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Trickery: We've Been Had - Average Joe 2 Finale |
By: AverageCarl
In the season finale, Larissa finally narrowed it down to two
guys, Brian and Gil, visited both their hometowns and, in a final agonizing
decision, chose Gil over Brian. Or so the producers would have us believe. But a
closer look at the tape suggests that what we saw happen and what really went
down were two very different things.
My suspicions were first raised
during the second-to-last episode, a “special” one and a half hour installment
that left me scratching my head. In the first hour of the show, the producers
essentially voted Fredo off “Average Joe: Hawaii” by effectively setting him up
(inviting him to sneak a peak at Larissa’s private date with Jim). In the second
half hour, Larissa travels to Scottsdale, Jim’s hometown, and dumps him in,
bizarrely, an airplane hangar of all places – thus setting up the finale pitting
Average Joe Brian against New-Guy Gil. As the credits rolled on this episode, I
couldn’t help but remark how strange it was that they had Larissa travel all the
way to Scottsdale just so she could dump James. And what was the deal with that
plane hangar?
Fast forward to the season finale. We are led to believe
that Brian and Gil are the final two candidates vying for Larissa’s heart.
Larissa visits Gil in Florida, then Brian in Boston. In Boston, Brian presents
her with two lobsters he nicknames James and Gil. Larissa comments on how
symbolic the moment was, their releasing two lobsters named James and Gil back
to the water. But hang on a sec! Why bother to name a lobster James if he’d
already been eliminated? Unless…
Unless the format called for Larissa to
travel to all three destinations – Florida, Boston, AND Scottsdale – before
eliminating one of the candidates and setting up a showdown. The only problem
was, instead of eliminating one of the New Guys to set up the Average Joe/New
Guy finale, she eliminated the Average Joe, thus setting up a New Guy/New Guy
finale. Not at all what the producers had hoped for. How to deal with such a
situation? Simple. Simply edit the show in such a way that it seems like Larissa
goes to Scottsdale and gets rid of Jim FIRST.
The clues are all there.
All three candidates get home visits. All three candidates get the same red
carpet/airplane hangar resolution. The only difference is that one got it in the
second-to-last episode, while the other two received theirs in the finale. When
Larissa is being interviewed about her final decision, listen very carefully.
She refers to making a choice between two guys, but is never specific about
WHICH two guys.
It would appear that Average Joe Brian, the sentimental
favorite was probably her third, if not her fourth choice. Which brings us back
to poor Fredo. Check out the disclaimer at the end of every episode. It states
that Larissa consulted with the producers about her choices but that, in the
end, the final decision rested with her. Producers could not influence who she
would vote off – BUT, if they found out she planned to vote sentimental fave
Brian off BEFORE Fredo, they could influence Fredo’s decision to leave.
Larissa’s sour grapes reaction to his goodbye letter (along the lines of “I was
going to get rid of him today anyway”) was hardly
convincing.
So…
Faced with the prospect of losing Brian in the
second-to-last episode and being left with a trio made up of James, Gil, and
Fredo (whose romantic prospects with Larissa seemed dim at best), the producers
invited Fredo – not Brian, or both Average Joes, or Brian, Fredo and Gil – JUST
Fredo, to spy on Larissa and James. He bows out, leaving Brian, James, and Gil
to compete. Next up: Larissa visits all three hometowns. She dumps Brian first,
narrowing it down to James and Gil. She decides against James because, we are
led to believe, he is not smart enough for her (as opposed to someone like, say,
Fabio) and chooses Gil. The producers go back to the editing room and edit
together a disjointed second-to-last episode and season finale in which the
viewers are led to believe they are watching a showdown between Average Joe
Brian and New Guy Gil.
Finally – our Larissa seems to get her
comeuppance (and a taste of what Brian must have endured) when Gil dumps her for
having gone out with Fabio(???). Again, I suspect there’s more here than meets
the eye or, in this case, the light of a television screen. As for the real
reason behind their break-up? Only the producers know for sure.
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