Yuku free message boards

Phoenix1269 wrote:

---

frankly, i am having some difficulties seeing the N, especially since it seemed to me that we are supposed to agree with Jim calling Cochran a coward.

1. Uber-P Dawn  tells us (and Cochran) that it's not a smart move to flip and asks him not too (and he considers it).
2. She also tells us that while there have been some bad things at Savaii, there have also been a lot of good things (such is life)!
3. Jim said...it doesn't make sense to flip right now. And he is right!!! it doesn't make ANY sense at all.
4. The very last line of the episode... Keith on RI...Cochran backstabbed us all.
5. The NSPV of Jim having a temper has never been shown to us thus far this season... it is unsubstantiated.

Yes we see that Cochran feels like he is the outsider, but really, he got snowed very skillfully by Coach. But Cochran's feelings of feeling like an outsider, do those directly reflect on Jim?

While I do not necessarily think Jim was N tonight (need a rewatch to conclude anything), I think he came across looking really really bad.

1. Uber P Dawn also spent the better part of 2-3 minutes absolutely bawling about how everyone else on Savaii treated Cochran (which includes Jim, as Cochran mentions his bad temper).
2. Just because Dawn says that Savaii has had some good things for Cochran doesn't make it true. He has been a boot target (legitimate or not) at every TC they go to. We have seen many times how condescending the Savaii's were to him (Elyse and Ozzy in the shelter, the entire tribes patronizing last episode, etc.). Cochran tells us he deserves some sort of award for putting up with all of it and not cracking. We have no evidence to suggest that Dawn's statement here is correct.
3. I disagree with a lot of people on this. I believe being 6 of 6 is actually a worse spot than being 7 of 7, all things being equal. The #7 of 7 is usually in a great swing spot once you reach that point in the game. The #6 of 6 is usually booted before a big move is made at 5. Beyond that, this move guaranteed his survival for 3 more days. The purple rock could have sent him home. He had no reason whatsoever to lay his neck on the line for a group of people who have ostracized and used him. He tells us himself that even a 1 in 30 shot of leaving is worse than ensuring your spot.

I believe Brandon even further hammers home the editorial support for this decision by telling Savaii that this is what they get for treating Cochran that way in the first place. After the vote, they immediately insult Cochran. Brandon points out how their demeaning behavior caused him to flip. Everything we have seen surrounding Cochran premerge has been a buildup to this exact moment. Flipflopping Dawn's last minute plea for loyalty is nothing in the face of this, IMO.

4. Given Keith's d-bag portrayal this episode and everything covered thus far, I see no reason to suggest we are supposed to side with Keith on this. EDITED to clarify: That is, Keith is right that Cochran backstabbed them, but the edit does not vilify Coachran for doing so.
5. Unsubstantiated maybe, but refuted no. I tend to come down on the side of unsubstantiated SPV being editorially valid. If someone is wrong, they will show it. If someone is right, it isn't always "narratologically smooth" to substantiate it. They couldn't exactly splice in a shot of Jim screaming about nothing here, could they? I believe his immediate reaction to the vote, angrily insulting Cochran, definitely does him no favors in refuting this, either.

I think Cochran's feelings of being an outsider do reflect on Jim because the edit does absolutely nothing to distance Jim from the general "Savaii jerks" group that Cochran is rebelling against. In his plotting, Jim is the very first person he mentions as someone he would want to attempt to eliminate.

----------

I'm not sure Jim is eliminated based on this episode, but it sure as shit did not help him! Jim is supposed to be the Type A mastermind that is all about overcoming obstacles in his path. This major episode paints him as a bully that gets his comeuppance. He is shown being undone by his own actions in ostracizing Cochran and is shown overconfidently declaring that no one will flip seconds before someone does. Should he have been distanced from this gigantic oops in some way?

I also don't think it's good for his reservations about the Ozzy plan to have been so muted now. The whole thing was a huge risk and it got them absolutely nowhere. Upolu saw through it in like 5 seconds and it could have cost them even more directly than this situation could have.  They'd have been better off voting out Cochran and taking Christine when she returned.