For what it's worth, I'm thinking that Phillip has a good chance to win this thing, which surprizes me, given that I originally didn't see him competing at all.
Basically, Rob has to win the final IIC in order to maintain the complete control that has been his trademark this season. At F5, Rob will have to choose between the Redemptee or Ashley for the boot. Either one will be in a position to push for Rob's ouster at F4. If Ashley is still in the game, she could make a powerful argument to Natalie, but Rob might still win Nat's allegiance.
Phillip doesn't have a care in the world at this point: No one is going to lobby for his boot.
If Phillip does go along with a Rob boot, he has a much better chance of making a case for his gameplay. Ashley and Nat, not as much. Even with Rob still in the game, Phillip still has a case to argue for his strategy, and if any jury members resent Rob's puppet mastery, they could throw him a bone. Of course, a lot depends on how convincing Phillip is that his obnoxiousness was all a ruse, and how willing the Zapatereans are to forget and forgive. Phillip's strategy was better than anything they could come up with, at any rate.
Will dry mouth prevail, or pearls of wisdom? We shall see soon enough. But the potential is there for a complete upset....
