Episode 11

[Jeff Probst]

Second Unanimous vote in a row. Second huge blindside in a row. Second giant player in a row to leave.

Are you concerned with your status in the game. Are you taking out the only other targets in the game aside from yourself? How is your résumé going into the final 8? WIth one more week of the game, are you prepared to play it all out? Time is running out to impress the jury.

Explain how you view your game and how you think the jury will have seen your game. How can you win and who are your biggest threats standing in your way?

[Jessica]

There are a lot of questions I need to figure out with myself. What can I do to make it to the end? There's still so much to deal with and I know my plans will change after tonight. I know that I can't trust anyone at this point fully. We have taken out some very serious threats without so much as a fight. Unanimous! Why couldn't that simply happen to me next?

I've been slacking with comps. I haven't won any since the start of merge. This is the point where I need them to ENSURE I am safe since I have no idea who I can trust.

My resume is decent and I feel I can explain my way to the victory. Obvious I am facing an uphill battle since Steph dislikes me and Cass probably does too. It begs the question of me trusting Stacy and Nate as the other finalists. I'm not sure how well I can convey my huge part in all of this. First off, I feel as though I have been a target since the first challenge. I showed my stuff, I was marked as a strong player, I was obviously social and active. In Svinoy 3.0 I was only able to survive because of immunities. I couldn't rely on the social game, but I still managed to make it out alive.

Going into the merge I was a solo player. I got into the majority alliance, I befriended most people, and I became a major part of it. I started the brigade against Svinoy and helped take out Stephannie, even in the face of Cecilia's insanity. I also got Cici to be a major target by sharing information to Cass, by playing it carefully socially as to gain trust and use it to my advantage. When it came time to take out Cassandra, I got Stacy involved at first to make a final 3 with Nate. Stacy and I worked together to convince others that Cassandra was the biggest threat and it worked!

At this point I need to win challenges and stay in good graces with people. I need to sell myself better if I expect to win. It's an uphill battle, but if I'm honest I think the plan will be taking out Svinoy first and then final 5 fighting to the finish. My ideal partners would be Stacy and Penner, but we'll see how it works out.

I just need to ensure I am safe by winning immunities. By solidifying my partnership with Stacy, with Nate, with Penner, and with Candice. I don't want to be the next Cassandra...but maybe that's what needs to happen. I do have to lay lower until it's needed. It's a crapshoot and I have a 1/8 chance of winning...but a better chance of at least making it to the finals.

I'll add more when I have more. Wish me luck <3

[Jessica]

One week left of this game. It's become such a big part of my life it is going to be hard to not have this ongoing competition distracting me from homework and real-life responsibilities.

I'm in the Final 8. I have such a good chance of winning this game. All I need to do is make it to the end and I know I can win this. I don't even care who I go with at this point! I just need to go with people who will take me if something happens. Stacy is one. She is the only one. She is my rock and I will use her to make sure I am the eventual winner.

If I'm thinking logically, I think I should be solid for the next two or three councils. We still have 3 Svinoy members left; they are a concrete trio whether they say so or not. If we choose to let them stay they will find a way to defeat the rest of us. If we let one remain, they could potentially have 4/9 votes going into the finals. I'm not sure whether any of my alliances or allies would consider keeping me around or if they'll toss me aside like another Cass or Cici. They have enough to do it! They could fool me into voting out Liliana, while planning to vote on me. It doesn't matter how Svinoy votes since it'll be 4vMe. It could work since they would still have the majority necessary to take out the rest of Svinoy before final 4...

That being said, I don't think I'm in the same league as either of those girls. I may be a strong competitor, but I know Stacy trusts me more than Nate and wouldn't so easily turn on me. Candice, Nate, Penner...they could choose to do so. It's really about priorities and trust at this point. Who could you beat and who will take you?

I wish JP or Anthony or Mookie were here. They were people I could trust...they were solid allies. If they were here instead of Svinoy, I'd be set. But JP and Anthony were taken out by Lil, Rocky, Flicka, and Steph. Mookie was taken out by Cass, Candice, and Penner. I have the chance to beat all of them. Everything that's happened in this game, every sacrifice and every alliances, it'll all be worth the ending.

[Jessica]

I'm sure some people won't find the final stretch of this competition too interesting. It might seem predictable, since the strongest players will dominate and win this game. Tonight the target if Liliana, and against her we have the votes of myself, Stacy, Penner, Nate, and Candice.

The plan as of right now is to take down Liliana, then Rocky, then Rebecca. Then I will coast to the end with any of the remaining five. Maybe I could be blindsided, but Candice needs me until F4 because she's the biggest player after me.

I feel very confident about my position and my ability to get to the end of this game. Maybe this is a sense of impending failure, but I will look forward with confidence. I have made it so far, I've helped get rid of the biggest threats in this game, I have survived being in the minority, and I have proved myself to be competent.

There's still plenty of game to play, and I could leave tonight if I show this cockiness or confidence to everyone. The goal is to remain quietly confident and just fight to the end. I feel as though I am a shoe-in for F3.

I also want to note how proud of my abilities I am. I started in Isolated 1.0 and was evicted third because of my failure to play socially or strategically. This time I came in with some base knowledge of the game and some lessons from my previous experience. I was social, I was strong, I have persevered. I have not been the best player to ever be in Stranded, I am not the best player of this season, I am not the paragon of excellence but I have improved immensely. I've already won in my opinion, and I know that this won't be the end of my ORG experience inside or outside of Stranded. I've had so much fun that I need to play more. I need to get better. I need to win.

[Brenda Lowe]

You are looking fine in that avatar.

[Jessica]

You are looking fine in that avatar.

I'm feeling pretty fine. I initially thought playing as Jessica, the first person taken out of Survivor: Fiji, would be an omen for my game...but in all honesty it is probably a gift. My avatar has no character, no initial reaction that makes you trust or distrust them. You see someone playing Russell and you automatically feel as though they are Russell. You see a Yau Man and think of him as a powerful player with too much skill to keep around, even if it turns out he was one of the worst!

I'm hoping that by being Jessica, I can win for the real Jessica. The one that showed the world that trying hard and being a fighter...doesn't really matter if you suck either way.