User blog comment:Rhonda the stalker fan!/Rhonda's Random Rankings/@comment-1874924-20181223170236/@comment-3350823-20190107080638

I'm glad you enjoyed this Christmas present (and hope you and Jay had a wonderful Christmas). I think you've pinpointed why I like to do chapter commentary and character rankings (and receive them). Of the two, chapter commentary is the more important and still can give you an idea about characters. But I like the idea of a big picture.

That said character rankings are hard, especially for works with characters I like such as LTDI. If you just look at the ranking it makes it seem like I don't like certain characters. For example, Gwen. But I love Gwen (in LTDI, not so much all of canon) and am rooting for her, and maybe more than others above her. But what puts others above her is a mis-mash of things besides who I want to win.

I also worry with a lot of rankings are based more on recent visibility, like who was very present last chapter and not my overall feelings. I feel that's less of a worry with LTDI since it is so many chapters end and I have been rereading a few past chapters while trying to give commentary. But it's still a possible issue. At the same time I do enjoy the rankings to see who I would call faves and what that says about me, and more importantly just to share the info!

And you're exactly right. Somebody has to be last. Usually that's early outs simply on virtue of being the characters I know least unless they just made some impression, struck a chord or just of some trait that appeals to me.

It's funny because the Harold-Geoff moment was the moment I thought of when trying to think of a 'Geoff' moment. As the most filler, I do think he could be below Harold on virtue of Harold's impact.

It's been seven weeks? Dang. Well, I still haven't seen any remains. That could be because the sharks left none, but I choose to believe its because he's alive somewhere.

Ah dang, I really did miss a perfect opportunity with Trent! I didn't even realize it. I think I just settled on him being last of the remaining competing (a nice cheat by dividing remaining and eliminated). IF he survives to round nine.

I'm glad that you're saying Gwen is more supporting. I feel like she has been, but I feel like she's been through a lot that it doesn't feel as accurate? She is such a big character in Island too, that I felt like maybe I was just crazy. But LTDI has clearly changed a lot from canon, so that shouldn't be that surprising.

I think the main reason I do separate by eliminated and competing is that lack of change, besides making it a little easier as well. I think it might also provide a bigger picture on who I like that's still competing. That's usually more useful for stories who haven't determined a winner or all the eliminations, while I don't think LTDI has changed from the initial order (if it has I'd love to hear how and why after said eliminations).

I've seen some older rankings where people would cross out the eliminated contestant and they'd forever be at that ranking. That feels a little more difficult and less big picture. If my LTDI rankings weren't separated, I think Ezekiel and Sadie would be in the top 5 most likely, though I'd have to debate if they make the top 3 (maybe Sadie and Katie can share the spot? But that also feels unfair to how much Katie has grown as her own character).

I noticed that on the chart as well! (Not to errors, which I'm glad you pointed out because I might not have noticed, especially the Beth one). But the alphabetical naming was very curious and I wonder if was intentional on the original writers. I noticed with my how characters I can easily list them by going through the alphabet and I feel like certain chunks of it are on each team.

I don't know if I mentioned this before, I may have when the merge happened, but I also noticed that only three people didn't make LTDI's merge that did in canon (counting Eva's return as making the merge). Yet the elimination order still feels completely different as do the stars of LTDI verus the stars of TDI.

I'm very excited to see how they change as well! I've gotten the feeling that in the next challenge or so there maybe a really shocking elimination...although that may simply be because we've been with everyone for so long their loss will be felt.