Thread:CF12/@comment-31556666-20150112173922/@comment-27329394-20150116215816

I guess I'll start out with TDWT because that's probably the biggest problem people have with him.

People often say that the fact that Duncan cheated on Courtney was unjustified, but the way I see it, it really wasn't. She manipulated him, abused him, and brought him back into a relationship several times under very high amounts of requirements. I theorize that, if their roles were switched, Courtney's actions would be presented as OK due to that double standard. In fact, I'm sure that it would have been encouraged by fans. As a result, while it may not have been nice for Duncan to do this and he was mean to her after the relationship, Courtney has treated him like complete trash while they were in the relationship and she was still prone to attacking him both before, during, and after, rather than Duncan just insulting her. The relationship was intentionally a toxic one that eventually resulted in their end, but I think too many people rush to the conclusion that Courtney is innocent and that Duncan is the worst person ever.

You also have the part thereafter where there was a love triangle, where people blame the fact that the season lost its charm after this moment. However, this is another thing I disagree with. Greece's Pieces and The Ex-Files were great episodes that were heavily focused on the love triangle... Picnic at Hanging Dork wasn't, but it wasn't only because of the love triangle. Anyhow, the love triangle created drama, a plot that the show needed to move forwards, which is something I don't fully understand why people get so mad at. Shows will do these types of things all the time to make people keep watching... it wasn't a desperate move or anything as I think a lot of people interpret it as. As good as the first half of the season was, it was funny moreso than dramatic. It's something that moved things forwards... even if it seemed bothersome, the whole plot only lasted for three or four episodes anyway.

I also think a lot of people don't like Duncan because he affected Gwen negatively. I don't think this is completely fair either. Duncan wasn't all that different from before, but if Gwen was different, it should be Gwen that gets the dock in someone's rankings, not Duncan. I dunno, just my thoughts.

Duncan changed the atmosphere of Team Chris is Really, Really, Really, Really Hot, which contributed to why it is my favorite team (though it already would be if he did not return). His interactions with Alejandro were some of my favorites, since we've never really had a conflict where both of them were acting deceptive. Duncan and Owen is always nice.

Finally, at the end of the day, people don't like him that season because he felt unnecessary and he was in too many episodes overall. Is this really fair though? He came in 5th; everyone who finished ahead of him played a more expanded role than him, so he was there to fill a spot and purpose. And is it really fair to be mad at a guy only because he has appeared too often? If he is still good those seasons, then the amount of time he spent there shouldn't be too much of an issue. This is different from Owen reappearing in TDA for me because Owen was pretty much just pointless and if he wasn't there everything could have turned out just the same, but Duncan's presence was well known and very impactful. It might be the only time where a returning contestant actually did this to be honest.

Speaking of the whole screentime thing, I think this is the biggest reason people don't like him in TDA, but I think it is overexaggerated. I pointed out his challenge performance wasn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be somewhere else, but really, being in the bottom two so often isn't a big deal unless you dodge elimination unfairly. I will admit that he did this in Rock n' Rule which I'm sure upset a lot of people, but otherwise, he just had close calls and you could explain why he dodged what happened. He also did well in the team challenges, which a large reason why the Screaming Gaffers did a good job. The expanded conflict for Harold and Duncan was also great.

Otherwise, if he was good before (you said you like him in TDI) and wasn't adding that much new to the table, that isn't all that bad. Consistency is an underrated aspect of many characters, and Duncan, along with Owen and Heather, are very consistent despite appearing so often, which is something that contestants like Courtney and Gwen cannot say about themselves. It might not be as exciting as the first time around, but he still maintains almost all the qualities that made him good before.

You mentioned you like him in TDAS so I won't go into that, but note that he ended on a strong note and started on a strong note, but with a mid-season slump. More good than bad though, and he made it out just fine.