[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
[/b]

[Jessica]

Not Jeff screwing up the post

[Jessica]

I tried to have a legit conversation with Michael to at least salvage a friendship but he is just unbelievable. Look at this shit he's trying with me:

So it's kind of hurtful that I was willing to put myself in bad spots in the game because I was trying to protect you

The great thing about being someone who is manipulative, is I know when someone is trying to manipulate me! Like boy, you make your own decisions and live with the consequences of those decisions. I didn't ask you to protect me. You protected me because it was better for your game.

If I'm on the jury, he is not getting my vote. I promised myself I wouldn't be a bitter juror, but this is different. And as soon as I make it to pondy, I have some stories to tell! What's best for his game, is that I don't get a chance to tell those stories in pondy.

[Jessica]

So I think I have finally taken control on my own game. The public fight with Michael last night was just what I needed to get both separation and confidence. I hope y'all enjoyed it!

So here are some update that have happened since then:

• Sherri and I made a pact to not vote each other out on Sunday

• Alexis thinks Michael and I can use the fight to our advantage, we shall see

• I shared my end game plans with Hope and she asked for my help in playing her Steal a Vote advantage

• Shamar and I seem to be in much better communication as we both see what needs to happen to advance our games

• Matt and I are saying we will compare notes, I'm not sure if I buy that or not but I'll give it a try

• Steph and I are just being social, saying that now is the time to make the move to work together but she if my target for Sunday night.

• Michael is now saying he wants to repair our relationship but I will never be able to trust him again. So if I do work with him at all, it will strictly be for the betterment of my game

So obviously I misused my immunity last night but when Aurora told me she was going to blow up at tribal, she didn't tell me how. So I thought I was going to be in trouble if things went south. But to be honest, I think it may not matter. If I can keep my position in the game where I'm playing the middle well enough that people keep targeting others over me, I'll make it to the end. One of my notes that I made before the season was 'Being in the middle after F10 is the best spot to be in'. So I think I'm right where I want to be at. I've got people who trust me, people who want to work with me, and no one is saying my name.

[Jessica]

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?

This has been such a wild ride. I came into this game with something to prove and while I may not have played exactly like I wanted to, I'm still having a blast! I got to play with some good friends and made more friends along the way. I've never experienced a game quiet like Stranded before, it's addicting.

I've made some moves that I'm very proud of. I was in a strong position at the beginning of the game. I was go good terms with most of the people on my tribe and had options on who to work with. I created the plan that got Garrett to be the first boot. I got close to Jed and he quickly became my #1 once Liz got swapped. After the first swap, I was still with my #1 and I got Liz back. Her and I were in control of that tribe and made decisions that allowed us to stay in the majority all while getting in good with Allie and Hope. Getting Steph out was a big move that took out the threat of an idol that could hurt my game going forward. At this point, I knew all of the partners and this information helped better my game. The second swap was a bit more challenging as my numbers didn't look to be in my favor and my #1 enemy was on my tribe (Tai). I was able to keep Hope close to me and got in good with Michael and Alexis. I also had Aurora on my side. After the merge, we had the numbers needed to really run the table, but shit hit the fan with the double tribal. With Allie gone, I needed to readjust my game. It was the same sort of thing when Liz got voted out. My premerge game consisted of me being in a power position, but my merge game has been very under the radar. I have focused more my position and who I'm aligned with over making big moves. After failing to get Michael out and the explosive tribal that can with it, my position seems to be the best it has been since the double tribal.

I don't know if I have any regrets in this game. Everything I have done has gotten me further. I do see a path to the end and I don't see the point in wishing things were different.

My reputation in this community is a fun one but not exactly what I would like it to be. I returned because I flopped, hard. After this season, I hope that I'm seen as both a fun player but also as someone who is taken seriously. After playing all these games, I have learned the power of a stellar social game. It can really make or break your game. I'm not saying that my social game was perfect, but it has definitely gotten my to this point. I have found a good balance of friendliness + flirtiness + manipulation + honesty to get with the people I need to get with to get the information I need to need. I know my voting record may not show it, but I have known the vote every single tribal. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope to be remember as a strong social player who used it almost to perfection.

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?

My issues with challenge is that it isn't fully honest. I purposely put 3 answers wrong because I didn't need immunity more than I wanted to maintain a relationship or show favor for jury management purposes. So while yes, I was surprised by some of the majority answers or how people answered, I don't put too much into this challenge. We all know that Alexis has as strong game and can very easily win. We all know that Michael is snakey and will most likely stab you in the back. I didn't expect Matt to the the most trustworthy. I'm also not surprised that 6 people put me as using my sexuality as a weapon, I've had a lot of fun this game lol and yes, my husband knows.

Long story short, this challenge will not change how I am planning my end game. I still have my boot order and I still have my idea final 3.

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?

Shamar is definitely the closest thing to a goat left in the game, and clearly everyone thinks so. I've already pitched to Hope that unless we get rid of him, he is taking up valuable reality at FTC. I'm torn on my personal goat status. I think people do see my social game but may not see the moves I have made. So that puts me in the middle. There are bigger threats around like Michael and Sherri, but there are lesser players like Matt and Shamar. As I said previously, being in the middle is not a bad thing, in fact, I prefer it at this point in the game. I have an in with most of the people left and I feel like they need me more than I need them. But I'm not just going to sit back and be a numbers. I have a plan, I have a close ally in Hope, and she has a valuable advantage. If anyone is overlooking me at this point, it's their one way ticket to ponderosa.

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?

As someone involved in this explosion, it was a relief. There have been something I have been wanting to do and I feel like I did that, and doing it in public was even better. I broke away from Michael, secured Hope, got the respect of Sherri, and showed Michael as the snakey player he is, all in 4 posts. Obviously Aurora deserves a lot of credit for this as well. Now, Michael is in a corner and that is perfect for me. We have talked and he needs me right now. It's nice that the tides have turned into my favor.

I hope that the jury enjoyed our little spat. Because if anything, it made me look good while making Michael look bad. It was really an all around win for me and I woke up today much more confident about my position and my ability to get to the end.

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?

Jeff, I have 2 coins to my name because I sent all my coins to Hope to buy the advantage. It was 100% worth it! I'm pretty sure that I'm her #1 right now and that means she will listen to me when it comes to playing it. She has already told me that she will need my help because she doesn't want to screw it up. This advantage is what is going to get us to the end, as long as we can play it correctly.

[Jessica]

I’m heading to NC to be with my family for the week. The dreaded news came this morning. I do have my laptop so I will be my best to be on for the challenges and tribals. I’m not sure when the funeral will be but I’ll keep you updated.

Do I tell the tribe? I don’t want this to change the coarse of how the game is going to be played out. But I also don’t want them to think that I’ve stopped being active as I’m usually on all the time. Any advice here would be great.

[Jessica]

So I wanted to give a bit of a game update:

So while we were on our way to NC, everyone was active. Matt came to me about wanting a final 3 with him, me, and Hope. I decided that I wasn’t going to hold back and I was actually going to give this final 3 my all. Matt and Hope are both people I feel like I can beat at the end so this final 3 was perfect. I haven’t been hesitant about working with Matt but I opened up and I think it will pay off for me. I also opened up with Sherri about Alexis and Michael and it seems like we may be able to blindside Alexis tomorrow and take our Michael on Monday. If we can do this without Hope having to play her advantage, I’ll see y’all at the finals! Basically, if it works, Hope can use her advantage at F6 and we can take out Sherri. That would leave the 3 of us against Stephannie and Shamar. Obviously I’m not trying to look too fair ahead, but it is possible that this plan could very well work.

I learned that Shamar doesn’t want to go to the end with me because I’m a vet. I mean, I get it but the jury cares more about my game than my status. Not really a good argument. But I do trust Hope 100% and Matt, I’m taking a chance on. I’m feeling confident about the end game.

Please let me know if you have specific questions

[Jessica]

It’s just now hitting me that this is the final week... I came into this game wanting to make the most of my second chance, and I did that but also so much more. Here are the milestones I have strived for and have reached so far in this game:

Beat Tanzania placement
Make the merge
Make the jury
Make single digits

I also wanted to be a fun player and a rootable player. I’m not sure if I have accomplished that yet though lol.

I’m going to keep fighting to make it to the finals but regardless of what happens this week, thank you. My original season was fun but short. Being able to playing in a second chance season means the world to me.

[Jessica]

I told you about the final 3 I have with Hope and Matt. This is my ideal final 3 and the one I am actually working with. But Michael and I had a chat today and it sounds like he is ready to forgive my betrayal and work on getting to the end like we always planned. I adore him and do consider him a friend, but there’s no way I’m going to the end with Michael and Alexis. Like, I don’t stand a chance in hell. So I’m going to do what I need to do to get to the end. And right now I need Michael to trust me.

[Jessica]

What kind of plan is that Shamar?? Like no, you’re not going to just randomly get Michael to just trust you and not play his idol. But ya know what, if the plan for Alexis doesn’t work, at least you would go home.

[Jessica]

This game and talking with people today has been a great distraction for everything going on.

I’m expecting Alexis to go home unless Sherri tells Shamar. In that case, shit is going to hit the fan. If Alexis doesn’t go home, I would think that Steph is the next best option. I’m keeping my work to Sherri to not vote for her tonight. Hope, Matt and I will vote together. We still have Hopes Steal a Vote if we need it. And who the hell knows, maybe there will be another advantage up for auction. If that’s the case, Hope is going to send me all her coins to purchase it. I’ll talk to Matt as well. There has been a lot going on game wise today.

[Jessica]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME

[Jessica]

Holy shit... I just came up with a plan in 8 minutes and got the numbers to take out Michael if he doesnt play his idol. Omg that was riveting lol

[Jessica]

So obviously Michael played his idol, at least that is flushed now. All that is left is a possible idol that may or may not have been found. I'm liking my spot right now but I'm definitely not going to get comfortable. There is still plenty of work to be done!

[Jessica]

Who the fuck made that chat room.....................

[Jessica]

I wonder how my BFF Lauren feels about me not being the first boot but also beating her placement

[Jessica]

This message to Sherri, will make or break my game:

Exactly. It’s something to think about. But I still really want to work with you to get out these massive threats. I mean honestly, I see me and you both making final 4 if we stick together. Idk what would happen at that point but it think it’s worth a shot.

If I can make this work, I’ll have my core 3 of Matt and Hope and have Sherri as a 4th.