S33: Justin "Jay" Starrett

[laurakaye]

I watched Jay's video, and it's awesome that he sees a brother figure in Adam.

"I love him, but he drives me absolutely insane.  I want to hug him, but then I want to turn around and punch him in the mouth."

Hands down the best Survivor duo ever, IMO.

[violet and green]

I see no similarity whatsoever to Michelle. Jay is intelligent, observant, wry, and articulate in his confessionals; Michelle was bland and so innocuous in hers. She had very pretty eyes. I used to gaze at her eyes and just wait for her droning to finish. I don't think I ever heard her say anything of interest; one of the dullest players to ever give a confessional, in my view. They say Michelle had a good social game, but I never saw anything that would lead me to form that opinion; but I see Jay's social warmth and ease, it's demonstrated over and over. Both are good in challenges and reasonably easy on the eye, but other than that I see no similarity at all.

[waving feather]

Will's exit interview where he talks a bit about Jay that I thought interesting. 

Quote

Is that your biggest regret in the game? Is there anything else you wish you would have done differently?
Will: Absolutely. My biggest regret and my biggest mistake in the game was voting out Zeke when I did. I should have waited a little while longer. I also should have trusted Jay more. Ironically, I did not really give Jay the respect that I should have given to him. He was my ride-or-die in the game that I never really trusted, or that I never really gave trust to. I feel like Jay always trusted me, but I never really trusted him. I would always backstab him. He would always come back and be like, "No, Will, we're good." So I feel like my two biggest regrets are the Zeke vote and not trusting Jay.

That's an interesting point about Jay. This group as a whole seems to take things in stride and not take game moves personally. Did you find that to be true overall?
Will: It's definitely a dynamic that's evident in the group. I feel like we all are very much fans and players of this game, who respect the game so much that we're not going to take it personally. But I also feel like the forgiving aspect of it is something about Jay's personality. Jay is not going to hold a grudge. The thing is, most of us in the game would forgive but not forget. Jay would kind of do both. He would kind of be like, oh, what's in the past is in the past. We're working together in this game. While the rest of us, yeah, we would forgive. We wouldn't hold a grudge, and once we got back from Tribal we would all just try to survive another night. But we would not forget, and we would kind of have this idea that, oh, this person isn't trustworthy, or this person isn't trustworthy. So I think part of it is tribe dynamics and part of it is just who Jay is as a person.

Quote

Reality TV World: I think a surprise with the Zeke vote was the fact you voted with the group that didn't include Jay, who was your closest ally. Why did you ultimately decide to do that? And how did you mend your relationship with Jay afterwards? 

Will Wahl: [snip] And mending my relationship with Jay after, it was actually really easy to do that. The thing about Jay is that he would come to me and be like, "Will, it's okay that you made this move; I still want to work with you. You're like a brother to me," and all of this stuff. 

Jay would come to me. I wouldn't even have to come to him, which was crazy to think about, but it was something that still perplexes me about Jay. I was not used to somebody being so forgiving after me basically blindsiding them. 

I wonder how much of the forgiving nature is game play and how much of it is just his nature. That's definitely one way to play the game when you are in the bottom though for future contestants. Just be extra understanding so you don't burn bridges even though people knows you are a threat.

Edited December 9, 2016 by waving feather
To include link

[peachmangosteen]

16 hours ago, waving feather said:

I wonder how much of the forgiving nature is game play and how much of it is just his nature. 

That's my question about Jay in general! Is any of the stuff that's keeping him in the game actually gameplay or is it just his nature? Personally I think it's the latter, which is why he's so meh to me as a player.

[laurakaye]

And to me, his forgiving nature is what makes him such an interesting player.  He's been lied to by pretty much everyone.  He always seems to be on the wrong end of the vote.  Adam basically lies to Jay every time he opens his mouth.  And yet, Jay hasn't gone all "crazy Ken" on anyone.  He gets frustrated, and then forgives.  He is both playing hard and playing laid-back.  I want to see the kid win!

[waving feather]

I just don't see how Jay can get into the final 3 now, after being a big target for so long. He should have been the 3rd to be voted out after Taylor so it's already sort of a miracle he's still there. I really want him to make it all the way to the end but I just can't see how that can happen. David, Hannah and Adam are not stupid and will get rid of him as soon as he doesn't win immunity. :-(

Win or lose, I think Jay should be proud of his time in the game. He basically doesn't have a solid alliance since the 1st vote after the merge but still fought for his place in the game. And he's so well-liked by his fellow castaways, it's crazy. One of the reason I think Jay doesn't win is because they don't really show him making these bonds with the other castaways. If he had won, I bet they will show more of it (like with David and Ken, David and Hannah). I would have liked to see more of his social game. As someone who watches this show more for the social aspect, this kind of thing fascinates me.

These quotes from Zeke, Sunday and Will about Jay are very sweet. On the plus side, if he is voted off, the people on Ponderosa will be very glad to see him, lol.

Quote

6. Which fellow castaway surprised you the most this season?

Zeke: Jay. He's so much more than the surfer bro I initially pegged him as. Jay is tremendously intelligent and possesses a beautiful outlook on life.

 

Quote

SK: Throughout the game, you were very tight with Jay. What was it about him that made you two connect so strongly?

WW: Jay and I had kind of like this brotherly bond. Early on, we would be the ones staying up late to tend the fire and talk about life. I really misjudged him. I really looked at him as somebody who was this popular kid and full of himself. He's really very down-to-earth, very humble, very kind and compassionate. He has a lot of good qualities you would want in somebody in a game like Survivor. He's somebody you could trust.

 

Quote

Us: If you could pick anyone who has played this season besides yourself to win, who would you want it to be?

SB: I would say Jay. I feel like Jay’s done a really good job navigating when he didn’t have an alliance. He’s gutsy and he’s really likable. He’s my favorite.

Edited December 12, 2016 by waving feather

[Guest]

Considering those people likely know who wins, it's hard not to see that as signs of Jay winning.  

[peachmangosteen]

18 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Considering those people likely know who wins, it's hard not to see that as signs of Jay winning.  

Right!

A lot of outside-the-show stuff is really just pointing to Jay winning imo. Between the players all going on and on about how great he is to a picture of him being shown on Life in Pieces. 

Spoiler

I've also been thinking that the fact that he isn't in next season might indicate he's the winner. I would think he'd be a lock to be brought back for that.

Edited December 12, 2016 by peachmangosteen

[violet and green]

Aw, gee, I hope he wins.

[ljenkins782]

I'm pulling for Jay tonight. I never saw this clip, it seems to be an extended version of the "meet the castaways" clips:

He's very funny and endearing, I love the segment about his mom and his bartending ("give a free shot a hot girl and tell her it's from homeboy over there even though he's crying" ha!). 

He just seems like a happy guy and fun to be around. 

[LadyChatts]

I'm also Team Jay.  He's got an uphill battle, and I worry after his conversation with Adam last week.  He needs to win immunity, or hope someone makes a blunder at TC that they are the biggest threat to win and have the vote turn to them.  I never expected to like Jay at all.  And I certainly didn't expect him to become the huge favorite of mine that he is.  He's got such an amazing personality, and he's my kind of Survivor player.  

I loved how he said in that video that he first saw Malcolm the same time he started growing his hair (but re-iterates it wasn't because of Malcolm lol)  Win or lose, hope he comes back!  It'd be great to see him play again with vets.  

Edited December 14, 2016 by LadyChatts

[PumpkinPK]

Jay reminds me of a young Eddie Van Halen.  Something about the way he seems perpetually amused, and I have no idea about what.

Does anybody else see it?

[ihartcoffee]

Poor Jay, I hope he doesn't play that idol! 

[PumpkinPK]

Aaaw, bye Jay!  You went out with grace.

[ihartcoffee]

On no,  he did! 

[LadyChatts]

Classy even in the end.  Love Jay, and really was pulling for him.  I didn't realize how uninspired this group had me after he left.  Hope he comes back!

[ihartcoffee]

I'm bummed to see him go,  but I get that he's a huge threat.  That was a million dollar mistake not covering the combo.  Poor dude! 

[truthaboutluv]

I was distracted for a few minutes, was that the fake idol David made that Jay played? Because how did David manage to put it in the coconut? Jay should have been suspicious when the idol was not wrapped and did not specifically say "congratulations, you've found the hidden immunity idol". And yeah it sucks that he screwed himself by not covering the numbers but I thought it was nice of Ken to mention how things that are simple on Day 6 are much harder on Day 36.

Edited December 15, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[ihartcoffee]

1 minute ago, truthaboutluv said:

I was distracted for a few minutes, was that the fake idol David made that Jay played? Because how did David manage to put it in the coconut?

It showed him making it at night while they slept.  He put it in an old coconut shell..

[truthaboutluv]

Yeah I saw him start making it but missed when he put it in the coconut. 

[waving feather]

Such a pleasure watching Jay this season. Someone who really plays with his big heart. Hope we get to see him again.

[ihartcoffee]

Forgot to add,  he used his old idol letter from his other idols. Making it look more real.  It was pretty crumpled and old looking though ,  lol.

[Artsda]

Really hope he gets brought back. 

[Silver Raven]

I never cared for Jay, but his goodbye was classy all the way.

 

Loved David's fake idol, and that Jay actually played it.

[sadiegirl1999]

2 hours ago, PumpkinPK said:

Jay reminds me of a young Eddie Van Halen.  Something about the way he seems perpetually amused, and I have no idea about what.

Does anybody else see it?

I've always seen him as a young Michael Hutchence

[riley702]

Better than Richard Ramirez, which was my first impression.

[Ms Blue Jay]

What a great personality.

He's giving some big speech when he's voted out and Jeff is so patiently waiting.

"Go ahead, Jeffrey."

[Rachel RSL]

His reaction to all that made me really like him. He seems like a good guy in general.

[PumpkinPK]

55 minutes ago, sadiegirl1999 said:

I've always seen him as a young Michael Hutchence

I totally see it.  But I think you must also be at least a decade younger than me by who you see vs who I see :)

[truthaboutluv]

The only way I see Jay not playing again is if he doesn't want to. 

[LadyChatts]

6 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

The only way I see Jay not playing again is if he doesn't want to. 

I just watched his red carpet interview, and he told Joe he definitely wants to play again.  Hope he comes back soon!

[Guest]

52 minutes ago, PumpkinPK said:

I totally see it.  But I think you must also be at least a decade younger than me by who you see vs who I see :)

I see both.  (And Hutchence has been dead nearly 20 years so I don't think anyone in here is pickin' off the pop charts!)  

I usually see Orlando Bloom but for a split second when he entered the jury box for the first time, I saw a little young Jack Nicholson, like The Shining era!  

[peachmangosteen]

13 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

I never cared for Jay, but his goodbye was classy all the way.

This. I've been meh on Jay all season, but the second he found that fake idol I pretty much immediately began liking him again lol! 

11 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

The only way I see Jay not playing again is if he doesn't want to. 

I agree.

NGL one of the biggest reasons I thought he was the winner is because I was so sure that he'd be in next season if he wasn't. I wonder if they asked him and he just said no?

[fishcakes]

He was a nice surprise. Classy, fun, all-around good guy. I'd love to see him play again.

As for who he resembles, the hair color is wrong, but he looks like a cross between John Leguizamo and Benjamin Bratt to me.

[ljenkins782]

15 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Classy even in the end.  Love Jay, and really was pulling for him.  I didn't realize how uninspired this group had me after he left.  Hope he comes back!

His jovial response to getting played by a fake idol and then voted out was truly amazing. I would be SO pissed and embarrassed. He just has such a great attitude, it's a pleasure to watch. 

I wish he'd gotten a bit more attention at the reunion. 

Quote

I see both.  (And Hutchence has been dead nearly 20 years so I don't think anyone in here is pickin' off the pop charts!)  

LOL, I don't know why this is making me laugh so hard! 

[Special K]

13 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I usually see Orlando Bloom but for a split second when he entered the jury box for the first time, I saw a little young Jack Nicholson, like The Shining era!  

Or even earlier -- Chinatown or Five Easy Pieces.  When he looked both sinister and beautiful.

[LadyChatts]

This is why I love Jay so much:

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/12/15/survivor-millennials-vs-gen-x-jay-starrett

Quote

 

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was it like watching the finale back and you seeing yourself calling everyone stupid and losers and idiots for not seeing what you thought was a real hidden immunity idol, now knowing that you were the one getting played?
JAY STARRETT: No, dude, it was awesome. It was just like a sick experience altogether because you don’t see that coming and you get tricked. They’re awesome, they’re smart people.

I loved your reaction when you realized at Tribal Council what has happened because as bummed as you had to be being voted out, your appreciation and respect for the move was clear.
Yeah, you can’t get mad at this game, and if you lose the game, then just be a good sport and let it ride.

 

[Rachel RSL]

I liked Jay more and more as the season went on.  He got so much more tolerable once he was away from his annoying Tri-Force alliance.  The only reason I didn't want him in the final TC was because I thought it would make it anti-climactic but since it was a blow out for Adam anyway, now I wish Jay had made it and won instead.

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, fishcakes said:

As for who he resembles, the hair color is wrong, but he looks like a cross between John Leguizamo and Benjamin Bratt to me.

Damn, I really see Benjamin Bratt. It's uncanny tbh!

Jay's Ponderosa vid is so fun. I was disappointed it was so short. I am back to full-on loving this guy! 

[waving feather]

Quote

Wigler: How has it been, watching all of this back?

Jay: In the beginning, it was all like, (in his “okay Laura” confessional voice)“Oh, the Triforce! And the pretty kids! The cool kids!” And I’m like, “No, this is a stupid group. I don’t want to be in this group. I’m not a cool kid. I’m just me.” To have the show unfold and mold to the way that I truly am? It was wonderful. It was beautiful.

Lol I knew he would say something like this. He also talked about his bromance with Zeke that wasn't shown and that he believed the only person he would have lost to or tied with at the end would be David. Sad we didn't get to see that possibility.

Link

Watching all the online clips really helped me see the person that Zeke and Will talked about in their exit interviews. Wish they had shown more of the "Jaycharm" on the show.. well, they probably would if he had won.

[LadyChatts]

From an interview with Jeff, he said Jay was an alternate to B/B/B 2.0.

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/12/15/survivor-jeff-probst-finale-millennials-vs-gen-x

Quote

Jay is one of the most likable guys we’ve ever had on the show. I still remember meeting him for the first time and knowing he would be a favorite. People may not know this but we almost put him on in Cambodia for Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty but we didn’t really have the right spot for him. So we asked him to come to Cambodia as an alternate, knowing it was super unlikely he would get to play. It’s a huge ask. He said yes instantly and was such a team player. So it made me very happy when we decided on the Millennial theme — Jay was literally the first person on the list. And to see him kill it out there was fun. I think Jay connects to a lot of different ages because his spirit is that of a true Millennial but his mature attitude to losing is that of a well-matured Gen Xer.

[peachmangosteen]

Fuck, shut up Jeff! "... his spirit is that of a true Millennial but his mature attitude to losing is that of a well-matured Gen Xer." JUST SHUT UP!

[sadiegirl1999]

Really, I can so see why Jay is a real estate agent.

[Rachel RSL]

During the TC where they voted out Bret instead of David, they get a shot of the jury after the votes are read  and Will has his usual gaping shocked expression but, next to him, you clearly see Jay mouth "Oh, fuck off!" That amused me so much! 

[gator12]

7 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

During the TC where they voted out Bret instead of David, they get a shot of the jury after the votes are read  and Will has his usual gaping shocked expression but, next to him, you clearly see Jay mouth "Oh, fuck off!" That amused me so much! 

And at that point Ken and Hannah should have realize they had absolutely no sense of winning, well they should have realize that beforehand when they didn't get rid of David earlier too. 

I know people said that they wouldn't have made it to the FTC but they could have gotten rid of Jay, Adam and David back to back in any order and one of them might have won

[Rachel RSL]

Yeah, I still don't quite understand why the jury seems to have held it against them that they didn't vote David out although earlier. They knew they had to vote him out and they did, but voting him out earlier wasn't what was best for their game at the time. Why does the jury seem so bitter that David was voted out at F4 instead of earlier? Is it because they were voted out before him? 

[gator12]

I don't think the jury was bitter at all, that word is being thrown around too much. They thought it made no sense to get rid of the people they got rid of while keeping David, Jay and Adam in the game. 

Getting rid of one threat means nothing when you still keep another one in the finale 3. And people told them that Adam was a threat too, but one was more interested in staying/being perceive as loyal and the other cares more about getting rid of perceive goats in order to be taking to the finale 3 while keeping 3 strong players in the game. Fine don't get rid of David before Sunday but get rid of Adam or Jay before her. That would have been a stronger resume in the eye of the jury. If you are going to bring two players to the finale four that people have told you have a strong chance to win than you deserve to lose.

And I though the same as them. It not a good game move unless all they wanted to do was played for 2nd and 3rd place than its a brilliant game move.

Edited December 16, 2016 by gator12

[Rachel RSL]

3 hours ago, gator12 said:

They thought it made no sense to get rid of the people they got rid of while keeping David, Jay and Adam in the game. 

 I don't understand what difference it makes to the jury what order people were voted out in. They got rid of Jay. They got rid of David.  They just didn't do it in the order the jury wanted them to do it but it still got done.

[gator12]

Well it matters since they keep on of the threats with them in the finale 3. You cannot keep Adam in the game and claim you did what the jury wanted you too just not soon enough.

And most importantly it matters because of jury management, you know the people one is trying to convince to gave them the million dollar

Edited December 16, 2016 by gator12

[Guest]

And it matters because if you're Bret or Sunday, you think it'd make more sense for the people in power to take you to the end, not the 'actual threats' who outstayed them, including Adam.  Which is not just expecting Hannah to play for those two, it's what Hannah should've done to play for herself.