Épisode Seize: Fighting On, Seul

[Hercule Poirot]

M. Briscoe was my rock in zis game. 'E was ze ally I could always count on and who I knew would always be targeted before me. Now zat 'e ees gone, I 'ave to entirely recalibrate my endgame plans.

I do think zat provided zat zey lose ze next two challenges and 'ave no idols or other items, Mlle Garcia and Mlle Hopps will be ze next two boots. If zat 'appens, I'm probably getting fourth. If Mlle Hopps/Mlle Garcia wins at final five, zen I can 'opefully survive five, although zat could cause me to get fifth, and zen maybe I 'ave a more stable path to ze end, though if zey won again at four zat would potentially be trouble.

I think I do 'ave a case against almost any of zese people. I don't 'ave eet in ze bag by any means, especially after zese last two rounds, but I will 'ave M. Peralta and M. Briscoe in my corner, and I think some other votes are gettable for me. Mlle Garcia I think would potentially vote for me, as would Mlle Hopps. M. Grouch maybe ees a vote I could get, though per'aps not over M. Morningstar. But I do think I win against M. Morningstar and M. Kennedy.

My best bet other zan winning my way zere myself might be M. Morningstar winning ze final four challenge and cutting M. Cohle. I think eet would be in 'is best interest to do so.

[Hercule Poirot]

Also yay to me for being ze last one in ze game without votes! Zis ees I believe ze fourth or fifth time I 'ave accomplished zat, and eet ees always a good feeling.

Final six 'as 'istorically been a dangerous vote for me, but I'm feeling cautiously optimistic 'ere. Zey definitely could vote me out, but I don't really think zey will? But one can never be certain when numbers are zis low. I will say zat I think voting me out ees a mistake for most people, maybe not for Mlle Garcia/Mlle Hopps but I still think zey would be better off taking out M. Morningstar or M. Cohle just for zeir challenge ability if anyone. Or even each other honestly, but I'm not sure if zey will want to do zat.

[Hercule Poirot]

Thinking Jury votes, not so much for me because I don't think I will 'ave much control over who I end up with, but more to know what arguments to make.

M. Pikachu- M. Cohle > M. Morningstar > me. I really don't know 'im, so eet ees 'ard to see 'im voting for me.
M. McGruff- M. Cohle > M. Kennedy > M. Morningstar > me. I think 'e actively dislikes me, but I see 'im voting for M. Cohle, but maybe M. Kennedy. I may argue zat 'e ees a vote for M. Kennedy if I 'ave to.
M. Grouch- M. Morningstar > M. Cohle > me. I think zis vote ees in play for me, but I think eet probably goes to M. Morningstar just because 'e did not betray. I really need to justify my vote for 'im. But I definitely can argue zis ees a vote I am not getting.
M. Peralta- Me > M. Cohle > M. Kennedy. I don't even think I can argue zis one, I think M. Peralta would probably vote me. I 'ave no idea what else 'e would vote for. Maybe I can argue M. Kennedy? But given 'ow M. Kennedy flipped on 'im, I doubt eet.
M. Briscoe- 100% me. 'E even confirmed to zat 'e would.
Mlle Garcia- Hard to say, but I think I can argue M. Cohle > M. Morningstar > me. I think zis ees a vote I 'ave an excellent chance at though.
Mlle Hopps- Me > M. Morningstar > M. Cohle I think? But I don't know.
M. Kennedy- If I take 'im out, I think 'e might not vote me and vote M. Morningstar > M. Cohle > me. I can argue zat anyway.
M. Cohle- Me > M. Morningstar > M. Kennedy
M. Morningstar- Me > M. Cohle > M. Kennedy

Basically I need M. Morningstar to feel better about 'is chances against me zan against M. Cohle, which maybe ees ze case. If I can get 'im to think zat, zen I 'ave an excellent chance.

[Hercule Poirot]

I'm not including Mlle Hopps and Mlle Garcia because zey need to win zeir way to ze end in order to win I believe. If zey do win zere, zen zat becomes a potential weakness. If zey don't and people take zem, zen good luck beating zem.

[Hercule Poirot]

M. Morningstar just said zat 'e "'opes zis decision does not 'aunt us" and I told 'im zat eet was definitely not going to 'aunt me, because I did not approve of eet! Something can't 'aunt you if you did everything you could to prevent eet. Eet only 'aunts you if you are a weak player like M. Cohle who refuses to actually push for what 'e most wants to 'ave 'appen.

[Hercule Poirot]

In a way, zis puts me in an interesting situation I didn't totally anticipate being in. We actually 'ave a choice to make. We get to pick our poison.

I think Mlle Hopps ees ze better endgame person for me, if I'm honest. I know zat Mlle Garcia on paper might seem better, since Mlle Hopps and I 'ave been associated for so long, but I actually think she would take me to ze end, and 'er game ees not as good as everyone thinks. Like I know zis. I don't necessarily expect ze Jury to see eet, and I don't want to come across as petty or delusional so I'm not sure 'ow strongly I can pitch eet, but 'er game 'as not been as strong as people say.

Mlle Garcia might take me to ze end too though. She says zat she would, but do I trust zat? I'm not sure. She I know really respects my game, so I do think I 'ave a chance at 'er vote, but I probably 'ave a chance at Mlle Hopps' too, especially if I don't turn on 'er 'ere.

I almost wish M. Morningstar 'ad not won Immunity so zat zis choice would be easier.

[Hercule Poirot]

Mlle Garcia I think should be ze boot, but I just straight up asked 'er who she thought she would vote for next round, so we will see what she says or if she offers me anything.

Really I don't know who ees a bigger challenge threat between Mlle Garcia and Mlle Hopps, but Mlle Garcia ees clearly not going to vote for M. Cohle or M. Morningstar next round if she wins Immunity, so I'd be counting on M. Cohle and M. Morningstar choosing to target M. Kennedy instead of me zere, which zey might do. Eet ees not impossible.

[Hercule Poirot]

I am 'aving doubts about zis, because deep down, I think Mlle Hopps might be ze strongest challenge competitor 'ere. But I 'ave made decisions based on what I think ees going to 'appen with challenges before, and zey 'ave backfired on me. You can't try to anticipate eet too much.

Mlle Garcia ees clearly good at challenges too, but she mentioned zat our joint win was only 'er second individual win overall, and Mlle Hopps revealed to me (for really no reason) zat she 'ad been throwing, including ze challenge zat she won with ze cars.

I do think zat M. Kennedy will get 5th if Mlle Garcia wins Immunity. I believe zat with all of my 'eart. I think eet probably 'appens with Mlle Hopps too, but eet ees less certain, because eet would depend on M. Morningstar, and M. Morningstar could say zat 'e prefers to go to ze end with M. Kennedy and doesn't care if 'e ees weaker in challenges.

Mlle Hopps at ze final four I think would still take me to ze end. I think when she says F2, eet means something. And if I vote out Mlle Hopps, zat ees a bit more of a betrayal zan voting out Mlle Garcia. Would she forgive me for eet and cast 'er Jury vote for me? I'm confident zat Mlle Garcia definitely would still vote for me to win if I voted 'er out 'ere, or at least zat my odds of earning 'er vote wouldn't be drastically affected.

Zere are so many considerations on every level, and in ze end, I don't know zat zere ees a correct choice. I can see eet going both ways. Maintenant I am just leaning towards getting rid of Mlle Garcia, but Mlle Hopps' confidence in 'er ability and claim zat she was throwing challenges are really shaking me. Eet was such a mistake of 'er to tell me zat. She ees not zat good of a player. Why shouldn't I beat 'er in ze end? I really don't think she ees zat good of a player, not matter what zis constructed narrative says about 'er and me.

[Hercule Poirot]

M. Kennedy 'as flipped again because of course 'e 'as. So as of now, Mlle Hopps ees going.

If I get 4th or 5th, I may regret eet, but honestly, I do think Mlle Garcia ees easier to beat in challenges so zis may well be ze correct choice. I'll be glad to wash my 'ands of eet.

I'm doing my best to set up a M. Kennedy boot next round in case ze worst 'appens, because I know zat M. Kennedy will immediately give up on saving me if Mlle Garcia wins. If I could zat off, eet will be my best move of ze game. Or if Mlle Garcia loses and goes 'ome, eet will also be a fantastique.

M. Cohle also sees M. Kennedy winning ze votes of M. Briscoe, M. Peralta, and M. McGruff, so zat ees good. Eet makes 'im a worse endgame person for 'im to take.

I think I probably get 4th, but I'm going to try to avoid eet. And zen even if I do get zere, who knows if I can manage ze win, but I will do my best.

[Hercule Poirot]

I know zat I'm increasing my odds of getting fourth by sending 'ome Mlle Hopps 'ere, but maybe zat ees a risk I 'ave to take. And if I get fourth, so be eet.

But I don't know zat my odds of beating 'er in ze end are as bad as people say, especially if she won 'er way zere.

[Hercule Poirot]

Eet ees freaking me out zat no one ees talking, and eet ees literally two hours until tribal. What a strange round.

[Hercule Poirot]

I 'ope Mlle Hopps doesn't come online so I don't 'ave to lie to 'er. Even after all ze 'ell she 'as put me through ze past few rounds, I still feel zat emotional connection. I 'ope she feels eet too when ze time comes to cast 'er Jury vote.

[Hercule Poirot]

Ze petit lapin and I 'ave 'ad such an interesting arc together. She ees one of my favorite allies I 'ave ever 'ad in a game, even though she infuriates me. I enjoyed 'er presence in zis game so much though, and eet truly was a formidable showing. And I enjoy ze fact zat she can't 'elp but make 'erself a target.