren and Hailey would turn on Miami and Wendy because they both told me they would, and it was in their bet interests to do so. I'm going to point to the chatlogs from me troy expoed all the way back in F10. I called this happening.

Bobby Hill [1:22 AM]
Hi, I'm online right now
I heard about the whole mess with miami having the idol and all of that
I feel like we can work this?
as far as I can see, miami-wendy are the only people really sticking to the hecc thing
lauren and hailey aren't super tight but they're in a similar position
and then there's me you and dean
And then otra
so its more like 2-2-3-3

... and then Lauren and Hailey turned on Miami and Wendy and both of them ended up having a strong relationship with me. I knew the premerge alliance just would not last, because every single one of them except Wendy came to me at different points and times about flipping. Even Miami, pre-swap talked with me about shaking up the game. I just knew the cracks in Hecc were way deeper than the cracks within Otra.

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i only have one question for you guys! i consider the most important part of these games to be having a strong awareness of the things happening around you. it shows that you have played a good enough social game to receive information, and if you have the strong strategic game to back it up, it tells you when and what you can do to put yourself into a better position in the game. so, i have a little test to see who had a better grasp on this mess of a game overall. as we all know, the actual show survivor edits down the vastness of the game into weekly episodes. to do that, they need to boil the game environment down to its essentials, showing us what they deem to be the most important things for us to see, all while selling the winner as deserving and correct. imagine this season were aired as a regular survivor season. what are the primary storylines (ie alliances, individual arcs, overall themes)? who are the standout characters, and how is the audience meant to feel about them? who do they root for and against? and, most importantly, how does the edit of the season portray you as the most fitting winner for this game?

I'm at the beach. Its final nine in bitchin' survivor. I'm lying down at the coast line in my designer shirt and my tightly laced speedo, I picked it especially to show off the goods. To my right is Wendy, to my left is Lauren. There is obvious tension. Lauren lifts up her shades, glares at me for allowing Wendy in our space, she leaves. On her way back to the water well she passes miami and hailey who are braiding each others hair. she flips them off. In the shelter, Ausenia is digging through the rice to find an idol. Max stands guard and Dean longingly looks at Max. He notices his sculpted abs and make a silent vow to himself they'll be married one day.

I'm staring off into space when wendy nudges me. "Bobby what's up? bobby what's up? hey? you around?

"bobby

hey

what's up

hey"

I finally regain consciousness and Wendy informs me we're to take out one of Ausenia or Maxwell later that night, and we have all the votes we need.
*the audience boos*

I look over to Santiago, who is also seemingly unconscious and looking into space. I wonder what's behind those hazel eyes. I make my vow to myself we'll be F2 one day. A pelican perches on Santiago's shoulder, but he doesn't even flinch. Its almost like he's not even there. Ausenia is beckoning to him, but again he doesn't notice them. I leave wendy to go to the shelter and he immediately panics about not having anyone to talk to, she sprints to hailey and miami. I walk into the shelter and conversation stops. Ausenia shoots daggers in my direction while her idol bulges out of her pants. It seems obvious she has it, but none of us seem to notice. "I jut can't believe you're not with us, how could you she says. I don't know what to tell her and I have the faintest idea if I say the wrong thing, she will grow 10 feet tall, turn green, and hulk smash me into the sand. So I stutter out some words "w-wendy made me do it. I swear! she told me what troy said! I had nothing to do with it! it was an accident!!"
*the audience boos*

I realize the situation is getting heated, and Maxwell is sharpening his machete and decide to go for a walk. While I'm gone, Ausenia turns to dean and max "wendy."
*the audience cheers*

Its tribal council. I walk up to cast my vote
"ausenia, you got a big storm coming"

The votes prepare to be read. Wendy sits with a smirk for a job well done.

"if anyone has a hidden immunity idol and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so"
Ausenia jerks up, and hands her idol to fetty.
"any votes cast for Ausenia will not count. I will not read the votes"

AUSENIA, does not count
AUSENIA, does not count
AUSENIA, does not count hecc looks suddenly confused

MAXWELL

WENDY

And the first member of the jury... WENDY.

We all look around. Miami chimes "Lauren."
Lauren: "not me"
Bobby: "not me"

I think back to the split vote for a minute, and then realize, with the dumbfounded look on my face. it was me all along
*the audience points and laughs*

END SCENE

Okay, that was dramatic, but I felt like that episode would be the breakout episode in a season of survivor.

In reality, I believe the underdogs and audience faves, would undoubtedly be Dean, Max, and Ausenia. Especially Ausenia, as the audience would fall in love with her fiesty confessionals and can-do attitude. The pivotal alliance that would be focused on throught the merge is the complicated relationship between Wendy, Miami, and Hailey, with the three of us all sticking together but taking steps to outplay each other. The Santiago-Bobby connection would be similar to the Dean and Hailey connection, with both pairs being mostly under the radar but still giving each other information about both sides. Wendy would be the overarching villain to be cut short, similarly to Boton Rob, and Lauren would become the OTTN killer that gains power and takes the reigns of screentime throughout the season. Miami would be the reliable, happy overdog that we'd all root for, but secretly hope something happens to shake up the game from her grasp. Santiago is the UTRP angel. Hailey is the MORP reliable constant who's edit in the beginning is extremely strong, but slowly fades into the background, similarly to Ken McNickle. The audience has no idea what the fuck to make of bobby, because hi edgic is a mess. UTR-CPM-OTTN.

In all hoensty, I have no idea which survivor character I'd most compare myself to. I don't think the show would edit someone to be as much as a mess as I've been here.

i can’t not respond here lmao

Bobby @ 12/11/2018 17:43

You had never come to me with a concrete plan so I didn't really know what to do. I remember at the F6 vote I told you that you the votes were going to be split on you and I also tried to ask you if you had any ideas about the vote but I didn't get a plan so I thought you were just exploting options outside of me.

you told me where the votes were going, how was i supposed to reply? you specifically told me, in the conversations you helpfully provided, that you weren’t going to be the catalyst. i told you i didn’t want to leave and i was receptive to any ideas you had. you gave me nothing, waiting for me to come up with my own plan on how to stay. which i did. i went to hailey who had been giving me information for two rounds. you can’t say i didn’t go to you when i straight up said that i wasn’t sure what could be done because i didn’t have the information, but that i was open to offers and ideas, and you gave me nothing. i understand why you didn’t but my poont stands that you spent a lot of time telling me maybe later when hailey was actively trying to work with me.

Dean @ 12/11/2018 19:24

i can’t not respond here lmao Bobby @ 12/11/2018 17:43 You had never come to me with a concrete plan so I didn't really know what to do. I remember at the F6 vote I told you that you the votes were going to be split on you and I also tried to ask you if you had any ideas about the vote but I didn't get a plan so I thought you were just exploting options outside of me. you told me where the votes were going, how was i supposed to reply? you specifically told me, in the conversations you helpfully provided, that you weren’t going to be the catalyst. i told you i didn’t want to leave and i was receptive to any ideas you had. you gave me nothing, waiting for me to come up with my own plan on how to stay. which i did. i went to hailey who had been giving me information for two rounds. you can’t say i didn’t go to you when i straight up said that i wasn’t sure what could be done because i didn’t have the information, but that i was open to offers and ideas, and you gave me nothing. i understand why you didn’t but my poont stands that you spent a lot of time telling me maybe later when hailey was actively trying to work with me.

I mean.. but hailey wasn't really actively trying to work with you? She was actively placating you, and then spreas around she was placating you. And I feel like that is a lot worse than me saying "maybe later"?

When I said I wasn't going to be the catalyst, I didn't mean I wasn't willing to do something, I meant that I wasn't going to make the round turn into a shit show and make everyone start going crazy because I like to do things carefully and quietly. I literally meant "hey, this round is probably going to turn into a mess and I don't want to be the one to make it turn into a mess, so if we're gonna do something we'll do it we'll be lowkey." I am sorry for miswording that, but in that text, it really wouldn't make sense for me to say "hey, I'm not working with you. but hit me up with ideas x". I can see how that would come off wrong taking it the way you took it, but I literally meant the exact opposite.

At that point, in F6, I told you you were getting votes so you'd know to vote for Lauren if you didn't have any ideas on how to save yourself. And I never said "in the future" at that point and led you on. I gave you the heads up that round you were likely to go and said if you had any ideas, I'd hear them out. Because at that point, I felt like splitting the votes was what was best for my game, but there's always an angle to the game we don't see. And if you came up with an idea at that point I hadn't thought of, and would be better than splitting the votes on you and Lauren I was happy to go with it. I'm not blaming you for not coming to me, please don't misunderstand, I'm just saying I didn't want to shut you out, because I know how that feels.

Bobby @ 12/11/2018 18:59

Dean @ 12/11/2018 19:24 i can’t not respond here lmao Bobby @ 12/11/2018 17:43 You had never come to me with a concrete plan so I didn't really know what to do. I remember at the F6 vote I told you that you the votes were going to be split on you and I also tried to ask you if you had any ideas about the vote but I didn't get a plan so I thought you were just exploting options outside of me. you told me where the votes were going, how was i supposed to reply? you specifically told me, in the conversations you helpfully provided, that you weren’t going to be the catalyst. i told you i didn’t want to leave and i was receptive to any ideas you had. you gave me nothing, waiting for me to come up with my own plan on how to stay. which i did. i went to hailey who had been giving me information for two rounds. you can’t say i didn’t go to you when i straight up said that i wasn’t sure what could be done because i didn’t have the information, but that i was open to offers and ideas, and you gave me nothing. i understand why you didn’t but my poont stands that you spent a lot of time telling me maybe later when hailey was actively trying to work with me. I mean.. but hailey wasn't really actively trying to work with you? She was actively placating you, and then spreas around she was placating you. And I feel like that is a lot worse than me saying "maybe later"? When I said I wasn't going to be the catalyst, I didn't mean I wasn't willing to do something, I meant that I wasn't going to make the round turn into a shit show and make everyone start going crazy because I like to do things carefully and quietly. I literally meant "hey, this round is probably going to turn into a mess and I don't want to be the one to make it turn into a mess, so if we're gonna do something we'll do it we'll be lowkey." I am sorry for miswording that, but in that text, it really wouldn't make sense for me to say "hey, I'm not working with you. but hit me up with ideas x". I can see how that would come off wrong taking it the way you took it, but I literally meant the exact opposite. At that point, in F6, I told you you were getting votes so you'd know to vote for Lauren if you didn't have any ideas on how to save yourself. And I never said "in the future" at that point and led you on. I gave you the heads up that round you were likely to go and said if you had any ideas, I'd hear them out. Because at that point, I felt like splitting the votes was what was best for my game, but there's always an angle to the game we don't see. And if you came up with an idea at that point I hadn't thought of, and would be better than splitting the votes on you and Lauren I was happy to go with it. I'm not blaming you for not coming to me, please don't misunderstand, I'm just saying I didn't want to shut you out, because I know how that feels.

I was trying to work with him. I told you that he was trying to flip me just as a precaution. I 100% was wanting him to survive the round and was planning for it. It's true that it didn't happen and yes I'm the one who made the mistake, but he was the ONLY other person at that point that I was being truthful to, other than Miami. The only lie I told him was that I was trying to get Miami to waste her idol, same thing I did to you, and that was just so he was comfortable enough to trust me moving forward.

DEANALD!!!!!!
"Indeancisive" LMAO. I live for it!

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HAILEY when this game started i thought we would be a lot closer throughout the premerge than we ended up being. before tribes went up you were at the top of my list of people i liked and wanted to be tight with. unfortunately i got the vibe you were just coasting for a while, and i had a hard time feeling like i could try and develop a strong game relationship with you. this changed a lot at the merge, and once maxwell was gone, i was all in on going to the end with you. i have to thank you for giving me a glimmer of hope that others kept promising me, but never followed through. you followed through and while f6 didn't go as either of us wanted, i appreciate that you made a conscious effort to involve me in your game. if i voted on personal relationship alone, you would have my vote on lock. that being said, i don't feel like i see a lot of concrete actions you made in the game, so i'm not sold.

I think pre-merge, it's fair to say that I was coasting. And you feeling like you couldn't develop a strong game connection with me at that point is very valid, considering I honestly didn't feel the need to talk much game since not a lot was happening at the time. I did notice you grow increasingly distant with me, which added to my frustrations with you early on. I'm VERY happy it changed at the merge and we were able to rekindle and nurture that relationship. You already know how terrible I felt about that Final 6 vote so I won't bore you or the other jurors with that anymore.

The fact that it's hard for you to see what actions I made in this game is fair. Others have pointed it out and I have even said, my game was very subtle. I mentioned pretty much everything in Maxwell's and Miami's questions but I'll give a brief summary and if you need me to break things down, just let me know! I am more than willing to!

Basically, every vote from the Final 10 to the Final 6, I had a heavy hand in. Final 9 was the only vote where the outcome wasn't my doing, and the person who did it literally did it on accident. Final 8? Miami & I. Final 7? Miami & I (although I would like to take most credit for this one because the way Miami was leaning, Bobby would have left over Maxwell, who I needed to be gone so I could be your #1 ally). Final 6? Mistakes were made but ultimately the decision was up to Miami & I. Final 5? I won immunity when I needed it the most. Final 4? I managed to make myself look more tempting to take to the Final 3 over SANTIAGO (the way I did that is in Miami's post). And of course after being the only one to understand and/or complete the Final 3 challenge, the decision was ultimately mine as to who I wanted to take to the end.

And if all of that is not enough, I think two key actions of mine in this game was FIRST, pretending to scheme with Bobby to get Miami to flush her idol, which ultimately led to Bobby trusting me more and making it seem like I was dumping Miami for him. As you can see from his speech, it worked. He thought I was wrapped around his finger when in reality, that couldn't be further from the truth. And SECONDLY, I did the same thing with you, Deanald, the round after. The only difference was because I knew at that point that I could trust you, I actually was willing to go to the end with you. I never wanted to go to the end with Bobby at that point in the game. It was Miami, and if not Miami, then you.

Because of my relationship with you and Bobby, and Miami's relationship with Santi, we pretty much knew where all of the votes were landing in the Final 6. Lauren was the wildcard and we had TWO guesses as to what she would do. Ultimately the wrong choice was made but the fact remains that we had complete control.

ANYWAY, onto your question!

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imagine this season were aired as a regular survivor season. what are the primary storylines (ie alliances, individual arcs, overall themes)? who are the standout characters, and how is the audience meant to feel about them? who do they root for and against? and, most importantly, how does the edit of the season portray you as the most fitting winner for this game?

OMG THIS IS SO FUN! I LOVE IT!

OPENING: The featured players during the opening marooning (where they have mini-confessionals introducing themselves) are Dylan, Wendy, Maxwell, Dean, Miami, and Lauren. Dylan gets the inflated ego edit right off the bat in his intro. Wendy also gets the same edit, but less cocky and more cutthroat. Maxwell gets the charming smalltown boy edit in his intro, and it quickly cuts to Dean's intro, where he says he's a gold-star gay who's a sucker for a smalltown cutie. Miami's intro begins with goofy music where she says she wants to have a good time above all else, as she cracks an off-the-wall joke, but then it quickly cuts to dark music as she says she will do anything to win. Lauren has villain music play during her intro, where she gives some personal information and also comments on her physical strength.

Those are basically the editors introducing us to the big characters at the very beginning of episode 1.

NOW, I'll go ahead and go through each person and give them an overall edgic rating. If anyone needs any explanation of edgic ratings, just let me know!

Travis & Georgia: UTRN. They both get VERY minimal content during their short stays here. These are the people the audience expects to be out early and their vote outs are very anti-climactic. Think of the "odd balls who don't fit in." That's Travis and Georgia.

Dylan: OTTN. The pre-merge villain that almost every season has. Right from the get-go it's clear to the audience that this guy is very cocky and arrogant and when his QUICK demise arrives, the audience says "he had it coming."

Frank: INV. Literally gets zero content due to the fact of his early medical evacuation. The editors majorly edit him out to lessen the blow and make sure the audience isn't in love with him.

Joslin: UTR until her random OTTN vote out episode. I very much imagine her edit being similar to Lucy Huang's from Millennials vs. Gen X. We don't know much about her until the episode she leaves, where she completely blows up.

Bianca: A cute UTRP. Bianca has really small, cute moments throughout the first several episodes, always being a positive presence. When she's blindsided, the audience is sad but forget about it quickly with the upcoming merge and all of the storylines intertwining.

Troy: MORN. Has maybe one CP episode during the pre-merge, the other episodes being mainly MOR. He has a lot of focus late pre-merge with his relationship with Dean blossoming, and gets a solid OTTN on his last episode where he's very messy explaining what he wants to do, and he's made to look a bit foolish when everyone compares notes.

Wendy: CPN. Very, very complex right from the get-go. She's the villain that everyone knows has enough juice to last a while, but everyone also knows she has no way of possibly winning. She's a constant focus throughout the pre-merge because of Fab 5, and her two merge episodes. Her accidental blindside at the Final 9 receives very polarizing reactions. The people that hated her, thought it was sweet justice. The people that LOVED to hate her, thought it was unfair and will sincerely miss her villainous presence.

Ausenia: UTRP. Before you burn me at the stake, let me explain. I only give her UTR because in the real show, editors ALWAYS edit down the people who are rocked out of the game. I give her a positive rating because she's part of the underdog group and the audience members are meant to root for her, they're just meant to root for the other people of her alliance more. I would compare her edit to Jessica Lewis in Millennials vs. Gen X. Gets content early on because of the idol she found, but then her edit is quickly watered down with a few spurts of content here and there.

Maxwell: MORP. Definitely the OG Otra with the most content throughout the season. He constantly gets positive content after the merge when he and his fellow underdogs try to figure out a way to survive. The audience is devastated when he leaves.

Dean: CPP. He is painted as the strategic force of the underdog group. Although he is not always "in the know" about certain things, the audience absolutely adores him and roots for him to the bitter end, especially after Maxwell is voted out. When Dean makes the decision to turn on the Fab 5, that's when the audience really starts to root for him, as the Fab 5 is not well-liked as a group. He gets the hero exit music when the F6 votes are revealed.

Miami: CPM/OTTM. Miami gets consistent content throughout the entire season, and her tone is all over the board. She often gets a lot of negative SPV but also a lot of positive SPV. Some rounds, she's painted as a paranoid mess, but other rounds she's painted as a strategic force. She's probably the most polarizing contestant of the season. This is the player that online forums argue and bicker over. Half of the fans LOVE her, and half of the fans HATE her. A lot of the Fab 5 hate from early on in the season is transferred onto Miami (& Hailey) after Wendy leaves.

Santiago: UTR. Doesn't get a lot of content at all during the span of the season, and the content he DOES get is mostly negative, as it mainly involves arguing with Lauren. His biggest episode is the Final 8 where he gets a lot of content from Miami & Hailey flipping him and his allies targeting him. His vote out at the Final 4 is shocking as the audience expected him to be the Final 2 goat.

Lauren: OTTNNNNNNNNNNN. Seriously, do I need to explain this one? Okay so this is definitely a journey edit. But a backwards one. Usually it's someone who's negative at first but turns positive at the end. But this girl started off the season as a positive and upbeat personality. Her villainous role is foreshadowed during her fight with Santi. At the start of the merge, she gets solid CP edits. But after the Final 8, she's completely OTTN the rest of the game. The audience is supposed to LOVE to hate her. They're not supposed to want her to win, but they want her to make it far so they have someone to root against.

Bobby: MORM. Bobby gets little to no content through the first phase of the game. Like the audience is definitely supposed to know he's there, but they're not supposed to care about him just yet. He gets a solid edit during the first merge vote but after the Wendy accident and thinking Hailey was under his control, he's painted as a fool for a couple of rounds. After the Final 6, power falls into his lap and he finally gets some good content. When he votes out Santi at the Final 4 instead of Hailey, he gets a chance to explain himself but not all of the audience are sold.

Hailey: MORP. Although I had some heavily strategic rounds (F8, F7, F6 especially, also F4), my edit would be overall MOR. I get a solid introduction at the start of the season, and then get some content from Fab 5, but then I drop off for a little while until right before the merge, where Miami and I solidify a bond and an alliance (and where the audience realizes that they need to keep an eye on me). The first couple of merge votes, the audience doesn't care for me much. They want the Fab 5 to crumble and the underdogs to come out on top. And after Wendy is voted out, the Fab 5 hate spreads out between myself and Miami. But after Wendy and Miami are aggressive towards Dean after his betrayal, Hailey is shown being kind towards Dean. And since Dean is painted as the hero of the season, this gains Hailey a bit more popularity. Then Hailey really breaks out as an UTR strategic threat and her & Miami are focused on for several rounds as the people to beat. After Dean and Miami are voted out back to back at the F6 & F5, Hailey has an emotional breakdown off by herself so no one can see. And she has a very emotional confessional. With the only options left being herself, Bobby, Lauren, and Santiago, the audience decides to root for Hailey, especially now that she's in an underdog position. Hailey picks herself up and continues to strategize. When she survives over Santi, the one everyone expects to be the Final 2 goat, the audience is completely shocked but not upset about it. When Hailey wins final immunity and takes out Lauren, the audience commends Lauren for being a great villain but they're overall happy about the outcome.

The overall theme of the season is "mistakes, and how to come back from them." Almost everyone in the merge cast made big mistakes at one point or another, and the way the season is edited, it shows who can come back from their fumbles, and who fails to do so. The Final 8 episode is the go-to episode regarding the theme. When everyone decided to go to rocks, the question the audience should be asking is "who is this going to benefit, and who is going to look back and say this was a mistake?"

Alright that's what I've got. Sorry it took so long, Deanald! I was putting a lot of thought into my answers!
Thank you for your feedback!!!

Hailey @ 12/11/2018 20:09

Bobby @ 12/11/2018 18:59 Dean @ 12/11/2018 19:24 i can’t not respond here lmao Bobby @ 12/11/2018 17:43 You had never come to me with a concrete plan so I didn't really know what to do. I remember at the F6 vote I told you that you the votes were going to be split on you and I also tried to ask you if you had any ideas about the vote but I didn't get a plan so I thought you were just exploting options outside of me. you told me where the votes were going, how was i supposed to reply? you specifically told me, in the conversations you helpfully provided, that you weren’t going to be the catalyst. i told you i didn’t want to leave and i was receptive to any ideas you had. you gave me nothing, waiting for me to come up with my own plan on how to stay. which i did. i went to hailey who had been giving me information for two rounds. you can’t say i didn’t go to you when i straight up said that i wasn’t sure what could be done because i didn’t have the information, but that i was open to offers and ideas, and you gave me nothing. i understand why you didn’t but my poont stands that you spent a lot of time telling me maybe later when hailey was actively trying to work with me. I mean.. but hailey wasn't really actively trying to work with you? She was actively placating you, and then spreas around she was placating you. And I feel like that is a lot worse than me saying "maybe later"? When I said I wasn't going to be the catalyst, I didn't mean I wasn't willing to do something, I meant that I wasn't going to make the round turn into a shit show and make everyone start going crazy because I like to do things carefully and quietly. I literally meant "hey, this round is probably going to turn into a mess and I don't want to be the one to make it turn into a mess, so if we're gonna do something we'll do it we'll be lowkey." I am sorry for miswording that, but in that text, it really wouldn't make sense for me to say "hey, I'm not working with you. but hit me up with ideas x". I can see how that would come off wrong taking it the way you took it, but I literally meant the exact opposite. At that point, in F6, I told you you were getting votes so you'd know to vote for Lauren if you didn't have any ideas on how to save yourself. And I never said "in the future" at that point and led you on. I gave you the heads up that round you were likely to go and said if you had any ideas, I'd hear them out. Because at that point, I felt like splitting the votes was what was best for my game, but there's always an angle to the game we don't see. And if you came up with an idea at that point I hadn't thought of, and would be better than splitting the votes on you and Lauren I was happy to go with it. I'm not blaming you for not coming to me, please don't misunderstand, I'm just saying I didn't want to shut you out, because I know how that feels. I was trying to work with him. I told you that he was trying to flip me just as a precaution. I 100% was wanting him to survive the round and was planning for it. It's true that it didn't happen and yes I'm the one who made the mistake, but he was the ONLY other person at that point that I was being truthful to, other than Miami. The only lie I told him was that I was trying to get Miami to waste her idol, same thing I did to you, and that was just so he was comfortable enough to trust me moving forward.

I'm sorry, but please explain... you were working alongside dean, but you systemically eliminated his allies, agreed to split the votes on him. Gave him hope you would follow through with putting in effort to make sure he was safe, then went to the rest of us and said "lol dean is trying to flip me but im everyone the moon and stars, and the on top of this, NOTHING you did in the last round showed you were actually going to protect him?

The issue Dean and I had was legitimately a misunderstanding, I used the wrong word with "Catalyst", but ultimately the both of us knew we weren't going to be together. I legitimately planned to work with him if the option came up but I certainly didn't make it seem as if I was Absolutely going to do it one day. But your plan was essentially to have the best of both worlds with keeping Dean at your side but being sure he was below you on the totem pole the entire time, and if Dean could chime on on this... how was this in any shape or form better than me saying "if we can work together for our own best interests, we'll do it. im not shutting you out but im not working with you this round."

When I play these games, I never shut anyone out. The rounds change way too dramatically in survivor to allow that, and every single person is an option in the future. Dean was no different, we could have worked together in the future, it just did not pan out. I certainly didn't lull him into a false sense of trust and then spread around he was working on me. Anyone can search though their chats. I did not tell anyone ever Dean was attempting to work with me, and I did not stifle his ability to work with anyone else. I let him play his own game rather than being a piece in his destruction.

I have no idea why we can't edit these posts but something went wrong with that first paragraph. I'll rewrite it

I'm sorry, but please explain... you were working alongside dean, but you systemically eliminated his allies, agreed to split the votes on him. Gave him hope you would follow through with putting in effort to make sure he was safe, then went to the rest of us and said "lol dean is trying to flip me but im not goin for it xx". you made it appear as if dean was offering everyone the moon and stars, and the on top of this, NOTHING you did in his last round showed you were actually going to protect him?

The issue Dean and I had was legitimately a misunderstanding, I used the wrong word with "Catalyst", but ultimately the both of us knew we weren't going to be together. I legitimately planned to work with him if the option came up but I certainly didn't make it seem as if I was Absolutely going to do it one day. But your plan was essentially to have the best of both worlds with keeping Dean at your side but being sure he was below you on the totem pole the entire time, and if Dean could chime on on this... how was this in any shape or form better than me saying "if we can work together for our own best interests, we'll do it. im not shutting you out but im not working with you this round."

When I play these games, I never shut anyone out. The rounds change way too dramatically in survivor to allow that, and every single person is an option in the future. Dean was no different, we could have worked together in the future, it just did not pan out. I certainly didn't lull him into a false sense of trust and then spread around he was working on me. Anyone can search though their chats. I did not tell anyone ever Dean was attempting to work with me, and I did not stifle his ability to work with anyone else. I let him play his own game rather than being a piece in his destruction.

I didn't "spread it around." I literally just told you. And then Miami knew what was happening. That's it.

And the reason I followed through with the vote has already been explained in my opening statement.

There were three options.

1. 2-2-2, Lauren plays her idol. Re-vote between Dean & Santi. And no, I wouldn't have voted Dean in the re-vote.

or 2. 2-2-2, Lauren doesn't play her idol. I vote Santi. Lauren goes on the re-vote.

or 3. 3-2-1, Lauren keeps her idol and votes Dean.

Option #3 is what happened, option #1 is what I was advised would happen. Option #2 is what I wanted to happen.

I'm not going to spend anymore time talking about the Final 6 vote because I have explained it a ton of times. At this point, I think everything else I did in this game outweighs my mistake at the Final 6.

That's all. Thank you.

thanks for the great answers guys. i know what i’m doing now. good luck to you both ❤️