DC5 Episode 11- Edgic & Analysis
Overall Analysis
Interesting ep, the faves have been catching up in the storyline department but we’re now really in it. Lots of thoughts and considerations, I’ve been trying to predict based on season length how each contender’s arc should be paced but honestly it’s tough to gauge what ONC would do since characters this season have had abrupt ends due to how eliminations have been written. I’m going off of what I can predict and how strong a character’s arc is being laid down currently, most of the pre-mergers have storylines that are…not as well conceived? Is that the word to use? I think anyone with a strong sense of story should be prioritized so…let’s get to it! In addition I wanted to do a quick check up on the possible returnees and see what info we have so far.
The Boot
Bruno: OTTP4, lol what a loser (OTTP overall)
Ratings
Ally: UTR2, her strip is inspirational frankly
Ara: CPN4, definite complex personality with her manipulating Nura for the game while hinting at her actually falling for her as well +clocking Ren’s attempt at separating them, N obvs, possible mixed toned stuff coming up
Dunia: OTT2, kinda just involved in the whole love triangle thing + her interactions with Nura and her reaction to the kiss, otherwise it’s a boring MOR or something so let’s go with the fun option
Fiore: CP3, strategic confessionals and camplife scenes, no N detected despite generally being stank as per usual
Gabby: OTTP3, OTT for her animal lover scene and I think she came off positive from her confessional about giving Natalia a second chance. You could argue MOR and I wouldn’t fight you on it but OTT seems more like Gabby’s style.
Lake: MOR3, another lowkey ep for her; she got a confessional about having to choose between allies and some interactions with Bruno and Rosa but nothing complex about her there. I don’t think she should get P, talking Bruno up after his elim gives him P, not her.
Natalia: UTRN2
Nura: OTT2, all her scenes were pretty OTT; chats with Dunia and the kiss with Ara, so why not
Oliwia: OTTN2, usual shenanigans
Ren: MOR3, you could go either MOR or OTT since his entire performance set up and his wording in confessional was OTT-coded but it served a purpose in trying to separate Nura and Ara, I’d swap to OTT if you can convince me.
Rosa: CPM4, definitely presented as complex for her flip flopping on Bruno due to scars from Riya, I went with M despite not having the clearest P because her presentation made me feel like she was conflicted and the audience was supposed to feel sympathetic for how Riya affected her.
Sam: UTR2
Spencer: CPN5, duh
Tom: MORP4, not enough for CP, P for scene with Bruno, no negativity from the Natalia scene, all that went to her
Contenders
Nura and Sam are still clocked in as the characters with the clearest vision for an arc, I am worried about Nura being a red herring similar to Hannah last season but it’s the best we got right now. Also worried Sam is just kinda the merge villain and doesn’t have proper stake in claiming the win, although I think the vision for him is to be a complex character down the road so I’m sticking by him.
Surprisingly, I’m actually higher on Spencer? There’s two schools of thought here; either he is the straight up villain who doubled down on his worst traits from DC4 or we’re in for a redemption arc. I’ve been giving thought into the Spencer/Sam F2 idea, Sam being the Alejandro to Spencer’s Heather in World Tour, and I think this ep advanced the idea of these two being endgamers. Sam’s edit has been all set-up, ready to blow up at merge, while Spencer has had a consistent presence the entire season and is flaring up as a villainous strategist that could go the high or low road. He could also flame out or just be our runner up. Decent possibilities, I’ll take my chances for now.
Rosa Maria has moved down a spot because the constant miscommunication stuff happening this season finally reached her into making a bad call, one that could turn Lake against her and make her a target for Natalia at merge. Her CPM performance here harkening back to Riya is good overall for her, ONC loves this kind of turbulent character arc for their winners and having Rosa win by playing a dirty game similar to Riya could be a fantastic storyline for a returning appearance.
Lake stocks have went up! Her very UTR presence this pre-merge has been counteracted with a decent arc set up of playing the game morally and Bruno going home here with Spencer as the bad guy and her friend Rosa being an accomplice to it boasts the possibility of her having a break out at merge. I’m not quite seeing the vision so she’s not in the top four but the possibility is definitely there.
Natalia also has a shot, the issue with her is how much drama is centered around her that, while justifying her casting on the season, also justifies a merge boot later down the line. I could see her being the last one standing in this Tom/Gabby trio, make some moves against the Spencer group, and eventually be taken out once she burns all her bridges and gains a big target. But with Spencer’s group being shown as the antagonistic force this ep + Gabby’s confessional about giving her a second chance, this could be a pendulum swing that throws her back onto the top four.
Ren/Dunia stocks have lessened a lot, Ren is way too positive of a portrayal and Dunia’s storyline well has run dry save for the love triangle + too much set up of her being the boot when the Fans go back to tribal. Fiore is lagging behind Spencer, still stuck in gamebot territory. Oliwia is Oliwia, idk what to do with her anymore. Ara has a good storyline running but she’s clearly more of a villainess to be taken down at merge. Ally/Gabby/Tom are dead.
Edge Returnee Check In
Alright let’s do a quick little check in on who could possibly return from Edge of Extinction or whatever it’s called in this universe because I forgot! DISCLAIMER; I have no confidence I’ll be right after last season with Amelie and Marissa returning and serving as supporting characters to Ana/Hannah so lol who knows what they’ll do with the returnee this time. Funniest thing would be a Chris U situation but I don’t think this is the season for that.
Aubrey: The season’s commitment to wiping out men would be fully cemented if their female first boot came back, rooting for this outcome purely for how MAD everyone will be. Anyway, actual arguments for her return; if Sam flares up as the antagonist at merge, she could serve as his opponent all throughout and she has an established relationship with Oliwia who will likely merge with no remaining allies depending on the outcome of the Fans’ last tribal.
Ernesto: Unlikely unless they want to give Ren an extra support vote to keep them alive like Marissa did for Anastasia. He had his little MORP arc, don’t see much reason to fuck with it otherwise.
Manu: Lol no, especially with Bruno also out.
Finn: Seems more unlikely than before, we have enough villains as is and other than being an antagonistic force to Oliwia (which she won’t need, girl makes haters by the second) and partnering back up with Ara, there isn’t really much here for him to do. But again stranger things have happened.
Aiden: Perhaps my top pick? One of ONC’s personal faves leaving with an unsatisfied arc after being a villain for his run? I doubt they won’t get back to him, he needs some introspection into his gameplay/behavior, especially as it relates to James/Riya winning over him and how it informed his run. This could be all done in an EoE only ep, but with Lake and Rosa both likely merging and dealing with their own morality storyline, one even concerning Riya, and Ally also merging as bait for revenge, there is a lot going for him here to return.
Benji: Obvious little sign of “Oh I shouldn’t go…or maybe I will…” after his exit and deciding to get back into the game, there is an easy argument that his arc is incomplete and winning the comeback could be a good way to relieve it but…what else is there? Other than Ally, Benji doesn’t have relationships to go back to and conflict with, even with Ally it was a respectful “good job you got me” so I don’t see anything that couldn’t be explored in an EoE only ep, unlike Aiden who has pre-established relationships to go back to.
Bruno: Easy layup of the fan winning the comeback, adding another fan back on the board at merge, and serving as an opposition to Spencer + established relationship with Lake and Tom. Not as likely but an easy argument, not to mention getting back to the warzone that is the Fan tribe dynamics as an outsider with more knowledge than them.
Anyway that’s all folks! Sorry for my tardiness!