Episode 11

Gregg is gone in a landslide. Is the next boot set in stone? Or is it time to make a big move?

Who is the core group that you plan on riding for the next few rounds?

Are you confident that everyone in your inner circle is as loyal to it as you are?

Ok. Even if they aren't in my favor, thanks to Chad and Kim I'm starting to at least get a feel for the dynamics of the group again. Ibe-Gregg-BJ want me out. Mia-Ami-Lisa are tight. Mia and Ami are feeding Chad Old Guatuso stuff, and me/Kim NuChorotega stuff. Kim is with me. Chad is on the outside of Old Guatuso. Mia-Ami-Lisa would like me gone soon, although Ami may be trying to delay my leaving. So I feel more comfortable now than I have all day because at least I'm starting to know where people stand.

And if Chad is making all that up, wowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowow Chad wins.

So you take comfort from knowing that you are on the outside of two set's of three? Or rather now, one trio and one duo? I am not sure I follow why you view that as a good thing.

If all that is correct. What are the next steps for you personally? Give me your planned short-term moves to ensure that even if the numbers aren't 'with' you, that they aren't against you either, and to avoid your ending up under the cosh anytime soon.

Ok. Even if they aren't in my favor, thanks to Chad and Kim I'm starting to at least get a feel for the dynamics of the group again. Ibe-Gregg-BJ want me out. Mia-Ami-Lisa are tight. Mia and Ami are feeding Chad Old Guatuso stuff, and me/Kim NuChorotega stuff. Kim is with me. Chad is on the outside of Old Guatuso. Mia-Ami-Lisa would like me gone soon, although Ami may be trying to delay my leaving. So I feel more comfortable now than I have all day because at least I'm starting to know where people stand.

And if Chad is making all that up, wowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowow Chad wins.

So you take comfort from knowing that you are on the outside of two set's of three? Or rather now, one trio and one duo? I am not sure I follow why you view that as a good thing.

If all that is correct. What are the next steps for you personally? Give me your planned short-term moves to ensure that even if the numbers aren't 'with' you, that they aren't against you either, and to avoid your ending up under the cosh anytime soon.

No, obviously that isn't a good thing. My point was at the beginning of last round I wasn't even sure what the dynamics were anymore. I wasn't positive who was working with who, and who was really telling me the truth or lying to me. If I at least have a grasp of WHAT the dynamics were, then I can work with that and I can get a more general idea of what exactly I need to be trying to be able to ensure my survival.

Not to mention, to answer Helen's question, I only consider two people to be "in my inner circle" (those people are Kim and Chad... never would have thought I would be saying that a week ago, especially with Mia and Bobby Jon both still in the game ), but I trust those two people, especially Chad who has told me so much more than he ever needed to and I can't believe he's putting so much out there for the guy who betrayed almost everyone these past few rounds, but I'm glad that he did and even if I think he'll beat me in the end I don't think I CAN betray him in this game. See people I backstabbed? I do have a heart

For sumsies and I need to go,

Here: a PM Chad sent me:

I think you need to tell Kim. I did chat with her a lot tonight. She trusts you but she thinks you are with the girls. And she was basically saying that her and I should stick together because we are in the same sort of position where we aren't in danger, but we're not controlling anything either. I subtly dropped a hint that I thought there was probably a way to change that.

I think if you lay it all out for her. Tell her I am completely on board and that it's us in the F3. BUT she has to trust us that after BJ goes tomorrow night.... Mia and Ami are the next two. No ifs ands or buts.

The problem is that everyone thinks that you, Mia, and Ami are a power alliance running the show and that needs to be broken up. What they don't see is that the girls are not with you and they want you out and you know that because I told you that. But we need to get BJ out before he pulls any more crazy shit. Then we have me, you, Kim, and Ibe to blindside Mia. And then Ami next. You can tell her that you took me under your wing and were the only person not lying to me and I trust you and we talked about the F3.

And tell her that based on all the stunts BJ and Ibe tried to pull on me, I do not want to work with them at all and I was just playing along. And let her know that you are not with Mia and Ami and that I WILL vote them out next. I just want BJ gone first because I fear his sneak tactics and i'm pissed that he tried to play me so many times. It doesn't really sound like she's too attached to anyone. She PMed me saying she suspected you guys would target BJ so in either case it was good for us - whether BJ or Mia went.

And I will follow up the discussion with her after. I really think we need to tell her before the vote so she's in on it and feels comfortable and we're not blindsiding her because we really all need to be working together. We need three. And Kim seems pretty decent even though I haven't talked to her that much.

And tell her you are on the outs with everyone because you found out the girls were going to try to target you next and clearly BJ/Ibe are against you too.

I don't mean to sound bossy. These are just suggestions and it sounds like I'm throwing orders at you and I'm also really tired. You had said that you thought we needed to tell Kim before the vote tomorrow. And after talking to her and thinking about it... I agree. Unless you change your mind then forget everything I just said.

Oh and this crazy ass plan BJ and Ibe are cooking up to get Mia out tomorrow night is AWESOME. It's so funny to watch. Like after all the crap they pulled on me.... I'm really now going to all of a sudden be their best friend and form an alliance because they need me? What? Ibe has literally REFUSED to speak to me since they booted John. Will not talk to me. Until now.

And a PM I sent Kim afterwards:

Yeah, they're targeting Bobby Jon tonight. And I think we need to go with it. Here's the deal, I believe I can trust you completely so I'm ready for us to come up with a concrete gameplan til the end.

Chad and I are tight. I'm still not completely sure how it happened, but basically I was the only one to tell him the truth about the Chris vote, and in return we agreed to work together. And then he started telling me yesterday that Mia had initially planned on blindsiding me tonight, although Ami convinced her to hold off a round, and based on the fact that Mia has talked to me much less since I booted Chris I believe him. Mia and I were a tight alliance for along time, but now I believe after I blindsided her with the Chris vote she's completely turned on me, and for whatever reason Bobby Jon is hiding things and clearly has as well, so that's why I wanted to lay low yesterday because I knew I needed to reassess things and figured out who I could trust. And the only two people I can trust are you and Chad.

So I'm doing all that I can to convince Mia and Ami that I am with them, but I know they aren't with me, and I never considered myself with Ami anyway since I always had wanted to blindside her first at NuChorotega though (I did honestly trust Mia until a few days ago though, but it's clear that I need to rely on you and Chad now.) So here's what I want to do: vote Bobby Jon tonight, and remove the wildcard who clearly doesn't trust me. And on Sunday, you, me, and Chad pull in Ibe, and we vote off Mia. And then you, Chad, and I could be in a position to just vote one more person off and we would have a majority, especially if we downplayed our relationship at Final 6. I want to officially make a Final 3 deal with both of you, and I hope you believe that because Ami, and Mia ARE going to gun for me soon, they've already considered it, and if it wasn't for Chad I would be blindly following them to the slaughterhouse right now.

Hope Kim can trust me, or at least trust Chad. We need her.

My plan to Chad and Kim:

Or actually, here's a thought: If we really are sure that they're voting for Bobby Jon,why not just vote Mia? If we do that, either one of two things will happen the way that I see it:

a) Mia doesn't play the idol and leaves, which is great since she and Ami are pretty much equal threat wise, only Mia has an idol and is better at challenges based on the recent ones.

or b) Mia idols out Bobby Jon, and we're in a similar position to what we would have been in at Final 7 only now I think Ibe will be a lot more likely to stick with us, and hell, if I play up that I did it to avoid a tie because I don't know what happens in a tie they might actually go to me as the "swing vote" instead of Ibe.

Honestly, if we vote Mia and she plays the idol, we're still in a better spot than if we vote Ami and Mia doesn't play the idol... so I really think we SHOULD keep it to Mia since we pretty much know that they're voting for Bobby Jon and there's no substantial risk for us.

I still kind of want Bobby to go though, and I don't really want to have to face the wrath of Mia... especially since if I'm trying to hide my alliance with Chad and Kim I wouldn't be able to justify my actual reasons for voting the way I might. My actual reasons are that Chad told me Mia and Ami are plotting against me and I totally believe him, but I can't tell her I know that since she'll know where I'm coming from, and I need to play up my perpetual swing vote position so they don't go to Ibe/Bobby John.

So ready to vote one of Bobby Jon and Mia out of here, and hope the plan goes through so either Mia leaves idol in pocket, or Bobby Jon gets idoled out.

What do you make of Mia fronting the idol?