DC FORUM: Are You The One? Season 3 Preview

The views and opinions expressed in DC FORUM are only of its hosts

and do not necessarily reflect the views of DCBLOG or affiliated parties.

A DCBLOG Trifecta Preview

WITH DC CUEVA & ANDREW KIRK

> @DC408Dxtr / @CSUGradAKirk

Well, after a six-month offseason, the day all of us who follow the MTV Trifecta have waited for all summer will at long last arrive with the premiere tomorrow night of Season 3 of Are You The One?. And even as the weather here in California has soared the 90's & 100's this week, it will sure feel like Christmas as the brand new season will begin with a new cast and a new twist that will sure make things interesting as we follow our new cast of 20 singles in their quest for love and $1 million.
   AYTO will kick off a new season in over 24 hours from now as our third set of girls & guys unlucky in love will arrive on the Big Island of Hawaii with lofty expectations in following the show's first two casts who both scooped up the $1 million by going 10 for 10 in getting their perfect match. Anything is possible here, from its only perfect match becoming man & wife with a baby, to a late comeback to winning last year, to what could possibly happen this time around with a big twist looming over this season's new kids on the block.

On this edition of DC FORUM - my fan discussion series I do here occasionally and plan on doing more often this time around, again I'm joined by the one & only Andrew Kirk, great social friend and fellow MTV insider & host. As you know, the both of us have followed this world on a full-blown basis since summer 2012 and are about to begin our fourth year and fifth cycle covering the MTV Trifecta on both his webcasts and our blogs. Obviously, a lot's happened in the course of nearly 40 months that it feels like we've been at this for 10 years now, though in actuality we're about to cover our 11th season of a RW/AYTO season or a Challenge. And of course, Andrew, along with fellow podcast hosts Brian Cohen & Ali Lasher, is among the best in the business in talking this great franchise of ours and interviewing an endless amount of people from around the MTV community.

As for the present, with hours until Are You The One? Season 3 debuts, there's enough time for Andrew and I to discuss what will be going down this season and, of course, to look at the new cast. And in this post that's again more of a discussion-based thing than is usually the case here, we'll be dissecting the new cast, the big twist that's been put on the new kids and of course giving our predictions of how things will play out. With the both of us having our opinions of what's about to go down, there's sure to be a good deal of discussion to help fire you up for the premiere.

   So, join your friends, DC and Andrew, after the jump as we discuss Are You The One? Season 3 as we count down to the premiere in only a matter of hours from now.

A little note before we begin our preview...we were going to do the much talked-about debrief of the last Trifecta cycle of the most recent Challenge and Real World seasons shortly after those seasons wrapped up. But because of time and difficulties (including him graduating CSU-Stanislaus in the Central Valley and hanging out with Mickey & friends this summer, hence his new twitter handle), Andrew & I agreed to move that wrap to the traditional time for reviewing the year that was in the industry, and that would be in December after this season ends. By that time, we'll be into covering, or at least the buildup to, season 27 of The Challenge and we'll be able to recap both those shows and this AYTO season for you then. But for now, on with the show...

DC: Obviously, we've followed Are You The One? from the beginning and the premiere is only hours from now. How much are you anticipating Season 3, and what's your thoughts on this season as we're getting set for tomorrow?
- Andrew: "We haven't had anything big MTV related. With Catfish being underwhelming the second half of the season I'm looking forward to it."
- DC: "Yeah, I know...obviously you've been into Big Brother this summer while I've been busy with sports. I'm obviously been anticipating AYTO 3 since the cast reveal back in August - I was very careful with the cast btw. As I always say, the anticipation before an MTV Trifecta season is akin to the leadup to Christmas, to a sports season, to a big fight. It's all the hype, the talk, the buzz and all this anticipation that's finally gonna culminate with tomorrow. I'm sure the cast will go to sleep tonight with the feeling that it feels like December 24th with this final countdown.
   For this season, I really have great expectations for this season considering what we've seen in the past two seasons, plus this long offseason that will end exactly 6 months after Sarah & Jordan won Exes 2. Obviously we had that great cast in season 1, then that roller coaster & the comeback last season. We should be in for something big to happen this time around."

DC: From hearing Brian & Ali on their preview, they already have their favorites and not-so-favorites. What about yours? Who might possibly stand out among the cast?
- Andrew: "as far as the girls go I'm loving Kiki and Kayla both have been super friendly on social media and the guys Alec and Tyler are both very active too. based on the little promos I've seen Chuck is going to be trouble which could be a good or bad thing."
- DC: "Yeah, the RHAP hosts definitely love Tyler and , and there's a few that they might not look to as a friend when this one ends. For Chuck and also Devin too, it's always good at least have a villain or somebody the fans could hate to get some conversation going.

   For me, it's obviously hard to pick any one or two favorites from this cast because I've welcomed them more openly than was the case last year which I won't talk about here again. Plus, what makes any great RTV cast of this size is what personalities they've got, what they can bring to the table and other things too many to mention. And I've been talking more & more with the cast as this lead-up has gone on, and some have been more interactive with than others. But the important thing is who will stand out among this group...it's hard to see who might as it's tomorrow but there could be a few who may become breakout stars this year."

DC: Well, you've already discussed on G+ the new twist the cast has to endure this season. In case viewers missed your show, give me your thoughts on the blackout twist and the potential consequences in a nutshell.
- Andrew: "From a viewers standpoint I love this twist. If I was one of the people on the cast I'd hate it. When I interview past and present cast I'll ask them about the twist from a viewer standpoint and player standpoint."
- DC: "I gotta agree with you, Brian and Ali...I like it too. It's gonna make this group think not only more wisely but also take the strategy more seriously than what was the case last year. It's clear this blackout twist was inspired by what happened to Team 21 and it's gonna make this group cringe and really go out of the box when they think of who to team up with. It's gonna be interesting to see how they take this game seriously knowing that one bad move will cause a domino effect...it'll be a big storyline to follow."

DC: With this twist comes the cast being forced to think with their heads and not their hearts at those matchups. How will this twist affect their strategy this season and not repeat what we saw in PR?
- Andrew: "Honestly I'm not quite sure. From talking to previous alum's they tell me its not easy. So I'm not quite sure  how it'll go."
- DC: "Yeah. Season 1, we saw some of the Originals take turns being the strategist and it was a team effort to get the job done, fitting because of how celebrated that cast was. Last season, we saw Team 21 all over the place and sometimes it was hard for them to keep up, but ultimately Anthony took control of the wheel and he singlehandedly won them the cash. This twist of them possibly losing some or even all the cash is gonna make a huge impact on how they treat this game more seriously. I'm sure they've watched all the episodes before going onto this and learned how to handle this game of who to match up, who goes where and everything it takes to win this. It will take more of a effort by everyone here to snatch the cash."

DC: We're not gonna jinx them here of if they'll win the cash or not, but to make things fairer to them, how will you rank the cast's chances of going 10 for 10: Easy, Difficult (huge expectations) or Harder (the twist/pressure)? I'm sure it's not #1.
- Andrew: "with the 11th person twist it maybe easier but not quite sure. Had there been an 11th person twist I would've said a 4/10 chance but now I'm going to give a 5 or 6/ 10."
- DC: "I would have to rank the cast's chances at somewhere between the difficult and harder choices, which would translate into about that same number of a 50-60% chance of them running the table. If I was a Vegas handicapper, I would put the morning line odds out at about 50-1, which is default for something like this. If they can get on a good roll with getting a match or two and a good light number that increases weekly, the odds will decrease and they'll be fine. But if they don't get much activity in the booth and at matchups, or obviously they get a blackout, it'll be stormy and they may not make it out of this game alive at season's end. One things for sure, likely not gonna see the cakewalk the originals had over in Kauai."

DC: After both seasons of AYTO we thought about how tough an act the next season's cast has to follow. As the premiere is come, what's your expectations and will this live up to what we've seen the first two seasons? I assume it's sky high.
- Andrew: "Unlike The Challenge Big Brother and Survivor,  AYTO is something we can't predict how things  will go. I wish them nothing but the best and it'll fun to see."
- DC: "Yeah, it's something's that's unpredictable and it's always nice because unlike those shows, there's so many options out there for this group and it will be entertaining to watch. As I say, I've got great expectations for this season and the cast has hyped this one up a bit from the cast reveal last month. It's now a matter of them delivering the goods and I'm sure that this should be a great season. Sometimes the hype is bigger than the product itself, but I'm are season 3 will be fantastic. Now it's the final hours before this...it's almost here hard to believe."

DC: Finally and deviating a bit, as this fall TV season gets underway, as this is being posted we got the Big Brother finale, the premieres of Survivor, The Voice and more this week. Thoughts on the upcoming non-MTV reality slate?
- Andrew: "In a quick sentence this is the best week to be a reality TV fan. Tomorrow night 3 hours of great tv. First a Survivor season with all returning players majority of which I've seen play their first time.  Then the 98 days of  Big Brother comes to an end right after. Can't ask for anything better."
- DC: "Definitely, Julie Chen hit it on the bullseye of this being the biggest night in reality TV and a day she & her beau, who also happens to be CBS' big boss man in Les Moonves, look forward to each September. There's so much for RTV fans to look forward to with that Survivor Second Chance premiere, plus the Big Brother finale. The Voice started up on Monday, DWTS that same night and other things too many to mention. I'm not gonna be following it much because of my MTV focus and other things, but it'll surely be a great fall ahead for fans."

And, as they say, that is that. Want thank Andrew for joining me here for the second time here, and this is taking place in lieu of the usual preview webcast Andrew does for these shows; he might've done a AYTO 3 preview on his webcasts had it not been for a previous guest of his joining in...but doing a relatively mini-preview post with this pen pal on here will do for now.
   Of course, follow AK on Twitter at @CSUGradAKirk, his Google+ Hangout shows on YouTube, archived SpreeCast chats at spreecast.com (PPV only), past podcasts at BlogTalkRadio.com, and his TV and sports blogs. Of course, you can expect plenty of coverage of AYTO3 and Challenge 27 on all of those platforms, as is with my social pages and of course this very site.

DC ExtraTime: MORE FROM ME...

Now, to ExtraTime and some added thoughts from just myself on this upcoming season. Again, as is the case above and every Forum post my opinions are non-judgmental and without bias.

> First Impressions & Thoughts on the Cast

"The cast is very energetic and once again a good one from all over the continent. We got a good handful from the New York City area, our first Canadian, a girl from Colorado with shades of the Goon Squad, a heartthrob who'll be the pin-up of the girls watching and that always unique New Englander. And there's also a slew of black people on here too, and a gentle giant.

   For the girls, I think there's a few who might be in the position of becoming leading lady of the group like what we saw with the Goon Squad last year and Shanley in season 1. Amanda might become the fan favorite girl this year in being someone who's not shy and has already made her mark with the schlong count being in full effect. Kayla & KiKi might also become faves too.

   And for the guys, I think there's gonna be fan favorites in them too. Seeing from the Tinder swipe counts the RHAP folks counted up on their preview, I'm sure Hunter will take on that role of being the heartthrob of season 3. And another blog potentially sees Zak as their choice for fan fave too. And can't forget about Tyler and his energetic personality. Good cast overall."

> Predictions

"For those who I have a sort of idea of who might hook up and perhaps be perfect matches, there is maybe a couple on this group since I'm doing this blind date style without seeing any show footage. I believe that there will be a hookup or two in the first two episodes with one of them staying together throughout this season and I predict they'll get an early truth booth match as well.

   And for everlasting love and following in the footsteps of Amber & Ethan, it's obviously tough for call at this early stage of this go. But I predict they'll be alright in getting a relationship lasting after this season ends. And again, it doesn't have to be a perfect match perse, just ask Curtis and Jenni; but they will be at least one long-term relationship after this season ends."

CALLING ALL FANS...

Now, DC FORUM is expanding its role this season from being an occasional blog post here to taking on more of an active role throughout my Trifecta coverage this cycle, in addition to devoted FORUM posts to preview & review the seasons. This site is becoming more well rounded in now offering you a voice here in addition to the social interaction & stories that make this site unique. It's very much fitting since we know a lot of people both in and outside the MTV world check out DCBLOG and listen to the webcasts of my fellow friends throughout the season, and again the invitation is there to fans, bloggers, webcast hosts & even former castmates for provide their input on here.

   In addition to recapping episodes and offering additional insight when warranted, DC WRAP - now a separate feature from my SocialPulse episode diaries, will feature a FORUM section where I'll be asking one of those people from my invitee list to join me here and do a mini discussion of sorts - likely just a 3-5 question Q&A - on the episodes and giving them a voice on this site to help provoke & fuel the conversation here. It's something I'm looking forward to doing here more to provide a now more regular platform for opinions to liven things up.

   If you're interested in doing a DC FORUM Q&A for this site on the Trifecta, just tweet, follow or send me a DM to my twitter @DC408dxtr, or simply email me dc408dxtr@icloud.com. At either place, and thanks to Twitter no longer putting a 140-character limit on direct messages, it makes it possible for me to ask questions to followers on both platforms, in addition to the usual things like possible topics and questions and other things. But of course, either platform is fine.

   And of course, as the new focus of my DC FORUM posts, I look forward to talking to you about the shows you love. After all, I know you got plenty of opinions, and I look forward to translating them to this blog, just like you all do on the webcasts and socially. And you're the people who watch, support and drive the conversation of these shows like me, and it's fitting that now, I get to turn the tables and get your thoughts as I continue to do one of the things I love: following this world of all things MTV and DCBLOG and on my social platforms.

A HEADS-UP...

Now, an important announcement... With the busy fall schedule that's starting up, and everything going on both in and outside the realm, over the past few days I've thought about the slate that's ahead. Having to juggle covering and following AYTO 3 and everything I follow, maintaining this great blog I have, planning for my upcoming Vegas trip next month and all else is obviously a tough task. And obviously, a packed schedule such as this can cause a strain on people.

   It was not a very easy decision for me to make, but unfortunately, it's with this in mind that I will not be live tweeting the upcoming season of Survivor: Second Chance this season on DCNOW. Because of the last Trifecta cycle ending at the same time season 30 of that iconic show begin, I was able to put that season into my live tweet rotation. However, with it airing on the same night as AYTO starting next week, I felt it would be a bit too much for me to handle on Wednesdays, given a one-hour gap between shows and them airing on different networks. Plus, MTV programming takes precedent both on my social platforms and DCBlog here, and simply live tweeting a show outside of it on the same night would distract me from having all the time I have to follow the shows I live most.

   To all you reality TV fans, I hope you can understand where I'm coming from, and do look forward to returning to live tweeting Survivor and more network programming for you in the future.

#DCVEGAS 7

And finally on a more lighter note, as AYTO madness takes over DCBLOG and my social platforms, outside of it I'm in countdown mode for what will be happening in just a few weeks. In 17 days from now - as this is being posted on Wednesday Sept. 23, I'll be heading out once again to Las Vegas for the 7th time and just my second vacation that I'm sharing the social world, in the one city I have the biggest love for, outside of the Bay Area of course.
   I'll be utilizing all my social platforms: Twitter (primarily my DCNOW live handle), Instagram, Facebook (inner circle only), YouTube, Vine, and just launched in the past month - SnapChat (DC408Dxtr1) and Periscope, among other social media avenues, to bring that Vegas experience to all of you out there. Also, with rumors abounding of Real World Season 31 to be filming in Vegas during the time I'll be in town over the Columbus Day holiday weekend, perhaps I will be doing a little of that favorite activity of following filming of that season when its early part of the process takes place, so stay tuned.
   Again, "What Happens in Vegas...Gets Posted by DC for Everyone to See." Can't wait for the big trip and bring those moments to you on my family of social media platforms.


But as for right now, the day is finally upon us as Are You The One? Season 3 will be arriving in over 24 hours from now, and of course as always, DCBLOG will be all over it with SocialPulse diaries, DC WRAP episode recaps and ExtraTime posts covering AYTO, as well as The Challenge and Real World. We'll have our first editions of those two posts for you over the weekend after the episodes air, and will also include a look at a MTV castmate who is not only a Challenge champ, but who's now also the latest to make his way to Hollywood - and for which proof of his new talents was just last night. You'll meet him in DC ExtraTime over the weekend.

   As always, follow my dedicated live Twitter handle, DCNOW at @DC408DxNow for live and real-time tweets of tomorrow night's premiere, along with the season finale of Teen Mom that precedes it, CMT's laid-back docu-series Gainesville on Friday, and the fall sports slate. I'll also be planning to post Pulse quote pics on both my DC Instagram hub (IG @DC408Dxtr) as well as my primary Twitter handle (also @DC408Dxtr) to help increase awareness and boost viewership to DCBLOG. You can always follow me there as I'm always ready to talk this show and what else you have on your mind. I'm also on Tumblr at dc408dxtr.tumblr.com and now on both Snapchat @DC408DXTR1 and on Periscope @DC408Dxtr as well.

   And be sure to follow the aforementioned trio of Andrew Kirk (@CSUGradAKirk), Brian Cohen (@BusDriversRoute) & Ali Lasher (@LashTweets), with the ladder two recently doing their usually honest but hilarious double cast preview at RobHasAWebsite.com and BusDriversRoute.com, and of course AK at bigtimerealitytv.blogspot.com & Google+.

Once again, thanks for checking out this FORUM preview of Are You The One? Season 3, which begins tomorrow. And make sure to follow DCNOW tomorrow night for live tweets of that and the Teen Mom season finale starting at 9:30PM PT. Until then, thanks for reading and see you then.

- I AM DC