All Stars 4 has given us some catty drama from a very unexpected source. After winning in The Arena, Steve earned the right to take a second star — and he took it from his Road Rules friend Adam.
Adam took this very personally. He said Steve was dead to him, and he would never respond to his calls or texts again. He also said this was the reason Steve had no friends.
While Adam’s frustration is kind of understandable, he’s also not innocent in this situation. He was a major reason Steve was voted into The Arena because he cast a vote on Steve. Most people in the middle group wanted to protect Ryan, even though he hasn’t tried to get a star yet. Adam was one of those people, stating Ryan was a “beautiful person.”
Clearly, the plan backfired, but was Steve’s decision petty or strategic?
According to Steve, giving Ace a star put a target on Ace’s back. He hasn’t done much to earn it, and people wouldn’t feel bad about taking it from him. Meanwhile, Steve has won three Arenas so he’s earned his place in the final.
However, there’s a huge risk associated with this decision: Adam could seek revenge. We likely won’t see many more opportunities to secure stars, but if Adam wins one, he will certainly target Steve. And, because the final is so near, it’s unlikely that Steve will get another shot at retaliation.
But if Adam doesn’t get another star, there’s a good shot Steve will be cleared to run the final. If Derek or Ryan wins a star, they’re unlikely to target Steve. Most people would select Leroy as the stronger person (physically, at least), so stealing his star would be strategic. Meanwhile, Ace hasn’t earned his star, so taking his star would be guilt free. This lets Steve skate by.
Steve’s decision does have logic behind it, so from a game perspective, it seems rational. However, there are so many moving pieces that Steve’s is very unlikely to have the control he’s seeking. So, it seems like he burned a friendship for no real reason.
Still, I can’t deny that there’s some game logic, and Steve may not have anticipated being in the position of stealing a second star. It just seems like there were other options, and no one would have faulted Steve for protecting his friend.
Stop Being Polite 