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it's really good writing, Sensei.

I don't know about the ending though. Meaning, it's tricky. I'm talking about the writing, not the strategy and Survivor stuff. The final sentence is powerful and succinct, but are we left hanging about the feelings and attitudes of our characters- especially the runner-up? Afterall, it's a character piece and not reporting a gameshow. Maybe just a few tweaks and then ending with that sentence.

I thought Vecepia and John were two very successful characters in this. She is a toughie to write and you captured all shades of gray with her brilliantly.

Vee got very lucky with the original tribal makeup, and with Sue and Lex's relationship. I think in any other combo she would be iced right away with John leading the charge. But I think this way was correct. I still think Richard would have left before Ethan. I would have liked more of the quandry of Keko keeping Colby in episode six in hopes that he could bring Tina over to give them numbers. I would have toyed with Boston Rob actually figuring out if he should just jump ship right away at the merge (thinking he could also get Colleen) -since he's smart and thinks out of the box and could see there would be no way to get around Tina/Frank eliminating him in final nine or eight. Essentially beating them to the punch and buying lots of time of building new relationships.

Marcy, yeah I agree with your points on Colleen. I rewatched a little Borneo recently, and she's still the bees knees. Smart, snappy cookie. This version I didn't like in the latter episodes- I thought she was insipid. I would have just put aside the pyhsical characteristics and wrote her like Sensei talks or Rob C or Greg- but with little pangs of guilt along the way. All her interviews I've seen, she's on the friggin ball -and she was by the end of Borneo too.

The previous winners is a strange predicament for the characters because I feel there will be a contradiction happening. The winners will feel like they can only face one another, and the non-winners will think they'll beat anyone again out of respect while even publicly declaring to one another they won't reward a winner again. And lots and lots of fear. I would imagine that John would make the plan of taking Vecepia in his ideal world, but would be tossing and turning in his sleep that people would be impressed and also he couldn't live with having her win again.

I was most excited about there being a AHI final four with each person needing a different agenda. That would have been epic with a big tribal council of countering and so much dirty laundry coming out.

I don't quite get the Colleen/Alicia/Gretchen arc. I can see Gretchen scaring Colleen into it by the threat of selling her out on spilling info. But with only three vs three why Colleen would commit to anything before seeing who won immunity and then never feeling Alicia out. Why Tina and Vecepia wouldn't vote Gretchen out since she's a variable they can't beat in the end whereas Colleen there's still wiggle room. Why John would believe underdog Alicia anyway- when her team is being picked off and has to make some kind of move, and sellects his closest ally to drive a wedge in his team when he knows he has to counter the possible Tina/Vecepia past winners-need-to-stick-together alliance.

I agree completely with you regarding Alicia's tactic once Sensei went down this route, Alicia keeps it simple -remove Tina at six, and then the world is her's in terms of options: She's kept safe by Gretchen and Colleen's deal, or she can get a feel if John and Vee (with their heads in the noose) come to her with a really good offer.

I disagree with the Colleen agreeing to join Gretchen so easily despite how naive the character turned. She's in this sort of nebulous blackhole in terms of strategy that doesn't make much sense no matter how you want to show her indifference to enter into alliances. She had already semi talked terms with Rob about the endgame, and then also talked to Tina and Frank about numbers and the final four and cutting deals, so it's hard to think she was coasting with this AHI four without also being told and talking with someone about her piece of the pie (most likely, John). This is someone in all her interviews post Borneo talked about how much smarter Tagi played it by sticking to their numbers, so if she played again she'd at least go the most basic route, "Okay, it's a numbers game -get in an alliance right away and hold onto it for dear life). And if she didn't have these deals, why not flip earlier to bask in the comfort of Gretchen's maternal bossom? I didn't understand the logic of why Gretchen would keep saying "Don't talk to Alicia yet..." I would think it would be the exact opposite, talk to Alicia first and then Colleen, tag team Colleen. If I were Colleen, I would not commit to anything without at least talking to Alicia first and getting a sense. But also the question of why Colleen would flip other than the guilt of wanting to save gretchen. She should be solid with John, and also was with Vecepia and Rob from the earliest stages of the game. If Tina made the move of taking Rob out, Vee and John would also have had to talk to Colleen in fear of mass confusion of self preservation. Tina, if she were planning on rejoining the AHI four also would have had to talk to Colleen and reassured her. Or else that entire group of three would think Colleen would think, "Oh man, I guess everyone's going their own way..." So Colleen would be reeled in just as equally as John, Tina and Vecepia. Meaning, she thinks she has her ducks in a line just as much as the other three. From her vantage point, she probably had John and her battling it out with Tina and Vee- and with the possible edge in her mind of Tina liking her more than John, and Vee and John maybe wanting to get back at Tina for screwing them over with Rob. In her mind, she would have just as many options as the other three AHIS. So, when Gretchen makes the deal, it's a deal Colleen doesn't need because it might get her to the end easier, she would also fear losing (and handing the game over to Alicia) because she screwed over John, Vee and Tina unnessessarily.

The talk from Gretchen in reality, would most likely just be a distraction trying to give the audience false hope. And Colleen's ideal plan would probably be for Alicia to leave before Gretchen just in terms of "Oh yay, Gretchen gets to stay longer, she deserves it." But once Alicia wins immunity, Colleen would have the pangs and pull of should I save Gretchen. And Vee, Tina and John all spin doctor her all sweetening their final endgame deals. it would be O's Razar, with the most obvious solution- four to two of Gretchen leaving.

Alicia wins immunity next (she won reward also, so wouldn't have been taken out) -and here John has the reigns of the game. Even if Alicia didn't win, and Tina didn't also -I think John counters with making his move to remove Tina- guiding Colleen that it's their best move. Alicia is fine taking out Tina (payback and emotional about her not winning again, that she didn't beat Alicia twice). If Alicia won immunity, Vee and Tina would have to come up with a plan (Tina would want Colleen to stay, Vee would want John to stay)- but John has the edge by pointing out to Alicia we can't risk those two previous winners being a block in final four- and we can physically beat Colleen and Vee in comps. (Alicia saw firsthand how strong Tina is in the Outback endurance and she will be on her radar all the time -and you can't trust Wesson no matter what after the Keko deal fell through)

Final four, Colleen wins the foot race immunity. (Her name would have been substituted for Gretchen's in Sensei's hat pull) and here it gets tricky. Did John and Colleen previously come up with the plan in final five to remove Tina by using Alicia and then intend to keep Vee for final three as someone easier to beat? Or is that too mean for Colleen and in final five once that threesome is established (John, Alicia, herself)

this is fun.

Oh no, no, no. I sincerely mean it when I say something is expertly written. And I loved the style. I thought it was very successful.

Again, like a broken record, my problem was the rules of the game had shifted -I mean the rules of the game of storytelling that I felt had been firmly established.

And I had to ask myself am I being fair? Am I just going to go through it with a fine tooth comb when Colleen is in danger as opposed to Lex, or X,Y or Z. Would I be reluctant to call you out when a move benefits Colleen when it skirts what I feel are the parameters of the "rules?" One never is trully sure, but I think I would have.

Colleen's leaving was essentially the same as Mike falling into a fire in Outback. Yes, it could happen in real life, but the chances of it happening are 1 in a thousand- and unless you have a card in a shuffle deck that you pull where it says this outside element has to happen, I feel you can't really use it in the story. Prior to this episode, basically it was pointed out that Colleen had the most protection around her, unless she screwed up royally. So while it was dramatic and effective, I felt every thing had to line up in a certain way to get that desired result, when most likely it wouldn't have happened. (and certainly if it remained this way, Tina and Vecepia would still remove Gretchen, and coccoon Colleen for later) And the project was set-up to roll play "hey, what do we think would happen if there were ever an All-stars series?" So I feel like a character is just torpedoed out of the equation -like a bit of a cheat. So when Vecepia wins, not that I don't think she wouldn't, I'm like, "well, the equation was messed with a little..." So I'm not sure about this final answer. Does that make sense?

I'm not trying to pick a fight, just debating it. And really feel there's merit to it. I know it was a lot of work, and hey other things should take priority, and as readers should just appreciate whatever we get. But I can't imagine you would just write something like this and just want to hear, "Awesome." "Wow, great." etc, etc. I think in a serial, you had to go back and reread the past episodes and revisit what you had established and how you're characters are growing -since they essentially become your own creations. With the stop and start process, you risk falling back on your preconceived ideas of the characters from the television show and not their new pursuits/ideas/feelings that you've crafted. So, when I criticized for not knowing what I'm talking about, and then you reveal, "well, the truth is I never go back and reread the earlier episodes," I'm left with my mouth agape about how I can be dismissed as delusional. (I clearly am delusional in real life, but that's a whole other can of worms).

Again, though -you're a great writer and this was a whole ton of fun.

the delusional part is probably more on my part -look, I'm spending time arguing about a fictional gameshow. That's pretty messed up.