Day 30 - Final Tribal Council

[Jeff Probst]

Kristina, you satisfied?

[Sophie]

Kristina, you satisfied?

Based on the sounds coming from her room, I'd say she definitely was last night.

[Mike]

Kristina, you satisfied?

Based on the sounds coming from her room, I'd say she definitely was last night.

[Kristina]

thank you for your answers. again, not saying i feel those things, just giving you all a head's up, that's the shit you're all going up against. i know where i'm going now for sure though. thanks all of you, you played great games.

jeff, i'm satisfied.

[Kristina]

Kristina, you satisfied?

Based on the sounds coming from her room, I'd say she definitely was last night.

[Kristina]

i'm going to hand this over to jeff, who's going to hand this over to ashley.

good luck fuckers...

[Ashley]

i'm going to hand this over to jeff, who's going to hand this over to ashley.

good luck fuckers...

[Jeff Probst]

Alright, and we're coming to a close with our questioning, but I've saved the best for last.

Start us off with the beginning of the end, Ashley!

[Ashley]

Okay seriously, it's time for this shit to get interesting.

Firstly - check me out. See how well I clean up after nice shower and some quality time away from all you bitches?

I just want to get this out of the way: This speech is just me airing out my feeling towards all of you - what really matters is how you answer my questions. Whatever you read in my speech is how I was feeling when I was cut, and is taken directly from my confessionals. I want you all to get a sense of what it's like to just miss out on the FTC, and understand my perspective going into this evening.

The Moment I realised my game was over:

i don't want to do this anymore. it's been 10 hours and Steph's managing to post faster than my browser will even refresh. I'm so fucking pissed off that after all this, and the shit of the last week i've had to put up with, I get taken out by this.

Don't give up gurl, this is a 24 hour challenge and there may be times she's not online.

that is not going to happen and we both know that.
I don't want to do a 24 hour challenge when two fucking goat assholes just sit there waiting to get taken to Final 3.

Even if I did manage to win this I'd take Stephanie with me, threat or no. She's putting in the hard yards at least.

I don't want to do this anymore.

Here's what I wrote post-elmination:

But I continued in that challenge for TEN HOURS before having an emotional breakdown and withdrew. I couldn't handle it anymore. I'd had such a rough time in real life this last week (the main reason I was traveling was because of a major death in the family) and knowing I was getting taken out because of a shitty internet connection was crushing me - as soon as I hit 7000 posts and saw Stephanie was already at 8600 I actually started crying. I PMd Jeff and Stephanie telling them I quit and I couldn't deal with the stress of it anymore.

We all knew what was coming:

Ashley Speaks The Truth

I wish it were me sitting up there in front of the jury - I know everyone wishes that, but I was so close and I think I probably would have won the whole thing if I had. Part of me wants to just scream at people about it - I'm so frustrated with 4th place, especially since I'm sitting here because of Whitney's no-show. It's just the worst thing ever. I feel like I played this game better than all 3 of you up there, so it makes this vote a really tough one. Maaaaaybe Steph did great with her end-game domination though. Call that big-headed, but I genuinely feel that way.

MIKE:

Mike, we spoke a little bit about F4 after everything was said and done, but I don't think you realise the impact you had on me at the time. I have been just seething with anger at you for days over the whole situation and to you, in my final words, I had this to say:

From what I saw, your game was fucking boring. Everyone can talk about how cool you were pre-merge, but your tribe never lost a challenge, so all of that 'game' is literally worth shit. To be honest, that goes for all of you. Nothing pre-merge is even important with you because none of you ever had to go to tribal council.

Secondly, you never spoke to me till you realised I was the fucking HBIC well into merge. Too late, doofus. You never made any notable moves other than going to rocks for David, but we both know that had nothing to do with David, and everything to do with keeping numbers and not looking like the bitch who wouldn't go to rocks. You tried to flip once, but I shut that shit the fuck down. You did well in some challenges - great. You survived rocks twice (like nobody else), but that's where your merit ends.

Then you get to F4 and throw it in my face that I have to fight to survive because Whitney screwed up our alliance. Not fucking cool.

STEPHANIE:

Stephanie, this is how I feel towards your thrashing me in that challenge:

I don't know anything about you before Kristina's elimination and to be honest - that hurts you for me. For all I know, you did nothing and then skated by on your idol finds and pulled it out at the last challenge. Is finding idols worthy of winning this game? I don't know. And to be honest, nobody at Ponderosa has said shit about you and it's annoying. I want to know what you did in this game other than find idols and win the last challenge. I hear from people that you did fuck all and floated on the Ovambo train to the end, lucky that nobody thought to target you until it was too late. Are you really a threat, or are you just a threat compared to the goat and fuckwad? Are you even that memorable? I dunno. Sometimes at tribals I wanted you to:

along with the rest of your tribe, trying to start shit with Julie every goddamn tribal, acting like you ever gave a shit about her other than the vote she brings. You were the same with David, and it's a shame he didn't get out from under you while he still could.

But what I do know is that you killed that last challenge, nobody can pretend you didn't slog it out for 11 hours, only stopping when I told you TWICE that I had quit almost an hour before you eventually did stop. I respect your honesty with me more than you can know. I don't hold it against you deciding not to take me to F3, even though it's not the decision I would have made personally. You made a strategic decision and I respect that.

DAVID:

And finally, to David:

You might be a fucking goat, but your my favourite fucking goat and ILY. Don't ever think I don't appreciate what you did for me at F4. That was outside-the-game quality human being action right there. There was no benefit to you at all in making the move you did, so know that although I can't say I think you played the best game ever, you are 100% redeemed in my eyes. You are fabulous.

So I won't be shit-talking you tonight. You've dealt with enough of that in the last few tribals and I think you deserve the night off from me.

You know what. Eat a dick, David. You're a fucking goat, and acting like you deserved to be F3 above me OR ANYONE is literally the most RETARDED thing you could have ever said. Fuck Off.

David. The speech you gave was a good one, BUT you talked to me for maybe a total of ten minutes probably more along five so unless if you awnser my question and the others perfectly you should just sit down and shut up

PREACH, BROTHER.

QUESTIONS

To The Group - Tell me something specific about your game that makes you believe you deserve to be in F3 more than me (or Sophie, tbh). No BS answers about "trying hard". I want to know what you've actually done to deserve it. This is a genuine question and will affect how I vote. Giving a piss-poor answer like "well I made it here and you didn't" will automatically disqualify you. Because:

David - I think you can understand why I don't have any questions for you. But if you want, feel free to answer the Group Question. :)

Mike - What was the content of the last PM you sent to me? Please copy/paste it.

Stephanie - Same question: What was the content of the last PM you sent to me? Please copy/paste it.

Lots of Love,
Ashley

[David]

Okay. Well, I don't even know what to say to that really. Like I said to Kristina, I feel like wherever I went, the power went, and not the other way around. Decisions that I made ultimately caused the jury to be made up of who it is, and allowed me to get to the end. That's all I have to say.

Ashley, I want you to know that our relationship is one that I really appreciated. This isn't some kind of ploy to get your vote or anything, and I can probably explain it better after the game is over, but just know that I really liked being able to talk to you.

[David]

Also, I guess Sophie doesn't want to ask a question?

[Sophie]

Listen whore, I'm going last <3

[Ashley]

Sophie is going last. We swapped last minute.

[Ashley]

It's been 20 minutes. -.-

[Ashley]

btw Thanks David.

[Jeff Probst]

We'll give them until 10:30 and then Sophie just post and theyll have to catch up later.

[Jeff Probst]

Alright Sophierce, take us away and close us out. I can't wait to see what you've prepared.

[Sophie]

You guys need to learn how to type more than 2 words per minute. This is atrocious even for me, and I DEFENDED YOU GUYS in the beginning and wanted you to take your time. But this…is too long.

Posting soon Jeff. Have to swap out a gif.

[Stephanie]

Hi Ashley! <3

Ugh, that challenge was BRUTAL. We both know that, and I'm sure as one of the two people who actually put any effort into it, you can appreciate the desire we both had to make it to the end.

I've talked about this several times tonight, but I was playing the game hard from the beginning, just not in a way that would openly make me a target. I was clearly one of the best challenge performers pre-merge, so I didn't want to be perceived as the one who HAD to be taken out, in the sense like a Grant, or a Kristina, or Sophie/Papa Bear were initially, from our side.

I had working relationships with EVERYONE on our tribe. I always made an effort to touch bases and share our thoughts on the game. Kristina said it herself, she's found out at Ponderosa I had several deals, that she didn't even know about beforehand. So I think I did a great job at disguising them, and not getting outed in a way that it'd hurt my game. I think overall I was the most connected person on Ovambo. It's no coincidence I was voted at the top of the boot list at that challenge at the merge! I was scared after that, that I would be exposed for the game I was playing. Fortunately, it didn't seem to affect me as much. But I don't see how I did "fuck all and floated on the Ovambo train", that makes it sound like I was a tagalong at the bottom. Clearly people did consider me a valuable ally, that's why I was at the top of the boot list.

At Final 9, the plan was to eliminate Whitney and Julie, because they were the "floaters" who people would be tempted to take to the end. I felt that by keeping the likes of Grant, Kristina, you and Sophie around for the long haul, I could then pick my targets easily, without anyone being tempted to vote me out. I wanted to play with the big guns, such as yourself and those other aforementioned players. I wanted to win the hard way, and beat the best.

There was the Final 4 deal with you, me, Grant and Kristina. Which I understand why you broke away from, you wanted to play the game on YOUR terms, and I respect that. But me, Mike, Grant and David also had a Final 4 deal, so I planned to eliminate Whitney/Julie who weren't a part of either alliance, and at Final 7, have me and Grant in the middle of them both. Grant seemed more tempted to work with David/Mike, but I would always have pulled for Kristina. I don't think anyone suspects me/Grant were doing this, until now, or unless he's mentioned it at Ponderosa. So I think it was brilliant gameplay on both of our parts.

Aligning with Grant/Kristina was appealing to me, they would always be targeted before I was, it's that simple. If I played the same outwardly aggressive games that they played, I would've been targeted instead of them, and be on the jury right now. I knew better than to play like they did. You said it yourself to me in one of your last messages, Sophie always knew I was such a huge threat, but you never understood why she felt that way, until it was too late. So overall I think my plan was to hide how big of a threat I was, or at least align myself with bigger threats. I was still apart of lengthy strategic discussions, as Grant/Kristina can attest to. I don't think Mike/David can say the same about their games.

Individual immunity wins and Hidden Immunity Idols are a large part of the game, and I dominated both aspects. You found an idol and won challenges as well, and I personally respected you for that, and would find that a genuine reason to vote for you, had you made it to the end. You know yourself, competing for over TEN HOURS because the game means that much to you, is a legit reason to deserve to win the game. Even if you take that away from me, what do Mike/David have to stand on? Mike was lucky to not draw a rock. Twice. David was lucky Whitney forgot to vote. I relied on such luck far less than them, I ensured my own safety by EARNING my immunity from Final 7 onwards. I single handedly ensured we would have the 3-2 majority at the Final 5, at that Final 6 TC, by essentially EARNING all of us immunity. Clearly I was more "spread" socially throughout the game, having working relationships with everyone so I had options everywhere I turned.

As for Julie, yes, I was pushy with her to get her to side back with us. I admitted this to her, and apologised, and said I respect that she's playing the game for herself and doing what she thinks is best.

Here is the PM I sent to you.

Well you definitely have me curious with that speech! :P I'm wondering what could be in it! It's making me wonder if it's about things that I don't know, I guess it is.

Anyway, I have to be honest, I'm going to be voting for you. I have to stick by Mike/David, the numbers who I've had these last few rounds. I just don't think it benefits me having you in the Final 3 with me over either of them.

Trust me, it does pain me, cause I know how awfully brutal that challenge was. I don't think anyone deserves to leave after that, and it only makes the decision harder.

But I honestly think you're such a good player and speaker that you could easily sweep the votes at the end. You have a really strong case and a lot of friends on the jury rooting for you. Challenges wins, idols found, blindsides orchestrated. If I was on the jury, I'd vote for you to win!

As much as I want to give you the chance at a tiebreak, I have to make the move that's best for my game.

I hope you understand. :/ Sorry.

Good luck with your decision!

[Mike]

You tried to flip once, but I shut that shit the fuck down.

My alliance was well aware I was voting Ralph, if that's the vote you're talking about.

To The Group - Tell me something specific about your game that makes you believe you deserve to be in F3 more than me (or Sophie, tbh). No BS answers about "trying hard". I want to know what you've actually done to deserve it. This is a genuine question and will affect how I vote. Giving a piss-poor answer like "well I made it here and you didn't" will automatically disqualify you.

What have I done?

• I worked past being publicly outed by Jeff as the "most untrustworthy member of the tribe". That's something you never had to face, and it wasn't even due to my own reasons - I was out of town and internet due to work and didn't have the time to talk to people everybody else on my tribe did.
• I worked past getting instantly targeted at the merge, to being a target many times after that and getting voted in many votes, to getting threatened I'd be voted if I didn't flip, to being sent to rocks twice. I was targeted many times, similar to Sophie, except I ultimately outlasted her and the rest of the people on the jury.
• I worked past the fact that the majority of people knew where I stood in the merge, especially in the F8 and past that. I was honest to those who were honest to me.

As for the question directed to me regarding the contents of my last PMs to you, I actually sent three, one during rocks. Here's the first:

I couldn't believe Grant hadn't given me a name for that vote. Like...FOR REAL? What do expect me to do!?

All I knew of you was that you were considered a challenge threat, near the top of Ovambo, and that you'd flipped and voted with Sophie. You were a wildcard, i'll say that much :P

I was surprised by that too but I didn't really question it lol. And you could put it that way :p I'm a bit surprised people thought I was a challenge threat so early, unless you're talking about earlier (forever 2nd place ). Here's some of our PMs you might find amusing. I cut out some just to have space but the gist is there.

I don't know. I think Ashley might've been the no-vote because I didn't tell her who to vote for...

I'm trying to figure her out now. ouch.

CONGRATS though. Are you gay though? I have a poem for you.

Funny you should say that. Papa Bear is annoyed at the vote not going Nama's way and he said he knows our mole, who made an alliance with him and wanted to vote me out tonight. Sounds a lot like Ralph if you ask me. I don't think he knows that Ashley *probably* didn't vote with them, but our mole did, assuming that's the case.

I think we should keep it quiet but I'm pretty certain that Ralph DID vote with them. But let PB think Ashley voted with them so he focuses his rage on the person who DID flip, so we don't have to :P

We need to keep it under wraps though. We need PB to explode at Ralph so we can start making our move on him.

My guess as to what happened:

Nama thought they could outvote us 7:5 (Kristina, Ralph, Ashley, Cochran, Papa Bear, Sophie, Whitney). So Ralph didn't leak the vote was for Cochran since he thought they would outvote and didn't need to use an idol. He's probably messaging Kristina or Julie and asking them to flip with him because of this. However, Kristina/Julie voted with us and Ashley didn't vote which caused us to win the vote 6:5 instead. Thus resulting in Cochran's blindside and his irritation at Papa Bear, since Papa Bear expected me to get voted out tonight.

The fact remains that Ralph almost certainly flipped on us, and he also almost certainly has the idol. He's dangerous and we need to vote him soon. On Nama, either Sophie or Whitney has the idol, probably Sophie. I don't want to reveal this to Kristina just yet but I'll update our 4 on this.

The more I think about this the more it clicks in. Remember how the other mole was saying our mole was talking about being on the outs of the tribe? And assuming Ralph voted me tonight, he must feel he's on the outs of Ovambo in order to flip like that. It's got to be him. I can't see anyone else flipping.

I agree on all accounts, I believe this is what happened as well. Good work, detective Chiesl.

Lool.

Reading over my old PMs is so amusing now. I hope they are still there from pre-merge. Reading over them again he actually definitely is a really great guy. Trust me on it :)

Second:

This too.

Yep, agreed entirely. I bet he flipped and has the idol. In fact I'm like 99.9% sure.

Here's the third, once the vote went to rocks, referring to my PM to you when the numbers were at 4:4 and rocks:

To think I was thinking to abstain from this vote.

My message to you a few votes ago still applies. :/