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Kathy Fan 2 wrote:

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Looking back, no signs were there. You can always go back to the first episode and pick out shit about each winner and pretend to find stuff that you missed about the winner. The bottom line is that edgic was completely and utterly 100% right to pick Stephen as the winner. He was the more complex edit from beginning to finish, and lost.

I can't say that is entirely true - I think you can weed quite a lot of people down in that first episode and in the same token *we* shouldn't discount people either. I think the first episode set the tone about how first impressions go a long way in this game (I believe Jeff said this directly in the first episode) Both Stephen and JT had a pretty good showing in the first episode and there was an immediate payoff in that first episode to their relationship which was a HUGE factor in how this season progressed and it kept being thrown in there time and time again. Both of them were also underestimated based on the impressions that were formed about them- the geeky city boy and the brawny hillbilly - JT even talked about people seeing him as this hillbilly and Joe even commented in the recap how JT is brawn but not sophisticated.

(I'm cheating a bit also because I am reading through posts that a poster on another site wrote regarding the show editing and the presentation of end game players)

Don't get me wrong - Stephen was extremely viable and a good choice - I don't think you could count one without also counting the other as a contender - their relationship was a huge factor in this game and had been from the very first episode and both of their "characteristics" were discussed throughout the season; it kept being brought up in one way or another.

gr :-) - For as much that I do think overall JT and Stephen proved a lot of people wrong (sorry to those with dissenting opinions but IMO Stephen was NOT led around and I think it's fair to say that JT was not the typical hillbilly where he was all brawn and no brain) I do think they wanted to put the emphasis more on Stephen with the "I" business primarily because of how the finale played out. While not much JT did say at the merge (which in hindsight was a nice confessional)that he was really worried about the merger. Traditionally if you are outnumbered (4-6) you are sitting ducks and he hoped there was a power struggle at Timb so he can exploit it. Same episode after Coach approaches him, JT said he had some ideas before there was ever a merge and he was here to make sure everybody hates each other. When Joe had to leave, JT said in that episode that he can't wait now even more for the next TC because he had some plans in order..

Obviously there was more emphasis placed on Stephen with the "I" business because we all saw it but JT had a couple of gems in there but they may have been overlooked by virtue of the fact that I think maybe the editors wanted to also showcase their tag lines (wizard/warrior, brain/brawn) and it was better served by emphasizing Stephen with the "I" business.

However, the Final TC had to reflect the reality of the game and the reality was that the jurors had largely held onto their original impressions: that Stephen was weak and easily led (by JT) and that JT was a lovable Southern good 'ole boy.

OR (which amounts essentially to the same thing in the long run) JT sure as hell allowed them to think that ;-)

fat little fingers wrote:

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All set for the Boys of Summer I see, Trix. :)

I'm following along, but no time to post. Too busy handing people all our savings! "Okay, who's next. No fighting! You'll all get your blood money!!..."

Yeah flf, baby looks naked without some type of head gear (coughflfbetterstartworkingonaSamoaheadpiece:cough) ;-)