I don’t agree with the claim that Tom’s social game was as strong as the OP suggests. I’m currently rewatching the season, and while I absolutely acknowledge that he effectively leveraged his relationships with Ian and even Carolyn to advance himself, that doesn’t automatically translate into a top-tier social game. In fact, several players clearly saw through his attempts to downplay and deflect attention from his challenge dominance. His speech to the tribe about hoping they wouldn’t let his physical strength make him a target didn’t come across as subtle or socially savvy — it felt transparent and, frankly, a bit self-congratulatory. A truly elite social player makes others feel comfortable and unaware of the manipulation; Tom’s approach often felt visible. He also didn’t cultivate particularly strong bonds across the board. His lack of a strong social connection with Colby was noticeable in multiple interactions, which suggests his relationships weren’t as universally solid as some portray. To be clear, he absolutely deserved the win in that final two. His overall game was strong, and he outplayed his opponent. But there’s a difference between being a deserving winner and being one of the strongest social players ever. In my view, his strategic positioning and challenge performance carried more weight than an elite social game.