One last question for Hercule— you say your partnership with Rust was basically one of your most important connections bar none. What I want to know is— how would you distinguish your game from his? Assuming it was a F3 and he somehow won the challenge and allowed you to go with him (or something like that), how would you argue that your game is better than or different from his? Do you thibk Rust would beat you in any scenario?

...Wow. I did not expect this to be as difficult as it was to decide a winner. Both of you came out STRONG, and delivered incredible arguments for your game as well as great appeals and reasoning for what actions you took, what you did to advance your game socially and strategically, and just how you took advantage of the system of this game to get exactly what you wanted moving forwards. While both of you have impressed me with your FTC tonight, I'm afraid that only one of you will be eligible to receive my vote, and for that, I have to look at this from a bit of a subjective and objective standpoint, and weigh the differences between each and every one of you.

Lucifer: I have to admit-- when I left this game, I wasn't entirely impressed with you. At first, we were on seemingly decent footing with one another, and were in a position to create an alliance of four that could carry us through the game-- but as it stands now, that never happened, and as time went on, your responses began to dwindle until you were hardly sending me more than a sentence or so-- something that I can't really approve of, and something that didn't entirely improve on the merge tribe until hours or so before my elimination. That comes off to me as a sign of poor Jury management with me on your part, and it's not something that I can easily overlook. However, I do approve of your pulse on the game as it advanced, and I do think you made a lot of correct choices and moves that were overshadowed by your immunity. You undoubtedly have Hercule beat in the structural area of the game even though you didn't play a single idol, and you worked your way around every catastrophe that happened without actually burning any bridges or harming any relationships you were involved in, and that's 100% commendable from me. Your navigation of this game from a disadvantageous position is just as valid as Hercule's commanding grip over it from his own advantageous, high-profile one, and I believe that both are equally solid ways to play the game... in an isolated sense, of course. But this isn't about looking at things from an isolated sense, and I believe everyone here is factoring every decision made as well as their knowledge of them into their vote no matter what.

Hercule: I think looking at this from a vacuum, if one only examines the number of days we spent together, Lucifer would have the advantage. However, it's plain to tell from your social game and habit of sending walls as well as your great activity level that you were on top of this game at all times. You played a cutthroat, incredibly competitive game to get what you wanted no matter what, and you were clearly devoted to giving it your all and making it to the end on top of upholding a solid character 'gimmick' throughout the entirety of it. I don't see many people around who actually intend to keep their word and play the game as if they were actually the character that they've been assigned, so the fact that you were able to do so expertly AND make it to the end whilst consistently getting your way is pretty damn amazing, from someone who has tried and utterly failed to play gimmick characters in the past. Your hand on the strategic and social pulse of the game were undoubtedly above Lucifer's, and your involvement in votes and making them sway how you wanted was far more than his. However, there are a few things from a subjective standpoint that I would feel remiss about not criticizing you on. I think you managed me very poorly during my boot by messaging me who I was thinking of voting for hours before the vote when you had already admitted to knowingly pushing me. That's, like... a classic Survivor mistake, dude. I think that you lacked tact and elegance especially in that first merge vote I witnessed, and beyond your opening speech, I think your handling of this FTC as well as the jurors within has had a bit left to be desired.

Overall, though, the F4 has been a pivotal point in both you and Lucifer's games, and undoubtedly the move that shaped what final tribal council we're looking at now.

I honestly think that both of you are very good finalists, and representatives of this game as a whole. Despite that, as I said earlier, only one person can earn my vote-- and I think like I said, it most likely comes down to that final four vote. This, of course, is why I'm voting for...

To Lucifer:

How exactly did you leverage challenge wins to get what you wanted? I know you said that you did— but I haven’t really seen any specific examples of how you used immunity to your advantage beyond not being a target. In what vote(s) did you use being immune to your biggest advantage? Also, despite having the ability to force fire with pretty much anyone you wanted, how did you lose the person you wanted to go to the end with to a direct vote in the final four? How did that play out from your perspective?

Quick question to both finalists and the jurors: What’s your favorite FTC format?

1. One like this that’s defined by social, strategic, and structural?

2. One where each finalist has their own thread to talk and answer questions in so that they’re less likely to miss things.

3. One where each Juror has their own thread to personally address the finalists?

In my opinion, I’m a big fan of number three since it doesn’t restrict any questions to one of three categories, it allows jurors to feel like they have more of a stake in the end, and is easier for finalists to keep track of and respond to— not to mention nobody really talks over one another.

Finally, a bit of an easier one— how do you think challenges impacted your game, whether it be positive or negative? In what ways did you work with or around them to get what you wanted?

Greetings! I should preface this by saying that this is not a bitter Jury in the slightest— all of us are looking to make an unbiased decision to determine the best possible winner of this game, and I think Ponderosa is completely void of any lingering bad feelings whatsoever.

Anyway, here’s my starting question:

Lucifer and Hercule— what’s one strategic move you made that you think played a big (or the biggest part) in helping you reach the end? Not necessarily take control of the game— but why you’re sitting here instead of someone else.

Damn! Sorry to see you here. You played an absolutely awesome game.