I think the jury is a flawed system. If the goal of the game is to outplay, outwit, and outlast, Russel takes the cake. At the very least, he outwitted and outplayed everyone, not only from the seasons he was on, but in the history of the game.

When it comes to the jury, they're not going to choose someone who stabbed them in the back or outmaneuvered them. In other words, you have to be the nice guy to win. Russell was one of the most beloved fan favorites in the history of the show but the jury shit on him because he lied and manipulated people. Welcome to real life folks!

I guess what I'm saying is that the people choosing the winner shouldn't be ones with personal vendettas against the contestants. It completely eliminates a whole style of play. You can't win Survivor by simply outwitting and outplaying people. You have to also make them like you.

The thing is, I was under the impression that the show was set up to find the 'soul survivor' who stands above the rest, not someone who did nothing but ride coattails to the finals. Russell's strategy was "everyone get out of my way, I got this." This should be a viable strategy, especially the way Russell pulled it off. Thing is, the jury will always throw that guy under the bus, so the grand prize is always given to the winner of a popularity contest, not the game.

I think the audience should have a say in who wins, even if it's a minor one. I also think the jury should be made up of past winners or even just past contestants. The people who make up the jury as it is are always going to be biased because they were involved in the game. If you want a true winner, you need an unbiased jury. We don't select juries for criminal trials from victims and accomplices, do we?

I suppose my complaint is more about the game than any individual person. If you ask me, someone like JT and someone like Russell should represent two polar opposite methods to win the game. Instead, it's turned into "Be as much like JT as possible or latch on to someone like JT or lose." There should be more than two paths to victory.