[Jeff Probst]

Congratulations, you have made the final 8!! You have outlasted 2/3 of this cast You started this game playing against players who had not made it as far as you have in their previous season, and here you are! You're entering the final week of the game, where legends are born, and games are destroyed. So let's get to it.

1. To move forward, we must look at the past. Reflecting on your season thus far, how has your experience been? What moves are you most proud of, are there any mistakes you've made? What are they? How would you like to be remembered when it's all said and done?

2. The dreaded slambook challenge. You know it well... I think the most can be learned from this challenge more than any other. Numbers was a pecking order, but this was the consensus... how you are perceived. Furthermore, you got to see what other people thought the most answers would be. You also saw who was the most out of touch and the most in tune with the tribe. The person who scored the least overall ended up going home... What did you learn about yourself in this challenge? What was the most surprising answer to you, and did you learn about where people stand based on their answers? Do you think the answers to this question will change the perceived threat level of others? IE: If someone was labeled the most threatening, does that label itself make it more true?

3. We spoke about threats vs. goats last week, and this week someone labeled a 'final 3 goat' in the challenge went home. The thing about goats is that everyone wants to sit with them in the final 3, but only 1 person can. The more threatening a player, generally, the more likely they are to go home. Which leaves all the "threats" sitting on the jury voting for the least threatening person sitting against two goats. Who do you see as a "goat" that might be taking up a final 3 spot that you could be sitting in? If you are the goat, what will you do between now and the final 3 to change that perception with the jury?

4. An explosive Tribal Council and also somewhat exposing Tribal Council. Did you learn anything new from the public fight and call-outs you didn't know going into Council? Talk me through your reactions as it happened. How did your reaction in-the-moment impact the jury's opinion of you, if at all? Is there a benefit to getting into public arguments at Council? A detriment?

5. One of the final opportunities to spend StrandedCoin arose in a Steal a Vote advantage, which Hope won. How does this impact your strategy as we advance? Are there new strategic options that could be gained from this advantage entering the game?

Finally, good luck!!! You are now in the end game and join a family of Stranded Alumni that are all watching and will look back on this season for years to come. Give it your all! The game started with 12 people looking for a second chance to right the wrongs they experienced last time. Don't leave with regrets; finish strong in your last week.

-Probst

[Eric]

Good Luck in that final week. Finish strong ESSA

[Matt]

Thank you so much! I hope I'm doing you proud as your initial winner pick. I'm going to hustle in my own way until the end!

[Matt]

1. To move forward, we must look at the past. Reflecting on your season thus far, how has your experience been? What moves are you most proud of, are there any mistakes you've made? What are they? How would you like to be remembered when it's all said and done?
I think my experience overall has been positive. It's been really fun being part of this immersive experience. At my age and at this time of my life, I have a lot of the stuff figured out off screen and so this has been a cute hobby to pick up again for the last several weeks on screen.

The moves question is tricky because I've never made a move completely on my own. I don't really believe in one person making a move. It's always a team effort. Will probably cost me in the end if I make it (there is still time to make moves too).

I think I've made a few mistakes for sure. My management of relationships with people like Liz will probably cost me if I make finals. Relationships are a two-way street and she's sketchy af but I could've handled things better. I think I'd like to be remembered as someone who was cerebral and who took my time. I think I'd like to be remembered as someone who also took my relationships seriously and tried to be calm and inoffensive with others (at least to their face).

2. The dreaded slambook challenge. You know it well... I think the most can be learned from this challenge more than any other. Numbers was a pecking order, but this was the consensus... how you are perceived. Furthermore, you got to see what other people thought the most answers would be. You also saw who was the most out of touch and the most in tune with the tribe. The person who scored the least overall ended up going home... What did you learn about yourself in this challenge? What was the most surprising answer to you, and did you learn about where people stand based on their answers? Do you think the answers to this question will change the perceived threat level of others? IE: If someone was labeled the most threatening, does that label itself make it more true?
I mean, I think there are layers and depths to these sorts of challenges. For example, I wasn't super trying for immunity. I purposely gave public answers that I thought would fit the loyalty narrative with Hopelexis rather than what I truly thought (like duh Hope is mistakenly in control). I was a bit surprised by the limelight that Alexis and Michael received. I guess I've just never fond Alexis that compelling but others do (she seems like a woke social gamebot to me).

The answers also gave me pause for a few other reasons. First, Shamar is very much someone people want to drag to the end. Second, Stephannie is in a similar position to me, not getting a ton of answers. This reminds me of my blindspot comment about her previously. Stephannie and I are going to compete for the same spot in end game, so I'll have to watch that.

I learned that my perception of keeping things to myself and trying to be calm and cerebral translated to being most trustworthy. Let's see if that bites me.

3. We spoke about threats vs. goats last week, and this week someone labeled a 'final 3 goat' in the challenge went home. The thing about goats is that everyone wants to sit with them in the final 3, but only 1 person can. The more threatening a player, generally, the more likely they are to go home. Which leaves all the "threats" sitting on the jury voting for the least threatening person sitting against two goats. Who do you see as a "goat" that might be taking up a final 3 spot that you could be sitting in? If you are the goat, what will you do between now and the final 3 to change that perception with the jury?
I think Jessica and Shamar are 110% goats. Maybe Hope too for being so transparent, and maybe myself too? I feel like threat level is: Alexis, Sherri, Michael, Stephannie, Matt, Hope, Jessica, Shamar. Some people might swap a couple around. I'm going to try to do what I can to stay close to Hope so she doesn't stab me. I'm going to try to make sure she knows how unreliable Shamar is and maybe we can take out a goat next round if Alexis goes today. The issue with these sorts of confessionals is that everything can change in 10 minutes in this sort of round so it's hard to predict. I guess I should be using buzz words like adaptability and chameleon, but I'll role with it.

4. An explosive Tribal Council and also somewhat exposing Tribal Council. Did you learn anything new from the public fight and call-outs you didn't know going into Council? Talk me through your reactions as it happened. How did your reaction in-the-moment impact the jury's opinion of you, if at all? Is there a benefit to getting into public arguments at Council? A detriment?
I didn't really learn anything new. I know who I am and I get my identity from myself internally. I don't really externalize a lot publicly. It feels like high school to me. So I'm worried about the jury's opinion of me being quiet but I'm not going to change who I am for others. I think getting in public arguments can be beneficial for flashiness and for face value ideas about whose in the game and whose trying hard. Heuristics are scary but they exist.

5. One of the final opportunities to spend StrandedCoin arose in a Steal a Vote advantage, which Hope won. How does this impact your strategy as we advance? Are there new strategic options that could be gained from this advantage entering the game?
I know. I think people like Sherri are going to want to vote Hope out. My plan would be to try to work with her a bit more. I'm hoping there is another bid tonight and Sherri wins it. Not that I want Sherri to have a ton of power but I'd rather she have an item right now than anyone from Hopelexica.

[Matt]

Before the chaos of the upcoming live portion, I'd also like to just run through some thoughts below on the rest of the group and where I might stand.

Thoughts on cast:
Michael: I continue to trust him the most and I don't think he'll stab me. Others are clearly sketched out by him at this point, including Shamar, Stephannie, and Sherri. I don't know what has been said and no one has approached met directly, but it wouldn't surprise me if people want to cut Michael to free me up or something (and I'm sure Aurora talked about my f3 with her and Michael yesterday, but fuck Aurora because she was stupid and paranoid and literally was fine before she imploded imo).

Sherri: I trust her less now than I did a round or two ago. She's making end game plans. She has to, it's a game. She's going to try to cut off my connection to Michael and beef up her connection with Shamar and Jessica I'm sure.

Hope: I can't believe she's the person I'm relying on as ride or die. She is so frenetic and so unreliable and inane in her logic it scares me. She's impulsive. She doesn't think through what she says. I worry about her imploding and Sherri and Steph being pissed at me. I think her f3 deal with me and Jessica is genuine but she has a million final 3 deals. She will be Alexis-lite when (if?) Alexis leaves. She could totally be playing me about voting Alexis this round. I think I gained points with her from my challenge answers (which were fake on my part) but I'm glad I threw them because it might benefit me here.

Stephannie: We occupy the same spot abstractly in people's endgame plans I think. She probably wants Shamar out soon and I could see myself working with her to do that. I could also see myself getting her out as being a challenge threat later (assuming she doesn't win every challenge left lmao).

Shamar: He drives me nuts with his Vecepia-lite strategy of just sitting there and waiting for people to talk to him about the votes. I know he can do more. He was super expressive about non-game stuff for rounds in the beginning. Tons of strings of text and now not much. He has end game plans that don't involve me. How does he possibly think he can beat Alexis and Sherri? Also I'm worried he and Alexis compared notes about me telling Shamar that Alexis said he had no balls. I need to follow up with him. He gave me some spiel about wanting me on Day 39 with him for the ending breakfast as he was telling Hope that he wanted to cut me at like 6. I get that Hope is chaos and driving a lot of this paranoia so I'm going to hold my cards about it for now.

Jessica: This girl is definition of a goat and I can't stand her. I can't believe I'm gonna have to work with Hope and Jessica to f3 as a core group if they're actually into it. Just insane. I'm worried it's fake because Hope is making a bunch of fake deals (even wants one with me her and Stephannie?) so I'm going to tread lightly.

Alexis: I want her gone and I'm worried it's not gonna happen and Hope's bluffing me. She could have the Te Poto idol? She could be in on plans to boot her already? All I know is her strategy of having her hand in every cookie jar and being social has an expiration date in Survivor usually around this point. Her tendency to go into DMs with person A and make a snide comment about person B, and then go to person B and make a snide comment about person A, and then go to person C and make a snide comment about person D, and on and on and on, is just not for me. I know I do the same thing but it feels a lot more warranted with some people trying to play me vs. Alexis who I've tried to be genuine with. Just hurtful. I feel like the merry-go-round of the Alexis amusement park has been a ride to behold and is hopefully coming to an end soon. Hopefully I won't need to punch my ticket again soon, and not because I die, but because she does.

Thoughts on f8 round:
I'm a little guarded about people not coming for me/Sherri/Stephannie. I think that could happen this round and with Michael kind of being cut off now from Hopelexica I'm not sure I'd hear about it unless Hope told me, which lol. The leaky and noisy information channels are going to be scary now. I wonder if I could get the vote turned on Shamar with Stephannie's help, but Sherri probably wouldn't go for that. I also wonder if Steph and Sherri are planning to cut me soon. They probably will wait until after 6 because they want the idol security? But we'll see. I'm doing everything I can to try to maintain the same conversation flow with people but it's hard in this atmosphere of paranoia and I'm not sure it's working.

Thoughts on my idol:
I'm like very concerned about my messiness with the idol and about Michael, Sherri, and Steph all knowing. It's basically like if I blindside Sherri before f5, then Steph could go and tell people about the idol, and if I tell Sherri I want to vote Steph before f5 and Steph goes, Sherri would probably do that too I think. So I feel a bit boxed in and very cautious about my position with 3 of the remaining other 7 people knowing about my idol right now and not wanting to be messy and tank my game over an item. So I'm walking on egg shells a bit.