episode             | I | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7M| 8 | 9 | 10| 11| 12| 13| total
Tai        Go Go D  | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 10| 50
Aubry      Ch Go D  | . | 3 | . | 1 | . | 1 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 46
Michele    Go Ch D  | . | 2 | 1 | . | . | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 36
Cydney     Go Ch D  | . | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 26
Joe        Ch Go D  | 1 | 1 | 2 | . | . | . | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | . | . | 2 | 5 | 19X
Eliminated
Darnell   To        | . | 2 | 2X
Jennifer  To        | . | 2 | 5 | 7X
Liz       Ch        | . | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9X
Caleb     Go        | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | . | 6X
Alecia    To        | . | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12X
Anna      Go Go     | 1 | 3 | . | 1 | . | 3 | 8X
Peter     Ch Go     | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 16X
Neal       Ch Ch D  | . | 3 | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | . | 5 | 11X
Nick       Go Ch D  | 1 | 2 | . | 1 | . | 1 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 21X
Debbie     Ch Ch D  | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 23X
Scot       To Go D  | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | . | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 33X
Julia    Go To/Go D | . | 1 | 1 | . | . | 1 | 3 | . | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 15X
KyleJason  To Ch D  | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | . | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 34X
Joe        Ch Go D  | 1 | 1 | 2 | . | . | . | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | . | . | 2 | 5 | 19X
 

Okay, the confessionals are done....layed out in front of us for us to choose who will end up where! In the last episode, Tai had the biggest flux moving up from 3 to 6. This week, he PEAKS at 10 confessionals. I would say that this a very ominous sign for Tai, who the promo reminds us, is now vulnerable with no advantage or HI in the game anymore. His confessionals start with him pondering what had happened, he thought everyone was on the same page, and then he was blindsided and his extra vote was wasted. He's out of the circle which is the worst thing possible. He's most upset about Aubry, the one he trusted the most. He feels alone, and doesn't know where he will go from here. Then, he's notes that Joe won and took Aubry and Cydney, they are the F3 that they are thinking about. Now, he's stuck with Michele, so the only thing he can do is air it out with her. They started out together, maybe he missed something with her. he feels completely blindsided by Aubry, so if he worked with Michele, Aubry would never see that coming.

Then, Tai has a huge confessional complete with dramatic and sensitive music...Survivor has to be the hardest game I have ever done, not the surviving part, I’ve actually enjoyed all of that, but the idea of trust, and not trusting people. It take a toll on my emotion and it is hands down the hardest thing I have ever done in my life!

With the last confessional, I seriously got a feeling that Tai is our journey player. This was a journey for him trying to figure out who to trust and who he cannot trust, and navigating a game where he can't quite fully trust his heart. What's interesting is the next confessional:

Aubry really poured her heart to me, and say, you know we need each other, and that made me feel really comfortable and relieved of this burden, it really take a toll on my emotion. And, I just break down a little bit. So far, I play the game with my heart so it feels good that Aubry is on my side. And, I have a tender spot for her from the beginning.

Once again, Tai is playing or choosing to play the game with his heart, and I just can't help but think, he'll be blindsided once again?

Next, his final confessional is about Joe going home and he's very, very nervous.

Well, we know that Joe does go home, so where does that leave Tai, the one that plays with his heart and not his brain? Will he be beaten by "the brain"? Food for thought.

Interesting that the two players that are now trying to "woo" Tai, or to use him to better their own games both have a spike up to 8 confessionals. Aubry goes up 5 confessionals. Her story takes us from leaving Tai out of the loop, and she's not sure that she will be able to work with him moving forward, everything is up in the air and she has to explore her other options. Next, her confessionals occur during the reward and are narrative till Joe starts talking about how Aubry is the only threat right now, which makes Aubry feel that Cydney is the threat and that she needs Tai, he's the better option for her.

When she returns to camp she reiterates that Cydney is the biggest threat and she needs to make Tai understand, at the end of the day Joe will be with her. The only way for them to get to F3 is if Tai goes with her and Joe. She has 3 to 2, she's got fingers crossed that Tai will go with her. Then, her confessionals are about Joe, she's worried about him, he's her anchor for this whole game, he needs to be okay! Finally, it's like de-ja-vu all over again, first Neal now Joe. She had a good plan and now everything is ruined, she doesn't know what the heck is going on, anything is possible.

Once again, the up and down story line for Aubry continues. She started in episode one on shaky ground, she was over-heated, dehydrated, and had anxiety. She over came that to win the IC for them. Then, she narrowly escapes boot, because her BFF and closest alliance mate, Neal is medivaced from the game. She hits rock bottom, but she has to forge her way through. Now, she's on another low point in the game, her solid 2nd, is medivaced...deja-vu! Both peaks to Aubry's confessionals were at 8 confessionals, and occurred when her allies, Neal and Joe, are medivaced. I would say that Aubry ending here on a down note, is setting her up to end the game on a high note!

Michele, who was the one that Tai chose to cast his 2 votes on also had 8 confessionals, up from 4 last week. Her confessionals start with narration: Tai put both his votes on me, but Cydney saved me, but I could be next. Next, after the RC, she notes that Joe, Aubry, and Cydney could be F3, and she has to take some risks and try to change the pecking order. Next, she recognizes that you base your relationships with people on the chemistry you have with them, but she recognizes that she and Tai are very different people with different perceptions of the game. Next, after they get together, she muses, who would ever suspect that Tai and I could share a bonding massage and dinner date! Then she notes that she is reluctant to work with Tai, but recognizes that they are on the outs, but it would be so great to work with him because no one on "their" side thinks that she and Tai could ever work anything out. Then, she muses that she and Cydney are tight, and then with she and Tai, they can kind of pick who they want out next, Joe or Aubry...then, she comments about Joe, at F5 that is the last thing you want to see happen, but if Joe goes that would be good for her game! Next, it's narrative with commenting on how it's getting worse and worst for Joe, he's likely masking his pain.

This episode is building for Michele. At the last episode, she could have been blindsided, which makes her feel that she is on the "outs". So, she works with the options she has and gets a plan with Tai. She's pretty much told us her pecking order....she would rather take out Joe and Aubry, and be in the F3 with Cydney and Tai. So, Joe leaving works for her...Michele is in game mode, and is building pathways to the end. I looked at this episode as a positive for Michele.

Cydney moves up from 2 to 4 confessionals. With the end game looming, it is not a good sign to me that Cydney is still having less confessionals. She had the least amount of confessionals out of 5 people. At the reward her first confessional is narrational, about Joe eating and eating. Then, a dynamic one, noting that the 3 there could potentially be the F3, but she is trying to downplay herself as a threat, so she's just nodding, smiling, and going along for the ride, and she'll be happy to win the million when she gets there....million dollar quote?

Next, she talks about that currently she's with Aubry and Joe, but sees Tai and Aubry returning from getting water and her radar is up, she's good at reading things, and she thought Tai was the main person they want to get out, so it didn't sit well, she's suspect. She then talks about Michele, how trustworthy she's been and would rather have her around to strategize with...she wants to keep it under wraps, (from Aubry and Joe), hoping she doesn't screw herself and betters her game. This confessional is preceded by and ends with a picture of a slithering snake. So, this makes me think that Cydney, while giving the impression she's with Aubry/Joe, is really with Michele, and will screw over Aubry (now that we know Joe is already gone).

She told us she's suspect of Aubry going with Tai, the person she thought they were going to vote out next, and then we see her with Michele...I get vibes that Cydney will try and use Michele to get out Aubry. Doubt to Aubry's longevity is created.

Her last confessional was about how Mr Joe reminds her of her grandfather.

Joe was the dog that had his day. Winning reward, over eating, then the physical drama. Jiffy really built him up...he was forcing his choice of player down our throats, if you ask me. Other than persevering through the game as a septagenarian, Joe, for me, didn't add anything to the game. Sorry, Joe. He was a goat that was dragged. His departure at this point casts doubt on Aubry's win.

At high risk: Tai ~ I now see Tai as the journey player in this game, playing with his heart and not his brain lands him at the end, but short of the prize. It would be fitting for the journey player, Tai, who played with his heart, and not with his brain, to lose to the only brain left, Aubry.

At risk: Cydney: Just not enough substance to her game. She was layed back, but couldn't be bossed around, first by the guys, then by everyone else. She was strong and physically threatening as well. Labeled by Aubry has her biggest threat. It would be ironic is there was an F3, and Cydney being there steals votes from Aubry, giving Michele a win!

Safe: If this game ends in a F2, I suspect it will indeed be Aubry and Michele. (if it's a F3 then the 3 girls will be in it, I think at this point...)

I see Aubry as the definitive winner of the season, but if it ends in an F3, it could lead to split votes and perhaps a surprising Michele win. She definitely is gaining momentum toward the end of the season. But, still, I really feel that it's Aubry's game to lose.