1. The Bullet Club had the intention of being the Final 7 in the game. Obviously, that has not happened since Jacob is still in the game. What led to the decisions that Trent and Brad were the first to be cut? Was that pre-planned? Was it spur of the moment?
It was kinda planned out that if the Club lost and one of us had to go, we'd start with the weaker members so that the stronger ones could try and get revenge and go on to win the game. Brad and I were always going to be early because he wasn't strong at competitions this season and my second shift job kept me from competing in live competitions. I'm not sure why Trent went first, because he beat Brenden handily and was stronger but he has offered to be a ruse and nominated early in the game before the Club was revealed, so perhaps he made that choice and offered to go or perhaps him not playing the Zombie trivia competition despite being there and forgetting to do certain things like vote at times was the reason, but either way, it was kinda planned, but not 100% so.
2. How do you feel your game stands out against other members of the Bullet Club? Do you have any special qualities that you bring to the Bullet Club?
My game is to have Amanda combat Jake and Cody while I try and work some confidence and trust with Carleen so that the two strongest players here are evicted and when it comes down to the final three, either I win and I take Amanda with me or Amanda wins and she takes me with her, with Carleen providing extra support if Amanda and I need her to help us. Simply put, my game is to allow the four stronger fighters take each other on and try to slip into the final 2. From there, it's just a matter of trying to use my mouth to win, despite my competition wins remaining at a poor little zero. It's going to be hard as hell and I don't expect to make it another two weeks if I survive this week, but I have a plan and I'm going to try it. As for special qualities that I bring to the Club, it's my reasoning and political speaking skill. I find ways to tell people what they need to hear in order to cheer up, get motivated, calm them down, or see things my way. And I don't have to lie to do this. All I do is frame the truth in a way that favors me or the one I want to help. I don't want to call it a gift of gab, because it's not, and I'm not manipulating people in the way that the word "manipulate" brings to mind evil intentions, but I can get people to see things my way with genuine conversations and appealing to them or advocating them. So while I may not make live comps, and I may not have a good win streak this season, I will talk my ass off until I go out the door.
3. As of now, what stands in your way of winning this game? Do you have any plans of overcoming these obstacles?
Well, outside the game, my second shift job is standing in my way of winning the game because I can't make the competitions for the most part. Nothing I can really do about that and I knew that it would hurt me, but I still wanted to play this season because I was bummed out about leaving the house after Week 2 last year. But inside the game, the only thing that stands in my way is that I have two strong opponents in Jake and Cody left, and I already stated that I will try to overcome these two by attempting to provide any help I can to Amanda and Carleen in exchange for them keeping me safe and/or returning that aid until Jake and Cody are gone. Of course, Jacob has to go first, because he is ripping the Club apart by himself and it's kinda frightening. Mad props to the guy.
4. Looking back so far, do you have any regrets about your game? Anything you would have changed?
Not for myself, but I almost went psycho after Jake suggested to Amanda that he and Jacob should be nominated last week and it was used instead of my suggestion to backdoor Jacob by nominating Jake and Cody for POV. If any member of the Club won that POV with those two on, we could have saved one and backdoored Jacob and this nightmare would have been over. If Jacob won and didn't use the POV, Cody could have then used the Diamond Power of Veto to save himself, put Jacob in his place and again, Jacob would have been done. We had Jacob beaten, and it was lost because the Club had to try and prove they could beat Jacob and then didn't. So if there was one thing I would have changed, it would have been to fight tooth and claw to convince the Club to use my idea and finish Jacob off, even if it would have been the cheesiest win ever.
5. Have you ever considered strategizing outside of the Bullet Club or turning on the Bullet Club? If yes, what did you try to do?
Not while we were going after the house, but as you've seen with my other questions, I haven't been resting on my laurels. I knew that the Club would end at some point, and I had to figure out how to survive my more powerful comrades while not being in their radar as much. Early on, I got along with Amanda before she was in the Club, and I thought I would keep her safe by deflecting her as a target of the Club until we could defeat the Club, but that changed like, one week later when she actually joined the Club and I didn't have to worry about her being targeted. I did not think we would survive with all six members still around near the end and believed we would lose some, so my plan was not going to work until Jake added Amanda to the Club, giving my new plan a chance.
6. How much do you talk with Jacob? Have you ever made any kind of strategy with him? At this stage, would making a strategy with Jacob help or hurt your game?
I congratulated him on beating me in the Zombie trivia game because I was legit impressed that he answered so fast and best me at a horror trivia game, which is normally my strength. I took my best shot and he beat me, so I messaged him and showed him the proper respect, he replied by returning that respect, and I replied once more with a non-important message to just end the conversation. That's all the communication I've had with the guy. No strategy made, and at this point, it would not help me because this week, either he goes or I go. I'm the weakest member of the Club still in so far and he's the Club's last target before we disband, so right now, a strategy would not help or hurt either of our games because after this week, one of us is gone anyway.
7. In your opinion, what has kept the Bullet Club so tight? Are people that afraid of trying to make a move that they stay? Is the friendship and loyalty so secure that people stay? Is it a combination of multiple factors? Please Explain.
I think it's just straight up loyalty and friendship. People are not afraid of Jake or Cody (although we do recognize their power in competitions), so I don't think it's fear, and if it was all manipulation, someone would have betrayed us long before now. Even if Jacob's wins lately were a Club member's plan to widdle out some allies before beating the last enemy and making a run for the victory, we had to go almost two months without betrayal or feelings of dictatorship, and we did, so I don't think it's fear or manipulation. We all just had one common goal of making it to the final 7, beat the house as a unit and go on to see which member would win. It's hokey, but we really are friends and joke and talk among each other, so I think we're just the first alliance I've ever seen in any game to have this strong of a loyalty to us.
8. Have Trent and Brad’s evictions made you concerned at all about your security in the Bullet Club? Do you have concerns that you’re the next one out? If so, do you have plans to stop it? If you feel you’re safe, what has helped you get ahead of other members in the Bullet Club?
I already knew I was going to be the next one out. I told the Club myself that I'm the last shield they have before Jacob comes after the tougher members. I'm not concerned, because I have faith in the Club and even if I do go out, it's fair because I haven't been able to do much anyway. I want to try and win, but I also don't deserve it right now, so if I lose, I'll lose with honor. My plan to stop this eviction is trust that Jake will win this POV and save me this season just like I saved him with my POV last season, or that buddies Amanda, Cody and Carleen will pull through and finally beat Jacob to keep me around. My only saving grace is that Trent went out before Brad and I, and that Brad was statistically the weakest member of the Club, so that put me ahead of them.
9. If you had your way, who would you want to sit next to in the Final Two? Does that other person know you want to go to the Final Two with them?
Amanda, all the way. While I have a better political talking point if Jake and I make it to the final 2 and I think that I can will the jurors towards me rather than Jake, I like Amanda. I met her over this game's season and we've talked so much that I feel we've become great friends. I feel like she went into this without the Club, and then joined to help both us and herself, and that takes smarts and guts. She's earned all of her wins, she's a genuine nice human being, and I want to honor my goal of having one of us or both of us make it to the end if I can. I'm okay with anyone winning at this point, as Jake and Cody have been at my side for almost nine years now, Amanda is an awesome woman, Carleen has done well and even Jacob has fought his ass off and impressed me beyond words, but I want Amanda to stand with me at the final 2. And she and I both have this goal and want to make it to the final 2 together, so this week, it's not only do or die for me, but for the rest of the house to see and winner that isn't Jake or Cody. After this week, I'll either be gone, or the time to strike the iron will take place and we make the move that determines how this game ends. Damn it's gonna be exciting.
Thanks for the questions Derek. Good luck on the bar, and I'll either see you in the house or on the jury stand when you get back.
