Post by Stephanie Valencia on May 18, 2013 10:43:36 GMT -5
So this is it. Final three, last Immunity Challenge of the season. My spot in the finals all comes down to this one pivotal challenge. I stayed on the escalator for five straight hours, which I hope is enough to win. Pete thinks he's being clever by signing on to the board invisibly but I wrote down his post count when the challenge started, so I know exactly how many posts he's made since then…and it's a lot. Obviously, there have to have been multiple attempts. (Well, either that or he literally played for fifteen hours straight.) I just hope that his total in each attempt is less than mine. I desperately want to win this challenge, primarily because I don't want to rely on anyone to take me to the finals; I want to get there myself. But winning this final Immunity Challenge will also strengthen my case when I defend my game to the jury. I've won the past two individual Immunity Challenges and to win a third will look extremely impressive. It'll mean not only that I won more individually Immunity Challenges than anyone else this season, but also that I earned my spot in the finals without ever being at risk of being voted off.
Going up against either Pete or Gina in the finals is going to be difficult because I imagine they're seen by the jury as excellent players and fierce competitors. I need to prove to the jury that I didn't make it this far simply by riding coattails. Yes, riding coattails was a part of my strategy, but I worked my butt off. I played a game that involved intelligent positioning. For the first half of the game, I was at Tribal Council almost every single time and I never broke a sweat. In fact, I had a hand in deciding who went home every single time. That was because of the way I positioned myself among the other players. Once we were in the jury phase, the tide began to turn against me, particularly after Rafe's elimination, and I had to re-position myself somehow. It was definitely more difficult this time around and without my three rounds of immunity, I probably wouldn't be where I am right now. But, if anything, those wins show that I have what it takes to protect and guide myself in this game.
Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. I still have to get to the final two before I plead my case. I think I have a very good chance of being taken to the finals, even if I lose this Immunity Challenge. Splitting up Pete and Morgan was essential to boosting my chances. If Pete wins, I think he may actually take me instead of Gina. He should see Gina as a bigger threat and a better player, but there are two things that would prevent him from taking me. On one hand, maybe he and Gina have rekindled their deal and promised to take each other to the end. On the other hand, Pete views me as a jury threat…not that I can even begin to imagine why. (The only votes I'm totally secure about are Rafe and Rob.) If Pete really believes the jury thinks so highly of me, which I really doubt, he'll choose Gina. If Gina wins, I do believe she'll honour our deal and choose me. I just hope I'm not being naïve. Ideally, I just want to win, secure my spot in the finals, and then consider my options. As it stands, I feel like the underdog; no one expects me to win this game. But if given a chance, I know I can convince the jury that I'm worthy and deserving of the win. Maybe my strategy was unconventional and maybe it was a little cold, but it was thoroughly methodical and calculated at every single moment. And it got me this far. I'm only one step away.
Going up against either Pete or Gina in the finals is going to be difficult because I imagine they're seen by the jury as excellent players and fierce competitors. I need to prove to the jury that I didn't make it this far simply by riding coattails. Yes, riding coattails was a part of my strategy, but I worked my butt off. I played a game that involved intelligent positioning. For the first half of the game, I was at Tribal Council almost every single time and I never broke a sweat. In fact, I had a hand in deciding who went home every single time. That was because of the way I positioned myself among the other players. Once we were in the jury phase, the tide began to turn against me, particularly after Rafe's elimination, and I had to re-position myself somehow. It was definitely more difficult this time around and without my three rounds of immunity, I probably wouldn't be where I am right now. But, if anything, those wins show that I have what it takes to protect and guide myself in this game.
Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. I still have to get to the final two before I plead my case. I think I have a very good chance of being taken to the finals, even if I lose this Immunity Challenge. Splitting up Pete and Morgan was essential to boosting my chances. If Pete wins, I think he may actually take me instead of Gina. He should see Gina as a bigger threat and a better player, but there are two things that would prevent him from taking me. On one hand, maybe he and Gina have rekindled their deal and promised to take each other to the end. On the other hand, Pete views me as a jury threat…not that I can even begin to imagine why. (The only votes I'm totally secure about are Rafe and Rob.) If Pete really believes the jury thinks so highly of me, which I really doubt, he'll choose Gina. If Gina wins, I do believe she'll honour our deal and choose me. I just hope I'm not being naïve. Ideally, I just want to win, secure my spot in the finals, and then consider my options. As it stands, I feel like the underdog; no one expects me to win this game. But if given a chance, I know I can convince the jury that I'm worthy and deserving of the win. Maybe my strategy was unconventional and maybe it was a little cold, but it was thoroughly methodical and calculated at every single moment. And it got me this far. I'm only one step away.