I'm sorry, but I don't understand any of you who keep saying that Russel is the better player.
What is the goal of Survivor? To win or to insure getting to the finals? It's to win, and Russel didn't win, so he didn't play the best game.
Natalie outplayed Russel because she made him her bruiser to eliminate people and get immunity idols. Meanwhile, she started working the jury IMMEDIATELY after the merge. She was a much better social player than Russel. While Russel was being stupid and burning his bridges by lying to everyone on the jury, Natalie was being friends with them and trying to get them to like her. That's the most important part of the game for a jury like Galu who is a very social tribe. Natalie recognized that and Russel didn't.
On some seasons of Survivor, the jury is looking for the hardest player like Russel, but this season they weren't and Natalie recognized that early. Russel didn't. This is a perfect example of "Don't burn your bridges." Russel did that and this jury didn't like it. So he failed. And didn't win.
Not only didn't Russel win, but he also said he wouldn't have changed a thing. He is totally OK with lying that he was in Katrina, which is VERY disturbing to me. Russel acts like he is such a great guy and great father ... maybe the guy should try teaching his kids humility. Russel is the least humble player I have seen in a while on Survivor. It's not like he jokes around about it like Tyson from Tocantins, he HONESTLY believes that his own crap doesn't stink. The guy worships the ground HE walks on. Teach your kids humility, dude.
Russel just feels like a complete idiot because Natalie was playing the social game while letting Russel look like the dumb Silverback Gorrila who was lying to everyone and eliminating everyone.
ALSO folks, Foa Foa would be gone if Natalie hadn't gotten rid of Eric. That was the biggest move of the game. Eric was the leader of Galu and she was social manipulative enough to get him eliminated. Sure, Russel manipulated later on after that, but he wouldn't have been able to if Eric had not been eliminated, thanks to Natalie.
The last thing I have to say about Russel is that he did not do what he did during the game just because it was a game. That's pure BS. Notice how during the game when he was being evil, he would laugh the who time and have a big smile on his face about it. He laughed after lying about Katrina, laughed after dumping out his tribe's water, etc. Notice how on the live Reunion special, he didn't laugh except for when he won the $100k. The guy obviously gets off on being evil and must lock it up during his normal life and let it all out during Survivor.
Anyway, the season was very interesting and I enjoyed every minute of it. Natalie deserved to win in my opinion because she played the jury the best. People neglect that Survivor is not just about getting to the finals. The most important part is gaining the favor of the jury ... PERIOD.