Episode Recap 11
Love 'em. Hate 'em. It's a fine line and one especially hard to toe on this pirate reality show. On the one hand, the players are supposed to be pirates who commit dastardly deeds in the pursuit of their own desires. On the other hand, they're contestants on a game show, and as a viewer you want the best one to win. But "best" in this scenario doesn't always translate to the nice guy, the honorable player, the person you could see yourself hanging out with if you knew him or her in real life. What makes a pirate good is their ability to put themselves first at all costs in order to stay on top and take home the most booty. These are not necessarily the traits you look for in a best friend. But in Pirate, now you're talking. And on
Pirate Master you're specifically talking about Jay.
Jay puts the "smarm" in smarmy. He solidifies the stereotype of used-car salesman. He has slithered through this game like that serpent from a certain garden. Watching him on this show makes you wonder if he gets spat upon as he walks down the street and yet, as a pirate, you gotta give this man his props. He's dastardly. He's conniving. In a word, he's good. You gotta love that.
Now that we're down to the final six, Jay is orchestrating his final triumph. Captain Christa is in his pocket (or so he thinks). Ben, after a gentle reassurance, is by his side and Louie trusts him implicitly. So much so that he offers himself up as a pawn for the black spot. Duh! This brings me to the IQ-level issue. Far be it from me to imply that there's a lack of wits aboard this ship, but for anybody to trust Jay at all would imply just that. Especially after the challenge that Jay, as a member of the red crew along with Laurel and Kendra, threw to the best of his ability. Since when has longboat carrying Jay lagged at sea? When has Jay ever held back and let somebody figure out the clues during a challenge? The signs were there, flashing in neon, yet Laurel and Kendra never suspected that Jay was working for the other side. So much so that he pointed the location of the treasure out to Ben. Fantastic pirate move!
"Karma is a boomerang," as Will Wilke from
Big Brother 5 a few seasons back said as he walked out the door to meet
Julie Chen. After all that work, the black crew found there was no treasure in their chest. Ha! Cheating never pays... if you're Ben and can't tell that Jay is dealing from the bottom of the deck when playing cards - yet another pirate move.
Come black spot time, Kendra got her sixth (and final) black spot while Louie volunteered for his fifth, secure in the fact that he was safe. That security faltered though. All his pirate buddies explained why he'd be the better pirate to vote out. I've not been Louie's biggest supporter throughout the run of this show, but my heart broke a little for him when he stood there listing his inadequacies to show why he wasn't a threat. No one should have to publicly admit their personal failings. The crew voted unanimously against Kendra, sparing Louie that final humiliation of being cut loose and releasing the viewers from another week of Kendra's plea to stay on board.
Love 'em? Yeah. Hate 'em? Uh-huh. I'm torn.
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