User blog:Tomas T/Sugar is not that bad

Ok

Sugar is pretty controversial character. There are some people who really like her because she is funny (for them at least) but some people seems to despise her so much because she is annoying (and some people say she is a combination of the bad qualities of the previous antagonists).

Since my first watch of the season I hated her. No matter what I said "Sugar is one of the worst". I considered her as my "3rd most hated character" and "my most hated female character" (Since Leonard and Duncan are guys so...).

One day I decided to rewatch both TDROTI and TDPI just for fun. To see if some opinions were changed. Not so much. I hate the same character and love the same character. But I have to admit that Lightning wasn't that bad as I remember and most of the time he was really decent (the last four episode ruined him). But I was in shock to realize how my opinion on Sugar was changed.

I actually did not hate her so much anymore. In fact, she was pretty funny and amusing. And I noticed something that a lot of people ignore (thing that I will talk later).

It would be a lie if I'll say she is one of my favorite or I'm fan of her. So I won't do list of "top 5 reasons why you should love Sugar" or something like this. But I will bring here the main reasons why Sugar is so hated and why these reasons are not 100% justify the over hate about her.

Disclaimer: If you hate Sugar and disagree with me its fine. Everything written here is from my POV. I'm not justifying some of her actions at all.

The relationship with Ella
So maybe the main reason for people to hate Sugar is her hate for Ella and her treatment toward her. In the first two episodes Sugar's hate for Ella was really odd. In episode 1 she hated her because Ella found the glitters, thing that Sugar wanted. In the second episode Sugar hated her because she though Ella wanted to steal her title as the pageant queen.

But from the 3rd episode, it seems Ella try to force a friendship on Sugar all the time. Sugar did not want this friendship. Sugar has the right to reject any friendship she wants. Is the reasons for Sugar to hate Ella are silly? Yes! Does Sugar have the right to reject friendships? Of course

The problem here is that Ella kept on annoying Sugar over and over again. Every opportunity she had she came to Sugar and try to convince her to accept her friendship. No, I really disliked Sugar's bullying and I think nobody should be treated like that. But from the other hand Ella was too naive to realize it. This girl should be really dumb to not realize Sugar is not interested. Even Lindsay and Lightning together have more self awareness than Ella. Sky even tried to tell her that Sugar hates her. But Ella just ignored it.

Sugar hates Ella. But it's because Ella tried to force a friendship on her.

Sabotaging Sky and Dave's relationship
At that point of the show, every TD antagonist tried to sabotage others realtionship. Heather with Gwent. Both Duncan, Alejandro and Blaineley with Gieggette, Scott and Mal with Zoke, Justin and Courtney with Lesharold .Thing that leaves Jo and Lightning as the past only antagonists who never tried to sabotage romantic relationship. Sugar really tried to sabotage Skave's realtionship. But compares to other's action, she was the less harm.

And thing we all need to think about: This season (as much that I love it) is maybe the least stragestic season. The only campers who actually used strategy were Sky, Scarlett, Max and Sugar. Scarlett and Sky were more "strategy in challenges" instead of "game strategy" (Sky became "game strategy" in the last few episodes so...) and Max's strategy did not worked.

But from strategy aspect, Sugar was the most dominant. She knew her teammates and knew that if they will loose she will go next. Dave and Shawn are besties, Sky and Shawn have respect for each other and both Sky and Dave have a crush on each other. This trio is Sugar's way out. She knew the only way to make it further is (and I'm quoting) "To mess with some minds". And she knew that if she will make it to the merge she has to do something to make it further.

At the merge, she realizes how Sky and Dave's relationship is not the same as pre-merge. She used Dave's anger and rage to make one of them go home. Or Dave will go because his obsession for Sky, or Sky will go because the way she rejected Dave. And it worked for her: Dave eliminated.

Sugar never tried to sabotage their relationship for nothing. She did it because this is her only way to make it further.

She eliminated Jasmine
Jasmine was my favorite this season. And so the favorite for many other fans. I rooted for her and wanted her to win. She was the best player this season. So it kinda makes sense for fans to hate Sugar for eliminating Jasmine (same with fans hating on Scott for eliminating B and Dawn). But when you think about it, it was smart move and once again came from quick thinking of strategy. Jasmine was the best player, she was the biggest threat. Sugar, in the final four, found herself with the three biggest threats. When Sugar realized she accidentally crushed Jasmine under a tree, she saw the opportunity to win. Think that I'm sure every cast member would do (with the exceptions of Shawn, Sky, Sammy, Ella and Rodney)

Yes the elimination itself has problem with the writing. But it has nothing to do with Sugar herself. These problems would still be here with every character you will choose. I will talk about these problems in my "Top 5 worst TDPI Eliminations"

And if we are talking about "Sky Fall", only to see Sugar's interaction if Sky proves us that Sugar is not that dumb as she looks. In "Scarlett Fever" (the previous episode) it was clear that Sugar hates Sky. But still Sugar had the will to make an alliance with her (even though Sky thought about form and alliance with her, Sugar was the one who suggested it). Sugar knew that forming alliance with Sky (her nemesis) is the only way to make it to the final three (or even the finale). And Sugar was pretty loyal until Shawn won. Sugar knew that if she won't backstab Sky, she will lose. After her backstabbing did not work, she had to use this gold opportunity (Jasmine and the tree) to win. And she did win. Sugar, the most strategic person, eliminated Jasmine, the biggest threat and the best player. We have to give Sugar credit for that.

Gross and disgusting habits
A "Female Owen" is thing that a lots of Sugar's hater usually say about her. I admit I used to call her like that too. But after the rewatch, I don't think she is a female Owen. Sugar farted only one episode. Owen in every episode. Sugar was involved with gross moments or toilet humor. She ate this poor spider and slug and licks the vending machine. That's it. Shawn shoot snot on everyone and peed in the water, Sky's burping, Max covered in "mud". And let's not talk about the original cast or the ROTI cast. Every single character in this show was involved with toilet humor (maybe with the exceptions of Dawn and Eva) in some way. But for some reason people use the "gross habits" as an excuse to hate Sugar. At the end of the day, Owen and Sugar have two things in common: both of them have blonde hair and both of them overweigh and they proud of it. That's it!

So wait, are you Sugar's fan now?
Well... no. I stopped to hate her but it doesn't mean I love her. But I admit she was actually funny character. I really loved her confessions (The story about the time she lost her little brother, shipping Scarlett X Max, TV shows she would watch and etc). And I love how she made everyone think she is dumb even though she knew how to play the game. After Ella's gone all the thing Sugar did was care about the game (not caring only about the challenges like Jasmine and pre-merge Sky). And she had these random moments when she really made me smile. Like she thought that Chris will give her spin-off or eating that poor spider.

But (yes... there is away a "but") there are few problem with the character. Like Scott, the creators tried to combine a comic relief with an antagonist. I don't belived it worked well with Scott and I don't believe it worked here. Because to me at least, it seems the writers had no idea where they were going with her character. Sometimes it felt to me that there are two Sugars. One of them is the strategic Sugar who wants to win, and sometimes the funny but dumb Sugar with zero self awareness. With Scott at least I felt the writers tried to find the balance. But with Sugar, I did not felt it. The result we got a character with no clear direction

Why it happened?

I honestly think that comic relief and antagonist should not be the same person because most of the time it won't work. Heather and Alejandro were pure antagonist. This is the kind of the antagonist the fandom loves. Making a comic relief the main antagonist is a huge risk. And the two times the writers did it, I thought the result was pretty inferior compares to the original three seasons.

If I could choose I would keep Sugar the comic relief and give the antagonist role to Amy or Topher (prefer Amy since we have three seasons in a row with male main antagonist so...).

So should we stop hating her
Well if you want to keep hating her so do it. I did not come to force you think like me. Everyone has the right to posses any opinion.

But I wanted to write my new opinion on Sugar and the new way I see her character. And realized that she far away from being one of the worst.

Well this is the end. I hope you enjoy to read it.

Leave a comment if you want and share your thinking after reading it.

Have a nice day :)