Finale: I Shall Be Released

[jamal]

I guess the bright side is that with Aubry and Silas, and maybe even Andrea, presumably not voting for me and not voting for me openly, it may force the others to vote for me as pity/whatever. IDK.

I don't understand how I should have operated differently with her, but I don't think there's any way of changing her mind at this point.

[jamal]

I'm beginning to think that I have zero shot at winning this game, which is a little disappointing because I do believe I played the best. Oh well. I'm going to try to answer my questions as honestly and as upfront as I can.

[jamal]

CLOSING STATEMENT DRAFT #1:

Hosts, thank you, once again, for a well-run and excellent game. Jefra and Phoebe, thank you for being great allies and friends throughout this game. May the best of us win!

Jury, thank you for the conversations that we've had over the past few days. I tried to be as open and honest about the game that I played, and, in the end, it is up to you whether or not you choose to reward it. It is out of my hands at this point, but it won't stop me from arguing my point.

Let me remind you of a few points before we end tonight.

First, let me remind you of my strategy. I was socially active and made many close relationships. Each of those relationships often thought that I had their best interests at heart, and that "we" were doing moves together. At the double tribal boot, Sarah and I decided to get out Locky and Silas, but it was my relationships with Jefra and Phoebe that allowed that vote to happen. It worked so well that Jefra even put it in her opening statement! At the Final 7 boot, Jefra was pushing Sarah hard to Hayden, Phoebe, Aubry, and Andrea. But I put my foot down and she relented and voted Aubry out. At the Final 6 boot, Jefra did win that battle, but it had more to do with Sarah not voting against Andrea than Jefra making some big move. I have zero doubt that Jefra would have switched to Andrea in a tie vote situation. At the Final 5 boot, I was able to leverage my relationship with Jefra to ensure that Andrea would go -- keeping Phoebe in the game one more round when she should have been the presumptive boot. Jefra told me about Hayden's idol, but she did not tell Hayden about mine.

Second, the opening statements. Opening statements are very indicative because they reveal the game that people thought they played, although it may not have been what happened. Let remind me you in that Jefra's opening statement, she discussed how she and I were partners-in-crime, and that her relationship with me was central to her game. Let me remind you in that Phoebe's opening statement, she discussed how she had a great social game and how she was constantly aware of everything going around her.

Neither was aware of the way I played the game. If you follow the questions, both Phoebe and Jefra had to change their tone because of they weren't quite aware of my gameplay. Aubry, Sarah, and Hayden, all, very early on, caught onto how their statements were only helping prove my game and not theirs. So they changed. For example, no longer was Jefra working with me hand-in-hand, but instead I was the guy who "did her dirty work." She claimed to Hayden that her strategy was not a direct collaboration, but to let me do all the strategical stuff then "decide if it's in her wheelhouse of what [she] would like to do." Phoebe rarely mentioned me in any of her questions, instead playing up her connections to Aubry and Andrea, both of which she backstabbed twice to work with me. At one point, Phoebe even claimed to Hayden that she would vote me out at the Final 4 Tribal Council - something that I highly doubt actually happened.

Let me remind you that I was the only person in the game to make a successful immunity idol play. Let me remind you that, out of the three here, I was the one who was by far the most visible -- largely because the other two were deemed irrelevant by many of you sitting on the jury. Let me remind you that I - not Jefra, not Phoebe - stood at the center of the votes, and while they helped get themselves here, it was my nearly always my path they were taking, not theirs.

This game has been full of drama, backstabbing, and blindsides. Many of you played a direct role - you participated in blindsides and backstabbings, or you were presumably backstabbed my one of us sitting here. At times, we each showed the best and worst of our personalities. When you choose to vote for a winner, you are choosing who you want to represent this season.

That's why I'm asking you to choose me. I did my fair share of manipulation, backstabbing and blindsiding, and I did participate in drama. I sometimes showed the worst of my personality, and many of you saw the best side of it as well. I was always active throughout the whole game, devoting my entire energy to thinking, planning, and strategizing to get ahead. I think I make for the best representative of this season - flaws and all.

If you disagree, I encourage you to place your votes on Jefra and Phoebe. I am proud and I own the way I played this game, and I've owned it ever since the Opening Statements.

Jamal.

[jamal]

Hosts, thank you, once again, for a well-run and excellent game. Jefra and Phoebe, thank you for being great allies and friends throughout this game. May the best of us win!

Jury, thank you for the conversations that we've had over the past few days. I tried to be as open and honest about the game that I played, and, in the end, it is up to you whether or not you choose to reward it. It is out of my hands at this point, but it won't stop me from arguing my point.

Let me remind you of a few points before we end tonight.

First, let me remind you of my strategy. I was socially active and made many close relationships. Each of those relationships often thought that I had their best interests at heart, and that "we" were doing moves together. At the double tribal boot, Sarah and I decided to get out Locky and Silas, but it was my relationships with Jefra and Phoebe that allowed that vote to happen. It worked so well that Jefra even put it in her opening statement! At the Final 7 boot, Jefra was pushing Sarah hard to Hayden, Phoebe, Aubry, and Andrea. But I put my foot down and she relented and voted Aubry out. At the Final 6 boot, Jefra did win that battle, but it had more to do with Sarah not voting against Andrea than Jefra making some big move. I have zero doubt that Jefra would have switched to Andrea in a tie vote situation. At the Final 5 boot, I was able to leverage my relationship with Jefra to ensure that Andrea would go -- keeping Phoebe in the game one more round when she should have been the presumptive boot. Jefra told me about Hayden's idol, but she did not tell Hayden about mine.

Let me remind you that I was the only person in the game to make a successful immunity idol play. Let me remind you that, out of the three here, I was the one who was by far the most visible. Let me remind you that I - not Jefra, not Phoebe - stood at the center of the votes, and while they helped get themselves here, it was my nearly always my path they were taking, not theirs.

Let me remind you of both Phoebe's and Jefra's opening statements. Phoebe claimed she was always social aware and Jefra claimed that I was her ride and die. It's clear by now that neither was aware of the true game that I played, despite the historical revisionism they've made in their various answers.

This game has been full of drama, backstabbing, and blindsides. Many of you played a direct role - you participated in blindsides and backstabbings, or you were presumably backstabbed my one of us sitting here. At times, we each showed the best and worst of our personalities. When you choose to vote for a winner, you are choosing who you want to represent this season.

That's why I'm asking you to choose me. I did my fair share of manipulation, backstabbing and blindsiding, and I did participate in drama. I sometimes showed the worst of my personality, and many of you saw the best side of it as well. I was always active throughout the whole game, devoting my entire energy to thinking, planning, and strategizing to get ahead. I think I make for the best representative of this season - flaws and all.

If you disagree, I encourage you to place your votes on Jefra and Phoebe. I am proud and I own the way I played this game, and I've owned it ever since the Opening Statements.

Jamal.