The Challenge: Free Agents - That Was The Season That Was

Editors Note: Sorry for the long delay in posting this final Free Agents article...I've been busy the past few weeks and have been sidetracked by other things - including the passing of my grandma and the World Cup, which has taken time away from properly editing this article & posting it a bit after the finale. So, please accept my apologies...and away we go.

By DC Cueva

@DC408dxtr

Well, for one last time and a bit later than expected, welcome to DCBLOG's coverage of The Challenge: Free Agents, and to our last post of this season.

   Back in the wee hours of March 10, this fan, blogger and virtual friend of Team MTV had the honor of being the messenger of getting the buzz for this very season underway. Or for someone who's a huge NBA fan who's been glued to his twitter & to all the free agency frenzy since it began on July 1st, this was me pulling off my Adrian Wojnarowski moment in giving everyone a major scoop. Of course, upon seeing cast pictures being posted to MTV's mobile site on my iPad, I put together a montage and posted it to my Instagram @DC408Dxtr, and as the first one to post it to IG and singlehandedly started the rocket upon the road to the 25th season of what many call the "fifth major sport." Now, as we are in the midst of the summer, the World Cup gripping America and three months after this all began, we are at the end of the most unpredictable and one of the best seasons ever of this franchise.

   As always, the final in every Challenge season generally produces great drama with endurance, stamina, patience and stirring all kinds of emotions, all determining who will come out on top. But what we saw at the beginning of this final, it may be a done deal with the favorites being up big over the other competitors. But you never know what could happen, and in the case of a season that has seen top contenders fall by the wayside and others rise to the occasion, anything can happen. And the final that we had lived up to everything we expected: this is the most demanding, grueling and gripping final challenge that we've seen here, fitting enough for a silver anniversary season.

   The length of our extended, two-part SocialPulse diary that we did the weekend after the finale, plus the demand of trying to those out early rather than later and of course the length of compiling every single cast tweet, caused me to table my write-up of the finale to this one last post, along with my winners of the finale, the post season awards and a final review of this season. Plus, a thank you note to Team MTV follows at the very end of all this post, along with a look at the summer ahead here.

theWRAP

First off, let's jump straight into the finale edition of theWRAP. And if you're just joining us, this final challenge is conducted over five stages: the first 3 with a partner and the last 2 individually, with partner changes after the 1st & 2nd parts and each guy & girl being paired up round-robin style for those three. The cumulative times among the six competitors will be added up and, like the Tour de France, the competitor with the lowest overall time wins, while every competitor must complete the final to collect their share of the $350,000 prize purse, for which the winner in each gender receives $125,000, 2nd place gets $35,000 and the bronze medalists win $15,000.

   With Stage 1 and kayaking underway, we'll start off with where we left of at the end of episode 11, and that would be of Zach trying to stay afloat after he & Devyn's kayak capsized. This all happened while Bananas & Laurel maintained their lead over Nany & Johnny, who continue to stay tough against the rapids as they went on in 2nd. A rescue team is summoned to help out Dev & Zach after that boat tipped over, but even though they come in 3rd, they are able to press forward and continue on once they get to the rapids. And after that brush with drowning, Thor finds some concern that the next parts of the day 1 activities could involve sleeping and eating, which Devyn likes to do more than him. This is just the start to what would be the toughest thing they all have ever done.

> After Stage 1 (min:sec): 

1ST - Bananas/Laurel: 40:00, 2ND - Johnny/Nany: 44:53, 3RD - Zach/Devyn 58:21

Then, for Stage 2, a Hike & a Puzzle, the teams switch partners. And as I tweeted in my commentary, I liked how they would switch partners after each stage on day 1 because this would provide a more fairer chance for all competitors in the early parts of the final before the individual end of it on Day 2. So, Laurel is paired with Johnny, Nany's with Zach and Bananas goes with Devyn. And here, this requires the players to hike up a hill until they get to a puzzle. Laurel & Johnny arrive first, followed very closely by Zach & Nany. And Bananas had to carry Devyn on his back before they arrive at the station. But the puzzle requires the players to stack 14 cities in geographical location, north to south. I guess teachers who stayed up to watch this might've laughed at how Laurel, Johnny, Zach & Nany forgot to pay attention in their geography class as those four let the 30 minute time limit go by. But Devyn & Team Brooklyn's puzzle experience and Bananas' newfound love for it combine to figure out that the puzzle was made from a log, and its groves match up to give them the win in that stage, and receive a time bonus in both their final times.

> After Stage 2 (hr:min:sec)

1ST - Johnny/Laurel: 1:23:54, 2ND - Zach/Nany: 1:03:00, 3RD - Bananas/Devyn: 1:34:47

To the 3rd stage we go, and it's off-trail hiking in the wilderness. Again, a switch in the partners, and Bananas is paired with the one he was paired up with to win the last regular mission, Nany; Laurel is with Zach, and Johnny & Devyn renew their Crossover partnership. Unlike the last two missions and echoing what we saw two years in Namibia, the teams' start times are staggered since the course is narrow and dangerous. Laurel/Zach, aka Team Detroit, are first off, but Thor begins cramping up. Considering what we've seen from him he freaks out, and tells Laurel he thinks he won't make it out of it alive. Laurel isn't really listening to his complaints and wants to continue, but Zach continues to vent until the search and rescue team is called for the 2nd time to come to the rescue. There, the team who started 2nd, Bananas & Nany, catch up to them and overtake them for the lead. Nany doesn't stop until she herself freaks out when she spots a tarantula on course. Devyn & Johnny do, as some expected, finish last, but at least both are keeping calm & steady through all this. From seeing the twitter interaction, many feel what happened to Zach is karma coming back to him of what he & Frank did to Sam in the run through the desert on the way to their BOTS win.

> After Stage 3 (hrs:mins:secs):

1ST - Bananas/Nany: 2:19:14, 2ND - Zach/Laurel: 2:39:36, 3RD - Johnny/Devyn: 2:52:45

And then, it's Stage 4, and from this point forward, this becomes an individual game as everyone will battle it out for themselves. Night has fallen on the Andes Mountains, but before the competitors call it a night & hit the sack at the end of a grueling first day, they must go on a 25-mile ride on a stationary bike. With the Tour de France looming next week, I thought how many cycling enthusiasts saw how the competitors struggle to go on this ride, and also battling the cold conditions as well. In 40 degree conditions, everyone is freezing and are complaining, except for Bananas and Laurel who go about their business and are first to complete their ride and will get the most sleep. Nany reaches her boiling point and vents to production about how she's cold, then when they tell her that her time will still run if she opts to go to the fireplace for a breather, she goes back on the bike. And then there's Devyn, who struggles to find some motivation as she finishes last and well after everyone finishes.

> After Stage 4 (hrs:mins):

GUYS > 1ST - Bananas: 1:01, 2ND - Johnny: 1:23, 3RD - Zach: 1:31

GIRLS > 1ST - Laurel: 1:32, 2ND - Nany: 1:50, 3RD - Devyn: 2:43

Finally comes decision day and the business end of the final: the last stage. TJ wakes them up at 5:30AM and are given the most difficult task of this final: they must reach the top of a volcano, located at the top of the Andes Mountains. They all begin simultaneously, and off the bat rookie Johnny takes the lead. Bananas would trail him in 2nd, while Zach beings up the rear and once again running his mouth. JR reaches the top first and is able to make up plenty of time once Bananas joins him there, followed shortly by Zach. For the ladies, it's two separate races: Laurel vs. Nany for 1st place, and Devyn vs. herself to try & make it to the top. The neck & neck race between the two top female competitors see Laurel and Nany make it to the summit at about the same time, 4 seconds separating 1st & 2nd.

   But the story of this stage belongs to the underdog. For Devyn, she is struggling to try and make it to the top, but in a moment that might now be my favorite one of her and one that inspired everyone, she does manage to motivate herself and reach the top nearly an hour after Zach finished and four-plus hours after Johnny reached the summit first. Finally, she can cash in. 

> After Stage 5 (hrs:mins:secs):

GUYS > 1ST - Johnny: 2:04:00, 2ND - Bananas: 2:36:00, 3RD - Zach: 3:37:00

GIRLS > 1ST - Laurel: 3:10:38, 2ND - Nany: 3:10:42, 3RD - Devyn: 4:30:00

Normally, it would be the first person or team who crosses the finish line or reaches the finish area would be declared the season champion. But, as we mentioned earlier, it would be overall time and the lowest cumulative time which would determine the winners and the runners up. So it would take a bit of time before everyone found out who would emerge victorious, instead of right at the very moment.

   Everyone expected Bananas and Laurel to take care of business in this final, and everyone had them in their top 3 to win this thing at the beginning of this season...and they did exactly that. Bananas becomes the winningest Challenge champion ever with 5 victories, while Laurel - already a power player who's never been eliminated early - notches her first title, and both pocket $125,000. First time finalists Johnny and Nany finish 2nd to collect $35,000 for their efforts. And for two who faced one another in the BOTS final in Namibia, Zach and Devyn finish 3rd this time around, winning $15,000 but bravely finishing all five stages to pick it all up. And for everyone, this money was well worth every cent of it after what they all had to endure in what was the hardest final challenge we've ever seen.

> Final Results - Cumulative Times (hrs:mins:secs):

GUYS > 1ST - Bananas: 8:11:01, 2ND - Johnny: 8:48:52, 3RD - Zach: 10:15:57

GIRLS > 1ST - Laurel: 9:26:08, 2ND - Nany: 9:34:49, 3RD - Devyn: 12:39:03

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT: The Finale

Unlike other times where we would single out only a few of the top competitors for my Winners of the Night, the winners of the night in this finale are all six of the finalists. We all thought that there would be one or two people who would stand out in a final like this one, and there would be one or two who doesn't deserve to make it to the end. After seeing this all play out, Bananas, Laurel, Nany, Johnny, Zach and Devyn all showed why they deserved in the final. And as I tweeted during the show, just finishing the whole thing alone should give all the competitors at least a share of the $125K top prize.

Now, we'll take a look at the Super Six, starting with the bronze medalists:

- DEVYN: While some people, including blogger Brian Cohen & AfterBuzz regular Steve The Steamer, might say that she doesn't belong on these shows, Devyn definitely made many fans believers in the underdogs this season. This Free Agents format definitely gave some safety to people like her who aren't as strong or as athletic as everyone else, but what I saw from her in this finale outperformed all of my expectations of her and provided me with a moment I'll never forget. This was her 2nd straight final in as many starts, and she has survived both one elimination - the Big Easy arena on BOTS - and all of her Draw appearances this year to get to both of them. And while we all have enjoyed her company with her hilarious commentary, I totally did not expect to see the kind of the courage that came out of her when she got through that entire final. She finished last and four hours after Johnny got there first, but to finish this whole thing rather than giving up, and with money on the line, it definitely feels just as good as finishing first. And from hearing her on her post-finale SC with Murtz, she is retiring from doing these shows. But while I'm one of those who always supports the cast in their endeavors outside the world, I also feel that she should become a host of the after show or reunion as a result of her entertaining us. And after what I saw from you, you've earned much more respect from me for how you handled everything in that final. Good luck Dev.

- ZACH: With CT gone, Zach took over the role of my 2nd choice in the final. This was his 2nd trip to the end in 3 tries, and only a crushing DQ & early exit last year on Rivals II derailed what may have been 3 straight finals in his first 3 challenges. But what happened two years ago in Namibia seems like a distant memory, as what happened in Chile was much different. It's true - he had a rough go of it this time around. His boat capsized then hit his head on a rock and almost drowned. Then there was what happened when Zach got to the 3rd stage, and the hike. He & Laurel had the lead but him complaining about wanting to quit & having the rescue team come to his aid two times. There was even a flashback to the unfortunate treatment he & Frank gave Sam in the BOTS final too. That popped up when he was again venting to Laurel during that climb up the volcano. But through all that, even battling perhaps an injury he had in the rapids, Zach was able to man up, get through all and still be able to finish, and cross the $75,000 plateau in total money won (it's $78,000 - the $62.5K he won as part of Team SD, $15K on Free Agents and $500 for winning the opening mission in Thailand last year). But making it to two finals in three seasons isn't all that bad, and he had a great bounce back performance from last season, winning what turned out to be the only individual mission this season.  Zach will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

The runners-up...

- JOHNNY: This was the 2nd straight season that Team Portland has made it to a Challenge final, and many of you might've had Jordan as the one to be in the final again...you probably didn't expect Johnny to be the one this time. And what we saw out of him in Chile is more impressive than what Jordan & Marlon had last year in their short stay in the islands. As we talked about in the preview, JR came to this after breaking up with Averey and most of us thought he would be thrown in as a first timer right off the bat. But, he performed reasonably well in his first go and won a couple missions. And of course, what brought him to the final was having the luck of the Irish by his side and drew blank cards every time he was eligible to go to elimination, even getting his own coin. And in this final, he definitely proved what he was made of by putting on a great performance in the final, putting aside any doubts of if he deserved to be there. With Zach's struggling, Johnny would eventually become the one who would be battling Bananas, and stayed with him neck & neck. In the end, he did even better than everyone expected of him by winning the last stage and eventually pushing Bananas to victory. While most everyone else was making noise in the final - and also not being seen much during the season, JR stayed focused and kept calm, and didn't let his emotions take over. That's the mark of a good guy who can possibly win won of these Challenges earlier than expected.

- NANY: RW Vegas XXV has become a regular in these finals lately, with Free Agents being the 4th in the last five seasons. Following in Leroy, MikeMike, Dustin & Cooke, it was Nany's turn to be in a final this time. Like Johnny and Devyn, Nany didn't go to elimination even once, but for someone who won half of all the missions including the last two, there's not much you can dispute on why she deserves this great showing. When Cara Maria and then Theresa were eliminated, Nany assumed many fans' 2nd choice, and after coming up short in her previous two starts, not only did she get over the hump, she also made a great impact in her first final. Among the group of girls who went to Uruguay, Nany was tabbed as the one with the most untapped potential, known for being more of the fun one than a competitive threat. But what she did in the final, along with winning Dugout and Crossover, may serve as a harbinger of coming attractions that she may become a power player in the future. Aside from the meltdown on the bike, Nany was neck and neck with Laurel the entire way. And while that bike trip might've cost her Team Vegas' first Challenge win, like Cooke did last year Nany was the one who actually pushed the favorite to victory, coming just 4 seconds short of Laurel on the volcano. In the end, finishing a strong 2nd in her first final has to be Nany's most favorite moment in the four shows she's done, along with a lifelong relationship with fellow competitor Cohutta.

And the winners...

- LAUREL: When we first found out about this cast around the hot stove last fall, we pretty much all had Laurel as the one to beat among the girls, especially when she didn't have Emily, Paula or some other big name veteran ladies to worry about. After three straight 2nd place finishes and taking a three-season hiatus after Rivals, Laurel came into this both determined and focused on getting this deal done, and as expected for someone who came in as favorite, she did. Even when she had to endure Zach and his whining during their hike, and of course what happened with her & Cara Maria and her romance with Jordan, nothing was gonna get in the way of her grabbing that first gold medal. Seeing her kill it on the kayak w/ Bananas, handle the bike ride easily and stave off a challenge by Nany on the volcano, she had the performance of her life when it mattered most. With Laurel winning her first Challenge title, she overtakes Evelyn to become the winningest female competitor with over $200,000 in prize money - $125K joining the other 3 Challenges for which she has been to a final & cashed in. She's just the 2nd person from her Fresh Meat 2 class to win a Challenge, joining local girl Carley who won with Landon in Canada. Laurel is a perfect 8-0 in winning the most eliminations while maintaining a clean sheet of not losing, and having the most Challenge appearances without being sent home. She's accomplished so much in her four Challenges, she's now officially a power player. And now that's she's finally won a title in a season with not many girls who pushed her this season, question now is how will she fare against a stacked women's field when the time comes for a best on best showdown? We'll see, of course.

- JOHNNY BANANAS: There's not much you can say when you describe Johnny Bananas on these Challenges...he's a legend, a huge part of the show's success, and its most loved/hated person. He's won this so many times, it's hard to describe how he's important to these shows as anyone, perhaps he's bigger than the show itself. It was only with the Rivals marathon last year and then Rivals II that I saw Bananas on a Challenge for the first time, and it took a little while for him to win me over. He went to Uruguay with a lot to prove after underperforming in Thailand and finishing 2nd in the final. Plus, along with not having Kenny & Evan to help him out, he had to earn his way through the politics by having no form whatsoever of an alliance this entire season thanks to the individual twist. This year, he had to endure so much that this was certainly the toughest road he's ever had to getting to a title, which of course made this 5th victory that much more sweeter, and made his 10th season his best one ever. He had to work even harder than he had before, when he got tossed into elimination not one, but two times, plus again won another pre-final elimination. He won over Isaac after Jordan told him to "earn his stripes", then won the most pressure-packed battle ever in a statement win over Jordan, and then beat CT in an elimination rubber match to emulate what he did in South America previously: carrying momentum from the last elimination right into the winners circle.

   By being able to get through all of these stages and notch up the lowest cumulative time to win Free Agents, take time to let these factoids sink in for you: he's won the most Challenges ever of any competitor - 5. He's tied with Kenny for most appearances in a final - 7. By adding a $125,000 check from this season, he's now amassed $409,043 - the most money ever won by a competitor. And most importantly, he's done what California Chrome could not do at Belmont: put together a Triple Crown. Bananas won his first two Challenges as a member of a team - with Kenny, Derrick & Evelyn on The Island, then with Derrick, Kenny, Evan and Susie on The Ruins a year later. He then won his next two with just one partner - with Tyler on Rivals & then with Camila on Exes. And after enduring his hardest season ever,  he gets his 5th win on Free Agents all by himself. JB has won all of these either as part of a team, a pair or individual. To take Brian Cohen's word, he's just as good, he wants to win badly and you can't think there is no reason for him to add more to his award case. Win #5 was his best ever.

POSTSEASON AWARDS

Now, to the end-of-season awards... And note for the first three awards, unlike the usual policy, I only classify rookies as those who did their first Challenge, and those who did their 2nd & 3rd as sophomore & junior, respectively; thus veterans are classified by me as doing their 4th or later season.

- Rookie of the Year: This season we had four first-timers making their Challenge debuts, and this one will be shared. We spoke about Johnny up above and more down below, but who can also forget about Latoya? She definitely made her mark in her 1st Challenge by taking down a finalist in her very 1st elimination, all right after going to the hospital for dehydration after that grueling opening mission. 'Toya then held her own in the other missions before succumbing to Cara Maria in elimination, but not before showing off a new fiesty side of her we didn't see much of on Hassel Island, along with some fun in the house too in hosting her talk show with Brandon & Isaac. She may become a fixture on here.

- Best Sophomore Showing: There were six players here who were entering their 2nd challenge. Who impressed me the most among the sophomores? Jessica. After being the first girl out in Asia, Princess Hulk came to her 2nd season with much to prove, plus showing off a new fitness regime. It saw her outperform many people's expectations and stellar results, including great performances in a number of missions, including one below. Up until she went into the arena against Cara Maria, Jess has never been voted or being sent into the Draw, and when she did lose she showed nothing but great sportsmanship in congratulating CM. She has a great future ahead on these Challenges.

- Best Junior Performance: For the six players who went to their 3rd challenge, it has to be Nany. She impressed me so much this season that now I believe she will become a power player sooner than we think. Winning half of the missions this season, including the last two, has given her great potential in becoming a top name on these shows for years to come. Sure like Devyn & Johnny, Nany didn't go into elimination during the season and that slight meltdown on the bike ride, but when you put on a great performance in the final and, like Vegas castmate Cooke did last season, became the one that eventually pushed the pre-final favorite into the winners circle, there's no dispute on how Nany deserved to be in the final. Maybe she'll be the first from her cast to cash in on the top prize.

- Best of the Rest: This award will be given to the best performance by a competitor among those who didn't make the Final, and it'll be hard to imagine someone other than Cara Maria winning this honor. She came into her 7th Challenge straight off of a 2nd place finish in Asia, and Free Agents represented her best chance at a victory, and this was an eventful season to say the least. CM won all three of her elimination battles to make it 5-0-1 in her last six trips to the arena coming into taking on Laurel, but what happened in that 3rd win in injuring her hand and what happened afterwards might've cost her a chance to not be given this award and given the Best Female Competitor instead. Still, she was able to handle all of this adversity, even when her frenemy suddenly changed course. And when Cara Maria finally wins her first Challenge, it will certainly make this journey that much more sweeter.

- Comeback Player of the Year: Four players were eligible for this award, based upon the fact they didn't appear on a Challenge in 3+ seasons. I'll also make this a tie, and give one to Laurel, which I'll explain below. The other goes to Cohutta, who had a 5-year hiatus and performed hugely well as if he never left. Cohutta was the only guy to cross the log in Montevideo; won the drag/bicycle race with Laurel, had great interview one-liners, beat Preston in his 1st elimination and only lost his 2nd to a great player in Leroy. Plus, he had a night out in honor for his birthday and had fellow Sydneysider Isaac along for the ride too. And most importantly in this his first season where he didn't have his Sydney love Kelly-Anne with him, he forged a lifelong relationship with Nany. Don't be surprised if Cohutta goes all the way the next time around.

- Most Improved Player: I will bestow this award for the player who showed the most growth over the season on Theresa. T.Time came into her 5th season with a lot to prove, after being eliminated in every season she's been on with every partner/team she's been on since making her debut in Canada. This year was certainly her best season to date as she finally got the chance to show what she's made of and having no one but her to account for. She notched her first-ever elimination win by beating Camila and also won a couple missions, plus showed her b'ball skills to CT too. And though she lost the last elimination to Laurel and missing out on her first final, Theresa appears poised to finally become a power player and win her first Challenge. Her time should come sooner than we think.

- Best Competition Moment: My favorite competition moment has to be what's also the defining moment of this season as well - the Bananas/Jordan showdown. You pretty much knew that this was gonna happen considering the buildup to it was a very big one, as my colleague Andrew Kirk wrote on his blog (BigTimeRealityTV.blogspot.com). There was Bananas commenting on Jordan's ego after he gambled on competing in Bar Crawl in EP3, then Jordan getting schooled by Jessica the next week. In week 5, both of them were put on opposite teams and as winner in that week's mission, Jordan used JB's words of "earning your stripes" when he put him in, then had a stare down after JB took care of Isaac. Then, it's Jordan's turn to go into battle when he drew the kill card and beat out Swift, which led Bananas to say Jordan's win "was like hooking up with a fat girl." And of course, there was both of them meeting in the arena, being the result of Jordan coming in last in his battle and going into the Draw, followed by him suggesting to Laurel that he wanted to go & take on JB. The moment of Jordan flipping all the guys' cards saw a huge reaction from everyone in the arena and in the twitter world, and as AK wrote, he feels it's "the ballsiest move in Challenge history," going in the opposite direction of what most fans felt in there. And when Bananas finally rang the bell after Jordan had slipped during that run, obviously he proved why he was still king. Considering that their battle was almost a foregone conclusion and that some didn't like the choice of game in the wall, that showdown isn't the one I chose as my favorite one & done round...

- Best Elimination Battle: And for my favorite elimination battle - it's a tie (again), and both involve the same game - Balls In. There, it's Latoya & Jemmye from EP1 and Cara Maria vs. Jessica in EP9. Being very much new to this Challenge world, this game is new to me, but so many fans remember the battle between Abe and Brad back on Inferno III. So for this 25th season, you could sense that producers wanted to bring back an old elimination game into the rotation, and Balls In gave us two great battles that sparked up fans' interest this season. In both battles, you couldn't know who could win, and seeing all these ladies battle was really something, especially the 1st one. Check out my SP wrap-ups from when both of these battles took place, but just as it was with Zach vs. CJ on BOTS2 and Team Portland on Rivals II, I can see why fans love it when the competition in a win or go home battle is physical and is a closely-fought one where either one could win.

- Best Clutch Performance: For the best performance in the clutch, it's a tie once again. First, Jessica and what happened on the log at the skyscraper. She was chosen to go on that log and had to conquer her fear of heights. But after what was an excruciating time, she finally did what she had to do while being brave enough to show grit and poise in crossing that log. The second one will go to Preston, and his stunning performance in the soccer match, scoring two goals - or a "brace" as it's referred to in international football terms, including the game-winner.

- The Underdog Award: This season's format definitely gave more favor and a sense of safety to those who aren't as athletic and strong, and provided the perfect chance for the underdogs to excel. This award is a TIE, and the first one will go to Devyn, who filled this role in not just this season but also on BOTS. As it turned out, not only did she go to the final, she also won what turned out to be the season's only individual mission - the trivia contest. The other one will go to Preston, who was often looked at as un-athletic as everyone else, but proved everyone wrong being the soccer MVP. He went farther than all of us thought he would go and he is the poster boy who epitomizes the unpredictability of this season.

- Best at Flying Under the Radar: Johnny. What else can you say about him? Let my write up on him above tell you the story.

- Best Entertainers: Once again, Devyn comes away the winner in this category. As I wrote in my EP 8 wrap, she definitely filled the role of house comedian this season in the spot once occupied for Kenny & Evan. She's brought comic relief to both the house and her interviews in an otherwise intense atmosphere. When she got to bury her wig Tamera, it became one of the season's signature moments. And of course, we can't forget her handing out the checks as Miss Free Agents on Best of the Worst.

- Favorite Hook-Up & House Romance: It's no surprise here, Nany & Cohutta will receive these two awards. Once we found out about this cast, you knew that these two were meant for each other when we saw them in the house: one is a Buffalo girl who's the most gorgeous one on this cast, or any cast that Nany's been on; the other is a cowboy from Georgia that ever since we first saw Cohutta in Sydney, girls have always been attracted to him. When we first saw them hook up at his birthday night out, we very much knew that this would be the house romance of the season. And unlike other ones that we've seen as of late, this one has a bit of staying power, and it's a good one.

- Favorite Non-Competition Moment: For many, the true show is having an internet device handy to follow the twitter interaction between cast members as the episodes air...we've worked long & hard to bring you every single episode tweet from the cast during the season. Most notable for some has been the numerous twitter beefs that have emerged among numerous cast members, both on this season and alumni watching along with us. There's something mesmerizing about seeing these people get into it, virtually, through 140 or less characters instead of on-camera in the Challenge house, or at least if you're Jasmine or Nia - on the stages of the After Show and Best of The Worst. Obviously, fans love to see these people get into it, perhaps for MTV to make up pairs for a Rivals 3 Challenge perhaps. Luckily, of course, I always stay out of the drama as much as I can and let my objectiveness help me not take sides in any matter. But still it's made for some exciting drama that fans can't get enough of that I had to make this my favorite non-completion moment.

- Heart of a Lion: This award goes to the one who didn't give up and was able to overcome adversity to perform well. Last season, it went to Diem for the obvious reasons of her being sentimental favorite on Rivals II of having overcome ovarian cancer to once grace the Challenge stage. This year, this honor will be bestowed upon Devyn for what we saw in the final. As I wrote above, I never expected that Dev would put on this great, gritty performance of going through all of what she and the rest of the finalists had to do to get through the final. And it was her who put on one of the best performances in a final by one who finished last among all the finalists. Seeing Dev going through what she had to go through, finishing this whole thing and cashing in, and giving up, was not just my favorite moment of the finale but also one of the best moments I've ever seen as a longtime RW/Challenge fan.

And for the recipients of the last two awards, nothing more to say about both. Just check out my write up in the finalists section above and let it all speak for itself.

- Best Female Competitor: Laurel. 

- Best Male Competitor & MVP: Bananas.

THE DEBRIEF

Now to my debrief. My evaluation on this Free Agents season is that is wasn't just another very good season of this, it's from a competitive standpoint actually my favorite of the three seasons that I've watched in real-time since I rejoined the Challenge world two years ago (not counting the 1st Rivals); and of course, I definitely enjoyed it as much as everyone else, as I did Rivals II & BOTS2. Free Agents was the first totally new format that I've seen since I started watching Challenges again, and though we might've had a couple of predictable but worthy champions, it made for an unpredictable season that you absolutely couldn't know who could win or lose every week. And we also had a good mixture of some experienced vets and new faces that again satisfied both the passionate fans and newcomers, and I've been able to now have interacted with every single of this cast in the social world.

   As this season went on, this individual format that's been so wanted by everyone definitely provided us with a much different game than what the case would usually be. No one - not even the veterans - was safe from being put into elimination, and anyone could win any of the missions, and even the final. Like what happened last year on Rivals II, a number of key contenders were eliminated much earlier and more often that opened up the race to the final considerably. This allowed some relative upstarts with a more easier path to the closing stages of this season more than usual, though like last year some big names did hang tough right up until the end.

   Just as it was last year, in choosing both winners as the recipients of my Best Competitors awards, both Johnny Bananas and Laurel were well deserving of the Free Agents title, and they both had to go through very tough but parallel roads on the way to claiming the lions' share of the $350,000. Laurel was on paper the favorite to win for the girls, and after all that took place - including winning all of her eliminations and even sacrificing a strong bond she had with someone who had been enemies & friends with, she officially became a power player with her first Challenge win. And for Bananas, going through this entire season with just himself to account for, having to survive all of his elimination battles and having to endure the toughest final we've seen, made this 5th final victory all the more sweeter.

   In all, The Challenge: Free Agents was a fantastic season that I most definitely enjoyed. When I started to get into these Challenges two years ago, my appreciation for the sister show of the show that I love, The Real World, has matured from just giving BOTS2 a try to enjoying Rivals & Rivals II and now to where now I love it just as much as the legacy series. Just as it has been in recent seasons, we've had everything you could want in a great Challenge season: diverse cast, exciting action, huge fights & house drama and probably the best final Challenge we've ever seen that crowned deserving champions. And of course, there were those huge, game-changing twists that got everyone talking and made this exciting from the very first moments in the arena right to the final in Chile. From huge drama among the big names, through all of the competition, and of course, talking to them everyday throughout the season, this is the perfect show & franchise for me: something I can engage with in every way - watching the episodes with cast & fans, taking to them about it, and writing about it here.

   Now that I am as much a big Challenge fan as a Real World fanatic, like everyone I'm anxious to see what Challenge 26 has in store for us. Though from initial buzz that it could be a Battle of the Exes II, I bring the same mentality that I have for sports and music that I'll be able to enjoy this next season regardless of who is on it and what format it will be. I've developed a great enough of a rapport with the entire RW/Challenge community that even if I have a favorite member not be on, I'll still be supporting all others in their quest for glory. I'll be wondering if some of those who went home too soon on Free Agents can recover and cash in on their comeback; which veterans will return to tell everyone who's still boss, and which newcomers can step up and challenge the establishment. Now that we have just enjoyed one of the best seasons ever of The Challenge, now we all begin to await its next installment, along with new seasons of The Real World and Are You The One? as well. As always, waiting can be the hardest part, but eventually it'll be worth every minute, day & month of it.

THANK YOU TEAM MTV

Finally, a thank you note to everyone not just in the Challenge community on this great season, but also a bit belated, but extra thanks to the cast of the Real World Ex-Plosion and to everyone involved. And to the casts of both shows, I've directed you all to this post, and after giving my wrap of the Free Agents finale & season, and the long season I've had of presenting your tweets to everyone as a public service on here over the last six months, I've saved this thank you note to you all for last.

   To the cast of RW Ex-Plosion - Arielle, Ashley, Cory, Jamie, Jay, Jenny & Thomas, and the exes of Brian, Hailey, Jenna, Ashley C. & Lauren, thanks for giving us a great season earlier this year and also helping breathe new life into a great reality TV franchise that I live so much with one of my favorite seasons ever of The Real World. To all of the 28 competitors on Free Agents - too many to mention here in this paragraph, congratulations to you also for competing and entertaining us this season with one of my favorite Challenge seasons. And to the production team at Bunim-Murray Productions and MTV - including Jon Murray, Jeff Kearns, Justin Booth & company, job well done. Everyone involved, you all did an awesome job these past six months and you should all be proud of yourselves.

   To the cast members, as I told the Are You The One? cast after they won the $1 million, you all have been winners in the way that you all have taken advantage of this great social media platform we have and have interacted very well with me and your fans. So in addition to having enjoyed watching you all on TV, I've definitely enjoyed talking to you all regularly during the season via the twitter-verse and the various social platforms. To those who might be planning on doing future Challenges, good luck to you and look forward to having your company once again. And to those who are planning to attend to things bigger than these shows, I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors. Regardless, be assured that you'll always have my support. Thanks from this great fan & supporter of yours.

Now that the season in Real World & The Challenge is in the books with filming of both Real World Back to Chicago and Challenge 26 to commence shortly, along with the sequel to Are You The One? to come in September, we here at DCBLOG will now shift our focus to broadening our blogging horizons in the interim, which will include covering sports, entertainment beyond MTV and other things too. And with only just one MTV show that I'll be live tweeting during this summer, this offseason will finally give me the time to devote more of my resources to blogging and to extending my reach here.

   As promised, sports will take more of a greater focus on here with the World Cup having just concluded, and we'll have our long-promised series of post covering the sport of soccer & the World Cup. Even though Germany has lifted the trophy, we will still cover the beautiful game and aspects of it as a new league season beacons in much of the world. We'll also cover the run-up to the NFL season, the offseason Free Agency Frenzy in the NBA & NHL, long-promised articles that have been backtracked here and new ones on golf, the Tour de France, the UFC and others coming up.
   After this great final, we are now into the hot stove talk about who will be chosen to go on season 26 of The Challenge, and final preparations to film the landmark 30th season of The Real World in the Windy City. And we'll have those shows covered here as always - full blown once again when the trailer for either show debuts. In the meantime, I plan on doing special Retro Night live tweeting of episodes from seasons past as a way to keep my DCNOW account busy during the summer - including first episodes from past Real World seasons, in addition to doing some related stories here and there.
   And what comes before it? The perfect appetizer will come our way Mondays this fall with the much-anticipated sequel for the show that grabbed my late night attention and rewarded its first class with not just $1 million, but also an earlier time for its sophomore season. Season 2 of Are You The One? will debut on September 29th, preceded a week earlier on the 22nd by a special reunion as the dream team reunites one more time in L.A. with the show's engaged couple, Ethan & Amber, as they'll celebrate not only the upcoming occasion of them getting married, but also the pending arrival of their brand new baby. We'll start our season 2 coverage here once the cast & trailer is revealed in August.

   And though I may or may not do DCSP posts for it, watch here for a post covering that one show I'll be live tweeting on DCNOW this summer and I'm looking forward to watching, Virgin Territory. As always, DC SocialPulse will be on top of every episode of the upcoming seasons of Are You The One?, Real World 30 and Challenge 26, among others, bringing you all of the tweets from the cast, fans and me...real time, uncensored, unfiltered. 

And lastly, I want to give thanks to everyone for their positive feedback on these blog posts throughout the last six months. From fellow bloggers to fellow fans to a few of the castmates, I've gotten nothing but positive feedback and great comments for the job I've done covering the MTV world and other things during this first half of 2014. And from compiling tweets for SocialPulse to getting the Fan's View, I've been able to use this platform to present full coverage of these shows that have garnered now over 10,000 overall page views with visitors from so many countries outside the U.S. 

   And of course, I'm looking anxiously forward to again providing the same kind of extensive, wall-to-wall coverage during the next RW/Challenge/AYTO cycle, which begins when the leaves start to fall and autumn is in the air. As I wrote in my SP finale, it's been both a pleasure and a privilege to cover the shows we love, and can't wait to do it again and look forward to bringing you more of the moments that get everyone talking and the stories of those shows right here on DCBLOG.

All this aside, DCNOW at @DC408DxNow will continue to be active during the summer, with Virgin Territory, sports & entertainment events and special retro live tweeting that I'll do on there weekly. You can always find me at my primary hub @DC408Dxtr for all the usual tweets, chats with fans & followers and Team MTV, and alerts to MTV-related show material & DCBLOG posts; along with my Instagram, also at @DC408dxtr, and at Beamly.com search "DC Cueva."

   Once again, thanks for joining us for our coverage of The Challenge: Free Agents. Until I talk to you on twitter & back here at the 'Blog, thanks for reading, stay cool, see you then and congratulations to Bananas, Laurel and everyone for a great season. Enjoy your summer.

- DC