Tom's Opening Statement
Wow, guys. It's been such a long road to get here but i'm glad to have made it.
As the Jury, you all play an important role in this game; perhaps just as important or even moreso than the roles of those that actually made it here, because as you know, you will declare one of us, the Final three, a winner. I would much appreciate (and probably need
) your vote.
I would like to start off by saying that I think I deserve to win this game. From what I saw, of the Final Three, I was the one making true strategic moves and trying to get the game to go my way. Love it or hate it, it's the truth. I feel like everything from the merge on seemed to fall into place for me, with a little bump in the road here or there.
Before the merge, to be quite honest, I wasn't too too invested in this game as I had the ends of some others going on. However, I still gave it my all in the team challenges, and I established an alliance of myself, Esther, and the two Jennifer's that would serve to get me through the pre-merge. As a tribe, we decided to take out both Billy (the unknown) and Peter (the unfulfilled promiser).
The last voteoff that took place on the Villains tribe was a bit more of a doozy. Myself and Esther came up with the idea to oust Adam, however, some other people attempted to pull the vote in other directions. However, in the end, it was in fact Adam that left the game and with that, the Villains had a strong finish in the tribal challenges and made the merge with a large advantage.
However, it was no secret that the Villains tribe was not a big happy family from the beginning. I never did think we would actually stick together throughout the merge, but it certainly helped to make it there at an advantage in numbers rather than a disadvantage.
Once we got there, we had to come up with a tribe name. I was glad to come up with this and feel like I established some sort of presence in the game.
However, of more importance was the duty that came with it. I knew that since Chucky insisted on us all voting on a merge name, the person that got the one that ultimately got chosen was going to have some sort of responsibility... I didn't want that responsibility to be designated to anyone else. Luckily, I was able to pick "teams" for the challenge, so I set it up with the odds that I felt would help me most likely win the challenge, putting myself with who I saw in my eyes as one of the bigger competition players at that point, who was Bobby. I made all the other teams as dysfunctional as I could (personality or activity wise), maybe with a couple of exceptions of people who just had to be throw together. [Sorry, Tilly and Pamela
]
My strategy proved right and me and Bobby won the first Immunity! With this win, Bobby wanted to send Annie to Exile. However, I insisted on sending Esther and Jenn Check, of my alliance. This would pay off (or would it?) as they would find an Idol and I would prevent Annie from finding yet another to add to her collection. It was clear to me that Bobby and Annie had an alliance since the Villains tribe, when Annie constantly send Bobby to Exile without the approval of the rest of us, and considering he was always one of the more active members of the Heroes, it was quite suspicious.
Laurie through out the name of Dewey to go, and I went with it. My plan at that point was to keep as many of the Villains in the game as possible, and as me and Dewey hadn't had much of an opportunity to talk anyway, I was fine with taking him out. We did so and I moved on in the game with the people that I still felt had potential to get to the end with.
At this point in time, I started to really communicate with Annie and somewhat with Bobby, which I didn't do pre-merge. I talked with Annie but not strategy-wise during our stay on the Villains tribe, and I really liked what I saw. She was playing the game, and I appreciated that.
It was here that she provided me with some information that Laurie had been targetting me to go that round. After taking me out first in the Plate Smash, true or not, combined with the fact that myself and Laurie weren't too close, didn't seem too far-fetched. I would have loved to take Laurie out that round, but she won the Immunity necklace. Therefore, I aimed for someone that I did not talk to (even though I did reach out to them with PMs, they didn't reply back), and someone that could be possibly close to Laurie, and that was Ellie.
It was here that my alliance first made me a bit uncomfortable. At this point, my alliance was Esther, Jenn Check, and Jigsaw (who replaced Tilly, as she had flipped and myself and Jig had been communicating some at that point), They came to me and told me they had another plan to vote off Tilly, but I did not agree. Laurie's whole plan changed as well (or did it?), but in the end, I decided to go through with my plan against my alliance.
What my alliance didn't know was I had "infiltrated" the other alliance in a way by talking to Annie about our lack of favor for Laurie. She admitted to me that they had two Idols and that they "passed them around" among each other as to never let us know who actually had them. When my alliance gave me a list of how people were voting which was wrong (which I knew through my communication with the other side), I just knew their plan wouldn't work. Assuming Laurie might still vote for me, I stuck to my guns. She didn't vote for me, however, and Ellie was ousted.
The next challenge was a Survivor Auction. As ya'll know, I might have missed that one.
But I was just hoping for Laurie to lose the challenge, and Jenn Check outlasted her in the election and she did in fact lose the challenge. From that point on, I had made an enemy in my eyes in Laurie, she was one of the few left that didn't fit into my plans, and I wanted her gone.
My alliance came to me with a plan that they said would blindside Clear and get rid of the two Idols on the other side. However, this was once again a plan that was given TO me rather than me being a part of making. I really did grow attached to Esther and Jigsaw, but I felt like plans kept coming to me and for me to say "yes" or "no" rather than me being a part of the decision making. I constantly felt like the fourth wheel of the alliance. And I knew the game was a Final 3, not a Final 4, so i'm not going to lie, this made me uneasy.
Anyways, they wanted to go through with the plan, but I knew the Idols would not be taken out. They were convinced Laurie was voting with them for Clear, when in fact I knew of Laurie's plan to blindside Jigsaw as she had came to me with it hoping for some votes. I refused to vote for him to save her (although I told her the opposite so as to lead her to believe her "master plan" was working and not to concoct another plan, along with the knowledge of Annie giving her the fake Idol) and I knew we would get her out and keep Jig here. She threatened me that she wouldn't vote for me if I voted her out, but I knew realistically she couldn't stay around. It just didn't fit with my plans and she was the biggest "enemy" to me at that point if there was one. She needed to be removed.
My plan worked. Laurie was taken out, and although the Idols were removed from the game, it was done in a way that proved that Annie and Tilly would NOT have used them had they gotten their way, so my idea was right in theory although it didn't turn out that way that the Idols would not have been flushed out.
This is where i'd like to address Laurie. You said to me when you were voted out that I was making the wrong decision and would regret not taking Jigsaw out. Well, i'm here to tell you something. You said I wouldn't be getting your vote, and I wish you would consider, and maybe you will, but I highly doubt that, so i'm going to tell you something. I made the RIGHT choice in voting you out. I'm sitting here today and had a plan set out for myself that WORKED for me. And I do not regret for one day keeping Jigsaw over you. Jigsaw meant to be loyal to me, Jigsaw TALKED to me (although communication diminished towards the end), and Jigsaw was a part of my plan. You weren't. As much as you'd like to think you had a handle on this game, the handle you had wasn't all that great. I knew what I was doing and it worked for me, so move past the fact that you were voted out and look at the strategic game others played rather than living in the past.
The next challenge was the relay race. I won.
Here's where I ran into a dilemma. I knew Esther & Jenn Check most likely had an Idol, and I knew Jigsaw had an Idol because of knowledge of Exile I had from others that had been there. Left idol-less, Annie asked me to send her in the promise that if she found the Idol, she would give it to me. This is why I chose to send her. Due to the wealth of knowledge and information she had provided me with up to that point, I knew she was quite possibly telling the truth on the matter (and she was, as we shall see later).
It was also at this point in time that I realized Clear meant to be true to me. I knew Clear was a lesser presence in the game, but one that if I kept by my side, I could use with value. I wanted to keep her around as she would help me make it to the end.
After finding that Annie did NOT find the Idol, I realized I didn't know what I really wanted. No matter what side I went to, I was towards the bottom of the alliance (whether that was the case with Esther/Jig/J. Check or not, it was in my eyes). I was the fourth or possibly fifth wheel. So I needed to do what I needed to do to make both sides think I was still with them (when in reality, I hadn't quite decided), and take people out from BOTH sides.
Here is where some might be in for a shocker. I haven't revealed all my secrets, but maybe those in the Jury hut have.
It was here that I concocted the plan to "vote out" Jenn Check. She was the one I was least close to on what i'll call my "older alliance" side. We never talked except in the rare cases where I mentioned to Esther or Jig that we never talked, and she approached me. When I asked her if she had found the Idol on Exile, she never responded. I just didn't feel like I could truly trust her.
HOWEVER..... I also told Jenn Check and the others that I had "infiltrated" Annie's side, and that I was voting with them this round so I would still be in with them next round, and know who they were voting for so we could use the second of the two Idols to our advantage. I told Jenn Check to play the Idol at that TC (really just to flush out hers or Esther's Idol), and I told them to vote for Bobby (
, sorry Bobby) so I could start knocking down the numbers on Annie's side. If I could replace anyone on Annie's side, I knew it would be Clear, so I needed her around, and I needed to knock out Bobby in my eyes as he was my biggest threat left for the Immunity Challenges.
She did play the Idol, however Bobby was not knocked out, it was Tilly. They had been wanting Tilly out for sometime... I was sad to see Tilly go as we had just been getting close, but in reality, I was not too distraught. I knew that by this happening my plan was still furthered and someone that very possibly stood in my way of finals was taken out.
The next round, my plan was to stick with Annie's side and take out Jenn Check, while still telling my "old alliance" I was still with them. Once again, I really didn't know which side, if any, I was with yet. However, I knew my plan was just to play the middle and win Immunity. I was well aware that either side could just realize that "Hey, he's playing both of us", join forces, and take me out. So for that round, Immunity was vital for me.
I shocked myself by winning again, and sent Annie to Exile as she insisted on her promise to me. My "old alliance" began to doubt me as I sent Annie to Exile again, when in reality it was really just for the promise she made me so I could personally have the Idol in my possession. Annie did find the Idol and stayed true on her promise and gave the Idol to me.
This round I stuck with Annie's side to vote Jenn Check, knowing Jig had an Idol. I told him that I didn't know if they were voting for Check or him (I did know they were voting for Check, so yes, this was a lie) and that I wasn't sure if he wanted to save it for later (was trying to hint at something). I wanted to still try to have some form of trust with my "old alliance", although I saw it diminishing.
Anyways, I was well aware that the idol could be given to Check this round and another from Annie's side would have went. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so risky, but since I did have the Immunity that round, I felt willing to take the risk and target Check. Check used the Idol and Pamela was taken out. It really baffled me that my "old alliance" chose to take out Pamela over Annie or Bobby because Pamela was a wildcard at that point, but we moved on.
I won Immunity again, and this time was set on voting Check. I could tell my "old alliance" didn't trust me anymore, and felt comfortable with my "new alliance", especially after Annie had handed over an Idol to me that I had in case I lost a challenge. We followed through with my plan to take out Check, because I wanted to keep the two I was closer to (Esther and Jigsaw) in case I decided to change my plans.
Next, we voted out Jigsaw. Personally, this was probably the hardest vote for me. I could tell Jig wanted to work with me badly and had tried to trust me, and I broke that trust. I apologize for that, but it was part of my plan to make it to the end.
At this point, I somewhat desire to go back and work with Jig and Esther from my heart's "mind" if you will, but I knew realistically that if either of them made finals, I stood NO NO NO chance as opposed to a slim or somewhat chance of winning. I couldn't let them make it. So, we took out Jigsaw. I sent Clear to Exile this round and the round before to keep her trust and faith in me that we were the ultimate "final 2" alliance, and to keep her having my back til the end. Since I had won Immunity, I passed my Idol back to Annie to use, who I was aware would most likely pass it over to Bobby since Jigsaw and Esther seemed set on voting for him. However, they both self-voted, which was a huge shocker.
Next round, I knew I had to win Immunity. Knowing the tie-breaker was a past votes one, I knew if I won immunity I would be able to beat anyone in a tiebreaker scenario, as Clear would vote with me, most a vote could be was 2-2, and we would advance forward.
However, I also considered Esther's proposition that round. Although I didn't agree with the reasoning she gave me whatsoever, I knew that if I won Immunity, Esther would vote Bobby or Annie in the hopes me and Clear would vote with her, and Annie and Bobby would vote Esther. This was my chance to break up Annie and Bobby so in a Final 4 scenario they wouldn't have each other to vote with and (hopefully, but not definitely) would force Bobby and/or Annie and Esther to vote against each other at Final 4 if I didn't win Immunity.
However, Clear was set on sticking with the alliance, and so I voted for Esther. She was the biggest risk against me winning, anyway, so it made logical sense.
At the Final 4, my alliance and persuasion with Clear proved well. I helped her with answers in the Horror Movies portion of the challenge, she verified some of the Survivors for me, and I even got her through my trust and her hopes of me voting with her at F4 to throw the Plate Smash portion of it to me.
I won Immunity yet again and along with Clear chose to vote for Annie. Despite what some say, out of the four remaining people at that point, she was the only one that I really saw taking initiative to LEAD strategic moves over the course of the game. Bobby seemed to be a part of them but a bit more of a follower, especially compared to my game, and while Clear was a presence, it was more "do what you are told" or "vote this way" when she voted (with the exception of the Esther vote), rather than actually taking the lead and organizing the strategic moves herself.
Anyways, this is my explanation of getting to the Final 3 and getting there with my ideal other two (ironically enough, Heroes), which was my ideal I realized as time passed.
I made it with SEVEN of the nine individual challenge wins, so yes, I was a challenge whore. I've never done that well in challenges in a game before and am proud of this accomplishment.
In addition, I made it here with NO VOTES cast against me over the course of the entire game. Now, granted, had I not won a couple of those challenges, would I have received some votes? Most likely. But I did win those challenges.
Also, I made it here and I am the last Villain standing. Now, the moral part of this could be in question, but I entered this game as a Villain and decided for once in a game, I would be the Villain and see how it worked. The label had been assigned from Day 1 and I intended to play a bit villainous. I am aware that I might have hurt people in the process, and I apologize, but I wanted to do what I had to in this game to insure I made finals.
All this being said, this has been a long game, and this may have been my longest Opening Statement ever, but since my game was in question, I wanted to make it clear what I did in this thing.
Thanks everyone for an Idol-filled and very exciting game, Chucky included, and I wish Clear and Bobby the best of luck! I hope this thorough explanation will make you guys consider voting for me.
) your vote. 
, sorry Bobby) so I could start knocking down the numbers on Annie's side. If I could replace anyone on Annie's side, I knew it would be Clear, so I needed her around, and I needed to knock out Bobby in my eyes as he was my biggest threat left for the Immunity Challenges.
