u/ExpeditionV

It starts off with everyone against Q and Steph. They target Q. I can understand that. He's on paper much bigger potential threat.

But then. Mike targets Emily. I'm like why? Maybe he doesn't know she's Christians irl friend. Oh no he says in the episode that he knows. Challenge performance? They just voted out Q, that's out of the window already. Why is Stephanie never mentioned as an option when she's the one on the outs?

Next vote it's Christians turn to call shots and what does he do? He blindsides Angelina. Why would you do her over Stephanie who's on the outs? DvG threat is done. Angelina has no one else than Christian. Stephanie has her own allies in the merge. Did Ozzy hate her so much? This one is so puzzling to me, they don't give a reason to why Angelina over Steph.

How did Stephanie survive this tribe?

Since Michele VS Aubry has raised its head again, I went on to rewatch Kaoh rong, arguably a top 10 season of the show.

Pre swap

Beauty: Strongest tribe. The women seemingly in control. Anna stands out a bit as the leader.

Brawn: Worst tribe. Cidney in best position.

Brains: Aubry is a target with Neal, but Debbie gets control of the tribe and saves her.

Swap

Michelle: doesn't go to tribal. Gains important ally in Cidney

Aubry: Brains get lucky with the swap and Anna gets screwed. Later the others force the brains to vote out one of their own. Aubry makes major blunder in crossing out Julias name while still voting out a brain. Julia feels burned and Aubrys reputation as indecisive grows.

Merge

Beauty links up with Brawn. They consider Brawn easier to beat. Aubry is going home, but is saved by Neals evacuation. That gives enough time (praise 39 days) for Cidney to get pissed at Nick. She spearheads a move and flips together with Julia and Michele to the brains. Biggest move of the season and majority alliance is formed between the Women + Joe

Julia plays double agent between the alliances. Aubry and Cidney want to vote her out, but Debbie won't let that happen. Therefore the girls form a plan to vote out Debbie. I think this is a bad move for Aubry betraying her ally and losing the majority inside the majority.

It didn't matter long though, cause Aubry does the leg work of convincing Tai to flip on his allies and join hers. Aubry and Cidney don't let Michele and Julia in on a plan, because of fearing Julia spilling everything. Julia ends up on the bottom, but Michele thanks to her Cidney partnership gets back to majority instantly.

The bottom is voted out and it's now the final 5 where Aubry does have the majority with Tai and Joe VS Cidney and Michele. This is the first time where Michele is not in a good position.

Joe however gets medevaced and Michele wins out to the end, where people respected her social gameplay of getting right back to the majority, turning on Julia and winning challenges when she needed to. Debbie didn't like Aubrys betrayal. Aubrys good move of flipping Tai is ironically never credited to her nor is she trying to claim it. It's just seen as Tai making a bad move.

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I still can't agree with Aubry being robbed. Michele played perfectly fine game being well positioned all the way to final 5 and then winning out as the biggest jury threat.

It's a better winning game than Aubry on 50 who was in terrible position on the bottom all the way from 24 to final 7. Arguably even the whole game through, cause she was still on Jonathans group mercy in which order would they vote the girls out. Michele had agency inside the majority working closely with Cidney and Julia.

I think a lot of the fandom reaction to Aubrys loss is because of the theme of the season where the Brains were the misfits and she was the relatable nerd with fun confessionals. Edit really favoured her.

Let me know your thoughts or any insights you might have!

The anti criticism people have thrown this a lot, that people are upset because their favourites are out. Saying you would've hated All stars. No I wouldn't have. Rob played a masterclass, Jenna took a lot of people out, Rupert's an American sweetheart etc.

This final 5 has empty resumes. It could be blamed on the format this season, but that would be its own post entirely.

Joe: Part of strong alliances and strongly positioned, but we've still not seen any proof that he's been anything but a loyal soldier to other peoples games. Has he ever led a strategic decision?

Rizo: Bottom feeder to every alliance he's been. He hasn't been influential. He can try to claim Charlie if Dee in the jury allows it. Ozzy is very difficult claim for jury cause its a move to not make a move.

Tiffany: Her alliance got cooked very early, so we don't really know what her role was and after that she's been on the bottom.

Aubry: She hasn't even been in an alliance, like very loosely connected to Christians faction. Completely on the bottom as a free agent the whole game with no influence on who's going home ever. Would've been gone long ago if she wasn't so lucky with immunities and twists.

Jonathan: Only one that is deserving winner at the moment. I predicted him to be second this whole season, but now I have him 4th, cause he would be straight up robbed if he made it to FTC and lost. He's had agency on who's going home, he can claim multiple moves. He's been the strategist of his alliance and became the leader after Coach exit. It's not outstanding game, but it's at least a game you can speak off.

It's the remnants of Honour and integrity alliance. The remaining members of the four horseman. Joe, Jonathan and Rizzo.

Edit is not highlighting it, so it's easy to forget, but Rizzo was this whole game with them just as much as with the sub faction of Ozzy and Cirie. He made the final decision when Rizzo decided to not save Ozzy.

Are people not giving them enough credit?

Last day of the group stage. Winner gets to semis with Shogun 2, Warhammer 3 and Rome 1. Thank you for participating!

View Poll

Why did you guys demand them to change all short races (10 minutes) to long races (30 minutes) for everything that's faster than a touring car?

It's a casual multiplayer, with a huge skill differences in a lobby and most are on controller. Driving 30 minutes by yourself mostly, in a race that everyone will forget ever happened and it won't be recorded. Throwing your life away at that point.

GT7 has 10 minute races for GT3, ACC has 10 minute races for GT3. F1 has like 7 minutes races. But the most casual of them all, is at minimum of 20 minutes. I can deal with 20, but 30 is outrageous. And this sub was the one that made it happen.