I guess you and I just viewed it very differently. I didn't see it that she jumped back and forth and picked the right side. I viewed it as she was always on the outside and they just never chose to vote for her.

 

She wasn't a target early because of her connection to Wendell. Wendell was the target. They weren't really ever worried about Michelle, which is why she was never strongly targeted.

 

But that's what makes this show great. People can have two completely different takeaways while watching the exact same thing.

 

I agree, it was still a great season.

Formed so many relationships, how many votes did she get in the end because of those relationships? I could say more, but with your point, it sort of start and ends there.

Tony played the perfect game and Natalie got votes from people she spent 30 days with on Edge. Doesn’t mean Michelle played poorly.

Tony deserved it and could be GOAT, through there will be discussion on that point in the days to come. And some people (like the Mrs.) do not care for Tony's personality. So he will be less endearing to some fans. But with $3M in the pocket he probably is not worried about that.

 

Natalie - obviously a super player. Rob made it clear why he did not give her his vote. I think at least a couple of others were of the same mindset when it seemed like there was a couple of eye rolls at her "I had done enough" statement. She did seem a bit surprised by the final vote.

 

I did admire the fact that Michele made it to the finals with critical immunity wins. Her point of going to 14 of 19 tribals was valid. She did a great job of out-lasting. I thought she may pull one or two votes at most.

 

Ben! He knew he was done and had no chance to win. Him giving Sarah "permission" was unusual moment of sacrifice in this game.

 

Cop-r-us shoot-out with fire was appropriate way to end the strongest alliance of the season. The Ben-Sarah exchange and this seemed like a couple of the best moment of the season and of series.

 

Qs:

Did Natalie need to make fire against Tony to win? Is that now the only workable model for Extinction if they do it again?

Does Sarah have a chance if she beats Tony at fire?

Sarah beats Nat if Nat beats Tony in fire, but she picks up a few vote. Tony still beats Sarah by a good margin. The finale episode alluded to that with the whole Sarah being overconfident about Natalie not having an idol and Tony believing she did. Tony had his finger on the pulse of every single second of this game and I think that would have been shown at FTC.

But that's what makes this show great. People can have two completely different takeaways while watching the exact same thing.

I agree this is what makes the show great. I will fight to my grave that Russell deserved to win Samoa and should’ve split votes with Parvati to win HvV, but a lot of people are adamant that Russell is a horrible player.

She did win a couple big challenges in the end, so I definitely give her credit for that. But she was on the outside of almost every single vote at every Tribal Council that she went too and then was able to cling to Natalie at the end. Just because you are there in the end, doesn't mean you had a really good season in my opinion.

 

You will know this. Isn't Michelle in this season a lot like how Ben won his season?

You will know this. Isn't Michelle in this season a lot like how Ben won his season?

 

Kinda but not really.

 

Michelle was on the outs but never really the target of the vote.

 

Ben on the other hand, he had to go on a big immunity run and then had to win the fire challenge to make the final three. His name was 100% going to be written down for quite a few tribal councils had he not won immunity. Michelle was on the outs, but it was others that were targets, not her and she skated by. So, I'm not sure I'd compare the two seasons.

Tony played the perfect game and Natalie got votes from people she spent 30 days with on Edge. Doesn’t mean Michelle played poorly.

 

Don't equate me saying "she didn't have a really good season" with she played poorly. Those aren't the same statements. I think she did fine and she got to where she needed to get to but I hardly think she had a great season. If anything, she was basically a GOAT, while everyone else was around her were targeted because they were more feared (e.g. Jeremy). They weren't worried about Michelle.

 

You could say that was her strategy, having shields. But it felt more to me that she just wasn't the target, hardly ever, so she never got voted out. Not like she made big moves to get there, she was actually on the outside of others big moves.

Kinda but not really.

 

Michelle was on the outs but never really the target of the vote.

 

Ben on the other hand, he had to go on a big immunity run and then had to win the fire challenge to make the final three. His name was 100% going to be written down for quite a few tribal councils had he not won immunity. Michelle was on the outs, but it was others that were targets, not her and she skated by. So, I'm not sure I'd compare the two seasons.

 

I disagree on Michelle not being a target. I think she would have been voted out if she had not won those immunity challenges.

I disagree on Michelle not being a target. I think she would have been voted out if she had not won those immunity challenges.

 

Maybe I'm not remember well, but how many did she win down the stretch? Ben had to win like 4 and his fire making challenge to get the Final 3. He would have ben voted out every time had he not won them all.

Maybe I'm not remember well, but how many did she win down the stretch? Ben had to win like 4 and his fire making challenge to get the Final 3. He would have ben voted out every time had he not won them all.

 

Two?

Don't equate me saying "she didn't have a really good season" with she played poorly. Those aren't the same statements. I think she did fine and she got to where she needed to get to but I hardly think she had a great season. If anything, she was basically a GOAT, while everyone else was around her were targeted because they were more feared (e.g. Jeremy). They weren't worried about Michelle.

 

You could say that was her strategy, having shields. But it felt more to me that she just wasn't the target, hardly ever, so she never got voted out. Not like she made big moves to get there, she was actually on the outside of others big moves.

I just have a hard time seeing Michelle this season as a goat. The only goat this season was Ben. Was she in a solid alliance? No. But like she said at FTC, she did work her way through cracks to survive another day. I don’t think it’s fair to lump her in to the category of a goat. I’d argue she was more impressive this season than she was Kaoh Rong. She’s just not in the same league as Tony, Sarah, and Natalie.

I just have a hard time seeing Michelle this season as a goat. The only goat this season was Ben. Was she in a solid alliance? No. But like she said at FTC, she did work her way through cracks to survive another day. I don’t think it’s fair to lump her in to the category of a goat. I’d argue she was more impressive this season than she was Kaoh Rong. She’s just not in the same league as Tony, Sarah, and Natalie.

 

You are right. Calling her a goat isn't fair because usually that's left for someone that is dragged to the end.

 

The original post was that she had a "really good season". I just don't remotely see it that way. She had a fine season but I wouldn't call it really good. I wouldn't even call it good. She didn't make it far on the merits of her strategy and her moves. She made it far because others just chose to vote for other people instead of her, for the most part. She was outside of so many votes pre and post merge.

 

For me, it certainly didn't feel like she worked through the cracks to survive another day. It felt like she just wasn't Tony's target.

 

Maybe my stance on it is a hot take, I don't know. I see people on Twitter saying that she got robbed. I just don't remotely see it that way.

Maybe I'm not remember well, but how many did she win down the stretch? Ben had to win like 4 and his fire making challenge to get the Final 3. He would have ben voted out every time had he not won them all.

 

Ben found Idols that helped him. One tribal council all the votes were for him, but his idol cancelled those votes and left him to choose who left. I think idols saved him at least twice.

You are right. Calling her a goat isn't fair because usually that's left for someone that is dragged to the end.

 

The original post was that she had a "really good season". I just don't remotely see it that way. She had a fine season but I wouldn't call it really good. I wouldn't even call it good. She didn't make it far on the merits of her strategy and her moves. She made it far because others just chose to vote for other people instead of her, for the most part. She was outside of so many votes pre and post merge.

 

For me, it certainly didn't feel like she worked through the cracks to survive another day. It felt like she just wasn't Tony's target.

 

Maybe my stance on it is a hot take, I don't know. I see people on Twitter saying that she got robbed. I just don't remotely see it that way.

 

She definitely did not get robbed. I'm not sure that she should have even received a vote considering the 2 people the was in the final 3 with. But I do think she deserved to be there in the final 3 and mainly because of what she did to save herself down the stretch winning those 2 immunity challenges. She earned her way into the final 3.

Tony played a masterful game. Just masterful.