I've probably made this exact post before, but I really wish they hadn't made Borden so cookie-cutter evil after he leaves Patterson to be rescued in season 2.
Or good enough to hold his own against Kurt in a fight. I doubt anyone would be that great at fighting if they'd only started learning within the past three years, not even if they trained for hours every day. Afghanistan was in 2013 and Remi was undercover as Jane by 2015, so... :/
It would have been better to have seen Borden struggle more with his loyalties, like he and Shepherd made Patterson believe he was, with the whole 'you have to kill her' thing when the bug was in her tooth. But it seemed like he just got cold and evil instead, which was a shame.
I like the idea that Borden was pulled in by the team, and doubting his mission. He was much better written in season 3 and 4 (season 5 doesn't really count, since he wasn't real).
I find myself thinking a lot about his line to Patterson when she finds out the truth: 'This isn't what I wanted.' I do believe he fell in love with her, and I do believe he had second thoughts and regrets, and that the guilt ate him alive after what he did to her (which, good, he should feel awful - but also 😭😭😭 RIP, my ship!)
It was a toxic disaster relationship in the end, that's true, but just like with Joscar, I refuse to believe his heart was never in it, or that there was no good in it at all. It just would have been nice to see some of that season 3 conflict and guilt in Borden in later season 2 episodes, before the 'you destroyed me' episode.
How can I love and hate a plot twist so much at the same time? 😦