Episode 06 - The Merge!

[Jeff Probst]

Welcome to the merge. Are you excited to be apart of this stage of the game? How will your game shift now as we enter the individual portion? Are you willing to make moves necessary to impress a jury should you make the finals?

What players on the other tribe are you excited to get to know or are you just looking forward to taking them out? Is there an advantage in using the players of the other tribe before your other tribemates?

What do you think of the moles, are there any still in the game and if so who do you think they are?

[David]

The merge is amazing, but the game gets ten times harder. I think the most crucial part of the game is to have your timing right. You have to make moves against one person before they make moves against you. I think my game will shift because I will seriously consider every route for myself. Before, I was concerned about the alliance as a whole, but now it's every man for himself; however, I can't just viciously blindside every person in the game, which sucks. I don't know what the history of juries are for Stranded, I'm not sure if the juries on here vote for the best player or their favorite person. So all I have to go off of is the actual show and people normally vote for the person they like the most, which is understandable. It is, however, possible to be the backstabber and still win. I hope I can take that role.

I'm excited just to get to know some other people! I already know a little bit about the dynamics of the other tribe, but I want to know more. I'm running numbers in my head, and it may definitely be a benefit to flip at some point. I would just need to make sure that I had another person on board. Papa Bear would be the ultimate jury goat because from what I can tell, nobody likes him. We'll see, I just want to have as many options as possible.

As for the moles, both are definitely still here. I'm still pretty certain that Whitney was the mole on Nama, and Ralph was the Ovambo. I guessed that after the first immunity challenge and it hasn't changed. When Grant said that Whitney was probably ranked number one, it just all made too much sense for me to have any more doubt about it. The jury is technically still out on Ralph, but he has just been so sketchy this entire game. I would hope that is because he is the mole, and not because he is planning something diabolical, but to be honest, he couldn't pull something like that off! lol. To be fair, no one could without the rest of the alliance finding out. We'll see what happens this next vote, I may flip or I may not, just have to think.

[Mia]

I don't know what the history of juries are for Stranded, I'm not sure if the juries on here vote for the best player or their favorite person. So all I have to go off of is the actual show and people normally vote for the person they like the most, which is understandable. It is, however, possible to be the backstabber and still win. I hope I can take that role.

Every jury is different. It all depends on how well you manage them!

Anyways, do you mind filling me in on EXACTLY who you trust/don't trust, and your take on alliances? Maybe a little blurb on every player and what you think of them at this point? It will help me catch up with what's gone on and it will make for some juicy reading post-game to see where your head was at during this crucial point in the game!

[David]

Sure thing!

Grant - I still consider him my closest ally out here, but I just feel some sort of disconnect between him and I. I just have a gut feeling that he knows something I don't. Each day I trust him less and less, and I'm not sure why, which is the frustrating part!

Mike - Mike is on the bottom of the Ovambo alliance, but hopefully it's not that way for long. I really like Mike and have felt sooooo awful about lying to him this entire game. I feel like I've been his go-to guy, and in return, I've basically kept him out of the loop. Although, if Ovambo had lost that last challenge, he would have been safe thanks to Grant and I.

Stephanie - She's a beast. A really good all around player and someone that I need to keep around for a bit. After the first few merge votes, people will begin to think about jury threats. Stephanie is like the epitome of a jury threat. Keeping around a person who will get voted out before you is always beneficial. I do trust her, but to an extent. She is very smart and could be making all sorts of deals I don't know about.

Kristina - I like her, but I don't trust her really. Like Stephanie, she is very smart and has a lot of good ideas, but she doesn't have the physical game that Stephanie has. I don't really know what to say about her, but I am threatened by her. She is like a more outspoken version of myself.

Julie - Not a threat whatsoever. I mean, anything could happen, but I just can't see her winning. I trust her because she's in my alliance, but that's it. I have no special ties to her...

Ralph - Who?? Seriously, this guy is gone more often than not. He is the mole. I would honestly bet my life on it. If he's not, then he's really good at making people think he is. Anyways, I don't trust him, too sketchy for my tastes.

Papa Bear - His first words to me were 'YOU SUCK' so I'm clearly a big fan of the guy.... He is trying so hard to get someone to flip that its nauseating. I can't blame him, but he seriously needs to calm down.

Sophie - Her and Papa Bear seriously have a good cop, bad cop thing going on. She is soo nice and definitely someone I want to get to know more. If anyone can make me flip, its her, so I'm being cautious.

Whitney - From what I've heard, she's nice. I've never spoken to her, but I know she's the mole and has an idol. I may use that to my advantage. We'll see. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve :)

Cochran - Is this kid still in the game?

[Jeff Probst]

You keep referring to all of Ovambo as an alliance and yourself within it. Are you starting to play this game more for yourself? You said you are beginning to warm up to Sophie and some members of Nama. Are you planning on trying to ride Ovambo all the way to the finals?

Also, you neglected Ashley in that ranking.

Are you concerned with any of the friendship Grant might have made during his time on Nama and is it something that he might use to his advantage, and his alone, in the future?

[David]

Ashley - Seems friendly and I trust her basically because Grant told me I should. I do want to get to know her more though.

Am I playing the game more for myself? I don't know.. I'd like to think that I am, but it is questionable. What I want is to get to the end. That is all I want to do. It doesn't matter as much to me who I get there with, I just want to get there. No one has promised that to me and it concerns me. I mean, it is still early in the merge, so people might not be thinking so far ahead, but I just want to know that if I stick with Ovambo that it will pay off for me.

I think everyone on Nama is pretty angry with Grant. So I don't think I have to worry about him flipping. The only relationship I would be concerned about is his tie to Ashley.

So many things are running through my head, and I'm still kind of sad about Alexis' vote off. I don't know, I just don't know if I can win either way. We'll see.

[Mia]

lol Alexis was lame, Morgan fo lyfe

[David]

Don't you dare call Alexis lame! She was my last hope for at least one of my final 3 predictions of J'Tia, Brice, or her to come true!

Morgan is cool too though.

[Mia]

Don't you dare call Alexis lame! She was my last hope for at least one of my final 3 predictions of J'Tia, Brice, or her to come true!

Morgan is cool too though.

[Mia]

What I want is to get to the end. That is all I want to do. It doesn't matter as much to me who I get there with, I just want to get there.

Is it better to play just to get to the end and lose, or to play hard, maybe not make it to the end, but have a better shot at the win if you make it there? Something to think about.

What's the plan for tonight?

Also, you seem to have a little bit of distrust of your original Ovambo alliance members. How do you see that playing out?

[David]

I don't know what to do. I think the biggest problem is that I'm so afraid that I could be making the dumbest choice ever either way I go. If I were to jump ship, it would be because I'm not comfortable with my position in the tribe. But what if I'm just underestimating myself? What if I'm actually in a really good position right now? My game would be ruined. If I were to just stick with Ovambo for every vote, I would have to get to the end. I don't want to be remembered as a goat who just did what I was told. It's so confusing!! I guess I just want an easy path to the finals, and I guess that's not gonna happen!

The plan for tonight is to vote out Cochran. We deemed him as the least likely to get an idol, and him being gone would completely neutralize The rest of the Nama's.

Typing that sentence made me kinda realize what is best for me. I'm gonna try and shake things up a bit. I don't want idols in this game, they are a huge threat to me, so I'm gonna try something! If I can get both idols played tonight, everything will work out perfectly. :) wish me luck!

[David]

Sorry for leaving you hanging, just wanted to have some time to think before I made a confessional. So, I messaged Grant basically telling him that Nama were playing an idol on Cochran. This, of course, was a lie. My hope is that this scares him in to telling Ovambo this, and that the person with the idol plays it on Mike or whoever. This would be best because we have both idols gone and an original Nama will be gone as well. If this works it puts me in a really great position because I have no worry about an extra idols floating around. There might be a new one introduced at some point, but right now, I need them gone.