Is there a "definition" for what the merge actually is? Does it mean making it to one beach or making it to jury? Because if it is just making it to one beach, they definitely merged before they said they merged.
In the past few seasons they would do the two teams, one sit out/pick who they think will win, and then the winning team is totally safe. They had to "earn" the merge, which those who won that challenge did. This time they did something similar, but the twist was only one of them "earns" the merge at that challenge... which is just a regular challenge in the "post merge" world.
Like they put them on one beach, said you're not merged yet, ran a challenge and tribal with rules they would do in a "post merge" game, and then said they were merged. Like that was just a regular individual immunity challenge and tribal. So I feel like they technically merged before they said they merged.
Semantics, I guess, and I'd rather Rome not be able to say he "made the merge", even though I think he did.