It’s an excellently crafted, humanizing moment about how even a conservative, survivalist man’s man who is demonstrated to be smart, cunning, and so well prepared that he manages to thrive in spite of the situation at hand, can also be gay.

It’s also a completely unapologetic and intentional middle finger to the homophobic conservatives who were jerking off to all the survivor porn leading up to him being gay.

It was such a good story, and you’re right, it wasn’t necessary to push the plot. But I’m glad that it did. And I’m glad that I watched it. It was beautifully acted and those actors deserve awards for that episode.

If all you’re getting out of it is a gay agenda dog whistle then it might be that middle finger is meant for you, friend.