User blog:TheRidonculousRace82498/Josee Isn't Evil (Theory)

So after re-watching the first season of the Ridonculous Race, I have decided that Josee is the franchise's best-writen character to date. Below I am going to explain my theory as to why I do think she really is evil.

Slow descent
When the season first began, Josee seemed like a strong contestant. Right off the bat it seemed as if she was going to make it far, and it was clear she would be one of the main antagonists, but she wasn't evil per-say. As the competition went on, her tactics to win began to get more and more ruthless, along with her treatment of Jacques (which I will get to later). The two begin doing horrible things to the other teams (such as kidnapping Loki from Crimson and Ennui just for placing higher in some legs of the race).

Jacques
She immediately brought up the Olympics in the first episode, calmly stating that she was dropped by Jacques. As the season progressed, however, she brings it up more and more, showing more resentment towards Jacques every time she does. She also threatens to replace him, as she's done it before. Jacques reveals they've been partners for 10 years, and since Josee is 20, that means she has been Ice Dancing for a long time (this will also come up later), and so as they start to get lower and lower placement, she blamed Jacques for it, thinking he would slow her down again. Despite all of the stuff she put him through, however, Jacques still cares about her.

Under pressure
Now's when I begin to get more into the theory part of this, rather than observations. Firstly, I believe that Josee has been doing this since she was very young, like 5 or 6. She states she had a partner before Jacques who she replaced, and he states they've been partners for ten years. With her age being 20, she would have been 10 when she got her new partner. Due to starting at an early age, competition is all she's known.

The next part of my theory is Josee's mother. I believe that her mother forces her to be the best. Jacques reveals that tantrums run her Josee's family, meaning Josee's mother has a short temper. Using the little facts known about her mother, and the fact that she started at such a young age, it can be assumed her mother expects her to win, and these expectations cause her to want to win at any cost.

Smiling through the embarrassment
Another piece of evidence is when Jacques and Josee explain that they always smile, even if it's painful. This makes her an even more complex character to read: what she shows on the outside isn't necessarily what she feels on the inside.

Now, going back to Josee's original partner, I believe that he did something to embarrass her, and so her mother forced her to switch partners. Maybe even more than once, and through this she came to see people as expendable. My reason for believing this goes back to the Olympics. She repeatedly brings up Jacques dropping her in the Olympics, and how it can be assumed this was embarrassing for her. That would be her final motive for wanting to win the race so bad, as her redemption. After losing a partner to something embarrassing, and Jacques embarrassing her, she wanted to win to prove to herself, her fans, and her mother that she could do it.

Final evidence
Now, to conclude my theory, I would like to take a minute to look at her loss at the race. Her initial reaction is a smile, due to having to power through the pain. But soon after, she snaps, and throws the biggest tantrum she's had. At first this just seems like anger from losing, as her face is shown full of rage, but as soon as Jacques stops her, her face changes from a look of anger to sadness. That change is what leads me to believe this theory. She begins to cry soon after, and all the anger seems to be gone. She even says "Maybe we didn't deserve to win" and that she's going to be a better person.

Your thoughts
So what do you guys think about her? Do you think she's really evil, or just broken and worn down? Also, what did you think of my theory?

Thanks for reading!