Stranded for Revenge

Cassandra, Sarah and Yul. You three have come as far as you can on your own. The power now shifts from the three of you to the people you had a hand in voting out.

I will now turn over to Andrea. Andrea, you have until Saturday at 11:59pm c/12:59am e to address the final 3 and ask them for as much information as you need to cast your vote. They will then have until 9:00c/10:00e on Sunday to answer anything you have asked.

The floor is yours!

Hey!!

First of all, I love all three y'all and congrats on three fantastic games. So please, for the love of God, do not find an excuse to suck up to me in these questions or think I'm looking for anything that has to do with me or whatever. Y'all are all great and we're totally cool, so...I'm not fishing for anything except nice straightforward answers. Let's get to it!

1. Cass--So I think it's pretty obvious that if you hadn't had immunity tonight you would have been voted out. So congrats on that, first of all! But I'm really wondering if taking out Ozzy, and I guess to an extent me and Rudy, was the best call. Because I think you could have beaten any of us handily in the final 3 ANYWAY...AND Ozzy, at least, would have been a bigger target than you at final 4. So I'm wondering...did you just have more confidence in your ability to win challenges than to perform at FTC? I mean, you made it here, and that's fantastic, but I think by eliminating all the obvious threats--no offense to Yul and Sarah, I'm talking flash here more than substance necessarily--you put yourself in a vulnerable position that might not have been strategically your best call. So...convince me that this boot order was strategically your best call, and that relying on this final immunity win was really your best option. Because honestly...you could have finished this a lot stronger, and I would have respected your endgame a lot more if you'd come to the end with threats, and I would have voted the shit out of you. Now I'm not as sure, because it seems both like you took the easy way out, AND that you put yourself in a risky position where you had to win immunity because you were scared of the threats. So convince me otherwise? great


(Also just for a fun fact: it was me who voted against you in that first council, not Garrett! Was trying to win points with Lil since I knew she'd be coming back for revenge. So we're square :P)

2. Yul--I want you, even if you don't believe it in your heart, to tell me one thing that you did that NOBODY else in this game did, or at least one thing that you did better than EVERY SINGLE OTHER PERSON in this game. I want you tell it to me like the cocky, arrogant motherfucker I know you aren't. Cosplay as Vytas to me for a minute and tell me one thing you did that was amazing that nobody else did. Make one up if you have to, just REALLY sell it to me.

3. Sarah--coming into this game you were one of the few people I knew and I was really hoping we'd get to work together. And I understand that you were in a rough position throughout this game and that that was really demoralizing for you, and I love your speech about how you had to learn to rely on yourself as all your friends got booted. I can't imagine how hard that must have been, so serious kudos. But...the truth is, from the minute we were together in this game, it was rough talking to you. I felt like a lot of our conversations had a really negative energy to them, where you would be coming to me telling me that so-and-so was being aggressive towards you, or telling me how upset you were about Loaded Questions. I mean, you complained to me about the way Rudy was talking to me when you knew we were voting him out in an hour! Who cares how he's talking to you? And what did you expect me to do about it?

It made it difficult to work with you because it felt really energy-sapping to try to work around all that negativity. So I'm wondering if you can tell me strategically how the way you communicated with people in this game helped you get to where you are...or, if you want to just straight-up say that it didn't, how you would go back and change things if you could. Also, Look What You Made Me Do is amazing.

Sorry if any of these came across as harsh--I really do adore the shit out of all three of you, and again, HUGE congratulations on making it here.

(Cass, idk where that hanging "great" came from at the end of your question, sorry about that, lol.)

3. Sarah--coming into this game you were one of the few people I knew and I was really hoping we'd get to work together. And I understand that you were in a rough position throughout this game and that that was really demoralizing for you, and I love your speech about how you had to learn to rely on yourself as all your friends got booted. I can't imagine how hard that must have been, so serious kudos. But...the truth is, from the minute we were together in this game, it was rough talking to you. I felt like a lot of our conversations had a really negative energy to them, where you would be coming to me telling me that so-and-so was being aggressive towards you, or telling me how upset you were about Loaded Questions. I mean, you complained to me about the way Rudy was talking to me when you knew we were voting him out in an hour! Who cares how he's talking to you? And what did you expect me to do about it?

It made it difficult to work with you because it felt really energy-sapping to try to work around all that negativity. So I'm wondering if you can tell me strategically how the way you communicated with people in this game helped you get to where you are...or, if you want to just straight-up say that it didn't, how you would go back and change things if you could. Also, Look What You Made Me Do is amazing.

I'm sorry about being negative. I'm someone who vents to my friends. I wasn't trying to get anyone to fix my problems for me or anything like that. I just felt an immense pressure on me and it was a stressful situation that I just wanted to talk about how I was feeling. I like to talk to other people rather than vent to a white wall in my confessional. I'm sorry that I came across as whining because that wasn't my intention at all. Like I said, I was just venting.

Well, it made me look non-threatening, didn't it? It got me voted as insufferable and all those other negative superlatives. I think it helped perpetuate the image that I was universally hated and was never going to win. I don't know what the perception of me is but if people felt I had friends it was certainly dampened by the perception that I am just all around soul suckingly annoying.

I'm not mad about it. But I think I would go back and try to work on that because you're right. That's what this has been about for me so I'd be lying if I said I don't hope to improve on that in the future if I were to be invited back again. That's a huge flaw for me. I'm not a social butterfly, but I still feel proud of myself for making it to this point.

Great answer, thanks!! And congrats again <3

also bonus Cass question after reading your answer to Ozzy because I am confused--did you want me or him to go at F6? this doesn't affect my vote at all, sorry, I'm just confused and curious, lol. don't worry about giving like a diplomatic answer or some shit. will not affect my vote.

Short answer: Yes, I was more confident in my challenge ability against Yul, Sarah, and Rory than I was that I would beat Ozzy. I was certain I wouldn't beat Rudy after he was voted Most Likely to Win, and I believe that sentiment was shared across the board. You, I was a bit more confused by, because I wasn't sure if the jury's negative reactions to you were to be believed or not. That's why I planned to go to F4 with you no matter what. Whether I took you to F3 was completely undecided in my mind, and would have depended on how the three rounds in between played out. I voted with you at F6, but unfortunately that backfired.

In a perfect world, I would have absolutely loved to go to the end with you, Ozzy, and Rudy, all of whom were easily my most reliable allies post-merge (only not listing Yul because here he is with me). The fact is that I saw going to the end with any permutation of Ozzy and Rudy as--maybe not a sure loss, but a much higher chance of one. Maybe I'm wrong, and not going to the end with them is what will sink me, but I saw it as less risky than the alternative. You and Ozzy have both acknowledged that Ozzy would have been a shield to me at F4. And that's true, but he only would have been a shield because he had the highest chance to win. So at F5 I was willing to shed the weight of my shield to increase the speed of my sword, if ya get what I'm saying.

Yeah that makes sense. And I tooootally thought it was Rory who voted wth me at 6 and not you! And I actually think that keeping me a little longer would have been a solid decision for you so I'm happy to have found that out. Thanks so much for your answer, bugephant. Congrats again <3

Andrea wrote:also bonus Cass question after reading your answer to Ozzy because I am confused--did you want me or him to go at F6? this doesn't affect my vote at all, sorry, I'm just confused and curious, lol. don't worry about giving like a diplomatic answer or some shit. will not affect my vote.

I wanted him to go. Ozzy and Yul were wavering between you and Sarah, and I was drawing out that conversation so that I'd have quotes to send you that would convince you to vote Ozzy.

I voted with you, but Rory flipped and told Ozzy before the vote to play an idol if he had one. I didn't say anything about that to you, because I figured Sarah would vote with us, we'd tie, and Rory or Yul would change their vote, and I didn't want you to panic 15 minutes before tribal started. Then Sarah switched her vote last minute and that was that. You were a phenomenal ally, and I would have gone to F4, possibly F3, with you, and I'm sorry that didn't work out.

Andrea wrote:Yeah that makes sense. And I tooootally thought it was Rory who voted wth me at 6 and not you! And I actually think that keeping me a little longer would have been a solid decision for you so I'm happy to have found that out. Thanks so much for your answer, bugephant. Congrats again <3

I told everyone it was Rory at F5 but it was a really shitty lie and I don't think it worked. You'd have to ask Ozzy if I convinced him.

Cassandra wrote:

Andrea wrote:Yeah that makes sense. And I tooootally thought it was Rory who voted wth me at 6 and not you! And I actually think that keeping me a little longer would have been a solid decision for you so I'm happy to have found that out. Thanks so much for your answer, bugephant. Congrats again <3

I told everyone it was Rory at F5 but it was a really shitty lie and I don't think it worked. You'd have to ask Ozzy if I convinced him.

ahhh so that's what your voting confessional was in the Ozzy vote! It's all coming together now. I thought as soon as you brought up Ozzy's name to me after that tribal that you were playing me! But using it to get quotes from him is pretty damn genius. I was looking at them and looking at Ozzy's messages and going "ugh, this really does sound like him..."

And thanks <3 You were a phenomenal ally too. Always loved talking to you and I really hope we stay in touch after this.

(oh and just so you don't have to live in wonder...)

Cassandra wrote:I wasn't sure if the jury's negative reactions to you were to be believed or not.

(we can now say definitively that they were absolutely to be believed, lol.)

All right, Cass, hang on. I've seen your answers to Vytas's questions and we gotta talk.

Whose idea was it to vote for Liliana at the last minute? Who pushed and pushed and PUSHED for that before you would switch? What would have happened if we had stuck to your original plan?

Who stayed online every minute of the goddamn day managing people on the Vytas vote? Who rallied those numbers and put together that five?

You're losing me, girl.

(on the other hand, Sarah, I appreciate you giving me credit for voting myself out. anyone can vote someone ELSE out, but to vote out yourself? c'mon, that was talent. )

Andrea wrote:All right, Cass, hang on. I've seen your answers to Vytas's questions and we gotta talk.

Whose idea was it to vote for Liliana at the last minute? Who pushed and pushed and PUSHED for that before you would switch? What would have happened if we had stuck to your original plan?

Who stayed online every minute of the goddamn day managing people on the Vytas vote? Who rallied those numbers and put together that five?

You're losing me, girl.

I'm glad you brought this up, because Vytas said "no explanations necessary" and I didn't want to include any there.

Let the record show! You were the first one to bring up Lil when I was saying "stick to the plan" on splitting between Mia and Sarah. You messaged the group chat with me and Ozzy before anyone else brought it up. The reason I put 5 for that is the same reason I put 5 for Katie and Vytas. You and I were equal contributors there, and I would've attributed a 5 to your role just as easily.

Right before the Lil boot, I caught Rory in that lie about him "not knowing we were splitting the votes." You were the one that suggested Lil, I was the one that confirmed we had to (despite my initial reluctance). It was an equal collaboration.

You were the one that, given your relationship with Vytas, was able to convince Ozzy, Rudy, and Yul that you would follow through. I was the one that riiiight after the Brenda boot brought up a Vytas blindside to you on IM, and thereafter did--maybe not just as much, but--a very good amount of "trust me, she's with us" on the Ozzy/Rudy/Yul front. I was partners with Ozzy from the beginning. Rudy and Yul were in a trio with Ozzy post-merge, and I was in communication with them from the very first round of the merge. It was an equal collaboration.

And, even though you didn't ask, you were also the first to bring up the Katie boot, when we IMed each other right after the Wigles boot. But again, because of our unique connections, we were able to do damage on both sides with our "hmm yeah I'm hearing Katie, what do you think".

I've been telling Ozzy that we had an amazing strategic partnership, and I may have undersold yours and mine, but we were just as powerful. I'm not budging on it being a 100% equal partnership, so I hope you see that as true as much as I do.

okay. if 5 counts equal partnerships then you're in the clear. i've got my eye on you though! :P and you get points for bringing up katie as well. i was gonna let that one slide.

Yul--I want you, even if you don't believe it in your heart, to tell me one thing that you did that NOBODY else in this game did, or at least one thing that you did better than EVERY SINGLE OTHER PERSON in this game. I want you tell it to me like the cocky, arrogant motherfucker I know you aren't. Cosplay as Vytas to me for a minute and tell me one thing you did that was amazing that nobody else did. Make one up if you have to, just REALLY sell it to me.

I was the nicest motherfucker in this game.

I was nicer then Rory, who owns 30 kittens. I was nicer then Rudy and everybody pretty agrees he's the King. I was nicer then Ozzy and he doesn't know how to be mean. I was nicer then Liliana and she was the most innocent player here. I was nicer then Vytas and even though he doesn't want you to know it, he's a nice fuckin' guy. I was nicer then you, and you made a video for a complete stranger teaching him how to do sign language. That was pretty damn nice.

I'm so nice that I completely ignored your direction to not suck up and I sucked up to everybody anyway. I'm just that nice. I can't help it.

Nice wasn't just who I was in this game. It's how I played.

I had my hands in every majority vote that I attended. I did that not because I made cutthroat moves, but I made some real fuckin' relationships here. You made a comment earlier in this thread about how flash vs substance. I'm gonna steal that. The people who had flash in this game is gone. Catalie wanted to be flashy and she was gone next. Candice was flashy, gone. Katie tried. Brenda. Vytas. Rudy. You. I survived not because I made these bold what-the-fuck moves, but because I was the nice guy that people depended on. Even in the one vote I never should have known about: Rudy's.

By the time Mia left, I legitimately had my hands everywhere. It was around that time that I knew I was going to make it here. That's not me pretending to be Vytas. That cockyness is all Yul. I was in a position of power and no one really knew it.

I might not have been the flashiest player in Stranded history but I had fuckin' substance in spades. Did I mention I was a nice guy?

That was amazing!!! Exactly what I wanted. Fuck yeah you're a nice guy, and you played a hell of a game and I had an amazing time with you. Congrats on all your successes and good luck, babe.

I genuinely want to vote for all of you, which is just like...fuckin' impressive as hell, so seriously, massive kudos. My last season I didn't really want to vote for any of them, lol.

Andrea wrote:okay. if 5 counts equal partnerships then you're in the clear. i've got my eye on you though! :P and you get points for bringing up katie as well. i was gonna let that one slide.

I didn't see Vytas' scale as a bell curve, so in my view there was room for both of us to score 5 on a few of them. I trust you know how much I valued our partnership and our friendship. Like we said before, it was empathic and symbiotic.